Vertical Park: Stackable Solar Skyscraper for Mexico City

In the ever-expanding metropolis of Mexico City, green space is hard to come by. An estimated population of 22 million inhabitants bears an impressive weight on the Valley of Mexico and, in recent years, architects and urbanists have been examining solutions to combat the thickening smog. This stunning Vertical Park by Jorge Hernandez de la Garza intends to infuse the city with much-needed green space in the form of a modular skyscraper made up of a series of stacking units. The solar-powered structure contains sky-gardens in addition to spaces for living and working, and recycles all of its own water.

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Madrid’s ‘Distrito C’ Self Shading Solar Office

Distrito C is an ambitious project designed to consolidate 40,000 employees in Madrid from Spain’s largest company, Telefonica. The complex includes four phases of three buildings each, for a total of twelve structures. The design and materials for the buildings are identical so as to streamline the construction process and keep time and material waste to a minimum. And by keeping construction and production as simple as possible, Telefonica maintains the clean, unified look the company is after.

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Dragonfly Vertical Farm for a Future New York

Modeled after the wings of a dragonfly, this incredible urban farm concept for New York City’s Roosevelt Island intends to ease the problems of food mileage and shortage, and reconnect consumers with producers. Urban farming is a growing trend amongst savvy city dwellers today, but in a densely packed borough like Manhattan, growth must come vertically. Spanning 132 floors and 600 vertical meters, the Dragonfly can accommodate 28 different agricultural fields for the production of fruit, vegetables, grains, meat and dairy. A combination of solar and wind power make Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut’s Dragonfly concept %100 self sufficient.

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Tulsa NINE Project Lofts Go LEED Platinum

Not only did this Tulsa loft give Oklahoma its very first LEED certification — it went platinum. Local architect Shelby Navarro pulled out every green design strategy in the book for this project from geothermal heating to a bison-grass green roof and recycled glass floors. Consisting of two attached lofts, the home is just a short walk from shopping and a block from a bike trail in Tulsa’s up-and-coming Cherry Street District neighborhood.

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Veggie Trader Makes Swapping Homegrown Produce Easy

Too many tomatoes? Too few fava beans? Why not swap them with Veggie Trader, a brand new online community for gardeners and eaters alike. On the site you can list fruits, veggies and herbs and either negotiate a trade or just plain buy and sell them. And beyond supporting at-home gardening and fresh eats, Veggie Trader also hopes to build communities of gardeners by encouraging users to plan their harvest and specialize in certain crops.

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EDEN BIO: Paris Grows a Green Heart

Villas des Vignoles or EDEN BIO is an entire block of public housing nestled in urban Paris. The newly unveiled dwellings are enclosed in a small alley with plenty of nooks and crannies for gardening, composting or even small rabbit hutches—as designer Edouard Francios so picturesquely envisioned. Green walls or vegetable facades will hug the exterior of the housing block, and in the coming months trees will begin to shoot off branches. The landscaping will continue to grow into its surroundings aging like a fine French wine.

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OFIS Unveils 4 Self-Sustaining Islands in Maldives

Slovenian architect studio OFIS was recently granted a 25 year lease by the Maldivian government to develop a set of four islands into tropical eco resorts. Each island’s plan demonstrates concern for the local environment, the ability to self-sustain, and the developers’ genuine intent to maintain the cultural and ecological authenticity of the local area. Their proposal, which includes a 100-bed 5-star resort, will be spread throughout the islands with a variety of different accommodation styles, from bungalow to villa. This will all be done according to local law, of course, which, among other stipulations, requires that no building can be higher than the tallest tree on the island.

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Orange Dish Rack Grows a Green Herb Garden

One of fifteen finalists in our Spring Greening DIY Design Contest, Nibha Jain and Srikanth Jalasutram’s “Orange” dish drying rack puts wet dishes to work by using their droplets to water a mini herb garden. Clothes pins attached to one side hold flatware and smaller items while the built in rack is suitable for anything you can throw at it (but the kitchen sink!). The tray has an inclined base which funnels water drips towards a small plant of your choosing, making this an ingenious invention for keeping cooking herbs close at hand. If you agree, be sure to vote for it in our Spring Greening Contest!

