Building Design
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Tesla’s solar roof solution hides in plain sight
Read the full article online at http://newatlas.com “Tesla envisions a house with solar roof tiles and a powerwall and electric vehicle in the garage.” Read the full article online at http://newatlas.com
Copenhagen tower encourages residents to grow greens
Read the full article online at http://newatlas.com “Danish firm Studio Lokal is planning to build a new residential high-rise on a former vegetable market in Copenhagen. Taking inspiration from this, the tower will offer each resident access to their own private balcony garden, with which they will be encouraged to grow their own fruit and […]
Tap promises more mist, less wasted water
Read the full article online at http://newatlas.com “When you wash your hands or rinse off soapy dishes under a running tap, most of the water just flows out of the faucet and down the drain without being used – or at least, that’s what the folks at Swedish firm Altered tell us. That’s why they […]
Swedish apartment encourages cycle-friendly lifestyle
As cities seek to become greener and healthier places to live, cycling is increasingly being catered for. In Malmö, Sweden, this now extends beyond infrastructure like bike lanes and cycle paths, with a specially designed apartment block and hotel being built for people who wish to lead a car-free lifestyle. Designed by architects Hauschild+Siegel, Cykelhuset Ohboy will comprise 55 apartments, ranging in size from one to four bedrooms, and a “bike hotel” on street-level with 31 mezzanine apartments, all spread across seven floors. Like Foster + Partners’ 250 City Road in London, UK, it will feature space for bike storage, large elevators to accommodate bikes and a bike workshop, as well as focusing on greenery and sustainability.
Five ways cities are acting on climate
Cities aren’t waiting for the rest of the world to make huge strides in confronting the climate crisis. In December 2015, almost the entire world (195 nations to be exact) agreed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and do their part to solve climate change as part of the landmark Paris Agreement. After years of negotiation and discussion, the world is closer than ever to finally shifting away from dirty fossil fuels and working together to reverse the dangerous upward trend in warming global temperatures.
California Freeways Will Soon Generate Electricity
“Energy conservation is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about freeways jammed with idling vehicles. But in California, which has some of the most congested freeways in the country, that’s about to change. The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved a pilot program in which piezoelectric crystals will be installed on several freeways. No, these aren’t some kind of new-agey crystals with mystical powers. Piezoelectric crystals, about the size of watch batteries, give off an electrical discharge when they’re mechanically stressed, such as when a vehicle drives over them.
Appliance puts nanofarm in your kitchen
Replantable aims to be a hands-off modular indoor growing device for fresh homegrown produce, year-round. The future of fresh homegrown food may be an indoor one, at least in the cold season and for those without garden space, and although I’m a bit of a Luddite when it comes to gardening, it’s fairly obvious to me that there are plenty of situations where growing food indoors makes sense, even if it entails buying yet another plugged-in appliance.
Self-sufficient, floating off-grid island
From no-waste, no-impact, buy-nothing, no-money to living tiny, there are a multitude of saner and more courageous alternatives to the unthinking, zombie wastefulness of mainstream living. For Canadian couple Wayne Adams and Catherine King, living self-sufficiently meant building their own floating island near Tofino, British Columbia, consisting of twelve interconnected platforms that support their home, greenhouse, lighthouse and a dance studio.
Dig a Hole, Create a Refrigerator
Solutions to big problems – in this case energy use- can often have simple solutions. In this case a design company called Weltevree has designed a usable refrigerator that can be placed in the ground. We love it when design solves problems. Check this out. Now that the kids are grown, replace the swing set with an in-ground back yard cooler.
The Most Eco Friendly College in the World
Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, may be a small school at 1,400 students, but it’s making huge leaps and bounds in sustainability. The school will soon be home to a living building and will be the only college generating all of its electricity from solar energy.
