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.

Beneath the postcard-like backdrop of La Concha mountain, a previously abandoned Spanish villa received a modernist revamp for a couple and their young child. Natural, earthy interiors connect the living spaces to the lush surroundings, with the light-filled kitchen opening directly onto an outdoor pergola and pool.

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.

The Mt. Buller Home of Andrew and Tiffany Percy and Family via the Design Files.

The main level features a bold blue kitchen illuminated by skylights.

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

Numen's Net, occupied by gallery attendees.

A living roof is among the project's many green features.

One of the bedrooms. Photo by Sally Schoolmaster.

Naturally rusted steel sheathes the cabins that Malek Alqadi built on a 1954 homestead outside Joshua Tree National Park. "I loved the idea of stitching the existing structure back together, reinforcing it, and giving it life again without compromising the beautiful setting it’s in," he says.

Braun KF 21 Aromaster designed by Florian Seiffert and Hartwig Hahlcke (1976), in white or orange.

The eight-story structure provides laundry facilities, medical services, psychological services, temporary shelter beds, educational programs (including a library), and gathering spaces. Photo by Chris Mueller.

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.

A fireplace in the living room features glazed clay bricks from Swedish manufacturer Tegelbolaget. The dining table and chairs are by Kristensen & Kristensen.

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.

Trees create beautiful shadows on the slatted courtyard fence.

“As far as minimal impact is concerned, the lightweight foundation system is part of it, and we also advocate that our customers do minimal clearing to engage their cabins in the landscape as naturally as possible,” Romanowicz says. “If your build site feels too open because you just cleared one too many trees, stop, and take a break—and maybe plant a bush to make up for it.”

A Viewrail floating stairway with glass railing.

Another bedroom features a newly added built-in desk, as well as a window overlooking the pool.

The iconic bud vase design gets a coat of a clay-like glaze that highlights the raw material while creating a lightness and texture reminiscent of the snow. "Warm earth tones, cool greys, and pops of rich turquoise make a well-rounded collection, evoking a cozy and frosty wintry day."

From balconies finished in concrete, residents can spy Portland's Pearl District. Photo by Chris Mueller.

Investing in the look and feel of the space was important to the organizations involved with the project. Here, a wealth of materials in the interior. Photo by Chris Mueller.

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.

LIVE. LOVE. LOFT.

"In the dining nook adjacent to the kitchen, there is a Bocci 21 light and a vintage table. I love thinking about how these things will travel with us for many years, like companions. Aileen and I have a strong relationship to objects: They are a tactile diary of our lives. The interesting thing about our home is not the structure itself, but the way it has become an intimate part of us. The most sustainable thing we can do as architects and designers is to make spaces and objects worthy of a lifetime commitment. Then [the objects] can have five, six, ten lives instead of half a life."

Nick Adam & Bud Rodecker, God Hates Hate On display at CHGO DSGN

Future site view. Overgrown 21+ acre forested site.

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.

The cabins can house a king, queen, or two twin-sized beds.