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.

“We have described the house as an urban cabin and this captures the essential character we were seeking to achieve,” says architect Charles Thomson. “Because the plan is so tight, it was critical that every part was considered carefully. But we also wanted spaces that were simple and flexible to accommodate the typical range of family activities.”

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

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

Numen's Net, occupied by gallery attendees.

Nothing but WOW ❤️❤️❤️

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 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.

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

Details of the passageway: wallpaper by Maharam, a reading area with a vintage bookcase, and a 1950s armchair from Carrozzeria 900.

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

Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, CONGREGATION BET HA’AM

"The 900-square-foot cabin perches on one piece of granite, projecting precariously over a steep drop-off to afford dramatic eastern views across the valley below," says Isamu Kanda, principal at I-Kanda.

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.

Designed and prototyped by David Baker Architects, the building’s siding was made from salvaged maple flooring left over from another project. Inspired by the Japanese and Finnish practice of finishing exterior wood by charring, Baker used a roofing torch to char the boards and screwed them into vertical cedar battens.

The compact 712-square-foot cottage sits on top of a 430-square-foot workshop, where Baker’s firm prototypes and produces custom furnishings for his practice. “Not only is there room for more density on most residential blocks in San Francisco, but, if thoughtfully conceived, it also enriches our communities and makes our cities more resilient,” Baker says.

Chicago Net Positive Home (Kipnis Architecture + Planning) The home manages a net zero rating thanks to a grid of solar panels mounted on the garage, which generates enough power to take care of the home’s electricity needs and charge an electric car and hot tub on the roof.

Chicago Net Positive Home (Kipnis Architecture + Planning) Architect Nathan Kipnis’ plans utilized super-tight construction, skylights, and carefully calibrated air flow to increase natural light and ventilation while lowering energy usage. Landscape designer Julia Bunn enlivened the 400-square-foot roof with a green rooftop garden.

As the roof had to be clear for fire department access, Baker developed a cantilevered frame for double-sided solar collectors that is elevated a few feet above the rooftop. The frame’s tilted configuration actually allows the panels to collect more energy than traditional flat designs. Seen here before the panels were installed, the frame holds sixteen photovoltaic collectors and is a 3KV system—large enough to generate more energy than the house requires in a single year.

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Michael Doherty Construction completed the 5,900-square-foot house in 2017.

A bath overlooks the central water feature. A ladder leads up to a suspended net that's perfect for lounging.

The double-corner great room on the middle level spans 1,900 square feet.

Outfitted with shelves by EZ Shelving and a generic tool chest, the kitchen’s galvanized steel integrated counter and sink was designed by Baker and fabricated by DeFauw Design + Fabrication. A vintage pair of Norman Cherner’s Plycraft chairs and an A Chair by sustainable furniture-maker David Colwell surround a table by Pacassa Studios, which mounted a custom top on a Herman Miller Eames base. All appliances are electric, including heat-radiating panels, a combo washer-dryer unit, and an induction stove.

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Net screen by Charlotte Ryberg for Atelier Ryberg. See it at Swedish Milan Goes Milan, La Posteria, Via Sacchi 5.

High 'n Dry Cargo Net Developed in Rhode Island by a rope expert, the cargo net is sturdy yet lightweight and ideal for use in a kitchen to free up counter space.