Green

One of the main goals of the construction was to do as little harm as possible to the existing environment, which includes waterways that salmon depend upon. Herrin and his team created a garden roof that covers the full extent of the home to meet this objective. “This helps control storm water runoff and also replaces lost insect habitat—insects being a critical food source for juvenile salmon,” he says.

Landscape architects Reed Hilderbrand helped fill out the completed prefab by planting sedge grass on one of the house’s two green roofs to reflect the texture of the surrounding meadow.

Large sliding glass doors suspend the living room within the landscape for family gatherings or larger events.

Maximizing daylight is only one of the sustainable design strategies used in the Low/Rise residence.

Benjamin Moore's Vintage Vogue paint coats the exterior.

Another room is done up in shades of green.

Architect Will Winkelman and landscape architect Todd Richardson collaborated with client JT Bullitt to design a house that blends into its surroundings in Steuben, Maine. The green roof gives the impression that "the ground just jumped onto the roof," Richardson says.

100 Contemporary Green Buildings, Volume 1 is available through Taschen

Covered with wire mesh, the green roof will continue to vegetate over time.