Re: [GBlist] Small cabin suggestion

[John Salmen <terrain@shaw.ca>]

I think you caught the list on a post-thanksgiving grump or guilt about
mothers or something. Apologies for all.

I was going to remark on the kitchen as well but only to say that it is good
to provide for such things as buildings have a life beyond their current
owners and occupants.

For a small building I would look at panel construction (SIP's) as the
slightly higher cost would be offsett a bit by the typical higher cost of a
small building - that is if the panels are used to provide the load bearing
structure - which is simple in a small structure. Typically the benefits of
green construction would translate for an older person into a more
comfortable, easy to maintain dwelling. So from an energy perspective high
high insulation levels, high performance glazing would translate into a more
comfortable environment, quick to heat (after absences) and evenly heated
environment. Pay attention to air flow and perhaps utilize a simple air to
heat exchanger as the basics for an air/heat system - that would provide
your fresh air without draft and would not require much in the way of
additional supplemental heat.

If cooling is required as well as heating you may want to look at a wall
mount ductless heatpump which are very affective for that footage and very
smart in terms of controls.

I think it is crucial to pay serious attention to environmental finishes and
potential outgassing as this can be a very serious health issue for the old
and young - this extends to furnishing and soft furnishings such as drapery,
etc.

If accessibility is an issue in terms of structure I would probably look at
frost protected slab foundation. This can allow access closer to grade. For
design you could look at universal accessible design for apartments (which
would be an equivalent sizing). You may want to reproduce the layout of the
apartment that she was in for the sake of familiarity and ease of
transition, which is an important consideration with some aspects of aging,
especially if sight is a problem. Similarly I would not necessarily
introduce unfamiliar shapes (such as a yurt). Rectangles can be easier to
navigate.

I seem to remember something in Pattern Language (Alexander) on cabins for
elders.

hope some of this helps.
John Salmen
TERRAIN E.D.S.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Craig Cyr" <cyr@whidbey.com>
To: <Greenbuilding@crest.org>
Sent: Friday, November 23, 2001 11:10 PM
Subject: RE: [GBlist] Small cabin suggestion


> Alright, alright....ENOUGH! I've received numerous criticisms (mostly
> directly to me) about how awful I'm being to my poor dear mother because
> I don't plan to have a full kitchen. If you must know:
>
> She has already set her apartment on fire twice. She is not able to be
> safe in a kitchen with a stove/oven. However, she'll certainly have a
> small frig, perhaps a microwave, coffee-pot, toaster, etc.
>
> Trust me. I'm a nice guy. So is my wife. We are trying to do the right
> thing by building an environmentally responsible, small dwelling that
> she can be comfortable in. And where she won't be a burden on the
> taxpayer through a state Medicaid program.
>
> I was looking for some suggestions on environmentally responsible
> designs and building systems. I thought the list would have some helpful
> suggestions. I thought wrong.
>
> Craig
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rob [mailto:becidaa@paulbunyan.net]
> Sent: Friday, November 23, 2001 10:30 PM
> To: Craig Cyr; Greenbuilding@crest.org
> Subject: Re: [GBlist] Small cabin suggestion
>
> At 04:56 PM 11/23/2001 -0800, Craig Cyr asked:
> >
> >My elderly mother might move to our home. However, we don't have enough
> >room and will need to construct a detached dwelling somewhere on our 5
> >acres (or whatever you want to call it) of about 250-300 sq. ft. No
> >kitchen will be required.
> >
>
> Without a small kitchen it's not a home, just an out building with a
> toilet.
>
>
> Rob
> becidaa@paulbunyan.net
> N Minnesota USA
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> This greenbuilding dialogue is sponsored by REPP/CREST, creator of
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> ______________________________________________________________________
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> This greenbuilding dialogue is sponsored by REPP/CREST, creator of
> Solstice http://www.crest.org, and BuildingGreen, Inc., publisher of
> Environmental Building News and GreenSpec http://www.BuildingGreen.com
> ______________________________________________________________________
>


______________________________________________________________________
This greenbuilding dialogue is sponsored by REPP/CREST, creator of
Solstice http://www.crest.org, and BuildingGreen, Inc., publisher of
Environmental Building News and GreenSpec http://www.BuildingGreen.com
______________________________________________________________________