The Oxford Ecohouse was the subject of the seminal book “Ecohouse” by its owner, Prof Sue Roaf.

Looking very much like its suburban neighbours, Village Homes in Davis, California, is one of the earliest and best examples of eco-developments.

If a radical proposal is made to change the way that houses are serviced, it is perhaps too much to demand that people should also have to change their expectation of what a house should look like.

Passivhaus is now an international standard for energy efficient homes, but this is where it all started.