These dazzling zodiac lamps let you bring the heavens indoors

Related: Frederike Top’s geometric LED lamps cast colorful rays of ever-changing light + Richard Clarkston Studio Via Constellation, Richard Clarkston Studio, zodiac lamps

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/these-dazzling-zodiac-lamps-let-you-bring-the-heavens-indoors
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Trump administration quietly accepts 2016 climate deal

Is President Donald Trump going to respect a climate deal finalized while Barack Obama was still president? After pulling the United States out of the 2015 Paris Agreement, and working to undo many of Obama's climate regulations, the idea seems unbelievable - but it appears Trump's administration won't try to back out of the 2016 Kigali Amendment, under which the government would labor to limit climate change-causing refrigerants and coolants, hydrofluorocarbons. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/trump-administration-quietly-accepts-2016-climate-deal
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Prehistoric womens arms were up to 16% stronger than today's rowing champions

If a group of prehistoric women somehow traveled to the present, they could probably lick the famously competitive rowers of Cambridge University's boat club in a race. A new study - the first to compare bones of ancient and living women - reveals a hidden history of Central European women performing strenuous manual labor for millennia. The average ancient women had stronger upper arms than today's female rowing champions. Forget the modern conception of women as delicate fainters. ...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/prehistoric-womens-arms-were-up-to-16-stronger-than-todays-rowing-champions
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SpaceX's upcoming launch of reused rocket marks historic first for NASA

For an upcoming resupply mission to the International Space Station, SpaceX, the private space travel company founded by Elon Musk, will launch a Falcon 9 rocket that has already once traveled into space and back this past June. While SpaceX has already launched previously used rockets into space and back, this marks the first instance in which SpaceX will reuse a rocket for NASA. “NASA participated in a broad range of SpaceX data assessments and inspections regarding use of a previously flown...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/spacexs-upcoming-launch-of-reused-rocket-marks-historic-first-for-nasa
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Tesla's South Australia battery starts delivering power a day early

Back in March of this year, Elon Musk made an audacious bet: install a 100 megawatt (MW) battery system to help South Australia beat blackout woes in 100 days - or it would be free. Not only did Tesla deliver on that promise, but the battery system actually started send stored wind energy to the grid one day ahead of schedule. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/teslas-south-australia-battery-starts-delivering-power-a-day-early
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NREL's solar-powered window breaks new ground with 11% efficiency

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has revealed its prototype of a solar powered "smart window" that is able to lower building temperatures by changing the window's appearance from clear to tinted. Not only does this decrease the amount of sunlight entering a building, thus lowering its heat intake, but this shift also turns the windows into photovoltaic panels. Upon shifting to the darker, hazy view, the smart window then starts its energy production. “There is a fundamental tradeoff...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/nrels-solar-powered-window-breaks-new-ground-with-11-efficiency
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19th-century church converted into gorgeous modern lofts in Brooklyn

Protruding from a cliff edge above a river in Japan, this holiday villa for a doctor and his wife provides spectacular views of its surrounding landscape. The two-floor reinforced concrete structure, designed by architecture firm Planet Creations, establishes a delicate balance between rugged and warm materials, with raw wood interiors contrasting the concrete walls. The villa is located in the Tenkawa village and cantilevers over the Tenokawa River, 56 feet below. It is built into flat bedrock,...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/19th-century-church-converted-into-gorgeous-modern-lofts-in-brooklyn
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'Geomagnetic spike' 3,000 years ago could offer insight into Earth's hidden interior

Earth's magnetic field shields us from damaging radiation from the sun's, but the field strength varies. Scientists are uncovering details about a so-called geomagnetic spike that happened around 1,000 BC that could alter our understanding of the magnetic field and the planet's interior - and exploring how a similar spike could impact us if it occurred today. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/geomagnetic-spike-3000-years-ago-could-offer-insight-into-earths-hidden-interior
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Striking green-roofed house cantilevers over a cliff in Japan

Protruding from a cliff edge above a river in Japan, this holiday villa for a doctor and his wife provides spectacular views of its surrounding landscape. The two-floor reinforced concrete structure, designed by architecture firm Planet Creations, establishes a delicate balance between rugged and warm materials, with raw wood interiors contrasting the concrete walls. The villa is located in the Tenkawa village and cantilevers over the Tenokawa River, 56 feet below. It is built into flat...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/striking-green-roofed-house-cantilevers-over-a-cliff-in-japan
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Newly discovered property of graphene could lead to infinite clean energy

Physicists at the University of Arkansas have discovered a new property of graphene, an extraordinary material composed of ultra-thin, nearly 2D sheets of atoms, that could be exploited to generate endless, clean energy. While investigating the simple phenomenon of graphene's ability to ripple and shake, physicist Paul Thibado and a group of graduate students uncovered a previously unknown behavior of graphene in which the wonder material buckles and twists in small, random fluctuations, potentially...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/newly-discovered-property-of-graphene-could-lead-to-infinite-clean-energy
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Nations first large-scale mass timber residence hall breaks ground in Arkansas

Cross-laminated timber may finally be having its heyday in the United States. The nation’s first large-scale mass timber residence hall recently broke ground at the University of Arkansas. The Stadium Drive Residence Halls project and living learning setting is the work of a design collaborative led by Leers Weinzapfel Associates, the Boston-based architecture practice behind the nation’s largest cross-laminated timber academic building at the University of Massachusetts. Targeting...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/nations-first-large-scale-mass-timber-residence-hall-breaks-ground-in-arkansas
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Gorgeous street library in Bulgaria for 1,500 books uses parametric design

Nature inspired this stunning street library in Bulgaria, but it was computers that made the design possible. A team of young architects and designers created Rapana, the first street library in the city of Varna, using parametric design tools Rhinoceros and Grasshopper. The Rapana street library is built from 240 CNC-milled timber pieces fitted together into a curvaceous pavilion that provides shade, seating, and room for 1,500 books. The team of designers—Yuzdzhan Turgaev, Boyan...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/gorgeous-street-library-in-bulgaria-for-1500-books-uses-parametric-design
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The zero-electricity Gentlewasher does the laundry in five minutes flat

We've all been there - you need to wash just a few clothing items but you don't have nearly enough for a full load of laundry. The gentlewasher offers a solution, washing clothes in five minutes with less water than washing machines and zero electricity. The hand-powered device can wash up to 12 T-shirts or eight dresses at a time. Related: 14-year-old girl invents pedal-powered washing machine from bike parts

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-zero-electricity-gentlewasher-does-the-laundry-in-five-minutes-flat
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BIG and WeWork reveal plans for interactive WeGrow kindergarten in New York City

International co-working startup, WeWork, has been expanding its space-as-a-service concept, introducing co-living as a new communal housing model. The firm is going even further with a new type of kindergarten in New York City called WeGrow, which will be designed by BIG Architects. WeGrow will be a public elementary school for kids ages three to nine that aims to function as an interactive environment where youngsters can experience hand-on and experiential learning. The first images...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/big-and-wework-reveal-plans-for-interactive-wegrow-kindergarten-in-new-york-city
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100% biodegradable, edible packaging is so much better than plastic

Our plastic packaging is polluting the planet, leading some people to work for more eco-friendly alternatives. One such enterprise is Indonesia-based Evoware, which makes food packaging out of an unusual material: seaweed. Their seaweed-based packaging lasts for two years on the shelf. And instead of clogging our oceans, the packaging can break down in several ways, such as dissolving in warm water - and humans can even eat it. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/100-biodegradable-edible-packaging-is-so-much-better-than-plastic
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How scaly dinosaurs turned into feathery birds - new gene study offers clues

Dinosaurs no longer roam the planet - unless you count birds. Recent discoveries have revealed many dinosaurs once had feathers, and birds are really dinosaurs. But we don't really know how feathers evolved in the first place, and a new study led by University of California, Los Angeles researchers involving alligator and chicken genes may offer new insight. Related: New details of feathered dinosaur could elucidate the origins of flight

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/how-scaly-dinosaurs-turned-into-feathery-birds-new-gene-study-offers-clues
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$30M contract cancelled by FEMA after supplies to Puerto Rico fail to arrive

A recently formed Florida-based company, Bronze Star LLC, was granted a $30 million contract to provide vital supplies to Puerto Rico in its recovery from Hurricane Maria, only to have the contract cancelled by FEMA after Bronze Star failed to deliver emergency tarps and plastic sheeting for urgent repairs. While no payments were ever made to Bronze Star,

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/30m-contract-cancelled-by-fema-after-supplies-to-puerto-rico-fail-to-arrive
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Abandoned house transformed into a gorgeous sanctuary on a remote Chinese mountain

This rustic sanctuary, nestled in a remote village in China, is a beautifully renovated private home that combines modernity and vernacular design. Architecture studio RSAA approached the renovation project with a strong sense of respect for the history of the building and its stunning natural surroundings. The original house, nested on the top of the mountain in the north of Anhui Province, China, was uninhabited for years, until the owner decided to renovate it into a modern residence. The design...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/abandoned-house-transformed-into-a-gorgeous-sanctuary-on-a-remote-chinese-mountain
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Man buries 42 school buses to build North America's largest nuclear fallout shelter

