AIA architect David Hertz, known for 747 Wing House, looked to the structure of a butterfly wing when designing this Venice home. The inverted roof of Silver Triangle House (or Butterfly House) captures water that collects in a sump and is used for subsurface irrigation. The roof is just one of the home's sustainable features, which, Hertz says, "are not compromises to the design; they're part of the design." Photo by Laura Doss.
In the 1980s, Steven Ehrlich was among the boundary-breaking architects who helped transform Venice from sleepy to modern. His own home, 700 Palms, received the 2009 AIA Housing Award and continues to transfix with its flexible and sustainable features. Photo by Grey Crawford.