This i a great cabin, i would love to build one similar to i some day. but it looks like it would take a TON of capital to build anything even close to that. Would i have to plan on winning the lotto, or would my plans of being a civil engineer and some smart savings be a route that would yield potential of a dream cabin?

Great cabin. I built a Jim Barna cabin in 2000 with added features. Total footage was 3200 sq ft. The setting is very simular as the starting method of filling the landscrap around the foundation. Located between 119 & 118 mile makers off I-94 west in Marshal Mi directly viewing north. Cost is comparable to what use make of it. Barna's material was $180,000 in 1999 ,my oldest son and I built the complete cabin ourselves saving a ton of money. Completed it was valued at $385,000 in 2002 but our main goal was to be completely self sufficient. Deisel generartor,wind mill,wood wonderburner and geo-thermal heating. 10 ft deep basement and 8" of foam on the roof. You don't have to go to our extreme and it is possible to build for less then $70,000 given the right floor plan. Thank you for sharing this build ,it brought back a lot of memories