When doomsday comes, Bruce and Jean Beach have no intention of elbowing their neighbors for space. The retired couple, who reside on 12.5 acres in the town of Horning’s Mills just outside of Toronto, Canada, have built themselves a massive underground bunker. Beyond being the largest private nuclear fallout shelter in North America (as far as we know, at least), the post, has also been constructed using 42 out of commission school busses. Dubbed "The Ark Two," the Beachs' creation stretched...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/man-buries-42-school-buses-to-build-north-americas-largest-nuclear-fallout-shelter
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The world's first "Biological House" opens in Denmark

Related: + Via

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-worlds-first-biological-house-opens-in-denmark
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New rooftop solar hydropanels harvest drinking water and energy at the same time

Via Treehugger

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/new-rooftop-solar-hydropanels-harvest-drinking-water-and-energy-at-the-same-time
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Snhetta unveils striking new skyscraper for Manhattans Upper West Side

Snøhetta has unveiled a handsome skyscraper for Manhattan’s prestigious Upper West Side at 50 West 66th Street. Undeniably modern yet sensitive to its historic context, the striking mixed-use tower will soar to a height of 775 feet with 125 residential units. The chamfered form, cut into an angular shape, is “evocative of the chiseled stone of Manhattan’s geologic legacy,” say the architects. Snøhetta’s skyscraper comprises luxury residences stacked on top a mixed-use podium....

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/snohetta-unveils-striking-new-skyscraper-for-manhattans-upper-west-side
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Carbon-neutral Caring Wood wins RIBA award for best new house in the UK

A modern, carbon-neutral take on the traditional English country house in Kent has won the Royal Institution of British Architects’ House of the Year award. Designed by James MacDonald Wright and Niall Maxwell, the rural dwelling called Caring Wood was praised for its eco-friendly design and multigenerational design—properties that RIBA president Ben Derbyshire believes are among the many ideas displayed at Caring Wood that will “influence UK housing for many years to come.” Designed...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/carbon-neutral-caring-wood-wins-riba-award-for-best-new-house-in-the-uk
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17 Green holiday gifts for the home

Nothing makes a house feel more like a home than being surrounded by the precious people and things that you love the most. This year, help make that happen for the loved ones on your list by skipping the usual gift card and getting something that they can truly treasure. From hand-carved wood trencher or a chunky cotton throw, to an endless record that plays the sound of rain, there is something for everyone on your list. GIFTS FOR THE HOME

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/17-green-holiday-gifts-for-the-home
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TGI Fridays to sell Beyond Meat's plant-based burger in hundreds of stores

When you're looking for vegan eats, TGI Friday's probably doesn't top your list. But the American restaurant chain will start offering Beyond Meat's plant-based, vegan Beyond Burger in their Burger Bar in over 465 stores. The Beyond Burger - which launched in May of last year - has become Beyond Meat's most successful product as the company has worked to get it in supermarket meat cases next to ground beef. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/tgi-fridays-to-sell-beyond-meats-plant-based-burger-in-hundreds-of-stores
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7 ecological charities to support on Giving Tuesday and beyond

‘Tis the season of giving and all through the town, pocketbooks are jingling with the sound of spending. Hang the stockings with care, wrap up the last of the holiday gifts, and pour yourself a glass of cruelty-free vegan nog. With just a few days left on the calendar, it’s time to squeeze in a little more giving before the year is over. Charitable donations are a great opportunity to give back, helping organizations do good deeds around the globe and offering a little boost come tax time. With...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/guide-to-earth-friendly-charitable-giving
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MIT and Harvard create soft robotic muscles that can lift 1,000 times their weight

Via The Verge

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/mit-and-harvard-create-soft-robotic-muscles-that-can-lift-1000-times-their-weight
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MIT's winning solar-powered dome tree habitats for Mars mimic earthly forests

If humans start constructing cities on Mars, we have an opportunity to build sustainably from the start. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) team designed a city that mimics a forest, with solar-powered dome tree habitats connected with roots, or tunnels. Their vision, called Redwood Forest, was the first place winner in the architecture category of the Mars City Design competition. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/mits-winning-solar-powered-dome-tree-habitats-for-mars-mimic-earthly-forests
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Changing the price of certain foods could save thousands of lives each year

Altering the price of seven particular foods could prevent tens of thousands of deaths each year in the United States, according to a new study from researchers at Tufts University. The study, published in BMC Medicine, incorporated a comparative risk assessment model to determine the public health impact of price subsidies on healthy foods and increased taxes on unhealthy foods. Research demonstrated that a 10% price alteration to the highlighted foods, which include fruits, vegetables, nuts, red...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/changing-the-price-of-certain-foods-could-save-thousands-of-lives-each-year
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'Galapagos of North America' - Mexico creates massive marine reserve

In a huge win for the environment, Mexico's government just announced the creation of a massive marine reserve in an area known as the 'Galapagos of North America.'  Aimed at protecting and preserving the precious environment around the Revillagigedo Archipelago near Baja California, the Illinois-sized reserve will be the largest of its kind in North America.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/galapagos-of-north-america-mexico-creates-massive-marine-reserve
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This Mexico City home is built around a gorgeous vertical garden

The verdant Villa Jardín in Mexico City uses vegetation to unify its indoor and outdoor spaces. Architecture firm ASP Arquitectura Sergio Portillo introduced terraces, pergolas and an entire module packed with greenery into this apartment occupying the lower level of a residential building in Mexico City. The resulting space is an exotic dwelling that draws nature inside. The naturally ventilated apartment offers a series of specific outdoor spaces that interact with indoor activity through the...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-mexico-city-home-is-built-around-a-gorgeous-vertical-garden
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Ultra-narrow Wood Lane house looks like a ship wedged between Londons brick buildings

This narrow house, home of architect Mike Russum, looks like a ship wedged in-between traditional brick townhouses in north London. The architect maximized the potentials of the 22-foot wide plot by inverting the conventional layout used in tiny spaces and combining prefab building methods with site-built construction. The house, named Wood Lane, has been long-listed for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) House of the Year award. Russum and his partner decided to build their home...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/ultra-narrow-wood-lane-house-looks-like-a-ship-wedged-between-londons-brick-buildings
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MIT's new thermal battery releases heat on demand with light

Heat is often plentiful during the daytime for people in the developing world - but at night, when they're cooking and the sun is down, they don't typically have access to that heat and have to use a material like dung or wood for fuel. A new chemical composite developed by three Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) scientists could offer an alternative by storing the sun's heat during the day in what MIT described as a thermal battery, and releasing that heat as people need it for cooking...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/mits-new-thermal-battery-releases-heat-on-demand-with-light
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Qatar unveils first-ever FIFA World Cup stadium built from shipping containers

Abandoned stadiums and crumbling arenas are often left in the wake of events like the World Cup and the Olympics. In a bid for more sustainable construction, Qatar has unveiled plans for the world’s first fully modular stadium ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Designed by Fenwick Iribarren, Schlaich Bergermann Partner and Hilson Moran, the 40,000-seat arena, known as the Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, would be mainly built of shipping containers to allow for disassembly and reconstruction. The...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/qatar-unveils-first-ever-fifa-world-cup-stadium-built-from-shipping-containers
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Floating lantern-like church and community hub may set sail on Londons canals

A floating church proposed for the canals of London is banking on easy mobility and eye-catching design to win over new converts. Local studio Denizen Works recently won The Diocese of London’s commission to design a floating church and community center, which will wind along the city canals to serve a variety of neighborhoods. Developed in collaboration with boat-builders Turks, the nomadic church features a pop-out roof canopy that lights up at night like a glowing beacon. Created...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/floating-lantern-like-church-and-community-hub-may-set-sail-on-londons-canals
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Bali's Mount Agung volcano belches ash as 100,000 people told to evacuate

The first major eruption of Bali's Mount Agung since 1963 is imminent, according to Indonesia's Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), which said, "Plumes of smoke are occasionally accompanied by explosive eruptions and the sound of weak blasts that can be heard up to seven miles from the peak." They upped the alert from three to four, the highest level. As the last major eruption killed more than 1,000 people, the island's airport has been closed, and 100,000 residents have been told to evacuate. ...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/balis-mount-agung-volcano-belches-ash-as-100000-people-told-to-evacuate
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Beautiful villas embedded in a remote Chinese mountain pass live in harmony with nature

Related: + Origin Architect Via Archdaily Origin Architect, Forest Valley Villas

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/beautiful-villas-embedded-in-a-remote-chinese-mountain-pass-live-in-harmony-with-nature
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HOW TO: Recycle a sweater into a cuddly pillow for your couch

Are the throw pillows on your couch getting a bit faded? Want to update your décor? Just follow our tutorial to learn how you can create cozy new covers from recycled sweaters. Read on and we’ll show you how to sew two different types of pillow covers.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/how-to-recycle-a-sweater-into-a-cuddly-pillow-for-your-couch
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Japan mulls pouring 1M metric tons of radioactive Fukushima water into Pacific Ocean

Fukushima cleanup continues over six years after the 2011 disaster - and the country hasn't yet decided what to do with one million metric tons of radioactive water currently stored on the site in 900 big tanks. Some experts advising the government have said the water should be slowly released into the Pacific Ocean. But local fishermen are afraid consumers won't purchase fish caught in the region - and their industry is still struggling to rebuild after the tsunami.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/japan-mulls-pouring-1m-metric-tons-of-radioactive-fukushima-water-into-pacific-ocean
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'Great American Desert' threatens to swallow eight US states as massive aquifer dries up

The Ogallala aquifer, one of the world's largest underground bodies of water and upon which many ecosystems and communities in the American West depend, is in rapid decline due to over-exploitation of its resources. Farmers in eight American states (Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming and South Dakota) are putting a particular strain on the aquifer by overdrawing water from beneath the soil which they cultivate in a $35 billion dollar per year industry. If allowed to...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/great-american-desert-threatens-to-swallow-eight-us-states-as-massive-aquifer-dries-up
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Affordable new device uses solar energy to produce hydrogen and electricity

Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) have advanced the field of hydrogen power by creating a hybrid device that uses solar energy to produce hydrogen and electricity in a cost-effective manner. "People need fuel to run their vehicles and electricity to run their devices," said Richard Kaner, lead author of the study and a UCLA distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry. "Now you can make both fuel and electricity with a single device." This new device is a significant...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/affordable-new-device-uses-solar-energy-to-produce-hydrogen-and-electricity
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Stunning multi-level bamboo home stands deep in the mountains of Bali

Related: + Via

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/stunning-multi-level-bamboo-home-stands-deep-in-the-mountains-of-bali
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NASA's new airless titanium tires are almost indestructible

Via Gizmodo

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/nasas-new-airless-titanium-tires-are-almost-indestructible
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You can rent this cylindrical log cabin on Denmark's Island of Mn

Related: + Via

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/you-can-rent-this-cylindrical-log-cabin-on-denmarks-island-of-mon
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Blackened timber cottage with solar replaces a decayed brick home

An old and decayed brick house north of Amsterdam has transformed into a modern solar-powered dwelling that stands out from its neighbors, while respecting the local vernacular. Dutch firm Chris Collaris Architects completed the renovated home, cladding the facade and asymmetric gabled roof entirely with blackened pinewood to achieve a minimalist look. Passive solar principles guided the redesign, called House MM, which features black solar panels, high-density insulation, recycled materials, double-sealed...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/blackened-timber-cottage-with-solar-replaces-a-decayed-brick-home
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BMW reveals bike 'Hyperloop' with elevated climate-controlled tubes

If you've ever tried to commute via bike, you know that it can be fraught with danger: doors opening into the bike lane, pedestrians that jump out of nowhere, smog in your face, rain-slick streets and cars that dodge across the left-hand turn lane. Now picture an elevated tube that lets bike riders get around the city in a safe, climate-controlled, enclosed bicycle superhighway. BMW wants to make it happen. Called the Vision E3 Way, the idea is to create elevated tubes that connect to traffic...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/bmw-reveals-bike-hyperloop-with-elevated-climate-controlled-tubes
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Dande-lier: Everyday objects transformed into stunning art in Singapore

Umbrellas and PVC pipes might not mean much to you, but in the right hands they can be turned into a stunning work of art. That’s what happened in Singapore earlier this year with the unveiling of Dande-lier, a temporary art installation and public space crafted from everyday objects. Design collective Colours: Collectively Ours used dozens of transparent umbrellas and PVC pipes to create an unusual dome-shaped pavilion that lit up at night like a glowing lantern. Created for Asia’s...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/dande-lier-everyday-objects-transformed-into-stunning-art-in-singapore
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This Swedish power plant is burning H&M clothes instead of fossil fuels

A Swedish power plant hopes to go fossil fuel free by 2020 - and they're turning to recycled wood and trash for alternatives, including discarded clothing from retail chain H&M. This year they've already burned around 15 tons of H&M clothes. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-swedish-power-plant-is-burning-hm-clothes-instead-of-fossil-fuels
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Six delicious ways to reuse your Thanksgiving leftovers

Thanksgiving Breakfast Hash What better way to spend the morning after Thanksgiving than with more of your favorite ingredients? This hash made from brussel sprouts, potatoes, and turkey turns last night's yummy ingredients into this morning's breakfast.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/six-delicious-recipes-for-your-thanksgiving-leftovers
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6 more meaningful ways to spend Black Friday instead of shopping

Thanksgiving is coming for folks in the ol’ US of A, and we have plenty of articles to help you prepare for that, but what will you do the day after? The Friday immediately following Thanksgiving is widely known as Black Friday, and it’s also understood to be the busiest shopping day of the year (at least in some years). The mall will be packed and your Christmas shopping list may be taunting you, but you have other options. We’re not talking about online shopping or discount sales. Instead,...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/6-more-meaningful-ways-to-spend-black-friday-instead-of-shopping
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Turkey poop could offer a potent alternative to coal

Turkeys don't just benefit humanity on a Thanksgiving plate. Two Ben-Gurion University of the Negev researchers found turkey poop could act as a potent alternative energy source - and could actually replace around 10 percent of coal utilized for electricity generation. Related: 6 Ways to Convert Poo into Power

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/turkey-poop-could-offer-a-potent-alternative-to-coal
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Atlanta says all new construction must be "EV ready"

Several countries have already stated that within the next decade or so, combustion vehicles will no longer be allowed, but here in the United States, the government hasn't really made any significant mandates around EVs. Well the city of Atlanta has made a significant effort to improve the adoption rate of electric cars with a new law that requires all new residential homes and public parking facilities to accommodate electric vehicles. The new ordinance 20 percent of parking spaces in new commercial...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/atlanta-says-all-new-construction-must-be-ev-ready
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Meteorologist warns collapse of two Antarctic glaciers could flood every coastal city on Earth

Two of Antarctica's glaciers are both among the continent's biggest and fastest-melting, and both are holding our civilization hostage, according to meteorologist Eric Holthaus. He wrote a piece on Pine Island and Thwaites, that together hold back ice that could result in 11 feet of sea level rise. If these two glaciers collapse, every coastal city on our planet could flood. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/meteorologist-warns-collapse-of-two-antarctic-glaciers-could-flood-every-coastal-city-on-earth
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Switching to outdoor LEDs has made light pollution worse without saving energy

LED lighting was going to help save the environment with its lower energy requirements and more specific light direction. But new research reveals that not only have LEDs not yielded the energy savings we expected, we are now being smothered in worse light pollution than ever before. That means that not only are we failing to reduce our carbon footprint, but our health could be suffering as well. Scientists examined satellite-based sensors to determine if the planet's surface appears to be...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/switching-to-outdoor-leds-has-made-light-pollution-worse-without-saving-energy
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These clever curtains transform your window into a dazzling nighttime cityscape

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/these-clever-curtains-transform-your-window-into-a-dazzling-nighttime-cityscape
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Elon Musk wins $50 million bet by installing world's largest lithium-ion battery in under 100 days

Elon Musk has done it again. In March, the inventor and mastermind behind Tesla, SpaceX and other world-changing ventures made a bet on Twitter with Atlassian's Mike Cannon-Brookes that he could help solve South Australia's vexing blackouts with a massive Powerpack within 100 days — or provide the $50 million service for free. And he has now officially won. Not only will Tesla receive payment for the 100 megawatt energy storage project, but residents no longer have to sit in the dark during periods...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/elon-musk-wins-50-million-bet-by-installing-worlds-largest-lithium-ion-battery-in-under-100-days
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The Monade Capsule is a private hideaway that hangs from city rooftops

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-monade-capsule-is-a-private-hideaway-that-hangs-from-city-rooftops
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All electric UTV from Nikola Motor is a beast with more energy capacity than a Tesla

While Tesla currently leads the EV segment on the street, most Tesla owners won't really take their Model S or Model X off-roading. That's where the Nikola Zero electric UTV comes in. It has room for four passengers and an insane 555 horsepower is enough power to tackle even the toughest terrain. The Nikola Zero, is Nikola Motor's electric UTV that on paper has some impressive specs. It not only has more horsepower than most sports cars, but it also has an impressive 4,900 lb-ft. of torque....

