[GSBN] Square footage of straw-bale homes

[Bohdan Dorniak]

Hi Joyce
We are similar in our approach to Graeme's - onya mate!
We talk to our prospective clients about BUDGET - and then using the budget
- that gives us an area possible for the project.
What is always disturbing is designers/builders claiming to build for half
the costs that we know are realistic.
These fiends quite often don't give the facts as to why their costs are
lower.
It always gives strawbale a bad name.
Let's name and shame them!!! 


Regards,
Bohdan Dorniak

Bohdan Dorniak & Co Pty Ltd
Architects & Town Planners
47 Prospect Road
PROSPECT SA 5082
P: (08) 8344 8170, F: (08) 8344 6480
www.bdcoarchitects.com.au

 Think about Sustainability
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-----Original Message-----
From: GSBN-bounces at sustainablesources.com
[mailto:GSBN-bounces at sustainablesources.com] On Behalf Of Graeme North
Sent: Thursday, 12 May 2011 12:30 PM
To: forum at lamaisonenpaille.com; Global Straw Building Network
Subject: Re: [GSBN] Square footage of straw-bale homes

Hullo Joyce

I have fun (?) with prospective clients by offering to halve the
environmental impact of their house and also reduce their mortgage
repayments for them by 3/4 - they get really excited, and can't believe
their luck finding me -  until they find out that this means a house half
the size they were thinking of - they tend to smile sweetly and walk away.

I'm deadly serious.  

We have to build smaller - a 6 star (or whatever tick-box-greenwash
mentality you wish to apply) rated house for two people that is 600 sq.m. or
even 300 sq.m. or even 150 sq.m. is total nonsense.

Why s/bale houses seem to appeal to some people is there is sometimes a
perception that they are cheap to build, and therefore can be made huge at
no extra cost - what a crazy state of affairs that simply  gobbles up the
worlds resources.

The market might get it one day,  if we are all lucky.

Ranting over.

cheers


Graeme
Graeme North Architects
49 Matthew Road
RD1
Warkworth
tel/fax +64 (0)9 4259305
 
graeme at ecodesign.co.nz
www.ecodesign.co.nz


On 12/05/2011, at 8:08 AM, forum at lamaisonenpaille.com wrote:

> Hello Joyce,
>> ... have doubts as to the marketability and salability of smaller homes.
> I studied to be a marketing manager in my younger days, so I learned about
statistics and the formulas used to draw conclusions from those numbers. On
the other hand, my father told me, to sell a house, one 'only' needs to find
one fool(?)... In 2 cases he waited for several years to find his buyer, and
(in the end) was very well rewarded for that patience.
> 
> In my case, I sold my (very big but largely unfinished) SB home for a
decent price (both for me as for the buyer) before I even got arround to
putting an add on my website.
> 
> Statistics are fun (for those who like them) but have never been able to
forsee the future....
> 
> Small houses can be made bigger by future owners and can in that way be
better adapted to their needs than an existing big house.
> 
> Bye,
> André - roling the dice - de Bouter
> France
> _______________________________________________
> GSBN mailing list
> GSBN at sustainablesources.com
> http://sustainablesources.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/GSBN

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