About a year ago, we first brought you news of Method Homes and their plan to build a prefab cabin in Glacier, Washington.  And they built the inaugural Method Cabin in about three months.  Now, Method Homes, in collaboration with Balance Architects, is officially launching the Balance S-M-L Series of prefab designs with three main models: small, medium, and large.  Of note, these prefab models have been designed to arrive 95% complete within three months of purchase.  The models range in size from 540 to 856 square feet, and in price from $98,000 to $148,000. 

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Here's another fascinating home by ZeroEnergy Design (see previously covered Truro Residence).  It'scurrently under construction, with foundation, framing, and sheathing complete — the rest is on schedule for completion in Fall 2009.  The 2300 square foot home features three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, and a combination yoga studio/art room for the owners.  The lakefront home features strategically placed windows that both provide a view of water and take advantage of passive solar heating and lighting.  Some of the other planned green features include:

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Solarsmith, a green building firm out of Santa Fe, New Mexico, recently helped Betsy Armstrong and Richard Barr build an eco-friendly, traditional southwest-style home in the foothills of Santa Fe.  The residence's roof is filled with solar panels, which are tied into the grid, helping to heat water for the radiant floors, exercise pool and appliances.  Excess energy is fed to neighboring homes.

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Wow, isn't this home striking?  It's a green house and a house meant to act like a true greenhouse — the steel-framed structure is enveloped in alternating layers of insulated transparent glass and translucent polycarbonate plates, so when the sun comes through the glass and heats up the interior, the insulation in the glass keeps the heat inside.  The insulation and translucent materials also provide a level of privacy, particularly on the first level, whereas the glass is featured prominently in the more public areas of the home. 

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If you've ever been to Taiwan, you'll probably agree that this design for Chinatrust Bank's headquarters is spot on for the region.  Taiwan is so lush and green — the extensive allowance for green roofs, vertical courtyards, and open space in the central plaza likely blends right in to the terrain.  Designed by the LA office of NBBJ, with the assistance of local firm Fei & Cheng Associates, the development includes a 30-story headquarters building, 21-story commercial office building, 10-story hotel, and four-level retail center.  The development just broke ground earlier this month and will end up with 2.5 million square feet by about 2012. 

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