Hidden among the trees in Nagano Prefecture, Japan is a small earthen house designed by Tono Mirai Architects. It combines traditional materials and techniques with contemporary design. Shell House took inspiration from natural forms to create a small, organic building that blends into the surrounding forest. Like a shell, the house embraces the north and … Read more
Below is an excerpt from Home Work: Hand Built Shelter (Shelter Publications, 2004) by Lloyd Kahn. This book features more than 1,500 photos that illustrate various innovative architectural styles and natural building materials such as cob, papercrete, bamboo, adobe, strawbale, timber framing and earthbags. If you love fine, fun or funky buildings, you will enjoy … Read more
This home is a hand-built stone house sourced completely from local materials. It is situated on over 1000 square meters, or roughly a quarter acre, of pristine jungle in the heart of the Riviera Maya in Tulum, Mexico. The lot has its own well, solar panel system, septic tank and 2.5 meter high privacy wall … Read more
The Sky Den treehouse was built by William Hardie Designs with George Clarke, for his Amazing Spaces television program. This house is composed of three different shapes that each blend together for an indoor/outdoor experience.The square is the central point of the treehouse and the main living space, with glass doors opening onto a wide … Read more
On the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island, in the small village of Peka Peka, there are a series of hillocks that have windows and small white towers that rise above the landscape like periscopes. It turns out that this is the underground home of Friedrich (“Fritz”) and Helen Eisenhofer. Fritz is an architect … Read more
I got this email from Leeann and Cody Gantz: “I am writing to you from central Montana at the foothills of the mountains. Garden zone 4b. Very high wind area. Negative 35 degrees F is very possible here.” “I wanted to share some information for anyone who may be interested. We bought a small cabin … Read more