Name: Zero Energy Idea House
Homeowners: Donna and Riley Shirey
Location: Bellevue, Washington
Size: 1630 square feet
Date completed: April, 2009
Meaningful design, sustainability, eco-conscious are all terms we’d like to use when describing our homes. But this is a house that can truly boast such expressions. The Zero Energy Idea House, perched over the shores of Lake Sammamish, is a real house built for a real family who have been dedicated to building sustainable homes for over 22 years.




















Visiting the shack is not just like visiting a different place, its visiting a different time. The shack is an English holiday cottage from yesteryear, with cleverly chosen decor, furniture and appliances that take you back but also seem totally genuine and appropriate. Few homes could evoke such strong emotions and feelings as this one, even in those too young to have witnessed this style. A great example of the power of design...
Located in the picturesque and historic Chicago neighborhood, Ravenswood Manor, this home is a future forward ‘American Four-Square’ house, updated to be green with a super insulated envelope, passive and active solar elements, a green roof and lots of reused and reclaimed goodies…

When Matthew and Emma bought their 6th floor apartment in the East Village, they knew they wanted it to be filled with natural living things and to convey the sense that "nature was taking the apartment back, like a small plant growing from a crack in the sidewalk." Inspired by the Japanese notion of multi-use and transforming spaces, their home is a tribute to environmentally-friendly design in every aspect, from the custom formaldehyde free, FSC-certified wood cabinets to the amazing plant wall...











