Enhance property value & attract residents by going green!
Archive for July, 2010
G-List Buildings, Sustainability Stars, Housing Magic, + Vintage Preservation
Jul 31st
- G-List: top green buildings.
- Survey names stars of sustainability.
- Green roofs may provide long-term savings.
- Magic boxes: all-in-one systems for efficient homes.
- Vintage buildings worth preserving.
- What’s wrong with green building.
- Modular is greener.
Also, follow @jetsongreen on Twitter or fan Jetson Green on Facebook for more news, links, and commentary.
Materials Smackdown: What’s Greener – Wood, Metal or Plastic?
Jul 31st
If you’re looking to redecorate your home, you will likely find yourself throwing in a new table, a set of chairs, a shelf, wall hangs – the possibilities are limitless! So being the eco-conscious design buff that you are, you know that there’s definitely a lot to weigh when it comes to being a smart green consumer. With industrial design products primarily coming in plastic, wood and metal – which of these options is the most environmentally friendly one? Unsure? Then your best bet is to check out our materials smackdown, where we pin wood, metal and plastic against one another to see how each stacks up in terms of health, environmental impact and durability. Who will win the ultimate green title? Find out after the jump!
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Post tags: “green furniture”, Cradle to Cradle Certification, cradle to cradle certified, eco design, eco furniture, eco metal, eco plastic, eco wood, eco-materials, fsc certified wood, furniture material, green certification labels, green design, green materials, green metal, green plastic, low-VOC materials, recycled design, sustainable design, Sustainable Materials
Top 6 Designs That Harness the Energy of Physical Play
Jul 31st
It’s often hard not to succumb to the built-in stimuli of digital entertainment – especially when it’s everywhere we turn. But we often forget that there’s a lot to be had with just one’s imagination and a little bit of physical energy. So as an alternative to carbon hungry toys that ultimately tout nothing more than flashes on a screen, we’ve rounded up 6 amazing designs that do double duty as a fun toy or game and pay back to the grid. While some are humanitarian designs meant to aid areas struggling with limited resources, and others are just for good clean fun, each of these pieces turn all its human powered input into usable energy that, even in a few cases, can be applied to do a little housework! Check out our Top 6 Designs that harness the power of play!
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Post tags: designs, eco toys, energy generating soccer ball, green design, human powered, humanitarian design, jump rope, jump rope flash light, kids, kinetic energy, people powered energy, play pump, power of play, powerleap, renewable energy, rocco, sustainable design, swirl, top 6
Wild ‘Head Gardeners’ Made from Recycled Bottles Hit the Streets
Jul 31st
There’s no point in crying over spilt milk, especially when those empty plastic containers can be recycled and turned into beautiful pieces of art. Well settled at home, or equally suited to hit the streets as daring green guerilla art, Anna Garforth’s Head Gardners are turning milk lovers and city dwellers up on their heads.
Read the rest of Wild ‘Head Gardeners’ Made from Recycled Bottles Hit the Streetshttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed
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Post tags: abe design, Anna Garforth, eco-art, green art, guerilla art, head gardener, Recycled Materials, Recycled Milk Cartons, Street art
Movable Modular Planters and Green Walls by Maximize Design
Jul 30th
If you’re looking for a way to transform your garden or terrace without dealing with messy and expensive construction, you might want to check out these modular planters and green walls from MAXIMIZE Design. The movable components sit on recessed wheels and can slide over any hard surface with ease. The pots are made from recycled plastics and the walls feature felt pockets and have irrigation included. What an easy way to spruce up roof gardens, balconies, or courtyards!
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Post tags: “green wall”, eco design, Gardening, green design, green planter, maximize design, modular planter, Recycled Materials, sustainable design, terrace
Custom Glasses Recycled from Your Very Own Wine Bottles
Jul 30th
If you’re looking for a great personalized gift for someone special (or for yourself), these custom glasses from Re: Modern are just the thing! They’re made of your very own wine bottles, cut down and polished to commemorate a special event or just a fun night when you drank a lot of wine with your favorite people. Just wash out 8 of your bottles and send them in – each set is unique since it’s recycled from your own assortment.
+ $120 for 8 Tumblers at RE: Modern
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Post tags: custom recycled glasses, eco products, green materials, green products, re: modern, recycled cups, recycled glasses, Recycled Materials, recycled products, tumblers, wine bottle glasses
Weekly Wrap-Up: 350,000 Pounds of Paper, 30,000 Particle Beams and 14 Days in Flight
Jul 30th
Did you know that right now, across the globe, particle beams from some 30,000 accelerators are at work doing everything from diagnosing and treating disease to powering industrial processes? Probably not. Thankfully, the Office of High Energy Physics in the Office of Science has released a full report about how accelerators are shaping America’s future.
