large poles (not square posts) embedded several feet into the ground,
making a very strong foundation for a home that also has no interior
load-bearing walls - thus you can have large open inside spaces. Pole
houses are particularly suited to hilly sites and have been used
extensively in Hawaii and California. I have bought the books that
I've seen available on Amazon, etc., but can find only very basic
house plans and I would like to see more home plans and pole-building
construction details. I would also like to know a consultant or
building plan designer who could give some reasonably priced
assistance. I will be the general contractor. Thanks.
Pole construction houses are also very well known in Australia (particularly Queensland). John Koch runs a design service in the more southern state of Victoria specialising in pole construction and is happy to consult and supply plans internationally. His site can be found at:
http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~jkoch/design.html
He says:
"All my designs are completely original and apart from the basic cost effective designs, have evolved out of my architectural philosophy presented at the beginning of the catalogue. The range of possibilities with pole frame construction is unlimited. The designs illustrated, although available as they stand, should be taken as a guide to style and a basis for developing an appropriate design for you. Once I know what your requirements are, I can help you choose and modify a design to suit, or I can develop a concept that will be quite unique and personal for you."
He goes on to discuss various options and concludes:
"If you have your own design that you would like me to translate into working drawings, or if you would like to participate in working together with me to develop a new design, I will be most happy to work in that way. You can e-mail me information about your personal needs and site characteristics, and I will suggest some design possibilities for you to consider...."
For non-Australian customers plans can be supplied in metric or imperial units, and local materials and wind loadings can be taken into account. Structural computations will be in metric.
I imagine you can also ask him to work to your local building code if there are any specific regulations that would apply.
He offers a plan catalogue of about 50 designs, which are then available for purchase as is or with custom modifications. The base price of the catalogue is AU$60.00 or US $53.00 subject to current exchange rates. There is also a CD available.
You can look at some house photos and 3D graphics on the site. Have a look at the photos of Series 14-1 for a large home with interesting internal spaces.
In America Homestore Design Services have a very informative site called B4UBuild. Here you will find a step by step look at the construction of an Australian pole house by a school teacher and her friends at:
http://www.b4ubuild.com
They write:
"Leonie is a fifty-something school teacher who lives in the southern part of western Australia; about 400 kilometers outside of Perth. One of her goals in life was to build a mud-brick house using local building materials whenever possible. So, when the opportunity to purchase a small block of forest near a lake .... she decided the time was right for her to build her dream.
She had watched other people build houses and she had listened to their construction stories, but this would be the first house Leonie had ever built. Most of her male friends advised her that the best option, for her, would be to buy a kit home and have someone else put it up. However, Leonie was determined to "do her own thing". "
There is a photo album of some 36 photos showing various construction phases, with more to come. Each thumbnail picture is generally well described on mouseover, so you can decide whether or not you want to click to enlarge it.. There is a description of the stage at the bottom of each photo, often quite detailed. For example:
"The verandah poles are going up. They are being attached at the base to iron straps set into concrete. Some of the straps in the concrete slab are visible along the edge of the slab and down the center of the slab under what will be the ridge beam. The verandah poles will be attached to straps set into individual concrete post footings, two of which can be seen in the sand in the foreground. Also note that branches were left on the corner posts to act as diagonal bracing between the top of the posts and the header that will support the roof - they look nice too."
Leonie is also using hand made mud bricks.
The site also has an extensive plan center to be found direct at:
http://www.b4ubuild.com/plans/index.shtml
You can preview floor plans and elevations, and purchase plans directly from them. Some have photos and virtual tours.They do not specialize in pole construction, so the site takes a bit of digging around. Plan AX-7944-A , under 'log construction", may be the kind of thing you are looking for. Purchase price of plans varies from $99.00 for a planning set, to six or seven hundred dollars for multiple construction sets. Under "recreation/vacation" Plan # H-806-2 might appeal.
The site offers a planning service and a free estimate service (scroll down to the bottom of the page). They also will modify existing plans to your specifications They say in their FAQS:
"Our fees are typically less than 1 percent of building costs (compare this to the national average of 7 percent of building costs). This translates to an average modification cost of $800 to $1,500, in addition to the cost of the reproducible blueprint."
Kokoro Country Houses have some handsome designs with Japanese influence on their site at:
http://kokorocountryhouses.com/structures.asp
They supply kit homes, and I suspect are very expensive, but to get some ideas, click on "Portfolio" then on the name of one of the houses in the top right, and you will find elevations and floor plans. There are also some close-ups of construction details.
AZ-Built CAD offer standard house plans as well as a custom design service at:
http://www.garage-plan.com/id31.htm
The standard plans look very boring, but are $349.00 per set including free revisions and modifications for 120 days after purchase.
Custom plans are discussed at:
http://www.garage-plan.com/id5.htm
They charge 50 cents per sq.ft. (total heated living area) for custom house plans and that includes the same free changes for 120 days.
All the best with your project.
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pole construction houses
Before attempting to answer your question, I would like to better understand what you mean by "reasonably priced assistance". For this portion of your answer, would a list of consultants suffice? Or are you looking for consultants in a specific price range.
Thanks in advance!
Sincerely,
Thinkout
1) I have previously been to John Koch's website but felt that his use of metric would add another level of complication to an already complicated matter. 2) Leonie's Aussie pole house on B4UBuild was built on concrete footings and slab - and I don't intend to do that. It sort of destroys the whole idea of hanging your house off the poles for the sake of simplicity and strength. 3) Since one of my main issues is attaching the framing to the poles, a log house plan doesn't help much. 4) Kokoro houses were beautiful, but very expensive and complex. I can get some ideas there, but no real details. 5) garage-plan looks to be standard house plans.
