Final Design (if there is such a thing!)

It's been a while since my last post and some things have changed since then...

We took a better look at the financial side of the project, and decided that at this point it does not make a lot of [financial] sense to spend 60K -80K or even more on a cabin. Smarter to build a smaller simpler cabin for 15K or so, and invest the rest o the money toward retirement...

So the whole project has been stripped down considerably and is now a simple 14x16 foot print with a small bathroom and a sleeping loft. For now we'll use a composting toilet (most likely a homemade system) as there won’t be a septic field for a while (the cost of the septic field alone was estimated at around 30k-35k!!!).

The Cabin will be built 'on site', but will be designed as a number of modules, so that the cabin can be esily moved to a different spot, when we decide to build a more permanent structure. Once moved it will be either used as a guest cabin, or as a workshop.

There are still some TBD's on the design:

We are still shopping for windows and doors - The original budget for windows was 7k, and has now been reduced to 3,500 -. The idea is still to have as much glass as possible in the south side to take advantage of the views, and a large opening that connects the cabin to the deck.

The finish material for the roof is also not decided yet: roll roofing will be economical and easy to install, but a metal roof would be more aligned with the 'modular design'.

I guess that I'll have to make a decision soon as I'll have to start buying all the materials soon!

On the 'start buying things' side of things we bought a 1988 Jeep Cherokee that we'll use in the city to purchase all the materials and will later be barged to the island...

Cabin Design.

Once we got the land, the next step was to design the cabin that will be built on it.

Design #1: Dream Big!!!

Post and Beam (with Exposed beams) Finished with Cedar Board and Batten and Cedar Shakes and a metal roof!!! Not too big (32' x22' footprint and total area of 1150 sqft)
In the lower Level a Laundry Room, Bathroom, Storage Room, a large kitchen with an Island, Dining room and Living Room; and in the upper level a Mezzanine open to below and two bedrooms.

Off course the south wall will be all windows to take full advantage of the views, and there will be a huge deck to enjoy barbecues and cold beers under the summer sun with all the friends that will come and visit.

After pricing the 'Straight Grain Douglas Fir' 10x6 beams and 6x6 posts and getting a quote for $10K+GST for just the materials for the frame (and that is before moving them on a barge to the island, and renting a crane and crew to install it!), it was not hard to realize that this is just another 'dream design'... back to the drawing board (aka AutoCAD).

Design #2: Variations on a Theme...

.. Or adaptations of an existing design... One of my existing designs is an open space on the main floor, with a bathroom, a compact kitchen and a small area for a couch, and a sleeping loft above. It would be really easy to adapt to the site: move the door to the front, move the kitchen from the back to the side… move the sleeping loft to the front and voila there is cabin design…

There is a ladder going up to a sleeping loft, which is now above a covered porch outside. And the footprint is 16’x 18’, and the total area is just over 450 sqft.

I like this design!! It is simple, it's more 'down to earth'... It should be cheaper to build, and it feels like 'I can build it'...

I like it so much that I draw a full set of plans, including a site plan, foundations plan, roof plan, 4 elevations and 2 sections. I’m now ready to get a building permit... except for a couple of concerns: What about that ladder? It's not 'to code' so can I actually get a building permit for this? I also want to have the framing exposed to the inside (because I'm planning to do a perfect job framing it and I want to show off!! ;o) ) So how do I insulate it?? (Or can I get a building permit for a non insulated building?)

I decided to print a set of plans and get on the Ferry to the sunshine coast and visit my local building inspector - Gambier Island is part of the sunshine coast so the 'Authority Having Jurisdiction' is the "SCRD (Sunshine Coast Regional District) Planning Department" located in Sechelt.

Not a bad visit, took a short hour to get (mostly) good answers from a very helpful Building Inspector:

A1: The stair is only required to comply with code if it provides access to 'living space'. If on the plan the is label as 'storage' then the code requirements are minimal (a ladder will do)... If you later decide to sleep in you storage space, that is up to you...

A2: The SCRD can relax the requirements for insulation for 'seasonal buildings'. I'd have to register a 'covenant' on title that states that the 'dwelling' is a seasonal building. (I'll keep this information just in case I need it in the future).
I also found out some additional information about the cost of a building permit, and the requirements for a septic field... (Not what I was expecting... for a building permit you must have a design for a septic field filed to the health authority. Also found that you can have a composting toilet... as long as you also have a toilet that is connected to a septic field or sewage system).

My first blog

I guess all blogs start with a 'My first blog' entry (at least the ones written by new bloggers like me!)

I'm starting this blog to track my latest project: The construction of a Cabin in Gambier Island. If you decide to read through, you will find a lot of technical information on building a small cabin in a remote location. Very likely you'll also get to know me and share the personal aspect of this journey!

Building a house/Getaway/Cabin has been the dream of my life for as long as I remember. Even before I moved to Canada I remember looking for a piece of land to buy close to Bogota (in La Calera, Chia or Cota); after moving to Canada I continued my search and visited the Okanagan, the Sunshine Coast, some areas of the lower mainland and some of the Gulf Island looking for that piece of land. I never found anything that I liked (and afford!), everything I saw was too small, too far too crowded or... too expensive. Then I found it... 5 acres lots on a 60 lot subdivision, with great water views, 1 hour away (door to door using public transit and water taxi), and at a decent price! the rest was easy... offer, review of documents, financing, removal of subjects and done!

The lot is located in the Sunset/Fircom area on Gambier Island; Gambier Island is the big island located between West Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast north of Bowen. Most of the island is undeveloped (hopefully it will stay like that) with a small settlement at New Brighton (west side of the island); New Brighton is serviced by a passenger only ferry from Gibsons; there are however, no roads connecting this settlement with the Sunset/Fircom Area. The only access to our lot is by Water Taxi from Horseshoe Bay (just 20 minutes boat ride!). From the public dock to our lot it's an enjoyable 25 minute walk (should take less than 5 minutes to drive once we get a truck over).

Next step: design the house... How many houses have I designed? I’ve lost track a long time ago... too many, none of them for real as I did not have a piece of land, so it was always a game. But now I do actually have a piece of land and I can start designing a house tailored to the location.