The Z Accelerator from Sandia National Lab
The Signal Shed: A Modern and Micro Prefab Cabin
Jul 30th
This simple, but modern little cabin was recently featured in Sunset Magzine as a micro-hideaway in the woods. Designed by an enterprising couple with the desire for a getaway, the pair sought to build a small home with a very limited budget, but not at the price of short-handing the planning stages. What resulted from their diligent efforts was an uncomplicated yet eye-catching design where accommodations have been programed to take advantage of the fantastic views while also keeping a pleasing and proportioned form. A perfect addition for anyone looking to create some extra space, the Signal Shed is now being offered as a prefab, quick to plant in any choice of scenery.
Read the rest of The Signal Shed: A Modern and Micro Prefab Cabinhttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed
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Post tags: Cabin Prefab, green cabin, modern prefab, Oregon prefab cabin, Prefab friday, signal shed
Fragment Lights With an Earthy and Sophisticated Style
Jul 30th
Made with fragments found along the San Francisco shoreline, these beautiful lamps are a simple way to add some soft lighting to your living space. Designed by one of our favorite eco-design studios, Anzfer Farms, the Fragment Lights cleverly combine organic forms and soft textures with a warm candle-like glow. Arrange them in a group or set one on its own — either way, your display will be nothing less than lovely.
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Post tags: anzer farms, fragment lights, green lamps, green lighting, indoor lighting, reclaimed wood, recycled lamps, recycled wood, San Francisco
Shanghai’s Hotel Waterhouse is a Striking Modern Renovation
Jul 30th
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Post tags: industrial hotel, Industrial remodel, Neri&Hu Research and Design Office, Peng Loh hotel, Restored Chinese hotel, Shanghai accommodations, Shanghai Hotel
E.D.G.E Home Beautifully Balances Form with Function
Jul 30th
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Post tags: green home, heat pump, hydronic heating, low impact design, Minnesota green home, Prefab Housing, rainwater catchement, sun screen, sustainable design
Green Roofed Farm City Combines Agriculture and Urban Density
Jul 30th
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Post tags: “sustainable architecture”, agriculture, eco design, Green Architecure, Green Building, green design, increased population, increased urban density, Milan, milano stadt krone, studio shift, sustainable design, Urban design
Deserved Deliveries: A New Type of Birthing Clinic for NYC
Jul 30th
Each year thousands of people take up residence in New York City and many settle down to start families, so it seems like this cutting edge metropolis would be the ideal place to weigh every available birthing option. But contrary to what your intuition may tell you, the Big Apple actually ranks as the worst city in the U.S. in terms of maternal mortality rates. To address this pressing issue afflicting countless numbers of would-be parents, designer Kristi Bernick designed a Brooklyn facility for natural childbirth called Deserved Deliveries. The innovative design project explores various methods of birthing, placing emphasis on combining midwifery and obstetrics into one cohesive and comfortable environment.
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Post tags: “sustainable architecture”, birthing center, Brooklyn, deserved deliveries, eco design, gowanus canal, green design, interior design, kristi bernick, Pratt Institute, prenatal care pregnancy
Evatran Unveils World’s First Wireless EV Charger
Jul 30th
In today’s age of wireless technology, the plug-in electric vehicle is both revolutionary and kind of a throw-back to wired technologies of times past. Fear not — wireless charging for your gas-free vehicle is on the way. The Virginia company Evatran recently unveiled a wireless EV charger at this week’s Plug In conference in San Jose.
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Post tags: “energy efficiency”, batteries, chargers, electric vehicles, evatran, plugless power, sustainable design
Wind-Powered Vehicle Travels Faster than the Wind
Jul 30th
A wind-powered vehicle recently shattered a world record by traveling 2.8 times faster than the speed of the wind that propelled it. Rick Cavallaro and his crew at fasterthanthewind.org knew they could break the record with their simple — but mind boggling — lightweight aerodynamic cart. The wheels of the vehicle spin the 17 foot wind turbine, which in turn gets a boost from the prevailing winds, transferring power back to the wheels. Through a remarkable feat of physics the cart goes faster than the wind.
