Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat Human habitat; dreaming out loud

We have quite the diverse collection of pondmeisters, with an equally diverse collection of private waters. The contributions come in from all across North America. Heck, ol' Rad checks in with his magnificent project in Thailand.
So, as I grow through the challenges and rewards of becoming a pondmeister, I continue to look forward. Yes, the vision of a pristine pond setting is coming into focus, but the dream reaches further to the next major goal; human habitat.
Make no mistake, I am definitely not financially equipped to take this substantial step right now, but when the time does come to pull the trigger, I want to have spent countless hours fine-tuning my dream. I've said it before, and I doubt that I'm alone when I say "God willing and my loan officer willing, we will continue to chase this dream". For us, this dream is the pond and woods with a comfortable, somewhat modest weekend retreat that will ultimately serve us as a retirement crib.
OK, so why the ramble? I want to share the current version of Brettski and Donna-ski's dream. It is barely in it's infancy, and I expect it will change over time, but it's a start. Perhaps more important, I want the rest of my comrades on the PB forum to share not only their dream, but even their reality. Those of you in the dream state, show me what YOU think works great with your pond. Throw me a few other opinions from which to draw another point of view. Those of you that have awakened and realized the dream has come true already, show me those magical human habitat charms. I want to see the big stuff and the little stuff. I want to see all the ideas. I recall a thread or two that kind of morph'd to human habitat, but they were focused more on "show me your pond". Yep, I wanna see your pond, but this thread is meant to show me your "human structure" as it relates to your pond.
Tree houses, gazebos, cabins, vacation homes, and magnificent estate homes...go ahead, let us all enjoy your creativity in dreaming and your accomplishments as they exist. Share some cool ideas and help to stimulate the rest of us just entering the REM state.
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This is a stock Garlinghouse plan. Although it needs a tweak and a stretch, I like the simplicity of construction and awesome presentation overlooking a pond.
(dump the playhouse and the greenhouse)

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Nice house and good size. What does it come out to 1600+ sqft? I really like the decks and the loft with the scenic view windows.

I bought my first house this year and had it built by one of my friends. I ended up getting the plans off http://houseplans.com/. It has a great filter that allows you to pull up just the plans that fit your specs. It really helped us weed through the plans.

My Dream was to get a lot with water running through it or on it. Since I could not find that lot I bought a lot and dug a pond this summer.

Now my dream is get a bigger pond and maybe put in a secret escape tunnel so I can convertly escape to the pond.

nice brettski....i like.
we have a what i guess you'd just call a farmhouse. we overlook the ranch pond, not our pond, but can see our pond through the woods. in truth, nobody can see our house except critters in the woods, the cattle, and via direct fly over. we are hidden in the trees sittin on a ledge, so its even hard to get a pic of the house. these are some i've collected over the years.

these 3 taken from downstream ranch pond looking back up at our house and property:







taken behind our house looking back at ranch pond:



winter shots around house:







i miss havin a lot of flat space around house, but on the other hand, you see a lot things down in a steep gulley with water.......like deer, coyote, mountain lions, buzzards and hawks passing by at eye level, you name it. wouldnt change a thing now, when i'm 80, i might feel different :rolleyes:

Brettski, it looks like you are on to another saga. I hope you incorporate this into your pond book. I will get some stuff together and post a little later, great idea.

Mine is a ratty 14 by 70 trailer house with patches on the side where the tree rats have dug holes to nest. Not much to look at but we have electricity (AC!!!) and a well(flush toilets!!!) with a propane tank for cooking. Hey, it's a weekend place and like my Grandma said "It's mine and I like it this way. Go get your own.".

Dave, you have a place to be envied.

Brettski, nice looking plans. However, in the hot climates we have to thing differently. We can't have the glass and 2 stories. Well, some people can. But the point is that it just isn't very energy efficient in a hot climate. The upstairs glassy area would kill the electric bill.

Brettski - That's not a playhouse, it's your shed. A man needs a shed to have a place for the pursuits his better half doesn't share (a man with only a basement does have at least half a chance). A space to leave the half rebuilt lawn mower engines, incomplete sniper rifles, and Great Horned Owl watching magazines laying around without offending the sensibilities of a loving spouse.

DD - I've always felt cathedral ceilinged areas were kind of hard to heat up here.

HEY! ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL! - AATW has what I feel to be a gorgeous house perched above his pond. Post pictures, Scott, or I will be forced to use some of my own diminishing photo space to do so.

Brettski,

The major focal point in the planning of my retirement home is accessibility. This comes by way of seeing the limitations/problems that are evident in my parent's home. When confined to a wheelchair or walker, one quickly sees the hurdles that standard hallways/doorways and stairs present. There is a book entitled, "Building for a Lifetime" by Margaret Wylde. I don't have a copy but check ebay on a regular basis. Also check with the ADA for recommendations.

Just an opinion.

I already live in house that is walking distance of various ponds, but my mind wonders into fantasy land. I don't won't no mansion, but simply a hut on an island. Not necessarily to sit or live in; more for the artful aspect of things.

