What is known as living off the grid is possible, and Sustainable presents forty-five houses that demonstrate how architects use sustainable design concepts around the world. Among the examples presented here are buildings that minimize their physical footprint through placement ...What is known as living off the grid is possible, and Sustainable presents forty-five houses that demonstrate how architects use sustainable design concepts around the world. Among the examples presented here are buildings that minimize their physical footprint through placement above ground; houses where earth constitutes the chief building material and houses incorporating walls with plant material in the building's interior (also known as "living walls"); designs that increase natural light and avoid artificial means of illumination; dwellings that have been designed to let occupants grow their food ("indoor farming"); homes that allow their inhabitants to harvest and recycle water; and earth-sheltered homes.
Together these projects illustrate what vernacular design principles can teach us and make Sustainable a unique and authoritative presentation of the ingenuity and variety of sustainable design.