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.

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Post tags: eco-fashion, eco-friendly boxers, eco-friendly briefs, eco-friendly skivvies, eco-friendly underwear, Ethical Fashion, green fashion, men’s eco clothing, men’s eco-fashion, organic underwear, sustainable boxers, sustainable briefs, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable skivvies, sustainable style, sustainable underwear, valentine’s day

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.

Read the rest of PREFAB FRIDAY: Interview with Leo Marmol of Marmol Radziner

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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 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

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++ 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

Dodo Lab is a research project set up by Michaela Robinson and Karen Smart that experiments with different ways of regenerating old and unwanted pieces of furniture anew. In a series they dub simply as “Prototype”, each piece comes with a QR (Quick Response) Code that unites the Prototype’s past and present. By scanning the barcode with a smartphone, information about its former life is unlocked, adding a unique human history to the once neglected object, making it valuable and special once more. The Prototypes can only be bought by swapping services or by doing a good deed, much like designers helping each other within their working environment, therefore the only currency used is the swap or deed itself. Each prototype also comes with a product tag that has instructions on the back explaining how the new owner can contribute to its ongoing narrative by generating a QR Code of their own.

+ Dodo Lab

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Post tags: Dodo Lab, eco-materials, green materials, interactive furniture, Karen Smart, Michaela Robinson, prototype furniture, QR (Quick Response) Code, recycled furniture. Prototype, Recycled Materials, smart phone furniture

If your new year’s resolution for 2012 is to take control of your monthly energy bill and save electricity, kWh Power’s Home Start Kit can help you achieve that goal by monitoring and controlling your plug loads (the energy consumed by a device that’s plugged into a socket). The average household these days has over 25-30 electric devices powered by plugs, and office plug loads account for about 20% of a typical electrical bill, so keeping track of your appliances and electronics can really go a long way. The package consists of 2 energy-monitoring plugs, a USB connector and a license for the Plugwise Source software and is suited for implementation in a single room.

+ kWh Power

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", eco design, energy monitoring kit, energy saving, green design, green energy, home start kit, kwh power, kWh Power is a Service That Lets You Take Control of Your Monthly Energy Bill, monitor energy, save energy, sustainable design, Vampire Power

Summit Soap is a small grassroots company set 9,600 feet above sea level that is dedicated to reducing waste on the planet and preserving our natural resources. All of their soaps are made using purified, recycled cooking oil — a resource that has been overlooked and treated as waste throughout the history of commercial eateries. The company collects thousands of gallons of used oil in their grease-powered pick-up truck and then turns it into awesome bio-products.

+ Summit Soap

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Post tags: biodegradable cleaners, eco cleaners, eco soap, engine lubricants, grease soap, green soap, local soap makers, recycled soap, summit soap, true biofuels, Waste reduction

The renovation of the Hau`oli Mau Loa Foundation office by Hawaii Architecture was just awarded LEED Platinum certification and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute. Every component of the project was completed with sustainability in mind, from coordinating the recycling of construction waste, to the energy efficient fixtures, to the handcrafted, reclaimed wood reception mural made by the youth of Ma Ka Hana Ka `Ike. Hawaii Architecture and the Hau’oli Mau Loa Foundation worked together to make certain that the 4,285 sf office in the Dillingham Transportation Building ( listed on the National Historic Register) retained its original historical features while implementing sustainable upgrades throughout. The new design seamlessly blends the historic with the contemporary, and the end result is a sustainable, light filled space that provides a contemporary take on tradition.

+ Hawaii Architecture

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Post tags: architecture restoriation, buidlings LEED Platinum, Dillingham Transportation Building, Green Building Certification Institute, Hau`oli Mau Loa Foundation office, Hawaii Architecture llp, historic architecture, historic preservation, Ma Ka Hana Ka`Ike, National Historic Register, Sustainable Building, usgbc buildings

The Shebraber School is a collaborative project designed by EthiopiaStudio2.0, a second-generation team of eleven Arizona State University M.Arch graduate students led by practicing local architect Jack DeBartolo III. Last fall students had the unique opportunity to travel to a remote village community 120 miles southwest of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to research, develop, and design new classrooms and administration buildings for a school serving children within a 10km radius — many of whom walk hours for the chance to attend. The new buildings will support the local administration in meeting the educational needs of the community, and providing opportunities for the children of Shebraber. This renovation/addition will increase the number and quality of classrooms, provide spaces for a library and computer center, and will bring hope for the future by changing the cycle of poverty through education.

