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Collection by Zach Edelson

Most Popular Homes of 2015: Built on a Budget

To celebrate 2015, we're rounding up the projects that were most popular on Dwell.com this year. Click through the slideshow to see readers' favorite homes designed with economy in mind!

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Mike McConkey, a superintendent for a general contractor, tasked Chris Bittner of OBR Architecture with designing an environmentally sensitive home for he and his wife in San Diego County. Utilizing three shipping containers and a bevy of cost-effective appliances, they managed to limit the budget to $160,000.
Mike McConkey, a superintendent for a general contractor, tasked Chris Bittner of OBR Architecture with designing an environmentally sensitive home for he and his wife in San Diego County. Utilizing three shipping containers and a bevy of cost-effective appliances, they managed to limit the budget to $160,000.
The exterior features vertical, untreated cedar panels. “We tried to use materials that are beautiful in their natural state without excessive treatment or finishing,” Pavonetti says.
The exterior features vertical, untreated cedar panels. “We tried to use materials that are beautiful in their natural state without excessive treatment or finishing,” Pavonetti says.
After living in Jackson, Wyoming, for nearly two decades, writer and athlete Dina Mishev was ready to build her dream home. She invited her friends at Carney Logan Burke Architects to design an inexpensive residence that made strategic use of her landlocked, view-challenged property. The project’s tight budget (approximately $500,000 to build and furnish) prompted a simple rectangular frame. “We asked ourselves, ‘How do we make this box a beautiful box?’” principal Eric Logan says.
After living in Jackson, Wyoming, for nearly two decades, writer and athlete Dina Mishev was ready to build her dream home. She invited her friends at Carney Logan Burke Architects to design an inexpensive residence that made strategic use of her landlocked, view-challenged property. The project’s tight budget (approximately $500,000 to build and furnish) prompted a simple rectangular frame. “We asked ourselves, ‘How do we make this box a beautiful box?’” principal Eric Logan says.
The recycled shipping containers were sourced from the Pacific Port of Caldera in Costa Rica. “Discarded shipping containers are all over the world and cost relatively little,” Saxe says. “With a bit of creativity and understanding of local building techniques, the interiors can be modified for any client.”
The recycled shipping containers were sourced from the Pacific Port of Caldera in Costa Rica. “Discarded shipping containers are all over the world and cost relatively little,” Saxe says. “With a bit of creativity and understanding of local building techniques, the interiors can be modified for any client.”