May 2015
We finally have figured out what the house will mostly look like, and some idea of the interior arrangement. It has turned out to be over 1700 square feet.
We have also determined that we are going to set up a passive solar capability for the winter months. We will build a solar mass into about 1/3 of the floor. This mass will be designed so that there will be an air channel running from one end to the other below the slab. This channel will allow air to circulate through the mass, and warm the area. Our hope is that it will minimize the need for supplemental heat in the winter. It could also be possible that this mass will stabilize the temperature in the house in the hot summer months, and reduce the need for air conditioning. We will see how the experiment works.
We also have a rainwater collection system started, with 4000 gallons capacity. We are gathering water from the roof of our storage building at this time.
Oak 'N' Meadow 