The design of the house has been through many many variations throughout the past few years as we prepared & dreamed. Earlier plans were more elaborate and complicated until we finally decided on a 2 story rectangular box - for ease of construction and cost savings.
We drew inspiration from many different house plans and added our own touches to create a house design that suited our family. Here was our wish list:
- A house that's not too big or too small, and makes the most efficient use of the spaces that we need.
- Slab-on-grade, with radiant in-floor heating, to avoid the water problems of basements in our area. Because there is no basement, we would have to add storage and utility space above ground.
- An open concept with lots of space for the family to be together, and the kitchen being the central focus of the house.
- Passive solar design for natural cooling, heating and lighting.
- A pantry (under the staircase) for all the canning we hope to do on our little farm
- A playroom just for the kids, where they can be messy & creative, that can change as they grow.
- An entry vestibule with space to sit and put on /remove shoes, store jackets and all the other little things that seem to end up everywhere, bring in groceries, etc.
- Make the best use of space to create storage areas for linen, broom closet, seasonal stuff, etc.
- A porch & balcony on the west side of the house to protect the bale wall from the driving rain and provide shade during hot summer afternoons. We also wanted the balcony to provide a space to hang laundry and therefore must be close to the laundry room.
- A laundry room with tables for folding and ironing, that double as sewing space.
- A main bathroom with private spaces so that multiple activities can happen at the same time, while maintaining privacy and eliminating the need for two full bathrooms.
- A large master bedroom that can host kiddies who are scared or lonesome at night, with an attached sleeping porch (balcony), and space for a japanese soaking tub (if we can ever afford that luxury!).
- Computer space that moves as needed and as the spaces in the house change functions.
- Space for a masonry wood stove or other type of efficient wood burning stove in the future, if needed.
After many many many sketches... this is what we came up with. We love it and hope it looks just as good in 3D! If anyone out there ever wants to use this plan, by all means be our guest... Just send us pictures because we would love to see how it looks!
Will's twin sister Andrea sat with us for many hours & days to put our scaled sketches on AutoCad and work out all the little practical details. She was VERY patient with us! Niawenhko:wa!Then we asked (& pestered!) Will's uncle - Joe Deom, and his cousin - Robert Deom, for engineering advice on making our house a reality. They were VERY generous with us! We know how truly busy they are and we appreciate every moment they gave to us. Niawenhko:wa!
We couldn't have done it without y'all. There are dinners at our new house with your names on it.
Here's a view of our first floor and load-bearing wall, a close-up of the ring-beam, and the porch where we plan to relax after a hard day's work. 
