Harmony
June 18th, 2010
It had taken a handful of months, from planning to building to finishing, and a lot of hard work. But when it was done, it could whisper music in the wind outside and sing back soft harmonies of voice on the inside.
The music was Harold Lee's idea. A symphony of sound, though subtle, to go with the sensation of touch. Throughout the walls were grooves and notches and openings, and they were responsible for the sound. Etched into the walls were patterns; flowers and vines and things that were pleasing to the hands and fingertips.
There was also a strategic play of light, from outside; patterns of warmth from the sunlight to filter in, and change throughout the day as the day wore on.
All of this was artistic and the planning of Harold.
The structure itself was Scotty's work.
It was a cob house, built by hand in the shape of a large dome, which was cut off at the top to allow for a sod roof. There grew grass and small flowers, and some vines which spilled over the sides.
There was only one story to the house dome, but it was large and had a livingroom, and a study, and a kitchen, and a bedroom, and a bathroom. In the center was the livingroom, through the front arched door, and that stretched all the way up to the ceiling with a round stone fireplace in the middle of it, built not unlike a shallow well and open on two sides to let the heat out into the room without flooding the room with smoke.
Already pre-cut was a small bundle of firewood, some tinder and some matches besides, to go with the fireplace tools.
There was wooden furniture, hand-made, with soft cushions and woven blankets, and there were shelves literally built into the walls to hold books or knicknacks or household items. From the open livingroom with its creative windows, the first door on the left was the study, with a desk and paper, and an inkwell, and bookshelves built into the walls. In a pinch, it could be converted to a guest bedroom as well. Most importantly, though, everything was built to size.
Renne-size, to be exact.
The second door was almost directly across the livingroom from the front door, and that one led to the bedroom. The bed itself, though low to the ground, was large, likely taking into account Nae-Dude's significant other. More shelves were built into the walls there, and the nightstand and dresser afforded yet more space to stow things away. There were windows all around the back wall to let light in.
The door to the immediate right was the bathroom, with a recessed tub literally built into the floor with steps down into it, and knobs to turn the water off and on that were tactility warm and cold, using the water supply to heat or cool them so Renne could tell the difference by touch. More windows, though these up high for privacy, and more shelves, carved into the walls down low and within easy reach.
The last room, to the right of the livingroom, was open. And that was the kitchen. The counters, stove and refrigerator were all of more normal height to a human, but there was a ledge built under the stone countertop, into the cob material, with steps to allow Renne to reach the counter without any strain. All of the cabinets were down on his level as well, and to finish it off was a complete set of high end, brand new cookware. Pots, pans, spatulas, spoons, measuring cups. The whole nine yards. And a foot stool, well made and easily moved.
The house itself had taken a few months of work. Scotty handled the technical; Harold handled the artistic. It was not completely unmodern (what could one expect with an engineer?) -- the electrical system, though, was all solar and the panels and batteries both were built around the house as part of a gazebo. The roof of the gazebo was constructed of solar panels, and under the floor were the high-end batteries, more of Scotty's dwindling supply of split-dilithium. The solar system was state of the art -- powerful cells that lost nothing from sunlight and even in winter, could keep a home running. There were even heating units to melt off snow.
It was that power which heated the water, provided lights should Renne have guests who would need them, heated the home's bedroom, study and bathroom and filtered the water at the well-source.
There was more to the property aside the house and gazebo. One thing was a novelty, of sorts -- a cob oven outside to cook with. The other was actually the very first thing that Harold and Scotty built, learning how to use the cob material -- a shelter for Renne's pony. It was fair sized with a soft floor, good drainage and a trough for feed and water. On the outside were more patterns; drawn in straw, circular, gently grooved into the wall.
The property was on a clearing, only about a half mile from the city to the West and there was a fairly good path through the woods to it. It was completely off the grid, and along the northern side, a creek babbled away before the treeline started again.
It was with directions to this property that the hired courier would set out to find Renne, and show him the way there. He also carried a note.
To: Renne (Nae-Dude)
It is yours, to do with as you will. Thank you for your time, and your help (many times) and your friendship.
