Joe and Amanda's First Cabin
"The Shanty"
In the summer of 2006 Joe and Amanda decided to strike out and begin building a empire from scratch. The started with a tiny cabin to live in while they built their world up around them. They wanted a building that was affordable, quick to build, and reasonable considering their modest building experience. But it should be beautiful and comfortable, a reflection of them and full of character. It was to provide them with pleasant lodging until a more sophisticated dream house could be devised and made real.
The basis of the Shanty came from a library book suggesting that the most cost effective building is obviously one with the least amount of wasted material. So the design embraced standard building material measurements. Interior and exterior sheeting all comes in 4'x 8' sheets, so the floor plan is carefully laid out in multiples of 4' (12'x 16'). Not only did it make the most use of materials, it also minimized saw cuts, saving greatly on time (only hand tools were used during construction).