BLUETTI Portable Solar Generators spread sustainable love this Valentine’s Day

Posted on 10/02/2023 by Vincent Nguyen

Dinner by candlelight might sound romantic, except when it’s because of a power outage. Nothing ruins the mood more than stress, especially when it’s due to not having much-needed electricity to keep the lights on, the wine cool, and the food toasty. Power generators have started becoming a necessity, whether it’s for emergencies at home or for enjoying an outdoor adventure. If you haven’t gotten the memo yet, traditional fuel and gasoline generators are not only outdated and inconvenient, they’re also unsafe for both humans and the planet.

Fortunately, the folks over at BLUETTI have mastered the art and technology of battery-powered portable solar generators to provide clean, safe, and efficient power that you can bring you anywhere. Even better, they’re running a sale this month of hearts to get your loved ones or even yourself one of these helpful partners in living a comfortable modern lifestyle whenever and wherever you need power for your appliances and gadgets.

AC500 & B300S

There’s almost an overwhelming number of choices when it comes to portable power generators, including from BLUETTI’s own ranks. It might even get a bit stressful when you know you’ll have to settle for whatever battery capacity is available when you make the purchase. Fortunately, BLUETTI knows that problem only too well and designed its modular system exactly for that purpose. With the BLUETTI AC500 and B300S System, for example, you can start with the most basic 3,072Wh capacity and then grow your collection to a whopping 18,432Wh of power by adding more B300S modules only when you need it. Even better, you don’t even need to bring all of that with you can only connect as many modules as you actually need.

Click Here to Buy Now: $4,799 ~~$5,099~~ ($300 off). Hurry, Valentine’s Day deal ends Feb 20th.

AC300 & B300

The BLUETTI AC500 might be the company’s latest champion, but the AC300 and its B300 battery module partner are still in the running as well. With a 3000W pure sine wave inverter, the combo can reach a maximum capacity of 12,288Wh by combining up to four B300 modules in one go. Of course, these batteries will soon need charging themselves, and you can do that either through direct AC input or using solar power if you’ll be off the grid for quite a while.

Click Here to Buy Now: $3,199 ~~$3,898~~ ($699 off). Hurry, Valentine’s Day deal ends Feb 20th.

AC200 Max

Those who find themselves always going out and about might prefer the all-in-one design of the AC200MAX instead, incorporating both the pure sine wave inverter and a 2,048Wh battery in a single unit. That doesn’t mean you have to give up on flexibility, though. You can still connect up to two B230 or B300 modules for more power, combining the best of both worlds of portability and convenience.

Click Here to Buy Now: $1,599 ~~$1,999~~ ($400 off). Hurry, Valentine’s Day deal ends Feb 20th.

EP500/Pro

BLUETTI EP500 and EP500 Pro System.

“Portable” solar generators don’t necessarily have to be something you can lift with one or two hands. Sometimes, you’ll have to push or pull them on their wheels, especially when they’re too large and too heavy to carry. The BLUETTI EP500 and EP500 Pro definitely fall in that category but for a very good reason. These suitcase-sized power generators carry an astounding 5,100Wh LiFePO4 battery inside them, enough to power your house in an emergency. Connect two of these together, and you can run your home mostly on green power alone.

Click Here to Buy Now: $4,899 ~~$5,799~~ ($900 off). Hurry, Valentine’s Day deal ends Feb 20th.

B3A, EB55 & EB70S

EB3A

EB55

EB70S

On the opposite side of the spectrum is BLUETTI’s agile lineup, the EB3A, EB55, and EB70S. Designed more for quick outdoor trips where you would need to power your mobile devices or even a small fridge for the ultimate escape from stressful cities. You can even remotely monitor and control these batteries using your smartphone, allowing you to really kick back and relax, spending more time with your loved ones rather than fretting over the battery level.

Click Here to See the Collection

Solar Panels

Things really get interesting when you consider that all these powerful batteries can be charged using the power of the sun alone. In addition to offering a completely green power option, it also means you won’t have to lose your cool when your BLUETTI generator goes red and there isn’t a power outlet in sight. With these BLUETTI solar panels, you aren’t just gathering energy from the sun, you’re gathering energy efficiently even during an overcast day. Enjoy stress-free days indoors or outdoors with your beloved and loved ones with BLUETTI’s quiet, safe, and sustainable portable power storage solutions, now with sweet heart-warming discounts in time for Valentine’s Day.

