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.

In an effort to create an abundance of light and air flow throughout the space, the home follows an L-shaped floor plan that wraps around outdoor areas. “We designed several open spaces, each with a different feel: the garden and pool, the terrace, and the back patio,” says Cesarman. “The idea was to reduce the area to the most basic and essential [elements].”

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

Numen's Net, occupied by gallery attendees.

This living/bedroom space showcases neutral tones and shades of white to contrast the continued use of natural, treated wood surfaces.

With library's Cor-Ten shield open, the home’s facade is seen at night. The L shaped pedestrian pathway forces visitors to travel around the perimeter before entry, gradually experiencing the architectural composition step by step.

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.

The quiet, minimalist kitchen features a wall in the same “criptoméria" wood used for the bookshelf in the living room. A Davide Groppi Punto 2 PL light hangs over the dining table.

Fireplace as it was at time of home purchase

Fireplace after we ripped out many things from the room.

The home includes multiple furnishings and lights designed by Wright, including this dining set and hanging pendant light.

The back of the house serves as the greatest departure from the otherwise preserved proportions of the original Victorian farmhouse. With the thoughtful insertion of a “glass dining cube” and a rehabilitated deck space with sliding doors that can stand open, an outdoor living space creates additional programmatic flexibility while reinforcing the indoor/outdoor connection.

The open living space is surrounded by large, angular pieces of glass and sits on a floor made with Colorundum in a Cherokee Red, a material and color Wright often used in his work. This space also includes a brick wood-burning fireplace.

The extension’s lower level flows uninterrupted from the garden to the kitchen. Storage units hidden under the staircase give the living spaces an uncluttered feel. A Skygarden pendant by Marcel Wanders hangs over Snow 300 dining chairs by James Richardson, providing light in those rare hours when sunlight isn’t streaming in.

Modular vinyl record storage

Reminiscent of the Glass House, a monumental brick fireplace stands in the center of the living room.

When the sun is at its brightest, the east-facing glass wall is shielded by retractable Horiso venetian blinds that have been powdercoated to match the extension’s charcoal cladding.