This sturdy steel cabin is off-grid, off-pipe, and self-sufficient, making it an interesting case study of sustainability and coastal design. The home was completed just over a year ago on Cusabo Island in South Carolina — an impressive feat given the remote site accessible only by boat. The owner was able to take advantage of prefab construction and had the parts flown in by helicopter (see below).
This 800-square foot Clearlake itHouse is under construction in California right now. Similar to another itHouse that we mentioned previously, the home will be off-grid and solar-powered. It will also be the first, elevated, above-ground itHouse, leaving the site relatively untouched by the structure.
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.
Recent Daniel Sokol sent me an email to share what he’s doing with steel shipping containers for a New Hampshire-based company called LEED Cabins. He can convert a 20-foot unit into a small, comfortable home in as little as 25 days from $15,000. Or he can build a bigger home with adjoining containers from about $40,000.
Sunset has the story on this off-grid, low-impact, affordable shelter built in the wilderness near Joseph, Oregon. The modern structure of 130 square feet, not counting the deck, was designed by Ryan Lingard and built in a couple weeks for roughly $10,000. Signal Shed has a wood stove, metal roof, cedar rainscreen, reused windows, portable toilet, and operable shutters.
Project Profiles
