6 eco-friendly homes
It doesn't hurt to look!
Hubbardston, Massachusetts. This 2004 four-bedroom home gets electricity from its own solar energy system and heat from a geothermal multizone hydronic system. The open-plan house has high ceilings, a granite fireplace, two sunrooms, and a gourmet kitchen with floor-to-ceiling custom cabinets.
The 15.65-acre property includes fields, gardens, a subterranean greenhouse, an outdoor shower and hot tub, a two-story garage, and a blueberry patch with a 60-pound annual yield. $1,550,000. Linda Bourgeois, Coldwell Banker Realty, (978) 340-5424.
Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. LEED-certified "Sans Souci" has hot-water radiant heat, air filtration, and a cistern for water collection. The five-bedroom house stands on 6.3 acres overlooking the Delaware River canal and features a wood-burning fireplace, chef's kitchen with walk-in pantry and Amish cabinetry, main suite with balcony, child's bedroom with secret entrance, home theater, and four-season sunroom.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Outside are a veranda, a patio with firepit, and a deck. $2,195,000. Douglas Pearson, Kurfiss Sotheby's International Realty, (267) 907-2590.
Lahaina, Hawaii. Designed to take advantage of Maui's sunshine, this four-bedroom single-level home uses solar panels for electricity and seven solar tubes for light. The open-plan interior is finished with bamboo and tile floors, stealth ceiling fans, and sliding windows and doors.
The half-acre lot includes lawns, lanai areas, tropical landscaping, and a three-car garage, comes with access to the community's clubhouse, and is minutes from Kaanapali Beach. $3,698,000. Raymond S.F. Chin, Hawaii Life/Luxury Portfolio International, (808) 344-2677.
Napa, California. This passive-solar circular home by architect Craig Henritzy is built with energy-efficient Rastra Block. The three-bedroom house, influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, features reclaimed teak and natural stone, an open-flame fireplace, and a sunken-amphitheater living room.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The 7.75-acre wooded property has walled stone patios and pathways, a fountain-wall entrance, and views of San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. $5,000,000. Sieba Peterson, Golden Gate Sotheby's International Realty, (707) 932-1276.
Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Part of Indigo Park, a Platinum LEED–certified resort community, this five-bedroom home was built with sustainable materials, a standing-seam metal roof, and geothermal heating and cooling.
The house includes a great room with floor-to-ceiling hurricane-rated windows, and a vaulted main suite with a balcony. Outside are a forest-certified garapa-wood porch, a deck with a lap pool, native landscaping, and a garage with electric-car charging capacity; the beach, Sasanqua Spa, and River Course are nearby. $3,200,000. Lisa Berl, Kiawah Island Real Estate, (843) 768-4277.
Hillsborough, North Carolina. This Energy Star/Net Zero two-bedroom home is in a "pocket neighborhood," a cluster of homes designed to promote community. The house has solar panels and eco-friendly metal roof and fiber-cement siding; hardwood floors, vaulted ceiling, and built-ins; an open gourmet kitchen with granite counters; a vaulted living room with fireplace; and a walkout basement.
The lot includes front and back decks and professional garden landscaping with native plants. $425,000. Tina Caul, eXp Realty, (919) 665-8210.
This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.
-
4 ways to give back this holiday season
The Explainer If your budget is feeling squeezed, remember that money is not the only way you can be generous around the holidays
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
4 tips for hosting an ecofriendly Thanksgiving
The Week Recommends Coming together for the holidays typically produces a ton of waste, but with proper preparation, you can have an environmentally friendly gathering.
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published