Friday, June 29, 2018

This contemporary light-filled home feels like an extension of Balis tropics

German architect Alexis Dornier of his eponymous Bali-based architecture practice recently completed a stunning modern home in an Indonesian tropical paradise. The private home—named House A—comprises four stories laid out in 8,072 square feet. As with his previous works, House A embraces indoor-outdoor living with full-height glazing and an open layout where views of lush greenery can be enjoyed at every turn. Built primarily of stone and dark timber, House A appears to be a natural...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-contemporary-light-filled-home-feels-like-an-extension-of-balis-tropics
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Sculptural open-air pavilion blends into a rocky Norwegian landscape

When Oslo-based design studio MORFEUS arkitekter first laid eyes on Bukkekjerka, a rock formation framed by the rugged mountains on the east and the open sea to the west, its natural beauty stunned them. So, when they were tasked with designing an open-air pavilion on the site along the Norwegian Scenic Route Andøya, they understandably wanted to take a sensitive approach so as not to detract from the landscape. The resulting design is a contemporary structure built from folded concrete to mimic...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/sculptural-open-air-pavilion-blends-into-a-rocky-norwegian-landscape
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Sail your worries away on this solar-powered floating tiny home

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/sail-your-worries-away-on-this-solar-powered-floating-tiny-home
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US Forest Service allows Nestl to continue taking water from California national forest

New protections on California’s Strawberry Creek watershed will ensure the bottled water industry will not overdraw the supply. The U.S. Forest Service offered Nestlé Water North America a three-year permit on water rights in the San Bernardino Mountains – but with limits on how much they can take. Under the proposed agreement, Nestlé would continue to use the excess water for their Arrowhead and other water brands. Water would be drawn “when there is water available consistent with the...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/forest-service-puts-conditions-on-nestle-california-water
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UK's first energy positive classroom produces 1.5x the energy it uses

After one year in operation, the numbers are in: the United Kingdom's first energy net positive classroom is capable of producing 1.5 times the amount of energy it needs to operate. Known as the Active Office, the energy producing classroom stands as a shining example of what is possible as the United Kingdom and other nations attempt to transform their energy systems in response to climate change. The building was designed by experts at SPECIFIC, a UK Innovation and Knowledge Centre led by Swansea...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/uks-first-energy-positive-classroom-produces-1-5x-the-energy-it-uses
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The LEED Gold-seeking Edible Academy teaches urban farming in NYC

New York-based architecture firm Cooper Robertson recently completed the latest addition to the New York Botanical Garden `in the Bronx—the Edible Academy, a new LEED Gold-seeking facility that will teach the greater community about sustainable agriculture, healthy eating, and the environment. Created as an expansion of the New York Botanical Garden’s Children’s Gardening Program, founded in 1956, the $28 million state-of-the-art development covers three acres on the grounds of the existing...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-leed-gold-seeking-edible-academy-teaches-urban-farming-in-nyc
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Thursday, June 28, 2018

New resilient waterfront park helps protect NYC from storm surges

Waterfront parks have been springing up all over New York City, including in Long Island City, where Hunter’s Point South Waterfront Park just completed its second phase this week. Designed by SWA/Balsley in collaboration with Weiss/Manfredi, this resilient stretch of parkland replaces 11 acres of abandoned industrial land and boasts spectacular views of Manhattan’s skyline. In addition to a wide array of recreational facilities and equipment, the park was also integrated with salt marshes and...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/new-resilient-waterfront-park-helps-protect-nyc-from-storm-surges
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Belize Barrier Reef recovers and is removed from UNESCO 'In Danger' list

Thanks to a comprehensive conservation effort, the exceptionally diverse Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System has recovered so much that it has been removed from the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger sites. "At time when we are seeing numerous threats to World Heritage sites, Belize's government has taken real action to protect one of the world's most special places," said World Wildlife Fund International director general Marco Lambertini told EcoWatch. "We have seen an incredible turnaround...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/belize-barrier-reef-recovers-and-is-removed-from-unesco-in-danger-list
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World's first beluga whale sanctuary will welcome new arrivals

In 2019, two beluga whales, Little Grey and Little White, will be transported from the Changfeng Ocean World aquarium in Shanghai to the world's first whale sanctuary in a protected bay in Iceland. Established by the SEA LIFE Trust in collaboration with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, the 32,000 square meter Beluga Whale Sanctuary site was chosen for its sub-arctic climate and seclusion. "It’s really important for Little White and Little Grey, providing them with a more natural home in which...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/worlds-first-beluga-whale-sanctuary-will-welcome-new-arrivals
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This Taiwan hotel draws inspiration from "glittering sea foam"

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-taiwan-hotel-draws-inspiration-from-glittering-sea-foam
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Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Architects used reclaimed materials to create this stunning home

Related: Breezy Verandah House embraces indoor-outdoor living in India + Guillot Arquitectos Via Archdaily Guillot Arquitectos, PS House, Tijuana, Mexico, mexican architecture, home design, sustainable home design, energy efficiency, high insulation, insulated metal roof, thermal energy for home designs, gray water treatment,

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/architects-used-reclaimed-materials-to-create-this-stunning-home
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This solar-powered school produces enough surplus energy to power 50 homes

This timber elementary school and kindergarten in Switzerland boasts more than just good looks—the School in Port, designed by Zürich-based architecture firm Skop, also gives back to the community through excess energy production. Located in a residential neighborhood, the plus-energy building and communal power station draws from a rooftop array with over 1,100 solar panels that completely covers the school’s energy needs and powers 50 additional households. Moreover, the school is visually...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/plus-energy-school-produces-enough-surplus-energy-to-power-50-homes
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Sea stars overcome melting disease through rapid evolution

