Another issue, another book on sustainable houses, this time New Natural Home. It is clear that the “natural” house has gone from just a feel-good fad to a fully fledged industry, with homeowners acknowledging that it is critically important that our homes are green and sustainable if we are to help the environment. And so, with that consciousness, we look for inspiration. We look to a prefab desert house in the Coachella Valley, California and the way it uses recycled steel and solar panels to achieve its green credentials. We look to a barn-inspired home in Suffolk, UK, where recycled paper is used for insulation and water is pumped from a dedicated well. These projects and more than twenty others show us the true meaning of living not only sustainably, but also stylishly.
Dominic Bradbury, Thames & Hudson, 2011, 256 pp, RRP $49.95.