Set on an east-west axis, the home stays cool with shading south-facing glass, minimal west-facing glass, and operable windows that allow for natural ventilation. Energy recovery ventilators also bring fresh air into the home.

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.

Our tranquil excursion would require this bundle of camping-themed notebooks by Subtle Acts for jotting down nature-induced inspirations. $28. Photo by James Ransom.

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

Vintage Alvar Aalto Table Model 91 “I thought it would be interesting to include a piece of vintage furniture, since that’s where we got our start. It’s a bold and big table for such a restrained designer, with chunky legs and decorative veneer. It’s big for 1930’s standards, and still has labels and stickers on the bottom, including one from Harvey Nichols, the original importer.”

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

Numen's Net, occupied by gallery attendees.

Nothing but WOW ❤️❤️❤️

Metal desk boxes from Present & Correct, available in a set of two (either aubergine/lemon or mint/forest) for £27.50.

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.

These little holders are a slim as the card pockets glued into library books--only they hold your credit cards, not late slips, and come in a very of-the-moment hexagon silhouette. £12.50 at Present & Correct.

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.

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.

We are constantly discussing the best ways to connect and correct construction challenges.

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

Organize your bookshelf. Rearrange volumes by author, by genre, or any way you’d like—just not by color, please. Test out all your pens and markers. That feeling when you go to write something down and wind up dragging a dry pen across a notepad? Never again. Throw them out. Rearrange your living room. You bought that sectional for its flexibility, so give it a go. Flip the whole room over. Change your life. Mend your clothes. Darn socks. Sew buttons back on. Adjust the length of a skirt, or give your old jeans a new look with a raw hem.

Rulers: not totally outdated if you fancy meticulous penmanship, or crafting. These striped rulers add a dash of verve to any supply drawer. £6-£7.50 at Present & Correct.

The Eraser Pick & Mix from Present & Correct is a grab bag for your desktop—select between 3 and 12 and you'll get a random selection of vintage "rubbers."

Is there anything more tactile and pleasing than a pair of really sharp scissors cutting through paper? Wethinks not. This £10 brass version from Present & Correct will get the job done, while looking sharp (ahem) on your desktop.

Managing 25 bundles of rope per bay. Photo by Clifford Ho.

After measuring, our staff cut the ends of the steel tubes to the correct angle.

Once all the pieces are cut correctly and laid out on the grid, they are ready to be welded.

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 nifty notebook sports subtle patterns on its page celebrating all things brick. Perfect for the architect in your life and sized at a generous 8"x5", these pads are £9.50 each from Present & Correct.

Cantilevered desk tray in untreated oak wood, £95 at Present & Correct, has one for in, one for out, and one for shaking it all about.

Paper makes for the best stocking stuffers, particularly paper in the form of a smart linen diary. Start 2014 with an immaculately managed schedule, why don't you! £16.50 from Present & Correct. (And see here for more giftable desktop items from Present & Correct.)

Simple yet effective maple-and-brass tape dispenser, £25 from Present & Correct.

Back to school means new notebooks. These from Present & Correct (£5.50 apiece) sports a metallic slash across the cover; the orange has lined paper within while the stone is dotted.

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.