List

Energy-Efficient Houses

Explore these examples of high-performance homes to get inspiration for your own energy-saving home projects.

Design 1

21st-Century Modern Farmhouse Gets the Big Things Right
This compact, innovative home manages design and construction best practices on a budget.
Design 2

How to Build a Super-Efficient Small House on a Budget
Six key elements make this compact home an affordable, comfortable, and healthy place to live.
Design 3

DIY Passive House
This is the story of an energy-efficient house, a rain tank, an incredible view, and two determined homeowners who didn’t quite realize what they were getting themselves into.
Design 4

A House that Stays Cool Deep in the Heat of Texas
Insulation, air-sealing, and efficient mechanicals keep this house comfortable in the hot, humid weather.
Design 5

Passive House Perfection
This compact farmhouse achieves home building’s highest performance standard without a shred of aesthetic compromise.
Design 6

Exploiting the Elements of Passive Design
This home uses five systems to reduce its environmental impact, lower its operating cost, and improve its connection to the land.
Design 7

A Higher Standard for Energy Efficiency
A practical design delivers a remarkably airtight, super-insulated home on a modest budget.
Design 8

Best New Home 2018: Suburban Shift
Timeless styling with a modern twist makes this new home stand out in a post-war New England neighborhood.
Design 9

Net-Positive in New England
This new home blends the nostalgia of a traditional Massachusetts farmhouse with the needs of a 21st-century family.
Design 10

Neighborhood Net Zero
This builder-friendly spec house fills out a narrow lot in a contemporary community.
Design 11

A Sustainable Farmhouse with Roots in Tradition
A Vermont architect uses the state’s energy-efficiency guidelines to craft a new zero-energy home steeped in traditional character.
Design 12

Stepping Off the Grid in Hill Country
This Texas house borrows from the ground and the sky to achieve net-zero energy use and complete water independence.
Design 13

Cold-Climate Collaboration for an Energy-Smart Home
A Maine architect designs Michigan’s first certified Passive House to be rooted in tradition.
Design 14

Passive House Perfection
This compact farmhouse achieves home building’s highest performance standard without a shred of aesthetic compromise.
Design 15

Best Small Home 2019: Small and Skinny Spec Home
This 1650-sq.-ft. urban home challenges market norms with a thoughtful modern design.
Design 16

Best Small Home 2018: Small House Has It All
A little house on an urban infill lot leaves room for gardens and play, and lives larger than its diminutive footprint.
Design 17

Environmentally Responsible and Energy-Efficient Coastal Home
Thoughtful planning and materials choices helped this house achieve net-zero energy with very little impact on its site.

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