2008
Manny heads to Austin, Texas where one couple took an already green dream home and remodeled it to create a luxurious green oasis with a breathtaking view. Designed to stay cool naturally, the home features local limestone walls, recycled paper insulation, a heat-reflecting metal roof, and rolling aluminum shutters to help keep out the midday heat. Then, in northern Sweden, two architects designed a very unusual off the grid house in one of the country's nature reserves. It's called Accordion House because it expands accordion-style over a stream and folds up into itself during the cold weather. It's cutting edge design and open concept all the way with reindeer pelts lining the walls and a giant bathtub on the deck!
2008
Faced with a derelict 3000 square foot warehouse, a Chicago couple transforms it into a luxurious home, filled with unique green technology. Preserving 90 percent of the building's original brick shell, they installed solar panels, wind turbines, and an ingenious underground cooling system drilled into the bedrock. The sprawling home also features a lush central courtyard, a greenhouse, and a living roof. Two hours North of Sydney, this family's modern retreat proves you can live in complete comfort - completely off the grid. The home's unique green features include natural ventilation and a cinder block fireplace that retains heat for hours. The home also features sweeping valley views, and a unique sprinkler system to protect it from the area's common bush fires.
A couple in Toronto, Canada transformed an abandoned, bunker-like industrial warehouse into a green family sanctuary right in the heart of the city. Designed as a home and studio, the dwelling features open-concept,multi-functional spaces and furniture. Green features include smart ventilation, radiant concrete floors, and a courtyard that doubles as an outdoor living room. Nestled on 40-acres in New York's Catskill Mountains, this wedge-shaped, ultra modern chalet is made of natural, renewable, and recycled materials. Designed to capture light naturally, the compact 1,800 square foot home features a wall of insulated, translucent windows. It also boasts a panoramic deck, two-sided radiant fireplace, and a geothermal system for heating and cooling.