Book Review - The Green House: New Directions In Sustainable Architecture

The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture, by Alan Stang and Chrsitopher Hawthorne (Princeton Architecural Press, 2005), is one of my favorite books.

This book presents sustainable architecure in the context of modernist homes, rather than the typical earthy-crunchy form highlighted by many popular books on green design. Examples include a minimalist rammed-earth house in Tucson by achitect Rick Joy, the fabulously unconvential Naked House by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, and OMD’s stunning Sea Train House made almost entirely of recycled materials, including used sea containers.

From left to right - OMD Seatrain, Shigeru Ban Naked House, Tucson Mountain house by Rick Joy

The Green House is packed with great photos and shows floorplans for almost every home. It has a directory of featured architects and an index of green resources - all listed with websites. Homes from city, country and suburbs are all featured, as are projects from many countries including the U.S., China, Japan, Austria, Finland, Canada, Australia and others. The text covers a wide range of subjects in an easy-to-read style that is informative and thought provoking, but without any pretense.

I pick this book up more often than any other in my library, and cannot recommend it highly enough. Available on Amazon.com.

Image Credits: OMD site, Shigeru Ban site, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards