Archive for August, 2010

Looking to add some solar-powered flare to your boring backyard? This gigantic energy-generating flower sculpture by id&@le concepts may be just the ticket. Dubbed the Gul Two, the brightly-hued blossom is outfitted with an array of six 10 x 5 cm solar panels that soak up sunlight throughout the day and store it in a hidden 4-watt battery. Once night falls, the kinetic sculpture erupts in a brilliant LED display that lights up the night with shades of sapphire, emerald, ruby, violet, indigo, and opal.

+ Gul Two

Via Notcot

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Post tags: energy generating flower sculpture, green design, gul two, led light, renewable energy, Solar Power, sustainable design

When we first saw this amazing mobile subway garden, we were floored – but then we realized that it doesn’t exist yet. That’s right, the green art project for Chicago is still being worked on, and there is a chance that without additional funding it might not become a reality. The basic gist of the installation is a native plant garden that would live right on top of the rolling stock of a CTA train. If you want to see the mobile garden come to fruition, visit this link and let them know!

+ Mobile Garden Chicago

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Post tags: Art, cta, eco design, eco-art, garden, Gardening, green design, joseph baldwin, mobile garden, train, urban green space

Most recycled rubber is trod underfoot — it’s used for flooring, as a playground or athletic field mulch, and some companies use recycled rubber in the soles of their shoes. But this elegant RUBBiSH sink uses a flexible sheet of recycled rubber to form a lightweight, waterproof surface for a shallow sink.

Read the rest of Award-Winning Sink Made from Recycled Rubberhttp://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: green design, green interiors, MinArc, R+D awards, recycled furnishing, Recycled Materials, recycled plumbing fixtures, recycled rubber, rubbish sink, sustainable design

The University of Leicester has just spent £2.2 million ($3.3 million) upgrading its computer system with a hi-tech, environmentally-friendly super ‘green’ computer. The system, dubbed ‘ALICE (Advanced Leicester Information and Computational Environment)‘ is said to be the most energy efficient in the sector despite being ten times more powerful than its predecessor. Created by Hewlett Packard, the new system offers the computational power equivalent of thousands of desktop PCs by clustering large numbers of central processing units. As such, it will be able to analyze more data than ever before, get responses more quickly, and greatly increase the pace of the university’s research.

Read the rest of University of Leicester Unveils Green ALICE Supercomputerhttp://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: university of leicester alice, university of leicester alice green computer, university of leicester computer system, university of leicester ecofris, university of leicester green computer, university of leicester keysource

Modernism takes to the seas with this beautiful wood-wrapped houseboat by German architects Rost Niderehe. Seafaring homes have proven their viability through the years, and entire neighborhoods of coastal cities have sprouted up. This compact modern home combines prefab construction with an adaptable design to showcase the great potential of floating housing.

Read the rest of Wood-Wrapped Floating House Maximizes Urban Growthhttp://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: houseboat community, modern houseboat, modernism houseboat, Rost Niderehe

Today Global Solar unveiled a new type of flexible solar module that builders can stick directly on the roof, rather than constructing racks to hold heavy glass-covered cells. The modules won’t cost less than traditional arrays, at least initially, but they make it easier to include solar power at the time of construction and, without the racks, can cover a greater portion of the roof and provide more power.

Read the rest of New Stick-on Solar Panels Make Installations a Snaphttp://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: cigs, commercial real estate, copper, gallium, global solar, indium, selenium

Russia’s leading bank has just unveiled plans to construct a green-roofed corporate university designed by Dutch Architect Erick van Egeraat. Located in a rural setting west of Moscow, the Sberbank University will provide education and training for the bank’s 20,000 employees. To achieve a short construction time, the campus buildings will largely be prefabricated, and the plan focuses upon sustainability as a cornerstone of its design.

Read the rest of Prefabricated Bank Campus Cashes in on Sustainabilityhttp://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: “sustainable architecture”, eco design, erick van egeraat, green architecture, Green Building, Prefab, prefab construction, russia, sberbank, sberbank corporate university, Sustainable Building, sustainable design

We’ve seen plenty of tree houses in our day, but never one as boxy and modern as this new wooden observation tower which recently opened in the Netherlands. Okay so technically the structure, which consists of six boxes (that almost look like shipping containers) stacked atop one another, isn’t a true tree house. But its natural cladding, made out of half logs from the area surrounding it, definitely help it blend in with its arboreal neighbors. And now that the boxy building by Ateliereen Architecten is finally open, people can scale its facade rock-climbing style, check out the views or even (for the more adventurous) try out its rope slide and high rope track.

Read the rest of Boxy Wooden Treehouse Tower Now Open in Netherlands!http://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: “sustainable architecture”, Ateliereen Architecten, boxy wooden tower, green architecture, Green Building, green design, log cabin, Netherlands, observation tower, reusal, treehouse, wood building, wooden, wooden tower

Read the rest of Taastrup Theater Renovation Boasts a Stunning Prismatic Facadehttp://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: “sustainable architecture”, COBE, copenhagen, energy efficient building, green renovation, sustainable design, Taastrup Theatre

Looking for a lounger that is every bit as stylish as it is sustainable? Well the Tonecoon by PIE checks off both boxes with its beautiful hand-woven water hyacinth and rattan frame. Water hyacinth is a highly-renewable natural fiber that grows so quickly in parts of Asia that it is often considered a nuisance, so the fact that it’s being used to create a durable and modern piece of furniture is pretty amazing. Plus, the Tonecoon is so versatile that it can be used as either an indoor piece or as outdoor seating.

+ Tonecoon Lounger

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Post tags: “green furniture”, “sustainable furniture”, eco furniture, green design, green products, hyacinth, modern furniture, tonecoon, Vivavi

Sculptor, jeweler and industrial designer Boris Bally has created a beautiful series of colorful geometric chairs from old street signs. The unique markings and patina were earned on the road, and the chairs’ pure lines perfectly offset the graphics of the recycled signage. No two chairs are alike! If you’re a fan of Boris’ work, don’t miss these awesome serving plates made using the same material.

READ MORE >

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Post tags: “green furniture”, “sustainable furniture”, Boris Bally, eco furniture, green products, Recycled Materials, recycled street sign, subway signs, upcycled signage, upcycled street signs

Andy Warhol may have brought Campbell’s Soup to iconic pop art status, but there’s one designer bent on redefining this can with a more practical use. Designed by Willem Heeffer for FUSE, an interiors and vintage furniture company, the ‘Can Light’ is a cool new lighting solution that re-purposes old cans of Campbell’s Tomato soup and Heinz Beanz into funky new pendant lamps. By breathing new life into unwanted trash, Heeffer has created a popping retro piece that gives a colorful nod to both Mother Earth and Americana.

+ Willem Heeffer for FUSE

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Post tags: Campbell’s Soup Lamps, Can Light, DIY, FUSE, green lamps, Heinz Beanz Lamps, recycled can lamps, recycled cans, Recycled Materials, Willem Heeffer

Fuel efficiency may have only become a hot topic recently, but some people have been thinking about with hypermiling vehicles for decades. Take, for example, inventors Bill Green and Craig Henderson — in 1984 the pair built a car dubbed the “Avion“, which squeezed out 113 mpg in test runs. Now it’s going back on the road in an attempt to travel from Canada to Mexico on just 14 gallons of gas.

Read the rest of Ultra-Efficient Avion to Go From Canada to Mexico on 14 Gallonshttp://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: avion, fuel efficiency, green design, guinness book of world records, mpg