Jean-Baptiste Barache's Mod Green Cabin

I've been a fan of Dwell magazine since it launched. However, from time to time, I get bored by the glass and steel exteriors and gleaming white interiors that could double as a Design Within Reach catalog.

That said, in every issue there's something that makes me think, "Wow, what a house." A prime example is this amazing country retreat by architect Jean-Baptiste Barache.

This unusual house sits in a field in the town of Auvillier in Normandy, France. Brache's design is a modern twist on the traditional architecture of the region. A Paris-based architect, Barache wasn't looking for a cookie-cutter, weekend home -- he wanted something much closer to nature.

After purchasing the land, Barache paid a local barn builder to build the frame of the house. Then Barache collected used lumber to fill in the walls, floors and roof. A year and a half of his own do-it-yourself building resulted in the house you see here.
The design is both at one and at odds with the surrounding Normandy architecture. The house's A-frame construction was predetermined, as a local law required this style. However, Barache took the typical A-shape and stretched it upward for an exaggerated and unique shape. Meanwhile, the rustic wood shingles are at home in the countryside. The random placement of small windows on the front facade suggests there's more to this house than meets the eye, and the huge glass wall at the back confirms these suspicions.
Barache's Normandy retreat is unique inside as well as out: the space is designed with an open plan more akin to an industrial loft than a Normandy cottage. The interior retains a rustic feel with exposed particleboard and plywood throughout.

Light from the glass wall at the back of the house fills the living space. The transition from indoor to outdoor areas is almost seamless.

The feeling of a rough-and-tumble cabin isn't just in the looks of the interiors and the minimal furnishings, Barache's home is off the grid with no electricity running to the house.

With no electricity, guests amuse themselves with non-electronic pastimes like reading books. Though change may come to this low-tech house, the architect tells Dwell he's investigating a solar-powered charger for his laptop.

Here are three more drool-worthy homes:
-A house that's also a bridge
-A contemporary Norwegian cabin
-A loft-style apartment in Amsterdam