Building a Climate Cabin | Part X | Settling In
By Mikael Maynard
The last bit of work on the Climate Cabin was tedious and took what felt like a long time. Maybe that’s because all I wanted to do was move in and finally experience the space I have been imagining for so long!
I honestly couldn't help myself and may have moved in a few days too early. Our water recycling system was not yet completely installed on day one, but it’s all set up and we are all settled in — which means it’s time to share four observations I have made on the experience of living in 678 square feet. And, for those of you who read all the way to the end, we’ll close this series out by divulging how much the whole project cost!
Right off the bat, I will say we are so thrilled, honored and excited to be living in an ecologically conscious cabin at the Johnny Appleseed Organic Village! It’s such a wonderful feeling to flip a switch and know that it is the sun powering my lights, or wash dishes with the knowledge that the water is being recycled to water fruit trees and produce food. On top of it all, waking up, walking outside and being at work where we get the pleasure of designing, installing and maintaining sustainable food growing systems as well as educating the world — well, need I say more? It is beyond awesome!
With that being said, it has not been without challenges, not the least of which has been finding storage for all of our things. Prior to living in Folkston, Joshua and I lived in a 1,572 square foot house, which was a lot of space for us because we don't own a lot of furniture or belongings. Seeing everything we own within one open space was initially overwhelming. I am glad that I had the forethought to put in as much storage space as possible, but to fit everything without looking too cluttered required a mild purge (which was actually an exhilarating experience unto itself).
Similarly, having designed all of our storage to be open (without doors or cabinets) has been a little bit of an aesthetic adjustment. I will probably invest in some baskets to put under the counter in the kitchen and in the center of the closet for some continuity for the eye, but this open shelving decision definitely forces you to treat all of your belongings as pieces of art. If you don't absolutely love a piece of dishware or wear a specific dress very often, you will know it right away.
As I’m writing this piece, it is 88 degrees Fahrenheit outside and 75 degrees inside! That is a very inviting observation since we do not want to use any more energy than we need to, even if we’re connected to a solar grid. As we’ve covered before, the concrete slab, wool insulation and orientation of the house and windows has a lot to do with this outcome.
My last and coolest observation would have to be about the importance of observing and interacting (as they say in the first principle of permaculture) with the waste water management system of the cabin. I have always been conscious of how much water I use, but actually being able to “see” the water in the reed bed and observe our usage then “watch” it grow food and biomass for us and the landscape is an amazing thing! On the other hand, transitioning to using primarily a composting toilet (while very exciting) had me a little nervous. I’m happy to say it has been nothing but a positive experience thus far!
Now for the part we have all been waiting for — the grand total in cost for the Climate Cabin! Per square foot, the climate cabin ended up costing $49.58! At 1,078 sqft, the grand total is $53,447. Compared to the national average, which is between $100-$200 per square foot, the climate cabin turned out to be as cost effective as it is environmentally friendly!
With that said, the costs were a little higher than we anticipated, and for good reason. According to Chief Economist Robert Dietz for the National Association for Home Builders:
“Due to insufficient domestic production and tariffs on Canadian sources, the price of lumber has staged a staggering increase in recent months, rising roughly 80 percent since mid-April to an average price above $600 per thousand board feet. This increase will add thousands of dollars to the cost of a typical newly-built home, thereby constraining housing supply, exacerbating affordability woes and limiting housing’s economic impact.”
As the frame of this cabin was made from newly purchased lumber during the midst of this price increase, the cost incurred installing the frame set us off on a pricey start. Thankfully, we cut costs in many other places like using reclaimed metal for the roof ($1,000), reclaimed windows ($80), and doors from our greenhouse that were not being used (free). Having an eye for repurposing and reclaimed materials was crucial in our attempt to make this a cost effective cabin.
I hope you enjoyed this experience and were able to learn a lot about the process of constructing an environmentally friendly, reclaimed wood cabin that won’t break the bank. If you have any questions about this process please feel free to email us!
Want more insight into how it was all done? Check out the video series that goes along with this blog at Mother Earth News Fair.
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