Green Design

For starters, the simple modular plan optimizes daylight and cross ventilation

A resourceful homeowner and his contractor explain how they created a sustainable home on budget in under five months

Get an in-depth look at a near-zero energy house featuring recycled materials and solar-heating and rainwater-harvesting systems

Part of Portland's Build It Green! 2008 Homes Tour + Info Fair, this master bedroom, bath, and loft are designed to conserve energy and water

Video tours and takeaways from Portland's Build It Green! 2008 event

After walking the floors of West Coast Green 2008, we came back with these standouts

Solar panels aside, you can’t see the upgrades that make this downtown remodel so energy efficientby Richard Renner

Salvaged materials and unorthodox building methods are used to create a small, sacred structureby Bruce Johnson

A contest-winning design squeezes a vaulted living room, a master suite, and room to breathe onto a pencil-thin lotby Roxana Vargas Greenan, Trent Greenan

Passive survivability is a life-safety issue. How long could you live in your house without power or fuel?by Alex Wilson

What sort of house can you build on a 25 ft. by 100 ft. lot? An architect walks you through her award-winning design.by Roxana Vargas Greenan

Reports from three case studies outline what it takes to achieve LEED for Home's silver, gold, and platinum ratingsby Sean Groom

LEED for Homes is a new, comprehensive national certification program for green, energy-efficient homes. Builders who’ve tried it like it, but will it change the way houses are built?by Sean Groom

An innovative solar-heating system is the foundation of an artist’s small country house, where an equally smart plan accommodates both life and workby Charles Miller

Federal and state incentive programs make rehabilitating durable old buildings cost-effectiveby John K. Grosvenor

Common-sense solutions for creating homes that are self-reliant, resilient, and versatileby David Johnston, Scott Gibson

Compact and beautiful, mkLotus is a zero-energy house with major appeal by Tim Schmidt

Testing an attainable approach to green practices, an architect designs his own home for a friendly fit in a historic districtby Michael McDonough

Faced with strict historic building guidelines, an architect gets clever to stay greenby Michael McDonough