Alaska: Will Octagonal Homes Reshape Rural Housing?

Sarah Palin may be having a banner year, but some of her fellow residents in rural Alaska have been facing a rough spring.

Rain, freezing temperatures and harsh weather conditions have taken a toll on homes in the rural Alaskan town of Quinhagak (population: 555). Last year, a report by the Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC) found that one-third of the homes in the area are worthy of being condemned because they are moldy and rotting from the inside out. The CCHRC has announced design plans for two prototype homes that could change the rotten housing conditions plaguing many rural Alaskan residents.