Ranch Style House Design Goes Sustainable

Charged with bringing new life to an older 1950s ranch style house, m.o. daby design worked their magic on the Burke Residence, located in Portland, OR. Clad in wood from the outside in, this ranch house was in need of a complementary receiving area so an entrance foyer was added to its existing footprint. Continuing through to the main living areas, a family room, kitchen and dining room were given the open concept treatment for a space suited to socializing and entertaining. The open style layout also allows for the entire space to be flooded with natural light via a wall of glass. The home’s rich wood floors, ceilings and details of Douglas fir, cherry, and cedar wood glow in the sunlight. Sliding glass doors lead out to a rear deck, completing the connection to the outdoors. Taking its commitment to nature that much further, this sustainable house features a list of eco elements that’ll make you go “green” with envy, such as: native and water-efficient landscaping; sustainably harvested or reclaimed Douglas fir finishes and details; metal roof; durable concrete lower floor surface; whole house ventilation; radiant floor heating with high-efficiency boiler; sunken entry with shoe storage to trap dirt and dust; non-toxic wood sealant; and pervious driveway surface.

Recycled Houses - Repurposed Steel and Concrete from the I-93

Big Dig House in Lexington, Massachusetts, designed by SsD Architects, is a lesson in sustainable building practices with stunning results! This recycled house comes from steel and concrete salvaged from Boston’s Big Dig, using over 600,000 lbs of materials repurposed from elevated portions of the dismantled I-93 highway. Because of the materials’ high load-bearing potential, the architects incorporated elaborate rooftop gardens. Designed and built in pre-fab fashion, this wood, glass and steel home features an industrial-chic interior design, with warm natural woods contrasting cool steel and concrete details. The house is laid out in a series of layers with lofts, providing each separate living area some privacy while keeping them all connected in the grand scheme of the design.

Sustainable Architectural Design by German Architects

“Modular,” “sustainable” and “transportable” – these are three words used to describe this sustainable architectural design from Germany’s Studio Aisslinger. The Fincube is a low-energy house characterized by its horizontal slats of locally grown timber enclosing a transparent, glass wall structure. Packing a great punch in 47m2 of living space, these eco homes boast a clean, contemporary style to match the clean method of design and construction in these small CO2-footprint homes. Interiors are minimalist in look and maximalist in feel and function, with every modern convenience at your fingertips, wherever that may be (these modular homes are easily dismantled and reassembled). This compact home design is small but sweet – the way of the eco-friendly future!

Recycled Wood Pallets Home

Schnetzer Andreas Claus and Pils Gregor, two University of Vienna students, are the brains behind Pallet House, a recycled wood pallets home design that is no frills, all function. This sustainable, recycled house uses pallets to form a modular structure design that’s as efficient environmentally as it is economically. At just 11 USD per sq. ft., this home takes a simple cube shape, complete with an outdoor entertaining area and sliding glass walls opening onto the open-concept interior. From the outside, the recycled enclosure glows by the light from within. The eco sustainable wood home was originally conceived as part of a 2008 competition (which it took first place in) and has since been displayed at several major European cities, now appearing in South Africa. Schnetzer Andreas Claus and Pils Gregor