Recently the Elleray Preparatory School in the UK unveiled an incredible set of tree-top classrooms. Situated in the Lake District National Park, the three green-built class pods stand on stilts connected by a center platform made from recycled materials. Built to have a low impact on the environment while accommodating the school’s expanding student body, the Treehouse School is sure to inspire all the children the walk through its doors.
Situated in an defunct arms manufacturing facility in Saint-Etienne, the recently unveiled Cité du Design is a stunning international center for design. Designed by LIN, the project completely renovated the historic complex and integrated a new facility made out of triangular scaffolding. Powered by solar energy and supplemented by an efficient heating system, the energy efficient Cité du Design is a world class design center that lives up to its name.
Iosa Ghini Associati has designed the Energy Belt, a sleek solar-powered monorail system for Bologna, Italy that will connect the airport to the city center. The system’s smoothly sculpted lines run above the countryside, providing great views for travelers. The monorail will also provide infrastructure for other uses, namely a pedestrian walkway alongside the tracks and a solar system that runs along the rail’s southern face.
Last year, we wrote about the groundbreaking of the Green Lighthouse, an exciting carbon-neutral building located at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. Designed by Christensen & Co, the spectacular sundial-shaped structure was recently completed, making it the first public carbon neutral building in Denmark! The student services center will be showcased during the UN Climate Conference (COP15) this December, where it will serve as proof that carbon neutral buildings are possible with good design and planning. In fact, 75% of the energy reductions achieved were a direct consequence of architectural design, not fancy technology.
Imagine 3,000 communities and 10,000 volunteers across the country in a one-day celebration of solar power. That’s why we are reminding you that the American Solar Energy Society kicks off their 14th Annual National Solar Tour TODAY in collaboration with more than 240 local groups as part of National Energy Awareness Month. Participants can take a peek at …
Like a cluster of pleated, venetian blind-esque volcanoes, this new convention center in Taiwan has “skin” that will naturally ventilate the structure and generate energy from solar power. Beijing-based MAD Architects recently designed the Taichung Convention Center as a commission by the Taiwanese government. The center is intended to become a new local landmark and help redefine the cultural landscape of the city, while also drawing attention to sustainable development and growth.
With normal solar cells, you need direct sunlight for them to generate power, and if the panels are at all shaded the efficiency drops significantly. A new type of solar cell, being developed in Jerusalem, is making huge waves because it can generate power from diffuse light using a specialized colored panel. They look a bit like colored plexi-glass but are actually panes made with fluorescent dyes and nanoparticle metals, and could possibly eclipse traditional solar panels in terms of price.
Researchers are developing ways to mass-produce tiny robots the size of a fly that operate like swarms of insects to collect data to aid in surveillance, micromanufacturing, medicine, and more. Measuring in at under 4 mm square, the microbots have all the equipment necessary to move, communicate, and collect data, plus they generate all of their own power via solar panels.
LEED residences are becoming a standard item these days, but this particular residence hit our radar because of the high LEED score and its stunning appearance. The Sage Residence in Eugene, Oregon was designed and built by Arbor South Architecture, and received an impressive score of 110 in the LEED rating system — higher than USGBC founder David Gottfried’s LEED Platinum home, which only received 106.5 points. Beautiful inside and out, the home is a perfect example of how green homes can be beautiful, energy efficient and create minimal impact on the environment.
There are mobile offices, mobile hedges, mobile homes and mobile phones, and just when you thought you couldn’t get more mobile, now there are super sleek mobile lounges! Designed by Italy-based Architecture and Vision, the MercuryHouseOne is a portable pod-like lounge that will debut at the Venice Biennale this September. Powered by solar panels and decked out with the latest lighting, video, and sound technologies, the curvaceous capsule is meant to provide a unique experience whether placed in nature in the heart of a bustling city.
The tightly-knit family of designers and innovators at the Onion Flats collective is raising the bar on innovation for Philadelphia architecture. They have discovered that by taking over the responsibility for everything from a project’s initial conceptual design, all the way to the financing, marketing, and construction, it has allowed them to explore totally new processes for things like water collection and green roofs, without the headache of outsourcing. Completed in 2006, one of their most notable projects are the Rag Flats, a group of modern residential units topped with green roof gardens, solar panels, and lounge spaces, which are built within the shell of a former rag factory.
Music becomes a sustainable experience with Shepeleff Stephen’s solar-powered, bluetooth-connected Q-Sound (quantum sound) headphones. The Romanian engineering student’s sleek design combines flexible, hexagonal solar panels, wireless technology, and rotating earpieces for a futuristic yet practical product that powers itself on the go.
