In Washington, D.C., a Back Alley Becomes a Sustainable Haven

Even as Andrew and Hannah Linn were moving into their first home, in Washington, D.C., in late 2015, the soon-to-be-newlyweds were hunting for the next. Their small apartment "was the perfect place for that moment, but we never even pretended that it was the forever place," says Hannah, the director of operations for a consulting firm. Within months the couple narrowed their search down to empty lots that would allow them to fully express themselves, although Hannah also remembers, "It quickly became crystal clear just how few ground-up opportunities there are here."