$300 Forest House

$300 Forest House (click to enlarge)

Specifications: 256 sq. ft. 16’x16’ one room house plus 4’ wrap-around porch, Footprint: 24′x24′

Description: Do you dream of having a small place in the woods that can be built practically for free? The Forest House with its striking pyramid roof is made almost entirely of natural products that are readily available in tropical forests – wood poles, bamboo and thatch. Recycled doors, cabinets, sink, composting toilet, solar shower and other materials, plus building on a hillside keep costs to a minimum. Consider leasing the land or work-trade agreement. Features include steeply pitched roof to shed rain, open ceiling to improve ventilation, built-in desk, retractable plank and metal barriers on each post to deter pests. Options include under-bed storage, mosquito bed net, split bamboo (shown) or bamboo matt, split bamboo or wood plank floors, rustic curved wood railings. Building permit not required. High speed Internet not included.

$300 Forest House floorplan (click to enlarge)

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Wilderness Cabin

Wilderness Cabin (click to enlarge)

Specifications: 283 sq. ft. interior, sleeping loft, 1 bath, Footprint: 17′ x 24′ plus porch

Description: Just like the name implies, this cabin design is for remote fishing, hiking and hunting camps where it is difficult to transport building materials. It is compact, efficient and easy to build. A sleeping loft is under the high side of a shed roof.

Wilderness Cabin Floorplan

I’m reposting this plan to illustrate how the 30 most popular house designs will look once finished. AutoCAD plans are complete. The goal now is to produce the SketchUp perspectives at about one every 10 days and hopefully put them in a house plan book next year. There will be no added charge for upgraded plans (computer renderings) once they’re available. Thanks for your patience.

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Earthbag Country Guesthouse

Earthbag Country Guesthouse

Specifications: 286 sq. ft. interior, 1 bedroom, 1 bath, Footprint: 16′ x 25′ plus porch

Description: Classic country detailing and styling characterizes this guesthouse. This is one of my favorites and we’ve considered building it for ourselves. It is well lit, spacious and comfortable for use as a cabin, rental or guesthouse. The Dutch hip roof with cathedral ceiling is framed with timbers (as shown), but factory trusses could be used.

Earthbag Country Guesthouse East Elevation

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Earthbag Resort Rental

Earthbag Resort Rental

Specifications: 232 sq. ft. interior, 1 bedroom, 1 bath, Footprint: 15′ x 25′ excluding carport

Description: There is a good market for durable, energy efficient vacation cabins/resort rental units and this plan is designed to fill the need. It can be built as shown for hot climates or flipped 180 degrees and used for cold climates. The area under the extended roof can be used as a carport or covered patio area. Note: this plan is now listed in the free shelter category.

Earthbag Resort Rental West Elevation

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