Building Your
Highlands Home
A GUIDEBOOK FOR HOMEBUILDERS
IN THE HIGHLANDS REGION
OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
Congratulations! You’ve decided to build a home in the Highlands,
one of the most beautiful regions in Massachusetts. Located between
the Connecticut and the Housatonic River valleys, the Highlands are
home to 38 rural towns, an extraordinary landscape, and a quality of
life that cannot be found elsewhere in Massachusetts. Whether you
are new to the region or grew up here, you’ve chosen a beautiful area
in which to live.
As you plan to build within this special region, the Highland
Communities Initiative, a program of The Trustees of Reservations,
invites you to take part in the protection of the community that you
will soon call home. This homebuilding guidebook offers thoughtful
planning, siting, and construction techniques that will help you to
create a comfortable, functional home that respects the very character
of the community that drew you here. By following the steps outlined
inside, you will learn about your land and the resources it holds, and
be better able to make well-informed, cost-saving decisions that protect
the special nature of this unique region.
Good luck and welcome to the Highlands!
THE HIGHLAND COMMUNITIES
INITIATIVE REGION
Ashfield
Becket
Blandford
Buckland
Charlemont
Chester
Chesterfield
Colrain
Conway
Cummington
Florida
Goshen
Granville
Hawley
Heath
Hinsdale
Huntington
Leyden
Middlefield
Monroe
Monterey
Montgomery
New Marlborough
Otis
Peru
Plainfield
Rowe
Russell
Sandisfield
Savoy
Shelburne
Tolland
Tyringham
Washington
Westhampton
Williamsburg
Windsor
Worthington
A PUBLICATION OF THE HIGHLAND COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE
AUTHORS:
Mollie Babize and Walter Cudnohufsky
ILLUSTRATOR:
Walter Cudnohufsky
Contents
BUILDING IN THE HIGHLANDS: H OW TO
IDENTIFY AND PROTECT RURAL CHARACTER _ _ _ _ 2
What comprises rural character, and how does this
character shape your building plans?
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE IDEAL SITE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4
What is the ideal building site, and what do you do
if your site is less than ideal?
PLACING THE HOUSE ON YOUR SITE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6
Use natural features and future uses to determine
the best location for the house.
GETTING TO YOUR BUILDING SITE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 10
Gain safe and efficient access without sacrificing
privacy.
PLAN AHEAD FOR INFRASTRUCTURE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 12
Early attention to utilities will reduce their impact
and save you money.
CONTROL THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS _ _ _ _ _ 14
Limit the construction zone, protect existing
vegetation, and be diligent in your oversight.
PLANT FOR MULTIPLE PURPOSES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 15
Get to know what exists on your property and
plant in harmony with native species.
ENLISTING PROFESSIONAL HELP _ _ _ _
A few hours of professional consultation can save
you money, time, and aggravation down the road.
INSIDE BACK COVER
Building in the Highlands:
How to Identify and
Protect Rural Character
Your new home can fit well within the Highlands region and on its site.
With careful planning—selecting the right parcel, designing the best
access, locating the best house site, and sensitively placing utilities and
other exterior uses—you can limit the impact on your property and design
a comfortable fit between building and land. With a good understanding of
the relationship of your property to the larger region, you can make choices
that complement and protect the rural character.
Many people speak of protecting the rural character of the Highland
communities, but what does that mean? What distinguishes this region?
What characteristics are important to protect? Both natural and built features
contribute to the rural landscape. The predominance of woodlands over
developed lands, and in particular the uninterrupted ridgelines silhouetted
against the sky, provide the backdrop for the built landscape. Winding,
narrow, and tree-lined roads follow the contours of the land, or parallel the
Tightly clustered development
surrounded by larger open spaces
characterizes the Highland communities.
2
Building in the Highlands
many streams and rivers. The occasional open field provides a welcome
accent to the woodlands, with the old stone walls giving evidence to the
work of our predecessors.