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE SPRING GREENING DESIGN >

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Gorgeous Origen Egg Crate Chandelier

With Easter on its way, those of us who engaged in egg-dying festivities are likely to have lots of empty egg crates lying around. Rather than tossing them in the trash (or compost bin!), why not follow Federico Otero’s example and transform them into elegant examples of DIY design. One of fifteen finalists in our Spring Greening Contest, the Origen lamp is formed from several 30-pack egg crates interlocked around a light bulb that gives off a soft, warm glow. If you’re a fan of this design, be sure to vote for it in our contest post!

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE SPRING GREENING DESIGN >

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Abu Dhabi’s Spiraling Helix Hotel

The Helix Hotel in Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Bay doesn’t have floors like we’re used to - instead it spirals in sections of a corkscrew from top to bottom with no clear breaks, flowing from retail to residential, and hotel suites to saunas. The hollow center keeps foot traffic flowing while infusing interior spaces with coastal air and natural light, while on the outside GROW panels are fast at work harnessing solar and wind energy. Because of its unique design, every room has a slighly different view — perfect for watching over the contruction of Zaha Hadid’s Sheikh Zayed Bridge just next door.

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Student Designs Biodegradable Packaging for McDonald’s

Fast food packaging takes up a hefty chunk of our landfill space while effectively clear-cutting our forests. The golden arch proprietors dole out over 2 billion burgers a year, each individually wrapped in plastic coated paper and thrown into a paper bag with a few paper napkins–that’s about 75 per second, worldwide. Toss in a dozen other fast food conglomerates and we’re up to our ears in greasy garbage. What’s worse is that most of this paper makes its way into a trashcan after only about 5 minutes of use. Seeking to counter this consumptive cycle, University of the Arts grad student, Andrew Millar, designed biodegradable packaging for McDonald’s from grass paper, which has naturally grease-resistant properties.

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VegaWatt: Powering Restaurants WIth Deep Fried Fuel

While there’s still some guilt to be had when indulging in a deep-fried take-out, if the restaurant is equipped with a VegaWatt oil converter you can claim you’re only doing it to help the environment. A VegaWatt machine turns used vegetable oil into clean heat and energy for restaurants, eliminating the dirty and costly mess of oil disposal while producing 10-25% of the electricity needed to run a small restaurant.

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Soil Powered Lamp: A Fresh Take on “Dirty Energy”

Soil naturally contains energy conducive metals like zinc, copper and iron, and microbial fuel cells (sometimes referred to as an earth batteries) are capable of converting electrolytes in soil into usable energy. Dutch designer Marieke Strap’s Soil Lamp uses conductive plates made from copper and zinc buried within the soil to provide constant and (nearly) eternal light for an LED bulb. Maintaining a Soil Lamp is as simple as watering a plant - just feed it a splash of water every now and then to keep the energy flowing.

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Ceramic Water Filters Win IWA Award for Cambodia

As populations in developing nations increase alongside global pollution and the spread of water-borne illnesses, the need for clean and efficient water filtration has never been more urgent. Recently, the International Water Association (IWA) awarded UNICEF and the Water and Sanitation Program with the 2008 Project Innovation Award Grand Prize for providing Cambodia with ceramic water filters. These water purification devices are made and distributed by Cambodian nationals, and have resulted in a 50 percent drop in diarrheal illnesses in the region since their implementation in 2002.

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Eco Education Slunakov Center Uses Passive Design

Situated on the outskirts of the ancient town of Olomouc in the eastern Czech Republic, Slunakov is a center for ecological and educational activities that acts as a gateway to the Litovelske Pomoravi natural reserve. Inspired by the shape of a solar eclipse, the beautiful biocenter is built along the curve of the land and takes full advantage of passive design by employing a southern facade of windows with adjustable blinds.

