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Colorful HádeHaver Bags Are Made from Recycled Plastic Lids

Inhabitat — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:40:24 +0000

HádeHaver, a collaboration between young designers Sandra Paulo and Bruno Barbosa, is a new company from Portugal that produces unique handmade bags made of plastic lids. The lids lend the bags an industrial character, and they can be formed into a variety of different configurations. To emphasize their uniqueness, each bag is given the name of an important female figure in Portuguese history, beginning with the Portuguese queens. The bags are currently offered in four different models: clutches, handbags, shoulder bags and computer bags.

+ HádeHaver

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Post tags: Bruno Barbosa, computer bags, eco handbags, green handbags, HádeHaver Bags, portugal, recycled lids, Recycled Materials, Recycled Plastic, Sandra Paulo, shoulder bags

Abracadabra Bench by Lagranja Turns Boring Seating Into a Colorful Sculpture

Inhabitat — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:30:43 +0000

Abracadabra by the Barcelona-based design group Lagranja is more than a bench. It is a set of elements of different colors and materials that, when combined, give birth to an infinite number of shapes. Linear, cross, or with a branch structure, the seating arrangements can start at 140 centimeters and reach 20 meters. The bench is an iconic object, a little urban sculpture, and Abracadabra is an antidote to the grey of our cities. Pietra serena stone, painted iron, wood, and recycled aluminum are the chosen materials. Each element, however, is made of a single material, to allow – in many, many years from now – for easy recycling.

+ Lagranja Design

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Post tags: "green furniture", "sustainable furniture", Abracadabra Bench, Abracadabra Bench lagranja, barcelona design firm, lagranja, recyclable materials, sustainable design firm

Natalie Sampson’s Funky Spiked Lamp is Made of 100 Toilet Brushes

Inhabitat — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:20:10 +0000

We’ve featured design student Natalie Sampson‘s cool and quirky lamps before and she recently sent us another to add to the list – this spiky fixture made of 100 toilet brushes! Sampson creates these lamps to demonstrate how everyday materials can be transformed into extraordinary decor and we think that if she can accomplish this with something as mundane as toilet brushes, she’s accomplished her goal. To see more of Natalie’s creations, visit her website here.

+ Natalie Sampson

The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!

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Post tags: eco design, eco lighting, green lighting, interior design, lamp made of toilet brushes, lamps, natalie sampson, recycled design, Recycled Materials, sustainable design, toilet brush lamp

Greenfab Is Washington’s First LEED Platinum Prefabricated Modular Home

Inhabitat — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 23:30:44 +0000

Today, Greenfab was awarded LEED Platinum certification by the USGBC for achievement in green homebuilding and design. Greenfab’s prefabricated, modular home is the first to be certified LEED Platinum in the state of Washington, and it features healthy living spaces, sturdy construction, and a completion rate that is 50% faster than traditional homes built on-site. The home is part of Greenfab’s 1300 Series, which is now available nationwide.

The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!

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Post tags: Eco Architecture, eco home, greenfab, greenfab prefab, Greenfab's 1300 Series, LEED Platinum prefab, modular architecture, modular homes, prefab architecture, Prefab Housing, prefabricate homes

The Bali Ecological Center Creates a Modular Terracotta Green Wall with Local Craftsmen

Inhabitat — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:20:40 +0000

Designers at the Bali Ecological Center drew inspiration from giant wasp nests to create this charming green wall. The modular vertical garden is made from terracotta by skilled local craftsmen in Bali. Plants can be exposed in both directions, and the planter can be arranged according your tastes or needs. The Bali Eco Green Wall provides additional green space indoors or out, while functioning as a space partition, light screen, or standard wall.

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Post tags: "green wall", bali eco center, bali eco green wall, bali ecological center, green room dividers, green wall units, modular green wall units, modular planters, planters |, terracotta planters

Spiraling Pendant Lamp Made Entirely of Clothes Hangers by Natalie Sampson

Inhabitat — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:20:58 +0000

UK-based designer Natalie Sampson created this spiraling pendant lamp by fanning velvet coat hangers into an elegant helical form. The lamp casts beautiful shadows upon nearby surfaces, and it can be easily outfitted with a low-energy LED or CFL bulb. Natalie’s website showcases an amazing range of recycled lamps made from all sorts of everyday materials – check them out here!

