700 dollars a square foot | Alternative Energy | Forums

From the DIY cabin of the 1950s to the A-frame of the 1960s to the yurt of the 1970s to THIS?!? Just another piece of 'eco-trash' to blight the landscape?

How is this sustainable? Does it come with a plastic repair kit for when the exterior shell cracks and leaks from UV? Are the polycrystal PV panels replaceable when they degrade? Why doesn't it have a 'boulder' exterior so that it at least makes an attempt to BLEND with a setting? There isn't a whole lot more here than an old Airsteam with some PV panels and tack on wind generator could provide CHEAPER.

Guess we are slipping from DIY to HID (having it DONE)?

Gravel Road said
....I always wanted an A frame...love them...also want a stone tower.

Will be interesting to see what our place comes out per sq ft.

A frames were quick/cheap to build - basically all roof! But they don't create a lot of useable sq FOOTage and lots of lost space in the peak area not to mention heat layering problems. I long thought a gambrel (aka barn) style of roof was more attractive and resulted in better use of space and heat heat/air circulation.

I've made several dry stacked stone retaining walls so also love stone building. But its heavy and challenging work! Slipforms with laying rock and mortar in, as one built up, made the most sense to me. A drawback of stone is the $&^#$ building codes that want the stones reinforced. Not difficult in the fill-up slip form method, but stone on stone stacking could = drilling EACH stone to pinion them to each other, just sounds crazy to me. A 'unique' motel - Madonna Inn <www.madonnainn.com> had to do this to make the 'Caveman' room - http://www.madonnain.....ms/137.php. Of course this is in shaking, quaking California (home of the fruits, nuts and flakes).