A Seattle family tasked Atmosphere Design Build with creating a sustainable dwelling in Nevada City, California, the matriarch's hometown and a historic mining community. The firm's material-driven approach channels the pioneer spirit of the gold rush, without compromising comfort or high-efficiency standards.

Simpatico Homes founder Seth Krubiner has lived in the prefab company’s nearly net-zero prototype since it was customized and lifted onsite in 2011.

Components for low-cost prefab homes designed by Habitat for Humanity and the firm Minarc for South Central Los Angeles were trucked in and assembled over three days. Photos by Art Gray.

Rice surfs the net at the built-in desk.

Most impressive of all, a solar array on the roof empowers the residents to produce more energy than they consume on-site.

Weinfeld’s cinematic streak is also evident in the home’s interiors: he designed the entertainment center in the media room. The rug is from Clatt Carpete & Cia. Throughout the house, the Strozenbergs use floor-to-ceiling curtains for privacy.

A view of the installation at the House for Contemporary Art in Belgium.

Numen's Net, occupied by gallery attendees.

At a net-zero home in San Francisco, the house's green roof is more of a brown roof: a desert-like array of native and non-native succulents that require minimal irrigation. The soil area is maintained with motorcycle tires (including one from a Harley hog), which control erosion. Composting takes place here as well.

Metal shingles cut from scraps of sheet metal mix with new material as well as odds and ends, such as a road sign Baker bought at the Alameda Flea market. Baker designed stainless steel clips that allow any tile to be easily moved or replaced without the use of tools. Planter box panels add functionality to the facade and can be swapped out or relocated throughout the year.

Trapeze LED Task Lamp - Large - White Designed by Peter Stathis | Light & Contrast

Rather than a one-off custom piece, Baker designed the daybed as a prototype and worked with Ohio Design on its fabrication.

The Catch lamp is based on a butterfly net.

“These are homes that are truly sustainable—they don’t create any waste in fabrication, and there’s no waste onsite.” —Tryggvi Thorsteinsson, Minarc. Photos by Art Gray.

“There’s no drilling or chopping,” says Erla Dögg Ingjaldsdóttir, cofounder of Minarc. “It’s a very elegant way to build.” Photos by Art Gray.

PIK Vases - White Designed by Anders Nørgaard | Y'a Pas Le Feu Au Lac

Masters Chair - White Designed by Philippe Starck, Eugeni Quitllet | Kartell

500,000 Lego bricks, a crane and the efforts of thousands of children created this giant tower.

NET was founded by renowned architect Alejandro Sticotti in 1990. The firm prefers to use South American hardwoods that, in addition to being durable, anchor their products in their Argentine origins. For instance, the Silla ska chair (seen here) is made from lenga, a patagonian wood that resembles American cherry. The satin black floor lamp is also from NET.

Bullitt Center (Seattle, Washington: 2013) Denis Hayes, chief executive of the Bullitt Foundation, said that if the Bullit Center, his organization’s ambitious experiment in creating a sustainable and “living” office building, is still the greenest space of its kind in a decade, it will have been a failure. That’s not bragging, that’s merely an insight into the scope and ambition of this revolutionary structure, a testing ground for water and energy self sufficiency (via rainwater collection, composting, and a large solar array) aiming to be a case study for radical change in how we build. Based on stats released on Earth Day in April, the building’s first anniversary, the structure is currently using 75 percent less energy than a similar structure and is on its way to a net zero energy certification. Photo by Benjamin Benschneider

This Cocktail Set is the answer to easy and elegant holiday entertaining. Each piece is a beautiful object on its own; together, they make for a sophisticated display. Included is a Jose Reguiero square walnut tray, 4 Holmegaard water glasses, 4 glass Dharma straws and a cleaning brush, 4 Native Organics gauze napkins, 4 Sara Barner brown leather coasters, an Iacoli & McAllister hex bottle opener, Morris Kitchen Spiced Apple Syrup, and Morris Kitchen Ginger Syrup.

Aalto Vase - Light Blue Designed by Alvar Aalto | Iittala

Kastehelmi Bowl - Light Blue Designed by Oiva Toikka | Iittala

Frosty winter days call for staying warm from the inside out. Now in Winter Seasonal colors, the Rim Stack Mugs are the perfect vessels for your favorite cold weather beverages (or soups!).

Kartio Carafe - Light Blue Designed by Kaj Franck | Iittala

Christmas Tree Blanket It's been triangle mania this year in design trends. Carry the trend through the holidays with this awesome Christmas tree blanket. Cool, urban, and modern.

KIKI SOFA - 2 SEATER Elegant and timeless, the Kiki collection of furniture was created by legendary Finnish designer Ilmari Tapiovaara in 1960. For the Kiki Sofa, Tapiovaara envisioned a clean, minimal sofa that could be integrated into any existing environment. Plush yet refined, the Kiki Sofa is crafted with lacquered steel tubing and features a fabric upholstered soft foam cushion.

ARROW SPOONS - SALAD SET $175.00 This pair of large walnut serving spoons with arrow detail are hand carved from locally sourced walnut wood by Amelie Mancini in Brooklyn, New York. Each pair is one of a kind and oiled with beeswax and mineral oil for a super smooth finish.

KONKKARONKKA FLATWARE PLACE SETTING $82.00 Created by Mari Isopahkala for legendary Finnish design house Marimekko, the Konkkaronkka Place Setting’s innovative design includes non-matching utensils. Made from stainless steel, each utensil is marked with its own unique pattern detailing, adding individuality to each piece and intrigue to the table-setting.

Warm wintry grey is a nod to the season in this Appetizer Set, which includes a mini condiment plate, and Edward Wohl cutting board and pate knife.

Three different serving plates in an array of winter blue, grey, and white make for easy holiday entertaining.

Kastehelmi Bowl - Apple Green Kaj Franck's Kartio glassware sheds all things unnecessary and superfluous. The result is a timeless aesthetic that stuns with pure geometric shapes embellished only by gentle colors— as Franck put it, "the only decoration needed." Each perfectly balanced piece is simple, yet durable enough for everyday use, infused with the feeling that it could not have been designed any other way.

In the living area, their dog, Rocknrol, hangs out on a suede Copenhagen sofa by Alejandro Sticotti for Net Muebles. - Buenos Aires, Argentina Dwell Magazine : September / October 2017

Accessed by a ladder with alternating treads, the sleeping loft features custom casework by Kevin P. Clarke Custom Woodwork that holds Kid Robot figurines, Hopi baskets, and an iPhone gramophone by Lawrence LaBianca. Lights by Pablo Designs are perched atop a bed that Baker designed. Peeking out from under the rug (made by Baker’s mother, Emilie) is a salvaged maple floor, which was finished with VOC-free flaxseed oil.

Sticotti cites a mixture of design inspiration from Japan, Scandinavia, and European designers who emigrated to the Unites States. A simplicity and honest expression of materials is evident in this coatrack made from peteribí and lapacho, both South American woods.

Designed and prototyped by David Baker Architects, the building’s siding was made from salvaged maple flooring left over from another project. Inspired by the Japanese and Finnish practice of finishing exterior wood by charring, Baker used a roofing torch to char the boards and screwed them into vertical cedar battens.