Shipping Container Homes

SG Blocks is one company that uses a variety of design partners to create sustainable homes from steel shipping crates. Recycled, fast, modular, and easily adaptable to different designs and housing needs, the shipping container house trend makes great sense to us.

On One Leg

Poland's front architects designed the Single Hauz cantilevered housing built on a single central piling. You could put your stake in the ground (literally) in a lake, swamp, meadow, cliffside, or other challenging terrain and still respect the environment. And, yes, we bet the views would be spectacular!

Sited Well

The beautiful Suntro House in Oaxtepec, Mexico by architect Jorge Hernandez de la Garza is sited beautifully to catch the sun's rays and filter them throughout his home's internal spaces. It also catches the wind in order to keep his home cool during Mexico's hot days. Today's homes should make maximum use of site to take advantage of natural advantages like heating, cooling, views, and function.

House of Mirrors

This Irish home, a country getaway for a Dublin family, got through tricky zoning clearances by proposing that it disappear! The mirrored surface of the main living structure reflects the greenery and the roof is grassed, the ultimate eco topper. We thought this was a great lesson in how contemporary residential architecture need not be an ultra-modern pimple on the face of an existing neighborhood or an open space.

Safety First

Architect Russell K. Johnson used a light-gauge steel reinforcement to help this California home, Sycamore House, withstand earthquakes. He also used blocks of Rastra (insulating material made from concreate and recycled Styrofoam) and a stucco exterior to keep the home safe from termites and fire damage.

Traditionalism Squared

Yes Architects (Munich) created their House K in Austria based on inspiration from rural winepress buildings and wood-slatted corn drying barns. We love how modern architecture can be rooted in the past, yet push the innovation envelope a lot.

Fab Prefabs

There are many exciting prefabricated homes on the market, and we applaud this trend to provide housing stock "out of the box." This saves time and energy and in the case of emergencies, we now have fast, practical, and stylish housing options. This photo shows a beautiful Konyk Architecture contemporary prefab home.