In the heart of a densely populated Washington, D.C. neighborhood that has easy access to public transportation and bicycle routes, this historically-protected Georgetown rowhouse (circa 1800s) received a restoration treatment that brought it into the 21st century and helped it to achieve LEED Platinum certification.

Environmentally sustainable modifications to the 3,300 square foot home came in at $269 per square foot and had to be approved by the neighborhood’s stringent historic preservation review process.

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Residential designer, Keith Dewey, has designed what is considered to be the first shipping container building in Canada: a home in which he lives with his wife and daughter in Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia. Built on a 42 by 40 foot lot, the home comprises 2,000 square feet of living space and was constructed of eight twenty-foot shipping containers that were modified to include windows, doors, and a “proper roof.”

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In a recent article on Indian Country Today Media Network, journalist Nate Seltenrich covered the sustainable building initiatives of several Native American tribes who were the country’s “original green builders.” Through efforts to improve upon substandard housing and economic hardships, indigenous populations are returning to traditional methods of home construction while incorporating modern technologies. Contemporary sustainability calls tribal members back to their cultural heritage and opens up avenues for attainable home ownership and lower energy costs, with the potential to revitalize communities.

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