Those who grew up in the 1970s may recall the appearance of a brick in the bathroom toilet tank—a popular do-it-yourself water-saving measure. Fortunately, living green has become a little more sophisticated in recent decades. In Seattle—a city famous for its green-built, LEED-certified offices, restaurants and condos—many residents have taken the green-living ethos into their own hands, and homes. The three locals profiled here show that it is possible to sharply reduce your water use, create a low-toxicity home and build so efficiently you rarely need to turn on a heater. For those of us who aren’t prepared to start a major remodel or build anew, we’ve stolen ideas from the supergreen: a variety of the best small and big ways to turn your standard home into a healthy, water-saving, energy-sipping enviro-pad.

Explore all three house profiles from our cover story by clicking these links:

Super Efficient Energy

The Ultimate Water-Saver

A New Low of Toxicity Levels