Click Here for the Portable Solar Panel Collection

The post BLUETTI Portable Solar Generators spread sustainable love this Valentine’s Day first appeared on Yanko Design.

BLUETTI Portable Solar Generators spread sustainable love this Valentine’s Day

Posted on 10/02/2023 by Vincent Nguyen

AC500 & B300S

Click Here to Buy Now: $4,799 ~~$5,099~~ ($300 off). Hurry, Valentine’s Day deal ends Feb 20th.

AC300 & B300

Click Here to Buy Now: $3,199 ~~$3,898~~ ($699 off). Hurry, Valentine’s Day deal ends Feb 20th.

AC200 Max

Click Here to Buy Now: $1,599 ~~$1,999~~ ($400 off). Hurry, Valentine’s Day deal ends Feb 20th.

EP500/Pro

BLUETTI EP500 and EP500 Pro System.

Click Here to Buy Now: $4,899 ~~$5,799~~ ($900 off). Hurry, Valentine’s Day deal ends Feb 20th.

B3A, EB55 & EB70S

EB3A

EB55

EB70S

Click Here to See the Collection

Solar Panels

Click Here for the Portable Solar Panel Collection

The post BLUETTI Portable Solar Generators spread sustainable love this Valentine’s Day first appeared on Yanko Design.

BLUETTI Portable Solar Generators spread sustainable love this Valentine’s Day

Posted on 10/02/2023 by Vincent Nguyen

AC500 & B300S

Click Here to Buy Now: $4,799 ~~$5,099~~ ($300 off). Hurry, Valentine’s Day deal ends Feb 20th.

AC300 & B300

Click Here to Buy Now: $3,199 ~~$3,898~~ ($699 off). Hurry, Valentine’s Day deal ends Feb 20th.

AC200 Max

Click Here to Buy Now: $1,599 ~~$1,999~~ ($400 off). Hurry, Valentine’s Day deal ends Feb 20th.

EP500/Pro

BLUETTI EP500 and EP500 Pro System.

Click Here to Buy Now: $4,899 ~~$5,799~~ ($900 off). Hurry, Valentine’s Day deal ends Feb 20th.

B3A, EB55 & EB70S

EB3A

EB55

EB70S

Click Here to See the Collection

Solar Panels

Click Here for the Portable Solar Panel Collection

The post BLUETTI Portable Solar Generators spread sustainable love this Valentine’s Day first appeared on Yanko Design.

This paper-thin solar cell could bring solar power to any surface

Posted on 02/01/2023 by JC Torres

Solar energy is finally becoming more common these days, with some homes even using them for a big part of their overall consumption. The common conception about solar panels, however, takes for granted that this form severely limits where they can be used, which is often only on rooftops or large flat surfaces. In order to truly make solar power a more common technology, it should be more ubiquitous and more applicable to a variety of designs. This goes beyond merely having portable solar panels that are still clunky and inconvenient to use everywhere. This research achievement solves that problem by making a solar cell that’s so thin and lightweight that it can be put on almost any surface, including fabrics.

Designers/Inventors: Vladimir Bulovic, Jeremiah Mwaura, Mayuran Saravanapavanantham (MIT)

The two most common considerations when picking solar panels are their conversion efficiency and cost in dollars-per-watt. Few actually think about how well these panels will be integrated into their surroundings because it is always presumed they come in the form of big, thick, and heavy panels. It doesn’t have to be that way, though, and this innovation proves that not only is it possible to create almost impossibly thin solar panels, these flexible cells might even outdo their rigid counterparts in performance.

To make this paper-thin solar cell possible, MIT researchers utilized a relatively new yet increasingly popular technology that prints circuits using semiconductor inks. They then used a more traditional screen printing process, similar to the ones used for shirts, to deposit electrodes onto that thin substrate. The last critical layer is Dyneema fabric that protects the solar module from easily tearing, resulting in a robust sheet that you can bend and roll like a piece of paper or thick fabric.

And it isn’t all just for show, either. The extremely flexible solar panel can generate 370 watts-per-kilogram of power, 18 times more than conventional power cells. Not only does this mean that they are viable alternatives to heavy panels that burden your roof, they can also be installed on almost any surface, including flexible ones like boat sails or tents. The latter is important when such tents are needed in disaster-stricken areas where power grids are inoperative.

