Green school housing has taken on a whole new meaning at Yale, where a grad student named Elizabeth Turnbull has built her own eco-friendly home with the help of volunteers. We’ve talked about green school building projects, green college dorms, and the increasing popularity of getting LEED® certified, but it’s pretty interesting to see a student go ahead and build her own sustainable home from scratch.

The 8’x18’ house has cost about $10,000 so far and has a living room, small bedroom, kitchen, work area, and “bathroom with composting toilet,” which brings to mind the Oberlin Seed House. While it’s not exactly a mansion, the 13’ high ceiling should provide plenty of clearance for Turnbull’s 6’ tall frame. Other interesting green features include “soy-based insulation, environmentally friendly paint and a countertop made from recycled glass.” So is it a gimmick, or will Ms. Turnbull’s house really help the environment? I don’t pretend to know what the building’s definitive carbon footprint will be, but Turnbull plans to use her living space to educate children in New Haven, which can only raise awareness and help to make the case for greener schools and the benefits of green furniture on a local and nationwide level.

(Photo via Morguefile)