1.1                  Buildings & Structures

This section provides the cost and time to construct various buildings, structures and other large landmarks.

1.1.1      Material and Labor

Material cost includes the price of raw material (wood planks, stone blocks, metal bars) as well as the finished components (wooden doors, locks, glass panes, etc) that are used to complete the structure. Within the material cost there is a reasonable amount for transportation and using material found in the immediate area.

1.1.2      Material description

Frame, Cruck: Curved trees (i.e. those not straight enough to be used for ships) are used to build an “A” frame for the house.

Miscellaneous material: This includes nails, cord/rope, support beams, hooks, etc. Material cost is roughly 10 cp per m² of area.

Roof, Slate: Stone shingled roof. Takes about ½ man day per 1 m². Material is 300 cp per m².

Roof, Thatch: Simple thick straw roof. Takes about 1/8 man day per 1 m². Material is free.

Roof, Wood: Simple roof made of wood planks. Takes about 1/4 man day per 1 m². Material is 30 cp per m².

Wall, Brick: A simple clay brick wall, roughly 20 cm thick (double set of bricks wide). The bricks (each is 60 mm tall, 200 mm long and 100 mm thick) are mortared together. It takes 160 bricks for a square meter of wall (double thick) and an average bricklayer can place about 640 bricks in a day. Takes about ¼ man day per 1 m² of wall to put up. Material cost is 300 cp per m².

Wall, Cob: A thick earthen wall, usually 60 cm thick. It is built up 0.5 m in height, left to dry for a week, then the next 0.5 m of material is added. This makes progress slow, but not a large amount of work. Typically each layer is put on at once by a large crew of laborers and then left to sit for a week, which means that it takes about 1 month per floor of a home to complete. It takes about ½ man day per 1 m², for a 60 cm thick wall. Material is free.

Wall, Timber: A wooden wall, usually 30 cm thick. It takes about ¼ man day per 1 m², for a 30 cm thick wall. Material cost is 150 cp per m².

Wall, Stone: A thick stone wall, typically used for defensive structures. The stones are mortared together. Thicker walls have a sandwich of large mortared stones with smaller loose stones filling the gap between the two sides. As these walls are thick, the wall length when calculating time and material is measured from the middle of the wall thickness.

·  Basic wall (1.5 meters): Takes about 1 man day per 1 m² of wall to put up. Material cost is 500 cp per m².

·  Thick wall (3 meters): Takes about 1. 5 man day per 1 m² of wall to put up. Material cost is 750 cp per m².

·  Curtain wall (6 meters): Takes about 2 man days per 1 m² of wall to put up. Material cost is 1000 cp per m².

Wall, Wattle and Daub: A simple lattice of 4 cm diameter vertical poles and straw betweem then. The whole is then covered in a mix of wet clay, sand and earth. Takes about ¼ man day per 1 m² of wall to put up. Material is free.

1.1.3      Labor rates

The average daily cost of workers on structures is a blend of the various disciples needed. This would mostly include laborers, masons and carpenters.

·  Basic cob construction with a wooden roof is mostly laborer effort with some carpenter effort for shutters, doors and the roof (90% / 10%).

·  Basic wood construction is a blend of laborer (55%) and carpenter (45%).

·  Basic brick or stone construction is a blend of laborer (55%), mason (30%) and carpenter (15%).

1.1.4      Finishing

Buildings and Structures consist of more than just exterior walls,floors and a roof – they also have windows, interior walls, fireplaces, closets, etc. As such a factor must be applied to the time and material to build the structure.

Empty: A structure with one exterior door and an huge open space inside. It has no effect on the cost of a structure.

Raw building: This improvement consists of little interior work, a few interior doors and some windows. Mostly this would be for warehouses (divided in sections), barns or stables. This increases the material cost & labor time of a structure by 5%.

Simple finishing: This finishing is for simple homes with a few windows, doors, a firepit, some dividing interior walls, curtains for doors, etc. This is typical of peasant homes. This increases the material cost & labor time of a structure by 15%.

Standard finishing: It has some shuttered windows, lock on the outside door, closets, interior doors and walls, bathroom, fireplace, etc.  This finishing is the standard improvements for a city house or craftsman’s home. This increases the material cost & labor time of a structure by 25%.

