For the opening feature in City Architect, we present some amazing projects of family houses, with a green functionality. Others have simple green features, while others have a totally sustainable design. The Cradle to Cradle house for example can be called Popeye’s ideal home. It contains tiny spinach cells that generate power and move with the sun.
Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Home
Roanoke, Virginia
Coates Design Architects

zeroHouse has been designed with minimal disturbance to the earth in mind. Expected to be built in Texas or Vermont, the design already won the 2007 Studio Award from the Texas Society for Architects. The house becomes fully energy independent, the solar panels being able to operate continuously for up to one week with no sunlight

zeroHouse
Specht Harpman

14 architects were called in to participate at design sustainable homes for the “Make It Right” project, in an effort to help rebuild an area of New Orleans ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The “Make It Right” has impressive green features, such natural daylighting and ventilation, and use of recyclable materials. Swell House is a new way for appending new architecture to an older suburban house, that insulates during winter providing a cooling stacking effect to take place in warmer weather.

Make it Right Swell House
New Orleans, Louisiana Highland Park, New Jersey
Adjaye Associates Studio ST Architects and Z-A

The mkSolaire represents the sustainable design by architect Michelle Kaufmann, that will be solar-ready and abd feature renewable energy options such as a geothermal system, a wind generator system, or hybrid systems. To be built in the historic San Rafael Hills area of Pasadena, the EcoHouse will have solar panels that will supply power for the house.

mkSolaire Pasadena Eco House
Chicago, Illinois Pasadena, California
Michelle Kaufmann DesignsStudio RMA

The San Vicente residence in Santa Monica, California, features perforated metal skin, clerestory panels, and operable skylights, while the Sycamore House is both a home and laboratory. Located in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles. the Sycamore house is expected to be finished later this year, being elligible for a LEED Platinum rating. It runs primarily on photovoltaic power, with supplemental cooling provided by a geothermal system.

San Vicente Residence Sycamore House
Santa Monica, California Los Angeles, California
Pugh + Scarpa Kovac Architects