The shedworking movement is growing with folks nixing the daily commute by carving out a little extra space at home.  One way to do this is with a YardPod, which is fabricated in a solar-powered factory in Rohnert Park, California.  YardPods are framed in light-gauge, recycled-content steel, insulated with recycled-content, natural cotton fiber, and covered with a cool roof.  Flooring can be either bamboo or cork.  A 10′x12′ DIY model starts at $2,100, while a complete kit starts at $11,000, not including tax or delivery.

Read more »

Inspired by Thoreau with his Cabin and Le Corbusier with his Cabanon, an interdisciplinary group of students at Texas Tech University was able to construct this Sustainable Cabin in a design-build program headed by Urs Peter Flueckiger.  The off-grid cabin was fabricated in a warehouse and is now stationed west of Wichita Falls, where it is being used as a laboratory for students to study sustainable design principles. 

Read more »

Of all the beautiful homes in the most recent issue of Dwell, I must say this one made the greatest impression on me.  In “Worth the Wait,” Amber Bravo writes about The Porter Cottage in Ragged Island, Maine.  The self-sufficient home – roughly 480 square feet including a screen porch – is both off-pipe and off-grid and made with durable and green materials.

Read more »