At a West Coast Green conference in San Francisco, we were lucky enough to not only get a sneak peek of the Michelle Kaufmann mkLotus prefab house, but also to speak with the designer herself to get the low-down on the sleekly-designed zero energy home. Check out the video to learn all the details about the energy, water, and materials packed into this compact sustainable home.

Read the rest of Video Interview with Green Home Designer Michelle Kaufmann

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Post tags: City Hall, eco prefab, jill fehrenbacher, Michelle Kaufman's MKLotus Green Prefab House, Michelle Kaufmann Designs, MKDesigns, MkLotus Bedroom, MkLotus Kitchen, MKLotus Resin Sliding Door, sustainable prefab, west coast green, Zero Energy Prefab

In this video interview Miami architect Chad Oppenheim - designer of the stunning green COR Tower for Miami –  talks about the changing real estate market, the construction economy and his take on sustainability as a factor in the growth of both industries. Jump ahead for his enlightening insight, as well as for some details on his futuristic-looking Cor Tower!

Video by Scribemedia

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Post tags: Chad Oppenheim, COR Tower, Design Miami, green architecture, inhabitat interviews, inhabitat video, interview chad oppenheim, leed building, leed buildings miam, Miami, miami architecture, oppenheim architects, sustainable architecture miami

Following his inspiring keynote at the first ever Greener Gadgets Conference, we were lucky enough to sit down one-on-one with photographic artist Chris Jordan to talk about his work, e-waste, and the future of mass consumer culture. In his conversation here with Jill Fehrenbacher, Chris talks about whether or not we will be able to stem the growing tide of consumerism, and the issues of collective versus individual responsibility for environmental problems. Hear Chris Jordan’s provocative thoughts in this great interview video.

See More Greener Gadgets Coverage >

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Post tags: chris jordan, eco technology, first green gadgets, future of technology, green gadgets, green technology, Greener Gadgets, greener gadgets competition, greener gadgets design competition, inhabitat interview, inhabitat video, Photo Artist, video artist

In 2007, Inhabitat put together an event about recycling and reuse in design, called Reclaiming Design. This event at HauteGREEN in New York was a big success, thanks to the thought-provoking design and insightful discussion from Dwell Editor-in-Chief Sam Grawe and designers Carlos Salgado of Scrapile, Tejo Remy of Droog fame, and Matt Gagnon. Our conversation touched on a variety of issues surrounding the concepts and processes behind using reclaimed materials in different scales of design, and its implications for both environmental sustainability as well as more conceptual and cultural themes.

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Post tags: bart bettencourt, Carlos Salgado, design conferences, design events, Design Reclaimed, design talks, droog, green design, Green Design Events, green interviews, Green Talks, Haute Green Inhabitat Presents, inhabitat interviews, inhabitat talks, Recalimed Design, reclaiming design, recycled design, Recycled Materials, Sam Grawe, sam grawe interview, sustainable design discussions, sustainable design events, sustainable design talks, Tejo Remy

Here’s a brilliant idea that leaves us wondering – why didn’t we think of this first? Despite our penchant for 2-in-1 furniture, we’ve never seen anything quite like this before. Regardless of attempts to be organized in the modern world, most of us continue to be ashamed of one (or eight, in my case) junk drawers around the house- black holes filled with old receipts, pens, and random trinkets. But now you can flaunt your junk drawer with Unicraft Joinery’s simple yet brilliant under-the-staircase drawer solution.

Read the rest of A BRILLIANT STORAGE IDEA: Staircase Drawers

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Post tags: small spaces storage, space saving solution, staircase storage, Under stair storage, Unicraft joinery

Civil Twilight’s lunar-resonant streetlighting is a project that won the top honor from Metropolis Magazine’s Next Generation contest in 2007. But we were pleased (but not surprised) to discover that this project is just the tip of the iceberg; the Bay Area-based collective has a slew of other equally-engaging projects in the works (including the mycofarmhouse, in which mushrooms break down and recycle wood-frame buildings). They describe their design process as “brilliant simplicity, across scales and media.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Read on for some more info about their winning streetlights, other projects, their approach to sustainability, and the trio of talent that is Civil Twilight.

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Post tags: Civil Twilight, Civil Twilight Collective, efficient outdoor lighting, efficient streetlights 2, inhabitat interview, Lunar Lights, Lunar Resonant, lunar street lighting, Metropolis Next Generation, metropolis winners, Street lighting

Calling all Los Angeles residents who love ping pong, free beer, and design for humanity… Project H, the product design nonprofit, is debuting their Los Angeles chapter’s Abject Object initiative next Thursday evening, April 9th, from 7-10pm at GOOD Magazine’s headquarters in Los Angeles. The 17-week long partnership with the Downtown Women’s Center homeless shelter has resulted in the development of four retail garments and products that teach skills and bring profits to homeless individuals. Come to the party to see the products (including a purse that turns into a hammock!), meet the chapter, donate to the project, and of course for the ping pong, free beer, and Project H raffle.

