Slide 1 of 11,

Justen Ladda, a sculptor, revels in the chill of the unheated Lower East Side loft where he has lived for three decades. He is one of a small group of Americans who live nearly without heat by choice. Why they stick it out, and how they cope, are object lessons in creative adaptation fueled by thrift, environmentalism and a commitment to unique real estate.

Beatrice De Gea for The New York Times