inhabitat

Natural building materials

hobbit home embedded into the earth

Charming hobbit home in Slovenian ‘Shire’ is built of local, natural materials

While it may not be located in the Shire, this hobbit home in Slovenia is just as magical as a Middle Earth abode....

tiny house with varying shades of grey

Artist installs nature-inspired tiny house made out of recycled glass and plastic in Times Square

Brooklyn-based artist Fernando Mastrangelo has combined his passion for art and sustainability into one gorgeously...

elongated home with large wooden deck surrounded by greenery

Eucalyptus screens block out the sun’s harsh rays in this off-grid home

São Paulo-based firm Studio MK27 has unveiled a spectacular home made out of a beautiful blend of natural and...

four connected huts with thatched roofs

Eco-resort in Tulum features luxury beach huts made of natural materials

Getting away from the hustle and bustle of daily life is much easier thanks to gorgeous boutique hotels in stunning...

wooden cabin with large windows

Two design students build a charming, off-grid summer cabin in a remote Finnish forest

Design students Timm Bergmann and Jonas Becker (now Studio Politaire) decided to put their learned knowledge to...

Naked Gallery, eco-resort, China, Xiaohui Designer Studio, waste material, bamboo, recycled material, waste, natural building materials, traditional building techniques, green architecture

Outstanding eco-friendly resort in China is made with recycled and locally-sourced materials

The four pavilions of the Naked Gallery resort in China were built using a combination of locally available natural...

Chapel, tents, Portugal, Plano Humano Arquitectos, wooden beams, National Scout´s Activities Camp (CNAE), tiny building, green architecture, natural building materials, gable roof, panoramic views

This tent-shaped chapel in Portugal is in tune with nature

This open and inviting tent-shaped chapel by Plano Humano Arquitectos was designed to take full advantage of the...

Tiny House on the Prairie, Washington Hobbit House, Airbnb, underground hygge, hobbit house, hobbit design, off grid cottages, unique airbnb stays, airbnb hobbit home, Washington airbnb, natural building materials, off grid cabins, hobbit themed homes, cave like homes, earth rammed homes, green design, sustainable design, solar power,

Spend the night in this magical Hobbit House tucked into the Washington shire

Tiny house builder Kristie Wolfe has created an amazing hobbit home in Washington’s breathtaking Columbia River...

Forschungs + Architekturbüro AG, cow barn, barn design, barn renovation, stick structures, natural building materials, green building materials, sustainable building materials, cow bard design, green roof, grass-topped roof, green design, agriculture, basel barn, swiss architecture

Beautiful cow barn in Basel is made of tree branches topped with a grassy roof

Swiss architects Forschungs + Architekturbüro AG have made some lucky cows very happy with a stunning new barn...

Culardoch Shieling hut, Moxon Architects, green roof, tiny hut, Scotland, locally sourced materials, natural building materials, green architecture, tiny house

Surprisingly modern hut in the Scottish Highlands is insulated with heather, moss and stone

This small hut nestled in the Scottish Highlands combines the influences of Le Corbusier's iconic Chapelle Notre...

Wirmboden chapel, Innauer-Matt Architects, chapel, Austria, locally sourced stone, natural building materials, natural light, spruce, stone, green architecture, tiny buildings

Tiny Wirmboden chapel in Austria is made of stone sourced on-site

Nestled in an alpine valley in Western Austria, this tiny chapel is a serene haven for local farmers. After an...

Studio MK-27, 4567 Pine Tree Drive, miami homes, miami home design, miami architecure, interior design, natural pools, all natural lagoons, salt water pool, raw building materials, artificial lagoon, natural swimming pool, indian creek homes, indian creek homes for sale, lagoon design, swimming lagoon, natural building materials, green space, tropical garden design

This tropical paradise home has an all-natural swimming lagoon filled with live fish

Brazilian architecture firm Studio MK-27 has turned a breathtaking Miami home into a tropical paradise complete...

Chaco Canyon home, rammed earth walls, rammed earth homes, rammed earth design, sustainable design, natural building materials, insulative windows, green design, natural insulation, home design, vernacular architecture, traditional building materials, new mexico architecture, green home design, La Tierra Nueva Residence, rammed earth construction, adobe homes, adobe building materials

Striking rammed earth home blends into the hills of Santa Fe

This incredible Santa Fe residence by Studio GP Architects was inspired by the rich landscape of New Mexico's Chaco...

Pinecones Resort, 3GATTI Architecture Studio, OFL Architecture, eco-resort, Latvia, ETFE, ETFE membrane, recyclable building materials, lightweight structure, water filtration, geothermal, solar windows, green architecture, natural building materials, locally sourced materials

Inflatable spiky pinecone-shaped roofs top this forest resort in Latvia

Spiky ETFE roofs top this airy forest resort and spa in the historic region of Kurzeme, Latvia. 3GATTI Architecture...

Lisbon, Alina Jerónimo and Paulo Carneiro, CAS architecture, green renovation, historic building conversion, green conversion, natural building materials, natural light, Portugal

Architects convert 150-year-old Lisbon building into an artisanal green studio

Portuguese architects Alina Jerónimo and Paulo Carneiro transformed a 150-year-old building in Lisbon into an...

