Inhabitat

NEW MARMOL RADZINER PREFAB in Joshua Tree

Leo Marmol’s prefab Desert House has turned heads before, and is one of the attractions of the upcoming Dwell On Design conference in Palm Springs. But most recently, Marmol Radziner has announced the presale of two new prefab homes in Joshua Tree, California, that offer two bedrooms, two baths, an optional casita, and pool, all on a 1.25 acre lot included in the total cost. What’s more, the sleek, modern abodes are chock-full of some of the most environmentally-friendly and high-tech green materials on the market. Designed for LEED certification, the two homes come standard with solar panels, bamboo flooring, recycled steel frame construction, Structural Insulated Panels (SIP’s), and FSC-certified wood.

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DWELL ON DESIGN – This weekend in Palm Springs!

Just a little reminder that the Dwell on Design conference is happening December 1st-3rd in Palm Springs – that’s THIS WEEKEND, design aficionados! The conference boasts a great lineup of speakers, events, and home tours, so if you’re a design fan in the southern CA area, you shouldn’t miss it. Although it’s getting down to the wire, you can still purchase tickets online and get a $75 discount through Inhabitat if you use our special code “HABITAT”.

REGISTER HERE >

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RECYCLED BLUE JEAN INSULATION by Bonded Logic

If you are feeling the chill at home this winter, why not consider a more eco-friendly form of insulation instead of the hazardous fiberglass standby? We’ve raved about Arizona-based company Bonded Logic in the past but we just can’t get enough of their superb product Ultra Touch. Comprising of 100% recycled denim, Ultra Touch proves that you don’t need to sacrifice your health in order to reap the benefits of efficient insulation. Unlike its toxic candy-floss-like alternative, the cotton material is safe enough for your kids to enjoy a tumble in, being entirely free of carcinogens and formaldehyde.

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STELLA MCCARTNEY VEGAN FASHION

Last week Sustainable Style Sunday served up some eco-friendly shoes for those of you who are not opposed to wearing leather. This week we offer some vegan fashion treats from the inimitable Stella McCartney, for those of you who prefer not to wear leather or other animal-derived materials. Thankfully the market provides plenty of options to keep you covered both ethically and aesthetically, whatever your stance on leather and animal rights.

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PREFAB FRIDAY: Jennifer Siegal’s ShowHouse

Jennifer Siegal has received much acclaim for her prefab structures that combine a clean modern aesthetic with seamlessly integrated environmentally-friendly materials and technologies. Now, the design details of her pioneering prefab concepts can be seen first hand at the Showhouse, completed in August and located in Venice, California. The Showhouse serves as a showroom and prototypical “model home” for her Office of Mobile Design, which offers prefab homes at reasonable prices, starting at about $240 per square foot.

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM INHABITAT

We hope you are all enjoying yourselves with family and friends, and eating a nice meal, wherever you are. We thought today might be a nice time to talk about the things we’re thankful for, here in the world of green design and architecture. There are a lot of new design innovations that come out all the time, but few and far between are the innovations we find truly groundbreaking and inspiring. In no particular order, here are some things we are thankful for here at Inhabitat:

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TAGEI CONVERTIBLE FURNITURE by Akemi Tanaka

The word Tagei means versatility in Japanese, and what better way to describe this fabulous line of plyboo furniture that converts from table into bench? Brooklyn designer Akemi Tanaka caught our eye last year when she debuted her clever Futaba unfolding couch/table. Now Akemi’s got a new addition to the eco-friendly, transforming-furniture family, and we think its as cute and clever as its big sister Futaba.

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JORG & OLIF: Dutch City Bikes

Some of the best new sustainable styles happen to be the most old-fashioned. Take jorg & olif’s Dutch City Bike. No hybrid engine, no hydrogen fuel; just the same two-wheeled contraption it’s always been, but with a modern, urban spin that makes human-powered transit hip.

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LIGHT READING BOOK LAMP by Sam Johnson

Sam Johnson’s Light Reading is a low-energy compact fluorescent lamp ingeniously disguised as a book. It is meant to nestle in between other books on your bookshelf and remain invisible until illuminated: when turned off it blends right in with your other books, but switched on, it emits a bright white light which reveals its title. Made from a material called ‘Secret sign’ (by Perspex), the low-energy fluorescent fixture ensures that you won’t use much energy and the book lamp won’t ever overheat (and damage your other books). We love the way Light Reading puts a clever new spin on the concept of reading lamp.

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TERRA PLANA ECO-FRIENDLY SHOES

Despite the stereotypes, “eco-friendly footwear” doesn’t have to mean hemp sandals or Birkenstocks. British shoe company Terra Plana has been putting its own unique stamp on eco-friendly style since 2001, with their quirky shoes made from environmentally sustainable materials like recycled rubber, vegetable tanned leathers, and recycled Pakistani quilts.

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VIDEO: Grow A Treehouse with TeReForm

We love treehouses here at Inhabitat, and are enamored with eco-architect Mitchell Joachim’s visionary ideas about how to grow living treehouses from ficus molded around frame structures. We’ve covered these brilliantly playful architectural ideas before on Inhabitat, but now we have a video from Mitchell Joachim explaining the details of how they work. Joachim does much better justice to his future-forward ecological designs than we are able to do in a mere post, so if you have any interest in living treehouses (and we know you do), check out this fascinating video above.