There is still one critical piece missing from the puzzle, though, a protective layer that will protect the cells from the environment. Traditionally, this is a role fulfilled by glass, which would defeat the purpose of having a flexible solar cell in the first place. The researchers are experimenting with a few ultra-thin packaging solutions that would let these solar cells stand the test of both weather and time, making solar power truly available for all.

The post This paper-thin solar cell could bring solar power to any surface first appeared on Yanko Design.

Solar films may be the more flexible future of solar power

Posted on 28/12/2022 by Ida Torres

Solar panels are a great way to create a clean energy source but it’s still not as flexible as you’d want it to be. The rigid framework limits the surfaces where you can use it and so we need something more malleable and flexible that can fit wherever you need it to fit. Solar films are the newest innovation when it comes to this kind of energy source and some European firms are trying to develop and utilize these products to create better renewable energy sources.

Designers: Heliatek and Solar Cloth

Solar films can do the same things as solar panels but they have a more flexible as well as lightweight characteristics so they’re easier to install in whatever surface you want. HeliaSol has actually been around since 2017, created by German brand Heliatek. It’s like a sticker that you can set up in places like schools, wind turbine facilities, and other areas with large surfaces, generating power of 85W per square meter and leaving a carbon footprint of less than 10g CO2e/kW. The company has also recently released HeliaFilm, this time it’s a stick-on roll of film that can stick to glass,. concrete, and metal.

Solar Cloth is a French company that previously launched their M170 solar film model. It is 0.5mm thick and can generate 170 watts per square meter and can be installed in different kinds of surfaces whether it’s straight or round. The technique they use to create the film is based on material recycling which makes it even more renewable. They said that this solar film is able to generate a 17.2% yield when they used it on a roll-up textile base.

The HeliaFilm uses organic photovoltaics (OVP) technology that basically uses light that is converted into electricity through semiconducting materials. The M170 also uses incorporates OVP but mainly uses Copper, Indium, Gallium, and Selenium or CIGS technology. While both are good technology for solar power, the latter is a bit more green since as mentioned, they use recycled materials. Because of its flexibility and malleability, solar film may become more widely used than the regular solar panels.

The post Solar films may be the more flexible future of solar power first appeared on Yanko Design.

Bluetti 2022 Halloween offerings will help you leave off the grid this holiday season

Posted on 24/10/2022 by Vincent Nguyen

Sure, Halloween is all about embracing everything scary… but living with power cuts isn’t entirely the ideal way to celebrate the spooky Halloween spirit! BLUETTI is offering up to $700 discounts and $300 freebies this Halloween on their power stations. Designed to give you energy independence no matter where you are, BLUETTI’s series of power stations are portable, powerful, and can run on renewable energy too, letting you hook solar panels for complete off-grid living!

BLUETTI’s special Halloween Deals are applicable on power generators, batteries and solar panels from this October 20th all the way to November 5th. Read more to know about which power generator/station is the best for your home and outdoor needs:

EB3A ($209 $239)

Initially announced this year at CES 2022, the EB3A from BLUETTI is a portable power station that can literally charge your car if you wanted. The best part? It weighs 10 pounds and can recharge via solar power, giving you the ability to reclaim your energy independence (and possibly cut your electricity bills too). Designed to be no larger than your average beer cooler, the EB3A is a portable powerhouse that gives you off-the-grid energy whenever you need. Armed on the inside with a battery capable of 268Wh and a 600W pure sine-wave inverter to securely charge your gadgets, the EB3A allows you to power more common objects like your phone and AirPods, but also fast-charge much larger devices like your laptop, lawnmower, electric grill, heck, even your car. It’s the perfect equipment to carry on outdoor camping trips but is equally practical to have at home during power cuts, emergencies, or unforeseen disasters.

What we like

Tiny, affordable, capable. The perfect beginner’s power station for people looking to dip their toes in energy independence.

AC200P ($1399 $1599)

The AC200P pushes things up a few notches with a 2000W inverter and a 2000Wh LiFePO4 battery. It comes with as many as 17 different outlets to keep your home and life running, including not one, but TWO wireless charging zones to juice your phone along with your partner’s, or a pair of AirPods. You don’t have to stop using one outlet to use another either… the AC200P can handle powering up to 13 devices simultaneously! It supports 7 methods of charging (including via solar panels) and can run even your heavy-duty indoor/outdoor appliances like Blenders, Ice coolers, Radios, Projectors, and more. In the event of an unexpected blackout, the AC200P is also perfect as a home backup system, especially in areas with unstable voltage.