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Soaring Seawater Farms for a Self-Sufficient Dubai

Dubai is a burgeoning metropolis surrounded by seawater that relies on imports for nearly all of its food. Addressing the region’s lack of natural resources, Italian architects Studiomobile have conceived of a Seawater Vertical Farm that draws upon local resources to create a sustainable source of food for a cleaner, greener and more self-sufficient Dubai. Envisioned as a spire that branches off into soaring sky-gardens, the design uses seawater to create an ecosystem conducive to growing crops amid the clouds.

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Recycled London Underground Sneakers

Nostalgic Londoners may remember the retro textiles in these Urban Remade shoes by Above+Below London. Featuring fabric reclaimed from the seat upholstery of underground tubes and buses, the shoes immortalize fifty years and ten lines of London public transit. The leather upper parts are made from old, landfill-bound check book wallets, and the soles from used car tires. Each fabric was hand selected from Piccadilly to Bakerloo and restored to its faded glory for one-of-a-kind, metro-salvaged kicks.

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A-Lab Unveils Stunning Eco-Office for Norway

This stunning energy-efficient office recently won a competition to design the 2012 location for Norway’s oil company StatoilHydro. Conceived by Oslo’s A-lab, the modern and flexible office compound took the winning bid from a pool of some 40 entries. The new site and office center brings together two previously separated buildings, opening up more efficient communication and reducing the need for cross-town travel and courier services. Five separate wings lie on top of each other in the shape of a star, keeping particular offices regionalized while still attached.

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La Mediterranea 100% Recycled Glass Tableware

Housewares retailer Owen Lawrence recently made way for La Mediterranea, a line of table top items made from 100% recycled glass. La Mediterranea converts 5 million kilos (11 million pounds!) of glass each year salvaged from Spain’s urban recycling bins into glasses, goblets, vases, plates, and more in a dozen patterns and 15 delightful hues. Designed and crafted in Valencia, Spain since 1975, the process combines computerized manufacturing with artisan glassblowing techniques.

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A Shining Solar Skyscraper for Shenzen

Austrian architecture firm Coop Himmelb(l)au recently won first prize in a competition to design a shimmering skyscraper that will house the new headquarters of the China Insurance Group. The 49 story tower will rise over the central business district of Shenzhen, a thriving economic center on China’s southern shore. The flowing outer skin of the building will be lined with photovoltaic cells and will feature mechanisms to increase wind resistance, shade the interiors from sunlight, provide natural ventilation, and display multimedia banners.

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A Living Green House Lost in Paris

Can’t decide on a green roof or a vertical garden? No problem, just do both! R&Sie Architects designed the aptly-named ‘Lost in Paris‘ house for an ‘urban witch’ who feeds the house through 300 glass-blown pods. A potion of rainwater and plant nutrients nourishes 1200 ferns drop-by-drop throughout the year. The houseplants are entirely hydroponic, and completely engulfing the 1400 square foot concrete home. The blanket of ferns protects the house from outside elements and regulates its inside temperature, all the while adding life and freshness to the neighborhood.

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PREFAB FRIDAY: EcoCoon Retreats

Lofted high above in the trees, Mathier Collos’ EcoCoon retreats are a conceptual design for prefabricated housing. Each of the London-based architect’s cocoon-like pod is outfitted with an array of sustainable features including rainwater collection, a greywater system, and biomass heating. And depending on the type of tree used and the tree branching density, solar panels can also be integrated to help make these pods as eco-sensitive as possible. The two-story, split-level retreats can comfortably accommodate two adults or a small family and larger models may be able to act as a small, quaint hostel with several guests.

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Iceland’s Gorgeous Passive Solar Hof House

Deep in the northern chill of Iceland, just outside the arctic circle, the Hof House sits snugly within its landscape. Built on an existing estate, Studio Granada Architects salvaged whatever materials possible from the site to be incorporated into the new residence, converting telegraph poles into a sun screen and basalt pillars into stepping stones. Even the grass on the green roof came from local site leftovers after clearing way for its foundation. Designed for the extreme weather conditions of the Skagafjörður Fjord, the Hof House relies on passive solar design, geothermal heating, and some pretty hefty concrete walls.

