Stylish Home Built From Recycled Wood Could Be Seattle’s Most Efficient Dwelling Ever

Aug 21, 2015

The team at Dwell Development has been working on a pretty incredible project in Seattle, building a 2000+ square foot home using mostly recycled and reclaimed material. Focusing on sustainability first and foremost, the team aims to garner a Built Green Emerald Star certification, which would be the first such certification awarded in the whole city.

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The roof boasts a large 6.6 kW solar setup, which powers the entire home. Windows were placed to maximize natural light benefits, and nearly every design aspect was built with both aesthetics and energy in mind. Other features they added include the heat recovery ventilation system and a water heating system that uses 78 percent less energy than a normal system.

The exterior and framing of the home includes FSC-certified timber, with paneling from reclaimed Douglas fir. The room was made from reclaimed steel sourced from a cannery in Willamette Valley, and most of the interior finishes like the cabinets, countertops, and tile were made by local craftsmen.

Two People Can Assemble This Sweet Solar Powered Prepacked Cabin

Jul 24, 2017

The “Ecokit” is a solar powered prefab cabin designed to arrive entirely packaged, and ready to build. It takes just two people a few weeks to assemble – although realistically, a few extra hands might speed up the process and save some back ache. The streamlined design is eco friendly thanks to the solar power and thermal-insulated panels and eco-friendly materials.

The price should come in around $100k, although this is only available in Australia. Ecokit is currently building out two prototype cabins and fundraising on Indiegogo to complete construction documentation and certifications needed to bring the kit to market. Curiously enough, donations in the $200 to $250 range can buy you a pet version of the Ecokit, available only as a perk through the campaign.

Insanely Smart 309sf Apartment Transforms Into Gym, Theater, & Much More!

Apr 23, 2016

Hong Kong couple Andy and Michelle had a decision to make: should they purchase a larger apartment, or renovate the 309 square foot apartment they already had in a location they both loved? They had a long list of things they wanted that seemed unrealistic in the beginning: a full kitchen and bathroom, home theater, gym, storage, and it had to be cat-friendly (the couple owns three cats: Banoffee, Dumpling, and Tuxedo). – In a stroke of luck, Andy and Michelle stumbled upon design house LAAB, who, after 40 design attempts, came up with a way to make those seemingly-unrealistic requirements a feasible and chic reality.

A few dreary photos of Andy and Michelle's apartment pre-renovation. — A few dreary photos of Andy and Michelle’s apartment pre-renovation.

The team at LAAB ultimately came up with the idea to design the apartment around the “Form Follows Time” philosophy. This philosophy means that various spaces of the apartment, such as the bathtub in the full bathroom, can be opened or closed depending on what space you need whenever you need it. The bathtub can be covered up and used as a couch for the home movie theater, and later on it can be used as a guest bed in the guest bedroom!

The floor plans for LAAB's design for Andy and Michelle using the "Form Follows Time" philosophy. — The floor plans for LAAB’s design for Andy and Michelle using the “Form Follows Time” philosophy.

Special design elements for Andy and Michelle’s cats include a “cat walk” around the ceiling, a hidden litter box beneath the bathroom sink, cat food trays that can slide into the kitchen cabinets, and even a special den just for them. The materials, details, and mechanical systems were all designed with keeping the apartment dry, cleanable, free of undesirable smells, and all-around cat-friendly. The video below showcases Andy and Michelle, their revitalized apartment, and, of course, their cats.

Photos LAAB Design

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Raw Concrete Home Wedged Between Rocks And Earth

Apr 30, 2015

A bit of imagination and a crate of dynamite was all it took for Olsen Kundig Architects to turn this giant bolder into a luxurious, modern dream home. Raw materials such as exposed concrete were used to compliment the natural feel of the rocky backdrop which flanks the home on two sides. There are even areas where the remnants of the existing stone pokes though on the interior, creating a grotto like feel that offsets the stark finishes that accompany the new space.

The home was outfitted with rustic antique furniture and artwork, which matches the rugged design.

Leftover rock from the construction was crushed into a work of art and mounted on the wall.

The bathroom includes a sink basin carved into stone, with three separate bowls where the water cascades through before draining.