The tight cluster of farm buildings surrounded by open fields and
embracing woodlands is a residential pattern echoed on a larger scale as
well. Densely developed village centers with historic houses on small lots
contrast with the outlying, undeveloped lands. There is a rhythm of clustered
development tucked within larger open spaces that is characteristic of rural
communities and gives a certain “sense of place” to this region and a sense of
scale to human habitation.
Incremental suburbanization
is out of character with the
rural landscape.
Incremental change may be threatening the
region’s outstanding scenic, ecological, agricultural,
historic, and cultural assets. New construction is fragmenting
forest habitats, consuming productive farmland, eroding hillsides, and
polluting streams. The sacred places enjoyed by the community at large are
privatized. The working landscape is disappearing. Too often, new homes
have a more suburban feel: a prominent house mid-meadow, deep setbacks,
equally spaced with minimum frontage along existing roads.
Careful thought at the beginning of your process will ensure a successful
result…a well-designed home that meets your needs efficiently and
economically while protecting the rural character in which you are building.
How to Identify and Protect Rural Character
3
Characteristics of the Ideal Site
The ideal building site in New England provides adequate natural drainage,
protection from strong winter winds, potential for solar gain, unique and
diverse natural features, and convenient access by car.
Size is not a major concern. The size needed depends on how you intend
to use your land. Sensitive design can increase the value, appearance, and
workability of any size site. You probably need less land than you think to
achieve privacy, views, and comfort on your property.
The site does not have to be level. Houses, gardens, even play areas can be
stepped down a hillside. Save the level land for those things that really
require it, such as the parking area.
Look for land with these characteristics:
A south to southeast facing slope (ideally, 0 –16° east of south) provides
good solar orientation for winter warmth.
■
A moderate slope of 3–15% (meaning the land rises four to eighteen
inches for every ten horizontal feet) directs water runoff away from the house
and makes distant views possible.
■
A building site part-way up the hill is optimal. Building at the top of a
hill may provide a stunning view, but it increases your exposure to winter
winds and disrupts the ridgeline. On the other hand, valleys—in addition to
frequently being prime agricultural land or aquifer recharge area—are often
subject to flooding and tend to have frost sooner than sites part-way up a hill.
■
Positive site drainage. If drainage ways are located near the edge of the
property rather than mid-site, you will have greater design flexibility and
construction won’t interrupt them.
■
The ideal site provides protection
from wind, positive drainage,
convenient access, and solar gain.
4
Building in the Highlands
Deep, stable soils are essential for a well-functioning septic system. But
soils that are too sandy or gravelly will erode easily, and do not provide an
adequate filter for septic effluent.
■
A buffer of mature trees to the north and west of the building site will
provide a good wind break in the winter.
■
Look for variety. The greater the variety of vegetation on the site, the
greater the interest—spring flowers, fall colors, wildlife habitat. This variety
often responds to variation in slope, orientation, soils, and moisture.
■
What if my site is not ideal?
Some simple design considerations can make the most out of a less-thanperfect situation. For example:
■
Preserve the open meadow
by building near the woods
edge rather than in the middle
of a field. Keep woodlands to the
northwest and the sunny field
to the southeast for protection
from winter winds and to gain
winter sun. Mow the meadow
annually to prevent natural
succession rather than
converting to a grass lawn.
Build at the meadow’s edge to preserve the open space.
■
Gain sun on a north-facing slope
by building closer to the top. Build a
taller, narrow structure with skylights
and south-facing windows.
Build below the crest and prune
trees selectively to gain winter
sun. Park underneath the house
if possible.
Build tall and below the crest of a north-facing slope.
Limit excavation on steepest slopes. Build the house into the slopes,
with a narrower profile. Since the vegetation will help prevent erosion, limit
clearing. Design the driveway carefully, working with rather than against
contours; save limited flatter areas for parking.
■
Characteristics of the Ideal Site
5
Placing the House on Your Site
The well-designed home complements the unique aspects of the site, the
immediate neighborhood, the community, and the regional character of the
Highlands. It is also important that it fits your lifestyle and your budget.
So how do you create a good fit? This is an ambiguous but essential concept,
easy to recognize but difficult to describe.
The following principles
will help guide the
design and siting
of your home.
The well-designed house
complements its site.
