Homes on Stilts: The Last Architecture Trend of the Decade

The clock is ticking down on the last design trends of the aughts. Squeaking in just before the calendar flips is this unlikely development: a fashion for stilted homes. Why stilted? Whatever their actual environmental benefit might be, stilts express a culture-wide desire to tread lightly on the land. These homes hint at mobility; without basements or foundations, they could be gone tomorrow. They're also a throwback to the virtuously simple tropical huts and the early days of prefab. [Detail]