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/all-electric-utv-from-nikola-motor-is-a-beast-with-more-energy-capacity-than-a-tesla
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LEED Gold-seeking SXSW Headquarters breaks ground

The multimedia behemoth South by Southwest (SXSW) just broke ground on its new “green” headquarters in downtown Austin. Located a block away from the city Capitol, the striking building aims for LEED Gold certification and will boast a large green roof, rain gardens, and other energy-efficient systems. Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Architects heads the design of the new mixed-use structure and will work together with landscape architecture firm dwg. to preserve the property’s existing heritage...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/leed-gold-seeking-sxsw-headquarters-breaks-ground
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Historic train shed transformed into Tasmanian School for Architecture

A stellar example of adaptive reuse is being used to house and teach students at the University of Tasmania School of Architecture & Design. Formerly a 1951 diesel locomotive workshop, this award-winning conversion project preserves parts of the building’s industrial heritage while upgrading it with energy-efficient systems. Australian architecture firm Six Degrees led the project design in collaboration with Sustainable Built Environments to achieve an environmentally friendly design on a relatively...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/historic-train-shed-transformed-into-tasmanian-school-for-architecture
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Geologists discover fossils from 13 ancient tree species in Antarctica

It may be hard to believe, but forests once sprawled across Antarctica. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee geologists recently climbed the slopes of McIntyre Promontory in the Transantarctic Mountains to uncover fossil fragments from 13 trees that greened Antarctica more than 260 million years ago - before the first dinosaurs ever walked the planet. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/geologists-discover-fossils-from-13-ancient-tree-species-in-antarctica
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Lookout Loop bird observatory in Latvia doubles as a temporary shelter

This bird observatory in Latvia is a beautiful loop structure that doubles as a temporary shelter. Design studio Ulf Mejergren Architects conceived it as a sculptural element that would allow visitors to enjoy expansive views of the wetlands and rest before continuing on one of the paths that the Pape Nature Park offers. The observatory rises from the ground like a dock, with three pairs of curved stair sections joining in a loop, leaving a void in the center. The stairs gets wider closer to the...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/lookout-loop-bird-observatory-in-latvia-doubles-as-a-temporary-shelter
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Man to launch himself in homemade steam-powered rocket to show the Earth is flat

One man plans to launch himself 1,800 feet into the air in a rocket he made himself this weekend - in a quest to prove Earth isn't round, but flat. Mike Hughes, a 61-year-old limousine driver, describes himself on his website as "the only man to in history to design, build, and launch himself in a rocket," and also said he doesn't believe in science. His ultimate goal is to launch several miles above our planet to capture photographic evidence we live not on a globe, but a disk. Related...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/man-to-launch-himself-in-homemade-steam-powered-rocket-to-show-the-earth-is-flat
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The gorgeous Roadhaus RV soaks up sunlight with a glass-enclosed roof

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-gorgeous-roadhaus-rv-soaks-up-sunlight-with-a-glass-enclosed-roof
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"The stuff nightmares are made of:" thousands of bluebottles on Australian beach

An Australian couple happened upon an astounding sight recently while strolling on the beach. At Barlings Beach in New South Wales, Brett Wallensky and partner Claudia came across thousands of bluebottles, or Portuguese man o'wars, washed up on land. Such a freaky sight could be more common as climate change impacts our world. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-stuff-nightmares-are-made-of-thousands-of-bluebottles-on-australian-beach
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German slang wraps around MVRDV-designed building for Munich

German architecture takes a playful turn in WERK12, a mixed-use building designed by MVRDV that’s just broke ground in Munich. Located in a post-industrial site in the emerging Werksviertel neighborhood, WERK12 draws inspiration from its industrial heritage and modern graffiti culture. To set the mood for the stylish spaces within, MVRDV teamed up with artists Engelmann and Engl to wrap the building in 5-meter-tall German slang lettering that light up at night. Located near Munich’s...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/german-slang-wraps-around-mvrdv-designed-building-for-munich
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Recycled bedsprings transformed into an art pavilion at Dubai Design Week

Old copper bedsprings have been transformed into a surprisingly chic exhibition space at this year’s Dubai Design Week. Fahed + Architects designed Pavilion Abwab (“doors” in Arabic) to house a curated selection of 47 designs by design talent from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA). The cloud of mesh metal made of locally sourced materials takes inspiration from nature and showcases the firm’s commitment to environmentally friendly practices. The temporary...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/recycled-bedsprings-transformed-into-an-art-pavilion-at-dubai-design-week
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Elon Musk's Boring Company asks LA to start digging a tunnel within city limits

Will The Boring Company get the green light from Los Angeles to start dig traffic-killing tunnels? Elon Musk's venture recently filed an application with officials for approval to commence digging within city limits. A Boring Company spokesperson said the tunnel could stretch from Hawthorne - where Musk's other company SpaceX is located - "along the 405 to Westwood, with a number of stops along the way." Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/elon-musks-boring-company-asks-la-to-start-digging-a-tunnel-within-city-limits
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The rustic exterior of this abandoned barn hides a surprising space to get away from it all

This neglected old barn in Norway will soon be hosting tourists from all around the world, thanks to its recent makeover helmed by architecture studio OPA Form. The renovated structure now features a modern sleeping module that can fit a family of four and offers stunning views of the picturesque valley Myrkdalen on the west-coast of Norway. The architects infused the original wooden building with new life by adding a module that’s practically invisible from the outside. The exterior looks as...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-rustic-exterior-of-this-abandoned-barn-hides-a-surprising-space-to-get-away-from-it-all
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6 Vegan and vegetarian turkey alternatives for Thanksgiving

VEGAN WHOLE TURKEY GARDEIN STUFFED VEGGIE TURKEY ROAST TOFURKY VEGETARIAN FEAST QUORN TURK’Y MAGIC VEGAN LOAF MAKER FIELD ROAST CELEBRATION ROAST VEGAN WHOLE TURKEY Going meat-free on Thanksgiving doesn't have to mean giving up the bird— VegeUSA's

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/6-vegan-vegetarian-and-raw-food-turkey-alternatives-for-thanksgiving
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3,000-year-old underwater castle discovered in Turkey's largest lake

Lake Van in Turkey is the country's biggest lake - but that isn't its only claim to fame. Van Yüzüncü Yil University archaeologists and a team of divers recently discovered an underwater fortress far below the surface. The ancient nation of Urartu could have built the castle during the Iron Age, around 3,000 years ago. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/3000-year-old-underwater-castle-discovered-in-turkeys-largest-lake
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Picturesque town in the Swiss Alps is paying new residents to move there

A two-week vacation in the Alps is great, sure. But what about a 10-year stay where you'll be paid to live in a charming chalet and sip hot cocoa amongst snow-capped mountains? Indeed, as Travel+Leisure shares, the tiny Swiss village of Albinen, near Leukerbad in the canton of Valais is offering new residents a hefty  annual paycheck—25,000 francs ($25,200 USD) per adult and 10,000 francs ($10,000 USD) per child, to be exact—to live in the village for at least a decade. Of course, there...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/picturesque-town-in-the-swiss-alps-is-paying-new-residents-to-move-there
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NASA video shows dramatic shift in Earth's seasons as a result of climate change

It can be hard to visualize just how much climate change has impacted Earth's seasons. To help, NASA released a new illustration that drives home the dramatic shift that has taken place over just a few short decades. So this week, when you are sitting around the table with that climate change-denying uncle, just show them this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oIcJBiynvw Touted as the most complete view of biology on Earth to date, the visualization takes data from satellites since 1997...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/nasa-video-shows-dramatic-shift-in-earths-seasons-as-a-result-of-climate-change
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Low-impact 'Outside House' is built on an old lava flow in the mountains of Maui

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/low-impact-outside-house-is-built-on-an-old-lava-flow-in-the-mountains-of-maui
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London buses swap out diesel for a coffee-based biofuel

Related: Could coffee help fight cancer? Via CNN

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/london-buses-swap-out-diesel-for-a-coffee-based-biofuel
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Stunning shipping container home can be yours for $125k

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/stunning-shipping-container-home-can-be-yours-for-125k
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Massive sinkhole opens up in the middle of a Brazilian farming town

Watch your step! A crater

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/massive-sinkhole-opens-up-in-the-middle-of-a-brazilian-farming-town
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3D-printed pod homes for the homeless could cling to NYC buildings

Creative agency Framlab has proposed a type of parasitic architecture for housing New York City’s growing homeless population. Called Homed, the temporary housing solution comprises partly 3D-printed hexagonal pods that use scaffolding to attach to the sides of unused, windowless building facades. The modular units could be easily customized for different uses and transported from site to site. In an estimate by the Coalition for the Homeless, over 61,000 people are sleeping in New...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/3d-printed-pod-homes-for-the-homeless-could-cling-to-nyc-buildings
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Foster + Partners Apple Park Visitor Center opens to the public

Apple fans and architecture buffs can now sneak a peek at Apple’s massive spaceship campus at the new Apple Park Visitor Center, opened Friday. As with all the campus buildings and the new Apple stores, Foster + Partners led the design effort at the new Visitor Center, wrapped in a transparent envelope below an incredibly thin floating carbon-fiber roof. The combination of glass and carbon fiber is becoming a hallmark of Apple architecture and stores, including the campus’ Steve Jobs Theater...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/foster-partners-apple-park-visitor-center-opens-to-the-public
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Six Yummy Organic Pumpkin Recipes You Can Make for Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Breakfast Shake The anti-oxidants in pumpkin will get you feeling refreshed, so why not start your day with a healthy pumpkin shake? For the sweet treat, combine 1 cup canned organic pumpkin, 1 cup coconut milk or regular milk, 1 frozen banana, 1

