Katrina Cottages

I knew about the original Katrina Cottage which was developed as a dignified, non-toxic alternative to FEMA trailers, but I had no idea that it had inspired a movement. An article in the NYT turned me on to the fact that there are no many different "Cottage" plans to choose from and that Lowes and several other Companies are selling the plans and the materials. I have always been a big fan of cottage and camp architecture and I am glad to see it coming back with a vengeance. Enough with the crappy McMansions and their tacky Palladian windows. In any case, these cottages are perfect for a summer family camp and most can be pre-fabbed and put on a trailer which makes building on a remote site a whole lot easier. I also think that these would make great housing for the elderly, as an alternative to assisted living apartments. I got the plan above from Cusato Cottages but the Katrina Cottages Organization has a list of vendors and more information on the whole deal check it out, it's quite possibly insanely great Link: www.katrinacottagehousing.org

The Porch Cabin - By Dale Mulfinger SALA Architects

I really like the design of this Cottage/Cabin and I think Mr. Mulfinger absolutely nailed the look and feel of a turn of the century Craftsman/Victorian summer vacation cabin without adding to many modern gewgaws which would spoil it. You can purchase study and construction plans and look at the interior photos, elevations and floor plans at the link below. Link: Architectural House Plans

The Mackintosh Ingram Chair - Timeless Design

This is one of those designs that is truly timeless, designed in 1900 by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for the Ingram St. Tea Room in Glasgow, but still very contemporary. The Ingram chair is somewhat similar to some of the dining chairs designed by F.L. Wright and G. Stickley around the same time, but not as "edgy" as Wright's and less conservative than the typical Stickley. The result I think is a chair that is able to mix it up with furniture from other styles and periods without looking out of place. A Stickley, though beautiful, looks like an "old" chair, and Wright's just look "different" from everything else. With the Ingram, I think Mackintosh got it just right. The Ingram is available from these folks online, they have alot of interesting stuff that is worth a look.- Link: Bauhaus 2 Your House

EcoClad - Recycled Paper Exterior Siding

Developed and manufactured in the Washington State by KlipTech (who also make recycled

paper countertops), EcoClad is constructed 0f post-consumer paper, bamboo fibers and a

water based binder. It comes in a variety of wood grains and colors and seems like a very

versatile material. Check it out @ www.kliptech.com

The Skyscraper Page

Because they have a somewhat obnoxious copyright notification (which IMHO is self

defeating) this is a stock photo. Never the less, this site has a very cool illustrations and

diagrams database that let's you visually compare most high rises. It really is worth a

look. www.skyscraperpage.com

The Shack at Hinckle Farm - Jeffrey Broadhurst

Built on a 27 acre mountaintop location only accessible by off-road vehicles, I really like the design of this little off the grid retreat shack Broadhurst and friends built.  Clearly I am not alone as it has been featured in Architectural Record magazine, but it is a compelling example of what can be done with minimal materials and a little creativity.  Necessitated by the location, it is built for off grid living, with oil lamps for light and a woodstove for heat and hot water.  One especially nice feature is the windowed garage door ad a front wall.  Although I admire the purity  of the design, the practical side of me would likely do things somewhat differently.  First off, I would undoubtedly make it somewhat larger, with more space for food storage and a composting toilette.  Also have been stuck in the rain while camping, the interior needs to be large enough to accommodate chairs and a table inside.  Personally I would add some larger windows side and back, and somewhat more importantly, build a screen wall behind the garage door wall to keep the bugs out.  The above is not meant as criticism,  merely how I would modify an already good design to suit my needs temperament and climate.

The Alnwick Garden Tree House

Located in the U.K., Alnwick garden claims to be home to the largest tree house in the world @ 6,000 Sq, Ft. The interior is suitably Elven (of the Keebler variety) and contains a 120 seat restaurant and loads of rope bridges etc.

Modular PreFab Bathrooms

Though this particular manufacturer specializes in student housing and hotels, there are many other firms selling similar products. Pre wired and plumbed, they come apart to fit through a standard door. They come in myriad configurations and colors and range from spartan to fancy. From what I can gather, these bathroom pods are most popular in Britain. Seems like a good alternative for anyone setting up an accessory apartment, cabin, pre-fab unit or mother in law apartment, or anything where convenience or durability is paramount.

PowerHouse Power POD Pre-Fab

Here is another great option for a guest room or vacation cabin/camp cabin.  The PowerHouse Power POD comes on one flatbed and purportedly sets up in a day.  Designed for either efficient on-grid power or off grid, the Power POD has a pretty compelling feature list starting with passive and active solar for heat, hot water and electricity, Radiant floor heat, high efficiency windows and insulation, highly efficient lighting and rainwater collection for a cistern.  There are a few other models other than the butterfly roof pictured and PowerHouse also makes full sized prefabs.  Best of all they are located right here in MA, so transport would be relatively inexpensive in N.E. More Info HERE PowerHouse

Googie Architecture

Googie Architecture - Named for a long gone coffee shop, Googie Architecture is possibly the easiest architectural genre to recognize, once you see one good example - you know exactly what it is..  The building pictured below is the Cooper Theater, which was demolished to make way for a Barnes and Noble of all things.  At the time of it's opening the Cooper had the worlds largest screen. From Wikipedia: Googie architecture (also known as populuxe or doo-wop) is a form of Novelty architecture and a subdivision of Futurist architecture, influenced by car culture and the Space Age and Atomic Age.  Features of Googie include upswept roofs, curvaceous, geometric shapes, and bold use of glass, steel and neon. Googie was also characterized by space-age designs that depict motion, such as boomerangs, flying saucers,atoms, parabolas, and free-form designs such as "soft" parallelograms and the ubiquitous artist's-palette motif. These stylistic conventions reflected American society's emphasis on futuristic designs and fascination with Space Age themes. As with the art deco style of the 1930s, Googie became undervalued as time passed, and many buildings built in this style have been destroyed.

