The Homestead House is a conceptual design that takes the prefabricated steel arch building system ordinarily found on agricultural properties, and reorganizes it into a modular, off-grid residential structure. The system is already commercially available, already engineered for structural strength, and already fire-resistant. The arches and straight panels are formed from thin, recyclable steel sheets … Read more
Most modern construction largely relies on industrial methods, but there is a renewed respect for traditional craftsmanship. Understanding how people utilize handmade brick, lime plaster, woven bamboo, and rammed earth represents cultural continuity and authenticity. Craft hasn’t vanished due to obsolete technologies or disappearing artisans. It has been economically repositioned, revealing complexities beyond material use … Read more
In 1968, Charles Bello and his wife, Vanna Rae, moved onto 240 acres of redwood forest looking to live a simpler life off the land. They had spent their savings to purchase the land so they got to work building their home themselves. Their first structure was a panelized A-frame that they erected in 5 … Read more
Gale Marsland fell in love with Arizona’s desert climate and eventually built an off-grid home with her husband using sustainable design, passive solar principles, and traditional Southwestern building techniques. Living without utility power, they relied on photovoltaic solar panels, batteries, propane, and innovative cooling systems, gradually upgrading their technology as renewable energy became more efficient … Read more
Andrew Lunetta saw the same pattern over and over while working at homeless shelters in Syracuse, New York. Men would leave, move into the cheapest housing available, and soon return looking for a bed. After nearly a decade, the lesson was clear to him: People were not failing at housing; housing was failing them. Lunetta … Read more
In Arizona’s high desert, Jonathan and Ashley Longnecker are building an off-grid homestead that relies on earth walls, solar power, rainwater catchment, and a lot of hands-on labor. Their project is a real-world test of whether a modern family can reduce consumption, live more independently, and build a home that works with a dry, demanding … Read more