Zigloo exterior

Rather than crafting components from scratch, some creative builders use recycled materials, such as used railroad shipping containers. For about $170 per square foot, Keith Dewey of Victoria, British Columbia, built this home from used shipping containers. He estimated the cost to be about 20 percent higher than most stick-built homes designed on spec.

If Dewey had not salvaged the containers, they likely would have been dumped in a container graveyard. Other "green" features include bamboo kitchen cabinets and floors, low-flow toilets, a tankless water heater and extra wall insulation. The 2,000-square-foot living space is packed on a plot of land less than one-third that size. Dewey is currently building two shipping-container homes for other families.