Architectural Designs

Does anyone have good information on low cost/green building materials and construction?

Searching for good detailed information (+ & -) for low cost building materials from someone w/knowledge/sources. I am interested in anything you can come up with such as: geodesic dome, earth bags, cob, straw bale, rammed earth, concrete, & bamboo construction. I have already done some research online, but I haven’t found a good means of comparison & accurate/complete cost estimations. I am also really interested in safety ratings of the various materials & whether it is extremely important to do the build in an exact/specified way. The goal is to purchase land & build a 3 bdr house for around $60K. I have friends who would be able to pitch in for manual (unskilled) labor & several who have worked in drywall & finish carpentry. My father is a civil engineer, so I am hoping that providing him with the needed information would allow him to assist in the design. I live in Kansas so the construction materials would have to be good for cold, hot, humidity, & high winds/storms.

Public Comments

1. here is a place to start you search. good luck http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/
2. Low cost, and green are opposites. Anything out of the normal construction materials will cost more money, and time, which is also money. If you can find a hilly piece of property. Find a hill that has a good southern facing view. Build your home into the side of the hill. If done properly you should have 2 sides and the back covered with dirt after back filling the construction. You can also have dirt covering your ceiling. These homes are very energy efficient and also blend well into the country side. As far as rammed earth goes if it rains where you live on a regular basis it will get wet and begin to degrade. Geodesic dome is a wonder full way of covering a large area with out center supports, could be used with in hill side construction. however cost for geodesic dome type roof will be much greater then normal shaped roof, Cob and straw bale are both gimmicks as far as I can see. Concrete is good in a lot of ways and is in fact organic, lasts for generations and doesn't require a lot of upkeep. Maybe concrete might be the material of choice for in the long run it will last forever. Hope this helps
3. No real offense meant, but Low Cost, and Green, haven't quite reached the point of correlating yet. Obviously the intent is valid, and comparative studies, not so difficult, but if you can get into any decent structure, green or otherwise, for less than $100 per sq. ft. I'd say you're ahead. In one respect, albeit sadly, WHAT you build from is often Dictated, and those REGS. are contributed to by various factors, IE: Location, Geology, Access to and acceptance of certain materials. Certainly, unless you live so far into isolation, that no one cares, there will be agencies governing not only the materials used, but the construction methods, and the specifics, with regard to WHAT is installed, IE: Electric/Plumbing, which compose approx. 20% of all building costs, and likely will be directly tied to liability issues, hence needing permiting and licensed installation. Steven Wolf just my two "sense"
4. check out concrete domes, there the most safest construction available, a concret dome home will with stand 180 mph winds, are easy to heat and cool, low cost is concret,
5. LowCosts and Green don't seem to be compatible yet....However, in the last few years on Diynetwork TV many shows and buildings pertaining to Green...have been on the tv...and some have had great success....not cheap however. Seems as if the rewards come several years down the road. ONE thing to do first is consider....installing a windmill to generate your energy....this is about $25,000.00 to install, and starts the Electric Co....paying you right off the bat...which would be the greatest return. on your investment. My Uncle in Illinois installed one very recently...and right away it started paying him back for the investment. No I don't know how much he is getting back...and this info I got from my Granny (94 years young)...He is tight lipped otherwise. Here's my suggestion (I just thought of it)...buy the land...invest in the windmill....get it up and running....let the Electric Co start paying you for the electricity....and take your time deciding on what to build....in the meantime you are generating income from the property....Hummm...sounds like a good idea.... Check out the searches I found....see if anything helps you... http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Building+Green http://weehouse.com/flash/SFWA_index.html#/intro/ http://www.lowimpactliving.com/blog/2007/09/24/green-prefab-homes-prefabulous/?url=pages/newsletters/newsletter-prefab
6. Insulated concrete forms or(ICF's) are a great way to build your house. They can withstand more than 200mph winds and are fire retardent. You and your buddies can do all exterior walls your self and you will save greatly on utility costs. Should run you around $15.00 to $18.00 a square foot of wall space.
7. Build more houses faster,better for less with moladi plastic formwork - www.moladi.com