Sven on Warpcast

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Cool Beans 🌞 pfp

Cool Beans 🌞

@coolbeans1r.eth

GM to the dreamers! I received the first draft of the "ultra sustainable ultra affordable kinda tiny" house plans. 650 sq. ft of interior space. I'm asking for input this weekend! What do you like? What do you not like? Could you live here? What would you add? There will be a separate carport/workshop/office on site too. Keep in mind, it's being designed for a single dude and a dog or a couple...I look forward to feedback! I have a meeting with the designer scheduled again for next week to discuss changes and ideas. (the walls are thicc because this is an earthbag home) ✌️ ❤️ 🌍

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Sven pfp

What materials are you planning with? Stick frame? My first design was similar, and i have pivoted hard away from that. It heavily depends on the location of course (looks like you'll be in Deming?) I am way further north, so much more crazy temps in both directions. That said. I am working on a concept (very slowly) of a fast and simple aircrete home. I like aircrete a lot... best of both worlds. Cheap, Fast, Sturdy, combines thermal mass and insulation in one. Downside is the cement needed vs e.g. adobe. But imho still better than stick framed. I am building the machine for it myself, and the plan would be to have fast deploying forms to build e.g. 10x10 modules at a time. which could then be turned into 20x10 20x20 etc. Personally I want to optimize for passive efficiency. Solar of course, but applying a lot of earthship principles to work with the sun and the seasons to store heat in thermal mass (floor, walls, etc). What's the water situation where you are? That is the biggest issue up here.

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@coolbeans1r.eth

It's an earthbag design, and is taking into account solar gain. Stick frame roof for ease of building. No water is the biggest issue, but I can dig a well if I need to. I am going to attempt 100% rainwater for the first year tho, adjust as needed. I'll get a big tank and a water delivery right when I get there to cover the needs for myself and building.

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I am on rainwater. Hauling still too. it's fine till you want to grow food. Well here is ~600ft, so no digging myself, and having it done is about 50-100k (if you can find a driller). Officially we have 12-15in a year in nm. But I have not seen nearly this much in the last few years (with the exception of the freak storms). Earthbag is good. But labor intensive. I thought about rammed earth before. Would prefer that over bags myself. Especially if part of the DAOs goal is to build repeatable processes and systems. The engineer in me always wants to build the machines to make it easier. Rammed earth is super easy in principle. Get a jumping jack compactor and sturdy forms and off we go... Same concept with aircrete. Once the machine is built we can put up 12" walls with a R value of min R24 in half a day. As a complete wall, it's hard to beat imho. (Depening on codes and design it may need rebar of course)

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@coolbeans1r.eth

Yup. Well I'm just taking opinions on the design, not the construction method 😜 I'm not interested in rammed earth after speaking with an engineer about it, and aircrete is not of interest either because material won't be hyper local? Labor intensive is fine, as long as it balanced by low cost of materials. 👍 I'm not scared of sweating, too many lazy fucks got us to where we are now in society.

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Fair enough. I guess I assumed this was setting the tone for a DAO (and maybe I projected my own goals of coyote commons of experimenting with sustainable ways). But if it's just your project then you do you of course. Still interested in following along.

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@coolbeans1r.eth

Well, the construction method is the most bioregioanlly appropriate for NM, respecting the history, natural surroundings and available materials. The need for no machinery is important, and both methods you mentioned require more equipment, thus more external cost embedded into the building process. Please explain why it would be more appropriate to build in either method you mentioned, besides labor.

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also just to clarify. I am not meaning to tell you what to do at all. I m simply sharing my opinion. E.g. i never said my methods are more appropriate. I couldn't, since i don't know what your goals are. Just engaging in discourse about building off grid, as this is a passion of mine and I thought you were seeking such. But you clarified you are simply looking for feedback on design (which imho includes construction methods, but I think you mean the layout, correct?). Layout is fine... Nothing to exciting, but practical. Simple is good. ;)

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Oh, actually I do have one piece of feedback, or rather a clarifying question. Whats the exposure? I assume south with the wall in the first picture for solar gain? I know most designs have the slope of the roof slow to the north. I could never quite understand why. Imho it is more practical to slope south. Especially is solar is involved. Plus it will melt snow (depending on region) for catchment a lot better. Again, these are all just my opinions (hence the overuse of IMHO). Take it for what it's worth.

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@coolbeans1r.eth

South facing, rear sloping so less heat absorption through the roof. It doesn't snow enough in Deming to be concerned, solar panels most likely will not be on the roof, they will be on a tracker system or on the roof of the carport/workshop where the batteries and inverter setup will be.

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Yea, you are so far south. Snow is prob not an issue. I personally don't think trackers are worth it anymore. Panels are so cheap now. Buy used panels and buy 2x as many if you have the land to put them on, or you basically get 400W bifacials for $80 now. Crazy rally. For me I prefer to combine roof realestate with the panels if appropriate to safe on additional racking (or even tracking). If tracking is needed to maximize output i'd do "virtual tracking" through 3 arrays. One facing south-east, one due south, and one south west. But even that is largely unnecessary in Nm imho since there is just to much sun. My (admittedly relatively small) battery bank of 10kwh is full before noon 90% of the year, and that's with 18x250W used panels mounted flat on the roof... So not ideal conditions at all.

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@coolbeans1r.eth

I live in NorCal 100% off grid, I get barely any sun and I live off of 3k watts of solar panels and 4.8kwh of battery 🤷‍♂️ with an old inefficient fridge. I have wood heat of course since I live in a forest 😜 👍 I'll be ok, my initial battery spec is 22kwh of storage for the NM build. I will see if I need more or less after I get there and see how it does. I'll have 240v appliances so I think I'll be okie dokie.

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