Gray, thanks for posting over here. My original post should have been placed here, but think yours should be in discussions. I may put up a new post just for people to head over here....if that is okay with you.

I just found that you live in Australia. Where are you located. My job took me to Sydney for 2 weeks and loved every minute of the people, the landscape. A lot of it reminded me of San Diego, CA...but with clear skies and water.

My mom loved the orient, their people, history.... and had many pieces from her travels. I kept one trunk which was passed on to my daughter. She would have felt more than at home with what you are planning.

What a wonderful new adventure to be able to build your home and plan ahead. The virtual plans have been detailed far more than many I have seen. You have to be thoroughly enjoying the ability to plan for furniture, details, etc.

With panels rather than doors (I think), am I not seeing how you get to the bedroom? Everything being open to the outside is what most of us would love. And the television is a great surprise. All who are always in a dilemma for where to put them should see what you have come up with.

When are you going to venture into ground breaking?

Emagineer,

I'm up north in Brisbane at the moment, but will be moving down sometime in March/April back to New South Wales. I'm originally from Sydney btw -- grew up near Bondi Beach and surrounds

I hope to buy land somewhere in country NSW - but have to tie up some loose ends here first... maybe, with any luck, I'll be able to build my home within a year.

Incidentally, I'm using Google SketchUp6 for these virtuals -- it's wonderful being able to finally see in 3D what I've had to laboriously draw in pencil previously... and the learning curve isn't too steep either. I'm lovin' it -- and it's FREE...

{{gwi:2066342}}

Here's the bedroom door... directly opposite the laundry closet and next to the linen press in the corridor -- perhaps it wasn't too clear in the other pics

Oh... and I'm a he, not a she (lol)

Very nice, graymoss! I like the Japanese influence. I tried for some of that in my house, but I found it difficult to do without spending a bundle on furniture and accents, so ... maybe for the "forever house" (if this isn't it).

Here's hoping you can break ground sooner than you expect! :-)

Thanks, Steve -- I guess just biting the bullet on initial cost for all the required joinery is unavoidable ... another reason for keeping it small :)
Some of the smaller items, such as the table/sconces, I hope to tackle myself

Gray, I downloaded the 3D software. Hopefully the free side will be sufficient. You are a guy? Somewhere I must have made a comment that was an assumption you were a gal...sorry.

Is AU as expensive to build as the US? Building small here is almost the same as adding another 1000 sq. ft in cost, land not included. And the cost of all keeps going up. Are you going to build this yourself or have a contractor?

This is totally off the subject. But a few years back I began a project recreating the expedition hut from the Scott Antartica exploration. I acquired the original plans through a ton of research and was intrigued that the materials were from Austrailia..or the design concept....was unable to find the actual builders. This was in 1911 and the hut was shipped in panels on board their ship, similar to modular homes. At the time it seemed like a unique concept given the era, but realized that our Sears homes were such during the same time period.

Or maybe not off subject....are you going to use a modular construction?

By the way, my trip to AU was training engineers at a company I cannot remember the name of....long time ago. I was in computer graphics for years, but retired now. Many of of the companies I trained were in the beginning edge of designing modular concepts now used for furniture, homes, eco design, etc. I look at what they are doing with this now and how it has become such a large part of all that it amazea me I was actually involved. Also had a couple years working with auto designers, another story and this one is getting long. The computers at the time were also the size of refrigerators. A couple of years being away from it can create lack of skills immediately though...so I just play with it now rather than anything serious. And you can probably figure out I'm "old" from reading this.

Bump...and Gray, I really think you should post your plans over on discussions. Few people realize this side exists. When I suggested conversations, it was my original post that should have gone here.