Five years ago, millions of starfish off the west coast of North America were killed by a mysterious virus that caused the animals to lose limbs and liquefy, with several species under serious threat of extinction. Following the peak of the epidemic, described as "one of the largest marine mass mortality events on record," scientists noticed that young ochre stars, among the species most impacted by the virus, were surviving at much higher rates. Today, the starfish have seemingly miraculously recovered...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/sea-stars-overcome-melting-disease-through-rapid-evolution
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The 'Billion Tree Tsunami' is transforming northwestern Pakistan

Once arid hillsides have now become wide swaths of green woodland in northwestern Pakistan, where hundreds of millions of trees from 42 different species have been planted as part of the provincial government's "Billion Tree Tsunami" program. Before it was completely burnt land. Now they have green gold in their hands," forest manager Pervaiz Manan told Phys.org. The reforestation effort aims to control erosion, combat climate change, reduce flooding, increase precipitation, and provide economic...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-billion-tree-tsunami-is-transforming-northwestern-pakistan
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Passive solar cabin embraces a dramatic Washington landscape

Seattle-based design firm Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects designed the Lot 6 Cabin, a charming retreat with mid-century modern influences in Winthrop, Washington. Set at the base of a dramatic steep slope and surrounded by a pine forest, the cabin was built for a pair of outdoor enthusiasts who wanted a holiday home that offered a seamless indoor-outdoor living experience. The low-slung dwelling was also designed for energy efficiency and features a super-insulated envelope informed by passive...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/passive-solar-cabin-embraces-a-dramatic-washington-landscape
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Tuesday, June 26, 2018

This edible, plastic-free packaging is grown from kombucha starter

Polish design student Roza Janusz has created Scoby, an eco-friendly alternative to plastic packaging that is easily grown with the same methods used to make kombucha. Created from fermented bacteria and yeast, the organic membrane can be used to store a variety of lightweight foods like seeds, nuts, or even salads. The zero-waste food packaging is completely biodegradable and can also be eaten after use. Developed as part of her graduate project for industrial design at the School...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-edible-plastic-free-packaging-is-grown-from-kombucha-starter
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Mystery of banned CFCs resurgence may be solved

The world recently learned that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), an ozone-damaging industrial gas banned under the 1997 Montreal Protocol, have made an unexpected comeback, with significant emissions detected in the atmosphere. The source of these banned gases remained unclear. Now, documents and research gathered by the New York Times and independent investigators suggest that the CFCs, specifically CFC-11, may be coming from factories in China that manufacture foam for buildings and appliances. “You...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/mystery-of-banned-cfcs-resurgence-may-be-solved
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Old fishermans shack is reimagined as a dreamy eco retreat

Eco-conscious couple Jamie and Ingrid Kwong has breathed new life into an old fisherman’s shack by transforming the dilapidated structure into a cozy environmentally friendly getaway. Located on Pittwater’s Mackerel Beach in New South Wales, Australia, The Little Black Shack is a restorative retreat that offers complete immersion in nature with minimal site impact. The house was reconstructed by hand with recycled materials and lovingly furnished with secondhand items. Local fishermen...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/old-fishermans-shack-is-reimagined-as-a-dreamy-eco-retreat
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Monday, June 25, 2018

UNStudio designs future-proof cable car for Amsterdam

Amsterdam residents and visitors alike may soon see the city from sweeping new heights. Dutch architectural practice UNStudio has unveiled designs for the IJbaan Cable Car, a “future-proof” public transit system connecting Amsterdam West with Amsterdam Noord / NDSM. The cable car will span a little less than a mile (one and a half kilometers) and can be easily expanded in the future if needed. The IJBaan Cable Car was commissioned by the IJbaan Foundation (Stichting IJbaan), a...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/unstudio-designs-future-proof-cable-car-for-amsterdam
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Scientists discover new gibbon species inside tomb of Chinese emperor's grandmother

In a new study published in the journal Science, scientists detail the identification of a new species of gibbon, one that had gone extinct at some point over the past two millennia. The remains of Junzi imperialis were first discovered in 2004, when archaeologists discovered a new mausoleum nearby the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor, which is famously guarded by thousands of terracotta soldiers. In addition to the partial skull of the gibbon, the newly discovered mausoleum contained...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/scientists-discover-new-gibbon-species-inside-tomb-of-chinese-emperors-grandmother
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Wild dogs return to Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park

A small group of African wild dogs have returned to Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, heralding a potential upswing in a diverse ecosystem that has suffered severe damage in recent decades. In the almost two decades of civil war that plagued the country beginning in the 1970s, over a million people were killed by violence or famine while much of the wildlife at Gorongosa were also eradicated. Now, thanks to a collaborative effort between a non-profit group founded by American philanthropist...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/wild-dogs-return-to-mozambiques-gorongosa-national-park
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Couple convert a 20-year-old bus into a solar-powered tiny home on wheels

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/couple-convert-a-20-year-old-bus-into-a-solar-powered-tiny-home-on-wheels
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Friday, June 22, 2018