Jail House Modern and Sing-Sing Chic

If your bathroom needs that little bit of lockup luxury, the Neo Metro combi might be just the thing your looking for.  Or if you prefer the real deal, Bradley Plumbing makes basically the same item, but industrial strength. What makes a toilet industrial strength?  Well the seat of the Bradley toilet sink combo can withstand a weight of 5,000 pounds.  If you prefer a locker room vibe, Bradley also makes those multi head column showers and the always popular 5 person handwashing basin - same one we all used in elementary school, half round, foot operated.  if you need a reminder, this is what I am talking about --> More @ http://www.bradleycorp.com/index.jsp

Green Building Material of the Day - Compressed Straw SIP (Structural Insulated Panel)

As you may or may not know, people other than the Three Little Pigs have been building houses out of straw for years. Traditional wattle and daub has been used for at least 6,000 years, and of course thatched roofing is very common, and more recently (Late 1800's onwards) with the advent of the hay baler, straw has been used in the form of stacked bales as load bearing exterior walls. Due to lack of available timber, this building method was especially popular in Nebraska and other Midwest states. More recently however modern manufacturing techniques have allowed the development of straw panels made by heating and compressing straw (often without binders) into a thick dense material similar to partical board or MDF. It turns out that straw is a very flexible product that can be formed into many different products, ranging from Drywall and Particle Board substitutes to thick exterior load bearing walls with pre-formed electrical conduits. Not to be confused with hay, straw is the stalk of grain crops such as wheat and rice. Generally straw is either plowed under the soil or burned after the harvest. Straw is resistant to fungus, rot, fire and vermin. Unlike timber it can be regenerated in 6 months rather than decades. Compressed straw has been used for a long time in Britain and the houses have performed well over the years. For more Info See: Straw the Next Great Building Material (Building Green) Stramit International - Manufacturer

Yankee Barn Homes Pre-Fab

Yankee Barn's homes are customizable pre-fab post and

beam houses. Everything is pre-cut stained and fitted at

their shop.  Once they deliver the components, the barn

can be raised and the exterior completed in roughly 17 

days, at which point the contractor can begin the interior.

More info can be found at their unusually informative web site :http://yankeebarnhomes.com/

Tumbleweed Tiny Homes

I ran across this outfit the other day, and they sell plans and kits for all kings of small houses from the truly tiny trailerable one pictured below left to the largest (still pretty small) pictured below right. They remind me of the tiny camp meeting houses on Martha's Vineyard or the homes in Brewster Park. But they would also be equally suited to for use at a camp or as a wilderness vacation cabin, or even a backyard office or guest house.  The floorplans are for the larger house.

You can get more information here Tumbleweed Tiny Homes

Motor Court Cottages

Pretty much everyone has seen these little motel buildings beside busy

roads in vacation areas.  I've always had a soft spot for these buildings,

partially because of the great variety in their designs.  I have always 

thought they would make great guest houses for a vacation home, or

cabins for a family camp. Does anyone know the story behind these things?

Most seem to date from roughly post WWII until the late 60's or so

and they clearly were very popular during that time. Is their design organic

and colloquial or the result of a travel industry trend, with standard designs

and pre-fab units ?

Correction: turns out this trend started during the depression.

Guess Again !

Though it looks like something Uri Gagarin would stumble out of with a three

day beard, this is not in point of fact a Soviet era space capsule, nor is it a

sensory deprivation tank (though the outgassing of the plastics might bring

on a similar halucinogenic effect).  Behold the igloo satellite cabin, a portable

shelter originally designed for Antartic Eploration.  This would certainly make

an ecclectic addition to the back 40.

Manufactured by Icewall One

The Prefab That Started it All - The Quonset

I first remember Quonset Huts from their appearance in Gomer Pyle PFC and McHale's Navy.  What I did not know is that they take their name from the place they were first manufactured, Quonset Point Naval Base, Kingstown RI. Some 150,000 were produced during WWII and after the war, they were sold to civilians for $1,000 each.  I used to see them a fair bit in rural N.E., but seems they have mostly rusted away.  A friend of mine was absolutely mad about them and always wanted to have one as a second home.  Post WWII housing was scarce for returning GI's and  the city of Los Angeles set up a temporary settlement of 750 Quonset huts intended to house 1,000 families, at it's peak Roger Young Village, named after Pvt. Roger Young, housed 5,000 individuals.  Seems to me the simple Quonset hut would have been better that flimsy and toxic Katrina trainers. The Village was demolished mid 50's.

DWR Airstream

Design Within Reach has paired with Airstream to outfit one of their iconic
travel trailers.

KitHaus

Similar to the WeeHouse, another prefab unit that would make pretty good camp
cabins. The larger size has a bathroom, though for ease of maintenance and cost
considerations I would be tempted to make one large building for kitchen, dining
shower and bath as in a traditional camp. The also have solar setups and HVAC.

W.G. Low House, Bristol RI

Here's a good look at one of my favorite shingle style houses, unfortunately now demolished.
I would love to build a copy of this in the San Juan Islands, the
huge porch is the best. Another cool feature is that in order to use all the space
in the huge gable, McKim, Mead and White laid out the interior with multiple
staggered floors roughly on half stories. I have been meaning to render this house
in Google SketchUp. If I can find a scaled drawing maybe I will do that this week.