Ethan Schussler built his first tree house at 12 years old. His tree house in Sandpoint, Idaho, sits 30 feet above the ground and can be accessed by an "elevator" consisting of a bicycle that, when pedaled, ascends a pulley system to the top.

The terrace off a bedroom holds chaise longues from Design Within Reach. “When we laid out the project, the eucalyptus tree was going to go away,” says Walker. “But then we thought, if we move the foundation a little bit, we can probably save the tree.”

Upon his first visit to Tasmania, an island south of the Australian mainland, resident David Burns was immediately smitten with its varied, pristine landscape. Working with architecture firm Misho+Associates, he built a self-sustaining, 818-square-foot retreat that would allow him to completely unplug from urban life.

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 living area opens beautifully into the outdoor area, which is a key design element of Eichler homes. Photo by Mariko Reed.

A small airspace separates the building's aluminum skin from the wall underneath. The aluminum acts like a heat sink during the day: it absorbs heat but remains thermally separated (by the narrow gap) from the Element House walls.

Sunlight permeates the interior thanks to skylights within the thermal chimneys. A single common area, comprising a kitchen, dining, and living area, links all the three bedrooms.

The curvy, off-white sofa, which forms a perfect conversation pit, was purchased on Ebay (and cost as much as it did to buy).

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 is powered by solar panels, seen right.

A garage-style door separates the patio from the street.

The space is designed for easy indoor-outdoor access.

Transforming shipping containers into habitable spaces is a growingly popular subset of prefab. Just off the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, Martha Moseley and Bill Mathesius adapted an unused concrete foundation to create a home made from 11 stacked shipping containers. "We were inspired by the site, and our desire to have something cool and different," says Moseley.

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.

Landscape designer Jay Griffith recreated the area between the house and the studio.

German designer Maximilian Schmahl created the DIY beacon while considering the philosophy behind his new fifti-fifti label, making a equal connection between the object and the customer. “I wanted to make a product you can customize, something that gives you joy while using it, a vibrant product,” he said. “I started to experimenting with perforated paper and it was just perfect to design a lamp with it. The owner can decide for him or herself where the light comes through the shade.”

Take-Off Light These flat-packed, laser-stitched lamp shade invites endless customizations.

Rendering of the different pieces of the lamp.

A rear view of the garage and the deck off the master bedroom.

The childrens' bathroom, which is just off the central hallway.

Even the pool is the result of mixed influences: Andrew wanted a series of shallow, gently sloping hangout zones; his wife, Amy, a former competitive swimmer, needed a full lane deep enough for laps.

The couple connected several of the shipping containers, hollowing out the sides to form large, open living areas. “I’ve always been a loft guy,” says Mathesius.

An L-shaped deck wraps around the house's ground level, creating a place for entertaining and taking in the scenery.

Off-The-Grid Desert Escape (Pioneertown, USA) Dwell profiled this counterintuitive desert concept near Joshua Tree, an uncoupled, environmentally friendly escape with glass walls and cross-ventilation instead of air conditioning and shade. Wrapped in glass, the waystation is more a watchtower for the desert scenery. Just imagine the stars at night as you huddle around the indoor fireplace. Named the "iT House” as a reference to the “It Girl,” not any IT (there’s no wifi here), it’s an ideal space to disappear amidst the thermals and 100-plus temperatures. Listing at Off-grid itHouse

“Often when we talk about sustainability we focus on the gadgetry, what makes things feasible off grid,” Moffitt says. “But to me there are more interesting things in passive design that rely on the available sun and wind.” An eight-panel solar array does chip in significantly, generating all the electricity the house needs.

Blue DFSR by Willie Real “Their designs are so beautifully simple yet bold, with tireless contemplation behind them. Their overall sense of style remains iconic today and continues to influence new designers.” The gallery says.

This article was originally published on February 20, 2013 on Movato Real Estate's Blog.

And for a dose of desktop sculpture, delve into Totokaelo's artier options: Vanity Dumbbell by Faux/Real, $380.

Webb surveys the view from the “lookout deck” off the bedroom.

Natural light pours into the open-plan house, which is outfitted with low-cost materials like polished concrete floors and recycled metal railings.

Designed by Peter Bohlin of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the 3,000-square-foot house "incorporates the natural world by allowing one to experience the temperature, sights, and smells of the island as you travel through the house," Kasper says. He calls it "the house that Nirvana built," from his time as a producer for the world-famous band, along with their Seattle grunge brethren Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, and the Foo Fighters.

The 3,000-square-foot house sits partially on stilts to tread as lightly as possible on its natural island site.

The couple opted for a floating floor of cork tiles from Ecore Commerical Flooring. In this method of installation, tiles are affixed to one another, rather than nailed into the floorboards. This allows the tiles to expand and contract with heat, making it ideal for radiant surfaces. Moseley and Mathesius are also fans of cork’s natural color. ecorecommercialflooring.com

Bay and clerestory windows from Window Craft abound throughout.

A horizontal sliver of window allows light into the bathroom, with tile by Ann Sacks, a Zuma Collection C Series tub, a Kohler tub filler, and an Elkay faucet.