Building Off the Grid

What do you do if you don't trust the world around you? You build a new one. That's the motto of Michael Reynolds, Architect and visionary that created the Earthship.

The Perrins brothers are building an extremely remote log hunting cabin in the heart of the Alaskan Range.

Alaskan builder Jeff Ward, has been building houses in remote locations all over Alaska for years. Now his son Bryce, who is also the current mayor of the North Pole, is lending a hand as they combine their talents to create an off-the-grid cabin not too far from Santa's house.

Chris and Catelyn Williams are building the home of their dreams, a 30-foot tall, 700 square-foot, off-grid yurt in Montana. And with solar power, hot running water, all-weather insulation, and a second floor loft, this definitely isn't your grandfather's yurt.

Ana and Jacob White and their two small kids are a modern-day Swiss Family Robinson, building an off-the-grid cabin on the Alaska Range. With all of their materials needing to be transported by snowmobile, this adventurous couple will have their work cut out for them as they create an entire home with no utilities available.

A mountain biking group from Carbondale, Colorado, builds a mountain retreat that doubles as their very own bike park. The team hauls their materials across rugged terrain by bicycle and even excavates by hand.

Builder Matteo Lundgren creates custom cob houses using natural materials such as clay, sand, straw, and water.

Alaskan adventure guide Don Lee builds a remote cabin on top of a glacier.

A couple enlists SunRay Kelley to design and build their dream mud home.

A young couple takes their off-the-grid living to the next level when they build an efficient tiny house surrounded by stunning views in northwestern Montana.

These builds bring new meaning to the term middle of nowhere, taking place high on top a sub-zero glacier, miles out in the middle of the Atlantic, deep in Alaska's untamed wilderness, and on a secluded beach off the coast of Belize.

There's typical off-the-grid builds and then there's epic off-the-grid builds; these builders refuse to set limits and their designs are inventive, resourceful and massive.

Builders break all the rules and think outside the box to create unique structures: a redwood modern retreat, a mushroom getaway, a cliff house escape, a desert dome home and cathedral cabin in the Catskills.

Off the grid locations, like an underground home built on a rock quarry and an oceanfront tropical paradise, that are incredible.

Builders take on a straw bale home in Maine, a container dream home in Oklahoma, a Vermont stone cabin, a Hawaii dome home and a Montana earth-bag retreat.

These builders are dreaming big while still living in harmony with Mother Nature, from a Colorado solar abode to a Texas earth-block ranch.

For some off-grid builders, there's nothing better than living at sea level, but others prefer the air a little thinner. From a snowy North Pole abode to a Colorado Rockies retreat.

A young couple looks to build an off-the-grid geodesic dome, cooled using geothermal caves, with a view of Tennessee's South Cumberland Mountain Range. But they're up against uncertain weather, an intricate design and treacherous mountain paths.

A young family sets out to build a silo greenhouse home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia. Their unique build comes with many challenges, however, including unpredictable weather and a treacherous path to the construction site.

A Missouri couple is cleaning up and building out their inherited property, but troubles multiply as hurricane rains flood the build site, a gigantic burn pile creates larger flames than expected and the materials that actually do arrive are broken.

A New York couple with a passion for snowboarding begins building a smart timber frame cabin in remote Vermont. Troubles soon begin when the home's instructions lead to confusion, making this dream nearly impossible to finish before the harsh winter hits.

A Georgia couple is ready to tackle their next off-grid build: the ultimate watchtower guest house in the Blue Ridge Mountains; building 30 feet off the ground presents its challenges.

An Indiana farming family combines old with new to create a grain bin retreat on their busy working farm.

An eclectic builder is ready to take on his next challenge of constructing a Greek cottage in the East Tennessee Valley; when turbulent weather turns his site into a mud pit, he questions if his vision will ever become a reality.

A couple looks to bring the shores of Key West to their donkey sanctuary in Missouri; despite having experience with building off-grid properties, they face new challenges as they attempt to construct a double container home deep in the woods.

A family of three in the North Georgia mountains are building a unique, geodesic dome home at the top of their property. After endless rainstorms, their build site becomes nearly inaccessible and they question if their forever home will ever be completed.

An outdoor enthusiast works to build his dream retirement home in the Idaho mountains, but weather and material shortages slow his time-line. As things get back on track, he receives devastating news that brings his build to a grinding halt.

A young family embarks on their biggest and most challenging build yet an in-earth cavern in the mountains of northern Georgia. But building on a mountain will be anything but easy as they deal with a rocky terrain, extreme heat and heavy rain.

A couple plans to build their home out of straw bales in the Arizona desert in only six months; using Earthship architecture as their motivation, they hope to make this structure modern, durable and unique.

A couple plans to build their home out of straw bales in the desert.

A family builds their own underground home in the hills of Virginia.

A couple and their son head to southern Utah to build a modern A-frame.

A couple heads to Arkansas to build a dream mountain getaway. While the views of this location are breathtaking, this build is anything but a breeze. The family will have to work together through severe weather to get this job done.

In an effort to spend more time with their kids, a couple sets out to build a treehouse in remote Maryland.

Friends and natural builders set out to construct a family adobe dome home.

A couple wants to build a country cottage on the remote family farm.

A family builds a cabin on Maine's secluded coastline in just 12 days.

