Apartment building after condo after flat after mansion after house. So many options; so little variety. Each structure is a re-manifestation of the same old brick-and-mortar, stud-and-rafter building that has dominated America since log cabins faded out of vogue. This is the land of ingenuity and independence, so why not reevaluate our definition of a home? Think of these ideas as a manifestation of freedom of expression.

Shipping containers ground ingenuity in the firm foundation of reality. For more than 50 years, these rectangular metal boxes the size of a semi-truck trailer have enabled global commercialization. Now you can recycle one, or several, of these corrugated capsules into a private living cocoon.

Used containers cost $1,000--$2,500, and there is no shortage with more than 300,000 unused containers worldwide. Many homes are fabricated from several containers joined together to provide ample living space. Containers can be retrofitted with sustainable options like composting toilets, interiors furnished from recycled materials, and solar panels. If you're looking for monetary incentive rather than a warm fuzzy feeling, container houses cost about 20% less to build than traditionally constructed homes.

Perhaps corrugated containers don't do it for you, and you're willing to get your hands dirty. Cob, adobe and straw-bale houses allow for free-form building and the feel of earth between the fingertips.

In both cob and adobe building, water, clay, sand and straw fibers are mixed together to form cobs (uneven gobs of the mixture) or sun-dried adobe bricks. These are then layered to form walls (cobs are layered while still wet, and adobe bricks are layered after drying). Cob houses have been built in England for centuries and adobe is still very common in the southwestern United States. Price-wise, adobe and cob building are similar to traditional construction.

Unmixed straw is also utilized in construction. Baled straw is stacked on a concrete foundation to form walls; usually the walls are framed with wood, and the bales are used to fill in the space between the studs. The walls are then coated with plaster. Straw-bale walls are much thicker than normal walls, providing insulation that is three times more energy efficient than conventional construction. The thickness of the bales also makes it easy to build window seats, benches, pantries, closets and other nooks and crannies into the walls.

Despite being made from glorified grass and mud, straw-bale, cob and adobe construction can be finished with all the modern creature comforts, standard roofing options and latest interior-decoration styles.

Small or tiny houses are simply that--miniature. The concept springs from the desire of some to live as simply and efficiently as possible. These houses range in size from about 65 to 800 square feet and can be built either on standard foundations or flatbed trailers (so you can take your home anywhere you want).

Mobile tiny houses connect to water, sewer and electricity with typical RV hookups. Don't let that fool you; they are much more than sheet-metal RVs. Tiny houses are constructed with real wood and include fully operating windows, doors and some even have small decks. They usually resemble quaint cabins, ranging in size from about 65 to 130 square feet.

Small stationary houses are very similar to their wheeled brethren. They are slightly larger, ranging from 200 to 800 square feet. Some offer a second floor, and most have at least one room that is 10 feet by 12 feet or larger.

Pre-built wheeled tiny houses run between $36,000 and $50,000; if you do the construction, it's closer to $20,000. Stationary small houses cost from $100 to $200 per square foot to build yourself, which is congruent with traditional con¬struction costs. A 400-square-foot house would cost between $40,000 and $80,000 to build; the average house size in the U.S. is 2,343 square feet, which would cost between $234,300 and $468,600 to build.

Sources: oregonlive.com, census.gov, green.yahoo.com, greenhomebuilding.com, strawbale.com, tumbleweedhouses.com, usatoday.com, realestate.msn.com