In my earlier post, Inspiration, Methods, and Questions for Fez, I briefly discussed riad home designs and provided a snapshot of the evolution of my current design. In another post, Riad Design Lessons Learned in Fez, I shared key lessons learned by staying in a riad in Fez.

This post is an overview for the cost analysis of my 5 x 5m atrium centered design, specifically on the ‘trim’ items that make a riad luxurious. I will provide cost estimates and sources for what I think is needed to turn a concrete shell into a modern riad. I will update it as I learn more. A separate future series of posts titled “Riad Design Concepts” will break down the room design concepts, features, and characteristics that my wife and I desire.

Again, as a caveat, I am not an architect or home designer, but these designs are important for explaining our vision to a professional and getting an idea of the cost to build.

The 5 x 5m Atrium Plan, below, is named after the size of the enclosed atrium, which forms the heart of the design. Every other aspect of the home design is based upon the size of the atrium. The size of the atrium is based upon cost, lot size, zoning, and sanity.

I have another plan based on 7 x 7m, which will be another post in 2017, as I am still refining it. The 5MV1 design is a 2-story house built of concrete (or ICF etc), with an attached garage. The interior will be a mixture of tile, plaster, and laser-etched wood. Every room is planned to have a 3.5m ceiling, with an overall house height around 11m. The exterior will be relatively plain (think Spanish home exteriors), and designed to allow for self-decoration by pre-building pedestals. The exterior material will more than likely be render or a long-lasting stucco-like material. As of now, I do not have a basement in the design, but I am looking to provide a space for a media room and temperature control storage. I am planning on 40cm thick outer walls, and 20cm thick inner walls. The backyard design will be based upon the lot, and tied into the structure of the house. The current design is a placeholder assuming that I can find the right size lot. Future posts will discuss the backyard or its roof equivalent.

The first floor is designed to be elaborate in comparison to the 2^nd floor, and designed with hosting guests in mind. We foresee using the first floor as not only a protected family space, but a social event hosting and maybe even commercial space to sell imported furniture. Therefore, the tile work and trim will be more elaborate on this floor. Our current design philosophy emphasizes decreasing complexity as you get further from the center.

Main Design Materials

Atrium Skylights ($100 per square foot)

This cost is based on the installation of a retracting roof system of unknown overall quality from vendors such as Rollmatic and Libart. I didn’t get much traction on my requests because they either they didn’t care/have time to respond, or the project is too far out for them to take seriously. Either way, the retractable roof may not be feasible based upon some info I received in Fez (link fez lessons learned). As a result, we may go with oversized, venting skylights which still cost about the same. Costhelper has some good info on how to start budgeting for these and many other items.

My initial budget for a retractable roof was $25K, so if I can get 4 large venting skylights with remote control rolladens, and special glass for $10-15K then game on. My initial size estimate is 2m x 2m per each skylight, which for 4 skylights is about 144 square feet.

If you decide to go with a retractable roof system, I recommend installing some form of automation to ensure it automatically closes when adverse weather is detected. Also, good luck getting info from vendors!

Zellige Tile ($50-100 per square foot)

Zellige is the name given to the mosaic tile style found in Moorish architecture, and is traditionally made by chiseling each individual piece into 5 or so universal shapes. The chiseled pieces are then placed into a mosaic pattern and grouted into position. The traditional method is expensive compared to painted tile, but has a much better look. I have been in contact with Moroccan Mosaic & Tile House in regards to discussing costs, and they do offer a volume discount. They have many designs, and I am working to get samples of a few. I will also be contacting Zellij Gallery, as their website has a good interface. Once I receive samples I will provide a review on the blog.

Home-made alternative to commercial Zellige (Cost currently unknown)

Using a kiln and modern molds, one may be able to produce bulk tile shapes and build your own 10” x 10” tiles. My wife is planning on doing a test run in 2019 with her father, Tulsa artist Herb Robb, as he owns a kiln. I also have a couple of friends that do extensive clay work, including Oklahoma City artist, Kjelshus Collins. This may become a cost-effective way to produce bulk tiles, and make replacements as other get chipped or worn. From my experience in Fez, a lot of the Riad tile work showed damage in high traffic areas.

Painted tile alternative to Zellige ($7-15 per square foot)

Painted Tile is a less expensive version of zellige, and are usually 8” x 8” or 12” x 12” tiles that have painted patterns that mimic zellige mosaic. Click here to get an idea of what painted tiles look like. They are basic tiles that have the designs painted on them to simulate the zellige style. To me, these look too bright and lack the imperfections and depth found in actual mosaic, but they may be suitable for outdoor use, or high up on walls and alcoves.

