Green Homes

These sustainably built and designed homes showcase what the future of design looks like.

On Vancouver Island, a Family Squeezes a Serene Studio Between a Rock and a Hard Place
On Vancouver Island, a Family Squeezes a Serene Studio Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Best of all, its green roof channels rainwater through the craggy terrain to create a trickling fountain.
By Rachel Gallaher - 12 days ago
A Mighty Corrugated Metal Roof Ties Together a Compound in Rural Australia
The structure makes a lap around a central courtyard, connecting the energy-efficient and drought-resistant residence with storage sheds and an indoor/outdoor patio.
A Butterfly Roof Tops an “Upside-Down” House Built for Aging in Place
Mole Architects fleshed out a prefab timber frame with passive house design principles and placed living areas on the second level to provide its retiree owner with great views.
On British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, a Family Builds an Environmentally Attuned Home
On British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, a Family Builds an Environmentally Attuned Home
The house harvests rainwater, lets in tons of natural light, and has a vivid viridian bathroom that matches the surrounding foliage.
This Glass-Wrapped Home in Spain Is Regenerating Its Surrounding Ecosystem
The Rambla Climate House is meant as a model for reversing the scourge of nearby suburban developments by collecting rainfall and gray water to nurture the land.
This Radical Quebec “Cabin” Doubles as a Habitat for Endangered Bats
The steel framework supporting the sustainable retreat is designed as housing to keep winged friends safe from predators.
This Cork Houseboat in the Netherlands Floats a Strategy for Sustainable Building
Studio RAP implemented digital processes to minimize construction waste, using a CNC machine to precision-cut cladding and engineered lumber.
An Architect Couple Trade Size for Sustainability in Their Family’s Amsterdam Home
Building with wood was a requirement by the city, but it was their decision to build smaller—and smarter—for the sake of efficiency.
A New Generation of Earthship Owners Looks for Climate Solutions in the Past
Archetypes of 1970s utopian living, these self-determining homes in the desert have been embraced by a younger cohort eager to create a more sustainable future.
In Washington, D.C., a Back Alley Becomes a Sustainable Haven
Leftover urban space and timber by-products add up to the perfect solution for a small family.
This Builder Is Making Tiny Homes With Hemp, Cork, and Wood. And They’ll Show You How to Do It
This Builder Is Making Tiny Homes With Hemp, Cork, and Wood. And They’ll Show You How to Do It
Common Knowledge, a nonprofit in Ireland that teaches building skills, will soon offer free plans and a materials list for you to create a home of your own.
For These Designers and Homebuilders, the Best Materials Are Ones That Have Already Been Used
Writer Penny Craswell explores the potential of secondhand and upcycled materials to craft new homes.
This Scottish Holiday Home Is Topped With Grass From the Surrounding Hillside
“The tussocks camouflage the house, melting it into the landscape,” says architect Kate Brown.
A Net-Zero Home in Spain Centers Around a Soaring Atrium
Slow Studio Arquitectura designed the double-height space as a flexible living area, but it also optimizes the residence’s thermal performance.
An SF Couple Erect a Hashtag-Shaped Home in the High Desert
Mork Ulnes Architects played off the owners’ progressive spirit by constructing the cabin-style residence from cross-laminated timber, which the firm says is one of the first in...
A Passive House in Maine Is One Couple’s New Start After Losing Everything in a Fire
On the same site, they melded two prefab designs from local firm Go Logic to create a resilient, energy-efficient forever home.
A Low-Tech Holiday Home in Spain Maximizes Its Energy Efficiency
Bizna Estudio combines passive house principles with a few regional materials to keep one family cool while on vacation.
A Striking Black Residence Energizes a Neglected Lot and Its Neighborhood in Melbourne
Melbourne Design Studios creates a net-positive passive house and rear garden that freshen up the area’s industrial feel.
A Family’s Retreat Is a Natural Fit in England’s New Forest National Park
PAD Studio replaced a rundown cottage with a new gable-roofed timber design that looks as if it’d been there all along.
A Mostly Wood Home in Japan Lets One Family Lead a Simple, Sustainable Life
Nori Architects tests an earth-friendly vision for urban housing with a stripped-back design that the residents can modify and repair themselves.
A Santiago Couple Build Four Cabins—and a New Life—in Chile’s Lakes District
Leaving the bustling city behind, a psychologist and an engineer start over with a set of rentable retreats clad in reclaimed wood.
An Architect’s 1960s London Home Welcomes Foxes, Squirrels, Bees, and Bats
As she updates her house with a green roof and “bat bricks,” Helena Rivera seeks to enhance life not only for her family, but for the animals of the surrounding woodland.
A Tree Farmer’s House Is Rooted in the Landscape
The owners of Long Island’s Old Orchard Nursery tap Ryall Sheridan Architects to develop a slice of their cherished site.
How to Create an Eco-Friendly Household, According to Coyuchi’s Design Director
Whitney Thornburg shares a few of her favorite products—from well-loved kitchen towels to stylish reusable containers.
A 19th-Century Farmhouse in Eastern Germany Gets New Tricks With an Ecologically Minded Update
Located in an outlying village three hours north of Berlin, the remote property—which until recently lacked potable water—was transformed by architects Sierra Boaz Cobb and...
A Couple’s Home Strives for Sustainability in an Olive Grove Near Madrid
Slow Studio uses passive design techniques to create a brick house with a surprisingly light footprint.
A Family’s Home in Remote New Zealand Leans Into Passive House Design
Rafe Maclean Architects uses low-cost materials and a few green-building tricks to help a family in the Otago region stay within budget.
An Old Garden Inspires a Passive House in the English Countryside
London firm McLean Quinlan built out from a dilapidated brick wall that once enclosed a garden, creating an energy-efficient home with an elegant facade.
A Panoramic Passive House Rises in the Mountains Above Madrid
Barcelona-based Slow Studio builds a bioclimatic home for a couple who work with the United Nations.
This Vermont Passive House Is Built From the Forest That Surrounds It
Architect Robert Swinburne deploys a collaborative building approach and hyperlocal materials to craft a home that celebrates the land it’s built on.
Budget Breakdown: A New Zealand Architect Builds a Passive House for His Family for $490K
Drawing on a simple material palette of plywood and corrugated metal, architect Rafe Maclean designs a certified Passive House on a steep, challenging lot in Dunedin.
Jens Risom’s Legacy Lives On at His Son’s Block Island Prefab
Built to Passive House standards, the New England home of Tom Risom and Pamela Austen is a trove of modernist design.
14 Stylish and Sustainable Furnishings to Make Your Home Healthier
Check out our top picks from Model No., a direct-to-consumer brand that's infusing responsible design with clean-lined, contemporary cool.
This Stately, Century-Old Craftsman in Oregon Conceals Bright, Youthful Interiors
A renovation by Lever Architecture focused on energy efficiency and well-being infuses a prairie-style home with new life while honoring its timeworn quirks.
Budget Breakdown: This $851K Riverside Home Is a Case Study in Smart, Sustainable Living
Combining creative nous with careful planning, architect Mark Lawton builds a net-zero home inspired by the typology of a fisherman’s shack.
A Family Joins Hands to Restore a Crumbling Farmhouse in South Africa
Architect Lee de Wit and his relatives work together to create a getaway where nearly everything in sight tells a story.