Net Zero

Talina Edwards is the very first female in Australia to complete a certified Passivhaus. Owl Woods Passive House is only one of 20 certified Passivhaus projects in Australia and boasts a design that is sustainable, functional and flexible.

​A home in Stanford, California, commissioned by a professor at the area's esteemed university, will have a net zero energy usage once it has been built. That build process too, though, is low-impact, employing a recycled light steel frame that is quick to erect and easy to build upon.

We've featured Dwell Development a number of times for its forward-thinking, green homes. Now, however, it has upped the ante with the completion of a 42-home sustainable micro-community in Seattle, US, called New Rainier Vista.

The recently-completed Pond House at Ten Oaks Farm is located on a large rural plot in Southeast Louisiana, USA. Created by Louisianan firm Holly & Smith Architects, the stunning home boasts an enviable blend of luxury and energy-efficient design in a bid to reach net zero energy consumption.

Lots of people have a home office, but few homes are designed to be literally part office. Dwell Developments' new Live/Work homes in Seattle, however, are exactly that home-office hybrid. They're aimed at improving the lifestyles and environmental footprints of their residents.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens was recently awarded Living Building certification for its Center for Sustainable Landscapes facility. Now, the organization is hoping to follow suit with a new on-site classroom. The SEEDclassroom is only one of two of its kind in the US.

The CSL at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens has become the first building to obtain the world's four highest sustainable building standards, according to Phipps. The facility has just added Living Building Challenge certification to its list of credits.

When we think about sustainable homes, we tend to think about energy usage. A new home in Columbia City, US, can claim to not only be energy efficient, but to make sustainable use of materials. Reclaimed Modern has near net zero energy consumption and uses reclaimed metal, wood and concrete.

Braving a harsh winter with snow-covered solar panels, a net-zero energy home in Washington DC has come up trumps in a year-long study of its energy harvesting capabilities. Researchers even found enough of a surplus to power an electric car for 1,440 miles (2,317 km).

The American Institute of Architects has revealed its 2014 selection of top ten green buildings in the US. The list includes some lesser-publicized green-building projects, such as a homeless shelter, a treehouse, and even a Net-Zero energy courthouse.

Illawarra Flame is a net-zero house, but wasn't always that way. The environmentally-friendly house was formerly an energy-inefficient "fibro house" – that is, until students from the University of Wollongong got hold of it.

SCI-Arc and Caltech students joined forces to produce a net-zero micro-home concept dubbed "DALE," which expands in size to offer more living space.