+ Natalie Sampson

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Post tags: coat hanger lamp, coat hangers, green design, green interiors, green lighting, natalie sampson, recycled lamp, recycled lighting, Recycled Materials, sustainable design

DIY: Turn a Broken Down Cabinet Into Beautiful Credenza Using Scrap Wood

Inhabitat — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:20:09 +0000

Recently, a beautiful pair of credenzas came into the life of artist Wholman. Battered, beaten, but with noble bones, the pieces were salvageable and the artist went to work repairing them. However, it was their the outdated colors, broken doors, and damaged tops that made them eyesores, so with a little scrap wood and a little love, the artist remodeled them with salvaged old-growth pine tops and doors made from shop offcuts. Now the low-slung office beauties can enjoy another few decades of use. Wholman also detailed the entire process at his Instructables site for others to get inspired and build a pair of their own!

+ Wholman at Instructables

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Post tags: "green furniture", credenzas, diy cabinets, DIY furniture, diy projects, eco furniture, green interiors, recycled furniture, wholman

Peter LeGrand Turns Recycled Materials into Useful Bike Trailers in Chicago

Inhabitat — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:16:46 +0000

Peter LeGrand recently sent us this tip about the awesome cargo bike trailers that he makes by hand out of recycled and found materials. “I have been using things like crutches, bed frames, discarded furniture, and even a guitar to form usable, sturdy trailers for people to haul large loads,” LeGrand wrote to us. He salvages many of his materials from back alleys, gets others from customers and he’s become quite popular at the local Salvation Army store as well. Some of his most notable trailers include a trailer build for a gardening cooperative in Milwaukee to be used in the collection of organic materials for a central composting service and a performance trailer for a local tap dancer. LeGrand’s prices run for hundreds less than most commercially made trailers and he even includes a bike hitch made of salvaged plumbing pipes with each purchase.

+ Peter LeGrand

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Post tags: bike trailers, carrier trailers, chicago bike trailers, eco design, green design, Peter LeGrand, Peter LeGrand Turns Recycled Materials into Useful Bike Trailers in Chicago, Recycled Materials, repurposed materials, sustainable design, trailers

Alex Féthière Creates Eco Art in His Sustainable Metalworking Studio

Inhabitat — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 22:40:56 +0000

Alex Féthière‘s metalworking studio operates more sustainably than traditional metal artist studios. Castings are poured from reclaimed scrap aluminum in a homemade blast furnace powered entirely by discarded motor or cooking oil. The fires of the furnace are kindled from chopped shipping palettes. Once polished, an aluminum piece is anodized, a process whereby an electrical current is run through it while it is immersed in a mildly acidic bath. This causes it to grow a porous layer of synthetic sapphire that absorbs dye. No toxic paints are used; instead Féthière applies eco-friendly sealants and epoxies from Earth Safe Finishes.

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Post tags: Alex Féthière, Alex Féthière metalworking, earth safe finishes, eco metalworking, green metalworking, metalworking, non toxic metal work, recycled vegetable oil, sustainable metalworking

Student Designer Creates More Sustainable Packaging for LED Light Bulbs

Inhabitat — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:50:56 +0000

While LED light bulbs help save energy and are most certainly a greener choice than incandescents, the packaging of these more eco-friendly light bulbs leaves much to be desired. Using Philips LED bulbs as an example, student designer Bryant Yee created a new system of packaging that aims to bring awareness to socially responsible boxes for LEDs. Current packaging does not maximize sustainable materials or construction, and also fails to clearly convey information. Yee’s packaging design uses only post-consumer recycled paper, promotes recycling old bulbs, and supplies the consumer with updated information through modern graphic design. His project was a runner up in the 2011 Core77 Design Awards, and you can watch a video demonstration about it here. Read an in-depth Q&A with Yee on Core77′s website here.

