Stoneview: How to Build an Eco-Friendly Little Guesthouse

Stoneview is an octagonal, cordwood masonry timber-framed guesthouse with a living roof located in upstate New York, fully constructed and finished for just $6,000.
In response to the enormous interest in this unique little home, author and builder Rob Roy has written Stoneview.

Over 130 clear line drawings and step-by-step images provide the reader with all the information needed to build this three hundred-square-foot cabin from start to finish, and a full-color section shows off the beautiful design features of this charming “green” cabin. All design considerations are covered, as well as an interesting and thorough discussion of the geometry of the octagon.

Separate chapters are devoted to:

• Site preparation
• Forming and pouring the slab
• Timber framing
• The lightweight living roof
• The cordwood masonry walls

Full instructions for the interior floor and wall finishing are included, as well as a basic plumbing system featuring the “humanure” composting toilet system. Stoneview concludes with a performance evaluation of the building and a complete costing analysis. Best of all, the house is appropriate for any climate.

This latest book by Rob Roy will appeal to his many followers, as well as those new to alternative buildings. Instructions are designed for both experienced and novice builders.

Rob Roy and his wife Jaki started the Earthwood Building School in 1981. Earthwood specializes in alternative building methods such as cordwood masonry and earth-sheltered housing. Roy is the author of twelve books, including Earth-Sheltered Houses, Timber Framing for the Rest of Us, and Cordwood Building (New Society Publishers).