No Net Energy, No Net Water, No Waste In Portland [PHOTOS]

Full Plane Passive House

We tour an eco-friendly Portland, Oregon "living building" home that consumes no net energy, no net water, and sends no waste. Read more →

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Bulgarian Equinox Passive House Bows Before The Sun

This passive house in Bulgaria is built with its windows on a tilt to parallel the noon-time sun on the summer solstice. Image via Ignatov Architects.

The windows on the passive Equinox House in Bulgaria are angled outward to ensure that the noontime sun on the summer solstice is exactly parallel to the glazing to lessen solar gain. Read more →

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A Treehouse To Please Both Ewok And Hobbit

The interior of the Wilkinson House shows the swooping roof and signature circular main entrance. Image by Cameron Neilson via Robert Oshatz.

If an Ewok and a Hobbit collaborated on a house together, this passive-house design by Robert Oshatz for a Portland residence may be what they come up with. Read more →

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Green Roof Keeps Science Mixing Chamber Cool

The new Amsterdam University Colege building, showing its angled green roof. Image via Mecanoo.

A new college science building in the Netherlands employs sustainable techniques, such as a green roof, natural daylight and thermal massing, to help foster a sense of community. Read more →

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Hong Kong Opens First Zero-Carbon Building

Image of Zero Carbon Building campus via Ronald Lu & Partners.

Powered by solar energy and reclaimed biodiesel fuel, Hong Kong's Zero Carbon Building claims to be the first in the teeming city to produce more energy than it consumes. Read more →

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Modular California Roll House Designed To Beat Desert Heat

Image by Christopher Daniel via Violent Volumes

Taking ironic inspiration from the ocean, a Korean firm uses a sushi-like design to wrap a home environment in a passive, protective shroud to shield against the desert sun. Read more →

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New Passive Skating Rink Breaches In Belgium

Image by Marc Detiffe via L'Escault Architectures.

A new ice-skating rink using passive-house techniques has surfaced in the Belgian city of Liège that has green building advocates spouting as much praise as design critics. Read more →

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Passive Prefab Design Revitalizes Old Barcelona Home

Image via Calderon-Folch-Sarsanedas Arquitectes

Prefab construction and passive design have transformed a 1918 Barcelona row house into an efficient, modern home while reducing energy demand by 90 percent. Read more →

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Oregon Passive House Aims To Slash Energy Bills

Image via Hammer & Hands

Oregon's Pumpkin Ridge Passive House, currently being built with super-insulated walls and airtight windows, is expected to have energy bills that average just $50 per year. Read more →

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Can Green Buildings Help Us Survive The Next ‘Doomsday’?

A house in Union Beach, N.J., cut in half by Hurricane Sandy. Image via spleeness/Flickr.

Many passive green building strategies can soften the impact of natural disasters and make life more healthy and bearable for survivors during the recovery period. Read more →

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