Taz Loomans is an architect and a woman who practices what she preaches -- a community-oriented, sustainable lifestyle.

Before you roll your eyes at the buzz words, consider Taz's home (called Three Palms) and compare it to the

Taz and her husband Paul bought their '60s duplex two years ago and set about renovating.

"We wanted to move into a place that wasn't already great -- wasn't already a great, vibrant successful neighborhood," she says. "We wanted to move into a place that needed some help."

Along a street of relatively bland houses, theirs stands out with bright blue with yellow trim. "We wanted to have a real street presence, hoping that the other people around us would also start fixing up their places," she says.

Taz and her husband renovated their duplex and are currently leasing out the other half. The two aim to revitalize the street and create a deeper landlord-tenant relationship than most of the other rental properties in the area. "Being an owner-occupied place shows that we care about the place, and we're invested in it."

The interior of their home is simple and clean; It doesn't take long to notice the smooth concrete floor throughout the living room, kitchen, and two bedrooms. It was the original floor of the house, but had been covered with vinyl for years.

 Taz says the the flooring's beneficial for the air quality since it doesn't trap any dust, and it keeps the house cool.