10 Green Buildings

There's a new trend in architecture of designing eco-helpful green buildings. No, I don't mean the old lady's house down the street with the nuclear paint job, I'm talking about structures that are sustainable in that they are both energy and water efficient, and even made out of environmentally friendly materials.

Fortunately, this idea is really catching on, leading to some definitely unique and thought-provoking designs in terms of being long lasting and sustainable. HowStuffWorks has put together a list of 10 Sustainable Buildings showcasing some of the more inspiring green designs from around the country. And seriously, some of them are pretty cool.

They sport everything from cisterns that collect rainwater to irrigate the landscape to PV panels that collect solar energy to supply up to 60 or 70 percent of a building's energy consumption. In addition, there are even buildings like the Factor 10 House in Chicago, which sports a wall of recycled water bottles as well as other materials made from recycled goods.

To see the full list of green buildings, be sure to read more at HowStuffWorks. Exciting stuff for the future, for sure.