Taiwan recently finished construction on an incredible solar-powered stadium that will generate 100% of its electricity from photovoltaic technology! Designed by Toyo Ito, the dragon-shaped 50,000 seat arena is clad in 8,844 solar panels that illuminate the track and field with 3,300 lux. The project will officially open later this year to welcome the 2009 World Games.
Next time you head to the park, consider bringing a Suntrica wearable solar charger. The Suntrica SolarBadge and SolarStrap are pocket-sized, durable, lightweight chargers covered in flexible thin film solar panels.
After weeks of public outcry , the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to place a hold of at least one year upon the “Greenest Building on the West Coast”. Designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, the 110 Embarcadero project is now under review to determine the historical significance of the site and the proposed 10-story height of the project. Just months ago, the architects had been given the go-ahead to construct the uber-green office building, which was set to become the first commercial building on the West Coast to receive a LEED Platinum rating.
Anna Dietzsch, Managing Director of Davis Brody Bond Aedas‘ São Paulo office and Levisky Arquitetos Associados designed this beautiful eco-park on what was once a contaminated brownfield in São Paulo, Brazil. The 130,000-square-foot site was previously the home to a garbage incinerator, so even after the area’s clean-up the team strove to minimize soil excavation by building a deck that, on average, floats three feet above the ground. Victor Civita Plaza also includes solar panels, the extensive use of reclaimed wood, and a retro-fitted museum that explains the sustainable features that were designed into the site.
The Danish are known for their trendsetting fashion and wind energy industries, and they soon may be just as famous for their sustainable and carbon neutral buildings. Just last week the University of Copenhagen and Christensen & Co Arkitekter A/S, broke ground on a stunning new Faculty of Science building, dubbed the Green Lighthouse. This carbon-neutral building makes excellent use of natural light and will feature solar panels, LED lighting, and scores of other sustainable strategies.
Ushida Findlay Architects (UFA) recently received permission to build this gorgeous eco-friendly, multi-family Park House compound in Preston, UK. The stunning design incorporates sustainable elements such as solar power, extensive use of natural light, and locally-sourced materials, but its defining element is certainly the undulating green roof that links the homes of five branches of a single family.
After Hurricane Katrina, Paul Villinski, a well-known New York-based artist, wanted to transport his studio to Louisiana to see the aftermath first-hand and create artwork in response. At the time he didn’t have a way do it, but since then has picked up a 30′ trailer, gutted it, and rebuilt it to be green, non-toxic and off-grid. The Emergency Response Studio is now a totally self-sufficient traveling artist studio outfitted with solar panels, a wind turbine, non-toxic furnishings, and plenty of space to create.
Recently several auto sites revealed a first glimpse of the eagerly anticipated 2010 Prius! Currently scheduled for official unveiling in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the revamped model features a similar body shape with a redesigned front, more interior room, and better fuel economy.
Solar panels are unique among sources of clean and renewable energy for their ability to generate electricity practically anywhere in the world. Recently Madagascar joined with the Development Intervention Fund to begin retrofitting a number of rural clinics with photovoltaic cells. For those in energy-deprived communities who are in need of medical care, having access to solar energy can literally mark the difference between life and death.
While Rioja is a name that is normally associated with red or white, the autonomous Spanish province will soon be just as synonymous with green – building green, that is. This week the local government gave the green light to the Logroño Montecorvo Eco City project, an ambitious carbon neutral development north of its capital city, Logroño. Designed by Dutch firm MVRDV and Spanish firm GRAS, the stunning development will feature enough photovoltaic cells and wind turbines to produce 100% of it’s energy.
After nearly a decade in the making, Renzo Piano’s California Academy of Sciences is set to open this week – and Inhabitat recently took a sneak peak inside the incredible new institution! A crowning achievement of sustainable architecture, the Academy will house 38,000 live animals and is on track to receive LEED platinum. It is currently the only institution in the world to feature an aquarium, a natural history museum, a living rainforest, a planetarium, and world-class research and education programs – all housed under a 2.5 acre green roof. Read on for a tour of the museum’s many splendors!
photo courtesy of David Baker + Partners Architects
During the past weekend’s AIA Home Tours, one of our favorite residences was a rehabilitated Edwardian home on Shotwell Street designed by Jane Martin of Shift Design Studio and architect, David Baker. If you know the Mission District in San Francisco, you know that Shotwell is a vibrant, ‘gritty’, and sometimes harsh street that has seen everything from street gangs to the up and coming ODC Dance Studios recently built next door. This residence takes in all of this ambiance, exhibiting both the evolution of a place and the passion of its inhabitant.