An avid skier battles the elements in southwest Montana to build a rustic straw bale cabin at his new remote base camp.

A family battles the elements to construct an off-the-grid house in a windswept valley overlooking the Yellowstone River in Montana.

Richart and his son build an eco-friendly island in Isla Mujeres, Mexico.

Gregg builds a family's cliffside retreat in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

A family builds an off-grid shipping container home in the Ozark Mountains.

A couple of pro builders construct an upcycled off-grid homestead with catamaran style and a luxury yacht aesthetic deep in the sprawling South Carolina islands.

A couple builds an off-grid guesthouse in the windy mountains of Wyoming.

South Dakota's premier builder creates an off-grid mountain hideaway.

An outdoorsman and his team builds an Alaskan cabin in just seven days.

Maine native Ford Reiche restores Casco Bay's Halfway Rock Lighthouse.

A couple leaves the Air Force to build a log cabin and start a new life in the last frontier of Alaska. With three weeks to get it ready before winter, they endure the elements and long days to build their home from the ground up.

A young couple sets out to build their dream home together in a remote canyon just north of Yellowstone National Park in Montana. They're creating a timeless, earthen home suited for the challenging climate.

A family builds thousands of earth blocks while withstanding winter monsoons, freezing temperatures and more to finish their forever home near San Antonio, Texas.

A father-son duo builds a 720-square foot stick-frame home completely off the grid in Montana's Flathead Valley.

A creative family builds a three-story tiny house full of clever features on the easternmost property in the US. But with limited experience and a three-month deadline, they'll need the help of a few local Mainers to get it done.

A family rebuilds their 100-year-old mining cabin in Colorado's wilderness.

A family rebuilds their burned-down cabin along the "River of No Return."

A team builds an off-the-grid beach getaway on a remote island in Belize.

Jon and Amanda D'Aleo build an "earth-sheltered" house in Colorado.

Sonia Havill decides to build an off-the-grid cob cottage on top of an Oregon mountain. She needs to finish building before the start of the Oregon rainy season, and the construction schedule becomes a race against time.

Sage Stoneman teams up with SunRay Kelley to build a mushroom-shaped house.

A couple builds self-sustaining home near the Ozark National Forest. And while they both have renovation experience, building on the dangerous mountainside terrain in a location plagued by flash foods will be a challenge.

Young builder Jacob Hamby creates a cabin for a couple in upstate New York.

A woman builds an off-the-grid home in the desert outside of Tucson, AZ.

A couple builds their off-grid dream home in the Montana back country.

Beau Dunavant battles desert elements to build a home in Tres Piedras, NM.

A family builds their dream home in the last frontier of Colorado.

Joey Caiafa faces brutal weather and injuries to build a Colorado hideout.

A young couple attempts to build an energy-efficient homestead in Colorado.

New York newlyweds escape the city to build their first home upstate in a secluded part of the Hudson Valley. Utilizing timber felled from their own property, they plan to craft their own tiny house completely off the grid.

A steep Maui jungle plot is turned into an efficient, hi-tech dream home.

A family of six building a solar-powered dovetail log cabin gets waylaid by driving rain, broken equipment and hurricane winds. It's a race against time to get the roof and doors on before the first Maine blizzard hits.

A family of four builds an ultra-modern farmhouse completely off the grid in the Wisconsin countryside.

A young couple sets out to create their dream tree-house in Northern Georgia.

A young man is designing his first home on family land in rural Illinois to be off the grid and on the go. He and his buddy combine their experience as long-distance travelers to improvise their build through a Midwest winter.

Two outdoors-men build an off-the-grid hunting cabin in southern Colorado.

A family builds a forever home on 46 acres overlooking the Smoky Mountains.

A husband surprises his wife with a family vacation home on the edge of a Tennessee rock quarry.

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 an early winter with single-digit temperatures threatens to end the dream before it even starts.

A couple faces sun, snow and a few slip-ups as they race to finish a modern, off-grid lodge overlooking Wisconsin's south shores of Lake Superior.

A couple faces torrential downpours, earthquakes and dangerous volcanic activity while building an off-grid home 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.

After experiencing a devastating tornado, a family wants to build an off-grid retreat overlooking Tennessee's Ocoee River; as amateur builders, they must rely on the help of friends and family, and each other, to reach the finish line.

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.

David Sands, a bamboo home architect, seizes the opportunity to build his own getaway in Hawaii that features a luxurious outdoor bath area and starlit master bedroom. However, volcanic eruptions threaten the entire project.

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.

A couple plans to build an oceanfront oasis for their family on the slopes of Maui, Hawaii. To keep the budget low, they design a Quonset hut which can be built cheaply and quickly, but unexpected setbacks test their limits.

A family attempts to build a 400-square-foot cabin situated on a small island in Northern Idaho; access to the property is limited, and rough waters make it difficult to bring materials in; it's a race to the finish as winter hits the island early.

A mother-and-son team pulls up stakes from the crowded confines of Orange County to build an off-grid family commune outside Keaau, Hawaii.

Novice builder Danny Clark attempts to construct a 600-square-foot stone cabin in Vermont's White River Valley. The home is sure to be a true work of art but his inexperience, the harsh winter and the unusual architecture push him to his limits.