Reflective paint helps women in slums combat extreme heat caused by climate change

As a result of climate change, temperatures are skyrocketing in India. Sadly, this has resulted in a 150% increased incidence of heat waves which have killed thousands of people in recent years. To help those who are suffering find some relief, the non-profit Mahila Housing Trust is working with Indian women based in 100 slums in 5 cities to apply reflective pain to units which can decrease indoor temperatures by several degrees. Additional goals of the non-profit include upgrading and redeveloping...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green BuildingInhabitat – Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building http://inhabitat.com/reflective-paint-helps-women-in-slums-combat-extreme-heat-caused-by-climate-change
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Sleep hundreds of feet in the air in this renovated air traffic control tower

A disused fight control tower in Stockholm's Arlanda Airport was transformed into a unique luxury apartment that offers panoramic views of planes taking off and landing. Travelers can now enter a competition organized by HomeAway to win an overnight stay in this stylish space decorated by Swedish artist and designer Cilla Ramnek. Arlanda teamed up with vacation rental company HomeAway and Swedavia to give the old tower a complete makeover and transform it into a unique living space for...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green BuildingInhabitat – Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building http://inhabitat.com/sleep-hundreds-of-feet-in-the-air-in-this-renovated-air-traffic-control-tower
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Recycled plastic paving company Platio installs first 3 solar systems

A few months ago in December, Inhabitat wrote about Hungarian startup Platio, which had designed a modular energy-harvesting paving system made with recycled plastic. The company has now installed their first three systems in Hungary, Sweden, and Kazakhstan - all in only two months. And it's not just sidewalks that now boast the solar pavements, but pontoons providing energy for ships and benches where passerby can charge their smartphones. Related:

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green BuildingInhabitat – Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building http://inhabitat.com/recycled-plastic-paving-company-platio-installs-first-3-solar-sidewalks
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Sustainable solar housing with urban farming to take root in Eindhoven

A sustainable green design is taking root in the Dutch city of Eindhoven. The city just selected MVRDV and SDK Vastgoed (VolkerWessels) as the winners for the redevelopment competition of the inner city area around Deken van Someren Street. The project, called Nieuw Bergen, comprises high-quality and sustainable residences topped with green roofs and powered by solar. Billed as a contemporary and hyper-modern development, Nieuw Bergen will add 29,000 square meters of new development to...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green BuildingInhabitat – Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building http://inhabitat.com/sustainable-solar-housing-with-urban-farming-to-take-root-in-eindhoven
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BIG hides an invisible museum beneath Denmarks sand dunes

Don’t be fooled by these gentle sand dunes—hidden in the landscape is an “invisible museum.” Bjarke Ingels Group designed TIRPITZ, a recently opened museum embedded into Denmark’s protected Blåvand shorelines, also a historic war site. The TIRPITZ museum offers a unique experience within a building that skillfully camouflages into the dunes, providing a sharp contrast to its neighbor, a monolithic German WWII bunker. Developed by Varde Museums, TIRPITZ is a cultural complex...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green BuildingInhabitat – Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building http://inhabitat.com/big-hides-an-invisible-museum-beneath-denmarks-sand-dunes
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Sprawling MW House blends into the Peruvian landscape with an undulating green roof

MW House by Riofrio+Rodrigo Arquitectos acts as an extension of the desert hills in Peru's Asia District. Resembling the relief of the rocky landscape, this seasonal house establishes a direct relationship with its surroundings and offers a series of rich indoor and outdoor spaces to its occupants. The house comprises two L-shaped blocks that house different functions. The first one is the main house which accommodates the living room, dining room, kitchen, wine cellar and a bedroom. This volume...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green BuildingInhabitat – Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building http://inhabitat.com/sprawling-mw-house-blends-into-the-peruvian-landscape-with-an-undulating-green-roof
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Give goods, find goods, and do good on National Thrift Shop Day

If you’re the type of scavenger that lives for finding hidden gems in vintage shops, then you’ll want to mark August 17th on your calendar. That’s when National Thrift Shop Day returns to encourage everyone to support their local thrift shops and score secondhand goods. New York City is taking this initiative a step further by bringing awareness to the day’s charitable component and reminding us why it would do a world of good if we went the thrift store route instead of buying brand new....

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green BuildingInhabitat – Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building http://inhabitat.com/give-goods-find-goods-and-do-good-on-national-thrift-shop-day
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