Favorites

Located on a windswept site, this one-bedroom retreat is built to withstand the rigors of rural life, and it can be adapted to sleep up to six guests.

“Over time, the frame will fill up with vegetation, and the house will appear to ‘capture’ the site,” explains architect Cesar Guerrero.

A sliding barn door in one of the units provides privacy or openness for the main-floor bedroom.

Floor Plan of Boathouse on Stony Lake by Gregory Neudorf

The eco-friendly escape is powered by solar panels and a wind turbine—and it even includes a full bath.

An entrance hall leads to the living/dining area, where the architects used old bricks to make a fireplace, stairs, and built-in benches feel as though they were always there.

“The challenge was how to make the space feel comfortable without dividing it into small units,” says Karsten.

Inspired by the idea of a living organism, Madeiguincho designed a 188-square-foot cabin that collects, stores, and reuses rainwater and produces food and energy.

Low-maintenance systems and mechanics like the on-demand water heater, compost toilet and wood-burning stove were chosen because of their ease and longevity.

The design for Tind, the new tiny home by Norske Mikrohus, was inspired by the Norwegian mountains and woods and features slow-growing Norwegian spruce for the exterior cladding.

Designed by acclaimed architect Doug Rucker, the post-and-beam dwelling was the pilot house for the Roy Rogers Estates enclave in Los Angeles.

Private areas (including bedrooms and bathrooms) are located in the shipping container “wings” of the home. The large, open great room features a kitchen and space for living and dining. The layout carefully balances secluded space with open common areas.

This custom build by Backcountry Containers comprises two 40-foot-long containers connected by a more traditional stick-built great room.

Loon Lake Retreat floor plan

Located on Lake Superior, the Week’nder is a light-filled modern prefab with dimensions pre-determined by the size of the ferry used to transport the modules to the island.

Designed by Atelier Lina Bellovicova, House LO marks the first residential project in the Czech Republic to use hempcrete, a sustainable and fire-and-mold-resistant material.

The yard also features a rustic outdoor shower.

“We pulled apart one volume and staggered it along the buildable area of the property,” says architect Matthew Ahlberg of Portland firm Barrett Made. The home is clad in unfinished cedar, meant to weather over time.