Unique converted homes (Full Version)

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GreedyTop -> Unique converted homes (4/6/2011 12:00:20 AM)

some of these just totally appeal to me:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/40964929?__source=yahoorealestate|convertedhomes|&par=yahoorealestate



WyldHrt -> RE: Unique converted homes (4/6/2011 1:38:50 AM)

I want the railroad car! [:)]

I think that we will be seeing more of this kind of thing in the future, although not as grand as the gorgeous places in the slideshow. With the economy the way it is and so many people losing their homes, alternative housing is becoming more accepted and some people are getting quite creative with their living spaces. The '90 sq ft' thread has a link to a gorgeous little guest house made out of a shipping container; and when we converted one of the greenhouses on the property to an insulated storage area, I realized that it would be easy to turn a greenhouse into a 3000 sq ft 'loft' style home (the boss didn't go for it [8D]).

As an aside ('cause I know Greedy likes Faires), working the western Renn Faire circuit was quite an education in 'alternative housing'. Rennies can make a home out of anything! [:D]



mefisto69 -> RE: Unique converted homes (4/6/2011 2:25:47 AM)

whatever happened to 'geodesic domes' ?



LaTigresse -> RE: Unique converted homes (4/6/2011 3:51:11 AM)

Thank you for sharing Greedy.

As a daughter of a retired building contractor and self confessed, constant home project addict, I love stuff like that. Around here, we see a lot of old churches turned into homes(one very cool brick church/house is for sale not far from me right now) and businesses. I've seen quite a few barns turned into homes. And in the bigger towns, old factories turned into luxury condos. In Iowa City, there is a house created from an old fire station.

I've even seen the big steel shipping crates turned into homes. The biggest road block to unusual homes is usually the financing and insurance issues. If you haven't got the cash, it is a challenge to tackle a project like that because no one wants to loan on them, or insure them.



0ldhen -> RE: Unique converted homes (4/6/2011 4:38:20 AM)


I love the garage one.

If you like different houses check out these tumbleweed house, you can even get them built on a trailer like a tiny log home you take with you.http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/houses/xs-house/



DesFIP -> RE: Unique converted homes (4/6/2011 5:29:20 AM)

The water tower had 9 flights of stairs. I'd never want to do that on a several times daily basis. But the firehouse was gorgeous.



GreedyTop -> RE: Unique converted homes (4/6/2011 5:34:48 AM)

I loved the bunker, the church and the barn, especially.

aside from the stairs factor, I'd love to have a converted lighthouse..



Hillwilliam -> RE: Unique converted homes (4/6/2011 5:57:48 AM)

The converted church reminded me of "Alice's Restaurant"



GreedyTop -> RE: Unique converted homes (4/6/2011 6:00:38 AM)

*grumbles*

friggin earworm.

Thanks SO much Hilly!!



DesFIP -> RE: Unique converted homes (4/6/2011 8:45:05 AM)

I knew someone many years ago who lived in a converted church. It was nice but I'm still enamored of that firehouse/trolley station. I think it's all the light upstairs.

Oh, and a couple houses down is a little house that used to be a one room schoolhouse many years ago. The old lady who lived there when I first moved up here had gone to school there and then grew up to marry and live in it. That always seemed cool to me.



littlewonder -> RE: Unique converted homes (4/6/2011 4:13:36 PM)

I have a friend who made a home from cargo shipping containers. It's such a kewl place and the sound of the rain hitting the metal roof is just so soothing.





soul2share -> RE: Unique converted homes (4/7/2011 3:55:38 AM)

I'd love to build my dream house....and I have been researching alternative building materials.  I read about strawbale homes many years ago in Mother Earth News, and in the past 10-15 years, the idea has actually caught on.  They are practically indestructible, there are houses in Nebraska that were built in the 1800's and they are still standing today.  They are almost completely fireproof, can withstand stright line winds of over 100 mph's or more, they are soundproof, ecologically friendly, pest free, and if you google strawbale homes, you can see how beautiful they are.  There is a guy out in Oregon that has really spearheaded the growth of them there, Andrew somebody or other, his website is one of hte top ones that will turn up in Google.  (Hey, I'm tired, awake for over 18 hours, gimme a break for not looking myself!)  And they are totally DIY if you want to build your own, or you can have someone do it for you. 

Just a thought for anyone looking at alternatives to the expensive building practices these days.



LaTigresse -> RE: Unique converted homes (4/7/2011 11:40:25 AM)

Here is one they built locally.

http://homes-across-america.org/search/details.cfm?who=57&Feature=all&action=showGallery&Query=MultiQuery



GreedyTop -> RE: Unique converted homes (4/9/2011 10:55:41 PM)

Conversion and green homes



BonesFromAsh -> RE: Unique converted homes (4/10/2011 5:18:57 AM)

GT, I love when you post these kind of things!

There's a house just over the NY boarder that was a stone barn and small brick grain silo that from the early 1900's that was converted a number of years ago. The folks who did the conversion replaced one side (?) of the circular silo with glass block windows....passive solar.
I love to see that instead of someone just knocking it down to build yet another McMansion.



pahunkboy -> RE: Unique converted homes (4/10/2011 1:13:40 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: LaTigresse

Here is one they built locally.

http://homes-across-america.org/search/details.cfm?who=57&Feature=all&action=showGallery&Query=MultiQuery




it seems like that would get buggy.



soul2share -> RE: Unique converted homes (4/10/2011 2:39:45 PM)

http://www.strawbale.com/straw-bale-photos/

This is from Andrew Morrison's site.....including interior pics of a strawbale home.  As you can see, there are many options for interior design.  Arches, differnt shaped windows, open designs.  If I were doing this, I'd be doing the radiant heat floors, I love concrete floors!  I'd have an interior water feature, complete with little fishies for my kittehs to watch.  Like I said, it's my dream house....the stove I wan was only $8500...and that was 10 years ago!



GreedyTop -> RE: Unique converted homes (4/10/2011 10:29:53 PM)

link didnt work, Soul :(



GreedyTop -> Cave homes (4/10/2011 11:40:05 PM)

Not enough pics, but still..

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/homes-that-are-built-inside-caves.html



soul2share -> RE: Cave homes (4/11/2011 4:02:53 AM)

http://www.strawbale.com

Try this and just look at the different photos.....hopefully, it will work.

I just checked it, and both links worked....but I'm not the most computer literate person I know, so you might just have to go to the site w/o the link.

These houses are amazing.  I know some people have opened up their building it to others so they can learn how to do it too.  It's pretty easy, the hardest part about trying it here in FL would be the humidity......if the straw gets wet, or it's too humid, it could rot.  I'd do the Nebraska style of building, stacking the bales like bricks vs the frame style, where you frame out the house and then fill in the areas with the bales.  Sort of defeats the purpose of sustainable housing to use the wood.  You build the walls, apply the stucco and you're good.  Buck out your doors and windows like you'd normally do it and put the roof on and you've got a house.



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