Read the rest of Project H Abject Object Party next Thursday in LA!

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Post tags: design for humanity, design for the homeless, downtown women's center, homeless design solutions, humanitarian design, project h, project h design, project h event, project h la

Last week we featured flying architecture, and now here’s a floating structure inspired by the grace and curvilinear form of a mermaid. European firm, JDS Architects’ Mermaid building is in a way both ridiculous and incredibly thought-provoking. Resembling the dystopian Lilypad floating cities that we covered a year ago, the renderings of the Mermaid show the building in every extreme biome on earth — from tropical islands to glacial surroundings. The building boasts terraces of greenery, a dolphinarium, hotel, and vacation properties. Is this just a glorified cruise ship? (With somewhat suspect structural support?) Or a new model for private development that truly is responsive to its aquatic surroundings?

Read the rest of Mermaid-Inspired Aquatic Building by JDS Architects

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Post tags: aquatic building, dolphin building, floating architecture, floating buildings, JDS Architects, mermaid architecture, Mermaid building

We may be biased, given our love of owls here at Inhabitat, but the “Bird Bridge” by architectural firm visiondivision is quite a poetic design solution. Located deep in a forest in Gothenburg, Sweden, the Bird Bridge crosses a rift, linking a hospital to a series of botanical gardens. Two pedestrian bridges are also intended as bird-friendly, providing secret resting places for the our avian friends.

Read the rest of Bird Bridge in Sweden by visiondivision

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Post tags: bird architecture, bird bridge, swedish architecture, swedish bridge, vision division, visiondivision

Calling all crafty Inhabitat readers!
Win $200 in our DIY Spring Greening Contest!

Our Spring Greening Contest is running strong after a refreshing weekend of creative submissions, and there’s still time left to submit your DIY designs! To enter, simply clean out your closets and remake your dusty old furnishings, appliances, and household items into inspired examples of found design. We’ll be featuring our favorite entries in an online voting competition next week, and the winner will receive all of the fortune and fame of being showcased on Inhabitat in addition to a $200 gift certificate to the Inhabitat Shop! So break out that dusty dresser or busted chair, give it a brand new life, slap on a fresh coat of (eco-friendly) paint, and let it shine for a chance to win!

The deadline for submissions is this Friday March 27th at 11:59 pm EST

All you have to do to enter the contest is:
1. Sign up for the inhabitat newsletter
2. Send a photo and description of your project to editor at inhabitat.com

Read the rest of SPRING GREENING CONTEST: 2 Days Left!!

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Post tags: inhabitat spring recycling contest, Inhabitat spring reuse contest, Recycled Materials, refinish, repurpose, reuse, Spring Cleaning and greening Contest, spring cleaning contest, sustainable design, Waste reduction

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… a building? The latest from Geotectura and Malka Architects is a concept for Delft University’s Architecture Faculty- a flying structure called AIRchitecture that’s already making our heads spin. The campus building concepts combines a static learning center for libraries, offices, lecture halls, and an auditorium, with flying workspaces and off-site “zeppelins” to allow for more dynamic collaboration and exchange. This concept might sound crazy, but it is certainly a great example of a minimal footprint.

Read the rest of Geotectura’s AIRchitecture: Flying Buildings!

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Post tags: AIRchitecture, delft university, flying architecture, flying buildings, futuristic architecture, geotectura, joseph cory

We’ve seen LEDs as great green lighting solutions in many cases, becoming more ubiquitous in lightbulbs, lamps, and more. And now a new use for LEDs: as performance art for sheep! Artistic collective BaaaStuds recently strapped thousands of LEDs to the backs of hundreds of sheep, and choreographed their movements for some pretty impressive visual arrangements. Gives new meaning to the term ‘Environmental Art’! We’ll let the video speak for itself.

Read the rest of Performance Art by LED-covered Sheep?!

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Post tags: BaaaStuds, extreme sheep LEDs, LED art, LED performance art, LED sheep

Architecture for Humanity, in partnership with Orient Global, has launched the latest Open Architecture Network Challenge, and this time they’re calling on all designers to redesign the global classroom of the future. Entries may be developed in collaboration with a school of the designer’s choosing, or under the guidelines of one of the three school building partners, including an urban classroom upgrade in India and a modular and relocatable classroom design. The designer must work with students and teachers to address the unique challenges your school faces in trying to provide smart, safe, and sustainable learning spaces. The registration deadline is May 1, 2009, and all entries are due June 1, 2009. Read on for more details or visit the Open Architecture Network for the full competition outline.

Read the rest of Open Architecture Network Challenge 2009: Classroom

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Post tags: Architecture for Humanity, classroom design, global education, OAN Challenge, Open Architecture Network

Brad Pitt is once again trading the silver screen for green building, as he recently announced a collaboration with LA-based architecture firm GRAFT to design a 5-star “green resort” in Dubai. We’re not sure if “Dubai” and “green” really belong in the same sentence, and we’re also skeptical about the project oxymoronically being called both “socially-conscious” and “an 800-room luxury hotel and adjoining leisure complex,” but we’ll wait to see how it unfolds. No details or location have been announced yet, but we can only hope that given Brad’s friendship with Frank Gehry and his commitment to Global Green, it’ll be as beautiful and green as the superstar claims.

