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My fiance and I are considering an octagonal house for a piece of land we are looking at. We are drawn to this shape by it’s energy efficiency and possible modular design. Has anyone here been involved with an octagonal structure? We would be doing a lot of our own labor, and I am concerned that the angles, particularly the roof, may be beyond our skills. We would like to top the peak with a cupola for ventilation/circulation, and I am concerned about the load of the roof on the walls.
We are looking for a quick construction, and with that in mind, has anyone been involved with Permanent Wood Foundations? We are likely to be doing a lot of this this winter, as May to December are a very busy work time at our jobs, so January to April is really our window. The developer will not put in the well until foundations are constructed, and I am concerned about the costs of getting concrete into an area with no running water available. The structure would be the first of a complex of octagons, and will revert to a workshop/storage area when the other buildings are done, so I am not overly interested in long term discussions, just which would be cost efficient and not as weather dependent (considering the temperature parameters of concrete).
Any information you could share would be greatly appreciated!
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Your question doesn't give enough background. Where is the site location? Do you have temporary service (elec)? How much experience do you have.
The basic answer is........... DEPENDS !
Here in RI, and in most areas of the country we pour foundations all year round, cause the contract never gets signed and the deposits received and your schedule never breaks when you want it to. So you pour as soon as the ink drys on the contract.
Octagons are interesting, but energy conserving ? I doubt it. And as far as modular,,,,no way. At least not easily. By modular I assume you mean you will make the modules, not get them from a factory .
Even from a factory, the regular shapes are easier to modularize (sic. ??)
Either way, rectangles and squares are the easiest to build, and if you want to keep it simple now (a good idea if you have limited time and skills ) , they are the easiest to remodel and put additions on later.
We live and work in the birthplace of Cupolas. They were often incorporated into the Widow's Walks of the seafaring Captains homes here in coastal New England.
BTW our home is a Dutch Colonial (gambrel roof) with an Octagonal Cupola on top and a winder stairway into it for access. It has a truss roof sitting on the gambrel knee walls.
I'd also review your projected schedule, seems kind of short for stick built by two people with limited experience. Am I missing something ? What size is your home to be, basic dimensions ?
Another possibility is that you have a framer make it weathertight and you do the finish, but beware, The weathertight shell is only about a third of the job, money and time wise.
Good luck !
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i am currently in the conceptual design phase of a hexagon shaped home. two stories with the lower being a garage/workshop. cinderblock exterior walls with the hex nodes being poured concrete columns. i chose the shape to get 360 views. considering an enclosed observation deck coming out of the center of the roof. i'm glad to see that i am not the only person who wants to break away from the standard right angle cube.
*M.& G. - You might want to consider resale value. In my area there was An octagon shaped home that sat on the market for years with no takers. It is A style that, to me, represents the seventies, much like A geodesic dome. As A design builder involved with projects from conseption through completion, I would at least consider resale, maybe in your area that style is desireable. As far as rha breaking away from the standard right angle cube, I would suggest as apposed to an octagon, turning garages at 30 degrees or running 12 pitch roof systems, or larger overhangs, dormers, mix up your siding styles ( but never run gable siding at your roof angle ) increase wall heighths, larger windows. There are tons of ways to enhance A homes curb appeal without wasting good wood on an octoscam. I'm just saying.
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Wow - I guess this is what you call "thinking outside the box!!"
i i guess some people have the need to be very different. on the other hand can someone explain to me how 360 degrees of view is better produced by an octagonal building than a rectangular one? maybe the best person to answer that question would be the little girl "Regan" in the movie, The Exorcist!
Seriously though - In a former life (with a different hairdo) I built a geodesic dome. What I learned from this experience was that non-rectangular buildings and efficient building material usage are antonyms!
Further, if you have doubts about your skill level in building this structure, they are probably well founded. Perhaps a truss fabricator could produce the roof framing for you - as you said you were interested in a short project schedule.
On the other hand, as RRKane said, I think you can build in an individualistic manner while still using conventional shapes.
Just as an aside: I find your statement " The developer will not put in the well until foundations are constructed, and I am concerned about the costs of getting concrete into an area with no running water available.", confusing at best, but it sounds like the feasibility of the property itself is still in question.
*Man, you guys are a tough bunch. Rudolph Steiner was the first one to point out to me that there are no right angles in nature. He favored five sided architecture since there are 5 limbs on the human body. Mueller - we pour foundations all the time with no running water on the job. The concrete trucks around here carry water, and usually let us clean off our tools following a pour. - jb
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I'm putting an octagon shaped enclosure on top of a silo. It will have 360 degree views. The whole structure is basically radial in design, not all that hard to deal with, whether on paper or on the job. I say do it, and make it how you would prefer, not how somebody up the (resale) road prefers. An octagon does not have to be intrinsically considered a "'70's" shape at all. Think of victorian turrets for example. The barn octagon will definitely have an old style look to it.
You mentioned concern about the roof load. This depends on the design. Nothing says an octagonal structure is weak. A lot of lighthouses are octagons.
Your concern about your own capabilities is really, based on what little we know about you, up to you. If you're somewhat well versed in typical building methods and a pretty good craftsman, you can probably build this. But building with speed as a primary goal? I don't think so.
I would wait until spring if I were you. You have too many unresolved issues to rush into it now. And if you live up north like me, you need this thing poured NOW. Yes, it can be poured anytime, but I wouldn't pour my house in the winter time. And that's just one thing. Have you tried nailing a lot in cold weather? Not fun. Not a fast or good way to build.
