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Collection by Luke Hopping

Off-the-Grid Vacation Homes

For when you truly need to leave it all behind, these remote escapes are there for you.

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The restrained 820-square-foot interior is defined by the angular ceiling. Garlick left the prefabricated structural panels unfinished to save on material costs. A True North wood stove from Pacific Energy heats the house. Max, the family’s cat, naps on a vintage rug purchased on eBay.
The restrained 820-square-foot interior is defined by the angular ceiling. Garlick left the prefabricated structural panels unfinished to save on material costs. A True North wood stove from Pacific Energy heats the house. Max, the family’s cat, naps on a vintage rug purchased on eBay.
Beside the Georgian Bay in Ontario, architect and partner at Toronto's CORE Architects Charles Gane built a 2,100-square-foot getaway for himself that combines urban building practices with rugged self-sufficiency. The aluminum window system and flat roof are common characteristics of Toronto's high-rises, while the cedar shingles belong to cottage vernacular.
Beside the Georgian Bay in Ontario, architect and partner at Toronto's CORE Architects Charles Gane built a 2,100-square-foot getaway for himself that combines urban building practices with rugged self-sufficiency. The aluminum window system and flat roof are common characteristics of Toronto's high-rises, while the cedar shingles belong to cottage vernacular.
The home maintains remarkable material consistency, with Douglas fir cladding the beams, kitchen countertop, and interior walls. The open-plan kitchen absorbs views of the lake through an expansive glass wall.
The home maintains remarkable material consistency, with Douglas fir cladding the beams, kitchen countertop, and interior walls. The open-plan kitchen absorbs views of the lake through an expansive glass wall.
The kitchen island, also Douglas fir, showcases the material’s rich striations and color variations. Behind the kitchen are two bedrooms and a single bathroom. A large open air pavilion, built concurrently with the cabin, can be seen from the windows on the right.
The kitchen island, also Douglas fir, showcases the material’s rich striations and color variations. Behind the kitchen are two bedrooms and a single bathroom. A large open air pavilion, built concurrently with the cabin, can be seen from the windows on the right.
While a lengthy building lifespan minimizes environmental impact—for example, the charred cedar will last 80 years—an array of solar panels 50 yards from the house also allows it to operate independently from the electrical grid. A cistern collects fresh water from a nearby natural spring.
While a lengthy building lifespan minimizes environmental impact—for example, the charred cedar will last 80 years—an array of solar panels 50 yards from the house also allows it to operate independently from the electrical grid. A cistern collects fresh water from a nearby natural spring.
The Element House by MOS Architects stands on pylons, creating the illusion of it hovering over the desert floor. Nine thermal chimneys, one of which can be seen right, channel hot air out from the interior living areas.
The Element House by MOS Architects stands on pylons, creating the illusion of it hovering over the desert floor. Nine thermal chimneys, one of which can be seen right, channel hot air out from the interior living areas.
The Element House stands on pylons, creating the illusion of it hovering over the desert floor. Nine thermal chimneys, one of which can be seen right, channel hot air out from the interior living areas.
The Element House stands on pylons, creating the illusion of it hovering over the desert floor. Nine thermal chimneys, one of which can be seen right, channel hot air out from the interior living areas.
The building is wrapped in a skin of silvery grey western red cedar. There are no windows visible from the street. The front door is a simple, sliding panel of fiberglass sheeting.
The building is wrapped in a skin of silvery grey western red cedar. There are no windows visible from the street. The front door is a simple, sliding panel of fiberglass sheeting.
High clerestory windows provide light over the indoor kitchen, with its Gaboon ply cabinets and joinery designed by the architects. Given the lack of a central power system on the island, Herbst Architects designed the kitchen on the premise that less is more, deliberately keeping appliances to a bare minimum. The fridge and oven run on gas, and a solar energy system supplies limited lighting.
High clerestory windows provide light over the indoor kitchen, with its Gaboon ply cabinets and joinery designed by the architects. Given the lack of a central power system on the island, Herbst Architects designed the kitchen on the premise that less is more, deliberately keeping appliances to a bare minimum. The fridge and oven run on gas, and a solar energy system supplies limited lighting.