Which Home Design Should We Choose?
What do you think about the design of these round homes?
We’re debating back & forth between two of the architect Owen Geiger’s earth bag home designs. The one on the left we nicknamed “The Mushroom” and the one on the right (which we’re leaning towards) we call “The Fez”. The benefit of the Fez home is that the bathroom is next to the bedroom, it’s smaller yet it has 3 levels and might “feel” bigger or more varied, and we may be able to save on roofing material / cat enclosure materials / garden deer fencing costs by growing some potted plants on the open 3rd story balcony while letting the cats roam in the outside with more safety.
Basically, putting the cats and veggies up there means that only flying deer would be able to eat the produce and there’s little chance ticks and chiggers could sustain themselves on our roof and bite us and the cats. Until today, though, we were really planning on the Mushroom because it’s so darn straightforward and it seemed easier with hardly any internal walls. So, dear readers, which home would you like to call home? Vote below!
The Mushroom
The Fez
I guess it all boils down to which home will fit into your life to come as a home that will give you the most of what you are looking for in relation to necessity. The fig appears to be sturdier, more grounded, and over all, compatible to what your goals are. Third floor sounds like a great advantage for your gardens and alternative space. Good luck!
the issue I see is this, the “Fez” is going to necessarily entail a flat roof – never underestimate the value of keeping your home dry and a pitched roof that will shed water (esp. into a cistern for domestic use!) is a necessity in our sub-tropical climate!
Wow what a lot to think about! Thanks to everyone who voted and left comments! I’m researching the roof concern, but not finding anything positive or negative associated with the “Fez” design, and it seems that it could collect rainwater into a cistern also. But, since we get a lot of rain, I’m going to contact the architect and ask more questions. It seems like the windows might leak, too? But if we can resolve that issue, maybe the Fez will be best in terms of functional space. I still love the Mushroom but we don’t need a really high… Read more »
After emailing the architect, Owen Geiger, we’ve had to eliminate The Fez as a possibility – true to its nickname, it’s built for arid zones such as Arizona or some parts of the Mediterranean. Very sad moment…I agree with your votes that the design is much better. But we must be practical, like your comments suggest. No leaking allowed! We just might have a solution…check back tomorrow for our new discovery!
I guess The Fez doesn’t “necessarily” have to be thrown out: I just found this Q&A from the source: http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/faqs/misc.htm Q: I read your Q & A page and became quite concerned about waterproofing and domes…Im concerned when you say that my house is likely to leak?! This is not really desirable, should I redesign all the roofs? This would be a great shame, as I specifically chose the dome for its aesthetic qualities. A: Just because domes may be hard to waterproof doesn’t mean that you can’t do it successfully; you just need to be careful about what you… Read more »