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Building Better Houses is Good for People and for the Planet

In honor of Earth Day, we've compiled some of Fine Homebuilding's best articles and videos on sustainable design and construction to inspire you to create comfortable homes that save energy and materials and sit more lightly on the land.

As homeowners, architects, or builders, one of the best ways we can be good stewards of the environment is to build homes that use less natural resources, both in their construction and in their operation. There are some added benefits to doing this: Thoughtfully designed houses are typically more comfortable, more durable, and more economical to build and live in. So whether you’re looking for ways to do your part to preserve and enjoy the natural world around you, or you just want to enjoy living in a better house, we’re sure you’ll find some inspiration in the following collection of articles and videos.

  • Design 1
    Exploiting the Elements of Passive Design

    This home uses five systems to reduce its environmental impact, lower its operating cost, and improve its connection to the land.

  • Design 2
    What Makes A Pretty Good House?

    High-performance-home designer Michael Maines takes a detailed look at the new low-carbon edition of the grassroots building standard.

  • Design 3
    Row of small cottages behding a green lawn
    Building for a Changing Climate is a Necessity

    Architectural designer Marianne Cusato draws on her experience designing disaster-recovery homes to offer insight into climate-responsive housing development.

  • Design 4
    Energy efficient. Energy bills for this Pretty Good House in Maine averaged about $33 a month from 2016 to 2017.
    What’s the Definition of “Green Building”?

    Martin Holladay analyzes 10 factors for eco-friendly home design.

  • Design 5
    West Coast Solar

    Take a look inside this award winning California home that combines traditional passive-solar strategies with new-age materials.

  • Tools & Materials 6
    Making Passive House Mainstream
    Making Passive House Mainstream

    Chris Corson says someone has to elevate American housing, and he’s ready for the job.

  • Design 7
    small secluded garden deck
    Living Lightly on the Whole Lot

    In a dense urban neighborhood, this remodeled bungalow goes green with recycled materials, solar energy, gray water, and room for the owners’ day jobs.

  • Design 8
    Stepping Off the Grid in Hill Country

    This Texas house borrows from the ground and the sky to achieve net-zero energy use and complete water independence.

  • 9
    wood fiber insulation
    In Favor of Wood-Fiber Insulation

    Learn about the benefits, properties, and installation methods of this unique insulation developed in Germany.

  • How-To 10
    A Case for Double-Stud Walls

    Straightforward construction, common materials, and low embodied carbon are just some of the benefits of this superinsulated assembly.

  • How-To 11
    The Evolution of Efficiency: Net Zero as the New Normal

    Experimentation and learning have led one builder to integrate energy-smart techniques into everyday construction.

  • Tools & Materials 12
    Cellulose: The Perfect Insulation

    Cost-effective, versatile, and green, cellulose may be the hardest-working insulation available.

  • Design 13
    passive house diagram
    What Are Passive Houses?

    These high-performance building standards and certification guidelines help architects and builders create comfortable, super-energy-efficient houses.

  • 14
    MartinHolladay
    FHB Summit: How to Build Well, Simply

    Energy Nerd Martin Holladay presents a no-nonsense guide to minimizing costs and maximizing energy-efficiency when building a new home.

  • 15
    Climate Change for Builders: The Biggest Opportunity

    Faced with consequences equivalent to a giant asteroid set to hit the earth in 10 to 50 years, we designers and builders owe it to the future to do our part—and we need to start right now.

  • Design 16
    Extreme Green

    The world’s first Living Building Challenge–certified home is a study in integrated, sustainable design.

  • Design 17
    Does Passive-solar Design Actually Save Energy?
    Does Passive-Solar Design Actually Save Energy?

    Given that today’s houses are better insulated and a lot more airtight than they used to be, Martin Holladay argues that passive-solar design no longer makes sense.

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