#8 Helios House

Location: LA, USA

Architect: Office dA; Johnston Marklee; Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)

Completed: 2007

What's surprising about Helios House is that it was perhaps the world's first 'green gas station'. Situated in Los Angeles, the building was constructed upon the site of a previous - and less environmentally friendly - gas station, and was built using up-cycled and new sustainable materials. As a result, it was the first gas station in the USA to be submitted for a LEED certification.

Image: Suwatch, New York City, USA

The roof portrays a series of interconnected triangles constructed of recycled stainless steel that form a canopy. In addition to containing cacti and 90 solar panels, the energy consumption of the station is reduced by 16 per cent.

Furthermore the roof is drought tolerant and collects rainwater for irrigation.

Main image credit: Bungleboo CC BY-SA 3.0