Cooking on an open fire - a process that is both dangerous and environmentally destructive - is still common throughout the developing world. Stockholm-based design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune has developed one possible solution with the new Baker Cookstove - an energy-efficient stove that uses just one-third of the wood required for an open fire. The inexpensive stove greatly reduces the greenhouse gas emissions and particulate matter produced while cooking a meal -- and it looks quite nice, too.

 

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Now in its third year, Wanted Design has risen to become one of our favorite annual events during New York Design Week. Whereas ICFF confounds the senses with thousands of booths, Wanted Design presented an expertly curated collection of groundbreaking designers – and we were thrilled to find an abundance of sustainable designs on the show floor. Read on for some of our favorites – from David Trubridge‘s sparkling LED Light Rain installation to Joe Doucet‘s electroluminescent Hadron Light, Fabrica‘s fun and funky recycled furnishings and beyond.

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It’s hard enough being tied to your cell phone without having to worry about getting the “Low Battery Icon of Death” right in the middle of an important task – and charging up via wall outlets takes forever. Eesha Khare of Saratoga, California has invented a device that could wipe away battery bothers with a supercapacitor that can charge your phone in 20 seconds. Her research won her a $50,000 prize in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

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ICFF 2013 just kicked off in New York, and Team Inhabitat is on the scene to bring you the best sustainable designs from the nation's largest showcase of contemporary furnishings. Our first day of coverage turned up a great array of green design gems ranging from dazzling energy-saving LED lamps and chandeliers to furniture made from recycled plastic, repurposed propane tanks, and even salvaged bicycles. Read on for a first-hand look at our favorite finds fresh from today's show!

 

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Kengo Kuma has an incredible knack for turning disused, neglected spaces into tranquil retreats that celebrate the power of nature. Kuma's latest project in Japan is the Garden Terrace Miyazaki Hotel, which is built on the site of a former factory. Wrapped in bamboo, the gorgeous hotel is a single double-story volume organized around a central green courtyard.

 

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There are few designers out there able to fuse the spirit of the earth into something as utilitarian as a lamp, but David Trubridge proves that design, when done right, can in fact bring you closer to the elements. For his Light Rain installation, Trubridge adorned swooping LED lights with handcrafted Swarovski crystals to create a beautiful lighting fixture reminiscent of swirling winds or mist hanging on tree branches just after the rain.

 

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As consumers grow ever conscious about the impact their purchases have on the environment, designers like Designtree have become increasingly creative about how they source materials for their projects. The Frankie Lamp spotted at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York this past weekend is an inspiring case in point. Made with FSC-certified beech wood and 100 percent recycled and recyclable PET, this beautiful felt lamp comes in a couple of different designs.

 

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Photo via Shutterstock

A team of Norwegian research scientists has unveiled a concept that could store energy on the seabed. Conceived by Subhydro AS, the underwater pumped hydroelectric power plant would use high water pressure to create and store electricity for later use on the shore.

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The new Hilden Grange Prep School, designed by HawkinsBrown, is a £4.4 million redevelopment of an old Victorian building located Kent, UK. The building is organized around a sunken assembly and dining hall with floor-to-ceiling glass doors which open up towards external dining areas and an outdoor amphitheatre. It achieved a low carbon footprint and a BREEAM rating of ‘very good’.

 

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So far we’ve seen many examples of kitchen utensils being repurposed into customized, low-tech and eco-friendly objects – but these gorgeous colander light shades by New York-based designer Nadia Belalia bring a special steampunk sensibility. Inspired by the “abundance and rawness” of industrial material in the New York, she created the series of lighting fixtures which combine the strength of metal with soft oval forms. Belalia’s lamps are currently on display at this year’s ICFF in New York.

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If you're a big fan of cycling and recycling, then you will love The reCYCLER. Founded by Gilbert Vanden Heuvel, this one man design studio from Canada turns old bike parts into all kinds of awesome, environmentally-friendly interior furnishings. We spotted the modern Tub Chair at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York this weekend, but the Ontario-based artisan's repertoire includes a slew of other decorative and functional designs as well.

 

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Inhabitat first stumbled upon Blackbody during Milan Design Week earlier this year, but we were even more excited by what we saw at the LED lighting company's booth this morning at ICFF 2013 - life-size OLED trees! Like larger versions of the “Bonzai” lamps featured in Italy, the arboreal lamps are fitted with  luminous OLEDs for an energy-efficient design that delights as it lights! Click through our gallery for more pics of this fun light fixture.

 

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This beautiful 1814 stone house in the Swiss mountains has been carefully restored by Savioz Fabrizzi Architects, bringing it up to contemporary standards while retaining its historical charm. The home's exteriors were left almost untouched, but a number of energy-efficient upgrades helped the home to achieve the Swiss Minergie energy conservation standard.

 

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Brooklyn-based designer Patrick Weder’s beautiful new paper lamps, which are on display at ICFF this week, are made from repurposed chicken coop wire and paper pulp, and they resemble delicate pieces of coral. Fitted with energy efficient LED bulbs, the lamps give off a warm glow as light emits through the twisting form. When unlit, the lamps appear to be almost opaque, revealing the bones of the chicken wire only slightly. But when illuminated, the paper pulp material turns a warm and creamy hue, casting a comfortable and relaxing glow.

 

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Many great minds at companies like Google and Tesla have been laboring towards creating a self-driving car system. Millions of dollars have gone into the research, resulting in expensive prototypes and costly components. Nineteen-year-old Romanian student Ionut Budisteanu took the top prize at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for developing an autonomous system that would only cost $4,000 and safely guide a car through the streets.

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