And if you enjoy this 5 minute and want to see more, check out the full-length video of TeReForm’s many cool projects, over at ScribeMedia >

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GREEN ART: Mary Ellen Carroll’s Indestructable Language

Something mysterious happened in Jersey City this past Monday night… On this grey and windy evening, while most people were at home watching TV, giant neon lights emerged up in the windows of an abandoned factory, spelling out the sentence: “It is green thinks nature – even in the dark”.

The neon-light public art installation is visible from the surrounding area, from the New Jersey Turnpike, and even from the air for incoming and outbound flights. The goal of the illuminated art piece, sponsored by the Precipice Alliance, is to spark public discussion about global warming, energy conservation and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Via Core77

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GRASS COUCHES HIT THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO

If you happened to be in San Francisco this Friday, November 17th, you might have noticed the grass couches which sneakily popped up around the Ferry Building and Justin Herman Plaza. The couches were part of a series of interactive green installations celebrating the launch of a new website, www.letsgreenthiscity.com. You may remember this sod grass couch from a Readymade How-To that was published back in 2005. Well, we couldn’t get enough of it then, so we stopped by to test those couches out for ourselves. Apparently we weren’t the only ones – mayor Gavin Newsom was spotted relaxing on one in front of city hall. To see our pics, click here >

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PREFAB FRIDAY: Studio 804 Wins Home Of The Year

Since the last time we touted Studio 804’s design/build prefab projects, the University of Kansas studio group has completed construction and landed the prestigious Home Of The Year Award, given annually by Architecture magazine. Their prefab Modular 3 home, which was conceptualized, designed, and built all within a twenty-week long semester, earned the award with its modular framework, environmentally-friendly materials, and gorgeously modern aesthetic.

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GREENBUILD DENVER: The Chemistry of Green Building

For those of you who think that last week’s Greenbuild Conference was all about grass roofs and composting toilets, think again. One of the more diverse sessions was led by a group of chemists from the Green Chemistry Institute. Their concepts are not far from those advocated by the design community, such as Biomimicry and Cradle-to Cradle. However, these chemists are working to enhance human health and the environment by changing products at a molecular level.

Just think about the possibilities: Smog Eating Concrete!

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GREENBUILD DENVER: Women in Green Design

What does sex have to do with sustainability? This is a question posed by a new book coming out called Women in Green: Voices of Sustainable Design. It’s an issue that resonates heavily with the staff at Inhabitat – an organization that is 90% female. Despite the fact that architecture, building and construction have long been male-dominated fields, a lot of women are joining the sustainable design movement and we are wondering what this means… Are women more interested in environmentalism in general? Or is there something about the confluence of design and environmentalism that particularly appeals to women?

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GREENBUILD DENVER: Products & Materials

Well folks, we’ve got some good news and some bad news; The good news is that you’re currently reading one of the best weblogs for keeping up to date with all the latest and greatest materials in the green building world. The bad news is, we’ve already shown you most of the cool new materials gracing the Exhibit Hall floor – they’re all covered already in our NEW MATERIALS section. Unfortunately, we haven’t stumbled upon any new groundbreaking products here in Denver. But for those of you who couldn’t venture to the Mile High City, we’ll show you some of our favorites, and remind you of the broad range of exciting resources at your fingertips.

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GREENDBUILD DENVER: opening day

The USGBC’s Greenbuild Conference kicked off bright and early Wednesday morning as several speakers took the stage for the opening plenary. Some were expected, like the USGBC President Rick Fedrizzi. Others, like Ira Magaziner of the Clinton Climate Initiative were a pleasant surprise. But we all know who we were really waiting for: the current sage of global sustainability, Bill McDonough – and he didn’t disappoint.

For a few of the highlights of the opening session, read on…

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TREE ART: Raining “Miracle Tree” in Singapore

This past week, pedestrians passing the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore were happily surprised by periodic bursts of precipitation falling from a nearby Angsana tree. Many innocent passers-by gawked in wonderment, but those in the know recognized it as an art installation conceptualized and executed by Dutch-born artist Iepe B. T. Rubingh in conjunction with the first annual Singapore Biennale. Rubingh, known more familiarly as IEPE, says he uncovered the Singapore Miracle tree’s supernatural powers after ‘talking’ to it for three weeks. Inspired by traditional folklore, he believes that the rain from the tree cleanses one’s sins, cures diseases and acts as a kind of fountain of youth. Even without the rhetoric, we love the simple beauty and poetic imagery of a raining tree in an urban setting.

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QUIET REVOLUTION WIND TURBINE

Quiet Revolution Ltd has revolutionized the windmill with their new QuietRevolution wind turbine, the QR5. Not only is it one of the most visually appealing wind turbines available on the market, its small scale allows it to fit seamlessly into an urban environment, providing a renewable energy resource in places where space constraints previously made it impossible to hook up green power systems.

