Alexandra is a freelance writer wwoofing her way through Sweden for the summer. She's written articles for the Hermitage Magazine, Transitions Abroad, and The Santa Monica Sun; and worked in-house for Studio Mousetrap and TOUCH. Alex is a volunteer writer and online community organizer for Lotus Outreach and a volunteer translator for the Women's Crisis Centre in St. Petersburg. After growing up in Olympia, she spent a year in Seattle, two in Barcelona, two in LA and shorter stints in Portland, Vienna, Munich and St. Petersburg, Russia. Alex is interested in human rights, social justice, environmentalism, veganism, architecture, art and linguistics. She also enjoys urban adventures and loves camping--mostly so she can cook over an open flame. Someday she'll go to law school and fight for the public interest, but for now there's lots to see and plenty to be done.
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Alexandra Kain
The Dragonfly: A Giant Winged Vertical Farm for New York City
In this utopian superstructure offices, research labs, housing, and communal areas are interspersed between orchards, farms, and production rooms. Plant and animal farming is arranged throughout
Shuhei Endo’s Out of This World “Bubbletecture H” Building
When Japanese architect Endo Shuhei adds another delectable design to his repertoire, you can expect a project title just as incredible as the structure itself. He names each of his projects by
R&Sie Architects Design a Living Green House Lost in Paris Fed By 300 Glass-Blown Pods
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
Water Droplet Resort Will Convert Air into Purified Water
Architecturally and thematically designed in the shape of a drop of water, the Water Building Resort intends to become the first building ever to convert air into water with the help of solar
Top 5 Pieces of Living, Growing Furniture
In the world of green furnishings there are always a few literalists out there looking to push the envelope and create something truly “green”. Growing and thriving with CO2
IS IT GREEN?: The Compact Fluorescent Light
Shortly after Al Gore debuted An Inconvenient Truth the general public started giving a damn about climate change -- at least superficially. And in a massive wave of effort to show off our new
Blue Crystal: A Sustainable Iceberg Lodge in Dubai?
Temporary ice hotels materialize each winter in frigid northern towns from Russia to Canada. As temperatures rise in the spring the structures melt back into the earth. Now Dubai is poised to
‘Re-Juicer’ Gets More Juice Out of Plastic Water Bottles
Simple yet clever, we're raising our glasses to the inventive repurposing behind the Re-Juicer. The Re-Juicer turns an orange into OJ with the twist of a wrist and a plastic water bottle.
Michel Bussien’s Growing Chair is Deep-Seated in Nature
More ironic than practical, Swiss designer Michel Bussien's Growing Chair evokes pertinent ideas for the 21st century: nature trapped within the confines of man, manicured at his whim, or a
Pyramid Farm is a Vision of Vertical Agriculture for 2060
The Pyramid Farm is an incredible concept for the future of agriculture envisioned by professors Eric Ellingsen and Dickson Despommier. The design is based on the growing belief (is it fact
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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