Assuming what you meant by modular was a way to group the various octagon buildings into a group, It seems plausible. But if you meant using modular construction within each octagon, I agree with Mike that it'll be a lot harder for you.
A lot depends on your location and the weather factor. Maybe you're in the south and can build all winter. So make up your mind what to do, get it poured and start nailing!
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Ok, I went and surfed the web to come up with some more positive information about octagonal homes. Turns out that some really cool (by my thinking) houses are eight sided:
link #1 (scroll down to "Longwood")
link #2
link #3
link #4
link #5
link #6
*8 sides, oh boy! I wouldn't worry about water. Most Ready-mix trucks have a water tank. A better question is can a cement truck get to your site (and leave without being winched out of the mud). Being less experianced, you may want to hire a builder, especially if you want it done faster. Perhaps you could leave the structure up to the contractor, and you do the interior. (sheetrock, floors, trim, and such). Have fun.
*sorry, forgot to add.... How does 8 sides make it more energy efficient?
*If you want an octagonal house then build one. If you don't have a floor plan yet I have seen several in the plan books. Also, there is a company in North or South Carolina that offers kits. See their adds in Mother Earth from time to time (may be there all the time but I am only there from time to time). Their kits include special trusses and a metal fabrication that links them together at the center. I think any competent truss company could provide a roof system to meet your needs. I stayed in an octagonal home once. None of the rooms are square. Took a bit of getting used to but after a while it was no big deal. One thing you might do is ask around and see if you can locate an octagonal house in your area you can visit. I don't know where you plan to build but I would rent a circus tent before I would use a wood foundation.
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David ;
The ratio between exterior surfaces and floor space is much more favorable with multi, round and dome like structures, therefore more energy efficient.
brisketbean
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That's only theoretical.... take some furniture and closets, and cabinets, and some people and put them in your floor plan and you will see that there is a lot of wasted space. So wasted space means unuseable conditioned space which equals inefficiency. Sorry 'bout that.
*Since someone brought up roof trusses on octagonal buildings, I thought I'd put my 2 cents worth in. Sure, you can do trusses on such a building, but there are a few potential problems to deal with. First, you have to fand a truss manufacturer that's willing to do something out of the ordinary. Approaching them about this in the heat of the summer isn't a good idea. We tend to turn down "problem jobs" when we're busy. Second, you have to realize that it will still be difficult to frame, and everything won't fit perfectly. Special hangers will almost certainly be needed, and that may require extra lead time. Ask your truss guy about the hangers early on - don't wait until the trusses are laying there on the jobsite. Finally, you need to realize that this will be expensive. Something like this will require a lot of time on the part of the truss manufacturer, and they will most likely charge you accordingly. A couple more notes. b Make sureyou talk to the truss guys b beforeyou dig your hole and pour concrete. It may turn out that you need extra footings or something that wasn't anticipated. You wouldn't believe how many people don't think about this until the concrete's poured. Finally, seek out a truss guy who takes this on as a kind of challenge. Don't settle for someone who's "just willing to squeeze it in" for you.
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Ron beat me to some of what came to mind when Steve
mentioned the part about trusses but I would like to add
that I think trusses are the last thing to use here. You
have a golden opportunity for a spectacular
ceiling/roofline, either dome or an octagonal shape, or
whatever, but I wouldn't waste that chance to make it more
complicated with trusses that would be tough to engineer,
tougher than usual to correctly install, cost more, etc. and
lose the sense of space that defines the building in the
process.
MD
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*Octagonal buildings are way pre- 70s. The Navajo of the southwest U.S. have been building them for a long time. They call 'em hogans. I lived in one for a year when I had a different hairdo and there is nothing like lying on your back, gazing up into the domed ceiling created by timbers whose endpoint sits on the midpoint of the timber below. This particular hogan was constructed of railroad ties planted on end for walls with a viga and latilla cieling(log and branch.) Energy efficiency? Not in this case. The traditional hogan has a smoke hole in the center of the roof but I'm sure you smart fellers can get around that.
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...you could caulk it...
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LOL
Hi temp caulk?
MD
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Big Stretch!
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Probably needs a vapor barrier!
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...should that be vented, then?
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Seems like it already is!
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Geez, if you guys fixed it up that good you'd be.....hogans heroes!
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I wanna be Richard Dawson. He got all the babes!
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My fiance and I are considering an octagonal house for a piece of land we are looking at. We are drawn to this shape by it's energy efficiency and possible modular design. Has anyone here been involved with an octagonal structure? We would be doing a lot of our own labor, and I am concerned that the angles, particularly the roof, may be beyond our skills. We would like to top the peak with a cupola for ventilation/circulation, and I am concerned about the load of the roof on the walls.
We are looking for a quick construction, and with that in mind, has anyone been involved with Permanent Wood Foundations? We are likely to be doing a lot of this this winter, as May to December are a very busy work time at our jobs, so January to April is really our window. The developer will not put in the well until foundations are constructed, and I am concerned about the costs of getting concrete into an area with no running water available. The structure would be the first of a complex of octagons, and will revert to a workshop/storage area when the other buildings are done, so I am not overly interested in long term discussions, just which would be cost efficient and not as weather dependent (considering the temperature parameters of concrete).
Any information you could share would be greatly appreciated!
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"I know nothingk, NOTHINGK!"