+ EthiopiaStudio2.0

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Post tags: Addis Ababa, Arizona State University M.Arch, Eco Architecture, eco design, education architecture, Ethiopia, EthiopiaStudio2.0, green architecture, Jack DeBartolo III, school architecture, social design, student architecture

Argallios by Kollektivemind was created as an interactive, public installation on the island of Crete in Greece. With the help of students, teachers, parents and locals, over 2,100 used plastic water bottles were gathered, cleaned, brushed with eco-paints, and recycled into a vibrant fence installation at the Chania 7th Primary School. The diamond-shaped structure of the chain-link fence served as the ideal canvas for a contemporary interpretation of a colorful pattern based on traditional Cretan woven textiles. Through this creative, collective project, a public landmark with an ecological and historic vernacular was born.

+ Kollektivemind

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Post tags: Argallios, Art, art Greece, Chania 7th Primary School, cretan art, Cretan woven textiles, eco-art, green art, kids art, Recycled Materials, student art

YLAB has renovated an aging 130 square meter apartment in the heart of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter into a beautiful modern home. The original space is composed of a sequence of bright and spacious rooms connected by large arched openings, with balconies along the façade and an inner courtyard. Original features are maintained such as traditional Catalan ceilings with wooden beams and vaulted arches, as well as exterior carpentry with wooden shutters. The project is based on a reinterpretation of the existing spatial structure of different rooms with differentiated uses and atmospheres, redefining the assigned uses and functions and creating new spatial and visual connections without allowing the traditional elements to predominate. The aim is to create a peaceful environment which allows its young owner privacy and a work place, while creating a social meeting place for meals and parties.

+ YLAB

Photos by Jordi Canosa

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Post tags: Barcelona, Green Building, green design, green renovation, modern architecture, renovated apartment, sustainable design, sustainable renovation, ylab

To adress the growing problems of the 21st century – particularly the housing shortage facing a large percentage the world’s population – the Ekinoid Project focuses on creating a self-assembling, sustainable, off-the-grid town for 10,000 people that can be constructed in six months. The Ekinoid concept is designed to be easy to fabricate (ideally using no expert knowledge or skills), house a family of three or four, and take under one week to build. All parts of an Ekinoid home can be custom made to suit local climates and terrains, and be delivered on-site for construction. Structurally light, yet exceptionally strong, the Ekinoid reduces the need for raw material, and can even be recycled at the end of its estimated 100 year useful life.

+ Ekinoid Project

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Post tags: alternative housing solutions, ekinoid project, housing for the world, housing solutions, low impact housing, modular housing, pod building, prefab architecture, Prefab Housing, prefab pods

Horizon Housing Company (HHC) is set to boost its eco-credentials by building Australia’s first boutique, affordable residential project. HHC’s EKO:BODE project, which is currently under construction on Monaco Street at Surfers Paradise, will receive full certification in all six EnviroDevelopment elements, including ecosystems, waste, energy, materials, water and community. The development will target net zero energy costs and embrace the concept of communal facilities, including shared laundries, lounges, kitchens, an on-site vegetable garden and bike racks. Rainwater tanks and solar panels will also be installed, along with a suite of eco-friendly fittings and finishes throughout the building. EKO:BODE will be completed this year and be awarded top honors under the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s (UDIA) EnviroDevelopment scheme.

+ Horizon Housing Company

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Post tags: affordable housing, affordable residential project, EKO:BODE, EnviroDevelopment, Gold Coast housing, green architecture, green design, HHC, Horizon Housing Company, sustainable design, sustainable housing, UDIA, Urban Development Institute of Australia

Furniture maker Chris Palmer recently sent us photos of his Paper Pulp Series, a line of furniture made from a mixture of ground up organic waste. The organic-looking pieces – a table, two chairs and a lamp – are molded using paper pulp made out of local waste materials with local organic materials used as a binder. “With a firm belief in local economics, standard of living and remanufacturing along with my beliefs of new materials being good footing for interesting design work, the Pulp Series was created,” explains Palmer of the series.