Wealthy finishing: It has some shuttered windows, glass in the windows, locks on the outside doors, closets, interior doors and walls, bathroom, fireplace, better quality material, plastered interior stone walls, etc.  This finishing is the improvement level for wealthier merchants and lesser nobility. This increases the material cost & labor time of a structure by 50%.

Luxurious finishing: This finishing is the improvement level for the top tier of merchants and mid-level nobility. This increases the material cost & labor time of a structure by 100%.

Standard workspace: This improvement is for buildings that are used as work areas or shops. It has some interior walls, counters to serve customers on, some structural changes adapted to the type of industry being done in the building, etc. Mostly this would be for general stores, taverns, or workshops that do not require large structural changes. This increases the material cost & labor time of a structure by 25%.

Enhanced workspace: This improvement is for buildings that are used as work areas or shops which require special structural improvements. It would apply for a smithy which needs large furnaces or jewelry stores which require advanced security. This increases the material cost & labor time of a structure by 50%.

1.1.5      Selling price

The selling price of the sample buildings assumes it is purchased directly from the owner or build from scratch by directly paying local workers. If the building is purchased through a secondary merchant, there will be a premium charged on the price. In addition, a wooden home in a desert would be much costlier than one near a forest. If selecting a structure made out of components not native to the area increase the cost & price.

1.1.6      Sample structures

House (peasant): This single story building is home for many peasants living in hamlets and villages. The total interior area of the building is 18 m² (6 meters long and 3 meters wide). The external walls are made of wattle and daub, the floor is directly on the ground with covering of straw, the roof is made of thatch. The front door is a thick curtain or a thin wood frame backed by furs. Windows are openings in the walls with furs to cover them. The house consists of two rooms; one used for sleeping, eating and cooking (4 meters long), and the other to keep any animals and/or stores (2 meters long). The rooms are divided by a curtain or a low wall. Interior Finishing is Simple.

Material Cost: 2 gp                

Effort: 2.6 man weeks           Selling Price: 21 gp

House (small cob): This is a single story building where a simple guildsman or townsman would live with their family. The total interior area of the building is 30 m². The external walls are 60 cm thick cob, the floor is directly on the ground with covering of straw or clay tiles, and the roof is made of thatch. The front door is made of wood with a warded lock. Windows are openings in the wall and covered by latched wooden shutters. The interior walls are made of wood. There is a pair of closed rooms for the family to sleep (each room is 8 m²) and a central area for cooking and entertaining. Interior Finishing is Standard.

Material Cost: 4 gp                

Effort: 7.3 man weeks           Selling Price: 85 gp

House (medium cob): This is a two story building where a village craftsman or merchant would reside. The total interior area of the building is 80 m² (i.e. 40 m² per floor). The external walls are 60 cm thick cob, the bottom floor is directly on the ground with covering of straw or clay tiles, the top floor is made of wood, and the roof is made of thatch. The front door is made of wood with a warded lock. Windows are openings in the wall and covered by latched wooden shutters. The interior walls are made of wood. On the ground floor there is a kitchen area, a dining area and a separate living area. Upstairs there are three closed bedrooms. Interior Finishing is Standard.

Material Cost: 35 gp             

Effort: 25 man weeks            Selling Price: 340 gp

House (small wood): This is a single story building which is the typical home of residents in small towns. The total interior area of the building is 30 m². The external walls are 5 cm thick wooden planking, all floors are made of wood, and the roof is made of wood. The front door is made of wood with a warded lock. Windows are openings in the wall and covered by latched wooden shutters. The interior walls are made of wood. On the ground floor there is a kitchen area, a dining/living area and two closed bedrooms. Interior Finishing is Standard.

Material Cost: 37 gp             

Effort: 5.9 man weeks           Selling Price: 190 gp

House (medium wood): This two story building is a typical residence in small towns. The total interior area of the building is 96 m² (i.e. 48 m² per floor). The external walls are 5 cm thick wooden planking, all floors are made of wood, and the roof is made of wood. The front door is made of wood with a warded lock. Windows are openings in the wall and covered by latched wooden shutters. The interior walls are made of wood. On the ground floor there is a kitchen area, a dining area and a separate living area. Upstairs there are three closed bedrooms. Interior Finishing is Standard.