The Solar Stik™ is a small-scale energy generator that is capable of providing clean, green energy wherever it is needed most. The versatile system takes advantage of both solar and wind turbine technology and is quick to set up, making it perfect for applications ranging from boating and recreation to providing emergency relief and humanitarian aid.
Earlier this summer the brains at Marmol Radziner and Associantes revealed a sleek series of “accessory buildings” including their new Rincon 5 prefab. The clean-lined guest unit features an excellent set of sustainable features including LED lighting, recycled insulation, and bamboo flooring, plus it can function completely off-grid with an optional solar panel package.
Ubiquitous big-box colossus IKEA has shown some great green developments lately, from flat-pack bike trailers to eco-friendly lines of housewares. Now the patent purveyor of all things flat-pack has announced plans to invest $77 million into its GreenTech energy fund with the goal of eventually producing solar panels, efficiency meters, and energy efficient lighting. Granted its massive distribution network, IKEA’s uptake of green tech could pose a monumental shift in the accessibility and affordability of these technologies.
Wandering through the Australian Hills north of Melbourne, it would be easy to miss this deceptively simple, yet elegant house nestled into the surrounding countryside. But once you have reached this beautiful abode designed by Sean Godsell it’s hard to forget it. These hills are not just the home of this dynamic dwelling, but they act to protect it from the often harsh Australian weather and provide shade from the blazing sun.
Sheathed in walls of living green and resembling a pagoda emblazoned with a curving copper rooftop, this UniCube dormitory utilizes an impressive set of sustainable features to regulate its temperature, harvest rainwater, and produce its own energy. Conceived by Andrew Southwood-Jones, the design recently took top honors for Architecture in Autodesk’s 2008 Student Design Challenge.
The manufacturer of the most popular hybrid car on the market is planning take its green vision even further. Toyota, the makers of the Prius, have decided that the best way to make their top selling hybrid car even greener is to add a set of solar panels to the roof of the vehicle. The addition of solar power to the already super efficient Prius marks the first time that a major auto maker will use this renewable energy in a top selling car. Could this be the official start of a hot commercial trend?
San Francisco has made solar energy a top priority with the passage of the Solar Energy Initiative Program – the largest solar energy subsidy program of any city in the United States. An annual budget of $3 million dollars will help create incentives for individuals and businesses to install solar photovoltaics systems with a $3,000 to $6,000 rebate available to individuals and a $10,000 rebate for businesses. On par with statewide programs, San Francisco’s Solar Energy Initiative Program is poised to make solar installations permanent fixtures in the city’s more sustainable skyline.
The Pacific Ferris Wheel at the Santa Monica Pier in California took her last spin on May 5th before crews dismantled the sun-faded behemoth piece by piece to make way for a shiny new wheel. And shiny it is, boasting 160,000 LED lights that will bring glittering visual performances to Santa Monica’s evening sky. The solar panels used for the old wheel will remain at the pier, providing clean energy for the 90-foot ride and its 800 passengers per hour.
If you like the idea of solar power, but aren’t convinced by expensive, clunky solar panels just yet, here’s a more manageable option: print your own on an inkjet! Konarka Technologies has just debuted a printable solar panel film that uses a common inkjet printing process to manufacture paper-thin photovoltaic solar cells. Using the existing and very simple technologies of your office inkjet printer, Konarka has essentially replaced ink with the solar cell material, and paper with a thin flexible sheet of plastic.
Our friends at Ecolect, the go-to sustainable design and materials community, have launched a monthly spotlight on sustainable design called Limelight – and the first feature is tough act to follow. Teresita Cochran’s sustainable design group, SMIT (Sustainably Minded Interactive Technology) has a compelling new project called GROW that’s an innovative and aesthetically arresting solar and wind power solution. Combining the best of green tech and ecology, GROW draws inspiration from ivy growing on the side of a building – resulting in a hybrid energy delivery device of flexible, ivy-like fluttering solar leaves that provide power via both sun and wind.
There is plenty of waste in industrial processes, and the world of computer manufacturing is no exception. A prime example of this are the silicon wafers used as starting materials for the production of chips by the computing industry. Every year, roughly 3.3 million silicon wafers are sent to landfills across the world to be crushed. Of course where some see waste, others see opportunity — such as IBM, who just announced a new process to turn these silicon wafers into solar panels.
LOTS MORE GREAT GREEN DESIGN STORIES HERE... KEEP READING!
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