Building Off the Grid

In Ohio, two brothers build a high-end, off-grid vacation home on their family's cattle ranch.

A nature-loving architect builds a modern California cabin that rivals the views of nearby Big Sur.

An eco-friendly couple plans to build a timber frame, straw-bale cabin in a heavily wooded forest of Maine. But when winter comes early, the already difficult build nears impossible as single-digit temperatures threaten to end the dream before it even starts.

A couple races to finish a modern, off-grid lodge overlooking the south shores of Lake Superior.

A couple builds a rainforest retreat within the edge of an active volcano on Hawaii's Big Island.

Kolin Buzerak returns to his family's 100-acre property in Upstate New York to put down some roots; he plans to build an off-grid timber frame cabin with a full kitchen, living space, dining area, and open loft bedroom.

Marine scientists in Florida hire engineers Nicolas Derouin and Arnaud Luguet to create a first-of-its-kind floating home. They have nine months to complete it, but unpredictable weather and building hiccups may sink this project before it can swim.

Deep in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, a couple is building their 2,400-square-foot dream cabin. The location gives them amazing views but hauling heavy beams up dusty switchbacks on a six-month deadline pushes them to their limits.