Material Cost: 143 gp           

Effort: 14.3 man weeks         Selling Price: 600 gp

House (large wood): This is a three story building is typically an inn or a large home in small towns. The total interior area of the building is 240 m² (i.e. 80 m² per floor). The external walls are 5 cm thick wooden planking, all floors are made of wood, and the roof is made of wood roof. The front door is made of wood with a warded lock. Windows are openings in the wall and covered by latched wooden shutters. The interior walls are made of wood. On the ground floor there is a kitchen area, a dining area and a separate living area. Upstairs there are closed bedrooms. Interior Finishing is Standard.

Material Cost: 308 gp           

Effort: 30.1 man weeks         Selling Price: 1,300 gp

Log cabin: This is a single story building is mostly found in wilderness surroundings or in frontier towns. The total interior area of the building is 60 m². The external walls are made of 30 cm diameter logs, the floor is directly on the ground with covering of straw, the roof is made of wooden. The front door is made of wood with a warded lock. Windows are openings in the wall and covered by latched wooden shutters. The interior walls are made of wood. On the ground floor there is a kitchen area (3m x 6m), a dining/living area (4m x 6m), and two bedrooms (3m x3m each). Interior Finishing is Standard.

Material Cost: 410 gp           

Effort: 10.6 man weeks         Selling Price: 1,200 gp

House (medium brick): This two story building is typically an inn or the home of a wealthier merchant found in towns. The total interior area of the building is 96 m² (i.e. 48 m² per floor). The external walls are double layered brick, all floors are made of wood, and the roof is made of wood. The front door is made of wood with a warded lock. Windows are openings in the wall and covered by latched wooden shutters. The interior walls are made of wood. On the ground floor there is a kitchen area, a dining area and a separate living area. Upstairs there are three closed bedrooms. Interior Finishing is Standard.

Material Cost: 745 gp           

Effort: 20.3 man weeks         Selling Price: 2,200 gp

House (large brick): This three story building is typical an inn or the home of a wealthier merchant found in towns. The total interior area of the building is 240 m² (i.e. 80 m² per floor). The external walls are double layered brick, all floors are made of wood, and the roof is made of wood roof. The front door is made of wood with a warded lock. Windows are openings in the wall and covered by latched wooden shutters. The interior walls are made of wood. On the ground floor there is a kitchen area, a dining area and a separate living area. Upstairs there are closed bedrooms. Interior Finishing is Standard.

Material Cost: 1,460 gp        

Effort: 41.4 man weeks         Selling Price: 4,400 gp

Storage shed: This is a single story building is usually used as  a barn or a warehouse. The total interior area is 80 m². The buildings external walls are 5 cm wooden planking, the floor is earth, and the roof is made of wood. The front door is made of wood and only latched. The windows are openings with latchable wooden shutters. The interior walls are made of wood. Interior Finishing is Raw.

Material Cost: 81 gp

Effort: 8.9 man weeks           Selling Price: 300 gp

Shop, small (basic): This one story building is used by craftsmen and shopkeepers where the shop is on the main floor. The total interior area of the building is 30 m². The external walls are 60 cm thick cob, the floor is directly on the ground with covering of straw or clay tiles, and the roof is made of wood. The front door is made of wood with a warded lock. The interior walls are made of wood. The windows are openings with latchable wooden shutters. The design varies from shop to shop; a bulk cloth merchant would have a large door to accept shipments, whereas a cobbler would not. Interior Finishing is Standard Workspace.

Material Cost: 20 gp             

Effort: 11.9 man weeks         Selling Price: 175 gp

Shop, medium (basic): This two story building is used by craftsmen and shopkeepers where the shop is on the main floor and living area in on the second floor. The total interior area of the building is 60 m² (i.e. 30 m² per floor). The buildings external walls are 60 cm thick cob, the bottom floor is directly on the ground with covering of straw or clay tiles, the top floor is wood, and the roof is made of wood. The front door is made of wood with a warded lock. The windows are openings with latchable wooden shutters. The interior walls and floors are made of wood. Ground floor is the business area, Second floor is the kitchen/dining room/living area and where the bedrooms are. Interior Finishing is Standard Workspace.

Material Cost: 43 gp

Effort: 23 man weeks            Selling Price: 340 gp

Shop, large (basic): This two story building is used by craftsmen and shopkeepers where the shop is on the main floor and living area in on the second floor. The total interior area of the building is 160 m² (i.e. 60 m² per floor). The buildings external walls are 60 cm thick cob, the bottom floor is directly on the ground with covering of straw or clay tiles, the top floor is wood, and the roof is made of wood. The front door is made of wood with a warded lock. The windows are openings with latchable wooden shutters. The interior walls and floors are made of wood. Ground floor is the business area, Second floor is the kitchen/dining room/living area and where the bedrooms are. Interior Finishing is Standard Workspace.

