Green House, The:
New Directions in Sustainable Architecture
Alanna Stang , Christopher Hawthorne

From the arid deserts of Tucson, Arizona to the icy forests of Poori, Finland to the tropical beaches of New South Wales, Australia to the urban jungle of downtown Manhattan, critics Alanna Stang and Christopher Hawthorne have traveled to the farthest reaches of the globe to find all that is new in the design of sustainable, or "green," homes. The result: more than thirty-five residences in fifteen countries—and nearly every conceivable natural environment—designed by a combination of star architects and heretofore unknown practitioners.

Six different climactic zones are presented in The Green House—waterfront, forest and mountain, tropical, desert, suburban, and urban; there is also a section on mobile dwellings. Each chapter features a series of homes that show the diversity and possibility of sustainable design. Projects are presented with large color images, plans, drawings, and an accompanying text that describes their green features and explains how they work with and in the environment.

Architects included: Santiago Calatrava, Shigeru Ban, Miller/Hull, Rick Joy, Lake Flato, Kengo Kuma, Glenn Murcutt, Pugh & Scarpa, Werner Sobek, and many others.

The Green House is not only a beautiful object in its own right, but is sure to be an indispensable reference for anyone building or interested in sustainable design—and if you ask us, that should be everyone.


Alanna Stang is Executive Editor of ID Magazine; Christopher Hawthorne is architecture critic for Slate and a frequent contributor to the New York Times.
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Editorial Reviews

Charlotte Magazine:
"It bursts with photographs of luxurious green homes, shattering myths that sustainable home can't be well-designed. " (September 2006)

Domino:
"A well-designed book about well-designed homes! I learned so much about the different kinds of earth-friendly buildings -- from an off-the-grid dwelling in Tasmania to a geothermal town house in New York." (March 2007)

Dwell:
"This thoughtful and surprisingly entertaining book by a former editor of I.D. magazine and the current Los Angeles Times architecture critic showcases the world's most stunning green houses." (Dec/Jan 2006)

Asid Icon:
"An indispensable guide for anyone interested in incorporating the environmental, economic and physiological benefits of living green." (July 2006)

Houses:
"If this book is any indication, the era where environmentally sustainable design and great architecture meet may be at hand... There are some beautifully resolved, intelligently realized residential projects that employ cutting-edge green technologies to limit their impact on the planet. Some of the concepts will astound and challenge your notions of eco-friendly design. " (July 2007)

Architectural Record:
"With its crisp photos and illustrations and detailed write-ups of each project, The Green House will serve as a handsome resource guide and inspiration for designers and their clients." (October 2005)

California Modern:
"Their lively book focuses on 29 projects worldwide selected for 'combining eye-catching contemporary architecture with sustainability.' The book both inspires and amuses, with concise writing and photos supplied by the architects." (Fall 2006)

Loft:
"With colorful images, plans, drawings and texts describing the houses' 'green' factor, this book is as poignant as it is refreshing." (September 2005)

My House In The Mountain States:
"This is a rich coffee table prize as well as a reference from which you'll find visual devices to emulate and sustainable features to pursue." (December 2005)

Metropolis:
"According to the authors of this smart international survey of 29 residential projects, the eco-friendly contemporary house has come a long way from the clunky structures of the 1960s and '70s. Stang and Hawthorne go so far as to posit the emergence of a new architecture-one both aesthetically pleasing and environmentally conscious . . . Pure + Applied's clean, understated format creates an elegant and informative backdrop for an array of important projects." (July 2005)

Star Tribune:
"This beautifully illustrated book is a world tour of architect-designed homes that conserve energy, reuse and recycle building materials and employ ingenious environmental bells and whistles without sacrificing looks." (August 17, 2005)

Town & Country:
"Demonstrates quite vividly that environmental responsibility and dazzling design are no longer mutually exclusive." (January 2006)

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