Architects use prefabricated glulam pillars and vibrant colors to create playful beach home in Rio de Janiero
São Paulo-based architects, Nitsche Arquitetos have unveiled a beautifully colorful beach home made out of a...
Prefab ‘Bank in a Can’ delivers banking services to remote areas of Africa
People who live in rural areas of Africa in particular don't always have access to reliable ATMs or other banking...
320-square-foot tiny container home packs a surprising suite of amenities
A tiny home owner and California-based designer combined their expertise and experience to design and build a stylish...
WOHA’s solar-powered SkyVille in Singapore boasts a deep-green public skypark
Singapore just took a green leap forward with the SkyVille housing complex, uniting communities together with an...
Spectacular library in Chile built with locally-sourced wood from earthquake-stricken town
Chilean architect Sebastian Irarrazaval designed this spectacular new public library in the city of Constitución,...
Backcountry Hut Company designs rugged flat-packed cabins for wilderness enthusiasts
The design team said in their brief for this project that The Backcountry Hut Company's genesis was inspired by...
Portuguese secondary school renovation brings color and light to the learning experience
Located at the edge of the historical center of Pontinha, Lisbon, the school spans 185,000 square feet. It is...
Deltec launches line of super efficient, net-zero energy homes – starting under 100K
Deltec Homes was founded in 1968 in Asheville, North Carolina as a builder of hurricane-resistant homes - primarily...
Tiny “floating” cube extends a charming 19th century house in France
The architects designed a small metallic white volume raised off the ground and inserted between two existing trees....
Prefabricated Arched Cabins can provide a warm home for under $10,000
A standard kit comes complete with floor plates, ribs, a ridge beam, R13 insulation (though this can be upgraded...
Arquitecturia built this darling Girona artist studio in a mere 3 weeks
Comprised chiefly of wood and glass, the garden studio preserves a giant Ash tree, which in the elevation plan...
Google’s new Mountain View headquarters will be built by robots
The 'crabots' will mostly work under large canopies to "lift and shift prefabricated components, furniture and...
The Mini House by Jonas Wagell is a Modern Prefab That Pops Up in Two Days!
The Mini Home's exterior materials are comprised of an Iverit façade and a bitumen roof while the floor is laid...
VIDEO: Watch the Incredible 4-DAY Construction of a Prefab HUF HAUS
The pioneers behind the prefabricated HUF HAUS have constructed thousands of energy efficient houses across the...
Innovative Modular Eco Pods Operate Off-Grid in Any Locale
ECHO's flexible homes are made from 100-sq-ft prefab modules and feature a distinctive pyramid roof that lets natural...
Stunning Geometric Art Studio Sits in Gentle Contrast to Rugged Fogo Island
Despite being incredibly remote, Fogo Island is still susceptible to human impact. The Shorefast Foundation is...
Middlebury’s InSite Solar-Powered Home is Made From Materials Sourced Within 10 Miles
Following five points of InSiteful design, the Middlebury team has sought to build a home that is economically,...
DALE: Brilliant Solar-Powered Micro Home is Set on Rails for Mobility
DALE, which is an acronym for Dynamic Augmented Living Environment, is a net zero micro dwelling that produces...
ALA Architects Win Bid to Design an Ultra Efficient, Modern New Library for Helsinki
The new Helsinki library is organized on three levels. The first is a dynamic public meeting space with a multipurpose...
LILAC: UK’s First Strawbale Co-Housing Project Opens in Leeds
The Low Impact Living Affordable Community (LILAC) recently opened its doors to a community of earth-friendly Leeds...
Solar and Wind-Powered Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station Wins International Competition
A symbol of Brazil's contribution to science and design, Estudio 41's concept proposal was carefully constructed...
Stunning Prefab Northcote Home Combines Minimalist and Passive Design in Australia
The three bedroom modular residence was carefully arranged on the site to avoid excess solar gain in summer while...
Claesson Koivisto Rune Debuts Gorgeous Daylit Tind Prefab Houses in Scandinavia
Working with Swedish manufacturers Fiskarhedenvillan, Claesson Koivisto Rune designed three bold new homes. There...
Prefabricated Lotus Hotel is a Resilient Net-Zero Development for China’s Xiangshawan Desert
Located near the Hantai River 800 kilometers outside of Beijing, the 30,000 square meter Lotus Hotel is comprised...
Solar-Powered SAMVS Modular Housing Units Are Super Snappy to Build
SAMVS open modular houses make a great solution for low income housing programs given their fast construction time,...
ProtoHouse: A Cantilevered, Fibrous Home Created With a 3D Printer
It was only a matter of time before 3D-printed houses started popping up, but Softkill Design's fibrous ProtoHouse...
Knevel Architecture Unveils ‘World’s Most Sustainable Gas Station’ in the Netherlands
Benjamin Robichon was the lead architect for the Avia Marees gas station located near the ‘Afsluitdijk’ and...
![[gallery_extend] Solar Decathlon Casa PI by team Unizar is the only project at Madrid's Villa Solar that boasts a circular structure and an elevator, and it is also only one of two homes that has been sold. Although the original solar-powered design did not call for an elevator, the home's new owner asked for one to be installed, putting the team's real-world flexibility to the test. This addition has caused some complications that have delayed completion, but the challenge has created an indispensable learning experience for the team, which is currently in second-to-last place. Let's put the elevator aside for a moment in order to recognize the value of Unizar's unique Casa PI home, which relies on geometry to reduce overall surface size and therefore slash the home's energy consumption. Using Glass Reinforced Concrete (GRC) to ensure optimum thermal performance, the Spanish team was also able to increase the project's energy efficiency. This combined with a unique energy-generating photovoltaic wall surrounding the home's exterior perimeter contributes to a self-sufficient and portable dwelling. Albeit unfinished, we were impressed with Casa PI's interior layout, which maximizes space. One half of the house has a living room cum study area, the kitchen occupies a slice in between this and the main bedroom, while a small private bathroom completes the home's practical requirements. Although Casa PI definitely needs some work, we applaud the team's remarkable perseverance. + Casa PI by UNIZAR + Solar Decathlon Europe Coverage on Inhabitat [gallery]](https://inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2012/09/PI-House-by-Unizar-SDE-2012-lead.jpg)
Team Unizar’s Prefabricated, Circular Casa PI Solar Decathlon Home has an Elevator!
Let's put the elevator aside for a moment in order to recognize the value of Unizar's unique Casa PI home, which...
Team Basque’s Solar Decathlon Ekihouse Promotes Self-Sufficiency and ‘The Simple Life’
The Ekihouse utilizes simplicity and functionality as its founding principles, and the result is an easily replicated...
Team Valencia’s Solar Decathlon SML System House Adapts to a Growing Family’s Needs
This "medium" version of their design was fully constructed in under a fortnight, proving the credentials of their...