This self-contained garden by Global Gardens doesn't require a planter. Just dip the soil ball in water and drain to keep the herbs and succulents growing.

Since septic systems are impossibilities on Criehaven, the Porters chose a Sun-Mar self-contained composting toilet as the ideal alternative.

Contained within this gabled-roof section are the bedrooms and bathrooms, which look out to stunning views of the mountains.

All kitchen appliances, cupboards, and counters have been united in a single, self-contained island, designed in collaboration with Bulthaup. The architects wanted unfussy space and they rejected easy-access overhanging cabinets. "There's an emphasis on convenience in the world that is all about numbing things," says Alan Koch.

The kitchen, clad in the same wood as the joinery walls, is designed like a self-contained piece of furniture.

The exterior is wrapped in cement fiber boards with a Cembrit patina finish. Due to a lack of onshore infrastructure, a big challenge of the project was the addition of self-contained sewage and clear water tanks.

Carocim tiles and custom wood cupboards add lively details to the kitchen’s contained space.

The Majamaja Cabin by Littow Architectes was constructed on-site from prefab wood panels and without the use of heavy machinery. The self-contained unit makes for a perfect eco-retreat, especially when positioned at water’s edge in Finland.

A garage and gym are contained within the lowest level of the house.

The design is contextually modern and expressive of the various functions contained within the winery.

Functional spaces—such as bathrooms—are contained in smaller blocks within the main spaces of the home.

The guest bathroom is contained within a broad column that looks like a marshmallow.

Three self-contained guest bedrooms are hidden behind curved, timber-lined enclosures.

LA-based commerical director Jared Eberhardt purchase this desert property near Joshua Tree just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. It contained a small, downtrodden house that needed a full renovation to become habitable. Over the course of the pandemic, Jared transformed it into a midcentury-inspired getaway that combines the original 1958 house with a fresh, new addition.

A folding glass NanaWall system "allows the clients to keep an eye on their kids while working in the kitchen," says Blaine, who dubbed the space the 'NanAtrium.' "It helps keep the kids safe and contained, and helps the family get back to enjoying life." A swing door provides easy in-and-out access when the glass wall isn't fully opened.

The sleeping area is contained within a cozy loft that’s accessible via a carpeted, handmade cypress pine ladder.

A skylight brings air and light into the bathroom. Because it is outfitted with amenities like plumbing, the tree house can also act as a self-contained dwelling.

Although the loft bedroom is contained in a half-height extension, it still feels spacious and light. The bed sits atop a platform that accommodates the head height of the room below.

A “cathedral” roof above the open-plan living area creates a sense of volume in the small space. The storage is all contained in carefully planned bespoke joinery units.

On the other side of the theater from the helicopter is this pottery installation. Some of the bowls are full of water, some smashed, but all contained in a dry pool.

Known as the “bridge” of the house, the kitchen is contained in a large volume which projects from the hill. The garage below is designed as a multifunction room with hangar doors that open to the pool deck.

Australia-based firm Contained specializes in transforming cargo vessels into well-designed lodgings. Each 20-foot shipping container easily opens up, flips out, and unfolds into a luxurious hotel room.

The blank north-eastern facade faces the entrance to the property. "It is the main intention of the project to create an intimate interaction with the family," says Esrawe. "By being contained, a continuous relationship with nature is integrated into the home."

Before: The living area previously contained limited seating and storage.

Architect Rebal Knayzeh's favorite detail is "the flush door which aligns perfectly with the 'window' in the room, and the door to the apartment. Making sure that this object-interface remains self-contained without any hardware sticking out was important."

Knayzeh's favorite detail is "the flush door which aligns perfectly with the 'window' in the room, and the door to the apartment. Making sure that this object-interface remains self-contained without any hardware sticking out was important."

Though Jacobson initially wanted a completely open shower upstairs, Lee convinced him that a small lip would keep the splashes a bit more contained. The freestanding sink is from Canadian bath furnishings company Wetstyle.

When you stay in Manshausen, you’ll be suprised to find a hot tub and dam that you can enjoy at your leisure. It holds up to 14 people and leads down to a dam that holds salt water that’s pumped into the contained area to keep it fresh.

The project team stripped the house to its framing and foundation to upgrade the systems and add insulation, keeping the original exterior detailing intact. When they discovered that a spacer in the triple-pane windows they’d selected contained an LBC “Red List” material, the manufacturer, Unilux, changed the product to comply with LBC guidelines.

“From the street, it appears as a rectangular building with sloping shed roofs, but this is actually an illusion,” Hutchison notes. “The floor plan is actually U-shaped, wrapping around an entry courtyard that is contained by the continuous west facade.” A standing seam metal roof by Custom Bilt Metals blends in with the cedar siding.

The spacious main bathroom (a former bedroom), joins marble, brass, and green elements. It is innovative for its use of "micro-spaces" that are subdivided and contained within the scalloping of the rear wall. They are meant to make each element feel special and separate, dividing a large room into smaller spaces that "hug you as you use them."

The retreat is open to the stair void, giving it a mezzanine-like quality. “In terms of spatial layout, the sequencing was really important, because it allows for easy movement between the rooms, which are all somehow connected yet still quite self-contained,” says architect Dan Gayfer.

In 2014, Jeff and Karen Gunning began researching building another house, hoping to create a single, contained volume without compromising their retirement funds. The resulting Tree House comprises three pitched volumes with cutaways to create a porch in phase one and recessed window planter ledges in phase two. Simple wood columns provide support.

At midcentury-style Pavilion Haus in Houston, the home of StudioMET Architects principal and partner Shawn Gottschalk, Gottschalk ensured that kids could play freely in the contained courtyard while parents kept watch through the sleek glass panels. A large pedestrian gate doubling as the front door establishes a dialogue with nature found throughout the pavilion.

A front garden creates a moment of pause. "The lower front window has a two-inch-thick box going around it," says Martin. "It was a solution to enhance the kitchen window, bypassing the corner of the facade and the column it contained." This would enlarge the second kitchen counter inside, where the stove is placed.

Once an abandoned building, Firehouse 12 is today full of activity, with a bar, a loft, and a joint music venue/recording studio—one of the few of its kind—contained within its original 6,920-square-foot shell. - New Haven, Connecticut Dwell Magazine : September / October 2017