There are less than two weeks left to enter Metropolis’ Next Generation Design Competition, a design challenge asking you to give the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) building in downtown L.A. a zero-footprint makeover. Open for interpretation with a number of hungry ears and ready to hear your ideas, the GSA wants you to not only be creative, but to think about how the building’s current energy usage could be improved through renewable energy, smart technologies, and even public awareness. The goal of the competition is to provide an eco-efficient precedent for its more than 9,600 properties across the nation. For more details on the competition, and the $10,000 prize, check out the GSA’s site. But don’t delay - entries are due by January 31st!

+ Metropolis Next Generation Design Competition

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Post tags: Design Competition, Green Building, Los Angeles, Metropolis Magazine, renewable energy, smart technology, Sustainable Building, zero environmental footprint

According to Jazz.com, Nashville-based musician Matt Glassmeyer has been known to create his own instruments. This time, however, Matt has fashioned a roof for his porch using 350 damaged records. In lieu of traditional shingles, this newly fashioned roof features a set of records aligned in a uniform, overlapping pattern. Matt’s design is a great homegrown project that gives dumpster-destined materials a second life while touching on the rich musical culture of Nashville.

Via TreeHugger

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Post tags: DIY, Nashville, Recycled Materials, roof