RIBA crowns Children Village in Brazil as the worlds best new building

On the edge of a rainforest in northern Brazil, a recently built school complex by Brazilian architecture firms Aleph Zero and Rosenbaum has been awarded the RIBA International Prize 2018 for the ‘world’s best new building.’ Dubbed Children Village, the contemporary project earned praise not only for its beautiful and low-impact design, but also for its social impact as boarding accommodation to 540 children aged 13 to 18 attending the Canuanã School. The winning entry was selected by a grand...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/riba-crowns-children-village-in-brazil-as-the-worlds-best-new-building
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Cheap drainage nets keep water pollution at bay in Australia

Water pollution is a growing crisis around the world, but one city in Australia is doing its part to tackle the huge surges of waste that come from storm drains. By using a somewhat obvious, simple and cost-effective system of nets or “trash traps,” the City of Kwinana is moving to prevent waste from entering its waters. In Spring 2018, the City of Kwinana collaborated with supplier Ecosol to install two drainage nets in the Henley Reserve. The netting was simply attached to concrete drain...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/cheap-drainage-nets-keep-water-pollution-at-bay-in-australia
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Modern rammed earth home embraces the desert landscape

Named after the way light bounces off of its angled walls and ceilings, Dancing Light is an award-winning dwelling nestled in the desert town of Paradise Valley, Arizona. Local architecture practice Kendle Design Collaborative crafted the custom residence, giving it a sense of drama with pointy pavilion-like rooflines, yet grounded the design through indigenous materials and a desert-inspired color palette. Full-height walls of glass also embrace the landscape and the home is also set up to optimize...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/modern-rammed-earth-home-embraces-the-desert-landscape
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Magical rainbow swamp goes viral

Earlier this week, Brent Rossen posted a pic on Reddit that his girlfriend took of a rainbow swamp, and within 24 hours the photo received more than 120,000 upvotes. The couple was enjoying a walk at First Landing State Park in Virginia when they came upon the unusual phenomenon. "Me and my girlfriend were walking in the woods the other week and saw a rainbow pool for the first time," Rossen wrote in his post. So how does this happen? Jeff Ripple, a former Florida swamp walk leader, told the...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/magical-rainbow-swamp-goes-viral
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Henning Larsens energy-efficient Kiruna Town Hall opens to the public

The northern Swedish town of Kiruna that’s famously uprooting itself has just inaugurated its new town hall—dubbed The Crystal—in the relocated city center three kilometers to the east. Designed by Danish architecture firm Henning Larsen, The Crystal is an energy-efficient homage to Kiruna’s existing town hall that was designed by the Swedish architect Arthur von Schamlensee. Conceived as the town’s “living room,” the circular building was built with recycled materials from the original...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/henning-larsens-energy-efficient-kiruna-town-hall-opens-to-the-public
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Guide to sustainable winter activities

Just because the temperature plummets and the daylight runs short doesn’t mean your bustling days need to end. Instead of hibernating like a bear, wearing pajamas and watching Netflix day after day, put some fun on the schedule and look forward to a winter full of activities. Of course, consumption and waste are always a consideration here at Inhabitat so here’s our top choices for the best eco-friendly, sustainable activities for your winter calendar. <!--more--> Snow play Those...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/guide-to-sustainable-winter-activities
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Amazon's Christmas trees are hurting the environment

Earlier this year, Amazon announced that they would be selling and shipping fresh, full-size Christmas trees this holiday season. But, there is an environmental issue with the e-behemoth’s new plan. Back in September, Amazon said that they would be shipping 7-foot tall live Douglas firs, Fraser Firs, and Norfolk Island pines to customers’ front doorsteps, and that process is extremely eco-unfriendly. Char Miller, professor of environmental analysis and history at Pomona College says that...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://inhabitat.com/amazons-christmas-trees-are-hurting-the-environment
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