Photography is by Benjamin Benschneider and Dwight Eschliman

Old Meets New In This Stunning Ancient Stone Home Remodel

Mar 20, 2015

Some of the most emotionally visceral architectural achievements are a result of a properly handled adaptive re-use. Blending the old with the new is a delicate exercise in restraint and creativity. So when one comes around that achieves such a sought-after level of success, we feel the obligation to share it with you.

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Wespi de Meuron Romeo Architects renovated this ancient stone building, which has long-since resided in a historic and picturesque Swiss village. The rustic, monolithic shell provided an apt base of inspiration for the architect to draw upon when designing the interiors and carving openings into its facades. Although there is much that is new, contemporary and modern to be found inside, you are never far removed from the history that exists in what remains of the stone ruins.

This project shows us the importance of our history, and to take the time to appreciate where we’ve come from as we move to where we are going.

photo credit: Hannes Henz

Garden of Eden? This Church’s Interiors Are Covered In Grass

Mar 17, 2015

In an effort to rejuvenate the interiors of this ancient Italian-style Church in London, artist and composer Graeme Miller has collaborated with Ackroyd & Harvey to carpet its interiors with living grass. Greenery covers the walls, floors and ceilings of the awe-inspiring space, resulting in a surreal experience that speaks to the sanctity of life and the preciousness of our relationship to faith.

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The converted church was in complete disrepair prior to the planting and cultivation of the grass. In addition to making unique use of a once decrepit ruin, Miller and company created the installation as an experiment in human experience. They explain, “We were curious about how the architectural space, the atmosphere, and the perceptions of people entering it, would be affected by the application of our materials.”

The Cocoon Cabin Delivers A Sleek & Sustainable 480sf Design

Mar 10, 2015

The Cocoon Cabin represents the smallest of Cocoon9’s prefab designs, but it doesn’t skimp on style. In fact, the entire concept is built upon the idea that prefab/modular housing doesn’t have to be boring. The international design firm built an open and spacious prefab using environmentally-friendly materials like FSC certified bamboo, cerused oak, and insulated glass with thermally broken aluminum frames. Inside you’ll find a variety of furniture and design finishes that serve multiple purposes.

The fold away bed not only makes extra space when neatly tucked into the wall, but also swivels into a desk, and plenty of built-in storage surrounds the bed.

Clean white walls contrast nicely with the warm oak floors.

Huge floor to ceiling windows allow plenty of light to spill in and invite the surroundings inside, making the space feel larger than it actually is.

Images courtesy Cocoon9

11 Incredible Shipping Container Homes Show Life In A Box Isn’t So Bad

Jun 6, 2015

Shipping container buildings are as popular as ever due to their inborn novelty and natural stickability (LEGO nostalgia, anyone?). More and more people are flocking to homes that make use of their unique aesthetic, and it’s pretty easy to see why. They exude an inherent industrial machismo that’s not easy to replicate using traditional construction methods. Here are 11 such projects that take container homes to new and interesting creative heights.

1 | Kalkin Container Home

Architect Adam Kalkin designed this home for himself utilizing a stacked wall of container shells as the focal component of the interior space. A hanger-like shell drapes over the containers and extends beyond them, creating towering ceilings and voluminous light. A few cheeky post-modern touches like the gabled window wall and adjacent brick chimney round out the design.

2 | The Painted Containers

Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan paints a beautiful, vibrant collage of recycled containers in this impressive expression of Latin American culture. Containers are stacked perpendicular to the primary axis of the residence creating a mural-like facade that dominates visually. It’s a tapestry that is as colorful as the people it protects and the place it inhabits.

3 | The Faux-Traditional Container Home

There’s no mistaking the container presence in this two-story home. French Architect Patrick Partouche does his best to bring around more traditional building vernaculars with the gabled canopy that perches atop the stepped back stacks of red containers. It the cans themselves, however, that truly spark interest in this project.

4 | The 40K Container Home

Designing a fully built-out container building that is cool, spacious, and affordable is not a feat to be taken lightly. Benjamin Garcia Saxe has done just that, transforming twin 40-foot containers into a luxurious contemporary house that defies economic logic. A popped up clerestory provides a sloped roof for maximum solar panel exposure, as well as an added aperture for natural light.

