So you want to live... in an eco-friendly home

How green are we talking?

How green are we talking?

Very. This three-bedroom home has more eco-friendly features than a hippie commune. A rooftop solar panel provides 90 per cent of all hot-water needs between April and September, as well as powering the under-floor heating - so we're talking a serious reduction in utility bills. And then there's the grass-covered roof.

A grass-covered roof?

Style-conscious individuals needn't worry; being slightly recessed, it's unnoticeable from the ground. On top of its insulating properties, the grass acts as a rain collector, which is then used to flush the home's loos. And it also prevents run-off, so say goodbye to the "tap tap tap" sound of cascading rain.

Any funky interior touches?

An opaque, turreted, glass staircase splits the two levels of this unconventionally orientated property. Bulging out one side of the property, it provides an infusion of light and warmth into the home, and, surrounded by recessed, blue light fittings, it becomes a dazzling illumination when lit up.

Anything else unusual about the layout?

Access to the front door is via a short wooden bridge (complete with steel and glass balustrading and inset light fittings), while underneath lies the ground-floor accommodation, surrounded by a decked garden area. All three ground-floor bedrooms sport French doors that have views out on to the decking areas.

What's upstairs?

An L-shaped kitchen within a limestone-clad, open-plan reception, a loo and the "control room", where the home's various eco-settings can be tinkered with. For a three-bedroom home, leisure space is a little on the light side.

How much?

You can do your bit for the environment by buying this Lewisham eco-home, which is for sale at £350,000 (Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, 020-8469 0202).