-Scotty & Harold (The Dudes)
June 18th, 2010
It had taken a handful of months, from planning to building to finishing, and a lot of hard work. But when it was done, it could whisper music in the wind outside and sing back soft harmonies of voice on the inside.
The music was Harold Lee's idea. A symphony of sound, though subtle, to go with the sensation of touch. Throughout the walls were grooves and notches and openings, and they were responsible for the sound. Etched into the walls were patterns; flowers and vines and things that were pleasing to the hands and fingertips.
There was also a strategic play of light, from outside; patterns of warmth from the sunlight to filter in, and change throughout the day as the day wore on.
All of this was artistic and the planning of Harold.
The structure itself was Scotty's work.
It was a cob house, built by hand in the shape of a large dome, which was cut off at the top to allow for a sod roof. There grew grass and small flowers, and some vines which spilled over the sides.
There was only one story to the house dome, but it was large and had a livingroom, and a study, and a kitchen, and a bedroom, and a bathroom. In the center was the livingroom, through the front arched door, and that stretched all the way up to the ceiling with a round stone fireplace in the middle of it, built not unlike a shallow well and open on two sides to let the heat out into the room without flooding the room with smoke.
Already pre-cut was a small bundle of firewood, some tinder and some matches besides, to go with the fireplace tools.
There was wooden furniture, hand-made, with soft cushions and woven blankets, and there were shelves literally built into the walls to hold books or knicknacks or household items. From the open livingroom with its creative windows, the first door on the left was the study, with a desk and paper, and an inkwell, and bookshelves built into the walls. In a pinch, it could be converted to a guest bedroom as well. Most importantly, though, everything was built to size.
Renne-size, to be exact.
The second door was almost directly across the livingroom from the front door, and that one led to the bedroom. The bed itself, though low to the ground, was large, likely taking into account Nae-Dude's significant other. More shelves were built into the walls there, and the nightstand and dresser afforded yet more space to stow things away. There were windows all around the back wall to let light in.
The door to the immediate right was the bathroom, with a recessed tub literally built into the floor with steps down into it, and knobs to turn the water off and on that were tactility warm and cold, using the water supply to heat or cool them so Renne could tell the difference by touch. More windows, though these up high for privacy, and more shelves, carved into the walls down low and within easy reach.
The last room, to the right of the livingroom, was open. And that was the kitchen. The counters, stove and refrigerator were all of more normal height to a human, but there was a ledge built under the stone countertop, into the cob material, with steps to allow Renne to reach the counter without any strain. All of the cabinets were down on his level as well, and to finish it off was a complete set of high end, brand new cookware. Pots, pans, spatulas, spoons, measuring cups. The whole nine yards. And a foot stool, well made and easily moved.
The house itself had taken a few months of work. Scotty handled the technical; Harold handled the artistic. It was not completely unmodern (what could one expect with an engineer?) -- the electrical system, though, was all solar and the panels and batteries both were built around the house as part of a gazebo. The roof of the gazebo was constructed of solar panels, and under the floor were the high-end batteries, more of Scotty's dwindling supply of split-dilithium. The solar system was state of the art -- powerful cells that lost nothing from sunlight and even in winter, could keep a home running. There were even heating units to melt off snow.
It was that power which heated the water, provided lights should Renne have guests who would need them, heated the home's bedroom, study and bathroom and filtered the water at the well-source.
There was more to the property aside the house and gazebo. One thing was a novelty, of sorts -- a cob oven outside to cook with. The other was actually the very first thing that Harold and Scotty built, learning how to use the cob material -- a shelter for Renne's pony. It was fair sized with a soft floor, good drainage and a trough for feed and water. On the outside were more patterns; drawn in straw, circular, gently grooved into the wall.
The property was on a clearing, only about a half mile from the city to the West and there was a fairly good path through the woods to it. It was completely off the grid, and along the northern side, a creek babbled away before the treeline started again.
It was with directions to this property that the hired courier would set out to find Renne, and show him the way there. He also carried a note.
To: Renne (Nae-Dude)
It is yours, to do with as you will. Thank you for your time, and your help (many times) and your friendship.
-Scotty & Harold (The Dudes)