Hidden Pavilion, Penelas Architects, pavilion, Spain, glass building, steel, natural building materials, green architecture, natural light, terrace, veranda

This ship-like hidden retreat is cloaked in the forests of Spain

This ship-like pavilion in Spain reconciles the openness of glass architecture and the need for privacy. Penelas...

38 Haldeman Road, Chris Peck, Eric Dobkin, Samantha Gore, Lisa Strong, house in Uplifters Ranch, cabin, green renovation, walkways, timber, stone, natural building materials, terrace, green architecture

Renovated California cabin with star-studded history goes up for sale

This renovated lodge-inspired house preserves the star-studded legacy of the original structure. First built for...

Casa Sanchez, Juan Carlos Menacho, Bolivia, rainforests, gated community, rainwater harvesting, green architecture, natural building materials

Casa Sanchez combines urban living with the lush Bolivian rainforest

Looking like a modest, one-story building when seen from the road, the Sanchez House actually boasts three spacious...

Chiswick House, AU Architects, green renovation, London, sliding doors, green architecture, open plan layout, polished concrete, natural building materials, garden terrace, rear garden

Modern renovation reconnects London home with its beautiful rear garden

An extensive renovation reconnected this semi-detached, multi-occupancy house in Chiswick, London, with its beautiful...

Playa Man shelter, The Scarcity and Creativity Studio, shade shelter in Galapagos, bamboo sun shelter, bamboo beach shelter

Galapagos beach shelter shows off the versatility of renewable bamboo

Bamboo makes sense no matter where you use it. The Scarcity and Creativity Studio built this minimalist bamboo...

Casa Remate, AS Arquitectura, home renovation, mexican architecture, minimalist design, polished white concrete, mexican courtyards, merida colonial homes, colonial home design, historic home renovation, rooftop terrace, green renovations, natural building materials

Decayed home in historic Merida reborn as the turquoise-tinted Casa Remate

Secluded behind a quiet turquoise wall in the historic center of Merida, Mexico is the recently renovated Casa...

House Cave, UMMO Estudio, cave homes, Cuevas del Pino estate, rural housing, spanish cave houses, cave dwellings, nature-inspired architecture, spanish architecture, earth-rammed homes, green design, Córdoba cave home, green design, sustainable design, natural building materials

Seismically-safe cave home in Spain replaces informal shelter for shepherds

Living in caves is becoming increasingly trendy. The 104-meter-square Cuevas del Pino estate designed by UMMO Estudio...

Klopf Architecture, green remodel, Eichler homes, Mountain View, Silicon Valley, Outer Space Landscape Architects, green renovation, natural building materials, wood

Remodeled Eichler house is an oasis of calm in the heart of Silicon Valley

The experts behind remodeling classic Eichler homes have done it again. This time, Klopf Architecture applied their...

Keemala Eco Resort, Space Architects, Pisud Design Company, Clay Pool Cottages, natural materials, Pa-Ta-Pea clan, nature-inspired design, hotel design, eco hotels, eco hotels thailand, Tree Pool Houses, eco resorts, eco villas, Phuket, Thailand, landscape design

Thai eco-resort delights guests with woven pods and other sublime dwellings

Phuket, Thailand may be overrun by tourists in some areas, but there are still some sweet secluded spots to escape...

Torquay House, concrete, Victoria, courtyard, Australia, Auhaus Architecture, natural light, green roof, full-height glazing, timber, natural building materials

Green-roofed Torquay House provides sanctuary in a less-than-secluded neighborhood

A concrete facade conceals a secluded courtyard that leads up to the glazed entrance door. From this point on,...

Stable Kekkapää, POOK Architects, horse stable, Finland, ventilation, gabled roof, green architecture, natural building materials, conifers, green cladding

Quaint Kekkapää horse stable references the rural architecture of Northern Finland

The stable is located in the countryside of Northern Espoo in Finland. Its simple form references the traditional...

Glasshouse home maintenance, Glasshouse, mid-century house, green remodel, green renovation, Piedmont, LEED Platinum-certified house, LEED Platinum certification, recycled building materials, natural building materials, PV film, photovoltaic thin film, solar power, rainwater harvesting

Home maintenance expert turns her own home into a testing ground for cutting-edge sustainable design

Bloemker preserved much of the original look of the house, built in the style of mid-century modern, while giving...

South Mountain Fairy Trail, fairy homes, fairy houses new jersey, new jersey fairy trail, small homes, Therese Ojibway, natural building materials, fairy home creations, pixie towers, Rahway Trail in Locust Grove, South mountain nature reserve

Mysterious itty bitty fairy houses line this NJ hiking trail

Handfuls of cute little cottages dot the Rahway Trail in Locust Grove, just outside of Millburn. Although the number...

Casa Guarujá, Studio MK27, green roof, swimming pool, green architecture, natural building materials, cantilevers, open-plan residence, open plan, green retreat

Flat green roof helps Casa Guarujá integrate with the forest in Brazil

Casa Guaruja features orthogonal forms dominated by large overhangs and plenty of outdoor spaces overlooking a...

Mountainside at Northstar, Stellar Townhomes, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Lake Tahoe, eco-resort, luxury resort, energy-efficient resort, mountain house, natural building materials, ski resort, green architecture

Stellar Townhomes are Lake Tahoe’s answer to the energy-efficient mountain house

The houses are modern interpretations of the mountain home. They are energy-efficient and designed to offer all...

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