Exterior

Designed to be very low maintenance, Katywil houses are cloaked in HardiPlank, made from cementitious fibers, which are pre-painted at the factory, have a 15-year paint warranty, a 50-year performance warranty, are non-combustible, resist rodents, mold, cracking, and, best of all, are environmentally friendly.

The walls themselves are a foot thick, filled with dense-pack, blown-in cellulose, and rated R-45. The roof is also cellulose-insulated with an R-value of 65. Windows are low-e, argon-filled, and triple-glazed to provide maximum passive-solar access and cross-ventilation.

Note the large south-facing, passive solar windows looking across to Stone Mountain and southeast to Catamount.

Interior

A major part of simplifying your life is to live in a more modest space. At Katywil, each house will be 1350 square feet, roughly half the size of the average new house now built in the Northeast.

Decreasing the house size also decreases its energy need and allows the passive solar, photovoltaic and hydropower energy sources to heat and cool your house, as well as provide for hot water and appliances.

First (upper) floor

In the floor plan above, note that the north (top) wall has fewer windows than the south (bottom) wall, which overlooks Stone Mountain and the valley. Note also the differences in wall thickness: the thicker walls are a foot of blown-in, dense-packed cellulose, with an R-value of 45. Ceilings throughout are R-55.

Note, too, the ramp from the garage into the panty and kitchen. The first floor of each house is designed using Universal Design standards and approved by a consultant from Independent Living Resources. Ready for everything from strollers to wheelchairs, the entrance is ramped; doorways are three-feet wide, and there are no thresholds. The first-floor bathroom has a roll-in shower. Each house has one garage space, a mudroom, a screened porch, root cellar, and storage space

Lower Floor

Second (lower floor)

The lower floor has two guest bedrooms, one of which might be used for an office, and a bath. At the rear, there is a large storage and utilities room. For those who might need it, this floor could also be used for children or as separate living space for a caregiver.

The price of the house plans is included in the purchase price of the house. Any architectural changes to these plans must be paid for by the owner.

Katywil Mini House Floor Plan

The Mini House echoes the design and planning of the Essential House on a smaller scale. A garage is optional.