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Off-grid home threads through a South African riverine forest

AGreenLiving

When a nature-loving elderly couple tapped South African architecture firm Frankie Pappas to design their new home, they requested a residence with minimal site impact. Built largely of natural materials , the home — named the House of the Big Arch — seems to disappear into the landscape. Frankie Pappas Images via Frankie Pappas.

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Recycled shipping containers make up this off-grid retreat

AGreenLiving

Yet her home is anything but. Totaling only 60 square meters, her off-grid home is made from shipping containers, creating an environment that transports her into nature. Dubbed Ahurewa, the home sits in a protected area of New Zealand’s Mahakirau Forest Estate. Solar power is produced by a row of panels on the roof.