Architecture

What can you do with $11,000 and 1 year? That’s exactly what it took kayaking instructor Brian Schulz to build this Japanese-inspired woodland home on the Oregon coast. It’s solar-powered, wood stove-heated, and constructed almost entirely of materials salvaged from within a 10-mile radius of the site. The Japanese Forest House, as it’s called, sits on a small organic permaculture farm surrounded by coastal rainforest.

I love living off the grid. If you are thinking of making the move to an off-grid lifestyle, here are the most important things to know—plus some of my top tips to get you started.

Port-a-Bach is an innovative mobile holiday home by Atelierworkshop Architects from New Zealand. The environmentally friendly recycled container comfortably sleeps two adults and two children, and has the versatility of creating rooms within th

Blue Forest's beautiful Eco-PERCH treehouse lets you live life in eco-luxury amongst the trees!

Eco Small Home Design San Juan Island, WA. Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects pursues balance between natural and built environments, beauty and utility.

They say bigger is better. While that might be true for some aspects of...

You won't believe what people are doing with old, ugly shipping containers - giving them a second life as beautiful homes.

Boulder-based architectural firm Studio H:T has designed the Shipping Container House project. Completed in May 2010, this 1,517 square foot, solar-powered house is located in Nederland, Colorado, USA. More shipping container houses here View in gallery View in gallery View in gallery View in gallery View in gallery View in gallery View in gallery Shipping Container House by Studio H:T: “This project questions the need for excessive space and challenges..

A seamless appearance—and generous tax breaks—make rooftop power plants more attractive than ever

FabCab designs and sells pre-fabricated and kit-built environmentally-friendly homes and accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

A collaboration from Snøhetta, led to this award-winning house, which was designed to generate an energy surplus that can power an electric car year-round.

Patented gasifier technology for a clean burn. EPA/CSA Certified small wood stove for a tiny house, house, cabin, RV, boat. Heats 150 to 1500 sq ft.

It may be enough to convince some tiny house critics out there: determined to keep a regular-sized refrigerator, stove, washer-dryer, a patio and enough space to entertain, this couple's tiny home - built on an extra-wide trailer - feels positively large.

Boise, Idaho-area architectMacy Millertraded her 2,500-square-foot residence for a 196-square-foot home she built herself after dealing with a long and complex foreclosure settlement.

And other recent highlights from the Ideas blog.