Ten years later, Plat House continues to surprise

As regular readers know, the Plat House has been our most popular design, popular in sales, and popular in completed projects. We often wonder why that is so?

I've always suspected that this was the inevitable result of people seeing real examples of the house built leading to more people building the house. And no doubt this contributes to the design's popularity. But when I see the diverse applications of this house in Maine, Hawaii, Oregon, I realize that the design has an inherent adaptability that broadens its appeal.

Plat House in Oregon, construction, winter 2014

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XHouse1 First Build - timing is everything

At the conclusion of our last part of the story, our customer had contacted us and had their current home on the market. This was 4 years after our initial contact and their purchase of Design Prints of the XHouse1.

foundation prepared for pouring of concrete slabs at the Indiana XHouse1 site

The news that their home was on the market meant that the process had begun. Our customer MJ was concerned with the timing, and how long it would take for us to complete the Construction Prints so he could anticipate when he needed to order them from us.

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New Arkansas Plat House - occupied and buttoned down for polar vortex

The New Arkansas Plat House Owner has been in the house for a little while now, just in time for the polar air mass that descended on the nation in January 2014.

The interior work is completed but for a small punch list. And the exterior is done, except for the last of the screened in porch, and the landscaping remains in post-construction form. But it has definitely moved from construction site, to owner occupancy, and we are very happy for the owner.

As temperatures in the middle of the country dipped into the negatives while a polar air mass swooped into the mid-west, the New Arkansas Plat House Owner remarked on Facebook: At least I have a solar passive house.. except when the sun goes down...

But perhaps the most gratifying comment by the owner was this one: There is just something special about waking up at 3am to see the stars twinkling though the clelestory windows. Just Orion saying hello!

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XHouse1 First Build - timing is not everything

In our first installment of the XHouse1 First Build series we recounted the background of MJ, our customer and future XHouse1 Owner. Cold weather has delayed progress in the construction so today I'll just recount the timeline. In 2009 they had purchased Design Prints a few months after the design was posted to the catalog.

foundation walls finished at the Indiana XHouse1 site

Continue reading "XHouse1 First Build - timing is not everything"