Jacob & Melissa Brillhart, both trained as architects, hand-built this 1,500-square-foot house in downtown Miami (with the help of plumbers, electricians, welders and roofers.) Using some old techniques;

“Cross-ventilation and orienting the building so the front porch blocks the direct sunlight on the glass, so you don’t heat up the interior.”

Completed this fall, it cost about $375,000 + $165,000 for the lot. It’s beautifully simple but the cost per square foot seems high for DIY. But like anything else in life, the joy and appreciation are exponentially higher when you do it yourself. For the full story and more pictures, go here. (Photos, Bruce Buck; The New York Times)