Greetings! I have just discovered Sarah's books, which struck quite a cord with my husband and me. However, for financial AND aesthetic reasons, we are seriously considering a Deltec "round" house. (octogon and multi-sided.)
I believe some of Sarah's concepts can be adapted, especially as one is totally free to choose floor plans since there are no load-bearing walls.
Does anyone have any thoughts or experiences with Round Houses and NSB concepts?
regards, Meg

hi Meg,
My husband and I are finishing up our Deltec (1600 sq. ft. on a walk-out basement), which has certainly been inspired by Sarah's concepts! We worked closely with the Deltec designer on the original plans and used Sarah's first two book extensively as we designed our semi-open floor plan. Basically, one-quarter of our main floor living space is a 'master suite'that includes bath and laundry rooms set apart with pocket doors; the other living areas (kitchen, great room, dining and office space are defined by a kitchen island and furniture (some built-in, such as a window seat). The basement includes garage space, full bath, bedroom and lounge. The wrap-around deck furnishes outside sitting areas on two levels as well as semi-enclosed storage areas. We have really enjoyed creating this space--it is uniquely 'ours', and, aside from the framing (which was easily done in a few days by an Amish crew), we've been very involved in every aspect of the design and construction. Sarah's books really helped me prioritize and make design decisions based on function and aesthetics--walking into a 'round' house is like getting a big hug every time you enter! Go for it!

Carla

Thanks, Carla! Our setbacks won't allow for your size, so we may have to add second floor, but we do plan to finish basement, as well.
Sounds like you might live in Pennsylvania, with Amish workers? Perhaps Ohio? We plan to build in Maine. We still have to find a Deltec near us in Michigan's Upper Peninsula to actually visit.
Thanks for the encouragement. Meg

Actually, we're tucked away in the hinterlands of east central Indiana, where there is also a thriving Amish community! Before choosing our Deltec, we visited a Deltec home in southern Indiana and then attended a weekend 'seminar' in Asheville, NC at Deltec headquarters. Both the houses we saw (and the factory) impressed us with the attention to detail. If you contact Deltec, they can direct you to a home in your area to visit. Good luck! Carla

I just saw the latest Dwell magazine, and there's an article round/dome house built out of recycled airplane parts. Pretty wild!

Hi Carla....Is it impolite to ask what the Deltec is working out to cost per sq. ft? I am looking to build a small studio/house in a year or so and have already been considering the Deltec. Thanks.

Hi,
This is my first visit to the site, although I've been interested in sustainable design for quite some time. I’ll be coming here often!
In the meantime, I came across the site while looking for information related to using Amish builders. Can anyone offer suggestiond or help in getting a quote and crew in the Indianapolis area? Any assistance would be appreciated!
Thanks, Angela

My husband and I have been planning a round home for three years, a Monolithic dome. An online acquaintance (who is also planning to use concrete construction) sent me The Not So Big House and Creating* as a thank you for a favour - and I was already familiar with A Pattern Language.

Designing in the round is definitely providing some challenges: adequate and appealing second floor headspace, esp in the bathroom; setting in first floor windows for adequate height and functional (and attractive) overhangs; and outside, creating outdoor rooms next to the house without the benefit of walls/wings extended out from the main section.

We are very excited about starting construction, hopefully next spring. We have visited two domes in Canada - one built about 30 yrs ago, and one built last fall. We enjoy the enveloping feeling inside, and the freedom to design the interior as we wish, needing no supporting walls for the roof. Our first floor design sounds incredibly similar to yours, Carla! Our master suite is in the ENE/E quadrant, the foyer in the NE, living room NW, dining W, office area SW (hopefully with a curved concrete desktop following the exterior wall!), walkway/morning coffee/spot for drafting table S/SE, and the kitchen right in the middle of everything.

This is pretty long for a first post. I look forward to reading and participating in discussions here!