Greg Corman turns scrap wood and found objects into colorful and quirky wall-hanging sculptures that double as nesting habitats for bees. Corman drills tunnels into the wood for bees to use as brood chambers for their babies. Corman designs an array of pieces using a variety of materials, but many of his designs are created as bee boxes (or bee condos) for solitary native bees. These bees are important pollinators and are essentially stingless, but because it is common practice to remove most dead trees and limbs from gardens, many of them lack natural spaces for nesting. The sculptural habitats help solve this problem while adding a bit of color to outdoor spaces.

+ Zen Industrial

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Post tags: bee boxes, bee condos, bee nesting habits, bee nests, design for bees, diy bee nest, Greg Corman, Scrap wood designs, wall-hanging bee nests

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Post tags: Carlos Jarpa, chilean architecture, eco tower, eco wood structure, lookout point, sustainable wood structures, Timber Frame Tower, Vigilante Maule, vineyard architecture, wood lookout points, wood structures

In 2008 Gensler broke ground on the sustainable Shanghai Tower in the Pudong district of Shanghai, China. The tower is currently in construction and it’s one of three supertall buildings in Pudong, including the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center. The elegant structure spirals up to the sky, and once it is completed in 2014 it will become the second tallest tower in the world — only second to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The 632 meter tall structure is a testament to both modern architecture and the potential of engineering, and it also sets a precedent for sustainable super structures. The tower will take the form of nine cylindrical buildings stacked atop each other, enclosed by layers of glass, and hosting public space for visitors including atriums, gardens, cafes, restaurants, retail space, a hotel, and 360-degree views of the city. The building will also include a rainwater recycling system and a series of wind turbines able to generate up to 350,000 kWh of electricity per year. But most notably, the tower’s glass façade was designed specifically to reduce wind loads on the building by 24%, which means that fewer construction materials are needed (including 25% less structural steel). We recently spoke to Gensler‘s Chris Chan, Design Director and member of the tower’s design team, who gave us some insight on what it has taken to get the Shanghai Tower built, and how Building Information Modeling (BIM) has played a crucial role from concept to construction. Jump ahead for our fascinating interview with Chris!

This interview is brought to you by Autodesk – Removing the barriers to better business.

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", "sustainable skyscraper", asia's tallest sky scraper, asia's tallest tower, autodesk, autodesk revit, autodesk suite, BIM, BIM tools, building information modeling, CAD, CFM, chris chan, chris chan architect, chris chan design directory, chris chan gensler, computational fluid modeling, eco skyscraper, eco tower, Gensler, Gensler architects, gensler asia, green skyscraper, green tower, Revit, shanghai skyscraper, shanghai tower, skyscraper design, supertall skyscrapers, supertall towers, sustainable design, sustainable tower, tallest skyscraper after burj dubai, tower design, world's second tallest skyscraper, world's second tallest tower

These tiny little houses by Lyn Deutsch are a great way to add a little flair to aquariums, plant pots and even lighting fixtures. Painstakingly handcrafted by Deutsch, the Philippine Miniature Houses are constructed from recycled, natural, and sustainable materials, including bamboo, palm leaves, roots, coconut shells, grass tubes, plywood and wood scraps. Deutsch carefully details each piece to mirror real-life stilt houses, and features such as windows and doors can be opened and closed. Each house measures 2.75″ x 2.75″, and with the steps and bridges, the whole structure measures 4.5″ x 4.5″ x 13″ height.

+ Lyn Deutsch

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Post tags: green home decor, handcrafted art, house art, Lyn Deutsch, miniature houses, miniatures made from eco materials, Philippine Miniature Houses, Recycled Materials, tiny little houses

Flip-flops are a summer staple that many of us will be spending the next three months in. But instead of purchasing some flimsy pair at the local mall this year, why not consider slipping your toes into an eco-friendly, vegan option instead? We’ve rounded up 10 eco-friendly flip-flops that use everything from raffia fiber to recyclable rubber to make for some stylish slip-ons. Check ‘em all out ahead!

