LivingHomes had the honor of building the first LEED Platinum certified home in the US, and now they’re on schedule to deliver the first LEED Platinum certified home in Orange County. The new KieranTimberlake LivingHome 1.5 (KTLH1.5) was erected earlier this month in a single day. Located in the city of Newport Beach, we carry no doubts that the home will be LEED Platinum certified given LivingHomes‘ track record.

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", Green Building, green design, kieran timberlake prefab, KieranTimberlake, KieranTimberlake Associates, LEED Home, LEED platinum, living homes, livinghomes

With all the controversy and outrage surrounding the presence of BPA in plastic water bottles, KOR has stood by its commitment to encourage individuals to stop buying disposable bottled water with its smoothly styled BPA-free water vessels. This past week they announced a limited-edition series of “Thirst for Giving” bottles that feature beautiful art and provide sales proceeds to non-profits that are working to preserve the environment.

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Post tags: BPA Free, green design, Kor Water Bottle, sustainable design, sustainable water bottle, Thirst for Giving

Sanjay Puri Architect’s new Chrome Hotel features a fresh façade punctuated with holes that allow natural light to stream in while keeping air-conditioning costs to a minimum. The opaque windows were purposefully set throughout the swiss cheese façade to allow ambient natural light to enter, and they also create an incredibly cool effect at night when backlit by LED lights.

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Post tags: Chrome Hotel, Green Building, green design, green hotel, LED lighting, Sanjay Puri Architects, sustainable design, Sustainable Hotel

We first announced Pugh + Scarpa’s Cherokee Lofts in Los Angeles two years ago, and we’re excited to say that the renovated recording studio debuted last month with a Rock N’Platinum grand opening. Anticipating its LEED Platinum certification, the opening literally rocked thanks to the music of Ben Lee and BlueSkyReality, plus three showcase lofts were stylized to pay tribute to Alice Cooper, 30 Seconds to Mars, and David Bowie. A fitting gala granted the number of gold and platinum records recorded at the location, which housed Cherry Studios prior to its conversion into sleek residential units.

In case you missed the opening, fear not – you can check it out this weekend on Saturday and Sunday from noon-5pm!

+ Cherokee Lofts

+ Pugh + Scarpa

Photos © Tara Wujcik

Read the rest of Cherokee Lofts: Renovated Recording Studio Seeks LEED Platinum

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", Cherokee Lofts, Cherry Studios, Green Building, green design, LEED platinum, Mutli-Family Residential Units, ReThink Development, Sustainable Building

This year’s Opportunity Green conference proved that good design means good business, and it started from the moment we walked in the door. We were bestowed with a Kor water bottle (to be refilled at water stations placed throughout the conference groups) and full set of To-Go Ware complete with canvas case and carabiner belt attachment. Did we mention that it all came packaged in an AdVinylize bag? We were also excited to see the EcoFabulous lounge (and the inclusion of their Founder Zem Joaquin as a co-host), a panel dedicated to exploring what happens “When Sustainable Design and Business Converge”, and we had the opportunity to test drive the new Mini-E. Throughout the past weekend Opportunity Green put good design on display, and we’ve gotta admit – we loved it.

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If you’re interested in the intersection of business, design, and sustainability and will be in the Los Angeles area this weekend, we highly recommend checking out this year’s Opportunity Green conference! Inhabitat favorite designer Yves Behar will be on hand to talk about his FuseProject, Method’s Chief Greenskeeper Adam Lowry will be available to talk about delivering natural home products to the masses, and our very own Sarah Rich, representing Dwell, will be on the stage moderating a panel. Inhabitat readers receive a 30% discount by entering in the code Inhabitat30, so register today!

+ Opportunity Green

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Post tags: green businesses, green design, Opportunity Green, sustainable design, sustainable design conference, ucla

When Architect Adi Purnomo of Mamostudio set out to design a live, work, and exhibition space for a photographer/painter client, he knew that maximizing natural light would be a necessity. Purnomo also pushed his studio’s creative design process to maintain the temperature of the home’s interior spaces through passive means whenever possible. The resulting Puri Indah House features an intricate series of slanted walls that reflect sunlight throughout the day, while intermingled gardens and interior pools of water ensure that the house is shaded and kept cool.