Emagineeer ~ maybe it was the 15' wide 'Cinemascope' screen .... or the charcoal colored walls which led you to assume that I was a gal (2 feminine high priorities).. hehe... only teasing.. ;-) :)

You are going to love SketchUp... and yes, I'm only using the free one. The other version has more features obviously (and is.. or was, available as a limited 'try before you buy' offer too)

I've never really been into computers per se -- my first introduction was with a Mac G3, and Photoshop ver 5. I've since downsized to a Mac mini ( Intel duo core) and got off the expensive PowerMac merry-go-round.
I guess working in computer graphics, you must have witnessed a quantum leap in hard/software. What is possible now, is nothing short of astounding.
I'm waiting for Photoshop to bring out their Mac mini compatible version, as the older version I had (6) refuses to work on this platform...

About the house: II'll probably go the owner/builder route, do some of the work myself, and hire the requisite tradespersons to do the 'important' stuff. I'm lucky to also have a few dear friends who are very resourceful, and one who renovates cottages and resells them for a hobby/living.

I'm also considering using a steel frame. As to the relative cost per sq.... I think it's pretty much the same deal here as in the US...though a tiny dwelling is always going to be less expensive that an ill conceived McMansion wannabe with 2 story porticos ( lol) regardless of the cost per sq ft/meter... and the materials you choose to build with are also going to have an impact..

Your model building sounds fun -- was that a diorama of Scott's hut and surrounds? I'd love to see any pics of your model work if you'd like to share :)

I used to build balsa aircraft models as a kid, and I'd like to build a few scale models of Japanese period dwellings ... but only for my own enjoyment..

As for sounding "old" -- well... let me just say, that I'm currently listening to The Platters sing 'My prayer' on my iPod :)

Gray,

Well, you're right, I should have figured out the "guy" room.

My buildings were not dioramas. I built on 1" scale and recreated both exterior and interior. The project took me to New Zealand and spent time there with a historian responsible for maintaining the Antarctica expedition buildings. The history and stories of the men living in these "huts" became a passion. Sadly, the cost of finishing this project became out of control and didn't get a grant applied for. It is part of the many boxes I cannot let go of...building shell, books, tons of materials. Small house, but big shed storing part of my life.

If you were to build your plans it would be amazing how the project would become so much more real for you. The hard work for this has already been done with the created plans shown. All could be built with matte board, I'd even suggest buying it in the colors you are planning. The simplicity of yours would even allow the furniture to be done...but use bass wood or plastics for these. You wouldn't need a lot of tools and the cost minimal.

I let go of the model building a while ago. Was doing some freelance for a magazine submitting projects, and it became too commercial. The ability to be creative was lost as I had to design what readers were interested in and freelance is what it means "free" after cost of materials and time involved.

My art is now photography mixed with chalk pastels. Primarily close ups of architectural details and lost items found. I like those that show time passed and the affect of element of nature. Use Photoshop and am playing with possibilities of printing large format now. Creative beings cannot let things sit long without evolving into more.

The jump in computers is so beyond that what can be done on a lap top is far more than where I started. Me presence at the time put many an architect and engineer into shock...they had to let go of their pencils for keyboards. There is still a need for the high end number crunching computers for engineering and output. My son and I were talking one day about terms which he wondered the meaning of..."do not spindle, punch or staple". What was a spindle? This evolved into talking about learning computers via punch cards. The leap you mentioned...he also trained on computers using punch cards and is in his late 30s. I'll let him feel old.

They do use metal framing here, but not often and I don't understand the reasoning for continuing to use wood when this is avialable. On the total opposite of what you are doing I would build a straw bale, the natural "off" of walls, etc. intrigue me. It is not something easily built depending upon where one is located due to permits. Even building a home smaller than a specific size isn't possible unless rural. One can remodel a smaller home, but tis the closest to getting such within city limits.

Gads...the Platters? I just watched a Johnny Mathis special and headed into the personal past. And most of this was totally off topic, but at we are in the conversation side.

For some reason I'm not seeing any of the pictures. I checked my browser settings... they are fine. Does Gweb's image server just not like firefox?
Thx much to anyone who can help,
Zanna