Off Grid For Life

A brilliant write up of 10 beautiful and useful off grid style homes has been written over at DesignCrave.  You can read their article here.

It’s good that some modern architecture firms are getting into the portable off grid housing market – if there was one.  If there wasn’t, I’m sure that it’s just been created. Now you can buy some land, a portable/mobile off grid home complete with sustainable features and throw away the cords connecting you to the power grid.

Pretty cool.

Here are some of my favorites.

The Port-a-bach

Pic via port-a-bach

The port-a-bach is and widely altered shipping container that can be folded up and moved to a new location if need be.  What a wonderful use of these millions of containers that lay around the globe. This New Zealand based firm is making big ground.  The Port-a-bach is made with global warming in mind – if the sea rises to where your home is, you just fold it up and move to higher ground.  It’s an idea that most of us don’t really want to have to consider, but it meets the needs of reality nonetheless.

Here are some features directly from Port-a-Bach’s website:

• fully enclosed exterior steel shell (when folded up).
  appointed with large internal storage cupboards and
  shelves / stainless steel kitchen and fittings / bathroom
  with open shower, sink, composting toilet.
• interior fabric screen system gives the versatility of
  creating rooms within the large open living space :
  includes bunk beds, double bed room,
  dressing room, kitchen and bathroom
• exterior canvas screen system allows to shelter the
  deck area for comfortable indoor/outdoor flow and living.
• 6 concrete footings form a stable, non-invasive
  ‘foundation’, allowing you to situate the unit on a wide
  range of ground conditions.

the Zigloo

The completed Zigloo exterior

What may seem cold from the outside

Is very warm and welcoming on the inside

Keith Dewey is the head honcho behind Zigloo.ca.  The Canadian has designed over 100 projects and is designing with the self proclaimed “A New Way To Live” goal in mind.  My hat’s off to you sir.  You can view his concepts here.  They range from the aforementioned shipping container style house to a  large project that floats on water.  Anyone say, “Waterworld?”

Whatever the need is, you can easily find many homes to use off grid.  If you are so inclined to save a bit of dough and don’t mind small living spaces, check out TinyHouseBlog.com.  There you can find ways to live in a tiny house suited for your lifestyle.  Not sure what I mean by tiny house? pic via tinyhouseblog.com

This is what I mean by tiny house