Solar-powered mountain home is a sustainable prototype for Aspen development

Like many places across the U.S., the real estate market is booming in Aspen, Colorado. As companies move in to replenish the dwindling housing inventory, one real estate developer hopes to provide a more sustainable alternative to inevitable onslaught of cookie-cutter homes. Working in collaboration with San Francisco-based Aidlin Darling Design, the developer has completed a solar-powered dwelling that serves as a new energy-efficient prototype for speculative real estate in Aspen. Located...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/solar-powered-mountain-home-is-a-sustainable-prototype-for-aspen-development
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Giant manta ray nursery discovered in Gulf of Mexico

Researchers have identified the first recognized giant manta ray nursery in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico, about seventy miles offshore from Galveston, Texas. Graduate student Josh Stewart first made this discovery whilst studying adult mantas in the area. "I was there trying to get a genetic sample from a full grown manta, and that's when I saw it. It was a juvenile male manta, which is a very rare," Stewart told NPR.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/giant-manta-ray-nursery-discovered-in-gulf-of-mexico
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West Antarctica's bedrock is rising, providing some protection to melting ice

It seems that most news concerning Antarctica's ice sheets is bad news, with two of the world's fastest melting glaciers shrinking away in the continent's western region. Fortunately, this same region is also home to an unusual geological feature that may provide some relief to the effects of climate change. In a new study published in the journal Science,

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/west-antarcticas-bedrock-is-rising-providing-some-protection-to-melting-ice
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8 tiny homes built tough for off-grid living

https://inhabitat.com/tag/modular-design/ Related: https://inhabitat.com/charming-off-grid-scandinavian-inspired-tiny-home-is-passive-and-energy-efficient/ https://newatlas.com/tru-form-tiny-kootenay-house/52081

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/8-tiny-homes-built-tough-for-off-grid-living
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Thursday, June 21, 2018

Abandoned NYC warehouse is reinvented as LEED Gold-certified apartments

A new apartment complex infused with nature has taken root in New York City’s concrete jungle. Local design firm COOKFOX Architects completed 150 Charles Street, a residence that takes over the abandoned Whitehall warehouse on the Hudson River waterfront. Designed to blend in with the existing urban fabric, the modern building also boasts a low environmental footprint and LEED Gold certification. Located in the West Village, 150 Charles Street offers 91 residential units—including...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/abandoned-nyc-warehouse-is-reinvented-as-leed-gold-certified-apartments
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Mirrored art complex in Bangkok seamlessly co-exists with the surrounding trees

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from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/mirrored-art-complex-in-bangkok-seamlessly-co-exists-with-the-surrounding-trees
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A striking concrete home in Ontario targets minimal environment impact

Toronto-based Teeple Architects has paired a beautiful but unusual site in Ontario with the sculptural Port Hope House, an award-winning residence that boasts a wide array of sustainable features. Located east of Toronto, the single-family rural home takes inspiration from the client’s 75-acre property that consists of a woodlot, a fallow field, an abandoned Grand Trunk railway cut and a steep cliff that falls into Lake Ontario. Built with long concrete walls, the Port Hope House appears like a...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/a-striking-concrete-home-in-ontario-targets-minimal-environment-impact
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Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Built on a budget, this elegant Dock Building glows like a lantern in Vancouver

Tight budgets typically pose one of the biggest challenges in design projects. But as Michael Green, CEO and President of Michael Green Architecture, shows in his firm’s recently completed Dock Building: beautiful architecture is “always possible regardless of budget.” Built for the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, the building melds modern and industrial influences in a sleek and sculptural volume that appears to glow like a lantern at night. Located on Jericho Beach in Vancouver,...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/built-on-a-budget-this-elegant-dock-building-glows-like-a-lantern-in-vancouver
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Kilauea's crater has been dramatically altered by eruption

While Hawaii's Kilauea volcano continues to erupt, this explosive episode of volcanic activity has already made a dramatic impact on the land, from the summit down to the ocean. Prior to the eruption, the crater summit presented as a massive lava pool. With the start of the eruption and the opening of fissues in early May, the lava drained from the crater towards lower ground. The subsequent explosions of ash and gas caused the crater to begin to collapse. Now, weeks later, the crater has become...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/kilaueas-crater-has-been-dramatically-altered-by-eruption
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The largest solar farm apiary in the US opens this week

An important feature of the design system known as permaculture is the concept of stacking functions, or finding multiple uses for the same space or resource. North Carolina-based PineGate Renewables is taking this principle to a new level with the opening of the largest solar farm apiary in the United States. Starting this week, the Eagle Point solar farm in Jackson County, Oregon will host 48 hives of honey bees underneath and between the solar panels. John Jacob of Old Sol Apiaries helped to determine...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-largest-solar-farm-apiary-in-the-us-opens-this-week
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A Michigan farmhouse is reborn as a beautiful modern vacation retreat

A city-dwelling family in need of rural respite reached out to Von Weise Associates to make their country escape a reality. In response, the Chicago-based architecture firm delivered a stunning modern getaway that fully embraces the rural vernacular with a sensitive renovation of an existing farmhouse and barn. Located in the southeast Michigan township of Sawyer near Lake Michigan, the Retreat House consists of a new single-family house and adjacent studio for the artistic couple. In...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/a-michigan-farmhouse-is-reborn-as-a-beautiful-modern-vacation-retreat
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Tuesday, June 19, 2018

An old London chapel is reborn into a modern home and artist studio

UK architect Alexander Nikjoo has breathed new life into a Victorian chapel by transforming it into a contemporary home and studio for an artist. Located in Deptford in South London, the renovation has streamlined the look of the former chapel with a fresh coat of paint and a minimalist material palette. The interior was refreshed to feel much more bright and airy and is flooded with natural light. Although the old chapel was already being used as a studio space by the time Nikjoo...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/an-old-london-chapel-is-reborn-into-a-modern-home-and-artist-studio
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First paper straw factory in decades to open as UK bans plastic

