The Saga . . .

Examples

This is a quonset hut built as a home. To me, this home has a number of drawbacks. Over and above the low ceiling heights, it can be difficult to earthshelter and difficult to get a permit to earthsheltered. The manufacturer's warranty is usually voided if earthsheltered. Metal structures decomposes faster than concrete. What the owners/builders do seem to have about right is the shading for the windows.

This is a concrete home done by one of the brothers in Colorado. I can't remember which one. I like this one for a number of reasons. The brow is integral to the structure and is pleasing in shape and design, though the brow is not sufficient to provide seasonal shade and moderating direct solar gain is going to be a huge problem. The house is nearly zero maintenance, earthsheltering is obviously not an issue and I love the clerestory. The downside is expense. From the supplier, this home kit is VERY expensive, and that's above the rest of the costs for the home.

This is another concrete home done by the other brother in Colorado. As above, there is a lot to like. I like the stone face better than the naked concrete above, though both are pleasing. On this one, the brow is not aesthetically pleasing and doesn't provide seasonal shade to the lower windows (doesn't help the upper ones either). You can see by all the drawn shades, direct solar gain is already an issue.

This wall is concrete formliner work. Looks nice!

This is REALLY nice. Mesa Ledge Stone from a company in Georgia. This, however, is even better as it is preformed panels applied to the concrete foundation surface after the fact, which is excellent for my latest working plan.

This is from the same company in Georgia and it's river rock. Same panelized construction and application.
Here's another manufacturer's renditon.

This is from the same company in Georgia and it's more ledgestone. Same panelized construction and application. I like the look of this really well.