As mentioned on the eco-living page, low-impact doesn’t necessarily mean living in a leaky hut in the woods. Some low-tech dwellings are chic and comfortable, some cute and quirky and some stylish and stunning. Notably, building costs are often dramatically lower than conventional houses – and some can be built 100% free of charge with natural (and/or free or discarded) products.

Here are just a few possibilities:

• Huts/Cabins
• Cob dwellings
• Kerterres
• Earth ships
• Tiny houses
• Shipping containers
• Underground houses
• Yurts

Some people also retrofit existing house to dramatically reduce environmental impact. While a common aim is to live off-grid not everyone attains totally off-grid living. Nevertheless, low-impact habitats usually entail making the most of energy (and retaining it better) while significantly reducing wastage and carbon footprints.