Recently in The Oregonian, there was an article by Ruth Mullen about this upcycled container cabana built by Mike Corvi using a 8′ x 20′ steel shipping container.  Corvi bought the container for $2,900; hired some craftsmen to cut out the windows and doors; installed dual-pane Jeld-wen windows and a sliding door; wired the place for electricity, cable, and heat; and installed rigid foam insulation and birch plywood paneling.  He finished the space for ~$8,000, and Corvi wants to sell similar container cabanas for ~$16,000.  He’s also working on a prototype with a kitchen and bathroom.

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Kids with special illnesses, disabilities, and other challenges received a new toy this summer at Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge, Georgia.  Designed by Amy Leathers, senior associate at Lord, Aeck & Sargent, the treehouse serves as a play area and educational space for learning about nature and sustainability.  It's wheelchair accessible and outfitted with a number of environmentally-sensitive features. 

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If you have a future architect or designer at home, you've probably started them out with spongy building blocks or something.  After that, you might move up to the wooden building blocks, and at some point, Legos will likely get a turn.  Maybe even a prefab playhouse like this would do the trick?  Modern Cabana, the same company that designed and built the Modern Cottage Idea House for Sunset Magazine, recently announced that they're offering this KIDDO Cabana in kit form for $1,500.

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Update 10/29/09: The Fortino Modern Green Prefab Debuts!

Salem, Oregon based Ideabox has been creating some buzz lately with their new home design, the Fortino, which will be revealed at the Seattle Home Show 2, October 22-25, 2009, at Qwest Field.  After a little coaxing, Ideabox was kind enough to let us see these renderings and a floor plan in anticipation of the big event.  Fortino will include 1,250 square-feet of loft-like living shared between two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchen, dining room, and living room. 

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Hot on the heels of our prior coverage of the Rainscreen Shed and the International Shed of the Year comes this solar-powered beauty, the Microhouse.  According to Naomi Seldin of Simpler Living, the 100 square-foot tiny house is part of the Human = Landscape exhibit going on in City Hall Park in Burlington, Vermont.  The Microhouse was built by Alex Carver and Christopher North of Northern Timbers Construction with the design help of landscape architect and metal artist H. Keith Wagner.

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Blake Schreck of Blicker Design was browsing the internet for the perfect dog house and eventually decided to build something of his own design.  After building these two styles, Schreck decided it would be fun to sell modern dog houses online.  The problem is, he wants to sell green dog houses.  So he emailed us and asks whether the Jetson Green audience has any suggestions for affordable, green materials, whether FSC plywood, recycled HDPE plastic, or otherwise.  What do you think?  Sound off below or at Blicker Design.

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