The A-frame house is a minimalist structure with such a steep roofline that it efficiently sheds snowfall. These houses were widely popularized after WWII as a symbol of the modern vacation cabin. Here are just a few that have caught my eye lately.

A "love hut" in Zegg Community near Berlin, Germany

Sweden

Okayama, Japan

San Clemente, Chile

Photograph by Ruth Mountaingrove, 1972

Western Norway

Photo from Stephen Simonetto

This tiny island was featured on my blog last year when nobody was living there, but now I have photos from the current resident, Katherine Ball.

Her six-week residency entitled “No Swimming” runs from August 12th until September 25th and Katherine is blogging from her iPad along the way.

It is definitely a spartan existence living in a 20 foot diameter fiberglass and foam igloo. “I’m using a lot of resources from the museum, keeping food in the visitor center. I could cook out here but then I have to wash my dishes. I could create a miniature grey water system,” said Ball when she first moved in.

photo from inspir3d.net

Built by artist Andrea Zittel, the intention is for a different artist to live here every summer and modify the island however they like.

They call it Indianapolis Island or “Indy Land” and it lives on the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Katherine is implementing the use of mushrooms (mycobooms) to filter toxins out of the lake water. “It’s strange that people I talk to all over the country are resigned to the fact that our waterways are polluted. I would love to help people feel like ‘our waterways are polluted, we need to try to fix this’ instead of simply accepting that pollution is normal.”

Read her blog for more information on this biologically-oriented pollution solution.  Photos by Michelle Pemberton / The Star. Thanks to Deryck for the head’s up.

This “living kitchen” concept has got my attention. There’s beauty in its practical simplicity. See it in use.

I particularly like that the food scraps go directly down into the vermicomposter which, when the final compost collection tray is ready, feed the plants above.

Designed by Studio Gorm (John Arndt and Wonhee Jong). Bravo!

1. A 70′s room with curves

2. Pillows by Christina Lundsteen

3. String lights on twig bedposts

4. DIY mason jar chandelier by Kara Paslay

5. Simple 4-corners mosquito netting

6. Crochet tent by Timothy J. Karpinski

7. Slab kitchen by Rebekah Sigfrids

8. Nepali felt cushions

9. Rustic cabin kitchen by Kim Krans

10. Colorful kitchen shelving

11. Pillowed window nook

12. Farmhouse sink and antique stove (via)

Now I’ve seen many a concept mini house but this one caught my eye over at Ryan’s blog. Maybe it was the bright orange but this seems like an IKEA-ready piece. What a great way to convert a space without having to install anything.

I’m thinking in particular of our garage out back, where Michael and I would like to have a place to live (for ourselves or guests), but also keep the space usable as a garage and workspace. This convertible unit containing a full bath, kitchen, bed and storage has certainly got my attention. I like the plug & play qualities of it.

Designed by Andrew Kline, currently living in Brooklyn, who realizes that the 8 foot cube idea has been done before but I think he takes it to the next level. Of course I’m a sucker for the practical stuff.

The prototype of this Interior Living Unit is in Detroit and available for 20K, not including transport and installation. Via Dezeen.

At least that’s what it looks like to me. Found it on nevadamoonrise.

The Willow Farm, just south of San Francisco, is where willow is grown and furniture is crafted, in addition to custom fences and ornamental pieces. I came across these whimsical kid-size huts as I was admiring Susie’s dream outdoor spaces. What fun!

The same youtube video was sent to me by 4 different people over the past couple of days, so I’d say it’s gone “viral” in our little world of small spaces. This is architect Gary Chang’s 330 sq. ft. apartment. Gary creates an upscale solution to the problem of very dense housing in Hong Kong by configuring 24 distinct rooms using futuristic movable walls. He was featured in the NY Times over a year ago. Now to see it in motion — it’s like a rubiks cube of an apartment.

Images via AFP

The General Store just opened up in San Francisco with this little greenhouse in the back yard, built by area artist Jesse Schlesinger. I snagged this photo from Lloyd’s Blog. Lloyd stumbled upon it one day after stopping in a coffee shop next door: “I fall in love with a building now and then, and this was one of those. Proportion, placement, used materials, it all comes together.” Amen brotha.

Artist Kane Cunningham bought this house for a few thousand bucks in order to document it falling off a cliff into the sea, which, according to him, can be at any moment. It is the next house in a series of houses meeting their demise in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. “It’s global recession and global warming encapsulated.” Mr. Cunningham invites letters to be sent to this address (20 Knipe Point), which will eventually cease to exist. Here’s the BBC story.