The Alavi House concept in Iran sits on the edge of the desert, with hardly any rainfall and year-round high temperatures. To get around this problem, the architects behind the house, BMDesign, designed the building with a sloped roof to create areas of negative pressure that help to ventilate the building and keep it cool. Sitting on top of this concrete house is a “double skin,” finished in new invisible Tesla solar cells, to truly make the most of life in the desert. This second layer can be opened or closed, meaning that in cold winter days the residents can open it and allow the afternoon sun to warm the roof while in the hot summer days, this second skin keeps the roof in shade.

Another building that takes a different approach to sustainable living is the “Tree Tower” that Penda and TIMBER are hoping to build in Toronto.

SOURCE DESIGN BOOM