The roof-mounted EcoHat conceals solar panels and gives a unique look to the property.

The prefabricated Oxley Woods houses are erected in about a week.

A panorama of sylvan hills and ocean views surrounds artist Richard Brothers’s environmentally minded Orcas Island, Washington, home.

Stucco walls, a galvanized-metal roof, and concrete floors all contribute to the passive design of the hacienda-inspired Courtyard House. Window-walls and thermal chimney skylights take advantage of western breezes to create natural air-conditioning.

Given Langka's directive that "the people who live around us have to see our roof and I don't want them to see anything but grass," topped the house with a green roof.

A visitor is engaged by "The Environmental Witch Hunt". Photo by James Ewing.

For all its hard environmental work, one of the most immediate of the Blue Sky Home’s pleasures is how it sits so snugly in its desert surroundings.

(Film still from "The Environmental Witch Hunt") Subtle decay, a democracy of leaves.

Environmental engineer Max Fordham outfitted his sustainable home with experimental insulated shutters.

(Film still from "The Environmental Witch Hunt") Aspen trees sliced apart by sunlight.

Designed to follow universal design principles, this Santa Monica prefab home by Connect Homes delivers modern and environmentally friendly design on a budget.

Another move that reduces the house's environmental impact is the inclusion of photovoltaic panels on the roof. The panels generate enough energy to offset 95% of the house’s consumption.

The bivouac is designed for minimal environmental impact. It's set on non-permanent foundations and anchored to the rock in a non-invasive way, and it can be removed without leaving a trace.

Green roofs are aesthetically pleasing and have multiple positive environmental benefits, even if they are small in terms of square footage. Here, a green roof blooms atop the detached garage of a home.

Sustainability focused Etica Studio designed this eco-house to be a nature-inspired hideaway for its owner, the architect's sister. The solar-passive home runs on renewable energy and was built using a mix of environmentally friendly materials and salvaged elements.

Since surrounding neighbors can overlook the one-story property, Thomson created a roof detail that is environmentally friendly and attractive: “the bio-diverse [green] roof is planted with indigenous species of flowers and grasses,” he says.

"In this project, we got so much benefit out of this 'secret garden' for the master suite along with all of these environmental benefits that the residents were excited to embrace. It's one of the pieces we are happiest about," says architect Jonathan Feldman.

For the Skyline Residence, Belzberg Architects made a conscious effort to build an environmentally sensitive structure without sacrificing aesthetic and budget. Along with recycling wood framing and flooring from a nearby construction site, they sourced the low e-glazing, steel, and concrete mixes from California manufacturers.

(Film still from "The Environmental Witch Hunt") Debating social engagement while watching out for poison ivy.

To create a low-energy house, several passive environmental strategies have been incorporated into the home, including a heated floor system and exterior automated wood blinds. "Natural air ventilation in every room and cross-ventilation between opposite facades keeps the need for air conditioning to a minimum,

Three environmentally friendly container homes.

At the entry looking upward towards a Velux skylight, a vertical "sleeve" is made of stacked end grain plywood. The theme of vertical and horizontal architectural elements providing different environmental perspectives carries through to the rest of the home. Horizontal forms look out to the lake, while the vertical columns look up the sky.

The highly insulated home is incredibly efficient, designed with low environmental impact in mind.

At over 500 square feet, the house’s green roof may be its most powerful—and most expensive—environmental statement. It cost $8,000 to waterproof, and $7,000 to landscape. Water from the roof feeds the toilet and the garden’s watering system, and the garden itself insulates the house and keeps gas bills low in winter. Photo by Nic Granleese.

Fed up with flashy, environmentally insensitive beach homes, architect Gerald Parsonson and his wife, Kate, designed a humble hideaway nestled behind sand dunes along the New Zealand coastline. Crafted in the image of a modest Kiwi bach, their 1,670-square-foot retreat consists of a group of small buildings clad in black-stained pine weatherboards and fiber-cement sheets.

An eco-friendly building material, Western Red Cedar was a suitably environmentally conscious material for the home.

The children’s bedroom has bespoke joinery designed to help the children interface with the environmental workings of the house.

It ain’t easy being green—but these bedding brands passed rigorous environmental certifications with flying colors.

The house in Western Australia addresses two main concerns: environmental sustainability and aging in place.

The home’s lightweight Onduline roofing was selected for its ability to withstand strong winds, its environmentally friendly qualities, and its thermal characteristics.

Designing to attract the least possible attention, Sánchez ensured that the home respected its environmental and cultural context.

To reduce the unit’s environmental impact, the architects have outfitted the VMD with low-flow kitchen and bathroom fixtures by Mexican firm Helvex.

Carefully selected materials make the building appear as if it grew from the land. Environmentally sensitive finishes echo the existing winery, which the firm designed in 2002.