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| The mis-adventures of the Bailey family building their own home |
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Playing in the Yard on Baiiley Bear Ridge
The early years - some wild concepts
Early on, I had hopes of creating an underground house inspired by the homes of the hobbits in the Lord of the Rings movies. I designed building methods and even figured out how to bend my own beams for the supports of the rafters that line the halls and rooms of the home.
Cut Away of Hall Passage
October 20, 2003
The Berm house is a long time in coming and I am using that time to design the details of the home. One of the first items is the general look of the home. Below is about the 4th permutation of the design. This is the image of the hallway. It is a cutout to show the different layers.
October 20, 2003 - It is now being considered that we use rammed earth for the outer wall layer. Of course moistre is the main issue in this house and it would need good waterproofing. |
The cement walls are thicker at the bottom and is reinforced with welded rebar.
Click Image to Enlarge |
Click Image to Enlarge |
Hall/Passage Size
A feeling of Claustrophobia is a danger in an underground house. The idea behind the hall way design is to make it large enough where this will not be a problem. The barrel shaped hallway is AT LEAST the width and height of a normal hallway in a standard home. The shape results in a corridor that is larger than average. This drawing shows the dimensions of the hallway, at the narrowest and widest points. The height in reality is about 6 inches higher, resulting in a 9 foot high passage. |
Room Size
The rooms fall in this same problem. Creating a room that has a shape that will create a larger feel. The ceilings in this design are at least 10 feet high, I prefer that they be 10 1/2 feet. This room will have a floor off about 14 feet x 28 feet. A good size room of 392 square feet. An excellent size for a small underground home. |
Click Image to Enlarge |
Click Image to Enlarge |
Floor Plan of House
The overall floor plan is VERY ambitious, I know. The Master bedroom is too big. Also, some of the hall joints don't fit. Hey, it is a rough draft, the kind you draw on a napkin at the restaurant. You can get an idea of the floor plan and it helps make the next 2 sections understandable. |
In-Ground Front View
The home rests completely underground. Here you can see the proposed position of the rooms from the front. The door on the entry rests just below the ground level (maybe a few inches to 1 foot). The windows, which are round, rest well above the ground level on either side of the front door. The grass will grow between the door and windows. From the entry, hallways go to the left and right to the kitchen/dining room to the left and the large living room to the right. |
Click Image to Enlarge |
Click Image to Enlarge |
In-Ground Back View
This is the view from the down hill side. Notice that the master bedroom and the living room both have exit that will lead out to a patio. Also, the doors will let in plenty of light through the build in windows. The exact position of the second bedroom in relation to the living room are still in question. Also, one design, and a preference of mine is that there is another round window in the middle of the Hallway with library. This will increase the light in the house and brighten up a possibly dark hallway. |
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