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/diy-six-yummy-organic-pumpkin-recipes
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NASA confirms asteroid came from another solar system - and it's incredibly bizarre

The presence of an elongated asteroid hurtling through our solar system prompted a call to action from observatories throughout the world. It's the first confirmed object from another star according to NASA, and it may be as long as a quarter mile. And while the rocky asteroid may not really be piloted by aliens - it could give us clues into the formation of other solar systems. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/nasa-confirms-asteroid-came-from-another-solar-system-and-its-incredibly-bizarre
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Brilliantly renovated Rusty House is wrapped in a layer of rusted steel

Exposed raw building materials and soft fabrics mesh together in this small house in the Czech Republic, renovated by OK PLAN ARCHITECTS. Wrapped in a layer of pre-rusted sheet metal (CorTen), the Rusty House is a minimalist residence that surprises passersby with its unusual exterior and maximizes the potentials of its tiny plot. After living in the house for twelve years, the owner decided to renovate the interior of the house and “soften” the appearance of the main living space. OK PLAN...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/brilliantly-renovated-rusty-house-is-wrapped-in-a-layer-of-rusted-steel
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Iconic Dutch dike renovation opens with energy-generating kites that can power 200 homes

The Netherlands' legendary 20-mile long Afsluitdijk dike has been in use for 85 years. When the Dutch government decided it needed a renovation, they turned to designer Daan Roosegaarde. Studio Roosegaarde recently unveiled their Icoon Afsluitdijk project featuring three eye-catching designs: Gates of Light, Windvogel, and Glowing Nature, with features from clean power-generating kites to live bioluminescent algae.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/iconic-dutch-dike-renovation-opens-with-energy-generating-kites-that-can-power-200-homes
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Scientists warn of more severe earthquakes in 2018 as Earth's rotation slows

You wouldn't have felt it, but sometimes the Earth's rotation slows down. Sure, the fluctuations are minute - maybe a millisecond here or there. But two geophysicists think there could be more destructive quakes next year because of the phenomenon - but it also could help us forecast the earthquakes. Related: Via Science Magazine Images via

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/scientists-warn-of-more-severe-earthquakes-in-2018-as-earths-rotation-slows
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Man quits his job, travels 31,000 miles in a renovated van with his cat [video]

It turns out dogs aren't the best travel companions, cats are! In 2015, a man named Rich East quit his corporate job, renovated a camper van and took off with his rescue cat, Willow. Since then, he and the friendly feline have traveled more than 50,000 kilometers (over 31,000 miles) in a camper van. In addition to seeing Australia's six states and two territories, East and Willow have explored many of the country's lesser-trekked paths. https://youtu.be/1EKDeXTboc0 Rich explains on...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/man-quits-his-job-travels-31000-miles-in-a-renovated-van-with-his-cat-video
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This brilliant project turns plastic waste into 3D-printed benches for Amsterdam

Rotterdam-based studio The New Raw is rallying citizens to turn their household plastic waste into stylish public furniture. Their Print Your City! Initiative explores the idea of combing 3D printing with recycling as a way to re-design urban space. The first prototype to come out of this call to action is the XXX bench designed for the Municipality of Amsterdam. According to recent reports, Amsterdam residents generate 23 kg of plastic waste per person annually. Rotterdam-based studio The New...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-brilliant-project-turns-plastic-waste-into-3d-printed-benches-for-amsterdam
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The rapid disappearance of 5 billion passenger pigeons shows no population is safe from extinction

Once upon a time, five billion passenger pigeons spread across the continent in flocks so big that they could block out the sun and spread for hundreds of miles. Then, in just a few decades, they were gone. Now, scientists have found the cause for their devastating decline, and it reveals how fragile even large populations of animals can be. A new study shows that passenger pigeons have existed since the Ice Age in large populations. But as hunting humans came along, they lost their genetic...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-rapid-disappearance-of-5-billion-passenger-pigeons-shows-no-population-is-safe-from-extinction
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This restaurant in London has a gorgeous living wall that purifies air and absorbs noise

The main hall of this restaurant in London has a daylit greenhouse at its heart with a beautiful vertical garden covering an entire wall made from terracotta cells. Architecture studio Fusion DNA designed this verdant structure for Nando's Putney Kitchen restaurant, creating a space that offers a moment of relaxation and peace amidst London’s bustling urban activity. The vertical garden occupies the restaurant main hall and features a glass roof that provides ample daylight that allows...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-restaurant-in-london-has-a-gorgeous-living-wall-that-purifies-air-and-absorbs-noise
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Too much antimatter is hitting Earth and scientists aren't sure why

Cosmic rays immerse the Earth, but amidst the particles coming from the depths of space is too much antimatter. Scientists have known there are too many high-energy positrons, the antimatter equivalent of electrons, than they'd expect. Now a group of researchers from the United States, Mexico, Germany, and Poland attempted to shine some light on the mystery, and if they're right, according to the Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN), "the excess positrons in cosmic rays...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/too-much-antimatter-is-hitting-earth-and-scientists-arent-sure-why
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This prefab Escape Pod rotates to catch the suns rays

Dreaming of your very own backyard escape? The cozy Escape Pod may be just what you’re looking for. UK-based firm Podmakers designed and crafted the Escape Pod, a cedar shingle-clad prefabricated unit that can be tailored to suit a variety of uses, including garden room and writer’s studio. The spherical unit takes inspiration from nature, from its round organic shape to the extensive use of timber inside and out. Designed to meet local UK planning laws, each 7-square-meter Escape...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-prefab-escape-pod-rotates-to-catch-the-suns-rays
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Timber-clad stfold cabin embraces the Scandinavian coastline

Natural light and stunning coastal views fill the enviable Østfold cabin, a cedar-clad dwelling in southeastern Norway. Designed by Norwegian studio Lund+Slaatto Architects, the coast-hugging cabin is undoubtedly contemporary yet its pitched roof pays homage to the local traditional architecture and the former building onsite. Surrounded by pines and rocky terrain, the home features light-colored timber inside and out to help it blend into the landscape. The 60-square-meter Østfold...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/timber-clad-ostfold-cabin-embraces-the-scandinavian-coastline
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Worlds first circular-economy business park mimics nature to achieve sustainability

The Triango sustainable business park in Paris, designed by RAU Architects, SeARCH, and karres + brands, embraces the idea of circular economy– its facilities are designed to behave dynamically throughout their period of use. The main idea behind the proposal, which has recently won the “Inventons la Metropole de Grand Paris” competition, is to build facilities and use materials that can be used over and over again in the future. The new campus will include over 41 acres (167,000 square...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/worlds-first-circular-economy-business-park-mimics-nature-to-achieve-sustainability
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Nebraska grants TransCanada approval to build the Keystone XL pipeline

Nebraska just gave the go-ahead for Keystone XL, giving TransCanada the final permit they need for the hotly contested oil pipeline. After nine years and 4.3 million petition signatures against the pipeline, TransCanada could move forward with the project thousands have protested against. But Nebraska's Public Service Commission didn't approve the company's preferred route - but an alternative route TransCanada portrayed in the past as unworkable. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/nebraska-grants-transcanada-approval-to-build-the-keystone-xl-pipeline
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6 crafty DIY decorations for Thanksgiving

INTRO SENTENCE Veggie-Stamped Brown Paper Table Runner Want a rustic accent for your table? Its easy to use vegetables and paint to create a fun, custom table runner from brown paper. Here's what you'll need: one roll of brown packing paper, assorted vegetables (potato, yam, apple, turnip), acrylic paint, paintbrush, and a sponge. Cut a length of brown packing paper the length of your table, adding on about two feet of extra length on each end to drape over the table ends. Then, carve fun shapes...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/6-crafty-diy-decorations-for-thanksgiving
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World's largest sovereign wealth fund could ditch oil and gas stocks

Norway raked in money from oil in the past. But now the country's Norges Bank, which manages its $1 trillion wealth fund - the world's largest - is recommending the government dump fossil fuel stocks. They said the move "will make the government's wealth less vulnerable to a permanent drop in oil and gas prices." According to Bloomberg, this could mean getting rid of $35 billion in stocks - and European oil stocks plummeted after the proposal. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/worlds-largest-sovereign-wealth-fund-could-ditch-oil-and-gas-stocks
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Should hydroponic veggies be labeled organic?

Does produce grown hydroponically deserve the label organic? Some organic farmers don't think so, and they gathered at a National Organic Standards Board meeting where the board voted on a ban on hydroponic methods in organic farming, reports NPR. Hydroponic farmers fought back, saying they can produce vegetables with less water. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/should-hydroponic-veggies-be-labeled-organic
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Video: NASA tests its supersonic parachute for the first time

As part of its Mars 2020 mission, NASA has performed the first test of its supersonic parachute. This essential component will allow the Mars-bound spacecraft to slow down as its enters the Red Planet's atmosphere whilst traveling at speeds of over 12,000 MPH. "It is quite a ride," said Ian Clark, the test's technical lead from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. "The imagery of our first parachute inflation is almost as breathtaking to behold as it is scientifically significant....