Something like this........

Russ, I couldn't have said it better. My wife and I are in the process of planning our next (hopefully last) home. A couple of years ago my wife had a knee replaced we are very aware of handicapped accessibility. This means wide hallways and doorways as Russ said. If you think that this may be your retirement home I think that you would be wise to plan for it. Your plan does have the master bedroom and kitchen downstairs this is a plus. I'm not discouraging your plans, like Russ I'm just saying think in terms of 20 years ahead.

It's got a full bath downstairs, too. That's something my wife and I will have to add if we live in our house long enough.

Theo, you see the pic of the hut I posted, Under the hut the pig could root the wet soil and make a mud bath at groundlevel. It would feel like you were at a resort.

Lance, if it weren't for the thatched roof and being up on poles, I'd say that hut came from 1 county South of me. :rolleyes:

Brettski,

Nice house! I really like the rustic looks of it.

My long-term plans were exactly as yours: Build a weekend cabin on the pond and retire to it "some day".

Well, my pond took so long to build that I'm ready to accelerate the process, sell my house, and live on my pond. I long for a simpler life, and don't need a big house any more. I've always loved log cabins, so maybe I'll buy a kit and roll my own. It couldn't be any worse than digging my own pond.

I would want mine real close to the pond, with a full-length porch facing it. The bullfrogs Could sing me to sleep every night.

Good luck with your plans!

Brettski,

Unfortunately you can never think of everything and even if you do, you probably can't incorporate all of it. I enjoy looking at the pond, so I built my house with the front facing the water and the back facing the road. I have lots of windows and a big patio downstairs and a narrow balcony running across the front that also serves as the front porch. I have an inside and an outside kitchen, the outside being downstairs; the close proximity of the pond to the house promotes a lot of outdoor activity. It gets extremely hot here so I tried to take that inconsideration as much as possible by building the house so that the monsoon winds hit the house broadside instead of head on; this also lets me catch more of the breeze. With two yearly monsoons it rains a great deal so I have an open and a glass enclosed patio, both have kitchens and access to a full bath on the ground floor. My house is 2 stories and as close as I am to the pond’s edge, about 10’, affords a great view not only of the pond but the surrounding area as well.
The biggest challenge for me has always been trying to install all of the underground things, water, electric, sewer, etc. before I installed all of the hardscape, before I installed all of the landscape. I do ok with the immediate stuff but, often forget to plan ahead. This time I ran conduit for water and electric all the way around the pond, but forgot outside lighting for the front of the house, I am going to have to tear up something to install a couple of flood lights to shine out over the pond from the house.
Put in plenty of hose bibs, 3 way switches between house and outbuildings, hot water at the outdoor kitchen, foot bath between your beach and house, water and electricity at the dock and other outdoor gathering places. Outdoor shower? Accent and walkway lighting, make sure you can reach the windows for cleaning, is there plenty of air flow around the house, shade, enough, too much?
Your property is more than just a pond like mine so you will have the opportunity to have views of animal activity at places other than the water. I am sure as you and Donna-ski walk the property you will locate the best site for a house pad, I was lucky in that I owned the property for almost a year before I started building and was able to see the changing patterns of the sun and wind.

D.I.E.D....stunning, what a great crib. Thanks for sharing the pics. That is what I want to see...more pics!
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DD1...we sold a 14' x 70' trailer on riverfront property to start this project. Donna-ski called it the mouse house . I know from whence you come. I still miss it, tho. :rolleyes:
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Theo....thanks for providing the cattle-call to AATW. WE NEED PICS!
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Russ and Jeff...one of my best friends, Scott, has been diabetic since the 2nd grade. He knew middle age would become an early battle; triple by-pass and forced retirement from the Carpenter's union at age 47. He just finished his retirement home and spent alot of time doing exactly what you speak of. Thanks for reminding me. Now, SHOW ME SOME COOL PICS OF HOUSES, DECKS, DOCKS, GAZEBOS, OR TREE-FORTS THAT LOOK OVER THE POND!
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Lance...I want your real estate tax bill.
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Bobad...thanks for the props. Expand a little on the log cabin dream. Post a couple of pics of what you're talkin' about. I don't really know dittle about log cabins except I think that they can be a maintenance headache...?
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Rad, Rad, Rad...cough up da pics.
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Hey, Trialsguy....slap up a couple of pics of the cool treehouse. I'm tryin' to get a collection goin' here. If Jeff Gaines and Ahvatsa don't respond, I'll be forced to post pics of their inspirational pond decks. Hey, whatever happened to that guy with the gazebo on the water? Isn't Chip's crib right on the edge of pond, too?

Brettski,
Not much that I have done will fit in your scheme of things. As you know, because it's one of those things that you seem to do so well, it's in the planning. Where you put the house may be all about location, but how you build it is all about planning.
House before glassed in patio
Entry including glassed in patio,there is a kitchen in this room similar to the outdoor one.
Called a sal la, this was where we sat and dreamed before the house, can't count the number of mosquito bites suffered here.
Outdoor kitchen
Partial view from breakfast bar in kitchen
Sort of a green house and staging area for the plants that will be used once the undergrounding and hardscape is installed.
This is still a work in progress, we hope to be finished by mid May.