Read the rest of CELEBUTECTURE: Brad Pitt to design 5-star Eco Hotel in Dubai

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Post tags: Brad Pitt, celebutecture, dubai, eco hotel, eco-travel, global green, Graft, green architecture, Green Building

Regular readers of Inhabitat are hopefully aware of the exciting humanitarian design initiative called Project H Design, founded by our very own Emily Pilloton. Currently on the scene in South Africa right now, Project H has successfully delivered 75 ‘Hippo Rollers’ – an ingenious yet simple rolling barrel device that facilitates a more efficient and safer transport of daily water supply needs. The roller holds 3-4 days worth of water for a family of 7, about 5 times the amount of water that can be moved using traditional methods. It’s an amazing product and an amazing story of good design enabling communities. Inhabitat’s Emily Pilloton has just returned from delivering the Hippo Rollers to Kgautswane, and here’s what she has to say…

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Post tags: design can change the world, Emily Pilloton, Hippo Rollers, humanitarian projects, project h design, South Africa, sustainable livelihood, water transport

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Post tags: Alchemy Architects, eco design, green architecture, green design, Jay Shafer, Loftcube, LoftCube house, MicroCompact Home, Prefab, Prefab friday, prefab house, Prefab Housing, Prefab top 5 tiny homes, prefabricated home, Rooftop Prefabs, small housing, sustain minihome, sustainable design, Tiny Tumbleweed House, top 5 prefab, Wee House, WeeHouse, Werner Aisslinger

One part origami, one part architecture, pure genius, the brand new Bloxes system makes 2-dimensional pieces of interlocking cardboard come to life as expandable and continually adaptable structures. Because they’re so masterfully designed, Bloxes create structures strong enough to stand on, all assembled without tools. So they’re not just for room separating anymore- build a bench, a table, a wall, or even a full room!


Read the rest of BLOXES! Modular Cardboard Building System

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Post tags: Andrew Wilson, Azra Raskin, BLOX, bloxes, cardboard blox, cardboard building system, cardboard furniture, constructable furniture, DIY cardboard blocks, DIY Cardboard building system, modular building system, modular cardboard system, modular furniture

If you thought rechargeable batteries were a good green idea, the USBCELL rechargeable battery will blow your mind- it plugs into any computer’s USB port to recharge. It’s a standard AA battery which will fit into all your every day uses. We’re not the only ones amped up about USBCELL- today at CEBIT, the green battery was awarded a Gold award at the IF Product Design ceremony. Produced by Moixa Energy, has a flip cap top that houses the USB port, and can be used like any regular AA battery. Not to mention, it cuts back on the nearly 15 billion Alkaline batteries made and thrown away each year.


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Post tags: CEBIT, Gold AWard at CEBIT, Green Batteries, green gadget, green gadgets, Green USBCELL, Green USBCELL Rechargeable AA Batteries, greener gadget, Greener Gadgets, Moixa Energy, Moixaenergy, Rechargeable AA Batteries, Rechargeable Battery, USB batteries, USB Rechargeable Batteries, USBCELL, Win Top Honor at CEBIT

If you’re a fan of the Mini Cooper but want something a little greener, the Norwegian THINK car might just be your answer. It’s compact, it’s electric, it’s a zero-emissions zippy little car that’s a feat of design and engineering. Topping out at 100 km/hr and running for 180 km on a single charge, THINK is a lot of power for such a tiny thing. All the other systems are well-thought out too, with 90% of the energy going straight to the engine, compared to traditional combustion engines that lose up to 70% of their energy to heat and friction.


Read the rest of Super Cute Electric Zero Emissions THINK car

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Post tags: compact car, electric car, green transportation, sustainable cars, THINK automotives, Think car, THINK electric car, THINK vehicle, transportation tuesday, zero emissions car, zero emissions vehicle

Our friends at Ecolect, the go-to sustainable design and materials community, have launched a monthly spotlight on sustainable design called Limelight – and the first feature is tough act to follow. Teresita Cochran’s sustainable design group, SMIT (Sustainably Minded Interactive Technology) has a compelling new project called GROW that’s an innovative and aesthetically arresting solar and wind power solution. Combining the best of green tech and ecology, GROW draws inspiration from ivy growing on the side of a building – resulting in a hybrid energy delivery device of flexible, ivy-like fluttering solar leaves that provide power via both sun and wind.

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Post tags: "solar energy", art solar, Ecolect, ecolect limelight, grow.2, joe gebbia, residential solar project, SMIT, solar panels, solar wind energy, sustainable design projects, sustainable technology, sustainably minded interactive technology