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/video-nasa-tests-its-supersonic-parachute-for-the-first-time
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Whale mother can't let go of dead calf likely poisoned by plastic

The impact of humanity's pollution on nature became all too real in a heartbreaking recent Blue Planet II clip. A mother pilot whale grieved her dead baby, carrying it around with her. The calf may have died because of industrial chemicals - and the plastic littering the oceans. The BBC One show narrated by David Attenborough Related: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a8HGJid-Jo

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/whale-mother-cant-let-go-of-dead-calf-likely-poisoned-by-plastic
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World's cheapest solar power is generated in Mexico

Solar power generated in Mexico is, at the moment, the world's cheapest at as low as 1.77¢/kWh, according to data from Mexico's Centro Nacional de Control de Energía (Cenace). Mexico's low price for solar is just below that of Saudi Arabia, at 1.77¢/kWh, and is expected to continue to decrease to 1¢/kWh in 2019 or sooner. Mexico's Department of Energy recently announced the companies selected to complete new renewable power projects and the rates for which electricity will be sold. In this...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/worlds-cheapest-solar-power-is-generated-in-mexico
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17th-century farm transformed into amazing hotel in the hills of Norway

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/17th-century-farm-transformed-into-amazing-hotel-in-the-hills-of-norway
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Trump Administration to allow import of hunted elephant trophies

In a reversal of Obama-era policies, the Trump Administration has announced that it will repeal the ban on the import of trophies from elephants hunted in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Although the African elephant is protected under the Endangered Species Act, one provision of the law permits the import of such trophies as long as the hunting of big game is actually a net positive for a particular ecosystem or preserve.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/trump-administration-to-allow-import-of-hunted-elephant-trophies
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This breathtaking new street art is made entirely out of trash

Portuguese street artist Artur Bordalo, known by the monniker Bordalo II, is showing off bold new artwork in an abandoned Lisbon warehouse. Vibrant animals created with waste plastic, car parts, and other trash comprise his show, Attero - and you can glimpse his work through November 26. Related: Street artist turns trash into incredible wild animal sculptures

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-breathtaking-new-street-art-is-made-entirely-out-of-trash
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IKEA, David Chang and ruler of Dubai invest $40 million in AeroFarms vertical farming

If there was any question that indoor vertical farming is the future of agriculture, the latest announcement from AeroFarms will remove any doubt. The revolutionary company just secured a whopping $40 million in financing from world-renowned chef David Change and megabrand IKEA. The company intends to use the money to address the growing challenge of bringing healthy, sustainable food to the growing global population using their innovative aeroponic growing system. AeroFarms grows leafy greens...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/ikea-david-chang-and-ruler-of-dubai-invest-40-million-in-aerofarms-vertical-farming
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Beautiful Northcote Solar Home shows off modern energy-efficient family living

Sustainable design principles are embedded throughout the Northcote Solar Home, a beautiful Melbourne home that shows how energy efficiency can go hand-in-hand with contemporary design. Local architecture studio Green Sheep Collective designed the light-filled home for a family who wanted flexible spaces and an emphasis on indoor-outdoor living. The sustainable, passive solar home is strategically positioned for thermal mass, while elements like double-glazing and rainwater harvesting reduce its...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/beautiful-northcote-solar-home-shows-off-modern-energy-efficient-family-living
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Post-earthquake home in China wins World Building of the Year 2017

A humanitarian project built with affordable, low-tech materials has won this year’s World Building of the Year at the tenth annual World Architecture Festival. Designed by The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Kunming University of Science and Technology, the award-winning Post-Earthquake Reconstruction Project is a prototype house located in China’s Guangming Village, an area devastated by the 2014 Ludian earthquake. The rammed-earth house was recognized for its innovative reconstruction...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/post-earthquake-home-in-china-wins-world-building-of-the-year-2017
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This Living Light is powered by a houseplant

  The lamp works using photosynthesis. As organic compounds are released in the soil, bacteria generates electrons and protons. Those in turn are used as a battery to power the light. The healthier your plant is, the more photosynthesis takes place and the more energy you generate, which is a pretty cool way to gauge how happy your plant lamp is. Related: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJogC46yNkQ Living Light produces up to 0.1mW of energy, which isn't enough to light an entire...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-living-light-is-powered-by-a-houseplant
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INTERVIEW: Inhabitat's own Greg Beach on telling global stories through the lens of a small town

How much do you know about your hometown? Author and Inhabitat writer Greg Beach, who moved to Watertown, Massachusetts at age nine, was inspired to dig more into his town's history after the Boston Marathon Bombing. You may only be familiar with the name Watertown because of the attack, but Beach shows there's a lot more to this place in his new book The World and Watertown: Tales of an American Hometown. Not only was Watertown once the Massachusetts Bay Colony's largest town - and the seat of the...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/interview-inhabitats-own-greg-beach-on-telling-global-stories-through-the-lens-of-a-small-town
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New NASA tool shows which melting glaciers will affect coastal cities

NASA has developed a new tool that individuals and communities can use to determine the precise impacts that sea level rise will have on individual coastal cities. This newly accessible information will enable scientists and policymakers to have a more complete understanding of the consequences of climate change in specific areas. "This study allows one person to understand which icy areas of the world will contribute most significantly to sea level change (rise or decrease) in their specific city,"...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/new-nasa-tool-shows-which-melting-glaciers-will-affect-coastal-cities
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Keystone 1 oil pipeline leaks 210,000 gallons days ahead of Keystone XL permit decision

210,000 gallons of crude oil seeped out of the TransCanada-owned Keystone 1 pipeline this week - mere days before Nebraska's Public Service Commission is set to make a decision on whether or not to grant a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. The first Keystone pipeline, running from Canada through the Great Plains, leaked oil southeast of Amherst, South Dakota. According to The Washington Post, this spill is just the latest in a series of leaks. Related: Via The Washington Post Images...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/keystone-1-pipeline-leaks-210000-gallons-of-oil-days-ahead-of-keystone-xl-permit-decision
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New periodic table sorts 3,700 known exoplanets into 18 categories

The Periodic Table of Exoplanets was designed by astronomer Abel Méndez‏ of the Planetary Habitability Laboratory at the University of Puerto Rico to guide scientists and science fans alike through over 3,700 known exoplanets, including those that may host life. To organize the thousands of worlds identified since the first exoplanet was discovered in 1992, Méndez created a chart that sorts the exoplanets into 18 distinct categories. “We know of over 3,700 planets around other stars. They...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/new-periodic-table-sorts-3700-known-exoplanets-into-18-categories
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This solar-powered floating farm combines agriculture and dining under one roof

As urban farming becomes increasingly popular, people are finding new, unexpected ways of incorporating it into urban environments. From rooftops and community gardens, urban farming has descended onto waterways and lakes, like in the case of this solar-powered floating structure, called Lotus, which will function as a restaurant and farm. Lotus utilizes a vertical design to house its various hydroponic and greenhouse stations, along with indoor and outdoor dining areas where visitors can enjoy...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-solar-powered-floating-farm-combines-agriculture-and-dining-under-one-roof
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Tesla surprises the crowd with a new $250k Roadster

Tesla surprised the crowd tonight at the debut of the Tesla Semi with the reveal of a new Roadster, which will arrive by 2020. Although lately Tesla has been focused on more mass market electric cars, it hasn't forgotten where it started and is finally releasing a new Roadster. While the Tesla Model 3 focuses on the entry-level electric segment, the new Roadster will focus on the high end of the segment with a $250,000 price tag. What does that get you? For starters the Tesla Roadster will feature...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/tesla-surprises-the-crowd-with-a-new-250k-roadster
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Worlds first solar panel mural unveiled in San Antonio

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/worlds-first-solar-panel-mural-unveiled-in-san-antonio
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Durable canvas cloth with embedded solar cells generates 120 watts per square meter

Tents, sun shades, and canopies could generate renewable energy with Norway-based company Tarpon Solar's solar canvas. They created flexible tarpaulins, with bendy solar cells from Swedish company Midsummer integrated. Instead of simply finding shade from the sun, with Tarpon Solar's product people could obtain clean power from the sunlight striking a canopy or tent. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/durable-canvas-cloth-with-embedded-solar-cells-generates-120-watts-per-square-meter
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Son builds modern dream cabin from recycled materials for his aging father

Retiring to a cozy cabin in the woods is a dream of many, and one that Josh Wynne helped his father fulfill when he built and designed Mike’s Hammock, a compact dwelling located on his property in Nokomis, Florida. Designed for handicap accessibility, the modern one-room was crafted for aging in place and prioritizes sustainability in its use of recycled materials and low-energy footprint. Stylish and sustainable, the 604-square-meter cabin was constructed with mostly local and...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/son-builds-modern-dream-cabin-from-recycled-materials-for-his-aging-father
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Recycled materials make up this quirky solar-powered hotel in West Africa

