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The Lomonts bought many of the Danish and midcentury-modern furnishings for these rooms through eBay. "That's part of the re-use side of sustainability," Michael says.

The living space feels larger than it is thanks to a deck on the south side, as well as a separate covered porch west of the living room that filters the afternoon sunlight. (Two porches—why not?) Lomont says the public spaces are his favorite part of the house: "The details are very simple and it has a real Zen presence in its simplicity."

The layout was designed in part for efficient zoning of the heating and air conditioning system. Thermostats are connected to timers and operate only when rooms are in use. "It doesn't make sense to burn energy when you don't have to," Lomont says.

Outside, the landscaping saves both water and energy. Since the house is close to the street, a large front yard was unnecessary. Mature trees both shade the house in summer and prevent the site's topsoil from eroding—a common problem in overdeveloped suburban areas. Aside from a small patch of turf where their children play in the backyard, the area around the house is planted with native and drought-tolerant flora requiring little maintenance or irrigation.

Lomont did pay a premium for some of the more complex (and largely invisible) green features. To keep the house free of energy-sapping drafts, he used foam insulation that was blown into the wall cavities rather than conventional insulation cut to fit and installed by hand. The geothermal heating and cooling system uses water pumped through a system of underground pipes to remove hot (or cool) air and transfer it deep into the earth; solar panels installed above the covered porch provide enough energy to power this system.