Family Complex
We have had sort of a plan to build a family complex. This would be a large plot of land with several houses on it. The first building to go up would be a shed. This would be a large metal building housing tools and supplies. The second building to go up would be the common house, which would initially have people living in it. After that, individual homes would go up. One each for Mom, me, Beth, and Tim. This would give us the privacy we want plus the benefits of living together.
The common house would serve as a central point. Among other things, it would house the computer room and the telephone system. It would be useable as a guest house and for parties.
Each of the homes would have a connection to the common house. It might be as simple as a fiber-optic network connection and copper for telephone lines. However, it could be as elaborate as a tunnel system.
There could be a common garage. All our cars could be parked there, and we could walk to our houses from there. A tunnel system would help make this easier during bad weather.
Location
Regarding the location of this plot of land, we have been talking mainly about Oregon. I'm also giving some serious thought to Montana. Factors that need to be considered include:
- Summer Weather - This is perhaps one of the biggest motivators for moving out of St. Louis, where the summer weather is awful. Temperatures need to be reasonable. Perhaps more importantly, humidity needs to be much more reasonable.
- Winter Weather - Winters can't be too ridiculous, either. Four feet of snow on a regular basis is not acceptable.
- Cost of Living - Places like Southern California are out, because they are just too expensive.
- Geological Features - There are certain natural wonders we just don't get enough of in Missouri. Mountains and beaches, for instance.
- Culture and Politics - One of the things that worries me about Oregon is that they may have excessively restrictive gun control laws. This is part of why I've started thinking of Montana.
Structures
- Common/Guest House
- Mom's House
- Tim's House
- Michael's House
- Beth and Roy's House
- Garage
- Workshop
- Garden Shed
- Shooting Range
- Photo Studio
See also: Outdoor Spaces for notes on decks, patios, and porches.
Land
The property should be organized into two sides. One side has the houses and the garage. The other side has the working structures. If at all possible, the two sides should be screened from each other with trees.
Five acres should do it for the houses. Another acre should do it for the other structures. The shooting range should be one hundred yards long, so that's about another acre. So seven acres would be enough, except we want wooded space for isolation from the neighbors.
For purposes of isolation, especially with the shooting range, the ideal spot is a valley between two ridges. Especially if there is a creek.
Architecture
I am still considering a wide array of architectural elements. See the architecture page for images and concepts that I have found interesting.