What I would like to find is a US version of John Koch or a company that has multiple plans for pole-built houses and that can also give me details on attaching the roof (or truss) to the poles as well as how to connect framing to poles, as well as other construction details. Thanks, again.
From the phrasing of your question, I understood you to mean you had looked at books for ideas but not the web, so I'm sorry if my research duplicated some of your own. I notice you are new to Google Answers - it's always a good idea to give us a clear background to your own research as this gives us a better starting point.
I take your point about Leonie's concrete slab, but it's possible that was a local code requirement. You will need to check yours.
I have searched around the web a great deal further on your behalf today, without finding any parallel US service to John Koch's, and nothing like the quality and originality of design. The US builders all seem to be coming from the direction of glorified barns, whereas John (and some other Australians) start from the concept of home design. Presumably that is why he is offering an international service
However, In Ohio I did find Durabilt Pole Buildings at:
http://www.durabiltpolebuildings.com
They say:
"Twenty - two years ago it was the goal of Durabilt Inc. Pole Buildings to give their customers more for their money than any other builder. Upon that premise, Durabilt Inc. Pole Buildings has refused to compromise.
Our designs, our materials and our ability to fit into one's custom pole building needs, have allowed us to solve problems for our customers. We don't just tell you what we can build for you, we help you figure out what you need. Then we fit it into your budget. "
They also write:
"A pole building is a great way to start for the do - it - yourselfers. Let us erect the shell and you can finish the interior work as you go, and save. Loft barns and single story buildings can all be used with some modifications. Let us get you started on your home, vacation home, or retirement home."
To mu eye, they still seem to be basing their designs on a barn style, but you might find they are happy to collaborate on a more original design, and if so they might be just the people for you, especially as they seem to be budget conscious.
In Hawaii I was able to find a mention of Pole Homes & Custom Building - Phone: 254-1626 - on the Kailua chamber of Commerce website at:
http://www.kailuachamber.com/businessCat.asp?cat=Building
There is no web link. Possibly they could recommend someone in your area.
I think, however, you have misunderstood what John Koch is offering. He does provide the plans and details in imperial measures as well as metric. It is the computations - the actual calculations he has used to arrive at his structural decisions about loadings etc. that he has carried out in metric units. You should not need to know anything about those in order to follow the plans.
On his "International" page he says:
"For countries that use imperial units, plans will be converted from metres to feet and inches. Structural computations will be in metric units and based on Australian Standard Codes. These are recognised internationally to be of the highest standard, and are usually acceptable to local authorities. " Find this page at:
http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~jkoch/internat.html
You might like to check with your local building regulatory body what they need to see in order to approve your plans. In all likelihood they will not need to see the computations, unless perhaps there is some special requirement such as earthquake provisions, or provisions for high wind or cyclones.
John goes on to quote a Texas customer, with some (blurry) photos which give some idea of the framing up, and there is a link to that customer's website at:
http://oldiesguy.tripod.com/texaspoleframe
Here the builder, Robert, has posted large clear photos of the building process, and also a contact button, so you would be able to email him to find out what snags he encountered, if any, and what aspects of the collaboration he was pleased with. He might be able to set your mind at rest about the metric to imperial conversion.
Robert says - Page 2 - "John (Koch) is an experienced home builder, pole house expert and structural engineer. Not only did he design my house, he also provided me with detailed construction procedures & critical structural calculations. Furthermore, his ongoing assistance throughout this project has been invaluable." So obviously the collaboration worked for him.
You should find Robert's photos interesting as they take you step by step through the construction process, including notching out the timbers for the beams. He also tells you when he does something different from Koch's recommendations. Robert's house is simpler than the one you want, I suspect, but the construction principles should be the same.
In any case, if you are after ideas, as you said in your original question, you could do worse than to purchase Koch's catalogue and CD. If he has something you really like, I suggest you do not allow yourself to be put off by the distance factor, but instead contact Robert by way of a reference, and then make some detailed email enquiries. Otherwise have a talk to Durabilt and see if they are able to work on more imaginative projects.
For further reference, also in Australia, Stainton Homes have interesting photographs of the pole homes they build at:
http://www.robuild.com.au/stainton/polepics.html
Clicking on some of the homes gives you more pictures including interiors from which it is possible to make out how brackets, bearers joists and crossbeams are arranged. They also offer an individual design service:
" Individual Designs & Development
7 Turnbull Street, Garbutt, Townsville .. PO Box 19 Belgian Gardens Q4810 Phone +61 7 4775 7557 .. Facsimile: +61 7 4775 7558.. Email: smb@robuild.com.au" They are winners of the Queensland Master Builders' Association Home of the Year with one of their pole homes.
Homeplan Architects number pole designs among their other plans at:
http://www.users.bigpond.com/homeplandesign/homeplan/HOMES.HTM
Kime House is a five bedroom home ..."Situated on a rocky sloping rural site... designed to respond to the site and retain the bushy character of the site by touching the earth lightly with steel post structure to minimise excavation and disturbance on the site. The interior opens to the environment with glazed roofs, window walls, cantilevering decks with trees that penetrate the building.
Designed as a passive solar home and with a plan that includes octagonal elements this home provides a home rich in character but comfortable and practical for living in. Although the site is bushy, light and warmth is maintained with cathedral ceilings, glazed roofs and clerestory windows. Changes in levels relate to the site."
Note the use of steel poles. They produce designs in close consultation with the client, but do not seem to operate an international service.
Other Aussie sites include Rivergum homes at:
http://www.rivergumhomes.com.au/about_us.html
The New South Wales MBA winner for pole homes for 2003 was Australian Hardwood Homes, Lot 1 Bells Line of Rd, Bilpin 2758 +62 2 45677644. They do not appear to have a website.
Thank you for an interesting question.
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