"Very stable." Harold said and Eugene proudly added,
"This stone wall would not only add stability, but also insulation." He said, "In addition, the wooden upper floors are light in case of earthquakes, in which case heavier upper floors may be much more dangerous than their alternatives."
As for how they connected the two floors, various techniques were used like supporting posts and beams, corbelling, wall tie-ins, and the like. There were even flexible joints that would allow the structure to accommodate movements, even if it was just due to change in temperature and humidity.
They shouldn't relax because the current climate was temperate, they didn't know what seasons there were in here.
Generally stone was stronger, but it wasn't ideal for earthquake-prone areas. Although The structural members were made with similar material to concrete, they didn't want to risk it. There was also the variable of stronger gravity.
For the concrete-like item, they replaced the rebars with a tensile fiber called Flou which was a byproduct from the Louj, the poisonous plant Boss found during one of her adventures.
The boss was very talkative when it came to plants, and she rambled on and on about how she accidentally figured it out when she got poisoned before and almost got poisoned again with her experiments.
Of course, this byproduct was no longer poisonous nor will it have any hazardous effect on the inhabitants.
It was not like the concrete they knew, but it was close enough, for now.
If they could find a stable source of lime, then naturally they would use it. The amount of things they could accomplish with legitimate concrete was immeasurable.
Anyway, they had a river nearby, so it shouldn't be too far in the future.
On the other hand, for the windows, they used something called the Youli stone.
It was amusingly dug up by Fufi when he was digging a hole to bury a bone. It was a stone that could be used like Capiz, which was a decent alternative to glass in their current situation.
For now, it could be used instead of glass walls and windows adding translucency inside the house while retaining the necessary privacy of a home. It was also fire-resistant, allowing torches to be placed inside a house safely.
Fortunately, Boss already had a rough concept in her mind, and studied materials, otherwise they wouldn't have taken just half a day to design such a module. He and the boss had a long discussion and even had low-key arguments about them.
These windows and other aspects of the house could also be covered appropriately in case winter came, though otherwise it worked better for tropical hot climates.
The house had a harmonious blend of elegance and stability—with the solid structure on the ground anchoring everything to the ground, while the upper level seemed to float gracefully above it.
The roofing also had large eaves to provide better protection for the ones below, and its corners a little curved to make it look lighter. The roofs were also made of tile-like things, which was amazing because there was no kiln.
It was nothing like they've seen before, not in their century. It was quite lovely.
Eugene actually underestimated the effect.
Beauty and versatility were the primary reasons why their buildings would definitely have a unique look amongst other territories.
This architectural style… would be one of Altera's defining features in the future.
…
Althea walked out her room and saw that the others (except for the children, who were still sleeping) had already set up the pot.
Even if they had a house with a kitchen, because there wasn't furniture they still had to eat as if they were in the wilderness, albeit much more comfortable.
It was Sheila who felt pity for the beauty who had to sit on the floor. It was blasphemy to make their boss-fairy sit on the floor inside a perfectly good house! "If only there were a furniture store!"
Harold nodded. They could pretty much handle themselves, but furnishings were really a must. "The kitchen is nice, but there's no cooking tool." They still had to use the portable pots and grills in the end.
"I would love some duvet, pillow, and the likes as well." Eugene mumbled beside them. Because he had no muscles below… or legs, in general, the forces on his thigh could really strain him.
Looking at her companions sighing at the same time, Althea also remembered that she only slept well because her sleeping bag was high quality.
No matter what, it was weird to use a sleeping bag in your own bedroom.
Thinking of this she decided to look into her Lord Tab to see if she could remotely control the village center and its other functions.
Sure enough, upon clicking the logo a plethora of options lit up her screen. She clicked on the Village Center and a screen floated up in front of her, showing several buttons.
One was an inquiry window, a purchase window, a missions window, and the announcement window.
Clicking the announcement window, she saw a text box, as well as some options for 'voice' and font. There was also the option of announcing only to residents, permanent and/or temporary, as well as an announcement to everyone in the territory.
The latter, unsurprisingly, with added costs.
Directly choosing 'robotic' and the most standard font, she began to type out her first announcement.
A minute later, every resident in the territory heard a ding in their ears.
[Welcome to all residents!
[In order to immediately revitalize the lifestyle and economy of the territory, the system has decided to place 3-month discounts to a set number of residents who wish to rent a commercial space.
[Preferred stores are: food, beverages, furniture, tools, medicine stores. Please head to the Village Center for more information.]
The others around the circle flinched, looked at each other, and then stared at Althea who they realized was probably behind the announcement.
"Harold and Sheila, for cover, it's best for you to appear in the Village center in the guise of applying to 'rent' a commercial space."
They nodded in understanding. Though they couldn't help but ask, "System?"
"Yes, I thought I can communicate with the citizens this way. It's very convenient."
"Can we hide that there's a lord in the territory with this?"
"Maybe. Everyone's a newbie in this world. Who's to say there aren't ownerless territories?"
They nodded in understanding, and looked forward to the new shops that would pop out of this, what new items would finally be available to them.
How many restaurants, tool shops, would come out?
But whatever it was, everyone looked at each
other with glint in their eyes.
They would carve out this home for themselves. Definitely.