As the United Kingdom moves forward with its planned ban on single-use plastic products, the first paper straw factory to open in decades is rising in Wales to meet the consumer need. Transcend Packaging, the owner and operator of the new plant, has already reached out to 1,361 McDonald's restaurants throughout the United Kingdom, as well as other restaurants, to provide them with more environmentally friendly straws. “We spotted a huge opportunity, and we went for it,” Transcend sales and marketing...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/first-paper-straw-factory-in-decades-to-open-as-uk-bans-plastic
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Reforestation in China heralds the return of rare animals

If you plant it, they will come. China is pursuing an ambitious project, underway for decades, to increase the amount of land covered by forests to twenty three percent of the country's total land area by the end of the decade. In addition to the benefits of green space for people, such as cleaner air and improved mental health outcomes, the resurgent forests are also supporting the return of rare animals to habitats from which they had previously disappeared. Using infrared cameras placed in the...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/reforestation-in-china-heralds-the-return-of-rare-animals
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Prefab DublDom home delivered via helicopter as a gift to a remote Russian town

Moscow-based design studio BIO Architects has installed their latest Dubldom prefab in the snowy mountains of Kandalaksha, a ski town in northeastern Russia. The Dubldom was installed as a gift for the town after resident Alexander Trunkovkiy won the competition “Find your place 2016” that asked participants to submit location proposals for a Dubldom and explain how a prefab home would benefit the area. Lifted into place by helicopter, the new Dubldom in Kandalaksha serves as a shelter for tourists...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/prefab-dubldom-home-delivered-via-helicopter-as-a-gift-to-a-remote-russian-town
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Monday, June 18, 2018

HOK designs aquaponics facility to alleviate Kansas Citys food desert

Nonprofit Nile Valley Aquaponics is raising fish in a Kansas City food desert—and they’re creating jobs, providing healthy food and promoting sustainable urban farming in the process. To help the nonprofit lead the community to greener and healthier living, American architecture and engineering firm HOK designed the Nile Valley Aquaponics Facility that could double the annual harvest to 50,000 pounds of fish and 70,000 pounds of vegetables. The building would be constructed using sustainable...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/hok-designs-aquaponics-facility-to-alleviate-kansas-citys-food-desert
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Bronx community garden transformed with sustainable improvements

A newly renovated community garden just opened up in the Bronx in New York City. Fannie's Garden at Paradise on Earth, a venture of the New York Restoration Project, received a dramatic upgrade with sustainable features like permeable pavement, a rain garden, and a shade structure designed to support solar panels — just to name a few. The 13,000 square foot garden offers space for urban residents to escape the city and get their hands dirty in 24 garden beds and enjoy the colors of native plan...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/bronx-community-garden-transformed-with-sustainable-improvements
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The City of London will be powered with 100% renewable energy by October 2018

The City of London, the historic "Square Mile" central district of London, will soon switch onto clean energy in a big way. Starting in October 2018, the City of London will source one hundred percent of its power needs from renewable energy sources by installing solar panels on local buildings as well as making investments in larger solar and wind projects and purchasing clean energy from the grid. Though no longer actually a square mile, closer now to 1.12 square miles, the City of London is a...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-city-of-london-will-be-powered-with-100-renewable-energy-by-october-2018
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The Agraloop turns food waste into sustainable clothing fibers

Don't throw it out, throw it on. The Agraloop Bio-Refinery, a new technology developed by materials science company Circular Systems S.P.C., is capable of turning food waste such as banana peels, pineapple leaves, and hemp stalks into natural fiber that can be woven into clothing. "We want to enable food crops to become our primary fibers," Circular Systems CEO and co-founder  Isaac Nichelson told Fast Company.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-agraloop-turns-food-waste-into-sustainable-clothing-fibers
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This space-saving tiny home offers sustainable housing atop garages in Sydney

As the housing crisis in Sydney continues to intensify, some have begun tapping into the real estate potential in the city’s backyards and alleys. In a bid to catalyze the development of ‘laneway studios’, Surry Hills-based McGregor Westlake Architecture has offered a small and sustainably minded housing model that builds atop existing garage units. Conceived “to subvert the council norm,” this smart studio boasts space-saving features and a striking contemporary design. McGregor...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-space-saving-tiny-home-offers-sustainable-housing-atop-garages-in-sydney
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Friday, June 15, 2018

Michigan adopts most robust lead water rules in US

In the wake of the Flint crisis, Michigan is adopting new lead water rules — the strictest in the United States, according to Reuters. Lead service lines will have to be replaced, and the lead concentrations allowed in drinking water will be lower than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s standard. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Michigan Senior Policy Advocate Cyndi Roper said in a statement, "There is no safe level of lead in drinking water, so despite some troubling loopholes,...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/michigan-adopts-most-robust-lead-water-rules-in-us
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Tiny seahorse trapped in fishing line gets a second chance

A tiny trapped seahorse received a second chance at life. Florida resident Dawn McCartney and her two daughters were snorkeling when they found a rope and plastic trash in the water, and in amongst the debris was a small seahorse. The seahorse had fishing line wrapped around its neck multiple times. McCartney called the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, who came to the seahorse's rescue. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/tiny-seahorse-trapped-in-fishing-line-gets-a-second-chance
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Toxic chemicals found in small, furry animals decades after mine closure