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Post tags: can you travel faster than the wind, faster than the wind, joby wind powered cart, travel by the wind, wind powered car, wind powered cart, wind powered transportation, wind powered travel, wind-powered vehicle
Calatrava Unveils Rail Station At Denver International Airport
Jul 30th
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Post tags: airport, Denver, denver international airport, eco design, green architecture, Green Building, green design, hotel, rail bridge, rail station, santiago calatrava, south terminal redevelopment program, Sustainable Building, sustainable design
Shipping Container Pavillion Springs up in San Francisco Presidio
Jul 30th
Here on Inhabitat we’ve brought you shipping containers arranged as homes, schools, observatories, and stacks of glory. While you may say you’ve seen every arrangement there is to be had, we say you need to check out this container trifecta by Ogrydziak/Prillinger Architects! Besides boasting the usual specs incorporating recycled materials, this award-winning angular building comes complete with a collection of art-homes made just for the local flora and fauna. An incredible forward-thinking exhibition pavillion built for Presidio Habitats in San Francisco, this design has just received a 2010 Design Award from the American Institute of Architects, California Council (AIACC). Read ahead to learn more about this site-specific project and the local wildlife it supports.
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Post tags: AIACC, architecture award, design award, FOR/SITE, Ogrydziak/Prillinger Architects, Presidio Habitats, shipping containers
Porsche Gets the Go-Ahead for the Sexiest Hybrid Ever
Jul 30th
Earlier this year we told you all about the Porsche 918 Spyder hybrid concept car and now we get to tell you — as we so rarely get to do — that this concept car is about to become a reality! The Spyder which is surely to become the sexiest green car ever (sorry Tesla!) just got the green light to make this dream a real road eating machine. Porsche’s first ever plug-in hybrid goes from 0-60 in 3.2 seconds, gets 94 miles per gallon, and undoubtedly will have most of us drooling as it zips past us on our daily commutes. But why will we be drooling instead of riding inside, you ask? The price tag for the 918 Spyder is set at a whopping US $630,000!
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Post tags: 918 spyder, can hybrids drive fast, electric car, electric vehicle, ev, fast green car, fast hybrid car, hybrid car, plug-in hybrid, porsche
Energy 101: Wind Turbines
Jul 30th
On Tuesday, the Department announced a $117 million loan guarantee through for the Kahuku Wind Power Project in Hawaii. That’s a major step forward for clean energy in the region, as it’s expected to supply clean electricity to roughly 7,700 households per year, and it also invites a deceptively simple question: how exactly do wind turbines generate electricity?
One thing you might not realize is that wind is actually a form of solar energy. This is because wind is produced by the sun heating Earth's atmosphere, the rotation of the earth, and the earth's surface irregularities. Wind turbines are the rotary devices that convert the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical energy, producing clean, zero-emission electricity. This video explains the basics of how wind turbines operate to produce clean power from an abundant, renewable resource — the wind.
LOT-EK’s Shipping Container Art School Opens in South Korea
Jul 30th
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Post tags: Anyang, APAP Open Art School, art school, eco design, green design, korea, lot-ek, shipping container, shipping container architecture, shipping containers, Sustainable Building
Beautiful Spanish Prefab Home Constructed in Just Three Days
Jul 30th
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Post tags: cedeira, cor-ten, eco design, fibercement, green architecture, Green Building, green design, mycc, Prefab, prefab construction, prefab home, Spain, sustaianble architecture, Sustainable Building
Gorgeous Green-Roofed Home in Madrid by A-cero
Jul 29th
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Post tags: “sustainable architecture”, a-cero, concrete house, green design, green roof, solar thermal hot water, sustainable design
Modern Ellis Residence Earns Platinum
Jul 29th
Seattle has its fair share of LEED Platinum homes, but this is officially the first LEED Platinum single family home in the state of Washington outside of Seattle. Located on Bainbridge Island, it was designed by Coates Design Architects for owners Ed and JoAnne Ellis. The Ellis Residence is a fascinating blend of style and sustainability and demonstrates a number of green strategies.
Ellis Residence, built by Smallwood Design & Construction, has a vegetated roof, photovoltaic array, geothermal heating, rainwater harvesting, and passive solar design elements that minimize energy use.
The interior is flush with natural lighting, while a concrete masonry wall spans both levels providing a heat sink. It’s a beautiful home with considerable wood elements, FSC certified to be sure, and polished concrete floors that disguise the hydronic radiant heating system.
[+] See more photos of the Ellis Residence at Coates Design.
Credits: Coates Design.
Optimal Energy Unveils the Joule Electric Car
Jul 29th
South African company Optimal Energy is on track to launch its first large-scale electric car, the Joule. Test models were seen on the country’s roads during the recent World Cup. The Joule also received an excellent response at the 2010 Geneva motor show, where an almost production ready version was unveiled. The cars will be in showrooms by 2013.