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Post tags: Green Building, Mamostudio, passive solar design, Passive Sustainable Methods, Purii Indah House, sustainable design, Sustainable Green Housing

High Density green living is on the rise in Elwood, Australia with Crosby Architect’s new Elwood Green project. Living up to its name, the high-density apartment building will house 25 units that are expected to receive an average 6-star rating – the highest honor currently available from the Green Building Council of Australia. What comes as a bit of surprise is the lack of active systems assisting in the green rating, which just goes to show that old ingenuity and smart design can create buildings every bit as sustainable as the most high-tech structures.

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Post tags: 6 star Rating, Crosby Architects, Elwood Green, Green Building, Green Building Council of Australia, Sustainable Building

An abandoned bowling alley finds a second life in this beautiful series of furniture by LA-based designer/woodworker William Stranger. Crafted from reclaimed strips of wood salvaged from a local defunct Tava Lanes Bowling alley, the collection springs to life in a variety of forms including a series of wall hangings and a low coffee table.

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Post tags: Bowling Alley, green design, green furniture, green Interiors, reclaimed furniture, Recycled Materials, second life, sustainable design, William Stranger

Mesa Community College recently completed work on a stunning physical science building that exceeded LEED expectations when it was awarded LEED-NC Gold. Designed by the award-winning architecture firm, The Smith Group, the building is the first major LEED project to be completed within the Maricopa Country Community College District. The brand new 64,480-square-foot facility houses curriculum for the physics, astronomy, chemistry, geology and engineering departments including classrooms, laboratories, facility offices, an advising center and a 53 seat planetarium. Topping off the new space is an astronomy observation platform.

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Post tags: "leed", Green Building, green design, LEED gold, Mesa Community College, Smith Group, Sustainable Building, usgbc

A team of students from Penn State recently unveiled their Natural Fusion residence, which has been selected as one of 20 ultra-efficient homes set to make an appearance at this year’s Solar Decathlon. The elegant structure is wrapped in living walls and utilizes a host of energy-efficient features including a green roof lined with photovoltaic panels and large windows that bathe the interiors in daylight.

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Sitting on the outskirts of Beijing, Steven Holl’s eco city-within-a-city is now accepting more than 2,500 new residents. Featured previously on Inhabitat, Holl’s Linked Hybrid Development is a completely self-contained housing complex that features of one of the largest geothermal heating and cooling systems in the world, serving the development’s entire 6.18 hectares (15.27 acres). Five semi-public recreational areas wind their way through the compound, offering residents green space in the midst of high density living. The awards are already coming in and the Linked Hybrid complex has been dubbed the ‘best tall building’ by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).

+ Steven Holl Architects

Via Bustler

Photos by Shu He

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Post tags: geothermal, green design, housing complex, linked hybrid, residential architecture, Steven Holl, sustainable design

Launched in 2001, Method was conceived by two former roommates to offer eco-friendly, safe and effective home cleaning products. Out to prove that being green is cool, chief brand architect,” Eric Ryan and “chief greenskeeper,” Adam Lowry, created a line of products in attractive, modern packaging that they refer to as “recyclable plastic art” — worthy of being left out on bathroom and kitchen counters. In the past, with Clorox Greenworks, we’ve argued that efficacy is important even when it comes to cleaning products, so we have to ask: Is Method truly green or does it hide behind cool packaging that attracts mainstream popularity?

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Post tags: eco cleaning, eco friendly cleaning, green cleaning supplies, household cleaning products, method cleaning, natural home cleaning

With back to school season in full swing, we couldn’t help but wonder which colleges and universities are rated at the top of the green class. And with all the research that high school Juniors and Seniors put into selecting their future higher education institution, sustainable initiatives on campuses are becoming an increasingly important thing to consider. We did a little due diligence of our own with the help of Sierra’s Top Cool Schools, the Princeton Review’s Green Score card, and Greenopia’s University Ranking Guide, to save you the hassle. Here’s our report of the five schools that consistently make the green top 10.

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Post tags: eco friendly school, green colleges, green schools, green universities, top 5 green schools

NASA has planted its flag on planet Earth (for a change) with the groundbreaking of their “Sustainability Base” this week. The new endeavor is located on their Ames campus in Moffett Field, CA just outside of Silicon Valley and has specs that are pushing green building to new limits. In order to deliver in true sustainable style, NASA recruited Inhabitat favorite, William McDonough + Partners, to take on the 50,000-square foot collaborative support facility.

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Post tags: Green Building, nasa, Sustainability Base, Sustainable Building, William McDonough Partners, WM+P