High 'n Dry Cargo Net Developed in Rhode Island by a rope expert, the cargo net is sturdy yet lightweight and ideal for use in a kitchen to free up counter space.

Repurposed shipping containers serve as the primary materials for the houses and working spaces designed by ShelterKraft. The company's designs focus primarily on disaster relief projects, drawing from existing steel frames and skins in order to reduce the use of new materials. Their buildings range from small cargo cottages of 160-square-feet to 700-square-foot warehouses for industrial facilities. Athough they come with electric power, heat and plumbing, they generally require a pre-existing concrete foundation and a local contractor to ensure a smooth, safe installation.

An entire wall is covered with a dry-erase surface from Formica, where Parzyszek and his son Bartek can sketch.

Being able to stow things neatly when you're done using them is essential in a small space. The High & Dry Dishrack by Black + Blum with its flat pack design gets the job done, then stores away nicely.

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.

A couple takes a minimalist approach to their Brooklyn apartment, focusing on supple materials, subtle gradations of color, and custom finishes by local craftsmen. The Mandayam–Vohra family gathers under one of Workstead’s signature three-arm chandeliers, shown here in its horizontal configuration. Bartenschlager designed the white cabinets and is responsible for the walnut counters both on the kitchen island and near the stove.

At a design-focused mansion in Belgium, the soaring atrium is home to a jacaranda high board from the 1960s, a chrome and glass lamp from Italy, a black leather chair and footstool by Sergio Rodrigues, a Berber rug, and a pair of photographs by the Brazilian artist Luiz Braga.

Wet + Dry House by Visionary Design Development Pty. Ltd. Created as part of a contest to design sustainable, low-income housing for Cambodians, the Wet + Dry house was constructed with the idea of a multi-stage response to flooding in mind. Set at different heights, the structure allows for more sustained use. Photo provided by Building Trust International

The countertop is Silestone's Dreis colorway by Cosentino. The quartzite surface "created an understated, elegant look for this kitchen," Serra says. She used it for the countertops, backsplash, surround for the pizza oven, and white shelf adjacent to the sink area.

Wet + Dry House by Visionary Design Development Pty. Ltd. “We hope the design of the Wet + Dry House can, in some small way, empower its residents socially and economically,” says designer Mary Ann Jackson. “The porch keeps the sense of community alive by symbolically opening the home to neighbors.” Photo provided by Building Trust International

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.

The company's High&Dry dish drainer folds down flat for easy storage and opens into an architectural wave, perfect for drying everything from dinner plates to champagne flutes.

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.

We know of a few Danish design icons: Hans Wegner wishbone chairs, Georg Jensen silver, Verner Panton pendant lighting... Now add Christiania cargo bikes to that list. Designed in 1984 in the hippie municipality inside Copenhagen, these bikes are now the transportation mode of choice for parents on the go. Christiania Boxcycle, $2,950 at Adeline Adeline.

Often a designer or client may start their search in an inspirational place like a showroom or a project they love and admire. Showrooms are spaces (and sometimes entire stores) that are used to display goods for sale by specific companies.

The architects included a built-in bed and bench. The cargo net above the bed acts as a children's area.

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

Power House High This structural reboot of a former power plant now has a much different purpose. Another post-industrial, LEED Platinum-certified showpiece, this century-old structure, which once housed rows of massive coal burners that provided all the power for Sears, Roebuck & Company's 55-acre corporate headquarters (as well as the air pressure for the pnuematic mail tubes), now boasts a pair of charter schools.

A small dining space and kitchen area blend into the expansive wood paneling used throughout The Barn.

Looking from the open-plan dining area, through the kitchen to to the new living space, one gets views of the tree canopy through a high-level band of frameless glazing.

Riga High-Rises Z-Towers (NRJA, 2004-2015); Preses nams (Jānis Vilciņš, Ābrams Misulovins, 1978); Saules akmens (ZENICO PROJEKTS, TECTUM, 2002-2004). Photo by: Uldis Lukševics, NRJA

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

Numen's Net, occupied by gallery attendees.