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A worm filter system treats all of the home’s black water, producing fertilizer to regenerate the soil.

Liz and Matt had to drill a well to provide water for the property. Wastewater is captured and treated with a gravity-fed septic system that will also serve the main dwelling, when it’s completed.

The house itself is about 520 square feet, and there’s a separate sauna building with a guest bedroom, which is under 200 square feet. "I kept the buildings really small to keep costs down,

Floor Plan of Mökki and Sauna by Kontio

Floor Plan of

Floor Plan of Saltbox Cabin by Jeff Waldman & Molly Fiffer of Elevated Spaces

Floor Plan of Casa Cero by Estudio Sur Arquitectos

Whether it’s cross-country skiing in the winter or trail running in the summer, the 330-foot home’s minimalist design encourages Catherine to be outside in the surrounding landscape throughout the year.

Langston-Jones, who grew up in Malaysia and Hong Kong, was attracted to corrugated metal for its its unique edges and visible flecks of material. He left the original 1920s corrugated steel roof and filled the interior with panes of the same material, as well as walls of sanded concrete and a concrete slab. “Inside and outside, there’s only one set of finishes, which succeeds in drawing the outside inside,” he says. “The climate here is wonderful, you can virtually live outside.”

Brian and Melissa's two young children spend hours playing in the yard. With Melissa's mother in a house on the same property, the kids have easy access to Grandma whenever she's in town. "It's such a unique experience having multiple generations together," Brian says. "If the kids get up early, they can just run over to Melissa's mom's and spend time with her."

One of four sited in South Los Angeles, a starter home designed by Lehrer Architects and constructed for roughly $200,000 occupies an infill lot provided by the city.

This off-grid retreat is quite literally nestled among the treetops in Epworth, Georgia.

Tired of the toxic chemicals found in many common building materials, designer and builder Greg Esparza built a two-bed, two-bath home in Austin, Texas, using healthier low-carbon options like cork and cross-laminated timber.

An exterior look at Yanki and Yael Meridan Schori’s weekend retreat in Dutchess County, New York, which was designed by their son, Tal Schori of GRT Architects.