Building the Sun Cottage Part I: Site Selection

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

SLOPE 

To save money on excavation and insure adequate drainage, it's best to build earthtempered housing on sloping ground. However, the hillside in question need not be steep ... in fact, too great a slope can prove ,to be a bigger problem than none at all. An 'ideal site (in my opinion) will have the floor level, at the back wall, about 4 feet below the existing grade, so try standing where the front of your future home might be and imagining the location of the rear of the building-to-be.

A 4-foot-deep excavation will usually produce enough leftover subsoil to berm up the back wall to its full 8-foot height, and enough topsoil to cover the roof. In addition, the earth piled—above grade—against the rear will help direct rainwater away from the building.

On the other hand, if you can't find an "ideal" piece of land—or if you already own property that doesn't qualify—you can build the same house above grade and increase the insulation values of the roof and of all walls but the south one. You'll end up paying extra for insulation, but you should save more than that by avoiding the costs of the heavy structure needed to handle earth loads, and the expense of a deep excavation. Better still, by doing so, you can escape the problems of dealing with what will usually be difficult waterproofing situations.

WATER IN THE WRONG PLACES 

Sloping terrain will generally be well drained, but you should inspect it carefully for any signs of ground water. Dry months are particularly good times to perform the examination, because plants that are sipping a subsurface water source (which could become an active above-grade spring if you dig) will show vitality while others in the same area will be suffering.

Of course, even if you're going to build above ground, it's a good idea to avoid marshy land or that which is at the bottom of a valley. You should also check with the U.S. Geologic Survey office in your area to find out if the property you're considering is in a flood zone. (Sometimes that hazard isn't as easy to spot as you'd think.)

ORIENTATION 

Obviously, it's best for a solar home to face south, but don't panic if an attractive section of ideally sloping ground is a little off compass perfect. A 20° variation from true south, in either direction, will cut solar gain by only 10%, so there is flexibility on this point. (However, when you visit a piece of property, do tote along a compass.)

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print