10 Cheap And Creative Alternative Housing Designs

Designers, architects and engineers drive humanity forward towards new and innovative heights in housing and construction. Building the tallest of skyscrapers, creating artificial islands and designing the most exquisite and lavish of mansions, humanity has came a long way from the stone structures we used to build and live in. However, especially when it comes to housing, the truth is that the best answer may not always be in the most modern materials or the most expensive ones. The following 10 creative and cheap alternative housing ideas just go to show that there are designers, architects and engineers who manage to think outside the box and deliver us perfect housing options at an affordable price that are truly outstanding in their beauty, comfort and perfection!

Earthships

While Earthships may seem more like UFOs rather than homes, the truth is that they are an innovative form of eco-friendly housing. The construction relies on recycled plastic bottles and tin cans, you can usually find as trash almost everywhere.

Wood-Pallet Homes

Designed to be an affordable solution for disaster relief housing, the Wood-pallet homes are not only eco-friendly, but can be designed to be used as a permanent house. Extremely cheap to buy and highly reusable they might as well be an amazing and modern energy-efficient home idea.

Stone Houses

You might think that stone houses are a thing of the past, but actually they are as sustainable as a house can get. Build with rocks and stones, such houses don’t even require additional painting, because of their natural beauty.

Straw Houses

Inexpensive and providing excellent insulation, straw is actually an amazing material you can build a house with. Eco-friendly and extremely cheap, straw houses are a great alternative housing idea.

Wood Houses

Image by:  LitHouse.eu

You simply can’t get more of a variation and options than you can get by deciding to build an alternative wood house. Whether you are about to use cordwood to build your home, or you want to create an innovative tree home or a log house, the choice is all yours!

Earth Houses

Another popular eco-friendly and cheap alternative housing idea is the use of earth itself. Whether you are about to use earthbags to create a pleasant small home or you want to use rammed earth to achieve a very solid and stable earth wall, you are definitly going to get a beautiful home as a result.

Bamboo Homes

If you have a ton of bamboo laying around, be sure to use it to build a house! An extremly eco-friendly alternative, which is even better than timber, bamboo is also a very strong material. If well-constructed bamboo homes are even able to withstand hurricanes and earthquakes. It is also a great isolation material. What more could you want from a house?

Green Roof Homes

Green Roofs are becoming extremely popular, especially in modern times. Reducing the urban heat-island effect and a construction solution that is also a great insulator and requires very little maintenance, green roofs also look extremely awesome!

Modular Homes

Prefabricated modular houses are a thing of the past! Nowadays, modular houses are an efficient and modern-looking housing option that is also eco-friendly.

Shipping-Crate Homes

Gaining popularity as a trendy way of living, shipping-crate homes are cheaper than conventional homes with the resulting house having a unique modern and industrial look. Furthermore, their small size makes them a unique construction method, and some go as far as putting solar panels, green insulation and rainwater harvesting systems to make them even more eco-friendly!