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LEAF FURNITURE by Tejo Remy

There’s something so identifiable and charming about Dutch Design. Tejo Remy, one of the first and most influential members of the Dutch Design group Droog, has recently split from the collective to launch a project-based firm called RemyVeenhuizen with cohort Rene Veenhuizen. Their Leaf Project, whose cascading waterfall of leaves create a fluid series of shelves, benches, and wall coverings, is a great example of witty, innovative, and engaging design. We love the flora motif made structural and functional.

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RETAIL PREFAB: Puma’s Store-In-A-Box

In Manhattan shops come and go all the time. Still, it was with surprise that New Yorkers watched the swift transformation of a retail space in Union Square from wine store to Puma concept store almost overnight. Thanks to the innovative “Store-In-A-Box” concept – inspired by the fold-out efficiency of mobile shipping containers – Puma was able to set up this store in less than a week. Puma’s new prefab retail system is a marvel of efficiency that anyone who has ever put together a retails store can appreciate.

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SUSTAINABLE STYLE SUNDAYS: Linda Loudermilk

Linda Loudermilk is a green trail blazer in the fashion industry — committed not only to making clothes out of environmentally friendly fabrics, but making beautiful clothing in general.

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BUDGET BOONTJE: Tord at Target for the Holidays

If you’ve stopped by Target recently you probably noticed a new design star has joined the (increasingly groundbreaking) Target canon of hot-shot designers. We are excited to announce that one of Inhabitat’s all-time favorite designers- Tord Boontje- has decided to go the Target route and bring his enchanting designs to the masses for rock bottom Target prices.

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PREFAB FRIDAY: Door House by Cubo Arquitectos

Not all prefab is created equal. Some, like Rocio Romero’s LV Home, are made for middle-income, modernist loving homebuyers. Others, like Ray Kappe’s Living Home, are a super high-end version meant for the well-off client. At the other end of the spectrum, we have Cubo Arquitectos‘ prototype for emergency shelters – definitely not the most permanent home around – but by far, a true take on building “prefab.”

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HOMEGROWN TABLE by Sebastian Brajkovic

We love the combination of furniture and foliage, especially when it cultivates an engagement between user and object. Our latest favorite is Sebastian Brajkovic’s HomeGrown Table, whose simple elegant form and recessed pots make it the perfect decorative and multi-functional surface. Designed during his enrollment at the prestigious Design Academy in Eindhoven, the prototype table serves as both dining surface and planter for “crops that you grown in the same place where the daily ritual of eating takes place.” The hanging light planters complete the design, providing an brilliant ensemble of beautiful objects and unique function.

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DWELL ON DESIGN in Palm Springs

Following September’s San Francisco installment , the Dwell on Design conference series continues in Palm Springs December 1st-3rd, and boasts a great lineup of speakers, events, and home tours. We are media sponsors this time around again, and the best part is that our friends at Dwell have offered a special registration discount for Inhabitat readers to attend the weekend-in-the-desert design event. Enter code HABITAT on the registration page to receive $75 off (in addition to the early bird ticket rate valid through November 15th).

REGISTER HERE >

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BOTTLED SUNSHINE: Tobias Wong’s Sun Jars

Ever wish you could bottle sunshine? With Tobias Wong’s charming new lighting concept you can. Sun Jars collect solar energy during the day and emit a warm amber glow at night. Containing an energy efficient LED and a rechargeable battery, the Sun Jar will give light for up to 5 hours with each charge.

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URBAN CACTUS HIGH-RISE

Living in Texas, we’ve seen our fair share of cacti. So it goes without saying that we were intrigued to hear of the Urban Cactus, an architectural project in Rotterdam. Designed by UCX Architects, the future housing project will accommodate 98 residential units within its 19 floors. Because it sits on a harbor, the architects decided that the tower needed a natural “green” image – which has manifested itself in a stacked set of rotated, swoopy plates.

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SOLAR-POWERED SUN BRICK

Spice up your patio or walkway this fall with Sun Bricks, the solar-powered ground lighting system that will guide people to your front door with their inviting glow. These flush-to-ground patio pavers are composed of LEDs powered entirely by the sun – meaning no burn-outs, bulb replacement or extra charges to those ever-increasing energy bills. No external wires makes installation a snap – just swap out existing pavers with Sun Bricks. One day of charge provides each Sun Brick with eight hours of amber-colored illumination, just long enough to get all of your visitors in and out of the house. Sun Bricks are an inspirational idea for the holiday seasons, what with all the expected (and unexpected) guests.

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MOLEHILL PILLOWS by LOOOLO TEXTILES

While the phrase “sustainable textiles” might conjure up images of hemp and itchy burlap, Looolo’s Molehill Pillows prove that green textiles can can be both luxurious and well-designed. Inspired by “bumps in the road”, the rectangular pillows are made entirely from certified organic materials including Climatex Lifecyle yarns and felt, organic cotton, and Kapok, an eco-friendly fiber from the rainforests of Malaysia. Hand and machine knit, and available in an array of rich colors, they’re are a great example of “sustainable chic,” using eco-friendly materials without sacrificing an eye-catching contemporary design aesthetic.

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