EXCEPTIONAL HOME DESIGNS IN THE MODERN MOUNTAIN RUSTIC VERNACULAR

Homes designed to reflect the grandeur of the Southern Appalachian High Country

Well thought out spaces... inside and out... designed to create an inviting transition between the two...

Natural materials like stone, exposed timbers, cedar shakes and bark siding... that allow the home to be caressed by its surroundings...  

Structural craftsmanship that celebrates structure as a feature of the design (not concealed behind walls and ceilingd with just a faux replica os structure added to the shell)  A MSDI home is destined to become a family heirloom... 

Highly energy efficient and environmentally conscientious designs (not just a few "green" features to exploit the growing public awareness)

MOUNTAIN SHELTER DESIGN IN A RESIDENTIAL DESIGN SERVICE THAT TREATS  EACH PROJECT UNIQUELY; RESPOSIVE TO THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF THE CLIENT AND THE DESIGN PARAMETERS ESTABLISHED BY THE UNIQUENESS OF THE SITE. DESIGN CHARGES ARE BASED ON ACTUAL HOURS INCURRED IN THE PROCESS.  POTENTIAL CHARGES CAN BE PROJECTED BY A PROGRAM THAT UTILIZES A HISTORICAL DATA BASE OF FIVE FACTORS (HEATED SQUARE FOOTAGE, NUMBER OF FLOORS, NUMBER OF CORNERS, STRUCTURAL COMPLEXITY, SITE CHARACTERISTICS, AND THE LEVEL OF PREPAREDNESS THE CLIENTS BRING TO THE PROJECT) TO ESTIMATE DESIGN CHARGES.  THE DESIGN PROCESS IS DIVIDED INTO THREE PHASES: CONCEPT, DEVELOPMENT, AND DOCUMENTATION.  CLIENTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO COMPLETE ALL PHASES AND CAN LEAVE THE PROCESS AT ANY POINT.  CLIENT SATISFACTION IS OUR GOAL AS WELL AS OUR HISTORY. 

WE FIRMLY BELIEVE IN THAT CUSTOM DESIGN DERIVES THE BEST PRODUCT FOR THE CLIENT.  HOWEVER, A LIMITED NUMER OF RELATIVELY SMALL PROJECT PLAN SETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR DIRECT PURCHASE.  THESE PLANS ARE SHOWN IN THE WEB PAGES NOTED AS "SYNERGY STRUCTURES"

A WORD ABOUT TECHNOLOGY

MSDI homes feature true timber-framing (a relatively expensive construction technology) and integrated  timber-and-SIP designs (that stretch timber-frame construction dollars).  MSDI also utilizes closed crawl spaces, insulated concrete form (ICF) basements and blown-in expanding foam insulation to create a complete thermal envelope.  All designs maximize economies of materials to reduce cost and impact on the environment

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Mountain Shelter Design Institute is proud to be affiliated with these organizations: