Twenty years ago architect Patrick Partouche wanted to build an affordable home for his family on an undeveloped piece of land in an industrial zone next to a rail line. Having experience in industrial buildings, Partouche knew the materials and designs were more affordable than comparables for residential construction.

The Lille (France)-based architect used sheet metal from the auto industry to create a main home and surrounded it with two huge agriculture greenhouses to help with climate control (they help heat the home in fall, winter and spring; and can be opened for ventilation during summer).

Inside each greenhouse he placed a twenty-foot, insulated, shipping container to be used as satellite rooms: they have served as the children’s bedrooms and are now office/workshop space.

The total cost of the construction was 100,000 euros (50,000 for the main home and 50,000 for the two greenhouses and containers) for a 450-square-meter home (4,843 square feet) that requires little heating and reflects Partouche’s love of industrial materials.