From living roofs to rainwater harvesting: the future of sustainable homes
Architects are increasingly incorporating sustainable features like living roofs, rainwater harvesting, and passive ventilation into single-family home designs. The trend emphasizes using regional materials and climate-responsive strategies to reduce the environmental impact of housing.
Why it matters
As climate change impacts global housing, these architectural innovations provide a blueprint for more resilient and energy-efficient living spaces.
From living roofs to rainwater harvesting: the future of sustainable homes | Culture | The Guardian
Designers around the world are radically reimagining homes for the climate era. ‘Twenty or 30 years ago, sustainability was often treated as a specialist concern,’ said Philip Jodidio, author of Homes for Our Time: Sustainable Living, published earlier this year. ‘Today it shapes almost every discussion about housing, from materials and energy use to land consumption and resilience.’ Ken Nishiguchi’s Earth House, in Okazaki, Japan, is built from reclaimed stone from an abandoned local quarry Photograph: ToLoLo studio/Taschen
Homes for Our Time features 63 single-family projects from around the world. Andrés Jaque’s Rambla Climate-House, in south-eastern Spain, uses a rainwater-harvesting and gray water-recycling system Photograph: Jose Hevia/Taschen
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