Even though I'm not interested in living in a modern house, I've always been interested in the new materials that contemporary designers use - many of which are much more environmentally sound than the materials of two decades ago - and I find that there's a lot the old-house scene can learn from the various technological tricks developed by today's architects and designers.

Just as Maybeck constantly experimented with new materials and techniques to maintain heat in the winter and cool in the summer, I think there's plenty of room for old-house remodelers and DIY-types to expand our knowledge from the experiments going on in the various alternative-shelter movements.

There are a jillion blogs devoted to experimental architecture and repurposing of various engineering techniques and materials. Here are a few from my irregular reading list; maybe they will be interesting and/or useful to you:

• Materialicio.us
• A Daily Dose of Architecture
• Apartment Therapy - soulless modernism, yes, but it's pretty
• Build Blog
• Curbly - which is more about making your own design objects
• Dwell magazine's daily blog
• East Coast Architecture Review
• Future House Now
  
• Grassroots Modern
• Kelly Hart's Green Home Building & Sustainable Architecture
• leangreen.org - "recycled renovation on a low-budget ration"