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Kohinoor Skyscraper Competition Unveils Two Green Towers

Perkins Eastman recently unveiled two soaring green high-rises in Kohinoor CTL’s competition to design a sustainable mixed-use skyscraper for Mumbai, India. The proposals incorporate an abundance of green building strategies and will harness alternative energy for the buildings’ essential functions, harvest rainwater, make use of solar technology, and provide abundant planters and green spaces to filter and freshen the air.

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Bird Island: Zero Energy Home in Kuala Lumpur

Bird Island is a stunning urban renewal project that is currently being developed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Designed by Graft Lab architects for the YTL Green Home Competition, the project comprises a zero energy home made of sustainably-sourced silicone glass fabric. Its lightness and flexibility will allow it to sway organically with the breeze just like a treetop, and slots in the fabric will give visitors a unique peek into the sky as the wind ebbs and flows.

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Michael Jantzen’s Revolving R-House

Sustainable design superstar Michael Jantzen thrills us again with the oh-so-adaptable R-House. Intended as a vacation home, it is constructed nearly entirely from Accoya, a new ’species’ of sustainably-sourced wood designed for ultra-high performance and class 1 durability. Rotating walls slide around the exterior of the structure to keep sun and wind coming and going in all the right places. The house has both passive and prefab qualities and is built to be configured and assembled on-site. Photovoltaic cells and wind turbines will provide the house with all necessary energy, keeping it entirely off the power grid, and rainwater can be collected for washing and flushing.

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Passive Homes Heat Up Around the World

Passive design is architectural design that eliminates the need for mechanical heating and cooling of a building through the use of smart, time-tested heating and cooling strategies such as natural ventilation, solar heat gain and solar shading and efficient insulation. Around 15,000 passive houses have been built around the world in a few short years, yet few are cropping up the United States. Scandinavian and German-speaking countries are sweeping the industry and streamlining the modern family’s heating bill in the process. Passive homes seem to be the next logical step in, well, logical design - German Bauhaus style coupled naturally with Scandinavian modernism, later exploding into what we now know as mid-century modern. Now with 2009 well underway, the world’s budding designers are leaning on the shoulders of sustainability, while passive design is planting its feet in the homelands of Alvar Aalto and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

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Incredible Hotel Made From Salvaged Wine Casks

Ever fallen asleep alongside a good glass of French wine? How about inside a cask of good French wine? The De Vrouwe van Stavoren Hotel in the Netherlands salvaged four wine casks from Switzerland and converted them into rooms. Formerly filled with 14,500 liters of Beaujolais wine from the French chateau, each now holds a modest two-person room with standard amenities and even an attached bathroom and sitting room. Visitors from all around the world have traveled to the quaint northern port town of Stavoren to stay in one of these upcycled rooms.

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GREEN GIFT GUIDE: Gifts That Give Back

It’s easy to get “wrapped up” in the holiday giving spirit, but why not think bigger than just your immediate family, and consider giving back to humanity and the planet. It’s a big world out there and there are plenty of people and environments in need. Whether you’re supporting global development by purchasing artisan crafts or restoring damaged habitats by planting trees or saving endangered species, these gifts that give back will make the world a better place.

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A Grassy Green Showroom Springs up in Beijing

A 500 square meter “floating garden” was recently constructed in Beijing, China for the temporary Guanganmen Green Technology Exhibit. The gorgeous green-roofed structure was designed by Vector Architects and is situated in the central lawn of a residential project by CR Land. Vertical grass walls envelope its steel frame, maintaining heat efficiency and minimizing rainwater runoff. Blanketed in greenery, the showroom will float as an extension of the public lawn, allowing pedestrian traffic to flow freely through it.

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BIKE POWER: The Pedal-Powered Cell Phone Charger

Imagine never having to plug your cellphone into the wall again! Now you can just plug it into your bike with Oscar L’Hermitte’s “Watts Maker” cell phone charger. The system consists of a small kinetic generator that provides power to your mobile phone while you take an evening ride around the neighborhood or pedal to work. This model takes about 90 minutes to go from dead to fully charged, and it produces energy as long as the wheels keep turning.

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