5 | The El Tiemblo Container Home

This sleek project emphasizes the horizontality that shipping containers inherently possess. A 40-foot container floats above the main living space, which is completely transparent and open to the landscape beyond. The project was designed by studio James & Mau Arquitectura and named for the Spanish city in which it resides.

6 | The Mojave Desert Container Home

Green roofs, open interiors and stark white container shells punctuate this ambitious project by Ecotech Design that aims to construct and environmentally bomb-proof shelter within a harsh arid climate. The project succeeds in both form and function, refusing to sacrifice a sleek design aesthetic for all of its eco-friendliness. This container home is a case study for what’s possible in eco-architecture.

7 | The Eco-Container

Speaking of eco-architecture! Cg Architectes designed this cross-shaped container home with the idea to use the containers as structural framework and experiment with contrasting exterior materials. The result is an eco-friendly and jaw-dropping conglomeration of pre-fabricated nirvana. The containers were shipped largely built-out, and carried the added-on materials, flat-packed, along with them.

8 | The Tiny Container Home

Following suit with the stacked, cross-shaped structure as the project above (albiet a tinier version) is this bite-sized container home from Jure Kotnik Arhitekt. The project is an exercise in small space functionality. In fact, there is no actual furniture in the home, only crime scene-esque outlines where the furniture should be. Imagination required.

9 | The Container Cabanas

Get out the sunscreen and the inflatable aligator! These container cabanas park you feet away from poolside sun-bathing and are accompanied by some serious R and R. The cabanas can be rented out for a ‘camping’ experience that gives new meaning (or no meaning) to the phrase ‘roughing it.’ These bad boys go for about $1,100 a week, so get them while the sun-soaked metal container siding is hot!

10 | The Deployed Container Home

At first glance this contemporary and translucent home doesn’t appear to be a container project. A closer look at the WingHouse reveals the container being used as the backbone for the rest of the home that was shipped entirely within the built-out shell. It appears as if the container sneezed and out came a house, and I mean that in the coolest way possible.

11 | The Outdoor Container Home

In many ways this is what containers structures are meant to be: down, dirty, rugged and beat. This project situates a pair of containers on a dusty plot of land and connects them with an improvised shade structure, providing a shared exterior space that becomes the focal point of each unit. It’s a beach bum’s dream shack.

Step Inside This Offgrid Cabin And Enter Another Dimension Of Design

Mar 12, 2015

wood-tunnel-house-1 — The entryway to the "Tuba Cube" was made using pine shavings.

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If you happened upon this little cabin while trekking through the woods, at first you might think it was some sort of portal to another dimension. Located in Bergen, Norway, this interesting abode is the result of a design-build workshop at the School of Architecture. Their aim was to build a unique all-wood cabin using a mixture of techniques borrowed from places like Japan and Norway. While the front door looks like it might be moving at warp speed, the interior shows off a relaxing atmosphere of pure Nordic inspired simplicity.

Seattle’s 5-Foot-Wide “Spite House” Up For Sale

Apr 23, 2016

2022 24th Avenue E of Montlake in Seattle, Washington seems like any other tiny home recently inspired by the Tiny House Movement. The home is 850 square feet, barely five feet wide, is currently on the market for $519,000 – and is in the heart of local legend.

In 1925, a judge presiding over a vicious and bitter divorce ruled that the husband would keep the marital home, and his wife was awarded a sliver of land just in front of the home. To add insult to injury, the husband offered what was to her an unacceptably low offer to purchase the land. As a result, she began construction of what has now come to be known as “The Montlake Spite House” by the community. She even went as far as to paint the wall facing their formal marital home black as to further obstruct his view!

In this photo, you can see just how narrow this house really is!

A view of the living room. While it may be too small to hold a television set, it has plenty of space to seat guests comfortably!

The master bedroom. Believe it or not, this home has two bedrooms, and two full baths!

The place where you really begin to feel cramped may be the kitchen – but it’s worth it just to be able to look at your ex-now-neighbor through the kitchen window with a look of triumph!

There’s even a two-car garage!

She proved her point to her ex-husband, and since then the house has only ever steadily increased in worth: The Montlake Spite House sold in 1996 for $140,550; $235,500 in 2000; and $375,000 in 2014. How much of a factor the notoriety and legends surrounding the of home plays into that increase is up for speculation.