The house at Plum Branch Hollow
image from: http://www.plumbranchhollow.com
Has a ring to it, doesn’t it?
I came across this amazing off-grid home while perusing the Green Homes For Sale website.
The house is located in a magical little spot called Plum Branch Hollow in western North Carolina.
image from:http://www.plumbranchhollow.com
This house was designed to use the gifts of the earth, sun and water to provide it’s occupants with all the energy they need to live comfortably.- from: http://www.plumbranchhollow.com
image from: http://www.plumbranchhollow.com
The 2,000 square foot, wood-sided home has 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, in addition to an outdoor shower.
Among the features that caught my eye, were the sheer amount of south facing windows which look out upon these stunning rural views…
Tiny eco-cube cabin in California
image from: www.zillow.com
I first saw this itsy bitsy cube house on The Tiny House Blog. It was so cute (and green) that I had to give it some House Crazy love.
Down-sizing is an environmentally friendly trend that has been sweeping the world in recent years, especially during times of economic hardship when it is imperative to live with less.
We reside in a crowded world; the bulk of us gobbling up more natural resources with each passing day. So the question has become: How much space are you taking up on this earth?
Oh about 480 square feet if you live in this house….
image from: www.zillow.com
The modular net zero energy home has 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom. It is located in the city of Palo Alto, California and has been listed for sale this year for $180,000, although it was recently taken off the market in order to be available for public viewing through April 2013.
image from: www.zillow.com
Little cube on the block [my name, not theirs] was designed as “a model of sustainability” by New Avenue Inc. in partnership with the Department of Energy and the cities of Palo Alto and San Jose.
Funky mud house in Germany
image from: http://www.motherearthliving.com/
An artist/architect lives here – can you tell?
image from: http://www.motherearthliving.com/
This unique honeycomb dome structure with a living roof is located in a suburb of Kassel, Germany.
The area where the house is located was once considered blighted because of its close proximity to industrial properties. Thanks to this homeowner (who is an environmentally-minded architect), the entire neighborhood has now been re-born as an eco-friendly escape from the city.
image from: http://www.motherearthliving.com/
Codes require that all homes built in the neighborhood have grass or sod roofs; fences are prohibited—only natural landscape barriers can be constructed; roads can’t be sealed to ensure that rain doesn’t run off; and cars must be parked in an area away from the houses.
- from: www.motherearthliving.com
Vermont solar hut-home for sale
image from: http://vermontsolarhome.com
This “Mongolian-style yurt” and its smaller studio counterpart are currently for sale in the woods of central Vermont outside of Granville. Both buildings are hand-sculpted works of art crafted in an eco-friendly, eco-conscious manner.
image from: http://vermontsolarhome.com
Currently listed at $243,000, this off-grid home has both active and passive solar. It is made – or “harvested” as the sellers call it – from all local materials.
It is a very peaceful and contemplative home…
image from: http://vermontsolarhome.com
One of the unique features is the Woodstock Soapstone stove that heats the main house.
I did not know this but soapstone apparently burns very little wood and gives off an even, comfortable heat source.
image from: http://vermontsolarhome.com
There’s a coziness to a round house made from natural materials that you just can’t duplicate in a square house with drywall.
Colorado earthships for sale
Colorado is a great place for earthship fans. Outside of New Mexico – which was the birthplace of the earthship - Colorado probably has the greatest concentration of earthships. Why? Because Colorado’s sun-filled climate lends to the passive solar effectiveness of earthships, not to mention all the incredible views from the wall of south facing windows.
I get so many requests for information about earthships for sale in Colorado that I decided to devote an entire post to the earthships for sale that I know of around Colorado.
Here’s a rundown of what is currently on the market:
~ Monument, Colorado earthship - see here
~ Saguache, Colorado Cochetopa Earthship home – see here
image from: http://taosearthships.com/89687/index.htm
~ Westcliffe, Colorado earthship home – see here
image from: http://hotpads.com
~ Salida, Colorado earth-bermed house – see here
image from: http://www.greenhomesforsale.com/listing
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