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Joe Banuelos, who lived off and on at PorchLight’s prior shelter, is training to become part of its peer mentor program.

A variety of factors—the site, the topography, the dramatic cantilever above the water—led to the home’s specific square shape and position on the site.

Despite all the glass, this self-sustaining home is still cozy, thanks to energy-efficient insulation.

Daniela and Francisco are a psychologist and engineer by day (respectively), but they’d almost always rather be outdoors. They’re avid hikers and passionate about sustainability, so when they had the chance to build an off-the-grid vacation home on a rustic lakeside patch of land in Southern Chile, they jumped on it.

The whole house is made from Argentenian pine. Inside, it’s painted a fresh white, while thermal wood wraps the exterior.

“We are located near the river, which is why we make sure that all the products we use are biodegradable, not tested on animals, and made with natural ingredients,” Gabriel says.