We Built Our Dream Home In The Woods

Enlarge Image Image Gallery

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

These pictures tell — perhaps better than words — how the author and his family managed to elect the foundation for their elevated dwelling. The photo at lower left shows how Dave Comstock used two talk non-adjacent poles to lift a large "spoke beam" into place. At lower right, Ardis Comstock — aided by a block and tackle (partially visible) — hoists a 300-pound roof beam into the air.

In 1971, Dave Comstock resigned his job as a book designer with the University of California Press in Berkeley and began to save money for the day when he and his wife could build their own "dream house" on 19 acres of land near the Tahoe National Forest. Well, Dave and Ardis Comstock have finally built that residence . . . and what a house it turned out to be! Here's their story.

It's been almost three years since our last report (see "The Comstock Bonanza", MOTHER NO. 26, pages 24—25), and a lot's happened since then. The biggest news is that we've finally built our dream home in the woods: a 1,000-square-foot hexagonal structure that sits a full eight feet off the forest floor!

The idea of building an "up in the air" house came from Fred Dyer-Bennet — our friend and architect — who'd drawn up some preliminary plans for us back in 1972 . . . plans that depicted a six-sided dwelling perched atop our choice of wooden poles or concrete columns. (Given the beautiful natural surroundings, we found the idea of concrete pillars hard to accept . . . so we voted for the poles.)

According to Fred's plans, the house would rest on a network of large beams arranged like the spokes and rim of a giant wagon wheel turned on its side. The hub of the wheel was supported by a small, six-sided utility room.

We found Fred's concept exciting . . . but also somewhat troubling. Ardis (my wife) and I had never built a house before, and we wondered whether we could handle the construction of a conventional home . . . let alone an elevated, hexagonal dwelling! And, since both of us are on the crusty side of forty, we wondered whether house-building would be good for us physically.

Being adventurers at heart, though, we went ahead with the project. And we learned that there's no reason in the world why a middle-aged couple can't build a home in the woods?even a large, six-sided one?if the task is approached with a good deal of desire, fortitude, and imagination.

THE SEARCH FOR POLES

Fred's plans called for thirteen 12' poles (Fig. 1)?eleven to support the house and two for the deck-each of which would be set five feet deep into the ground. (As it turned out, we sank at least two poles seven feet, and one of them?due to site irregularities?had to be nearly 16' long!)

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print