Five of the World's Most Innovative Sustainable Designs

Winning the International Highrise Award award, these forested towers, designed by Stefano Boeri, were cited as a powerful example of the symbiosis possible between architecture and nature—representative of a great possibility for new developments in high-density areas.

Adele Chang and Mark Rohling of Pasadena firm Lim Chang Rohling & Associates designed the house, which is three times more water efficient than a typical house hold. The garden is xeriscaped and irrigated with graywater. The garden is also a source of energy for the residence. "We worked with the UC Davis Western Cooling Efficiency Center to design an experimental ground-source radiant heating and cooling system that captures thermal energy from eight boreholes in the garden," Koenig says. "This type of borehole has the promise of dramatically reducing the cost of geothermal HVAC systems in the future." This video explains the mechanics and "thermal heart" of the home.

With its bold, upswept profile, the roof gives this otherwise simple house its distinctive character. But those curves are not merely for show. The concave forms are integral to the dwelling’s self-sufficiency because they act as water collectors and sun protection. When rain hits the roof, it runs down into holes punched into the valleys created by the tilt of the corrugated-steel sheets. Underneath these holes, which are too small for leaves to penetrate, the water collects in a concealed gutter and is piped down the side of the house and underground to the nearby water tanks. Using a combination of computer technology and onsite observation, the architects calculated how far the main roof would have to overhang the north elevation to let in as much low winter sun as possible, while shielding the interior from the more extreme summer sun. The nearly 13-foot-high expanse of glazing that embraces the views really needed protecting—and the four-foot eave created by the sweep of the main roof does the job well.

With the roof angled at 43 degrees, the architects lined the southern slant of the house with solar panels to collect as many rays as possible. Karanesheva and Witzmann started with four, but then added 23 more, all by Systaïc; the company gave them a deal since theirs was its first installation in France. The panels now collect far more energy than the home actually needs, a precious resource that the pair sells back to the power company. Photo by: Nicholas Calcott