Have the uses determine the layout.
Look at what you want to do on the land and in your home, before deciding
where and how much to build. The most important decisions made will be
functional, not aesthetic.
Good site design is determined by how well the site works even more
than how it looks. Determine the size of spaces according to their use.
Where will your family gather? What type of activities do you enjoy inside
and out? Are you likely to entertain larger groups? Where will they park?
What spaces do you consider public, and which ones will be private? How
can you get winter sun in the house, but enjoy the protection of summer
shade? Will you heat with wood? If so, where should it be stored, and how
will you get it there?
Are there uses that can serve more than one purpose? Can buildings
be grouped to provide a sheltered outdoor space or screen unpleasant views?
Consider edible landscaping: plant your garden where you would plant
ornamental shrubs rather than clear another quarter acre.
Plan for storage from the beginning. From construction onward, you will
need to store material and equipment outdoors. How much storage do you
6
Building in the Highlands
Connected outbuildings can create
cozy outdoor nooks.
need, and how can it be integrated with the rest of the site? Can you
connect storage sheds with other buildings, as our predecessors wisely did?
The answers to these questions will determine the size, placement,
orientation, and relationships of buildings, decks, gardens, orchards,
driveways, storage areas, trails, clearings, and wooded groves. The result
will be a more orderly, less cluttered, and more efficient site.
Let nature guide the design.
Take your cues for locating indoor and outdoor spaces from the natural
world around you.
Mimic the land. Structures fit the land best when designed in response to it.
Rather than level a hilly site to accommodate the house footprint, step the
building down the slope.
Tuck the house into the hillside.
Don’t build on or immediately
next to unique features. You may want
to focus on a rock outcrop, small stream, steep bluff, or unique tree, but
building on top of them will overshadow and in some cases destroy them.
Identify them, guide placement of buildings and gathering places by them,
Placing the House on Your Site
7
Placing the House on Your Site
continued
but keep a respectful distance from them. Pay special attention to water
bodies—streams, ponds, wetlands, vernal pools. There are strict regulations
governing them, and they are easily damaged.
Incorporate troublesome aspects of the site in the design. Before you try
to eliminate them, see if there is a way to adapt, accept, or even emphasize
those spots that seem to interfere with your plans. Redirect the driveway
around bedrock rather than blasting through it. Take advantage of a wet
depression to retain run-off. Build on already disturbed areas (such as logging
yards, excavated pits, or areas with invasive or “pest” plants). Retain the
undisturbed or prime areas
for views, outdoor retreats,
and wildlife.
Protect unique features by building
Protect the site’s
at a respectful distance.
diversity. Get to know
your land before you change it.
If you have been able to observe the site
in all four seasons, you have already discovered its unique treasures and
residents. Try not to fragment woodlands or disrupt wildlife corridors. Keep
a varied edge to all clearings; avoid straight cuts. Anticipate change over
time. Before you weed them out, learn what those small saplings are; they
may grow into the next generation’s sugarbush, or provide an excellent
screen for an unwanted view in ten years.
Set strict limits.
Minimize the degree to which you alter the site. Plan big, but start small.
Be conservative. Limit the amount of land you clear or level, limit what
you add to the site, limit the impact of utilities and access, and limit
impervious surfaces. Keep the majority of the site off limits during
construction; assertively fence areas to be protected (especially from
parking and storage of construction materials).
8
Building in the Highlands
Minimize the amount of
the site you build upon.
Build within a small zone or
“building envelope” with as
small a building footprint as possible.
Cluster or attach buildings rather than
scattering them across the site. Create the
smallest parking area that will serve your
needs; keep the driveway as narrow as possible.
This will reduce your maintenance costs and
minimize impact on wildlife habitat.
Limit the building zone.
Start small and build in phases. Plan for flexibility and change. On the one
hand, it is important to dream big—to include all the possible dimensions of
your new home and outbuildings in your planning, so the first steps you take
don’t preclude later options. But build only what you need for now. As you
get to know the site over the next few years, and as your uses shape the land,
you can modify your larger plans to better suit yourself and your site.
Plan for expansion from
the beginning.
