jlf1961
Posts: 14840
Joined: 6/10/2008
From: Somewhere Texas
Status: offline
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First, let me state the idea came to me at 3AM, while outside (Kera decided that she needed to debate some issue with the local owl and coyote population) trying to keep from being eaten alive by Mosquitoes.
Now, I am of the opinion that house/home design must include the landscaping as well as interior layout.
Considering I live in West Texas where climate extremes are the norm, not the exception (a fact utility companies seem to ignore) I felt the house must be either fully or partially off grid, and taking into consideration carbon footprints (I may be a gun toting lunatic, but the environment is important) would have to be a consideration.
So, local materials when possible.
First, the home must be located on at least 40 acres, with either spring fed creeks (yes we have springs in west texas) or an easily accessible water table for wells.
Since I happen to own a piece of property that meets these requirements, I decided to figure out how to best utilize the property to meet these considerations.
Now, I had in the past discussed the possibility of a barter agreement with a local company that deals with natural stone for construction/landscaping. We have agreed that in exchange for giving them the rights to take limestone from the property, they would cut blocks for construction. The firm even has the equipment needed to relocate mature trees on the property to the site I would like to build the home.
They will also allow me to use most of their heavy equipment (they wont let me play with the really BIG crane though.)
So, I am thinking a 4 acre compound with a low (20 foot high) stone wall surrounding it (some of my friends from this site would like to visit and seem to fixated on zombies) for security.
There is a nice location that has a low rise covering about acre that would be perfect, that rises about 45 feet above the surrounding grade.
Now I figure the home itself will need a basement (i.e dungeon, model train layout room, extra food storage.)
Wood for furniture can actually be sourced from the property itself, there are an abundance of mesquite, live oak, post oak, scrub oak, south western red ceder, and even native pecan.
I figure that the walls of the home would be limestone block 18x24x12. For the frame structure, there is a firm in Houston that has purchased a large number of older warehouses on the water front that were timber frame structures and have been dismantling them, so heavy timber frame members is easily available in lengths up to 50 feet.
And, taking lessons from old world craftsmen, I figure that after the basement is dug (figure to put the main entrance at this level as well with stairs leading to the main living areas) a well could be drilled in the basement.
As for the home design itself, I am thinking of a steampunk/sci fi/european keep design. Kind of a Dracula meets Luke Skywalker.
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Boy, it sure would be nice if we had some grenades, don't you think?
You cannot control who comes into your life, but you can control which airlock you throw them out of.
Paranoid Paramilitary Gun Loving Conspiracy Theorist AND EQUAL OPPORTUNI
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Designing the Perfect BDSM home - 
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