This book takes you through 53 homes that reflect the growing trend for
environmentally friendly houses. Resource- and energy-efficient
residences are designed to be healthy, comfortable, and easy to live in,
and construction of a sustainable home includes using less energy, fewer
natural resources, and fewer toxic chemicals. The homes featured here
meet a variety of guidelines: LEED, a point-based system with specific
certification criteria; green, a construction standard based on
reduction of energy use; Passive House, a design standard that can
result in a super-insulated, airtight home; and natural, a type of
construction using natural resources without technological intervention.
More than 300 images show a wide variety of designs and styles,
including cottages and beach houses, prairie and vineyard residences,
prefabricated and renovated homes, and much more.