My roommate Amanda, probably the most eco-friendly person I know, tipped me off to this great new house design: the zeroHouse, designed by Scott Specht, AIA, of Specht Harpman, a New York- and Austin, TX-based architecture firm.

The tall, thin structure is completely self-dependent: It generates its own electricity via solar panels on the roof; collects its own water through a rainwater collection plane into a 2700 gallon cistern; processes its own waste in a digester unit underneath the house; and is completely automatic, "monitored by an array of sensors, and regulated by a 'house brain' that can be controlled through any laptop computer."

Not only built for efficiency, but also comfort, the zeroHouse feautres a living-room, kitchen, full bath and two bedrooms. The living and sleeping zones are fully climate controlled, with separate high-efficiency heating and air-conditioning systems.

The photos of the zeroHouse feature it alone in an otherwise humanless, nature-filled landscape. I'm sure it's meant to highlight the "off-the-grid" ability of the house, but I would love to see an entire block of zeroHouses in Boston.

(via ecofriend)