Floor Tile ($8-20 per square foot)

Ceramic floor tiles can range in price depending on the size, quality, and complexity. Right now I am projecting $15. The cost for stained concrete hovers between $12-20 per square foot, again depending on complexity. I was initially thinking about going the stained concrete route for the entire first floor, but I may go with tile as it may allow more versatility and lower install cost.

Hardwood Flooring ($12 per square foot)

I may end up using hardwood flooring in the library and office areas. This is simple to price and there are many options from real wood, to synthetic materials like Pergo.

Stained Concrete ($12-20 per square foot)

Stained concrete is a viable option if you are using very simple patterns or maybe a checkerboard. Concrete Network is a good resource for estimating costs for various types of projects. If I stick to a basic black and white floor, this could become an option if it reaches $8 range.

Laser Carved Wood ($15 per square foot)

Riads have a vast amount of intricately painted and carved wood. I am seeking to emulate this by creating veneers of sorts, either using a traditional router or a laser router. I am still researching this concept and I do not have a lot of information to share yet. I still need answers to the following:

• What type of wood?
• What type of stain/paint?
• How to affix to the wall, or how to prep for builder
• How to etch (laser, router etc)

A laser etcher currently runs $1-4K, but I do not know if it is the right piece of equipment or what the power requirements are. Also, the price of the parts we would need is unknown. I also want to use carved wood as a screen for the second floor patio area using the same materials and methods above.

Oversized Doors (Base Cost plus $15 per square foot)

I am planning on having a few oversized double doors installed, using laser etched wood as a veneer instead of buying small $9k doors you see on the market. This requires the aid of a craftsman or perhaps it can be added to the carpenter’s portion of the house. I am not sure yet what a basic oversized door would cost, so more to follow.

Molded Plaster ($10 per square foot)

Traditional riads have vast quantities of carved plaster across the entire structure. To achieve a simpler version of this effect, I plan on using custom made molds so I can create panels that the builder can then install. The traditional method involves artisans sculpting the plaster as it dries, which is insanely expensive and not really an option in the US. The wall and window trim plaster would be fairly easy to simplify and replicate, but the beehive style requires input from an artist familiar in 3D art. Once I receive more info I will provide an update on how to achieve the effect in a cost-effective manner.

Stained Glass ($100 per square foot)

This price is the average I found between several web sites discussing custom stained glass. Simpler patterns will cost less, and this is a product you may want to buy local so you can interact with the artisan. I plan on purchasing stained glass from local vendors. I am working a design to have the stained glass mounted to a wooden frame that sits on top of a regular window, or acts as internal ‘shutters’. I need to talk to a builder and hang out in a home improvement store to figure out a way to have stained glass without attaching it to the window. If I give up and just attach it to a window, all I need to do is have built on a panel that matches the window frame and seal it with silicone.

Home Bar ($5,000-10,000)

The internet is full of pre-made bars for as low as $1,000. I am looking for a bar that has a marble top, solid wood construction, built in fridge, space for 2-tap keg, 2 sinks, and the proper electrical and water connections. I may end up having this custom built into the house itself if I cannot find a decent vendor.

Home Elevator (2 Stops at $20,000, 3 Stops at $25,000)

Yeah, so I plan on eventually dying in this house (120?), so an elevator that can handle a wheelchair is a must. Prices range on quality, but they are much cheaper to install in new construction- especially if they are included in the early plans. The alternative is either put a bedroom on the ground floor (nope), or install a rail chair-lift system (nope). I will provide more information once my initial quote requests come back from a few vendors.

Plunge Pool ($9,000)

Our current design has a 3 x 2m plunge pool, that is basically a buried concrete shell with mosaic installed. This price will change based upon land considerations and how much a cover system will cost.

Quick by-the-numbers costs 

• 5-10% markup per square foot for a concrete house
• $230,000 base cost for the house (current web program estimate)
• $10K for appliances
• 30% markup for all installation
• 25% value of house buffer for cost overruns.

Remaining Unknowns

• Architect or builder fees
• Demolition costs
• Cost of covered patio space (lot dependent)
• Ground Prep for landscaping, plunge pool, house etc

Budgeting

As of December 2016, I am estimating $600,000 for the cost of the house, with an estimated breaking ground date of 2031. That requires saving $42K per year in order to pay for the house up front. New construction loans can be difficult and expensive to obtain, and I have read that having as much cash on hand as possible is recommend. If you are saving a large quantity of cash, I recommend placing it into inflation protected securities (TIPS Bonds/I Bonds) to preserve your capital.

Once I finish a detailed cost analysis for the 5 x 5 m V1 design, I will post the excel sheet. But for those who can’t wait, here is my working copy as of DEC16.

I will continue to post cost updates and methods as I receive new information from the web, experts, and any readers that have some insight on these concepts. Updates will be presented as separate topics that link back to this main article.

-Mike