Material Cost: 109 gp

Effort: 40.2 man weeks         Selling Price: 680 gp

Improved shop: These buildings are similar to the basic shops except with brick walls (usually 20 cm thick), all floors are made of wood, and the roof is made of slate. The doors are of better construction and the business area is more intricate. The doors have pin tumbler locks. They are used by blacksmiths, who are concerned with fire, and jewelers, who are concerned with theft. Interior Finishing is Enhanced Workspace.

Selling Price: 6x Basic price

Fortified manor: These are fortified manors that are used in a variety of ways. They come in different shapes and sizes, each suited to a particular need.   They are used as banks, to defend manorial lords in dangerous lands, or for other secure intentions. The walls are 1.5 meters thick stone. There are few entrances and each are blocked by reinforced wooden doors. The windows are arrow slits. The roof is covered in slate tiles to protect from fire. The roof usually has crenellations to permit the defenders to attack foes. The interior floors are made of thick wooden planks. Interior Finishing for manors is Wealthy.

·  Small fortified manor: The total interior area of the building is 195 m². Examples include a three story tower, 10 meters high tower (+2 meters into the ground), with 8 meters by 8 meters interior space on each floor (65 m² per floor), such as a Pele Tower. The walls are made of 1.5 meter thick stone, all floors made of wood and the roof is made of slate. Designed to withstand short sieges, they usually consisted of three storeys – a tunnel-vaulted ground floor which had no windows which was used as a storage area, and which could accommodate animals. The first floor contained a hall and kitchen, and the top floor was space for living and sleeping. The battlemented roof (with crenellations) was normally flat for look-out purposes, and to allow arrows to be fired at raiders, and missiles hurled down on unwanted visitors.

Material Cost: 4,300 gp        

Effort: 179.3 man weeks       Selling Price: 16,500 gp

·  Medium fortified manor: The total interior area of the building is 450 m². Examples include a three story L-shaped manor (150 m² per floor). The side tower oversees the entrance such that any foe approaching the entrance door is attack from two sides. The main (long hall) part of the building has interior space of 14 meters long by 9 meters wide. The side tower consists of 6 meters by 4 meters interior space.

Material Cost:  7,150 gp       

Effort: 293.9 man weeks       Selling Price: 27,500 gp

·  Large fortified manor: The total interior area of the building is 900 m². Examples include a three story Z-shaped manor (300 m² per floor). The two side towers allow for more complete defensive fire on any approach towards the building. The main (long hall) part of the building has interior space of 17 meters long by 10 meters wide. Each side tower consists of 8 meters by 8 meters interior space.

Material Cost: 13,730 gp      

Effort: 564.7 man weeks       Selling Price : 53,000 gp

1.1.7      Defensive buildings

As a point of interest to help design this section, there is a project called “Project Gueledon” where they are building a castle from scratch in France using medieval techniques. They anticipate a 4 tower castle, with a gatehouse, a keep and a dry moat will take 1250 man-years of work.

·         Each tower is 14 m high, 7 meters diameter.

·         The curtain wall is 52 meters square.

·         The main keep is three stories, roughly 30 meters long x 10 meters wide.

Castles: These structures consist of several buildings all merged together, with the main objective to protect the inhabitants. They come in various sizes and designs, mostly to fit the topographical environment.

·  Concentric castles: Also known as Crusader Castles.

·  Shield castles

·  Small keep: A small keep has an enclosed area of 90 m². The whole is surrounded by 3 meter thick walls of stone. The walls are 4 meters high followed by 2 meter high crenellations (which are 1 meter thick) – i.e. this permits 2 meters of free surface area for the defenders to walk around on top of the walls behind the crenellations. The keep has a reinforced wooden gate (3 meters high, 2 meters wide) made of 20 cm thick wood. The gate is locked via a wooden beam socketed on each side of the door. Within the enclosed area there is a Small Fortified manor (wealthy interior) and three  single story stone buildings (stable, smithy, barracks). 

Material Cost: 9,000 gp

Effort: 357.8 man weeks       Selling Price : 29,000 gp