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Spring 2008

Features

The Science of Small
As a reproach of sorts to the McMansions that dot many American suburbs, a growing small-house renaissance is slowly seeping into the public consciousness and challenging issues of sustainability, simplicity, and efficiency. Size matters, but you don’t have to lose your style or your sanity to sustainably scale down. Learn how to live large in less space.

Shades of Green
So which hue are you? Thanks a USGBC checklist, it’s a snap to get a sense of your own home’s ecological-awareness factor. While the striations will vary depending on how closely your home resembles each point on the 11-item list—the more points you check off, the greener your home—the most important point to keep in mind is this: Any shade of green is better than no shade at all.

10 Top Green Gurus
Consider this your formal introduction to 10 of the top conscientious creators who focus on offering easy-on-the-earth products and services cloaked in stylish sensibility. These esteemed interior designers are a veritable think tank of genius advice on all things green, from repurposing resources and reimagining materials to retooling rooms and refurbing entire residences.

Innovative Homes Portfolio

Making a Buzz in Big D
Dubbed Buzz Lofts, this downtown Dallas condo development coupling art, architecture, and sustainability is sparking the revival of a once lackluster urban area. Despite compact sizes—four floor plans range in size from 814 to 1,250 square feet—smart design evokes feelings of ample space. And though the project had proceeded too far by the time certification was considered, Buzz is aggressively green, with 22 LEED-compliant attributes, which is definitely buzzworthy!

Gleaming the Cubes
Built to the dimensional limits of the property, the spare but stalwart duo deemed “The Cubes” utilizes every square inch of space to the maximum potential. Although square-footage is at a premium—the length, width, and height of each are 28 feet—the well-engineered floor plan creatively makes the most of its plot with a gracious and ultra-private rooftop garden affording epic views of the adjacent mountains.

Modern Revival
The Alexander Residences boast a clean-lined, minimalist aesthetic that sharply juxtaposes the traditional craftsman style dotting the street in Seattle’s Central District. Though each home measures an approximate 1,480 square feet of heated space, the three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath dwellings elicit a spacious ambiance, and the 600-square-foot roof decks allow for outdoor entertaining amidst the urban locale.

Departments

Style File
Check out our favorite eco-fab finds in furnishings that will dress up and deck out even the smallest of spaces.

Eco Exteriors
The Living Roof: A crowning glory that’s emerging in spades, the living roof is a top-notch way to promote the planet while propping up your domestic paradise.

Ask the Editor
Stumped by a perplexing problem that you just can’t solve sans advice? We’re here to help. Get the 411 on what readers were wondering about this issue.

Design Focus
Curve Appeal: While curves may lean toward the unexpected in modern motifs, a more shapely style is emerging with lauded likeability.

Green Goods
A Firm Foundation: Take the high ground at home with this nuts-and-bolts roundup of the green-flooring options currently afoot in the shelter industry.

Smart Home
The Power of One: A well-planned home technology system can lead to more control and less cost (and it’s good for the planet, too!).

Building Trends
Seals of Approval: A little extra padding is a very good thing, but the best new insulation products are green throughout their life cycles.

Etc.
Device Disposal 101: Try out top 5 site selections for recycling your old gadgets and gizmos.