World's Greenest Homes

Episode 12

Accordion House

Mon, Jan 26, 2026

Manny heads to Austin, Texas where one couple took an already green dream home and remodeled it to create a luxurious green oasis with a breathtaking view. Designed to stay cool naturally, the home features local limestone walls, recycled paper insulation, a heat-reflecting metal roof, and rolling aluminum shutters to help keep out the midday heat. Then, in northern Sweden, two architects designed a very unusual off the grid house in one of the country's nature reserves. It's called Accordion House because it expands accordion-style over a stream and folds up into itself during the cold weather. It's cutting edge design and open concept all the way with reindeer pelts lining the walls and a giant bathtub on the deck!