Green building organizations, both governmental and private, are trying to change old framing methods that tend to use excessive materials. Using more materials than necessary can increase the cost of construction projects significantly, as well as place a burden on natural resources and waste facilities.
A few of the tenants of advanced framing include laying out your design in 24" increments to make efficient use of lumber and 4x8 sheet goods; using engineered metal connectors (like header hangers and sheet rock clips) to replace trimmer studs and backing boards; and framing studs on a 24" on-center layout when 16" OC layout is not required.
In the process of re-working my design, I decided my loft was cramped and impractical. Originally, I designed my loft so that I could sleep perpendicular to the length of the trailer (because the short ceiling that a loft creates beneath it would be reduced using a perpendicular orientation). I thought that a gabled roof would mean that if I sat up in bed I would always bonk my head on the ceiling; therefore a shed-style roof was my best option. But after doing a study of how someone of my particular dimensions lays down in bed, I realized that a gabled roof would actually work quite well. To be sure, I built a couple quick mock-ups to actually FEEL what the space would be like and observe the aesthetic of gabled roof options. This was a very valuable exercise and I'll post my new design shortly.
Big thanks to my architect-friend Captain Steven for his feedback on my framing plan. Also thanks to my friend Amy for testing out my mock-ups and lending her brain to help me process the decision.
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