A beautiful sun-soaked retreat on Cape Verde’s island of Sao Vicente prides itself on sustainability. Ramos Castellano Arquitectos designed the Terra Lodge Hotel using recycled and found materials, water recycling systems, and a rooftop solar array. The hotel draws the eye with its gridded timber frame, constructed from unfinished African wood, that partially encloses private verandas. Built predominately from lime-plastered concrete, the Terra Lodge Hotel’s five structures are...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/recycled-materials-make-up-this-quirky-solar-powered-hotel-in-west-africa
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Revolutionary Tesla Semi Truck arrives with a whopping 500 mile driving range

Semi trucks transport goods all over the country and without them we'd never get our stuff as fast as we do now, but they come with one big disadvantage - emissions. Today's semi trucks are powered by large diesel engines that emit so many pollutants into the air, easil Tesla forever changed the auto industry when it debuted the Model S and now it's set to do it again with the semi truck segment. Tesla's semi truck

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/revolutionary-tesla-semi-truck-arrives-with-a-whopping-500-mile-driving-range
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Fisker patents EV battery with a range of 500 miles that can be charged in 1 minute

A battery for electric vehicles (EVs) able to charge up in just one minute may sound too good to be true. But that's exactly what electric car company Fisker is claiming. They've reportedly made a breakthrough in solid-state batteries - and say their technology could allow an EV to travel 500 miles after one charge of the battery. Related: Fisker is back

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/fisker-patents-ev-battery-with-a-range-of-500-miles-that-can-be-charged-in-1-minute
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Long Story Short hostel is a modern escape tucked into a historical building in Moravia

A 17th century brick building in the historical capital city of Moravia, Czech Republic, now houses a gorgeous hostel that preserves the story of the place. Named Long Story Short, the hostel infuses the original building with a contemporary feel and combines raw materials with vintage furniture. Prague-based Denisa Strmiskova Studio renovated the building by highlighting the historical genius loci, while enriching it with contemporary design. The horseshoe-shaped building sits in the historical...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/long-story-short-hostel-is-a-modern-escape-tucked-into-a-historical-building-in-moravia
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10 Healthy, energizing, clean-eating Thanksgiving recipes

Colder weather is upon us and with holidays around the corner, we’ve called upon our favorite clean, healthy, and energizing alternative Thanksgiving recipes to make this year’s feast both delicious and nutritious. Not only are these dishes healthy and easy to make, they’re also guaranteed to fuel you through this busy season and set you off on the right foot for the New Year. So say goodbye to guilt driven New Year’s resolutions, here’s to making the end of the year superkaleifragelisticexpialdelicious! Roasted...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/10-healthy-energizing-clean-eating-thanksgiving-recipes
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Swytch is revolutionizing the e-bike conversion system

Wheels like the Geoorbital and the Copenhagen Wheel will turn your standard bike into an electric one, but they have their problems, primarily that their weight can make it impossible to pedal far in non-electric mode. That's why we're so into the new Swytch eBike conversion kit. Swytch puts the electronics and battery on your handlebar, leaving your wheel light and easy to pedal, even when you aren't in e-bike mode.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/swytch-is-revolutionizing-the-e-bike-conversion-system
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Harrison Ford: The greatest threat is that people in charge don't believe in science

Take it from Indiana Jones (or Han Solo, or Rick Deckard) — doubting climate change is a poor decision. The actor who played all of these characters, Harrison Ford, made this known when he recently gave a speech at the 30th anniversary gala for Conservation International (CI). After receiving the Founders’ Award at the ceremony in Culver City, the outspoken advocate for ecological and environmental protection expressed his frustration at Trump — albeit indirectly. The vice-chair...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/harrison-ford-the-greatest-threat-is-that-people-in-charge-dont-believe-in-science
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Suspicious radioactive cloud over Europe may have originated in Russia

A radioactive cloud of pollution sounds like a plot point out of the worst B movie - but that's exactly what multiple European networks recently detected. Official monitors in Germany and France detected ruthenium 106, a nuclide, in late September, and posited it originated in Kazakhstan or southern Russia. The incident raised alarms, not least because world leaders have accused Russia of activities like hacking elections, weaponizing information, and human rights abuses in Crimea. Rela...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/suspicious-radioactive-cloud-over-europe-may-have-originated-in-russia
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The world's first space nation officially in orbit with new satellite

Space, the final frontier, is now officially home to Asgardia, the known universe's first "space nation," which  launched its first satellite, Asgardia-1, into orbit on November 12th. Only about the size of a soccer ball, the "nanosat" traveled aboard the OA-8 Antares-Cygnus, a NASA commercial cargo vehicle, to make its two-day journey from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to the International Space Station.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-worlds-first-space-nation-officially-in-orbit-with-new-satellite
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Shigeru Ban honored with Mother Teresa award for dedication to disaster relief architecture

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/shigeru-ban-honored-with-mother-teresa-award-for-dedication-to-disaster-relief-architecture
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World's largest botanical garden to bloom in the desert of Oman

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/worlds-largest-botanical-garden-to-bloom-in-the-deserts-of-oman
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Elephants should be recognized as legal persons, argues Connecticut lawsuit

Should elephants be viewed as legal persons in the eyes of the court? A new lawsuit filed by the Nonhuman Rights Project argues yes. They say three elephants, owned by a Connecticut zoo, should have "the fundamental right to bodily liberty" and be placed in an animal sanctuary instead. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/elephants-should-be-recognized-as-legal-persons-argues-connecticut-lawsuit
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Pyramidal lakeside home is topped with a glass nature observatory

VOID Architecture has designed a striking, pyramid-shaped home in Finland that immerses the owners in nature while preserving contemporary comforts. Built to embrace the outdoors, the Pyramid House features timber-frame construction and abundant glazing that includes, as its crowning jewel, a fully glazed nature observatory at the top of the building. Ground-source heating, superior insulation made of naturally produced wood fibers, and automated electrical systems minimize the home’s energy footprint....

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/pyramidal-lakeside-home-is-topped-with-a-glass-nature-observatory
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Vienna cocktail bar is hidden underground in an 18th-century cellar

The places hidden beneath our feet are sometimes home to a city’s coolest spaces. That’s the case for the krypt.bar, a subterranean cocktail bar in Vienna, tucked away in a forgotten 18th century cellar that was only recently uncovered after renovations on Berggasse—a famed street associated with Sigmund Freud. Designed by Büro KLK, this secret bar breathes new life into a historic setting and is decorated with minimalist furniture designs of the International Style. The 18th...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/vienna-cocktail-bar-is-hidden-underground-in-an-18th-century-cellar
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Larch-clad extension breathes new life into an old hunting lodge in Canada

This quaint hunting lodge in Canada changed function several times before being turned into a cozy family home. The new owners commissioned architect Anik Péloquin to design an extension which would echo the architecture of the original building and provide the family with additional space. This resulted in a two-volume structure that fit perfectly into its wooded surroundings. The small house, located on a secluded lakeside lot in La Malbaie, Canada, was used as a hunting lodge for the first...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/larch-clad-extension-breathes-new-life-into-an-old-hunting-lodge-in-canada
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Cards Against Humanity buys land on the US-Mexico border to block Trump's wall

You may have gotten some laughs from the irreverent Cards Against Humanity game in the past, but now the people behind the "party game for horrible people" are hoping to do a lot more than entertain: stop Donald Trump's United States-Mexico border wall. They bought land on the border and retained a law firm to make it harder for the Trump administration to act on their plan, and then allowed people to chip in $15 for a piece of the land in their new Cards Against Humanity Saves America campaign....

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/cards-against-humanity-buys-land-on-the-us-mexico-border-to-block-trumps-wall
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Hyperloop-inspired company promises 200 mph travel in Colorado without the vacuum tubes

Arrivo, a high-speed transportation company founded by former SpaceX and Hyperloop One engineer Brogan BamBrogan, has announced a partnership with the Colorado Department of Transportation to construct a "hyperloop-inspired" track through Denver. Unlike the hyperloop design, which depends on new infrastructure and vacuum sealing, Arrivo's system involves building open tracks on existing roadways and uses magnets to pull pods, which would hold cars, trucks, or buses, along a track at speeds of up...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/hyperloop-inspired-company-promises-200-mph-travel-in-colorado-without-the-vacuum-tubes
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"We were blown away" - researchers eliminate obstacles to fusion energy

Fusion powers the sun, and if we could harness it here on Earth, we could obtain unlimited clean energy. Scientists have been working on that aim for years, and now researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Texas A&M University just made a huge leap forwards - by figuring out what to do with a byproduct of the process, helium, which weakens the materials comprising a fusion reactor. In nanocomposite solids, helium doesn't form into destructive...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/we-were-blown-away-researchers-eliminate-obstacles-to-fusion-energy
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Scientists discover new Earth-like planet only 11 light years away

It would still take eleven years of traveling at the speed of light to get there, but Ross 128, an Earth-like planet newly discovered by scientists, is the exoplanet closest to Earth that may support life. Named after the star around which it orbits, Ross 128 was identified by a team of European researchers as having a projected mass of 1.35 times that of Earth and may have surface temperatures suitable for sustaining life as we know it. Although scientists are withholding their judgement as to whether...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/scientists-discover-new-earth-like-planet-only-11-light-years-away
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Inspiring youth village for orphans generates solar power for nearly 10% of Rwanda