Retain, repair, and incorporate historic features. If you are lucky enough
to have an old barn, stone wall, stone bridge, or sugarbush on your property,
consider it a valuable resource. Similarly, your site may contain community
landmarks, such as treasured views or commonly used trails. These remnants
are our heritage—landmarks from those who have lived on and worked this
land before us. Incorporate and even focus on these worthy relics.
Placing the House on Your Site
9
Getting to Your Building Site
Your driveway is the introduction to your home site. It may be used more
than any other element on the site. Therefore, as much thought must go into
the alignment of the driveway as goes into locating the house.
Early actions may have long-term implications. Decide on the best layout
before construction access is installed. If temporary access is in place, it can
be changed. Better to move it now than live with a driveway that is too steep,
gets icy in winter, washes out each spring, or exposes your home to the road.
■
Celebrate the journey, not just the destination. Focus on natural features
and offer both near and long-distance views. An indirect approach to the
home is more graceful, makes a small site feel larger, protects your privacy,
and is worth the cost of a slightly longer driveway.
■
Rather than climb straight
up the hill, work around
contours and existing trees.
■
Follow the natural contours.
Rather than taking the shortest route,
keep the slope gradual (less than 15%, or 18" rise over 10', if possible).
Be generous with turns: make the driveway wider and more level where
curves are sharpest.
Keep the driveway as inconspicuous as possible—narrow, tree-lined,
and (if soils and grade allow) unpaved. On longer driveways, use occasional
pull-outs rather than making the entire driveway two lanes wide. Site the
driveway along an existing edge, such as the line between woodlands and
meadow, rather than through the middle of a field.
■
10
Building in the Highlands
■
Manage the water.
Avoid crossing wet or seasonal
drainage ways if at all possible. Direct water
off the driveway to a drainage swale
to avoid wash-outs. Use
culverts where necessary
to protect against erosion.
Design the junction with the road carefully.
Ensure adequate sight lines. Clear for visibility and safety, but no more.
Be sure you can see cars at least ten seconds before they pass your driveway
(100 – 200' from the apron of your driveway, depending on the speed limit).
■
■ Provide good drainage. Make sure water does not collect at the base of
your driveway or run out onto the road where it might freeze. Be sure
drainage from the road doesn’t pool at or run down your driveway, if your
home is lower than the road.
Intersect the road at a right angle and provide a level landing for a
distance of approximately two car lengths.
■
■ Check local regulations which may govern length, grade, drainage, and
possibly construction of the driveway. Local bylaws may permit or prohibit
shared driveways. If your access is from a state highway, you will need
permission from MassHighway for a curb cut. If the road along your property
is a town-designated “scenic road,” stone walls and trees along the roadway
cannot be removed without a public hearing.
Check with Town Hall.
Design for safety
where the driveway
meets the road.
Getting to Your Building Site
11
Plan Ahead for Infrastructure
With all the attention focused on the new house, utilities are often an afterthought. But well-designed systems will have a low profile, increase energy
efficiency, and reduce your long-term costs.
Locate the septic system early on. The septic system is the least flexible
in its demands, and will ultimately determine whether you can build or
not. In fact, a percolation test must be approved before a building permit is
issued. The location of the leach field must be carefully selected so it doesn’t
dominate the site. Conduct the perc test before you do any clearing.
Soils are the major constraint. Soils must be porous enough to percolate
well, but not so gravelly they are a poor filter for septic effluent. They must
be relatively deep, so that groundwater or bedrock doesn’t interfere. Ideally,
the best soils are downhill from your preferred building site so you won’t
need to pump uphill to the leach field.
Use the clearing to gain light to
your home. Since the leach field
must be kept clear of trees and shrubs,
consider the relationship of the field to
the house. If it can be located southeast
of the buildings, you will achieve the
additional benefit of passive solar gain.
Bury utilities along the driveway
to reduce impact.
Bury utilities when installing your driveway. Plan early for the installation
of other utilities (electric, cable, telephone, etc.) when the driveway is
cleared. Although the initial cost is higher, burying these lines protects them
from outages due to snow, ice, and wind, and retains the natural look of your
site. If a more direct route is much less costly, find a way to protect major
trees. If no utilities exist yet along the road, consider asking the company
to bury lines rather than installing poles.