What we like

The portable power station costs a little more than your flagship smartphone but can power your house and camping trips for over 10 years with its long lifespan batteries.

AC200MAX ($1799 $1899)

The AC200MAX just takes its predecessor’s specs and pushes them a bit further to deliver more power and versatility. It comes armed with a 2048Wh LiFePO4 battery and a 2200W output, and sports up to 16 outlets as opposed to the AC200P’s 13. You can even hook up to 2 battery modules to it, or connect it to a solar panel for off-grid power, and carry it around on your camping trips or hook it to your home mains for powering appliances during power outages.

What we like

At $1799, the AC200MAX is perfect for medium-sized homes. It’ll handle everything from your coffee maker to your refrigerator, and even an air-conditioner. Heck, it can even recharge your Tesla.

AC300 + B300 ($3399 $3699)

The AC300 is BLUETTI’s first modular power station with the ability to be expanded by adding more batteries or even an additional power station to double your output. It comes with the B300 battery as a combo, giving you essentially the perfect starter kit to build out your own power station. You can add more batteries if you want longer run times, or hook up a secondary AC300 to your existing setup to double your output and power larger (and more) appliances across your house. The AC300 features a 3000W AC pure sine wave inverter with 16 outlets, while its accompanying battery B300 holds up 3072Wh power. You can also hook solar panels to this setup, giving you energy independence with zero compromises on power consumption!

What we like

The AC300 + B300 is an absolute powerhouse duo, capable of lifting all sorts of weight. Designed to be the first modular offering from BLUETTI, you can add more modules as you go, expanding based on need. Got a bigger fridge? Installed a second air conditioner? Want to charge your Tesla WHILE working your electric grill? Just upgrade by adding extra modules!

B230 & B300 Battery Packs ($1299 & $1899)

The B230

The B300

While the power generator is the heart and brain of your backup electrical grid, it really relies on the battery pack to keep things running. The B230 and B300 are BLUETTI’s flagship battery packs, and can be added in single or multiple setups depending on how long you want your power for. The B230 and B300 hold 2048Wh and 3072Wh power storage respectively and remain 80% of the capacity after 3,500 life cycles thanks to the use of state-of-the-art LiFePO4 battery cells (the same used in EVs). The B230 is compatible with BLUETTI AC200MAX, AC200P, EB150, and EB240, while the B300 can team up with AC300, AC200, AC200P, AC200MAX, EB150, EB240, and EP500Pro.

What we like

BLUETTI’s batteries use Tesla-grade LiFePO4 cells that offer incredible output with minimal degradation over prolonged usage. This means you can potentially use the battery packs for over a decade without really seeing a loss in performance. The fact that you can pick and choose your own batteries is quite a user-empowering feature too!

PV350 Solar Panel ($1699)

BLUETTI’s panels are made from monocrystalline cells that boast up to 23.4% efficiency. Surfaced with ETFE material and equipped with IP65 junction box, they are designed to withstand any scratches and can easily tolerate water splashes and rainfall. The fold-and-go design makes them easy to store or transport. The PV350 is compatible with the BLUETTI AC200P, AC200MAX, AC300, EP500, EP500PRO, EB240, and EB150 power stations.

What we like

The solar panels are designed to accompany BLUETTI’s power stations and battery packs perfectly. The PV350, as its name suggests, provides 350W of power, helping juice your power station’s batteries in mere hours as opposed to days.

Head to BLUETTI’s website to get the best deals and set up your home and camping power grids so you’re never left without power during blizzards, inclement weather, or those pesky polar vortexes!

The post Bluetti 2022 Halloween offerings will help you leave off the grid this holiday season first appeared on Yanko Design.

Solar-powered umbrella canopies are inspired by acacia trees

Posted on 19/10/2022 by Ida Torres

As we continue to find ways to harness natural energy and power, we’re seeing a lot of concepts for products that can use solar energy for general use. Solar panels are slowly becoming a must-have for those trying to live more sustainably, but it still has a long way to go. We’re seeing several products that use solar energy in public settings too, although a lot of them are still in the conceptual stage or at least prototypes stage and may not yet be ready for general consumers. But at least, it’s a good start.

Designer: Samuel Wilkinson

Ecacia is a tree-like structure that’s based on one species of the acacia tree that grows in eastern and southern Africa. It is basically a huge solar-powered umbrella canopy that not only provides shade for people in public places but can also power nearby public amenities or even charge electric vehicles. There are 708 monocrystalline solar panels embedded in the roof of the umbrella to capture solar power. It can also be plugged into a grid.

