| searching today's housing market, it is not surprising to | | | | Alternative building materials often make use of readily |
| find unusual designs and building styles and construction | | | | available products that are a marvel of energy |
| components in the homes that are available, in addition | | | | efficiency. "Earthships" are built into hillsides, retaining |
| to more traditional homes or apartments. More and | | | | the insulating properties of the ground, and often |
| more, builders and homeowners are looking for | | | | re-purpose used tires and concrete for stuctural |
| alternatives to the average home for energy | | | | support. Straw bales are not typically thought of as |
| efficiency, affordability, greener building practices, and | | | | building material, but when combined with stucco, |
| structural beauty. When designing a non-traditional | | | | become spectacular homes that have a feeling of |
| home or apartment, creativity rules supreme because | | | | peaceful permanence. Cordwood, or wood cut like |
| restraints due to building codes and convention force a | | | | firewood, is stacked and mortared to create energy |
| new take on an old subject. | | | | efficient homes that have a truly unique appearance. |
| Unusual homes on the market are often converted | | | | Architects have designed dome shaped homes, with |
| structures. Old barns have been turned into beautiful | | | | unique building methods for greater energy efficiency |
| and quite unique homes with a broad range of styles, | | | | and intrinsic beauty. |
| from ultra-modern to charming cottage designs. There | | | | Other unique homes are homes that are delivered in |
| are many examples of old schoolhouses and churches | | | | boxes, ready to build, or self-build homes. These |
| that have found a new usefulness as apartment | | | | homes come in a range of styles but tend to be |
| buildings or single family dwellings. Factories and | | | | modern, well planned dwellings that are simple to |
| manufacturing facilities have become modern homes | | | | construct. Yurts are round buildings that were used by |
| or apartments with a tasteful, industrial edge. Adapting | | | | nomadic tribes in Mongolia and have enjoyed a |
| an existing structure into a comfortable home adds a | | | | resurgence in popularity as artist studios, guest homes, |
| beauty and history to a home that cannot be | | | | workout rooms, or vacation homes. Perhaps the most |
| manufactured or recreated in a new building. Other | | | | intriguing homes are tree houses, capturing the |
| converted structures that have successfully been | | | | imaginations of children and adults alike. |
| transformed into comfortable homes, apartments, | | | | Today's housing market does not exclude more |
| office buildings, or studios are even more unusual and | | | | imaginative homes with unique, creative designs and |
| imaginative. Old, large grain silos turn into space and | | | | uncommon building materials that stand apart from |
| energy efficient habitats with a modern, artistic flare. | | | | traditional homes. As people strive for less energy |
| Used cargo trailers are stacked together to form | | | | dependance, less use of precious resources for |
| ingeniously designed dwellings. Large buses have been | | | | construction, and take a simpler approach to building, |
| transformed into tiny houses, and very large, round | | | | using what is readily accessable, homes and |
| vats that were used for food storage have | | | | apartments that reflect these qualities are becoming |
| successfully become practical homes. | | | | more widely available. |