Stoneview: How to Build an Eco-Friendly Little Guesthouse (Paperback)

~ Rob Roy (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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).

About the Author

Rob Roy is a former contractor with twelve previous books to his credit, including Cordwood Building and Timber Framing for the Rest of Us. An expert on underground building, he founded the Earthwood Building School in 1981 with his wife, Jaki, and is frequently a speaker at events throughout North America.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: New Society Publishers (February 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865715971
• ISBN-13: 978-0865715974
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #155,256 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Offers up step-by-step instructions , July 14, 2008

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

If you aim to build a guesthouse and seek specific instruction, not just general design ideas, then STONEVIEW: HOW TO BUILD AN ECO-FRIENDLY LITTLE GUESTHOUSE is for you. It offers up step-by-step instructions for building an octagonal cordwood masonry guesthouse with a living roof and floating slab foundation - for under, $6,000. Whether a guest cottage or a studio, the authors 30-some years of building experience pack a fine guide filled with specifics on everything from timber framing and pouring a floating slab to making the lightweight living roof. A top pick, this offers builders far more detail than the usual general pictorial and is a highly recommended pick for any public library catering to homeowners and builders.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How Every instructional book should be written!, December 7, 2008

By	Ray Gore (Boise, ID USA) - See all my reviews

I purchased this book and it does not leave ANY information out if you want to know exactly how to build this Stoneview type guesthouse. It also gives you great information on basic cordwood construction and intro information on post and beam construction. You can easily build this cabin in less than a month with a few friends working normal days doing everything from pouring the slab to putting the roof on with no experience. We invited the author and his wife to our Idaho property to help us get a jump on the project and they are first class people all the way. This really is how every how to book should be written, very easy to follow.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stoneview - Cordwood Building, February 18, 2009

By	Debra Lee "Loose Leash Publications" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is inspirational and the project is realistically within the reach of folks like myself with basic building skills. I hope to build this little house over the next couple of years. One step at a time, without breaking the wallet.