+ Bryant Yee’s LED Light Bulb Packaging

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Post tags: bryan lee, bryan lee led bulb packaging, bryant yee, bryant yee led bulb packaging, core77 2011 design awards, core77 design awards, designer bryant lee, eco packaging, green packaging, LED light bulb, led light bulb packaging, LED lights, sustainable packaging

350 MPGe Peraves MonoTracer Electric MTE-150 Motorbike Hits the Market

Inhabitat — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:25 +0000

Here’s the ultimate ride for two-wheeled electric speed freaks – the Peraves MonoTracer MTE-150. A commercial version of the electrified motorbike that took away top X-Prize honors in the alternative class division will soon be available for purchase. This isn’t your normal speedy motor-bike, however – the MTE-150 comes complete with a luxurious cabin, a top of the line stereo, temperature control, and wheels that pop out when you pull up to a stop light to keep you upright. A little more posh than your average bike and a little bit speedier too, the MTE-150 can go from 0-60 mph in less than five seconds. Check out videos after the jump.

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Post tags: covered motorcycle, electric automobiles, electric bike, electric monotracer, electric motorcycle, ev, green cars, green motorcycles, green racing motorcycles, green transportation, mono tracer, monotracer, peraves

The Sahara Forest Project Signs Agreement to Build a Pilot Plant in Qatar

Inhabitat — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:55:27 +0000

We’ve written about the Sahara Forest Project before, so we’re excited to report that the organization behind this ambitious endeavor has signed an agreement to build its first pilot plant in Doha, Qatar. The agreement for the project, which aims to revitalize the desert with seawater-based greenhouses, concentrated solar power (CSP) for heat & electricity, evaporative hedges and ponds for reducing brine to dry salts, algae cultivation facilities, vegetated outdoor areas and halophyte cultivation units, was signed today by CEO Khalifa A. Al-Sowaidi of QAFCO, CEO Jørgen Ole Haslestad of Yara International and CEO Joakim Hauge of The Sahara Forest Project AS. The pilot plant will cost approximately 5.3 million USD and the plan is to have the plant fully operational by December 2012. Read more about the Sahara Forest Project here on Inhabitat.

+ The Sahara Forest Project

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Post tags: "solar energy", "sustainable energy", alternative energy, Bill Watts, Charlie Paton, concentrated solar power, eco design, exploration architecture, green design, Jørgen Ole Haslestad, Joakim Hauge, Khalifa A. Al-Sowaidi, Michael Pawlyn, QAFCO, renewable energy, sahara forest project, sahara solar, Solar Power, The Sahara Forest Project AS, Yara International

WHIM Architecture’s Villa Al is a Green Living Complex In Tune With Nature

Inhabitat — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:00:30 +0000

Villa Al is WHIM Architecture‘s design for a green villa in Almere, the Netherlands. The concept was created for an open design a competition, and is a reaction to the growing desire to build as environment friendly as possible. The villa is constructed from local and natural materials, but uses the latest technology available to fulfill its heating and electricity needs. To realize the home, the architects are seeking to collaborate with different experts to bring the project to fruition.

+ WHIM Architecture

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Post tags: "dutch architecture", "natural materials", almere, eco friendly architecture, green architecture, local materials, the netherlands, Villa Al, WHIM Architecture

The Fukushima Emergency Project Is a Pop-Up Shelter Providing Housing Relief for Disaster Victims

Inhabitat — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:50:08 +0000

Learning from the issues that arose in the aftermath of the Fukushima blast in Japan over one year ago, students at the Architecture School of Bordeaux have developed the Fukushima Emergency Project — a pop-up shelter designed for disaster relief. The students wanted to create a design that could be replicated in any country and work in tandem with other relief efforts. The structure is constructed with cardboard tubes and pallets that are typically used to deliver emergency goods, and each shelter measures a reasonably comfortable 12,5 square meters (about the size of an average car space). The shelter can also be covered to protect against the elements or to add privacy.

+ Fukushima Emergency Project

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Post tags: disaster relief design, disaster shelters, emergency relief design, emergency relief shelter, emergency shelters, france, humanitarian design, pop-up shelter, the Architecture School of Bordeaux, The Fukushima Emergency Project

Sexy & Sustainable Men’s Undies for Valentine’s Day

Inhabitat — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:09:02 +0000

Nothing kills the mood faster than a pair of dingy tightie-whities, so boys, make sure your underwear game is fresh for Valentine’s Day! We’ve got a lineup of eco-friendly boxers, briefs and everything in between to keep you looking hot for your beau, so check them all out here.