Note:There may be limitations to when the perc test can be conducted, and who must conduct and witness the test.
Contact your local Board of Health for local and state regulations. Information about soils may be obtained from the
regional office of the Natural Resource Conservation Service of the USDA.
12
Building in the Highlands
Reduce energy needs through good site design. You can reduce energy
costs significantly by using the trees to buffer winter winds and shade the
house from summer sun. Design and locate the house to capture cooling
breezes in the summer, or gain solar warmth in winter. Save on water use by
collecting rain water for irrigation.
Be creative about the septic design and location!
While the legal requirements of a septic system are not flexible, its design can
adapt to the site. Keep the following in mind:
Don’t let the septic system
dominate the best part of the site.
Have percolation tests conducted at
several possible locations to retain
flexibility of design.
Expansion areas do not need to be
immediately adjacent to the existing
system. Locate the best possible areas
now for future expansion.
Trenches can be curved or stepped
down a slope. Think in linear rather
than rigidly rectangular shapes for
the leach field.
A well-designed system can work with site
Avoid mounding if at all possible.
features and landform.
If soils are shallow to groundwater or
bedrock and need to be built
up, find a way to incorporate the change of grade into
the larger landform.
Avoid prominent mounded septic
systems if possible.
Plan Ahead for Infrastructure
13
Control the Construction Process
Assertively limit and clearly mark the construction zone. Keep machines and
materials confined to this zone.
Protect existing vegetation. Avoid any change to the ground where tree
roots exist in the top 9"; these zones extend well beyond the edge of the leaf
canopy. As little as 6" change of grade over the root system can damage or
kill trees. Do not allow contractors to stack materials or park vehicles under
trees you hope to save, since soil compaction will injure the trees.
Save and stockpile plants that must be removed for construction, keep
them moist, and reuse them later. Save and reuse top soil, leaf litter, rock,
and gravel.
Control erosion, especially around streams and wetlands. Install siltation
fences and hay bales. Don’t remove brush along drainage ways, since
vegetation helps control erosion as well as slow the runoff. Avoid disturbing
drainage swales. Retain water on the site: learn how the site handles runoff
and maintain that system. Note: any work within 100' of a wetland or 200'
of a river requires approval of the local Conservation Commission.
Control the timing of construction. Limit the length of time soil is
exposed; fill trenches quickly, cover and/or sow grass seed on stored topsoil.
Limit construction to drier
times of year if possible.
Preplan construction
access to coincide with
future driveway alignment.
Install a base to handle
well-drilling equipment,
backhoes, and construction
trucks, and keep them
on this base. Finish the
driveway after the
construction is completed.
Protect streams, wetlands,
tree roots, and stone walls
during construction.
Obtain good advice from professionals on key decisions: site selection,
tree removal, house location, driveway layout, septic design, regulatory
submittals, etc. Be sure they understand your priorities and desires.
Be diligent! Be there for each step—from percolation test, to driveway
layout, to tree clearing, to house staking. Don’t relinquish control of
the process.
14
Building in the Highlands
Plant for Multiple Purposes
Before determining what to cut and what to plant, identify the trees
on site now and discover the multiple roles they serve. A diverse plant
community will increase the environmental, aesthetic, and financial value
of your property.
Plants do much more than add shade and beauty.
Plants reduce energy costs by insulating the home from winter winds,
shading from summer sun, directing summer breezes, and limiting frost
penetration. They provide habitat, food, and protection for wildlife, control
soil erosion, retain moisture in the soil, sequester carbon dioxide, and
provide oxygen. They protect your privacy, frame views, define outdoor
spaces, act as natural fences, and provide visual interest through year-round
color and texture of flower, leaf, stem, and bark.
Clear selectively. Even when clearing large areas, leave a few larger trees
for accents, shade, or to buffer winds. Prune rather than remove trees;
frame rather than expose views. Save smaller trees and shrubs to replant
when construction is finished. Unless a dead tree is a hazard to your home
or yard, leave it in place, since the trunks provide food and shelter for a
number of species.
