With the help of Carver + Schickentanz Architects, Jason and Melissa Burnett were able to push their Carmel, California home's renovation from LEED Silver status to LEED Platinum-certified. With eco-friendly innovations like a retractable skylight for natural ventilation, double-pane windows to keep in air and heat, and sustainable landscaping with native vegetation, it's no wonder this mid-century-modern redesign is one of our green favorites. Click here to see the home's interior.

The three pavilions were placed along the lot's two natural north-south and east-west axes, delineated here by the concrete pavers. These axes helped both the homeowners and architects layout the pavilions, lap pool, and landscape elements. At night, the house shows off its nearly 100 percent LED lighting scheme.

In Montara, California, architect Michael Maltzan designed a home for, his sister and brother-in-law. From certain vantage points, the home’s unique angles result in M.C. Escher–like optical illusions.

In the office, existing track lighting illuminates cabinetry covered in Lemon Bar by Miller Paint.

Like most Northern California homes built in the 1960s, the Burnett residence originally acted like a sieve, letting air and heat easily pass through its uninsulated walls and single-pane windows. The design team replaced all of the windows with double-pane glass, which works wonders to hold in the heat.

A Seattle family tasked Atmosphere Design Build with creating a sustainable dwelling in Nevada City, California, the matriarch's hometown and a historic mining community. The firm's material-driven approach channels the pioneer spirit of the gold rush, without compromising comfort or high-efficiency standards.

Architect Erick Mikiten helped Melanie and David Maher build a house in Livermore, California.

Taking inspiration from Arlberg Valley, Austria to classic Nordic materials, the Troll Hus certainly adds a European touch to the California landscape. “The inspiring concept is that of a treehouse that, as if suspended between treetops, seamlessly and ingeniously blends with its surroundings.” Casper says.

Simpatico Homes founder Seth Krubiner has lived in the prefab company’s nearly net-zero prototype since it was customized and lifted onsite in 2011.

Covered terraces take advantage of the temperate Northern California climate and respect the local vernacular. A rear sleeping porch is the perfect place to enjoy warm summer and fall nights.

Make sure your kitchen fits seamlessly with the rest of your home. A good entertaining space should have a look that's consistent with the overall design, so use finishings, colors, and other elements that compliment the rest of the space.

Most impressive of all, a solar array on the roof empowers the residents to produce more energy than they consume on-site.

Blu Homes's new prefab in Joshua Tree, California.

Lockyer added native desert plants to a courtyard near the garage.

“There’s a soulfulness in this small house that’s impossible to replicate in something completely new. The sweetness truly lingers," says architect Michael Lee.

Harry Bertoia’s iconic Bertoia side chair is surrounded by custom railings. A yucca plant grows nearby, its palm-like leaves celebrating the short but intense summer months in Wisconsin.

Nestled in the cozy study, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair and Ottoman sit atop a Spinneybeck cowhide rug from Design Within Reach.

The main entryway is flanked by the dining room and a glazed vestibule, which gives way to the kitchen and living room. Sliding glass doors lead to a sizable terrace, allowing the communal area to expand into the outdoors during warmer months.

Dedy gazes out at the neighborhood from the couple’s bedroom.

A Bay Area landscape designer works her yard like a jigsaw puzzle, packing a bevy of distinctive destinations into a steep and diminutive plot. Photo by: Morgan Rachel Levy Read the entire article here.

Melanie Maher sunbathes beneath the lattice of a pool house, which is clad in Cor-Ten steel.

Richardson Architects' original plan for this waterfront plot in Belvedere, California, was to revamp an existing 1960s house, but the discovery of powderpost beetles put that idea on pause.

Thanks to Matthew Hufft, their envelope-pushing architect and longtime friend, Hannah and Paul Catlett have a new home in southwestern Missouri that’s a fresh, unconventional take on the traditional farmhouse.

A compact custom desk and shelving system makes the most of the available space.

Here's what you need to know before undergoing a building project with a contractor but no architect.

When not in use during winter, the tub is hidden from the home’s view. The entrance has a sheltered overhang for car parking.

Custom cabinets and a faucet from Kohler’s Purist collection are complemented by Luciano Bertoncini’s Min table and Spoleto chairs by Knoll. A Paulistano armchair, designed by Paulo Mendes da Rocha, sits nearby.

The Parsonsons' dog takes a breather.

A barrier-free house enables a family to come together amid the vineyards in Northern California. The kitchen is fully accessible and yet not institutional, with room for both extended family and a caregiver, and the ability to move between indoors and out without having to negotiate a single barrier. The island contains a micro kitchen for the family’s daughter, who is in a wheelchair, with a sink, refrigerator, and warming drawers within easy reach. The pendant is from Global Lighting.

A custom eight-inch-deep rain screen system was designed to reflect solar radiation, and allows moisture to escape with the flow of air from behind the facade’s suspended concrete panels. “As a result, the underlying thermal envelope is protected from direct solar exposure and moisture, preventing water from being trapped in the walls and improving the comfort of the residents inside,” Schmaling says.

High-efficiency glazing and permeable surfaces on the driveway, entry path, and terrace that facilitate stormwater runoff contributed to the home’s LEED Platinum status. Solar panels produce 80 percent of the power the residence requires.

The cheery geometric facade of the 1,900-square-foot OS House makes a statement in a historic Wisconsin neighborhood. “Our project reflects today’s state of technology and architectural syntax,” says architect Sebastian Schmaling. “Its diversity of form and expression adds to the vitality and livability of a contemporary urban neighborhood.”

By balancing the light from a variety of sources and ensuring that every corner was illuminated, Terry Ohm increased the feeling of expansiveness in the 12-and-a-half-by-14-foot kitchen.

Melanie and David spend a lot of time outside, so indoor/outdoor accessibility was key.

Building Lab's renovation of the home used the kitchen as the hub around which the home's public spaces were organized. Photo by: Scott Hargis