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Post tags: "green furniture", Chris Palmer, Cranbrook Academy of Art, eco design sustainable design, eco-materials, green design, paper pulp, paper pulp furniture, paper pulp table, Recycled Materials

Springing up from the ground like a large leaf, the Lotus is a solar-powered electric vehicle charger that doubles as an LED streetlight and a sheltered bench. Perfect for parks and parking areas alike, the Lotus features a 2.8 KW photovoltaic surface, built-in LED lights, and a waterproof Scame electrical outlet that can be used to charge an EV. The solar leaf is designed to be produced in a wide range of eco-friendly paint options, allowing it to blend in with its surrounding environment. Lotus was designed by architect Giancarlo Zema for Bergamo-based LumineXence and it was sponsored by a pool of leading green companies like Solarday, Siderpali, Eurozeta, Nord Zinc, and Scame Parre.

+ Giancarlo Zema

+ LumineXence

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Post tags: electric car, electric vehicle, electric vehicle charger, green design, green transportation, leaf ev charger, leaf-shaped ev charger, leaf-shaped streetlight, led streetlight, Lotus Solar EV Charger, solar streetlight, sustainable design

San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood is experiencing a renaissance, and the Potrero Launch is a new residential building that will be a landmark part of the revitalization efforts. Scheduled for completion this summer, this $80 million LEED Gold project, built on a former brownfield site, is bringing over 150 jobs to the neighborhood, a much-needed community daycare facility, and 196 residential lofts — twenty percent of which will be offered at affordable rates for working families. Check out a video of the project above.

+ Center for Creative Land Recycling

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Post tags: dogpatch, dogpatch san francisco, leed gold projects, potrero launch project, urban revitalization

At Inhabitat, we love compact, modern designs that take advantage of efficient prefabricated building techniques, and Ruby Sketch‘s shipping container home certainly caught our eye with its sleek form and super-sustainable energy saving systems. The efficient and affordable living space boasts double insulation, solar power, and it can be run off the grid for 2 weeks without electricity. With a generous bathroom, living and bedroom cleverly laid out, it can easily be craned into a backyard and built in less than 3 weeks!

+ Ruby Sketch

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", eco homes, modular housing, prefab architecture, ruby sketch, ruby sketch up, shipping container architecture, shipping container home, Sustainable Shipping container home

How has design impacted your life? Is there a specific building, structure, city or object that is really important to you, that helped define you who are today? Perhaps you’ve traveled to distant lands to see incredible works of architecture or maybe the designs that inspire you most are right in your own home. How has design shaped your family memories and connected you to your heritage? We’re partnering with Federated Media to challenge you to send us your favorite photo memory showcasing a design that left an impression on your psyche. We’ll pick our favorite photo based on creativity, image quality and its ability to tell your story and the winner will take home a fabulous $500 Best Buy gift card! It’s easy to enter, and just think about how nice it would be to have an extra $500 to spend on your friends and family this holiday season, or maybe just buy an iPad for yourself!

TO ENTER TO WIN A $500 BEST BUY CARD

1. Upload your favorite design photo(s) to Flickr.com and tag them #CapturedPhotoContest_Inhabitat.

2. Important note: Be sure to make your pics “public” so that we can see them.

3. Comment below with a link to your Flickr photo and a short description of what it is.

4. You may submit up to FIVE photos between now and December 24th. We’ll be judging them based on creativity, image quality and storytelling-through-photography. The contest ends on December 24th at 11:59PM EST and we’ll be contacting the winner through Flickr Mail around January 16, 2012.

Read the rest of Submit Your Photo to Our Captured Photo Contest To Win a $500 Best Buy Gift Card

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Post tags: Best Buy, best buy gift card, best buy photo contest, design contest, design memories, favorite family photo contest, favorite family photos, Favorite Yoneda Family Photo, federated media, inhabitat contest, inhabitat giveaway, inhabitat photo contest, photo contest, Submit Your Photo to the Design Memory Photo Contest

“Steinway Mandala” is a 48″ diameter wall sculpture created by Philadelphia-based artist Carol Cole using parts from a 1920 Steinway grand piano. Don’t worry, no pianos were harmed in the making of this piece – to the contrary, the piano was restored and these parts were returned to the owner. Fortunately, the owner was familiar with Cole’s work (which transforms common objects into uncommon art) and gave the pieces to her for repurposing into this sculpture.

+ Carol Cole

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Post tags: carol cole, eco-art, green art, green design, green sculpture, mandala, music art, piano art, piano key art, Recycled Materials, steinway mandala, steinway piano, sustainable design