Homebuyers not only want community, they want healthy lifestyles, they want to stay in touch with nature, and they want a comfortable—and energy-saving—home.

Enter Terramor, a sustainable master-planned community that will not only provide open space and access to nature, but also contribute to saving water and energy.

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When it comes to wasted energy, Panacea Retreat is a cure-all.

Thrive Home Builders’ Panacea Retreat offers a picture-perfect example of how to optimize energy efficient at every level in a new home.
The company’s two-story, 3,200-square-foot dwelling in Denver carries a HERS score of 8, brought about by the presence of just about every efficiency feature that can be found in a home: 9.76 kW of solar, a Tesla Powerwall, Level 2 vehicle-charging station prewire, 9-1/2-inch thick R-40 double-stud walls, 14-inch raised heel height trusses, a 0.97 EF tankless water heater with a smart recirculating pump, an 18.9 SEER variable speed heat pump, a 98 percent efficient backup furnace, 100 percent LED lighting—and more.

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This giant net-zero-ready community brings geothermal energy to a new high.

To understand the success of the Whisper Valley community in Austin, Texas, one has to look underground: The project’s geothermal loop energy supply system, GeoGrid, reduces each home’s energy consumption by 65 to 70 percent, cutting monthly heating costs by about 80 percent.

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This clever, compact Hawaiian bungalow has a tough side.

When a client asks David Sands to build a bamboo bungalow, it’s a source of joy for him. Sands’ company, Bamboo Living, specializes in housing made from the island’s fastest-growing and most-durable plant. But one request carried more pride than the others. One of Sands’ own employees wanted one of the stylish tiny shacks as a new home to celebrate her return to the Big Island of Hawaii after 12 years on the mainland.

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Here’s a smart home that’s safer, stylish and a whole lot of fun.

When The Mountain Life Companies decided to build green housing in Breckenridge, Colo., there was a key element it knew it had to include: The homes had to be smart.

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