Green

The kitchen and dining area opens onto a patio. Photo by Ken Pagliaro Photography.

The relationship between interior and exterior becomes crucial in the articulation of the residence.

Resident Brian Whitlock saved some serious cash by taking on much of the construction and electrical work himself.

“We sought to create a house that would not damage the environment and not be too visible,” says architect Tina Gregorič. A single zigzagging roof stretches over 5,380 square feet, doubling the area of the interior spaces and serving as an ideal spot for sunset cocktails and whale-watching.

The deck, fashioned from ipe, was built around one of the property’s many granite outcroppings. An earthen roof was planted with the same varieties of sedum that were added to the front of the cottage. Photo by: Mark Mahaney

Rainwater is collected from the rooftop of the Permanent Camping! Mudgee abode by Casey Brown, NSW, Australia. Photo by Penny Clay

The Green School in Badung, Bali, Indonesia, by Effan Adhiwira, employs micro-hydro power, solar power, bio-diesel, and natural air conditioning; it was also constructed with 99% natural materials. Photo by Iwan Baan

100 Contemporary Green Buildings, Volume 1 is available through Taschen

A group of Woolly Pocket planters can be put up in an afternoon. Each planter's hook requires one screw to hang.

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

The large patio leads to a newly landscaped back garden. An expansive glass wall promotes seamless indoor-outdoor living. Inexpensive brick pavers were chosen for the rear patio; they offer textural contrast with the steel of the door, brick of the rear facade, and pale gray wood of the interior floors.