Modern House on Steep Terrain: What to Know
Modern House on Steep Terrain: What to Know
When building a modern house on steep terrain in the mountains, it is important to understand that homes are not a one-size-fits-all kind of investment. Steep city terrain, like the buildings found on Bradford Street in San Francisco, CA, has the luxury of established infrastructure that seldom has natural challenges like trees, large boulders, etc, that impede its construction. In mountainous urban areas, most new homes don’t have the luxury of having established resources to make the building process easier. For this reason, building a house on rocky terrain has historically been extraordinarily expensive or nearly impossible.
Today, building a modern house on steep terrain has become more commonplace in mountainous areas or steep lots due to the marvels of modern building practices. Here are our picks on things to know when building a house on rocky terrain in rural mountainous areas. We’ll cover plot locations, block foundation vs poured, ways to reduce the overall construction cost, and how Logangate Timber Homes builds green homes.
Picking the Perfect Plot
Mountains or beaches? There’s a reason why this is a popular icebreaker prompt that people ask each other when learning about the other. Roughly 25 million Americans currently live in the Mountain States (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming), so it’s safe to say that mountains are a strong contender! Most mountain dwellers will say that they enjoy the peace and quiet that comes with living in rural mountain areas. When building a house on rocky terrain or on steeply sloping terrain, using modern building techniques such as cantilevered construction and pedestal foundations can allow you to build in land lots that were previously thought to be too difficult or impossible. Pedestal homes save on foundation costs, which leads to the next topic: block foundation vs poured.
Block Foundation VS Poured: Which Is Better?
Block foundation is the practice of using cinder blocks that are mortared together. Cinder blocks are concrete masonry bricks that are used for building residential and commercial structures; these blocks are typically made of sand and cement but can be made with alternative materials. Block foundation typically has greater vertical weight accommodations compared to poured foundations.
Poured foundations are exactly as described: they are poured concrete structures. These can be poured as walls, as flat foundations, or in whatever shape is necessary for the structure. Poured concrete structures are typically easier to waterproof and are cheaper than their blocky counterpart due.
For a steep terrain home, there is no outright “best” option. The options will be limited to external variables such as lot size, steepness/angle of the intended lot foundation, budget estimates, and more. For this reason, whatever foundation you are leaning towards, the “best” option is to hire an experienced and professional contractor who can advise the pros and cons of each option when choosing to build a modern house on steep terrain and how to reduce the cost of the overall build.
Saving on Cost Doesn’t Mean Lowering Quality
Unlike traditional flat-built homes, building a brand new home in the mountains can seem like an overwhelming task, a big factor being the cost of the home. This is where the genius of Logangate Timber Homes comes in. Traditional stick-built homes require dramatic and devastating changes to the plot in order to bring the home to building codes and standards.
This is because steep terrain requires extensive leveling and clearing land to allow for stable ground to be flattened. Doing this can easily eat away your build budget and will leave you with a half-built home. At Logangate, we have perfected designing and building cantilever homes that won’t destroy your home budget.
Modern cantilever homes are homes that are built with beams that are anchored only on one end. This allows for overhanging structures without having to have external bracing, giving your home a clean, unique look. Foundation savings can be realized with this approach. Cantilever homes are a clever way around restricted footprints and building on steep terrains. They also come in extremely handy whenever a good panorama needs to be captured. The resulting buildings are both visually and spatially exciting – almost surreal structures of excitingly frail equilibrium.
Green Homes That Give Back
The most significant modern housing achievements aren’t in smart technology or smart home devices. The most significant modern housing achievement is the development and implementation of certified green building practices. Building green homes is a Logangate specialty, our homes are built with panelized window, roof, and wall systems that are designed to be ultra energy efficient. Because Logangate Timber Homes are built in a climate-controlled manufacturing facility. Our panels are tight-fitting, which translates to a reduction in the amount of lost energy after the home is finished.
Timber Homes Built With Careful Detail
At Logangate Timber Homes, we are experts at turning dreams into reality. While catering to our client’s tastes, we pay special attention to specific detail throughout the whole process. We strive to provide our customers with beautiful, energy-efficient, affordable prefabricated homes. All of our homes are manufactured responsibly, sustainably, and with great attention to detail. Start building your dream home with Logangate, and contact us today!