A framed view provides scale and interest.
Plant for Multiple Purposes
15
Plant for Multiple Purposes
continued
Trees do not grow in isolation; they are part of a large community of plants.
Ground covers, understory shrubs and small trees, and canopy trees form
associations that strengthen and prolong their lives. What is growing on the
site now? Where does the plant community change? This will indicate subtle
changes in soils, moisture, orientation, depth to bedrock, slope. By observing
these nuances, you will learn what else might be planted on the site. Again,
take your clues from nature.
Beware of invasive exotic species. Damaged sites may be fertile ground
for invasive exotic plants—plants that originated in other areas of the world
that can overtake native plants. Many of these “pest” plants do not have
natural predators, or may introduce diseases to our native plants. They may
shade out native plants that provide food and habitat for our fauna, without
providing a substitute. Learn about invasive non-native plants, and eradicate
those that appear on your site.
The native landscape provides color,
variety, habitat, and ease of care.
Enjoy the benefits of “going
native.” If you landscape with
native plants, they require less
maintenance, less water, less
fertilizer and pesticide, and
will most likely live longer than introduced species. They contribute to the
regional identity and sense of place. They provide food, shelter, and habitat
for native fauna and do not out-compete other native plants. Many already
exist on your site and are a native “nursery” for new stock.
Limit the amount of lawn. Learn to love the apparent disorder of a healthy
ecosystem. Allow the majority of your site to be “untidy.” You’ll spend less
time mowing the lawn and weeding beds, and more time enjoying wildlife.
16
Building in the Highlands
Who to Enlist for Professional Help
There are certain key points in the construction process when a professional
is required or strongly advised. This will depend on the nature of the site, the
scope of your building plans, and your own skills and training. Generally a
few hours of professional consultation will pay you back in full.
For help selecting a site, identifying its characteristics,
and developing a plan:
ARCHITECT
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
FORESTER
WETLAND SCIENTIST
MA CERTIFIED SOIL EVALUATOR (FOR PERC TEST)
SURVEYOR
BUILDER OR CONTRACTOR
To identify permitting requirements and fees:
TOWN CLERK
BUILDING INSPECTOR
BOARD OF HEALTH
PLANNING BOARD
ZONING ADMINISTRATOR
CONSERVATION COMMISSION
For regional or environmental information:
REGIONAL PLANNING AGENCY
WATERSHED ASSOCIATIONS
LOCAL LAND TRUSTS
NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION SERVICE
CONSERVATION COMMISSION AND/OR OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE
The town clerk or the building inspector will have detailed information
about the building permit submittal requirements and process. To apply for
a building permit, you may need to include:
■
■
■
■
■
■
A SITE PLAN , showing lot lines and setbacks, existing and proposed buildings, septic system,
well, driveway, and any wetlands on site
PROOF OF POTABLE WATER from your well (water test results from a registered
laboratory)
SEPTIC INSTALLATION PERMIT (plan received and approved by the local Board of Health)
DRIVEWAY PERMIT (approved by Highway Superintendent or MassHighway if on a
state road)
CONSERVATION COMMISSION APPROVAL, providing evidence they have reviewed
the proposed project for its impact on wetlands
BUILDING PLANS, to scale and with sufficient detail including floor plans, elevations, cross
sections, etc.
The Highland Communities Initiative (HCI) is a program
of The Trustees of Reservations that promotes land
conservation and community preservation in rural western
Massachusetts. HCI grew out of the concerns of local
residents who recognized the importance of maintaining
the quality of life and rural character of their communities
in the face of rising development pressures. In response,
HCI was created to support local efforts to conserve and
protect the natural and cultural landscapes of the 38 towns
of the Highlands region, which lie between the Housatonic
and Connecticut River valleys.
HIGHLAND COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE
5 Strong Avenue, Suite 4
Northampton, MA 01060
TEL 413-587-0716
FAX 413-587-3947
www.highlandcommunities.org
A P R O G R A M O F T H E T R U S T E E S O F R E S E R V AT I O N S