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Post tags: alternative transportation, electric car, electric vehicle, ev, green transportation, joule, optimal energy, South Africa
Ecopod Recycled and Biodegradable Coffins for a Green Afterlife
Jul 29th
If you’ve resolved to be more eco-conscious in your everyday life, why stop in the afterlife? The Ecopod is a coffin made of 100% recycled newspaper, finished with a colored sheet made of recycled silk and mulberry leaves. It’s available in four different colors: blue with doves, green with a Celtic cross, red with an Aztec sun, and a baller gold leaf (applied by hand) version. What a smart (and more affordable) alternative to sepulchers made of chipboard and laminate.
+ Starting at £769.99 at Nigel’s Eco Store
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Post tags: eco coffin, eco death, ecopod, gold coffin, green burial, green coffin, green products, recycled coffin, Recycled Materials
CEM: You Asked, We Answered
Jul 29th
Last week, we invited you to submit your questions on the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) via E-mail, Facebook and Twitter. We received a diverse set of questions, which we presented to two of the key decision makers here at the Department of Energy, Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs David Sandalow and Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Cathy Zoi.
E. coli Bacteria Could Be the Next Source for Cheaper Biofuels
Jul 29th
E. coli may not be the smartest thing for your body to ingest, but this bacteria could be just the thing to get vehicles up and running around more efficiently. A team of researchers at LS9 — a self-described “renewable petroleum company” — have discovered that the unsavory Escherichia coli could be used to make so-called “drop-in” biofuels at existing pipelines and refineries.
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Post tags: amyris, biofuel, biofuels, ecoli, fuel, green energy, green transportation, ls9
E. coli Bacteria Could Be the Source for Cheaper Biofuels
Jul 29th
E. coli may not be the smartest thing for your body to ingest, but this bacteria could be just the thing to get vehicles up and running around more efficiently. A team of researchers at LS9 — a self-described “renewable petroleum company” — have discovered that the unsavory Escherichia coli could be used to make so-called “drop-in” biofuels at existing pipelines and refineries.
Read the rest of E. coli Bacteria Could Be the Source for Cheaper Biofuelshttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed
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Post tags: amyris, biofuel, biofuels, ecoli, fuel, green energy, green transportation, ls9
Custom Container Studio Pod in Austin
Jul 29th
Alan Stulberg, a vintage motorcycle builder and mechanic, has been thinking about this project for nearly six years. Deciding to take the plunge, he drew a rough sketch one day and five months later, here’s the Studio Pod. Stulberg built the container studio in his backyard in Austin, Texas, and it’s now being used as a creative artist space.
The 600-pound glass door, which took about a month to build and mount, rolls on a custom ball-bear rolling system that Stulberg put together. The nine-foot square extends the interior and provides a good amount of natural light during the day.
Stulberg used plasma cutters for the openings and finished the space with soy-based foam insulation, sanded plywood, Homasote recycled paper, and a ductless mini-split air conditioner and heater. Like the door, Stulberg built the box lights himself which take low-output halogens.
Not counting pizza and coffee for helpful friends, Stulberg tells us he spent about $16,000 building the Studio Pod, though he could do it for a lot less next time. That’s because he bought some tools and made a few miscalculations fabricating window prototypes and other things.
Recognizing that others may have the same itch that Stulberg had when he determined to build the Studio Pod, the owner said, “You can slice and dice a container in amazing ways and simply reinforce the structure with steel when holes are cut into its structure.” So there’s no need to limit your creative juices when working with shipping containers.
[+] Read Alan Stulberg’s blog on constructing Studio Pod.
Photo credits: One Good Eye.
LA Beyond Cars: A Global Perspective on Rail and Public Space
Jul 29th
Los Angeles is taking a progressive look at public transportation and railLA is leading the way, bringing together the forces of the Los Angeles Chapters of the American Institute of Architects and the American Planning Association (APA). Today marks the launch of the railLA exhibition, LA Beyond Cars: A Global Perspective on Rail and Public Space. Locals and visitors alike are invited to view new ideas for establishing sustainable public transportation in a city laden with cars.
Read the rest of LA Beyond Cars: A Global Perspective on Rail and Public Spacehttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed
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Post tags: aia, AIA Los Angeles, APA, APA Los Angeles, green transportation, high speed rail, inhabitat, Inhabitat LA, Inhabitat Los Angeles, public transportation, railLA, sustainable transportation, train
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