1.Wind catcher, for summer ventilation
2.Solar array at back of house for hot water and electricity
3.High-level of wall insulation
4.Biomass boiler

The UK has unveiled its first zero emission home that will set the environmental standard for all new homes in the future. The two-bedroom house is insulated to lose 60% less heat than a normal home. It also features solar panels, a biomass boiler and water efficiency devices such as rainwater harvesting. The design, unveiled at the Offsite 2007 exhibition in Watford, meets rules to be applied in 2016 that aim to make UK homes more energy-efficient. - Read more on BBC

Rolf Disch has designed a new house with a solar-collecting array on top that follows the Sun all day long, but the real feat of engineering comes from the structure itself. The entire house rotates on a central axle. The front of the house is composed of triple-glazed glass to point toward that glowing ball of gas in the sky during the winter, while a heavily insulated backside rotates around to keep the heat at bay during those warm summer months.

And that balcony you see at the top? That isn’t a simple railing system; those are solar vacuum tubes for heating water and moving it throughout the house. This house is so energy efficient it actually generates more energy than it needs. And I thought the five-star energy rating for my new home was a big deal.

The house has been the personal residence of the Architect since 1994.