World's first off-grid Ecocapsule home to hit the market this year, shipping in 2016 | Inhabitat

Read article : World's first off-grid Ecocapsule home to hit the market this year, shipping in 2016 | Inhabitat

If your fantasy is to live totally off-the-grid anywhere around the world, that dream just got one step closer to reality. Nice Architects just unveiled the first photos of their incredible egg-shaped Ecocapsule home - and the tiny solar and wind-powered dwelling will be available for sale later this year. Nice Architects has already completed a prototype, and they plan to ship the first units as soon as Spring 2016 - check out the first photos of this low-energy sanctuary after the break, and picture yourself living the dream.

Like the Swiss Army Knife of tiny homes, the Ecocapsule packs everything you need into one very efficient, compact design. Replete with rather luxurious amenities, including a double bed, kitchenette, storage space, and bathroom with a shower and a toilet that collects bio waste, the Ecocapsule can used as a tiny home just for you, a pop-up hotel, a humanitarian refuge, or even an electric car charging station. Its 9744Wh battery is powered by a 750W silent wind turbine and 600W solar outputs that enable it to operate completely off-grid. A dual-power system offers an additional source of electricity during periods without sufficient sunlight or wind. The structure’s rounded shape also helps to easily collect rain water, which is then purified with a built-in filtration system.

RELATED: Solar-powered Ecocapsule lets you live off-the-grid anywhere in the world

The amazing micro-dwelling is perfect for nature lovers, scientists, photographers, rangers and anyone who wants to stay off-grid for long stretches of time. The architects also recommend it as an urban dwelling for singles in high-rent areas such as Silicon Valley or NYC. The little “egg” home measures just 4.5 meters (14.6 feet) in length, 2.4 meters (7.9 feet) in width, and 2.5 meters in height (8.2 feet), with a reasonable living space around eight square meters (86 square feet). When you’re ready to move on to your next destination, the capsule fits snugly into a standard transportation container.

Nice Architects plans to announce pricing for the Ecocapsule egg home at the end of 2015 – just in time for pre-orders. They’ve focused on reducing the size and weight of the pod so that it can be easily transported – approximate shipping costs range from 1500 Euros from Slovakia to Melbourne, to 2200 Euros from Slovakia to New York. Nice Architects plans to launch one version of the Ecocapsule initially, and they plan to offer additional customizations after the first units are sold.

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All images by Tomas Manina

A 16,000-square-foot Georgian mansion just hit the market in McLean

Read article : A 16,000-square-foot Georgian mansion just hit the market in McLean

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If you've ever visited Ireland, you probably fell in love with a Georgian mansion (or two) and had dreams of moving into one of those gorgeous stone castles and slaying dragons. And then reality sets in and you realize how impractical it would be to flee the country and live forever as an Irish prince(ss) in a castle. Well, my fairy tale dreamers, today is your lucky day because a gorgeous new property has just come on the market in McLean that could make all your dreams come true -- The Dunluce estate is a 16,000 square foot, 7-bedroom/10-bath property inspired by the castles of Ireland.

The custom four-story house, built in 2002, is currently owned by entrepreneurs Jack and Jackie McDonnell, who have been longtime supporters of The Ireland Fund; in 2006 Jack was presented with the organization’s Irish Peace and Culture Award. The house is sited on 5.15 acres of beautiful wooded land, and has immaculate landscaping done by Charles Owen of Fine Landscapes. Dunluce is filled with handcrafted elements, such as the handmade plaster medallions in the living room, dining room and library ceilings that are reproductions of those found in Georgian manors in Ireland and the hand-painted wallpaper covering the dining room walls. The coffered ceiling in the great room features symbols from the Book of Kells, which Trinity College Dublin calls Ireland’s greatest cultural treasure.

Yet, despite the old world grandeur and nod to European heritage, Dunluce does not lack any modern amenities. All seven bedrooms have their own full bathroom and bountiful closet space, but the second floor master suite is really over the top, with its own fireplace, lighted tray ceiling, fabric wall coverings, sitting room, walk-in closet/dressing room, deep soaking tub, two vanities and dual sinks. From the elevator serving all four stories to the theater, rec room with a fireplace, and billiard room with wired-in speakers and hand-painted murals of Irish castles, the estate is ready-made for entertaining! So get to buying friends, and invite me over please!

HOUSE SPECS:

• Neighborhood: McLean
• Bedrooms: 7
• Bathrooms: 8 full, 2 half
• Size: 16,000 square feet
• Acreage: 5.15 acres
• Price: $7,100,000
• Extra Goodies: An elevator serving all four floors; two-story foyer with walnut paneling and molding and hand-painted gold leaf accents; marble floors with a harp inlay; seven fireplaces; theater; billiard room; hand-painted murals

In case you were one of the few folks who didn't hop into the photo gallery straight away, scroll back to the top and take a tour through this stunning home! For more information, please see the full listing here.