These groundbreaking homes are stylish AND sustainable
Tired of household bills draining your bank account each month? Airtight, energy-efficient and eco-friendly, a passive home could help you wave goodbye to costly outgoings for good. From sealed structures to renewable technology, these beautiful properties around the world keep running costs to a bare minimum – and don’t worry, there’s space for the whole family. Click or scroll for more…
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TreeHaus, Utah, USA
Nestled into a slope in the middle of a forest, this elegant home, clad in blackened cedar planks, is at one with its woodland surroundings. Named the TreeHaus, the eco-friendly project was designed and built by architect Chris Price, who oversees architecture and construction practice Park City Design+Build.
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TreeHaus, Utah, USA
Located at an elevation of 7,000 feet near the Utah ski resort of Park City, the unique woodland home was designed to meet strict passive house standards. The property’s staggered storeys cascade down the hillside, with each level orientated at a slightly different angle, creating a sheltered terrace to the side of the home.
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TreeHaus, Utah, USA
Inside, black beams and metalwork contrast with luminous white walls and pale wood floors. The thick exterior cladding offers an impressive level of thermal insulation, keeping the home’s interior warm and cosy in the bitter winter months.
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TreeHaus, Utah, USA
The airtight retreat offers an array of stylish modern living zones, from the sociable open-plan living area to the balconies that flank the home’s numerous levels. There’s plenty of space for the whole family to stretch out too, with four sizeable bedrooms located across the first floor and fourth floor.
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A House for All Seasons, Victoria, Australia
Located in inner-city Melbourne, this contemporary family home has been designed with energy efficiency in mind. Built with an airtight, passive design, everything from the orientation of the windows to the durability of the construction materials has been meticulously planned.
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A House for All Seasons, Victoria, Australia
Designed by Polystudio, the contemporary home was also created to stand the test of time – the architects wanted the property to meet the changing needs of a young family, with an array of multipurpose rooms. In the open-plan living space, a partition curtain offers a flexible way of dividing the dining area from the lounge, while still allowing light to filter through.
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A House for All Seasons, Victoria, Australia
Across the interior, warm wood sits alongside crisp white surfaces, punctuated by vibrant pops of colour. Large picture windows draw light and heat into the stylish living accommodation, while the energy-efficient structure moderates the temperature for a warm, comfy environment.
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A House for All Seasons, Victoria, Australia
Outside, a brick terrace, accessed by sliding glass doors, offers the ideal place for dinner parties to spill out in the balmy Melbourne summers. A slatted panel shields diners from direct sunlight, while concrete planters and foliage create an urban oasis in the midst of the city.
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Outhouse, Gloucestershire, UK
Evoking the lines of classic Brutalist architecture, this angular concrete home excels in both form and function. Shortlisted for RIBA’s House of the Year in 2016, the airtight home is found in the village of Brockweir in Gloucestershire and comes with an impressive array of eco-credentials.
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Outhouse, Gloucestershire, UK
Situated on a sloping plot, the 5,000-square-foot property is surprisingly sleek and unobtrusive, hovering just above the rural landscape. A grass roof helps to insulate the structure, blurring the line between the residence and the surrounding meadows, while adjacent solar panels generate electricity for the home.
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Outhouse, Gloucestershire, UK
Expanses of glass frame the rolling hills, drawing in light and solar gains to warm the eclectic living spaces. The property recorded an impressive airtightness level of 0.49 h-1@50Pa, which is well within the threshold for passive house classification.
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Outhouse, Gloucestershire, UK
Fitted with underfloor heating and a ground source heat pump that regulates the home’s temperature, the cutting-edge concrete property is as comfortable as it is stylish. Currently on the market with The Modern House, this airtight escape can be yours for $3.5 million (£2.7m).
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Barn-style family home, New York, USA
Inspired by the historic farm buildings found throughout New York’s Hudson Valley, this modern barn-style home has no energy or maintenance costs. The innovative home was designed by North River Architecture and uses an array of insulating materials to keep the structure airtight.
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Barn-style family home, New York, USA
Spanning 2,755 square feet, the interior comprises a series of flexible living spaces, designed to be easily reconfigured when the homeowner’s needs change in the future. Bursts of colour add personality, while smooth concrete floors evoke a raw, industrial edge.
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Barn-style family home, New York, USA
Built to a strict budget, the architects wanted to show that passive house design can be both a beautiful and affordable home design route. Sustainably grown, water-resistant cork was used across the interior and exterior of the property to add insulation and soundproofing.
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Barn-style family home, New York, USA
To ensure construction costs were kept relatively low, contractors with no previous experience in passive design were trained on site, while surplus materials were used to reduce waste. Powered by a 9kW solar PV set-up, the impressive home also has a metering agreement with the local utility company, meaning the homeowner’s energy bills are cancelled out by the energy they return to the grid each year. Not a bad deal!
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Crossway, Kent, UK
Crossway, designed by architect Richard Hawke, was the first certified passive house in England, receiving an A+ rating on its Energy Performance Certificate. It was featured on the homebuilding TV show Grand Designs, wowing presenter Kevin McCloud with its self-supporting brick archway.