The environmental impact of large-scale industrial activity can be felt long after the activity stops. A new study published in the journal ScienceDirect found that, decades after the closure of the Giant Mine on the outskirts of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territory province of Canada, small animals still carried significant amounts of toxic chemicals, such as arsenic, in their fur. While high levels of arsenic had been documented in the soil, plants, and fish near the Giant Mine, scientists had...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/toxic-chemicals-found-in-small-furry-animals-decades-after-mine-closure
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Couple transforms a fire truck into a cozy camper for traveling Europe

When Anna and Sebastian Schlüter decided to take a break from working in Berlin to embark on their long-awaited trip around Europe, traveling via fire truck wasn’t the first thing on their minds. But on the advice of Sebastian’s father and after coming across a deal on a 1987 Mercedes-Benz fire truck, the duo found themselves in a year-long conversion project that turned the vehicle into a cozy travel camper. Nicknamed ‘Bombero’ (Spanish for “fireman”), the converted fire truck took...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/couple-transforms-a-fire-truck-into-a-cozy-camper-for-traveling-europe
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Thursday, June 14, 2018

Volkswagen fined 1 billion euros over diesel emissions cheating

German authorities slapped Volkswagen with a one billion Euro fine — that's around $1.16 billion — for diesel emissions cheating. The fine follows a 2017 plea agreement in the United States; the car company then agreed to pay $4.3 billion over the emissions scandal. Volkswagen said in a statement they will accept the new fine and "by doing so, admits its responsibility." Related: Volkswagen to pay $4.3 billion to US following emissions scandal

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/volkswagen-fined-1-billion-euros-over-diesel-emissions-cheating
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American Express to offer credit card created with upcycled ocean plastic

Plastic is part of so many products in our day-to-day lives, from obvious ones like plastic bags to ones you may not often think about, like your plastic credit card. American Express plans to offer the first credit card ever made with ocean plastic in a collaboration with Parley for the Oceans. They're also committing to lower single-use plastic use in their operations worldwide. Related: Adidas unveils a Manchester United jersey created with ocean plastic

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/american-express-to-offer-credit-card-created-with-upcycled-ocean-plastic
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Despite sustainability pledges, World Cup stadium built on rare wildlife habitat

Today, at 6 PM local time in Moscow, the 2018 World Cup will begin with a match between host country Russia and Saudi Arabia. This year's tournament will be the first in which FIFA required that all stadiums be built and renovated with sustainability in mind. Despite this requirement, some stadiums, such as Kaliningrad, have been less than environmentally friendly. Kaliningrad Stadium was built on one of Kaliningrad's last wetlands, a habitat for rare birds, on October Island. "It was a typical delta...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/despite-sustainability-pledges-world-cup-stadium-built-on-rare-wildlife-habitat
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New Block design offers a low-cost and sustainable solution to urban infill

Los Angeles-based architecture firm Newman Garrison + Partners has unveiled New Block, a patented “green building solution” for urban developers nationwide. Created with affordability and livability in mind, the New Block offers a cost-effective strategy for landowners and developers to maximize density on smaller lots, typically two-acre urban infill sites. Elements such as multi-family housing and the abundance of open space are part of the New Block’s long-term sustainable concept. All...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/new-block-design-offers-a-low-cost-and-sustainable-solution-to-urban-infill
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Wednesday, June 13, 2018

IKEA and Little Sun team up to design sustainable, off-grid tools

Little Sun, a social business from artist Olafur Eliasson, creates products to put "the power of the sun in the palm of your hand" — think portable solar lamps and solar chargers — and now they're teaming up with furniture giant IKEA to raise awareness for people living without electricity. They plan to create what a press release described as a series of sustainable, off-grid tools for everyday living. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/ikea-and-little-sun-team-up-to-design-sustainable-off-grid-tools
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Wildfires and drought cause national forest closures in New Mexico and Colorado

Blazes in Colorado closed the San Juan National Forest this week. The 416 Fire is burning on 25,900 acres and is 15 percent contained, according to a June 13 Facebook post. And in New Mexico, the Santa Fe National Forest was closed "due to extreme fire danger." Related: 1.8 million acre

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/wildfires-and-drought-cause-national-forest-closures-in-new-mexico-and-colorado
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New study shows some LED lights can harm wildlife

Researchers have concluded that certain types of LED lights can be harmful towards a wide variety of wildlife, calling attention to the potential hazards of the rapid expansion of LED light usage. Though LEDs made up only 9 percent of the global market in 2011, that number is expected to rise to 69 percent by 2020. In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology, researchers concluded that blue and white LED light is the most harmful to wildlife,...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/new-study-shows-some-led-lights-can-harm-wildlife
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This trippy tea house in Shanghai is built from 999 handmade timber sticks

Chinese design studio MINAX Architects have combined contemporary architecture with traditional Chinese tea drinking rituals in the ONE Teahouse, a cocoon-like space made with 999 handmade wooden sticks. Spanning an area of just 17.86 square meters, the compact teahouse was inserted as a renovation of an existing timber structure in Shanghai’s Hongkou District. The project was completed over the course of three months. Tea has long been an important part of Chinese traditional culture....

