Heating for the unit is provided by a Spartherm fireplace, with electric heating integrated into the magnesite floor. Walls are insulated with fire-tested wool felt under plywood panels.

It takes three to five days to install a Vipp Shelter onsite.

For 2015, Vipp, the Danish industrial design company known for its iconic trash cans and all-black kitchens, introduces a 592-square-foot prefab unit called Shelter.

Delta Shelter | Olson Kundig

This 1,000 square-foot weekend cabin in Mazama, Washington, is essentially a "steel box on stilts," according to the firm. The three-story structure, which includes a living room and kitchen, can be completely shuttered when the owner is away.

Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan collaborated with New Haven, Connecticut, firm Gray Organschi on their midcentury-inspired New York vacation home.

The bathroom includes a stainless steel-and-aluminum Vipp bath module with integrated sink, faucet, and Corian countertop; Vipp spot lamp; glass-walled shower with a complete set of Vipp bathroom accessories; towels; and a Duravit toilet.

Mississippi native and designer Michael McDaniel was inspired to create the Exo shelter after seeing the government's response to Katrina. His goal was to create shelters that were low-cost, light enough to be set up by hand, easily transportable and safe and secure enough for families.

The structure bests anything FEMA’s been using in many ways -- it can be assembled by hand in two minutes, costs a quarter of the money to build and is stackable and portable (20 shelters, enough to house 80 people, can fit on a standard trailer truck.

McDaniel's solution ended up being uniquely American. “I found the best solution was the teepee as used by nomadic tribes in the Midwest,” he says. “Pretty amazing. It’s a highly portable and great communal structure.“ His company, Reaction, is running a campaign on Indiegogo to raise money to send Exo protoypes to areas in need around the world.

Suzanne and Brooks Kelley at the back of their 1,100-square-foot guest cottage.

The owners toured this home, which surrounds a mature tipu tipu tree, while visiting relatives for the day. The brick is original to the 1947 construction.

“A building can have far greater impact than the space it stands in.”—William Carpenter, architect and resident

Sliding doors by Quantum were made to look like the original panes that couldn't be saved, and they lead to a fire pit outside.

New zoning allowed for a zero-lot-line structure, but required a public storefront, which Carpenter uses as an art gallery.

Vipp's prefab Shelter requires a delivery time of six months and costs $585,000. Pricing includes interior fittings, all by Vipp, including bathroom vanity, lighting, leather daybed, kitchen island, dining table (pictured), bedding, storage, and even kitchen utensils.

Designed by Taliesin student Dave Frazee, the Miner's Shelter in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a 45-square-foot dwelling that responds to its harsh desert environment with a special metal cover that keeps it shaded at all times. Copyright Nathan Rist.

Vipp's prefab Shelter units are made in factory in Denmark with a six-month lead time.

Shelter-Kit provides a range of structures, including cabins, barns, garages, and workshops. The New Hampshire-based company produces custom kits in a range of styles and sizes, and 85% of their kits are assembled by clients with no previous building experience. New small homes or second units are customized to meet the needs of individual customers, who can browse the company’s website to view floor plans, images, and final product ideas. Customers can even send over a draft floor plan of their own design.

Designed and built by Diedricksen himself, the Periscope was intended to be a treehouse, but its tall, elongated form made it impossible to hoist into its canopy. Today, it remains fixed to the ground in Canton, Massachusetts. Copyright Derek Diedricksen.

The pentagonal profile that is a recurring motif in HOK's cat shelter references traditional housing shapes. The idea was to create a design that could be replicated and built with a kit-of-parts-style of assembly.

Shelter No. 2, Broisson Architects, 2008 This prefab made mostly of recycled materials is modest, but not too modest for a spiral staircase. Three levels culminate in a large skylight, which filters natural light all the way down to the ground floor's hydroponic garden.

Exos are wired for connectivity, can sleep a family of four and offer safety and security via digital locks and an exterior made of aircraft-grade aluminum.

Delta Shelter, Mazama, Washington, 2002. Photo by Tim Bies/Olson Kundig Architects.

Delta Shelter | Olson Kundig

Delta Shelter, designed by Tom Kundig. Photo by Tim Bies, Olson Kundig Architects.

See Arch restored the exterior fireplace wall and painted it a deep blue hue to match the repainted blue timber cladding.

The Vermont-based Jamaica Cottage Shop built this 132-square-foot writer's retreat using a super durable timber-frame approach. Copyright Jamaica Cottage Shop.

Delta Shelter | Olson Kundig

Delta Shelter | Olson Kundig

The modular units are designed to have better ventilation and security than traditional refugee tents. Each one has a renewable energy source.

The bath’s Kohler Purist fixtures and Frederick Weinberg animal figures sit on a Corian countertop

The Airstream Haus’s interior is minimalist, but comfortable, boasting a fully functional kitchen and queen-size bed that doubles as a couch.