In Rwanda, there are over 11 million people. One million are orphans. Husband and wife Seth Merrin and Anne Heyman, after hearing the country's biggest issue was its orphan crisis, started the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village to offer a safe community and a four-year high school education for at-risk orphans. Today, over 500 teenagers, from all of Rwanda's 30 districts, call the youth village home. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/inspiring-youth-village-for-orphans-generates-solar-power-for-nearly-10-of-rwanda
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Cloud lamp erupts into a frenzied lightning storm every time Donald Trump tweets

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/cloud-lamp-erupts-into-a-frenzied-lightning-storm-every-time-donald-trump-tweets
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The brilliant folding M.A.Di Home can be assembled in hours

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-brilliant-folding-m-a-di-home-can-be-assembled-in-hours
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7 global megatrends that reveal we could beat climate change

Is it too late for us to avert disastrous impacts of global warming? Maybe not, thanks to seven large-scale megatrends changing the way we live. The Guardian's environment editor Damian Carrington laid out trends that could turn the tide: renewable energy, electric cars, plant-based meat, energy efficiency, batteries, coal dying, and forests. It's clear we haven't yet won the battle - but there could be reason to hope. Related: Via The Guardian Images via

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/7-global-megatrends-that-reveal-we-could-beat-climate-change
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Ole Scheeren unveils designs for a stunning sky forest in Vietnam

International architecture firm Buro Ole Scheeren just unveiled designs for Empire City, a greenery-infused skyscraper set to rise in Ho Chi Minh City. Expected to become Vietnam’s tallest building at 1,093 feet, the development softens its monolithic presence with sinuous, organic-inspired lines and abundant greenery that references the tropical environment. Empire City’s eye-catching highlight is the “Sky Forest,” an elevated garden that juts out of the building in a series of rice paddy-like...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/ole-scheeren-unveils-designs-for-a-stunning-sky-forest-in-vietnam
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Historic French building stuffed with plastic bags looks ready to explode

A shockingly large number of plastic bags appeared to fill a historic stone building to near bursting in Bordeaux last month. The eye-catching installation is the most recent work of Luzinterruptus, a design collective famous for raising environmental awareness with plastic art installations. Created for the FAB Festival de Bourdeaux, the temporary artwork, titled The Plastic We Live With, turned into a light installation at night evocative of illuminated stained glass. Inspired by...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/historic-french-building-stuffed-with-plastic-bags-looks-ready-to-explode
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Jordanian repurposes old VW Beetle into 'world's smallest hotel'

Related: + Via CNN VW Beetle hotel, VW Beetle jordan, worlds smallest hotel

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/jordanian-repurposes-old-vw-beetle-into-worlds-smallest-hotel
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Here's what could happen if America went 100% vegan

What if America threw out its hot dogs and hamburgers in favor of vegan fare? You might say that would never happen, but two scientists - from Virginia Tech and the United States Department of Agriculture - decided to conduct a study and explore how such a choice would impact the country's greenhouse gas emissions. They discovered annual emissions could fall from 623 million tons to 446 million tons. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/heres-what-could-happen-if-america-went-100-vegan
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Make your own tasty vegetarian turkey for Thanksgiving with this recipe

It's exciting to see that more and more people are opting to make their Thanksgivings cruelty-free, and there are a lot of tasty turkey alternatives on the market now for us vegetarians and vegans to choose from. But if you're tired of Tofurky and want to try something different this year, or just prefer to whip something up from scratch so that you know exactly what's going into your dinner, try our our flavor-packed recipe for vegan turkey that you can make right at home. Unlike its...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/make-your-own-tasty-vegetarian-turkey-for-thanksgiving-with-this-recipe
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VW floats plan for an electric, zero-emissions Beetle

Volkswagen's Beetle design is iconic - and the car company reportedly is actively considering developing an electric version. Herbert Diess, chairman of the board of management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand told Autocar they're mulling over an electric successor to the Beetle of today utilizing their Modular Electric Baukasten (MEB) platform. He said such an electric Beetle would actually be "much closer to history" as it could be rear-wheel-drive like the VW Beetles of our 1960's dream...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/vw-floats-plan-for-an-electric-zero-emissions-beetle
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Hidden passageway discovered at ancient Mayan ruins

Researchers at Chichen Itza, the large Mayan city founded over 1,400 years ago on the Yucatan Peninsula, have discovered a new secret passage that is believed to be connected to an underground cave, known as a cenote, at the Temple of Kukulkan. The discovery was made by underwater archaeologist Guillermo de Anda and his team of researchers from the Great Mayan Aquifer Project, who used advanced imaging techniques to uncover the hidden passageway. Water-filled cenotes were sometimes used in Mayan...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/hidden-passageway-discovered-at-ancient-mayan-ruins
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More than 20 organizations launch Solar Saves Lives to electrify Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico's electricity crisis continues - and the solar industry plans to help. More than 20 organizations and companies, including The Solar Foundation, Sunrun, and the Clinton Foundation, launched the Solar Saves Lives initiative to bring solar technology to American citizens in Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands. Their priorities are two food markets in San Juan and 62 rural medical clinics. Related: Richard Branson is planning to rebuild the Caribbean with clean ene...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/more-than-20-organizations-launch-solar-saves-lives-to-electrify-puerto-rico
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Smog-fighting helicopters in Delhi grounded - due to smog

Delhi has been battling choking smog - doctors recently declared a public health emergency. The government came up with a plan: use helicopters to combat the pollution. But there's a problem: the helicopters can't even fly because the smog is so bad. Related: Delhi residents struggle to breathe as doctors declare air pollution health emergency

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/smog-fighting-helicopters-in-delhi-grounded-due-to-smog
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World's largest solar plant in a refugee camp opens in Jordan

The world's largest solar plant found in a refugee camp has begun operations at the Za'atari Refugee Camp in north Jordan, near the Syrian border. The project, which cost $17.5 million, was funded by the German government and will provide power for up to 14 hours per day. The newly available solar energy at Za'atari will be used by Za'atari's 80,000+ residents to charge phones, contact families outside of the camp, and power refrigeration, lights, fans and TVs. With this power comes greater security...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/worlds-largest-solar-plant-in-a-refugee-camp-opens-in-jordan
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MIT and Lamborghini designed an electric supercar - and it's incredible

Looking for your dream car? We’ve found it. This week at the EmTech Conference, Lamborghini announced that it partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to produce a futuristic, semi-autonomous car that is as sexy as it is eco-friendly. The two parties’ aim is to develop a supercar for the generation after the next that focuses on five distinct areas: energy, materials, storage, propulsion, design, and emotion. The Terzo Millennio has four electric motors —...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/mit-and-lamborghini-designed-an-electric-supercar-and-its-incredible
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UNStudios sculptural Canaletto Tower is a neighborhood in the sky

UNStudio’s recently completed Canaletto Tower in London functions as a cluster of vertical communities. In designing the structure, the architects applied an approach typically used for smaller private houses and used materials that distinguish the tower from buildings in the nearby financial district of the City. The massing and materials facilitate optimal shading, reduce heat gain and balance transparency with the need for privacy. Its sculptural façade introduces a level of variability...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/unstudios-sculptural-canaletto-tower-is-a-neighborhood-in-the-sky
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Smart living wall monitored by artificial intelligence purifies indoor air

We spend around 22 hours per day inside, exposed to more pollutants than we would be outside. Finland-based Naava aims to boost indoor health and reconnect humans with nature with their smart green wall monitored by sensors and artificial intelligence. They describe their green wall as a "fully automated air purifier, humidifier, and living plant wall all in one," and even boast a scientific study to back up their claim their wall sucks pollutants out of indoor air. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/smart-living-wall-monitored-by-artificial-intelligence-purifies-indoor-air
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This human-sized birdhouse for two is perched among the treetops

If you’ve ever wished you could make like a bird and roost in the trees, you’ll love this charming birdhouse-shaped hideaway nestled in a British Columbia forest. Calgary-based design firm Studio North recently completed Birdhut, a cozy nest for people and birds alike. Built of reclaimed pine felled by a recent fire, the tiny 100-square-foot structure uses locally scavenged materials to mimic a bird’s nest-building process. Accessible via a bridge to the hillside, the cozy one-room...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-human-sized-birdhouse-for-two-is-perched-among-the-treetops
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MAD Architects-designed residences rise like mountains in a UNESCO Heritage site

MAD Architects just completed the Huangshan Mountain Village, their latest nature-inspired project that mimics the curves of China’s most beautiful mountains in a UNESCO World Heritage site. Located on a ridge, the developments comprise ten unique buildings that rise like individual peaks overlooking Taiping Lake. The use of nature as inspiration creates, in the architects’ words, a new type of village landscape “where architecture becomes nature, and nature dissolves into architecture.” The...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/mad-architects-designed-residences-rise-like-mountains-in-a-unesco-heritage-site
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