XHouse1 First Build - masonry complete

The concrete block masonry of the foundation wall is complete. Next will come the preparation for the floor slabs of the entry level, the garage, and the utility room and crawlspace.

Look closely and you can see the anchor-bolts that are set into the top course of the block-work. These threaded rods are used to hold down the sill plate to which the walls of the house will be attached. A good amount of fill, then a layer of stone will proceed the slabs. The plan is to also build up grade around the house, sloping away from the walls. The site already had a gentle slope up from the street, which matches the bias of this plan design to fit into an up-sloped site. Keep following, and we will post more info as we receive it.

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XHouse1 First Build - project foundations

Its a long path to building a house, for almost anybody. If it is going to be a house that you love, one that you invest your spirit into, a house that represents who you feel you are, it rarely happens in the blink of an eye.

For our XHouse1 customer (we'll call them MJ for short) the story goes back 15 years, back before we even began selling houseplans. MJ and family had built their own house in 1998. That home was built at a time when MJ and spouse had not thought that much about what they liked or wanted in a house. But the project to build their own house started them on an interest in house design which persisted even after their first home was done.

footings are poured at the Indiana XHouse1 site

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XHouse1 First Build

As we begin a new customer construction series we thought we would do something different this time. Something we hope is helpful to many of you who may be thinking about setting out to build a house for the first time.

We are going to share a summary of the upfront work by our customer - the decision to build, the search for a house design, the search for a site, the work with the builder, the work with the bank. Steps that all of our customers have to undertake. And steps that many of them have never taken before. We'll do all this while watching the construction of the house begin.

excavation begins at the Indiana XHouse1 site

So welcome readers to the Indiana XHouse1, the first build of this design. Watch this space for links to an upcoming Flickr gallery, construction updates, and the continuing story of the road to build your modern home.

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Lets look at Nomenclature for Compact Homes

One thing I've observed as I've studied the catalogs of dozens of Swedish house manufacturers is that they all have a consistent way of describing and categorizing their houses. This makes it easy for the customer to focus in on what they are looking for and make comparisons from one catalog to another.

While here in the states we may focus on square feet, bedroom count, or style, the Swedes have much more practical approach. Homes are categorized as 1 story, 2 story, and in between they have 1.5 story. Large catalogs will also identify 1.75 story homes - whats that!? Read on and we'll explain. And last they all offer sloped site homes, which as you might expect are 1 story on one side, and 2 story on the other. So lets look at the differences.

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