Here at Small House Style, we celebrate all things sustainable design. So it goes in keeping that we provide examples of sustainable living practices suitable for those that can’t simply pack a suitcase and shack up in some sweet little cube in the woods.

Designers Site-Specific and Buatalah Studio designed an exhibition that extends the bubble, welcoming families into the trends of small house living. The “Green Home Effects” home show in Bangkok featured their collaborative effort, unveiling an earth-friendly home fit for a family of three.

The structure of the house establishes the tone of the design approach, reusing four salvaged shipping containers to define flexible and livable spaces. Recycling proves to be the “greenest” strategy of all, and by extending the lives of these shipping containers, the house immediately saves on the embodied energy of new construction projects. Meanwhile, the extra square footage required to create a comfortable atmosphere for a family is offset by Site-Specific’s all-encompassing approach of the 4 R’s- reduce, reuse, recycle and renewable.

The structure is outfitted with grey water systems to help with energy efficiency and also provide a water source for the in-house gardens. These slivers of greenery are neatly situated throughout the model to provide a place for the occupants to grow food.

This back to the basics attitude forces us to rethink the way we live, and in essence, the Eco-Model distills our lifestyle to its most sustainable state. The architecture promotes and accomodates the simple things in life, providing a thoughtful shelter filled with the perks of food and family.

This keynote to turn back the tides of excess does not at all limit the enjoyment of the space, and the Eco-Model simultaneously celebrates the striking beauty and innovation of modern design. The interior reveals a palette of brightly colored materials, and the built in furniture quells the urge to go out and buy, buy, buy piece after piece.

This design expresses sustainability in its every move, from the basis of its structure to the subtle detailing of personal gardens. The designers are currently in the process of developing a prefabricated construction system to replicate and distribute a similar design modular to all those people eager to align their lives with the Eco-Model.

photographs courtesy of Amarin Printing & Publishing and Kanteera Sanguantung.

via A Site-Specific Experiment.