Cassandra Naylor was definitely ahead of her time.

In the early '90s, long before green building became such a hot topic, she converted the barn on her property (which has been in the family for six generations) into a home, so that her son and his family could live in the larger, main house.

Before beginning the process, she went looking for green architects and builders. But they weren't easy to find.

She found green building guru William McDonough who gave her a bit of encouragement ... but, ultimately she was on her own.

In the end, she found a local architect who was invested in helping her remodel the barn in the most environmentally-friendly way possible.

Read about her difficulty picking a roof and the building inspector's surprise at encountering a composting toilet.

We wish the pictures on Cottage Living's site were a bit larger but, all in all, it's a fascinating, inspiring read.

images via Cottage Living