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Post tags: Chaco, Chipkos, eco friendly sandals, eco friendly shoes, eco-fashion, eco-friendly flip flops, Ethical Fashion, Feelgoodz, green fashion, Ipanema, Musewear, Ocean Minded, Okabashi, Patagonia, Planet Flops, recycled flip-flops, recycled sandals, recycled shoes, Splaff, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable flip-flops, sustainable sandals, sustainable shoes, sustainable style, upcycled flip-flops, upcycled sandals, upcycled shoes, vegan flip-flops, vegan sandals, vegan shoes

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Post tags: green design, green home decor, green products, independent designers, independent sustainable designers, model citizens 2012, model citizens nyc, new york design week, new york design week 2012, sustainable design, sustainable furnishings

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Post tags: green design, itp 2012, itp 2012 show, ITP SPRING SHOW, nyu itp 2012 spring show, NYU ITP Student Show

We’re counting down the minutes until we can yell out “Summer!” and dive straight into a pool of bright blue water. Just in time to beat the heat, we’re giving away an Eco Swim by Aqua Green swimsuit of your choice to help you make the most of your sunny days. So whether you’re all about hanging poolside in a barely-there bikini, or prefer a more conservative look when taking a dip in coastal waters, Eco Swim has options aplenty for the bathing beauty.

ENTER TO WIN HERE >

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Post tags: eco bikinis, Eco Swim, Eco Swim by Aqua Green, eco swimsuits, eco-fashion, eco-friendly bathing suits, eco-friendly bikinis, eco-friendly swimsuits, Ethical Fashion, green fashion, recycled bathing suits, recycled bikinis, recycled fashion, recycled nylon, recycled polyester, recycled swimsuits, sustainable bathing suits, sustainable bikinis, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable style, sustainable swimsuits, upcycled bathing suits, upcycled bikinis, upcycled fashion, upcycled swimsuits

Our living spaces are getting smaller and smaller, and keeping something like a ladder in our apartment is usually out of the question. Designed by Company & Company, this cool, new design comes from the need to simplify an everyday object into something that can easily be stored out of sight with a minimum required space. Made from sustainable wood, and employing some sophisticated joinery, this neat ladder folds down into a compact form that can fit in any corner!

+ Company & Company Design Studio

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Post tags: compact ladder, COMPANY & COMPANY, easy to store ladder, flat pack ladder, folding ladder, ladder designs, The Corner Ladder, wood ladder

Thoughtful designers, like those at Atlier Belge, are looking for new and innovative ways to create furniture that incorporates sustainable solutions. PLOF is an eco-friendly and durable way to reuse different types of production waste. Colorful textile leftovers are shredded into smaller pieces and upholstered with see-thru PE plastic to create furniture benches. The combination of colors and textures is unique to each bench, and no two are the same. Like any upholstered piece PLOF is padded with several knots topped by shiny white buttons adding comfort and elegance. This unique bench gives new life to waste textiles and will make for a creative and colorful addition to your home — indoors or out.

+ Atlier Belge

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Post tags: "green furniture", "Plof by Atlier Belge, Atlier Belge, eco materials recycled furniture, Plof, Recycled Materials, recycled waste products

Izmo used their inventive 80*120 self-build workshop to create 11 pieces of street furniture pieces from discarded shipping pallets. The program, which was targeted at students and professionals in the field of architecture and design, focused on designing furniture that would be installed in the garden “Di pallet In the pallet” located in an urban redevelopment area. The project was guided with particular attention given to design process and theory, emphasizing reuse and hand-built techniques that could maximize sustainable and environmentally friendly qualities. The design process was characterized by the following phases: theory, design, construction, and installation in public space. 28 individuals participated in the workshop “80*120″, and within a month they constructed their pieces.

+ 80*120 by Izmo

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Post tags: 80*120 self-build workshop, design build furniture, design build programs, Di pallet In the pallet, eco furniture, Izmo, outdoor eco furniture, shipping pallet furniture, street furniture urban design

Looking for a sustainable gift for Mom? Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and if you’re still unsure about what to give the #1 lady in your life, we say jewelry is always a sure bet. We’ve rounded up 14 eco-friendly Mother’s Day gems that will go easy on your pocketbook and the planet. See them all ahead!

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Post tags: eco-fashion, eco-friendly gifts, Ethical Fashion, green fashion, green gift guide, green gifts, Mother’s Day, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable style

Summer is right around the corner, and if you’re one who hates crowded toes and sweaty feet, we’ve got a great set of flip flops that will help your tootsies beat the heat. FlyingFlips, a new project launched by a couple of Vancouverites, is an innovative ecommerce platform that lets shoppers vote for the sandal designs they’d most like to see on their feet. Winning designs are then manufactured and sold, and FlyingFlips not only gives a portion of the sales to the artists who’ve created the designs, but they also offer up a pair of flips to a fellow human in need! Check out their Kickstarter campaign and make a donation to get a pair of your own.

