Resilient Design Studios

04/21/2015

We design a root-cellar into every passive and off-grid house we do. This is the first pre-fab solution to powerless food storage we've seen, however -- and we think its awesome!

Their Groundfridge is a modern take on the familiar root cellar concept, allowing you to keep your produce fresh without traditional refrigeration.

04/07/2015

We've done big net-zero projects before, and are working on plans for a net-zero Tiny House as we speak. Most people intuitively know that if you want to make your own power, rule #1 is to to reduce the power you need. In this video clip, Matt Risinger's 4 main tips on achieving net zero are Limit Glass, Overall Design, Air-sealing, and Mechanical design. Thats very achievable in a 2000sq.ft house, but some aspects become very challenging as you scale down to the point of a tiny house! Tiny houses typically use little power, but offer very limited opportunity for creating power.

Using a house he recently completed in Austin, Texas, Matt Risinger succinctly boils down what it takes to get a home to net-zero energy useage.

04/07/2015

Fantastic example of Adaptive Reuse. Very cool!

WT Architecture concealed a modern timber-clad holiday home inside the shell of former threshing mill in Scotland.

03/17/2015

We love natural light, we love increased self-sufficiency and generating more of our own power. Whats not to love here?

It is called a transparent luminescent solar concentrator, and researchers from Michigan State University report that they can be used on buildings, cell phones...

03/17/2015

Absolutely wonderful. Even if cutting edge modern isn't 'you', its hard to argue with the view, the isolation, the incredible blurring of boundaries... (all of which would be much harder without 'cutting edge modern'...)

03/17/2015

We're working on a project right now with as much outdoor living space as indoor. In addition to being a very cost-effective way to add living space (few if any walls, no insulation, rarely fine finishes, limited plumbing, no hvac...), it also increases the flexibility of your home. What is your outdoor living space like? Need ideas on how it can be improved? Give us a call...

03/04/2015

Less bunker and more interesting retreat, but a cool project nonetheless.

Hobbits in J. R. R. Tolkien’s novels have the right idea. They eat six meals a day, they give away presents on their birthday rather than receiving them, and they live underground because they know it’s the place to be.

03/04/2015

Rural is where its at for us. If the Kitchen is the heart of the home, imagine what a farmhouse Kitchen is.

There’s just something about a farmhouse kitchen that gets people’s attention. And not in the way, say, a supermodern kitchen might turn your head. The raw materials, simple design and old-world vibe that farmhouse kitchens exude seem to have homeowners spending a bit more time staring, wondering an…

02/20/2015

We've done a couple of REALLY cool off-grid retreats. We have never done a converted grain silo, however -- and we would love to.

Architect Christoph Kaiser converted an old 1950s grain silo into a gorgeous tiny home for him and his wife in Phoenix, Arizona.

02/19/2015

We were retained to do an underground home, but the project evolved to being more above grade. Someday we would like to do one like this.

Come with us as we explore six fascinating examples of buried homes that you may have overlooked the first time around.

02/17/2015

Yes. Please. This is our kind of project. Yes!