About 15 years ago, Antonio Gutiérrez took a wrong turn and ended up in the mountains of Cantabria surrounded by cabins. Beginning in the 16th century these “housebarns” were built in the region’s high valleys to house livestock on the ground floor and people or hay on the floor above. Enamored with the lush greenery … Read more
You can move into an old stone building in Sicily for free! The mayor of Cammarata is trying to save his town from population decline. He plans to do so by having local families who have abandoned their homes hand over their properties to new owners — with no money exchanged. Some 12 houses are … Read more
Western Solar has completed three innovative housing projects using a special low-energy design that was pioneered at Wales’ first solar village in Glanrhyd, Pembrokeshire, in 2017. There are a range of projects to develop new solutions to the climate crisis and the urgent need for affordable public housing. The houses use locally grown timber frames … Read more
On a remote, rural mountain near Zhejiang, China, a new eco-resort in was made from local materials and designed designed by kooo architects. This Retreat Village is a cluster of luxury suites that blends into its surroundings. Rammed earth walls are complemented by bamboo, red bricks, stone and carbonized wood. Other locally produced and recycled … Read more
Tucked outside of Sanmenxia City in China’s Henan Province is a 4,000-year-old Chinese town nicknamed the “mole town.” More than 3,000 people live in underground dwellings known as yaodongs (or “house caves”). They’ve only recently become accessible to tourists looking to experience them firsthand. The yaodongs originated during the Bronze Age—a period when it was … Read more
In Detroit colorful little homes are intended to help solve desperate urban problems. “Every single house is different on purpose,” said the Rev. Faith Fowler, the executive director of Cass Community Social Services, a nonprofit group that is building the two dozen tiny homes. Low-income adults, including people formerly homeless or incarcerated, are moving into … Read more