Sprout Space is an Award-Winning Prefab Modular Classroom by Perkins + Will

Inhabitat — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:40:47 +0000

Sprout Space is a prefabricated modular classroom designed by Allen Post, an architect in the Atlanta office of Perkins+Will, that offers a high-performance learning environment in a sustainably designed structure. In addition to winning an international competition sponsored by Open Architecture for best re-locatable classroom design, Sprout Space has been selected to appear in the Green Schools exhibit this fall at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

+ Perkins+Will

Via Curbed Atlanta

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", best re-locatable classroom, green classroom, green design, perkins + will, prefab architecture, Prefab Housing, sprout space, Sustainable Building, sustainable design

PREFAB FRIDAY: Interview with Leo Marmol of Marmol Radziner

Inhabitat — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:00:31 +0000

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to talk one-on-one with Leo Marmol of Marmol Radziner about prefab architecture and sustainability. I asked him about his trajectory as a designer, and what opportunities he sees for prefab to have a larger impact on a wider, more affordable market. His response was thoughtful and optimistic, and provided some great insight into the mind of a forward-thinking and increasingly green designer. Hit the jump to watch the interview or read below for the full interview transcription.

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Post tags: desert architecture, Desert Prefab, eco design, green design, green prefab architecture, Leo Marmol, marmol radziner, palm springs, Prefab Homes, Steel Prefab, sustainable design, sustainable prefab architecture

Rocker Lane Workshop Makes Contemporary Furniture from Reclaimed Floorboards

Inhabitat — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:42:32 +0000

Rocker Lane Workshop is a new Irish company that produces hand crafted contemporary furniture made entirely from reclaimed maple floorboards. The workshop is the result of a collaboration between Seán Fogarty, a young architect with a passion for sustainable design and master craftsman Michael Heffernan, who has over 45 years of experience working with timber. The resulting pieces are clean, modern and reasonably priced.

+ Rocker Lane Workshop

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Post tags: "green furniture", eco design, green design, irish furniture, michael heffernan, RECYCLED FLOORING, recycled furniture, Recycled Materials, rocker lane, rocker lane workshop, Rocker Lane Workshop Makes Contemporary Furniture from Reclaimed Floorboards, Seán Fogarty, sustainable design

First Solar-Powered Electric Car Charging Stations Open in Sofia, Bulgaria

Inhabitat — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:30:03 +0000

This month, A1 Co., Ltd. and BIES Ltd. opened the first set of solar-powered electric car charging stations across Sofia, Bulgaria. Built as simple structures, each station simply uses solar panels to collect solar energy and a special module for electric cars to connect to the batteries. While the number of electric cars in Bulgaria are still very few, according to experts, a boom in the purchase of electric vehicles is expected this year — particularly due special incentives that will be given by the Bulgarian government.

Via Via Expo

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Post tags: A1 Co. Ltd., BIES Ltd., electric vehicle chargers, electric vehicles bulgaria, ev chargers, ev chargers europe, solar power ev chargers, solar powered car chargers, solar-powered electric car charging stations

A++’s Self-Sufficient Residential Units Respond Sustainably to Housing Shortages

Inhabitat — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:30:01 +0000

A++ is working in collaboration with Seasif SUN-TEC, Luxferov and Nuovo Corso, to design and develop innovative, self-sufficient, modular residential units that can respond effectively to the global demand for housing. The new housing units will host innovative, lightweight and extremely sturdy frames that can be arranged to accomodate the orientation and insulation demands required by different climate zones. The modular structures will also be covered with a roof that integrates a new typology of solar panel that can both produce electrical energy and thermal energy to power, heat and cool the home. The goal of the new design is to not only reduce long-run costs for the inhabitant, but to create a comfortable and sustainable home.

+ A++

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Post tags: A++, eco building, energy efficient buildings, Green Building, low cost energy efficient housing, low-cost housing, Luxferov, Nuovo Corso, Seasif SUN-TEC, self-sufficient residential units, Solar Power, solar powered homes, zero energy homes