A Seattle family tasked Atmosphere Design Build with creating a sustainable dwelling in Nevada City, California, the matriarch's hometown and a historic mining community. The firm's material-driven approach channels the pioneer spirit of the gold rush, without compromising comfort or high-efficiency standards.

Simpatico Homes founder Seth Krubiner has lived in the prefab company’s nearly net-zero prototype since it was customized and lifted onsite in 2011.

Components for low-cost prefab homes designed by Habitat for Humanity and the firm Minarc for South Central Los Angeles were trucked in and assembled over three days. Photos by Art Gray.

Rice surfs the net at the built-in desk.

A new office sits at the front of the house, and its moody walls and bookshelves contrast the other rooms' mostly light and neutral palette.

Chickens foraging in an enclosed garden with vertical planters.

Completed in May 2018, the Crossfield Street House is the residence of architect Jonathan Pile, his wife Katherine, and their five-year-old son.

In this updated 1950s Portland home, a light gray Neo sofa by Bensen harmonizes with warm wooden walls, ceilings, and floors, as well as a red-and-mustard-yellow vintage rug.

The box-shaped extension plays off the familiar farmhouse typology, creating a series of intriguing contrasts.

A painting by Ginger’s grandmother hangs above a midcentury dining set Ginger found on Craigslist.

A modular shelf system by Alu provides a more sculptural take on the classic bathroom vanity in this Toronto home.

Dal Tile “Keystones” in Arctic White and Emerald cover the guest bathroom.

Most impressive of all, a solar array on the roof empowers the residents to produce more energy than they consume on-site.

Linda Taalman and Alan Koch, of Taalman Koch Architects, completed work on their glass iT House, a lovely, minimal home that tests the limits of living lightly on the land in the desert near Joshua Tree National Park. The bath and basin in the bathroom are by Duravit, and the orange wall is by Three Form.

Detail of the kitchen

A view of the installation at the House for Contemporary Art in Belgium.

Numen's Net, occupied by gallery attendees.

A look at the small reading nook located on the level between the bedroom and ground floor.

During the worst of the recession, companies looked to DIY and low-cost creativity to innovate. One company to jump aboard the creative revamp bandwagon is the notoriously cheap Motel 6 chain. The pillar of downmarket roadside accommodations, Motel 6 is reskinning their shabby (and not chic) interiors to give them a touch of modern minimalism and an air of modest luxury. Check out the changes here.

This sleeping area includes a bookshelf and sconce.

At a net-zero home in San Francisco, the house's green roof is more of a brown roof: a desert-like array of native and non-native succulents that require minimal irrigation. The soil area is maintained with motorcycle tires (including one from a Harley hog), which control erosion. Composting takes place here as well.

Annemie Lathouwers grew up in a forested enclave on the outskirts of Antwerp, Belgium. A nature preserve filled with stately pines, the area lured her back when she and her husband, David D’Hulst, began thinking about trading their house in the city for greener surroundings.

In the open-plan living area, one of the highlights is the natural light-filled kitchen from Italian manufacturer Armony.

The kitchen countertops are soapstone and the faucet is by Axor.

Metal shingles cut from scraps of sheet metal mix with new material as well as odds and ends, such as a road sign Baker bought at the Alameda Flea market. Baker designed stainless steel clips that allow any tile to be easily moved or replaced without the use of tools. Planter box panels add functionality to the facade and can be swapped out or relocated throughout the year.

Designed by a little-known architect in 1949, the now streamlined home honors its original bones.

The hanging textile, which is used as a room divider, is by artist Nathalie Van der Massen.

Atelier Branco built 3,229 square feet of shelving units to house all of the client's texts, documents, and books.

Gardiner Architecture ensured that flexibility, practicality, comfort, and spaciousness were all present in Elm Street House, as well as natural connections to the oft-used backyard and the surrounding neighborhood. The kitchen units are composed of blackbutt veneer and have a matte finish; the counters are Caesarstone. A pass-through window at the sink connects to the yard and makes for easy entertaining.

A long, timber deck extends through the tree canopy at House of the Big Arch. As House of the Tall Chimneys has only a bedroom/living space and a bathroom, all other activities, such as cooking and dining, takes place at House of the Big Arch.

The large, round Douglas fir trunk contrasts with the rectangular ceiling beams and provides raw, organic texture in the open-plan living room.

The couple fabricated the shelving themselves.

The large window that floods the interior can be sealed off for privacy with sliding shutters.