Official Random Cool House Thread

[masraum]

Originally Posted by kach22i

I've been to several clone home McMansion subdivisions, one where the Hardiboard was shrinking leaving 1/2" gaps, and in another subdivision the wood trim adjacent to the vinyl siding was rotting out after only 10 years because of poor detailing. Yea, the whole wall behind it was rotting too, black mold everywhere.

We just moved out of a neighborhood in Houston that's not exactly being gentrified because it wasn't a poor neighborhood, but the value has gone up and old homes are being torn down and replaced with multiple townhomes. The new homes, many 3-4 stories of 3000-4000+sqft are going to for $800k-$1.3M are mostly stucco on the outside. Pretty much every stucco covered home in the neighborhood over 5 or 10 years old has had issues. I assume due to settling there are cracks and water gets in behind the stucco until the wood rots. The homes often end up with most of their stucco and sheathing removed and replaced at great cost to the owner. And yes, when the stucco is removed, the wood behind it is usually black with mold and rotten from water.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by ErVikingo

I dont think I ever followed up. Yes we moved in at the end of 2017. Love it! Extremely efficient compared to our old CBS + wood truss+tile.

Very, very cool!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by ErVikingo

That would be a dream for me (except for the hours on the tractor)

(Right, I'm on <6 acres of not-flat land with a ravine, so I wouldn't even have to mow the full bit, and it takes a ton of time on my zero turn mower. If I had a huge space, then I think I'd have part go back to forest. I don't want to go to animals to eat since they also require time, attention, maintenance and expense.

[ErVikingo]

Originally Posted by masraum

(Right, I'm on <6 acres of not-flat land with a ravine, so I wouldn't even have to mow the full bit, and it takes a ton of time on my zero turn mower. If I had a huge space, then I think I'd have part go back to forest. I don't want to go to animals to eat since they also require time, attention, maintenance and expense.

One of my brother's lives in MS on a large tract of land. I remember having a conversation with him about the speed of his tractor/mower. (as a racer) I thought it was silly to discuss that until I figured the total hours he has to invest per week in keeping it mowed.

He got himself a "something or other" that mows at 11 or 12MPH. I got him noise cancelling headphones and a subscription to Apple music!

I'm on 1.3 acres which is considered huge for our suburban area.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by ErVikingo

One of my brother's lives in MS on a large tract of land. I remember having a conversation with him about the speed of his tractor/mower. (as a racer) I thought it was silly to discuss that until I figured the total hours he has to invest per week in keeping it mowed.

He got himself a "something or other" that mows at 11 or 12MPH. I got him noise cancelling headphones and a subscription to Apple music!

I'm on 1.3 acres which is considered huge for our suburban area.

Yep, I think my ZT is supposed to top out at 7.5mph.

I was talking to colleagues in the UK about our land the other day, and they were shocked. "What do you do with that much land?"

[ErVikingo]

Originally Posted by masraum

Yep, I think my ZT is supposed to top out at 7.5mph.

I was talking to colleagues in the UK about our land the other day, and they were shocked. "What do you do with that much land?"

72"Dixie Eagle HP. Fast! but works on mostly flat areas

[Seahawk]

We'll get back to cool houses soon, but this thing rules:



View looking the other way:

[ErVikingo]

wow!

[daepp]

Wow - ErVinking and Paul - seriously impressed!

Some shots I took a few years ago at Falling Water. And yes, the docent told us of numerous roof leaks. In addition, I was told the owner insisted on double the amount of rebar than FLW was planning to use. And the cantilevers still lagged substantially. That said, it was a very new and innovative design...

[ErVikingo]

Thanks David.

I never get tired of looking at Fallingwater. The house I grew up in (designed by my father - a physician) has some extended cantilevers with inverted beams and tons of rebar. Built between 1965/66 and has never had a sag nor a leak.





When we were building mine, dad's comments were that all concrete work had to be beefier, full soils testing (not a requirement here) and concrete testing had to be done and additional rebar must be added. Our structural engineer agreed with my dad. We had steel trusses made to order in Canada which hold the poured concrete roofs.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by ErVikingo

That is obviously not Florida...where is the house, which is really neat.

[ErVikingo]

That is back in PR. all of the wrought iron bars open on sliders and are not visible from the inside when opened.

Too bad the government added those poles and lines after it was built.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by porsche tech

Looks like an office building...

Well, office buildings didn't look anything like Villa Savoye in the late 1920's. This architect invented the "ribbon window" look.

One of the few specifications for the house is that it have indoor plumbing, electricity, and a garage.

The first floor is a circle, the upper floor(s) a square.

The door for the garage is an arc and slides like a pocket door as I recall.

An original drawing showing the building in cross section shows a car of the day parked, very reminiscent of the Model-T.

Rural France at the time was largely horse drawn carriages, this thing was from the future and still is in my opinion.

The architect that influenced framed views on roof tops is named Adolf Loos. I've been to this one too (see below in Czech Republic) and it's really cool on the inside with hidden passages for the servants to pop in on guest with a fresh tray of drinks.

Spotlight: Adolf Loos
https://www.archdaily.com/576187/spotlight-adolf-loos

Adolf Loos’s minimalist attitudes are reflected in the works of Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, and many other modernists and led to a fundamental shift in the way architects perceived ornamentation.

The lack of exterior decoration was a social/political stance and not a cost saving measure.

[daepp]

Originally Posted by ErVikingo

Thanks David.

I never get tired of looking at Fallingwater. The house I grew up in (designed by my father - a physician) has some extended cantilevers with inverted beams and tons of rebar. Built between 1965/66 and has never had a sag nor a leak.





When we were building mine, dad's comments were that all concrete work had to be beefier, full soils testing (not a requirement here) and concrete testing had to be done and additional rebar must be added. Our structural engineer agreed with my dad. We had steel trusses made to order in Canada which hold the poured concrete roofs.

WOW - the Doc had a great eye! Even in the 60's that had to be pushing the envelope a bit in terms of local know-how. Thanks for sharing.

BTW is PR Puerto Rico?

[ErVikingo]

Thanks David! Dad was ahead of his time! Miss him terribly

Yes, PR is Puerto Rico.

[john70t]

Guy from Nepal has a house built in Sydney. Zoning requires duplexes. Builder doesn't convey information apparently. City delays waivers etc.
Result is half a house built.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/australia-bishnu-aryal-half-house-b1831764.html


Reminds me of these storys:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1073310/Pictured-The-house-LITERALLY-sawn-half-divorcing-couple.html

[Por_sha911]

https://www.foxbusiness.com/real-estate/private-island-underground-tunnel-entrance-hits-market

[rcooled]

Kimberly Crest in Redlands, CA. Built in 1897 for the Kimberly family of Kimberly-Clark paper products fame.

[Heel n Toe]

More (FLW-designed home): https://www.mcmdaily.com/the-melvin-sara-smith-house/?fbclid=IwAR0TBVH-egJgD35oA-4HTU-SIS7-bsla_joxU-2-YcSTpTKvDUP7aM7jYLY

[Nostril Cheese]

^^^ love that