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Intro
In honor of Earth Day (you better turn your computer off after reading this article!), we've compiled some of the greenest homes in the world. Please read, enjoy, and get inspired. And just to clarify, "green" homes are houses that have passed the LEED for Homes green building certification program, NOT houses that are colored green.
The 10 Greenest Homes
Dome Home
Dome Home
Each dome weighs 80kg and takes seven days to build when working with 3-4 people (reducing waste and labor costs). Additionally, the casting of expanded polystyrene is extremely clean because polystyrene is made up of hydrogen and carbon. Dome homes are popular in Japan, where living simply has been modified to an art form.
De Maria Design Redondo Beach House
De Maria Design Redondo Beach House
It's hard to tell, but this beach property was built from eight recycled steel shipping containers. Not only is this more eco-friendly, the home is also resistant to mold, fire, and termites. Sounds like a sweet deal. Additionally, 70% of the home was assembled in a shop, saving both time and money.
Rothstein-Meckler House
Rothstein-Meckler House
Not only did this house win a LEED platinum rating, it also received and Energy Star rating as well as an indoor airPLUS certification. The Rothstein-Meckler House is 42% more energy efficient than your average 2006 home, and it perfectly combines sustainability with style.
Crawford Winter White House
Crawford Winter White House
With 25,000 gallons of rainwater stored and a geothermal heat pump in a central closet, former President George Bush's home makes our Greenest Homes list. The pump doesn't use any fossil fuels and it consumes only one quarter of the energy needed for a conventional heating/cooling system. Additionally, the stones used for the exterior of the house were found in a scrapyard and waste water from the home goes through an underground purifying tank and then into the cistern.
Tree Home
Tree Home
Ignatov Architects designed this home in Varna, Bulgaria with the goal of creating a free standing, tree like space. Working with this nature theme, it only makes sense that the home is environmentally friendly as well - Glazed facades and solar panels utilize sunlight, reversed roof channels use rainwater for irrigation, multilayered veneers provide insulation, and a multifunctional vertical core distributes these utilities in an energy efficient way.
Santa Fe Home
Santa Fe Home
Built by Overland Partners Architects of San Antonio, Texas, this home sports roof gardens irrigated by rainwater, a gray-water system that filters and recirculates water from showers and sinks to underground cisterns, and of course, solar panels. Additionally, native drought tolerant plants and artificial turf using recycled tired decorate the yards. In case this isn't obvious, this home also received a platinum LEED rating.
The Ecopod
The Ecopod
Made from a shipping container, this home uses recycled materials in every aspect. The floors are made from recycled car tires, the walls use birch paneling (over closed-cell soya foam insulation), and the glass windows are double paned to slow heat transfer. A solar powered electric winch is even used to lower/raise the deck door.
LivingHomes
LivingHomes
Entrepreneur Steve Glenn's Santa Monica home is the first to be given platinum status from LEED rating system. He saves an average of $1,500 per year on utility bills and while painting the home, Glenn used paints that gives off no volatile organic compounds.
Wis Tavern
Wis Tavern
Located in Chicago, the Wis Tavern was the first gold certified LEED-H home in Illinois. Comprised of day lighting, a green roof with solar panels, energy efficient appliances, a geothermal heating/cooling system and (get ready for this) recycled glass terrazzo floors made by using blender-ized chunks of old vinyl records. Additionally, 92% of the waste created during the building process was recycled.
Iseami Home
Iseami Home
Site, climate, energy, water, materials, environment, atmosphere, cost, and innovation are all important elements of the Iseami house. Thermal panels were used because of their solar reflectance index and local materials were used to minimize transportation costs and the carbon footprint.