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/this-trippy-tea-house-in-shanghai-is-built-from-999-handmade-timber-sticks
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Tuesday, June 12, 2018

New study suggests that plastic waste may be transformed into usable energy

A new study from the Earth Engineering Center (EEC|CCNY) at the Grove School of Engineering of the City College of New York suggests that, through a process called gasification, plastic waste can effectively be converted into usable fuel and energy rather than being dumped in a landfill or polluting the ocean.   Related: UN releases first “state of plastics” report on World Environment Day   Via Phys.org Images via

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/new-study-suggests-that-plastic-waste-may-be-transformed-into-usable-energy
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Solar power prices expected to drop further this year

The price of solar energy could further fall this year, experts said. A Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) analysis published by PV Magazine predicts a 34 percent drop in the price of multicrystalline solar modules in China, an event expected to spread around the world. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/solar-power-prices-expected-to-drop-further-this-year
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Some of the oldest and largest baobab trees are dying

A new survey of baobab trees throughout southern Africa has shown that most of the two dozen largest and oldest trees in the region have died in the past decade or are currently seriously ill. The iconic baobab are culturally important for many communities in regions in which they grow, with a common myth explaining the baobab's unique shape as a product of the baobab's vanity in its extraordinary size. The trees are also ecologically significant, providing habitat and food for a wide variety of...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/some-of-the-oldest-and-largest-baobab-trees-are-dying
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Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects wins bid for carbon-neutral Solvay HQ in Brussels

Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects has won an international competition for the design of global chemical company Solvay’s new sustainable headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Created in collaboration with local firm Modulo Architects and VK Engineers, the winning proposal beat out designs from top firms including the likes of OMA, Valode & Pistre and Henning Larsen. The green campus is expected to be certified BREEAM Excellent and will be powered with a mix of renewable energy resources to reach...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/schmidt-hammer-lassen-architects-wins-bid-for-carbon-neutral-solvay-hq-in-brussels
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Monday, June 11, 2018

Yellowstone superintendent says the Trump administration forced him out of his job due to wildlife advocacy

Yellowstone National Park superintendent Dan Wenk says he was forced out of his position by President Donald Trump's administration because of his wildlife advocacy, The Guardian reported. Former National Park Service director Jon Jarvis told the publication the move was meant to undermine a culture of conservation. Wenk said, "Throughout my career, I've not encountered anything like this, ever." Wenk said of the United States Department of the Interior, "It's a hell of a way to be treated...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/yellowstone-superintendent-says-the-trump-administration-forced-him-out-of-his-job-due-to-wildlife-advocacy
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Beekeepers file a complaint against Bayer after glyphosate was discovered in honey

Beekeepers in France aren't happy with Bayer. Agence France Presse reported a beekeeping cooperative in the northern part of the country filed a legal complaint against the chemical giant after the controversial herbicide glyphosate was found in honey. The complaint was filed the same day as the close of Bayer's acquisition of Monsanto. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/beekeepers-file-a-complaint-against-bayer-after-glyphosate-was-discovered-in-honey
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RepAir T-shirt cleans the air while you wear it

Italian fashion company Kloters has created a t-shirt that cleans the air through a specially designed insert that is capable of capturing and disintegrating pollutants and foul odors. Called RepAir, the t-shirt was designed to be both comfortable and environmentally beneficial. "RepAir is born from the desire to go beyond the traditional concept of sustainable fashion," said Kloters co-founders Federico Suria, Marco Lo Greco and Silvio Perucca in a press release. "Our t-shirt wants to make fashion...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/repair-t-shirt-cleans-the-air-while-you-wear-it
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The US just experienced its hottest May on record

It's a familiar theme: each year, it seems, is the hottest year on record, at least since last year. Such is the age we are living in. The most recent climate change milestone in the United States occurred last month, when the country experienced its hottest May on record.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-us-just-experienced-its-hottest-may-on-record
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A prefab hotel with lakeside views pops up in northern Russia

Saint Petersburg-based architecture firm Rhizome group designed and built Tochka na Karte Hotel, a prefabricated structure crafted to embrace the outdoors. Located in the northern Russian town of Priozersk in Leningrad Oblast, the hotel complex is a sleek and modern getaway nestled among mature pine trees. The use of modular technology has helped reduce construction waste and minimize site impact, including the preservation of existing trees. Located just a two-hour drive north of St....

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/a-prefab-hotel-with-lakeside-views-pops-up-in-northern-russia
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Friday, June 8, 2018

TransCanada natural gas pipeline explodes in West Virginia

An explosion rocked a TransCanada pipeline in Moundsville, West Virginia and the surrounding community yesterday. Locals said it felt like a tornado, and sounded like a freight train, and they could see flames from around 20 miles away. TransCanada said in a statement they do not yet know the cause of the explosion.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/transcanada-natural-gas-pipeline-explodes-in-west-virginia
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Kilauea lava boils away Hawaii's largest freshwater lake in just a few hours

Hawaii's largest freshwater lake is gone. Lava from Fissure 8 boiled away Green Lake, a source of freshwater for the Big Island, in a few hours. A white plume of steam resulted, and lava has filled the former lake. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/kilauea-lava-boils-away-hawaiis-largest-freshwater-lake-in-just-a-few-hours
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Uranium-contaminated groundwater found throughout India

A new study from Duke University reports that uranium contamination of groundwater from aquifers is common in the sixteen Indian states featured in the research. While much of the uranium contamination is natural in its origin, groundwater-table decline and nitrate pollution from agriculture also contribute to the widespread public health problem. High levels of uranium in drinking water have been linked to chronic kidney disease.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/uranium-contaminated-groundwater-found-throughout-india
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Olafur Eliasson unveils his first building, a sculptural stunner in Denmark

