Plans - an update

A lot of changes have happened sine the first concept plans we posted - here are the latest...

This is the basement level - where the footings are being done now.

This is the top floor - on three sub-levels

This gives a pretty good idea what it might look like

Progress report... Lots of steel!

Well, the work on the foundations continues. Supposedly this is one of the most frustrating parts of the build because it doesn't seem like a lot is happening... Still - we are seeing progress...

The builders are having fun at least - that's a banana...

Last Thursday this was where we stood - concrete in the footings.

The basement footings starting to take shape

On Saturday Chris and our nephew Hayden show us the now concrete filled footings

And Hayden enjoys the septic tank (or naughty room as his dad calls it)

And here's the obligatory static location shot

Footings in prep

Popped up to the site quickly today during lunch to check on progress. The guys have been busy and have dug out all the footing trenches on the lower level and today started placing the footing steel into place.

Here are some of the trenches at the front edge of the basement floor.

They had to do some serious cutting of a large graywacke boulder in one of the trenches. It may even be bedrock?

And here's the footing steel in place. The trench is filled with concrete, then the steel is bent inwards to join with the floor slab steel - making sure the floor is well and truly fixed to the footings.

Just after I took these pics, the heavy rain started. I bet it's not so pristine looking now!

So, on Monday the two water tanks arrived on site apparently (we were up there Sunday, and have not been back since - I popped up there today between meetings). So, we now have two HUGE water tanks!

They have also terraced the land above the first cut somewhat and are staking out the foundation locations, and running floor level strings.

The site is starting to look busy! Apparently the steel for the concrete slab should arrive in the next few days and then they will have the digger back to dig the pour holes for the foundations...

And now the hole has something in it...

Septic tank was delivered and installed this morning.

Photo credit: David Willemsen - Innovative Homes

More digging...

We now own even more holes in the ground!

This one we believe will eventually be home to the septic tank system.

They have done some more digging down near the gate, and spread gravel - this is going to be guest parking for the PARTIES we have when it's all done!

The driveway has also been cleaned up and had gravel added.

As has the main building site... but wait! What's this???

There's our house - finished already! (Yes, we did scale down a little - and I traded in the roadster for something with a little more pick-up ;-))

But check out the view from the site tonight - it's gonna be awesome!

And of course here's the obligatory fixed position shot from the gate post.

And here's a video to get back at Kane....

Wow! It really begins!

So, while posting the images from yesterday - unbeknownst to us, the digging actually began today. We got up there after work to find the digger driver still hard at work while it was still fine.

Here are a few photos too.

And some pics taken Friday evening after a little bit more had been dug (and Pete was looking sexy :-)

The view from the gimp-pit.

Awww, isn't it cute ,it's like the big yellow cable-finder is cuddling the little one.

Pete looking very excited about the whole thing. He's dancing for joy... on the inside.

Our friendly digger driver Greg, finding us some nice boulders for landscaping. And digging the foundations for the house. But mostly finding us boulders. mmmm-hmm.

We have to keep Pete behind a locked gate at all times as he is hazardous to the public.

And when he sees what I have done to this post, he'll become hazardous to me...

We're getting close now!

So - five months in and we are oh-so-close to actually getting something solid underway. Wednesday the 21st of March was scheduled as the day excavation would begin for the basement level, so duly we were there bright and early to document the event... Except it was raining! Doh!

So - the site is marked out, the digger is on site, and now we just have to wait for the weather to cooperate - oh, and for the local planning authority to give us the permission to do more than just dig too!

Still - nice to see workmen on the site at last!

The first concept plans!

Today we met with the builder and architect on site to take a look at the first concept plans they have come up with. Posted here are three drawings from these concepts. Overall we are really pleased with the concept. They clearly listened to us when we described what we wanted and they have done a good first attempt. Now it's our turn to attack the drawings and make some suggestions of our own :-)

This first image shows the East elevation. This is the side that faces the gate as you enter the property, so looking at the top photo of the site in the first post, this is roughly what the view would look like. You can also see the slope of the property on this elevation.

This one is the South elevation. This is the side of the house that would look out over the valley. The second photo in the first post looks up to where this aspect of the house would be visible.

Finally, here's the plan. This shows all of the rooms except the garage level. There are two garages with an entryway between them. The entryway leads up a staircase to the main living area and behind it is a laundry room.

So - what are your thoughts???

The building site

Well, it may be tough to visualize - but below is the topographical survey of the overall building site. This just shows how contoured the land actually is that we want to build on!

This survey was just commissioned so that the architect has a decent idea what he can work with.