In keeping with the tree concept, each umbrella is seven meters wide and the roof is timber-lined with a faceted nonagonal shape. The trunk is made from steel with aluminum cladding and comes in two sizes: 6.7 meters or 5.2 meters tall. There are also four programmable LED lamps that gives off some light to the surrounding areas at night. Eventually, future prototypes will also have a cooling mist function so that public areas that are experiencing hot weather can have a temporary respite when passing through the umbrella canopies.

The Ecacia can work as a stand-alone structure or as part of a cluster in parks and other public areas. It is designed to be both a structure for solar capture as well as a source of relief for public urban areas. The prototype was built together with start-up Solar Forma and is also designed to be easy to install. It can also withstand winds up to 160 kilometers per hour for those areas that may also experience extreme weather at times.

The post Solar-powered umbrella canopies are inspired by acacia trees first appeared on Yanko Design.

These TWS Earbuds have solar panels on their charging case and it’s honestly an incredible idea

Posted on 12/08/2022 by Sarang Sheth

While we’re all living with the fear of an impending ‘port-less iPhone’, one company’s got a clever workaround to the charging woe. Meet the Urbanista Phoenix, a set of TWS Earbuds with solar panels built into their case. Sure, the Phoenix comes with a USB-C port to conventionally charge your earbuds, but it also ambiently charges every time you leave the case on a table with access to sunlight. It’s a clever, elegantly-executed solution that works without cables, wireless chargers, or even human intervention!

Don’t you hate it when you pop your AirPods into your ears only to get a notification that you forgot to charge them? Well, the Urbanista Phoenix seems to have an unusually sensible fix. Equipped with a Powerfoyle solar panel on the charging case, the Phoenix just keeps charging your TWS Earbuds whenever it has access to sunlight or any bright light. This isn’t the first time that Urbanista’s incorporated solar panels into its audio solution, though. Just last year, the company announced the Los Angeles, a pair of wireless headphones with a solar panel built into the headband. The Phoenix builds on that rather clever idea by introducing solar panels onto the charging case instead (because the TWS earbuds themselves are too small to put solar panels on). This effectively allows the earbuds to charge in their case without you needing to physically plug them in or place them on a wireless charging mat. It’s incredibly convenient, quite literally effortless, and seems like the kind of idea that other companies should rapidly adopt too instead of pushing us to buy chargers, dongles, and expensive phones with ‘reverse wireless charging’ capabilities.

Designer: Urbanista

The earbud themselves are just like your average TWS earbuds. They come with a familiar stemmed design that’s practically a design archetype now thanks to the AirPods, but they also sport silicone ear-tips for a better seal. They even have touch-sensitive controls built onto ths stems that let you control the Phoenix’s features, including being able to summon and talk to your phone’s voice assistant. Unlike the AirPods, however, the Phoenix also has built-in active noise canceling and is even equipped with noise-canceling microphones for crystal-clear audio conversations and calls. Other features include IPX4 water resistance so you can wear it while sweating it up during workouts, onboard sensors for in-ear detection, a companion app, and a battery capacity of 8 hours for the earbuds, and 32 additional hours with the charging case. Combine that with solar charging and it’ll probably be weeks or months before you even need to find a USB-C cable to charge the Phoenix.

The Phoenix’s game-changing feature still remains its solar charging ability. The only minor trade-off is that as a result, the Phoenix has a slightly large charging case to fit the panel, but the benefit absolutely outweighs the con. The result is a pair of TWS earbuds that, at least in theory, never need plugging in. As long as you can keep the charging case near a source of light, the Phoenix will run perpetually without requiring a charging cable or a charging mat. Moreover, and this is the biggest win so far, you don’t need to REMEMBER to charge the Phoenix. Something most scatterbrained people like me will really appreciate!

The Urbanista Phoenix comes out later in the year, priced at $149.

The post These TWS Earbuds have solar panels on their charging case and it’s honestly an incredible idea first appeared on Yanko Design.

This geometric glass cabin’s layout was defined by the fjords and rock formations that surround it

Posted on 18/03/2022 by Shawn McNulty-Kowal

The Efjord Cabin is a triple-glazed glass cabin that one newlywed couple calls home on the Hallvardøy Island in northern Norway.

