10 Homes Made of the Darndest Things

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Free Spirit Spheres, "treehouses for adults," are handmade from local wood and suspended from the tree canopy in the rainforest of Canada's Vancouver Island. Photo By Mallory Owen

Regular folks can green their residences in many ways, from swapping light bulbs to planting shade trees. But this article isn’t about those things. It’s also not about the latest green dream homes. This article is about combining the practical elements of the old-fashioned prairie sod house with a whimsical, aspirational attitude of “why not?”

We don’t expect most people will be moving into reclaimed planes or building a home out of beer bottles anytime soon. But we do think these home designs are a lot of fun. They show what’s possible if we think outside the ticky-tacky box and dream of something different. You may not be reusing an airplane wing today, but maybe you can reuse some lumber or corrugated metal, or buy some secondhand furniture or salvaged architectural elements. As these homes show, when it comes to repurposing, your imagination is your only limitation.

1. Golden Globes 

Emerging from the rainforest of Canada’s Vancouver Island are futuristic designs known as Free Spirit Spheres. The “treehouses for adults” are handmade from local wood and suspended from the tree canopy. The spheres are recommended for meditation, photography, canopy research, game watching and other activities. Some are available for rent, and DIY kits are offered.

2. Special Delivery 

Architects and homeowners are discovering the benefits of shipping container homes. It turns out that the strong, cheap freight boxes make pretty useful building blocks. They can be loaded with creature comforts and stacked to create modular, efficient spaces for a fraction of the cost, labor and resources of more conventional materials. Shipping containers can be insulated and climate controlled easily, and they are being deployed as disaster relief shelters and modest vacation homes.

But you don’t have to sacrifice style for substance. Infiniski, a design, architecture and construction firm with offices in Madrid and Chile, artfully combines used train rails; recycled aluminum, iron and wood; and repurposed pallets to create mod structures with a hip sensibility.

3. Earth Angel 

Earthships are Mad Max-looking structures made of mud and reused materials such as old tires, bottles and tile. Earthships take advantage of cheap, readily available building materials. The thick earth walls mean they are well-insulated, and many include solar panels or other renewable energy sources, as well as water recycling systems and green roofs. They are surprisingly cozy and even beautiful inside, with ornate detailing and a high degree of customization and expandability.