Tiny Eco-Friendly Homes

When it comes to a happy home, bigger isn't necessarily better.

People around the world are discovering the joys of living in smaller houses, shedding their unnecessary clutter and excess expenses, and reducing their impact on the environment, as a result.

But shacking up in a cozy abode can be a lot more chic than it may sound. Check out these incredibly tiny, but amazingly stylish homes, courtesy of TheDailyGreen.com.

At only 387.5 square feet, you might have a hard time believing that this mountain retreat actually has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a kitchen. The mobile design is made to leave no mark behind when heading off to a new destination, and is prefabricated from recyclable metal cladding and wood.

Perfect for that writer or artist that just needs to escape the madness of the city and retreat to nature, this 70-square-foot "Watershed House" has abundant openings to make the small living quarters seem much larger than they are. It is built using a prefabricated process that reduces waste and impact on the chosen location.

This 830-square-foot Montana home fits right in among its wooded surroundings. Living off the grid, the home incorporates "passive" heating and cooling so that burning fuel isn't necessary.

We're just getting started. See the amazing full slideshow here.

In Photos: See 11 Incredible Tiny Eco Homes

Comments

[A. Siegel]

06:12 PM on 02/07/2011

The "green" nature of these dwellings is in question when we talk about the need to get them to remote locations, the need to drive to/from them, etc ... They are green compared to the alternative footprints of McMansions at the same site but "location efficiency" is an extremely important consideration. These three fail on this standard.

[GreenKate]

03:51 PM on 02/20/2011

I don't think we are required to place the homes in a remote location although with HOAs so prevalent in cities and the burbs maybe you do have to locate in the boonies to have "permission" to not have a cookie cutter house. In any event, people who favor a green home would also like living further out. You can't assume they are all commuting to town every day in their Suburban.