Get Creative With Unconventional Building Materials

One of the most common ways to incorporate green building practices into a project is to adapt or reuse existing materials or entire structures. Although toxicity or structural integrity can sometimes be an issue, experts generally agree that reusing materials or buildings is less expensive -- and more sustainable -- than creating post-demolition waste and buying or building new.

Homes built from shipping containers are a growing trend, yet thanks to this creative MSN slideshow (via The Daily Green), you can glean inspiration from a variety of unexpected building materials.

Airplanes, churches, grain bins -- when building an unconventional home, a wide range of creative solutions exist, only limited by cost (and other practical considerations). I've also read of former schools being converted into homes, even multifamily dwellings.

Now it's time to have some fun on a Monday. If you could build a home out of anything, what would it be?

Photo by Stan Fader, courtesy of MSN