Rad, you have one very beautiful place to live. Maybe "almost indescribable" is the wording I'm thinking of.

WOW !! Thanks Rad for the pics. Tell us about the flowers in #3 and the bottle and melon in #5 also the distant Mountain in #5. Is the dirt volcanic as it sure looks fertile.

Brettski,

I hear ya on the maintenance. My dream hasn't advanced to the research phase yet, but from what I've heard, the logs can be bought in various states of preservation. Most are treated with borax or borate salts, which prevents fungus and makes them distasteful to insects. A side benefit is that it adds a little bit of fire retardancy. I understand there are other preservatives that work very well, but aren't usually needed except in extreme conditions. (deep in the shade in a rainy climate)

Cypress and cedar logs need less preservative, pine a little more, and hardwood the most. The logs must be kept from constant dampness. A wide roof overhang is fairly important here in the land of 57" annual rainfall. A nice high foundation or short chain wall can help keep the logs up and away from the humid ground area and insects. Of course keeping overhanging branches away is important. That's all I know for now, but if I ever go into full "research mode", I'll be a log cabin encyclopedia.

Brettski, A friend of mine had a log house built for him a couple of years ago. The logs were cut and the house was assembled at the factory then dismantaled and shipped to his plot where it was reassembled. Every part was numbered and the plans specified where each number went. Here is a sample site, they even have laminated logs! http://www.countrylogcabins.com/default.shtm
DD1, thanks.
ewest, bougainvillea, it goes crazy when the rain stops, the 26 oz. bottle is a Thai beer "Archa" $3.50 for a case. That is a watermelon. The dirt is mostly sandy clay, the fertility comes from forty years of rice and water buffalo. Once the rice was harvested, buffalo ate what was left. It is a couple of feet deep. The hill like structure is an outcropping, they are found all around Thailand, the more spectacular are in the sea.

We have been looking at house plans and hope to build soon. Enjoying seeing ideas and pics.
I like the looks of log cabins, but here the exterior has to be treated about every 2 years. Might have to do with all the freezing thawing cycles we go through, lots of time daily. I've noticed that further north where it stays frozen through the winter structures don't appear to age quite as fast.
I'm leaning towards the foam blocks that you fill with concrete. A friend and his dad have them and the ks breeze doesn't seem to penetrate them like a stick house.
Nice places DIED and Rad.

Yes, whole-heartedly agree with zhkent...really enjoying the design ideas and final results. Rad...thanks. I knew it was gorgeous, but you were holdin' back. It's a paradise! You note that there may not be much of what you did that would play for me, but I disagree. It's the subtle details that make me think...stuff like use of native timber for stair railings and balusters. The obvious one is the super-charged beauty of the entire package...inspirational!
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I hope that others will offer the same pictorial input. I remember some pics that Mudcat Joe's ol' pal, Heronblu, offered of a magnificent pond and home package. I would absolutely love to see more of that one, too. Hey, what about Poseiden? Didn't he develop a beautiful crib on a big 'ol pond? C'mon...send me pics and ideas!

Awesome pics, Rad. I'm jealous.

We built our house a year ago. After searching thru thousands of plans and not finding one we liked, we decided to design our own. Borderbund makes some very nice design software. You can stop at any time and get a virtual 3d walkthru of the design. We saved alot of money designing our own vs buying plans and have the satisfaction of a truly custom home we designed.

Great thread Brettski!
I've got hundreds of pics of our land, but there isn't that much interesting to see yet. We do have a plan in mind, with most of the work being done within 3 years.

In 2 years we are going to build the new house. A plan that's around 4000 sq ft is already drawn out, including a sound proof music room in the basement. (I play the banjo as a hobby) In a month I'm going to be building a tree fort in the woods and finishing the dock. The tree fort will be free standing and have a roof. The tree fort is mostly for our kids but we will use it for other things too. I've finally finished repairing the old barn on the property and will be painting it as soon as the weather warms up. It's an old wooden barn and I'm keeping my tractor, implements, lumber, etc in it. We plan to build a concrete floored 50x30 barn sometime between now and the house being built ... it will be used for yard/landscaping equipment, tool storage, a place to work on stuff and a nice guy retreat.

I'm planting 175 trees in a few days and will probably plant a couple hundred more before the weather warms up. We planted 675 trees last year and are in the process of reforesting a few acres with native trees. Last fall I cut out a road in the woods and plan to eventually cut out a walking/jogging trail. I'm planting native edibles (pawpaw, wild plum, persimmon, red mulberry, chokecherry, blackberry & raspberry, pecan, etc.) all along the edge of the woods. My wife wants to do a little orchard so sometime soon we are going to plant peach, apple, and pear trees and several grape trellises. In a month I'll post pics of the finished tree fort and dock. Not much new to show, but here is a pic of the now repaired barn that I need to paint before long.