The prolific Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson has unveiled his first building—a sculptural castle-like mass that rises from the waters in Vejle, Denmark. Dubbed Fjordenhus (Fjord House), the solar-powered structure was created as the new headquarters for holding and investment company KIRK KAPITAL. The project was created under Studio Olafur Eliasson’s new international office for art and architecture, Studio Other Spaces, which was founded in collaboration with architect Sebastian Behmann...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/olafur-eliasson-unveils-his-first-building-a-sculptural-stunner-in-denmark
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Thursday, June 7, 2018

Trump's nuclear bailout could cost consumers up to $17 billion each year

The Trump Administration is taking unprecedented steps to bailout failing nuclear and coal power plants, effectively nationalizing the American energy market with potentially drastic consequences for the renewable energy industry and the American consumer. According to an updated report from the Nuclear Information & Resource Service (NIRS), the Trump Administration's plan could result in artificially high electricity prices. The planned subsidies for nuclear power plants alone could increase...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/trumps-nuclear-bailout-could-cost-consumers-up-to-17-billion-each-year
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Broccoli powder could pack a veggie punch in smoothies, soups and lattes

Do you consume the recommended serving of vegetables every day? Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a study finding only one in 10 American adults eat enough vegetables or fruit. Scientists in Australia came up with a possible solution — broccoli powder — and a Melbourne cafe recently experimented with a broccoli latte.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/broccoli-powder-could-pack-a-veggie-punch-in-smoothies-soups-and-lattes
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High tide coastal flooding in US has doubled in the past 30 years

A new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) finds that the frequency of coastal flooding at high tide across the United States has doubled in the past thirty years. This type of flooding, often referred to as "sunny day flooding," occurs without the presence of a storm; the floodwaters simply arrive with the high tide. In 2017, there was an average of six high-tide flooding days, a record high, in each of the 98 coastal areas studied. Researchers expect the next two...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/high-tide-coastal-flooding-in-us-has-doubled-in-the-past-30-years
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Breezy Verandah House embraces indoor-outdoor living in India

A curvilinear form, large glazed openings, and a natural material palette tie this spacious contemporary home into lush surroundings on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in western India. Ahmedabad-based architecture firm MODO Designs crafted the breezy home—named The Verandah House—for their clients, the Munshaw family, who sought a home that would embrace the outdoors and be filled with natural light. The home’s curvaceous form derives inspiration from an old ancestral house as well as from the...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/breezy-verandah-house-embraces-indoor-outdoor-living-in-india
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Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Soil Algae aims to improve soil quality through algae cultures

Algae: it's not just for bodies of water anymore. Algae Research and Supply, a company based in Carlsbad, California that historically provides algae products for educational purposes, aims to bring its algae cultures to farmers across the world through a line of products called Soil Algae, so that they may improve the health of their soil and boost production. In addition to offering its own algae cultures, Soil Algae also offers products that will allow farmers to cultivate the indigenous varieties...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/soil-algae-aims-to-improve-soil-quality-through-algae-cultures
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UN releases first "state of plastics" report on World Environment Day

The United Nations has released its first-ever global plastics report on June 5th, World Environment Day. Well-timed and thematically coordinated, the UN "state of plastics" report debuted as "Beat Plastic Pollution" was adopted as this year's theme. Officially called Single-Use Plastics: A Roadmap for Sustainability, the report documents the efforts of over sixty countries to fight plastic pollution by implementing bans or taxes on single-use plastic items, concluding that such policies are the...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/un-releases-first-state-of-plastics-report-on-world-environment-day
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The latest champion in the battle against climate change: fast food burgers

Swedish fast food chain Max Burgers (MAX) made headlines nearly a decade ago when they started labeling menu items with carbon footprints. Now they're launching what they describe as climate-positive burgers. They plant trees to absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than the total emissions of their products. MAX CEO Richard Bergfors said in a statement, "We know that we are part of the problem and together with our guests, we can now be part of the solution." Related: "The reasoning...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/the-latest-champion-in-the-battle-against-climate-change-fast-food-burgers
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Century-old Japanese townhouse reborn as Blue Bottle Coffees first Kyoto location

Japanese architecture firm Schemata Architects has unveiled Bay Area-born Blue Bottle Coffee’s first outpost in Kyoto housed in an artfully renovated century-old building. Following the aesthetic of the previous Schemata-designed Blue Bottle Coffee cafes in Tokyo, the newest outpost features a minimalist and modern design that takes inspiration from the surrounding urban fabric. The two-story structure was carefully overhauled to allow for new functionality while preserving and exposing historic...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/century-old-japanese-townhouse-reborn-as-blue-bottle-coffees-first-kyoto-location
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Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Mars Australia to go to 100% renewable energy in just over one year

One of the largest manufacturers in Australia is going green. Mars Australia recently announced they'll match 100 percent of their electricity use with clean power by 2020. The company's goal is to completely eliminate greenhouse gases from their operations by 2040. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/mars-australia-to-go-100-renewable-energy-in-just-over-one-year
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Pilot whale dies in Thailand with more than 17 pounds of plastic in its stomach

A small male pilot whale found last week unable to breath or move in a canal in Thailand has died as a result of twenty pounds of plastic clogging its digestive system, rendering the animal unable to eat.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/pilot-whale-dies-in-thailand-with-more-than-17-pounds-of-plastic-in-its-stomach
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Transforming the Aral Sea's dead zone into a forest could save lives

