Once we’d decided to build a house on the section we bought in 2010, we began the exciting and fun process of finding inspirational house designs and information about how to build a sustainable house.
There are many books, apps and websites that cover the subject of how to build a sustainable house. Below is an overview of the ones I have used to draw inspiration:
Websites / apps:
www.inhabitat.com/architecture
This website tracks the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and home design towards a smarter and more sustainable future.
www.houzz.co.nz (www.houzz.com for the US version)
This website has a large database of house pictures that you can filter by rooms, styles, features, materials and budget.
Pinterest is well known and an endless source of beautiful houses and interiors to dream about and get inspiration from.
This website about small houses ranging from tiny homes, cabins, cottages to prefab modern houses.
Jen Reviews is a website which has reviewed a large range of products for in or around your home and lists the best option from security cameras to ideas like 15 Best Small Space Design ideas .
Books:
A deeper shade of green, Johan Bernhardt, 2008
Sustainable urban development, building and architecture in New Zealand.
A good source of sustainable practices, building processes and examples of sustainable houses in New Zealand.
Green Modern, Claire Mc Call, 2014
Eco conscious contemporary New Zealand homes. Contains an explanation of 20 eco principles and has many showcases of sustainable houses in New Zealand with a summary of sustainability features of the homes.
Green from the ground up, David Johnston, 2008
A bit outdated and focused on the US this book however gives a lot of practical building information on green building techniques and products.
Kiwi prefab, Pamela Bell & Mark Southcombe, 2012
Not specifically green focused, the book gives a history on prefab building in New Zealand and describes the techniques, companies and products involved.
Small Eco houses, Benitez & Vidiella, 2010
Nice pictures and examples.
And, still on my wish list is the book
Small house living, Catherine Foster, 2015
Input for your architect
Using all these different sources I created a pdf of my favorite selections of exteriors, interiors, outdoor areas as input for our architect to communicate the style we like.
Inspiration selection (15 MB so loading can take a while)
Below my top 5 of beautiful buildings. All out of reach for our budget but really stunning architecture.
Binomials House, Polidura + Talhouk, Chile
Moonlight Cabin, Jackson Clements Burrows, Australia
Casa Mar Azul, BAK, Argentina
Stealth Barn, Carl Turner, England
If you know good websites or books about small contemporary sustainable homes please let me know in the comments.
Margriet Geesink
One thought on “Getting inspiration. Creating input for the architect”