Cool, Affordable Modular Construction

Efficient and Affordable Wood House Made From Shipping Pallets. See the full article by Bridgette Meinhold on Inhabitat.com.

The designers are also working on a low cost unit that cost $11 a square foot in South Africa.

 Paletten Haus, designed by two students from the University of Vienna. View the full slide show of images here. 

In the U.S., there would be many issues to work out before this could actually be used as housing, like thermal insulation and earthquake resistance. But it is a great start to demonstrate how an abundant item can be re-purposed for building, much like straw bale, an abundant by product of agriculture which can be used for building (see our design for the Bale House, a straw bale house on San Juan Island which will be constructed this summer: http://dandastudio.com/portfolio/residential/res_ontheboards/balehouse/).