+ FlyingFlips

+ FlyingFlips on Kickstarter

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Post tags: Artist-Designed Flip Flops, bogo sandals, designs that give back, eco flip flops, FlyingFlips, green flip flops, humanitarian design, toms of flip flops

This morning, Inhabitat reader and environmental econ major Samantha Morton sent us her cool and quirky video, ’The ABC’s of Living Minimally’. Created for one of her college electives this past semester, Samantha wanted to distill some of the world’s issues down into something digestible; and she came to the conclusion that over-consumption is at the root of the problem. Forgoing scare tactics and extremism, the message of her film is sweet and simple and highlights the importance of finding balance in our day-to-day lives. A zero-waste lifestyle is not for everyone, but everyone can start making small changes for the betterment of us all!

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Post tags: eco videos, environmental videos, inspiring videos, Samantha Morton, sustainable living, The ABC’s of Living Minimally, tips for green living, tips for sustainable living reducing waste

“Wash your hands with hands!” is the idea behind Marie Gardeski and David Birkey‘s new line of hand-shaped handsoaps. Made from all-natural vegetable glycerin, the soaps take the form of doll hands, and each set of hands comes in slightly different sizes and skin-like colors. The hands are individually bagged and boast a light oatmeal, milk and honey scent.

+ Imaginary Animal

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Post tags: David Birkey, eco handsoap, hand shaped handsoap, imaginary animal, Marie Gardeski, vegetable glycerin handsoap, vegetable handsoap, weird handsoap

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Post tags: cross house, esan rahmani, forest homes, green architecture, modern architecture, modern forest retreats, modern retreats, naturally lit architecture, naturally lit interiors

Designed and handcrafted from a selection of beautiful recycled glass bottles, these coat hangers by Lucrimas are perfect for an entryway, or to spice up the walls of cafés and restaurants. Available in two different sizes and colors, and now a new ‘mirror’ version, they will certainly catch the eye of a passerby.

+ Lucrimas

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Post tags: eco coat hangers, eco design green design, Lucia Bruni, lucrimas, recycled glass bottle decor, recycled glass bottle design, recycled glass bottles

If you’re worried about your city’s air quality, unfortunately checking the stats on local air reports won’t do you much good. The air pollution data collected by the government is by and large taken from remote areas and applied at a regional level — so for those concerned about pollution and mitigating its health risks, there’s not much to be done with the faulty information. To help empower citizens when it comes to improving the air in their cities, a team of innovators have created the Air Quality Egg system, a sensor system that allows individuals to collect very high resolution readings of NO2 and CO concentrations outside of their home, and share it with other inhabitants via the web.

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Post tags: air monitor, air monitoring devices, air pollution, air pollution monitor, Air quality, air quality devices, air quality egg, air safety, consumer air pollution monitor, how to monitor air quality, in home air monitor

Being the eco beauty-addicts we are, we’re always on the hunt for new products that do well by the earth. Alicia Silverstone for Juice Beauty is the latest collection to catch our eye for its completely vegan and organic ingredients. Chock-full of antioxidant-rich botanicals such as passion fruit, champagne grape, white tea leaf, and cucumber, these yummy products aren’t just gentle on your skin, but they’re also cruelty-free and come packed in containers made from 95 percent post-consumer recycled materials.

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Post tags: Alicia Silverstone, eco friendly skincare, eco-celebs, eco-fashion, Eco-Friendly Beauty, eco-friendly celebrities, Ethical Fashion, green beauty, green celebrities, green fashion, green skincare, Juice Beauty, natural beauty, natural skincare, sustainable beauty, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable skincare, sustainable style, vegan beauty, vegan fashion, Vegan style

Photo: Gizmag

We’re huge fans of stand-working here at Inhabitat, so when we spotted this cool work pod that channels the power of pedaling, we were immediately enamored. The WeBike is a super-eco-friendly work desk that not only promotes co-working and exercise, but it’s made from sustainable materials and turns all your foot motion into power for your gadgets!

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Post tags: Bike Desk, Design for Health, eco friendly desks, exercise desks, exercise pods, green desks, webike, work pods, workout desks