"...in Australia the Box House is much admired among designers, having won a commendation in 2002 from the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. And it is not even finished. For $50,000, Ms. Charles and Mr. Halstead got a roof over their head, but not a gas stove or hot water. That's Stage 2, to be completed in August for another $11,000 (all sums in this article are in American dollars). They will have to wait for Stage 3 for a toilet, to be tucked into a storage shed with solar panels on the roof. The collected electricity will permit a refrigerator, hot water and lights. Stage 3, still on the drawing board, will cost another $11,000. In the meantime, the family uses a neighbor's outhouse, which the Australians call a long drop. It is also a long haul, being more than 100 feet away."

Architect: Nicholas Murcutt
Link: NY Times
Link: NineMSN
Images: © Brett Boardman for The New York Times