Allen Key House
Sydney, Australia – Architect Prineas Project Year : 2016Developed Area : 220.0 m2Photographs : Chris Warnes Budget constraints often force architects to cut down on something. But this addition to the Allen Key House doesn’t look like there were any constraints from the get-go. Charming and quaint in design, this project offers […]
Cheap & Handy DIY Clay Pot Smoker: 8-Step Build
A clay pot smoker doesn’t necessarily have to be a big project, especially if you are just a small family who simply wants to enjoy a little outdoor cooking during the weekends. Building your own can be a fun and rewarding project, and it doesn’t have to be expensive either. There are plenty of plans […]
Creative Home Office Ideas
Are you working from home or may be thinking about joining the bandwagon? It’s important that you establish a workspace that allows you to concentrate on your business, and work in peace. The idea of working from home is very appealing because of the many advantages it offers. You get to save time and money by not […]
Sustainable Fence Options: Beautiful & Durable
In Mending Wall, poet Robert Frost decries the saying that “Good fences make good neighbors”. It’s a beautiful piece of writing but I feel the saying has great relevance in an urban setting. [lasso ref=”zippity-outdoor-products-zp19018-manchester-no-dig-vinyl-fence-white” id=”724228″ link_id=”5153″] A sustainable fence do help define the boundaries between public and private, yours and mine. But all too often, […]
TinkerBox
Kerhonkson, United States – Studio MM Architect Project Year : 2016Developed Area : 116.76 sqm The Tinkerbox, located in the Hudson Valley and surrounded by more than 10 acres of forest, is a home built to focus on the homeowner’s love for cars. This explains the extra-large garage which provides more than enough […]
House in Smilovci
Smilovci, Dimitrovgrad municipality, Serbia – Modelart Arhitekti Project Year : 2017 Developed Area : 111.0 m2 ( 1198.8 Sq ft2 ) Photographs : Stefan Ivković Smilovci is an unassuming little village in Serbia. According to data from the 2011 census, their total population is 114. For the most […]
Enough House
Nova Scotia, Canada – MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects Project Year: 2015Developed Area : 64.81 m2 ( 700.0 ft2 )Photographs: William Green, James Brittain Located on the Atlantic coast, the surrounding farm is built by the sea on the historic ruins of Nova Scotia, Canada. This house was built within structures called Shobac […]
A Small Residence in Hawthorn
Hawthorn VIC, Australia – Alexandra Buchanan Architecture Project Year : 2015Photographs : Itsuka Studio Living close to a city centre inevitably leads to compromise. Hawthorn is an inner city suburb of Melbourne that was developed in the late 19th century. Blocks are small and the houses compact. The owners wanted the convenience […]
The Big Little House
Fitzroy North VIC, Australia – Nic Owen Architects Project Year : 2013Developed Area : 155.0 sqm ( 1674 Sq ft2 )Photographs : Christine Francis A traditional Victorian residence renovated to accommodate the needs of a growing family, the Big Little House pays respect to tradition while keeping functionality in mind. The historical […]
Paint Your House Solar!
How to Paint Your House Solar? We wrote some years back about early research into solar paints. At that time, the research was aimed at making the paint act as photo-electric collectors in the same way that conventional solar panels work. We’ve seen nothing since about that research but Melbourne’s RMIT has now developed a a […]
Look, Bamboo Construction: No Triangles!
By Guest Blogger Munir Vahanvati The use of triangles is one of the fundamental principles for bamboo construction which is commonly used in most bamboo structures for stability and rigidity. Keeping with our principle of exploring new designs and connections in every project we decided to challenge the notion of using triangulation for structural stability. […]
Carbon Monoxide – The Silent Killer!
Everyone should feel safe in their homes and workplaces and should not have to be concerned with issues such as gas poisoning. Unfortunately, it’s a topic that homeowners need to be aware of due to the existence of and dangers surrounding constantly present gases like carbon monoxide. There are awareness efforts being made all around the world […]
The Home Owner Builder Checklist: Sanity Saving Guide
The two most daunting questions in the minds of first time owner builders are: What are the steps or process I need to follow to build a house as an owner builder? and What are the stages of building a house as an owner builder? The Home Owner Builder Checklist How great would it […]
Seven Tips for Successful Owner Building
We choose to owner-build for many and varied reasons. Sometimes, it’s because we have a limited budget and want to save as much as possible. Other times it’s because we want something unique that we feel a commercial builder won’t be able to deliver. And then there’s, what may be the best motivation and reason […]
Don’t Like the Weather? Change It With The Coelux 60
From now forward, the food that you’ll eat and the clothes you’ll wear aren’t the only things you can get to decide on at the start of your day – you can now also choose your weather! Well, inside at least 🙂 From now forward, the food that you’ll eat and the clothes you’ll wear […]
Wood-Fired Heating in the Age of Climate Change
Do you want a wood burning heater? Many people who would say ‘Yes’ emotionally then shy away from them because of their reputation for being polluting, dirty and hard work to operate and maintain. Click on any image to start lightbox display. Use your Esc key to close the lightbox. ? But what if a […]
From Prototype to Reality – Meet Your 3D Printed Home!
You could be forgiven for thinking that 3D printing is a new phenomenon. After all, it has only really been newsworthy for the past two or three years. However, Winsun China, have had big plans for 3D printing since 2005 when they invented a 3D print nozzle capable of extruding concrete. In 2008, they put […]
The Transatron Project by Patrick Buckle
Having purchased a small vacant block of land I was keen to find an affordable and comfortable solution to make use of the beautiful mountain location and escape the city for weekends and holidays. After a career of building things to be delivered quickly and efficiently in theatre, I began a search for compact and […]
Breakthrough Creates a Cooler Metal Roof Than the Surrounding Air!
One of the really big myths is that metal roofs make a house hotter than other roof types. Anyone who has spent time on a tile roof knows that every roof – with the exception of thatched and green roofs, gets hellishly hot. And that heat radiates straight into your roof space and then continues into […]
Leaf House – Indigenous ingenuity
Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro – Mareines + Patalano Bamboo, local timbers, copper, massive beams spanning 20 metres and one of the world’s greatest harbours, help to make this a truly unique home. The design drew inspiration from indigenous Brazilian architecture to use natural ventilation to manage the hot and humid climate. Notes from […]
Timberecrete: Not Just Another Brick On The Wall…
Climate change is real. Our world is getting warmer. It’s happening and it’s not going away unless we actually live the advocacy for a greener and sustainable environment. And just like what we value most in our lives, care for the environment starts at home, literally. Is your home green? We’re not talking about the color […]
Building an Indoor to Outdoor Space
When it comes to creating a home, one of the most loved trends of the moment is to bring the outdoors in. This sounds simple enough, but in order to really effectively achieve this you have to make sure both your indoor and outdoor spaces are cohesive and blend into one, so much so that […]
The Cottage on the Hill – Zinta Aistars
What could this odd-shaped and many-windowed little house in the woods have possibly housed? I stood in the woods on the top of the hill with my real estate agent, gazing in befuddlement—and increasingly also in delighted awe—at the little structure that reminded me a little of a Dr. Seuss house, a little of a […]
Great Wall Bamboo House
Commune by the Great Wall Near Biejing China – Kengo Kuma and Associates Year built: 2002 Built area: 529 m2 (5,713 sq. ft.) The Bamboo Wall House was completed in 2002 as part of a multi-dwelling project near Beijing. Requirements were to use local materials and conform to the topography. The […]