When you’d rather spend your honeymoon in your own home than in a luxe hotel somewhere on the beach, you know you did something right. When Frode Danielsen and Tone Beathe Øvrevoll went on a holiday to Hallvardøy Island in northern Norway, the couple spent the next two years there designing their dream home where they’d soon spend their honeymoon and the rest of their lives together. The couple looked no further than the internationally renowned architecture studio Snorre Stinessen Architecture for help in building their dream home, The Efjord Cabin.

Designer: Snorre Stinessen Architecture

Before getting their plans off the ground, Danielsen and Beathe Øvrevoll had to work with the Ballangen municipality to develop a new zoning plan for the undeveloped plot of land. Settling on a naturally flat area to give rise to their new home, the couple chose it to keep the site disturbance to a minimum.

In good company, Snorre Stinessen also takes land disturbance seriously as the architects at the studio are “committed to developing projects that are conscious of our surroundings.” Stinessen goes on to say, “The shape of the building is both a dialogue with the close natural formations, but also with the larger landscape. Its functional aspects create privacy and indoor/outdoor connections to different zones around the building.”

The Efjord Cabin is propped up on a concrete slab and stationed between two rock formations which influenced the overall layout of the home. Split between two volumes, the larger of the two comprises two floors harbors the sleeping accommodations and spacious sauna.

Connected next door is a similarly angular structure that houses the home’s open-plan living room. Each volume is topped off with an inclined roof that offers lofty interior ceiling heights and unobstructed views of the snow-covered hills outside.

Defined by its triple-glazed glass facades, the Efjord Cabin finds thick insulation through 14-tons of glass to reduce energy demands. The home is also strategically configured on the site’s sloped hill to passively collect the available solar energy.

Stinessen also took to locally sourced timber to clad the exterior and interior of the Efjord Cabin. On the outside, core pine treated with iron sulfate provides the home’s exterior with a glossy sheen. Inside, birch veneer gives the home a warm, Scandinavian appeal.

Birch veneer frame the glass windows of the Efjord Cabin to balance the wild views with Scandinavian refinement.

The angular, geometric look follows through from the outside to the inside, with clean, neutral lines defining the inteiror.

Gray carpeting and tile flooring help cool down the inside and gives the home a darker appeal.

An in-home sauna can be found in the larger of the two structural volumes.

Positioned on a sloped hill, the Efjord Cabin takes full advantage of the passive solar conditions.

The post This geometric glass cabin’s layout was defined by the fjords and rock formations that surround it first appeared on Yanko Design.

This tiny home designed for off-grid living features movable copper-clad awnings for natural ventilation!

Posted on 19/12/2021 by Shawn McNulty-Kowal

Defined by two distinct towers and movable copper-clad awnings, Permanent Camping II is a sustainable tiny home designed and constructed by Casey Brown Architects. Situated at the base of a gently sloping hill, Permanent Camping II is a prefabricated tiny house located only 500 meters away from the main house on a homestead in New South Wales, Australia.

Designed and developed by Casey Brown Architecture, Permanent Camping II is a tiny house stripped-back to become a “retreat with ‘everything you need and nothing you don’t need’ with the demands of living distilled to the bare essentials.” Measuring a cozy 3×3 meters, the countryside haven leaves just enough room to accommodate two people comfortably.

Defined by two distinct towers, Permanent Camping II keeps an ironbark timber frame and a copper-clad exterior. Staving off the threat of Australian sun damage and extreme weather conditions, the copper-clad facade is built to withstand all the elements.

Since the architects behind Permanent Camping II hoped to find comfort while maintaining a small floor plan, the two towers were “designed to provide the essential requirements for a shelter, bed, porch or deck, fireplace, and bathroom.”

At ground level, Permanent Camping II’s interior leaves room for utilities required for cooking, storage capacities, and heating facilities. When homeowners would prefer a bit more living space, copper-clad awnings can unfurl from the home’s base to create a semi-outdoor living room and outdoor deck. Found right between the two towers, a ladder brings residents to the second mezzanine where the main bedroom is located.

Self-contained and sustainable, Permanent Camping II hosts a solar panel roof, water and sewage systems, and natural ventilation methods. Describing the home’s sustainable amenities in their own words, the architects at Casey Brown explain, “Water is collected on the roofs and gravity fed to the tank above the bathroom and onto the shower and kitchen. A potbelly wood-fire stove heats the cabin at night. Solar panels on the roof provide power for lighting. Permanent access is provided to the roof which doubles as a lightning conductor.”

Designer: Casey Brown Architects