Once, the Aral Sea provided fish for the Karakalpak people of Uzbekistan. Today, it has dwindled to a mere 10 percent of its old size, according to the BBC. Toxic chemicals in the sea bed, now exposed, have endangered human health. Saxaul trees could prevent wind from carrying contaminated sand into the air, and forestation specialist Orazbay Allanazarov told the BBC, "One fully grown saxaul tree can fix up to 10 tonnes of soil around its roots." The plan is to cover the whole sea bed — millions...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/transforming-the-aral-seas-dead-zone-into-a-forest-could-save-lives
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Solar-powered multi-generational home offsets its energy consumption

Toronto-based architecture firm Williamson Williamson has completed a stunning home that embraces aging in place with a sustainably minded footprint. Located in the Ontario town of Hamilton, the House on Ancaster Creek comprises two distinct residences—one for the clients and the other for their elderly parents. The multigenerational home also reduces its energy demands with a 10KVa solar array, daylighting techniques, and low-energy fixtures throughout. Conceived as a high-density...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/solar-powered-multi-generational-home-offsets-its-energy-consumption
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Monday, June 4, 2018

Bee Saving Paper "works like an energy drink for bees"

Urban development and industrialization hasn't been great for bees — they have to fly longer distances to find plants and exhaustion has played a role in their declines, according to the initiative City Bees. Their Bee Saving Paper project offers a juicy solution: biodegradable paper designed to save bees that functions like an energy drink. They say it's "probably the first paper nature would love you to drop." 222 out of 469 bee species in Poland are threatened with extinction — and...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/bee-saving-paper-works-like-an-energy-drink-for-bees
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Climate change has transformed much of Alaska over the past three decades

Climate change disproportionately impacts the Arctic, where rising global temperatures wrought by the burnng of fossil fuels have brought rapid, fundamental changes to places like Alaska. In a new study published in Global Change Biology, researchers conclude that 67,000 square miles of land in Alaska, thirteen percent of the total, have been affected over the past three decades by what the study calls 'directional change,' in which a location has experienced fundamental change in its ecology from...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/climate-change-has-transformed-much-of-alaska-over-the-past-three-decades
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Trump orders Perry to take steps to curb coal plant shutdowns

President Donald Trump doesn't seem to want to let coal die. Bloomberg reported he ordered Secretary of Energy Rick Perry to take steps to stem closures of nuclear and coal power plants. An emailed statement from White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders read, "Impending retirements of fuel-secure power facilities are leading to a rapid depletion of a critical part of our nation's energy mix and impacting the resilience of our power grid." Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/trump-orders-perry-to-take-steps-to-curb-coal-plant-shutdowns
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Gorgeous barn is built of reclaimed, century-old oaks from the site itself

In 2017, Dutch design firm HilberinkBosch architects found out that seven of their century-old oak trees were in ailing health and would need to be cut down. Instead of sending the oaks to the paper mill, the architects decided to try their hand at building a timber barn using traditional construction techniques. The result—called the Sixteen-Oak Barn—was a stunning success that combines modern and rustic features with large panels of glazing and untreated timbers. The idea for...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/gorgeous-barn-is-built-of-reclaimed-century-old-oaks-from-the-site-itself
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Friday, June 1, 2018

UN creates a new global climate change coalition

Earth has a "30-year window of opportunity" to tackle climate change, according to World Meteorological Organization (WMO) secretary-general Petteri Taalas. He called for greater urgency in carrying out the Paris Agreement as the WMO, World Health Organization (WHO), and United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) launched a brand new climate change coalition. Every year 12.6 million people perish due to environmental risks — air pollution in particular — and the group aims to lower that numbe...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/un-creates-a-new-global-climate-change-coalition
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California makes huge investment in 'widespread transportation electrification'

Empowering the largest investment by the electric industry to transform the transportation system in the United States, the California Public Utilities Commission has approved a collective budget of $738 million for four utility companies to “accelerate widespread transportation electrification.” This move, required by a 2015 clean energy law in California, marks an important step towards developing comprehensive infrastructure to switch transportation from fossil fuels to clean electric pow...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/california-makes-huge-investment-in-widespread-transportation-electrification
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Endangered shark fins discovered on a Singapore Airlines flight to Hong Kong

Hong Kong is the biggest trading hub for shark fins in the world, and although they've taken steps to halt illegal trading, conservation organization Sea Shepherd recently uncovered a shipment with fins from endangered sharks that arrived via a Singapore Airlines flight for a Hong Kong dried seafood company. Sea Shepherd said the fins came from whale sharks and possibly oceanic whitetip sharks. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/endangered-shark-fins-discovered-on-a-singapore-airlines-flight-to-hong-kong
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Companies push to start oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Following Congress's move to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas production, a long-sought goal of the Republican Party, fossil fuels companies are moving forward with their plans to develop the wilderness and hope to survey the region by winter.

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/companies-push-to-start-drilling-in-the-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge
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Light-filled Lake Cottage with a zigzagging roof is embedded into the hillside

Architecture firm artek has created a site-specific holiday home lodged into the hillside by a lake in El Peñol, a Colombian town renowned for a massive 650-foot-tall monolith. In a nod to the hilly environment (and perhaps the town’s famous monolith as well), the Lake Cottage is topped with a series of steep gables joined together to create a dramatic zigzagging roofline. Large glazed sliding doors and windows as well as an outdoor stone patio blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living. Completed...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/light-filled-lake-cottage-with-a-zigzagging-roof-is-embedded-into-the-hillside
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