What about the Extras that make life worth living

Ok, this is a wee bit off topic, but not too far; we are interested in Sustainable Living / Life (SL); to me that is taking an Holistic approach to life, just as Thoreau did; the House may be the main emphasis for some, in that it is geared to sustainable energy use, but what of the rest of a person's life; the areas that make the sacrifices to get the house operational worth while; these could include the Garden Root Cellar, Orchard, Workshop, Craft-room and other attendant areas that would make living the SL worth while; such as a Wine/Beer Cellar, Cheese House, Sauna, and whatever you can think of that has added value to life; some may want to add boat building, while others an artists loft or shed, and others may find that a sewing room come sun room / reading room might be essential; we are all different and we shouldn't sacrifice ourselves totally in the process of building a Sustainable Energy Efficient House;