DIY Network

Cantilever Prefab: Washington Build From "Assembly Required" episode DASR-210

In Washington state, Scott Stafne has plans to take on a huge challenge. Scott's sights are set on building a modern, one-of-a kind house on the side of a mountain.

advertisement

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

Cantilever Prefab Construction

Scott wants to build an industrial-style dream home on his 30 acres of untouched land on Jordan Mountain in Washington State. Building on the steep rugged terrain could be tricky. Scott hires Peter Anderson, a cutting edge architect with a reputation for designing homes for difficult lots.

The two chose a spot for the house. Scott and Peter go check out the site and Peter decides the house should be built on a place with the ultimate views, on top of a boulder. After three weeks of design work, Peter shows Scott his daring design (figure A). It's a two-story house that hangs 32-feet off the foundation, using a cantilever. Scott is worried the house will be expensive, but Peter has a plan. He's going to build the cantilever using steel prefab beams, which are strong and cost efficient. Peter also wants to build the house using SIPS, structurally insulated panels, which are pre-fabricated, cost efficient and great for insulation (figure B). Scott gives Peter the okay and the two get started on creating Scott's dream home.

Scott Stafne's gutsy spirit and architect Peter Anderson's out-of-the box design launched a risky endeavor... and the build was a rocky road from day one. At first they couldn't find a contractor for their idea. Then, general contractor Kyle Keever entered the picture and he was more than willing to take on the challenge.

The team's first step was to even out the build site by blasting away part of the rock. Once they had a flat surface to work with, they set the tiny foundation for Scott's 3200 square foot house. At the start of the build, the truck drivers carrying the steel materials for the cantilever took one look at the steep mountain terrain and refused to drive up to the site. The steel was dropped at the base of the mountain and Scott's brother came to the rescue. Todd Stafne brought in a logging truck to bring the steel the rest of the way to the site. The team struggled for three days hauling the beams up the mountain. Then another surprise hit...in the form of a storm that lasted weeks. The team persevered through the winter weather and the home began to take shape. It took three weeks to set the SIPS and six more months to complete the interior work. In the end, prefab made the out-of-the-ordinary cantilever design possible on his far-out site (figure C and D).