Completely sustainable, “off the grid”, portable, affordable, and a modern green dream; that’s what weeHouses are all about.  WeeHouses are prefabricated houses built and designed by Alchemy Architects.

The homes are not only sustainable with solar electric, passive solar heating, hydronic in-floor heating, wind power, rain collection systems, and other features, but the weeHouses also have other appeals. WeeHouses are affordable, high quality, provided with quick delivery, simple, efficiently designed, and flexible. This all makes the average environmentalist more than just a “wee-bit” excited.

The WeeHouses are also modern and sleek looking with streamlined design. They feature bamboo or pine floors and walls, modern green appliances, and energy efficient lighting. The kitchen cabinetry is provided by Ikea. The houses also have large glass windows to render an expansive view of the nature surrounding, and seem very spacious due to their modern design. The houses come in studio size, one bedroom, or two bedroom. Modifications such as porches, patios, and stacking of units can also be made. Additionally, these houses can be plopped just about anywhere including a rooftop, an empty lot, or even a tundra.

These “weeHomes” now include Energy Kits from The Fusion Companies that keep you completely off the grid and eco-friendly. Included in these energy kits are solar panels, roof mounting hardware, battery backup bank, combiner, breaker, inverters, and more.

Along with being off the grid, these prefab houses don’t break the bank; the homes can be 2,000 square feet for only around 125 dollars per square foot. Starting at only 79,000 for a studio, these homes promise a great future for sustainable building. As well as the pre-made houses, Alchemy Architects also builds sustainable custom homes. All that’s needed to own a weeHouse is a foundation and a septic tank and voila, the house of your sustainable dreams is built.

http://weehouse.com/index.html

Not a Chia Pet, a Chia house, this takes “one with nature” to another level. Yes, this house is off the grid. Yes, it is powered by solar panels. The differentiating factor however, is that this house is covered almost entirely in farmable land. The house features a sod covered roof which reduces energy absorption by half. The roof is covered in wildflowers and native grasses and is essentially, a garden in disguise. Located on California’s coastline in Big Sur the location is perfect for a project like this.

This grass house is “ground breaking” in more than one sense. The flighty wing shape structure which protrudes from the earth in a somewhat spherical way, is aerodynamic to the 100 mile winds at Cooper Point. Muenning’s masterpiece is powered entirely by solar provided by the many panels across the rooftop amongst the garden.

This project was created by architect Mickey Muenning, a 74 year-old architect clearly determined to take sustainable design to a new standard. Muenning consulted with botanists, geographers, and architects before he started building. Even the windows and doors are strategically placed beneath the sod roof to expand upon the naturally beautiful view of the California coastline .

The building process paralleled the environmentally conscious nature of the finished structure. During construction, botanists researched the building site and noted areas containing endangered plants, these were preserved to refrain from disturbing the natural landscape.

The overall look and feel of Muenning’s dream “green house” seems to be something from exactly that, a dream turned reality.