Book Review: Living Homes

A pleasure to look at, as well as an informative read, Living Homes by Suzi Moore McGregor and Nora Burba Trulsson features 22 sustainable residences built to complement the natural beauty of their surroundings in California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Utah.

Although these environmentally sensitive homes represent very different designs and executions, each reflects a growing trend toward the unity of home and the environment. Natural, energy-efficient building materials such as adobe, rammed earth, straw bale, and reinvented or recycled materials are explored in detail throughout Living Homes.

Stunning photography by Terrence Moore accompanies the perspectives of the homeowners, architects and builders involved in each of the homes. Living Homes includes discussions of site and location as well as materials, construction techniques and energy-efficiency methods employed. A guide to resources and a thorough bibliography help readers learn more about alternative building and sustainable construction.