When people think of famous green homes they may imagine mansions built by celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Julia Roberts, or Johnny Depp. However, these environmental mansions don’t begin to compare to the extreme green homes built by nature enthusiasts. These homes go a step further than solar panels and energy efficient toilets.
Here’s a look at five extreme green homes:
Earthships
These unique homes have been built around the world including France, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the US. Earthships are made from recyclable materials like glass bottles and tires. These homes operate on solar and wind energy. They have built in rain harvesting and sewage management systems.
Free Spirit Spheres
Canadian carpenter Tom Chudleigh creates small, but cozy pods that look like a pumpkin and hang from trees (10 to 15 feet off the ground). These adult-size tree houses have an interior diameter of only 10 feet 4 inches. These spheres come with a bed, lounging area, refrigerator, microwave, cupboards, and a sitting area.
Rocky Condos
In the Spanish Canary Islands the term “seafront condos” is taken to another level. On Tenerife Island there are cozy condos that are built into the coastal rocks. These homes are mostly constructed from rock and wood and the ocean water is just a few feet from their front walkway. The rocky cliff not only serves as a beautiful interior deigns it also manages to keep the home cool in summer months.
Hillside Shipping Container
In Wellington, New Zealand, Professor Ross Stevens of Victoria University, School of Design, built a home by recycling three grey shipping containers and stacking them against a green hillside. He used other recyclable materials so the outside looks very industrial. However, he created a more balanced look on the inside by exposing some of the natural rock from the hill within the home.
Lost in Paris House
Two French architects, R&Sie, created a house for four in South Paris and covered the building with 1,200 ferns. The structure itself is made from concrete, but the lively, green exterior is sustained through a complex, soil-less watering system with 300 glass containers. From a bird’s-eye-view the property looks like a miniature forest.