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Crossway, Kent, UK
The home’s 65-foot roof span features a Catalan vault, which is an old construction method from the 14th century. It comprises a layer of 26,000 locally handmade clay tiles, with a green roof installed on top to help insulate the property. The roof also harvests rainwater to recycle for use throughout the house.
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Crossway, Kent, UK
The property has a biomass boiler for passive heating, while a combination solar electric and solar hot water array provides endless renewable energy. The structure also incorporates phase change materials (PCM) – substances that can release energy as they change from solid to liquid and back again, similar to hand warmer packs – to store heat in the winter and to help regulate the temperature in warmer weather.
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Crossway, Kent, UK
Triple-glazed windows to the south of the home help to keep the interior cosy, while a vacuum-insulated front door offers the equivalent of 20 inches of foam insulation. Airtight and sustainably built, the eco-house makes a yearly energy profit thanks to its innovative design.
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Modern townhouse, New York, USA
Situated in the heart of New York City’s Columbia Waterfront District, this sleek modernist townhouse was constructed to meet meticulous passive house standards. Previously on the market back in 2018 for $4.5 million (£3.6m), the sustainable city pad certainly isn’t short on style either.
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Modern townhouse, New York, USA
Fitted out with state-of-the-art technology, including radiant underfloor heating and Miele appliances, the home’s airtight design helps to keep energy costs low. In the kitchen, light wood and marble create a bright and airy scheme, while glass doors, stretching the width of the room, lead out to a garden – perfect for alfresco dining.
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Modern townhouse, New York, USA
The four impeccable bedrooms are decked out in the same pared-back neutral palette. Triple-gazed floor-to-ceiling windows ensure swathes of sunlight flood the home, while the structure’s innovative passive design keeps the internal temperature comfortable no matter the season.
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Modern townhouse, New York, USA
Outside, the raised deck descends into a private courtyard – a peaceful oasis in the hubbub of the Big Apple. Framed by high wood-clad walls, the idyllic suntrap offers complete privacy from neighbouring townhouses.
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Kettering House, Tasmania, Australia
Nestled in the rural idylls of Tasmania, Kettering House is an off-grid oasis with a long list of eco-friendly features. Built by Skookom, the remarkable home was around six years in the planning.
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Kettering House, Tasmania, Australia
The innovative home features a 4kW solar arrangement that produces electricity to run the property, in conjunction with a hydro-generator. The house creates so much excess energy that the homeowners have even bought an electric car to make use of the surplus.
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Kettering House, Tasmania, Australia
The property’s design is solar passive, with its north-east orientation soaking up sunshine to heat the separate wings. While the home isn’t reliant on traditional energy sources, it doesn’t scrimp on interior finishes, with stunning light-filled living spaces, handsome wood ceilings and swathes of windows framing the stunning views.
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Kettering House, Tasmania, Australia
Kettering House is incredibly water-efficient too, featuring composting toilets in its two bathrooms. Greywater is treated via grease traps and reed bed systems, then recycled and used to irrigate the orchard. Talk about a smart house!
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Country cottage, Vermont, USA
Clad in charming wood shingles, this characterful country retreat is a far cry from the angular, modern architecture that often springs to mind when we think of passive houses. Found in Morristown, Vermont the quaint cottage has more than a few tricks up its sleeve…
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Country cottage, Vermont, USA
Offering light, airy living spaces framed by warm wooden beams, the home’s endearing design is as airtight as they come, fulfilling all passive house standards. The eco-friendly hideaway also boasts state-of-the-art stainless steel appliances and high-speed Wi-Fi, so you can still stay connected to the outside world.
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Country cottage, Vermont, USA
Nestled in the eaves, the bedrooms have just as much character as the rest of the home, from the wood-panelled ceilings to the clever built-in storage cubbies. The sealed structure offers impressive levels of insulation and moisture resistance, keeping the interior warm in the biting winter and cool in the hot Vermont summer.
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Country cottage, Vermont, USA
Available to rent, the innovative property also includes a peaceful outdoor dining terrace and firepit, perfect for whiling away an evening under the stars. If we feel like laying low and escaping the rat race for a while, we know where we’ll be heading!
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Bamboo passive house, Île-de-France, France
The first certified passive house in France’s populous Île-de-France region, this remarkable feat of architecture was created by Parisian architecture firm Karawitz. Clad in unusual bamboo panels, the groundbreaking property was built on a surprisingly modest budget of $330,000 (£267k) back in 2009.
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Bamboo passive house, Île-de-France, France
Swathes of folding bamboo screens adorn the façade, allowing light to filter through the slats. In the warmer months, the panels can be opened up to integrate the interior with the large garden outside.
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Bamboo passive house, Île-de-France, France
The living spaces are spread across a generous open floor plan, with a tactile pairing of light timber and concrete flooring carrying through the natural palette from the exterior. An array of solar panels affixed to the roof help supply the home with power.
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Bamboo passive house, Île-de-France, France
South-facing triple-glazed windows ensure the interior is airtight and insulated, while a heat recovery ventilation system allows fresh air to circulate. Inspired by rural barns in the local area, this unusual dwelling pairs the best of traditional architecture with modern, innovative materials. A stylish living space with minimal bills sounds like a win to us!
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