PolyRoom or PolyBloc by Cutwork

One of the more impressive modular living units that can be a stand alone dwelling or a stacked complex. For the standalone rural or mt. setting I can imagine a two-stack with the roof deck providing more than enough space for couples or small families. Add solar panels that are also a shading device and some water collection and be off-grid. Some smart space-saving moves on the interior. See more here.

modern additions on old structures

This is one of those things I’m trying to do with nearly every project I work on. Below are some examples of what I consider successful. The new piece almost always needs to be smaller than the original and ideally picks up on some module (brick dimension, window dadem, etc.) contained within the existing structure. More examples here.

BillionBricks Homes / PowerHYDE by Architecture Brio (India)

I love this incredibly practical idea and below is a modified summary of what they do.

powerHYDE is a carbon negative, self-financing home for the homeless.

Each home produces 4X the amount of energy it needs. A cluster of 75 homes (a community) is a mini power plant generating 1 MW (MegaWatt) collectively selling the surplus energy to neighboring industries - generating additional income for the inhabitants as well as powering communal facilities. 

This potentially solves: 1. the enormous demand for housing (40 million rural homes in India) 2. the increasing need for sustainable energy (300%) 3. a sustainable financial model. Read more.

TreeHotel (Sweden)

TreeHotel (which really ought to be called TreeHotels) are seven elevated structures of various sizes, shapes, and heights, which can be rented nightly - in the north of Sweden (near the arctic circle). Each has typical amenities (heating/cooling, wifi, bathrooms (some w/ showers), etc.). The one below (Bird’s Nest) would be my first choice. Check out the others here.