Yellow Leaf Hammocks is a project started by a San Francisco group dedicated to improving the livelihoods of marginalized hill tribes in rural Thailand. While the hammock at first glance looks like a
Mario Cucinella has designed a gorgeous prototype for the first of twenty green schools that will soon pop up throughout the Gaza Strip at a price of $2 million a pop. Combining contemporary sustainable
The building blocks for the Liina Shelter are prefabricated, wooden sandwich panels built from plywood and LVL (laminated veneer lumber) panels with wood-fiber insulation. The panels are lightweight and
The Peace Gardens were started by local couple who set out to clean up the area and provide a space where youth could learn about environmental and social justice through hands-on experience. The area was
Blind people have been long overlooked when it comes to social advancement and technological innovation, and Moallem's labeler offers a simple, affordable solution that will have its largest impact in the
Providing food and shelter to victims of a natural disaster is one of the first priorities for emergency services, but the process can often generate a lot of unnecessary waste. To help tackle this
We've written about the nonprofit design agency Project H Design, founded by Inhabitat colleague and humanitarian designer Emily Pilloton, many times before. Most recently, Emily and her Project H cohorts
The Vagalume Eco Library is based on a modular bookshelf that the nonprofit distributes already. Assembled from 4 precut pieces, the shelves can be flat packed and transported via boat. Upon arrival to
In a happy marriage of brand marketing and global restoration efforts, Tree Cards are a way for a business to encourage clients and customers to help developing communities become self-sustaining. Tree
With a serious housing shortage but no shortage of plastic bottles littering the streets, the Development Association for Renewable Energies (DARE) - an NGO based in Nigeria - decided to build this
Haiti Partners secured a 2.8 acre parcel in Bawosya, in the mountains 4 miles southeast of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The project will consist of eight classroom buildings with two classrooms each, as well as
It is well-documented that improved access to information has the power to transform individuals and communities, so UNICEF contributed funding to bring 100 new computer kiosks powered by the sun to youth
Diamanti's solar powered water filter is designed to provide drinking water for families in developing countries. Eliodomestico is a solar still that operates a bit like an upside-down coffee maker. At
Each issue features in-depth articles and photography focused on a specific branch of informal creativity. In homage to Niti Bhan's blog REculture, the first edition highlights reuse, repair and recycling
Completed over a two week period in January of 2009, the new bathhouse provides for the basic sanitation needs of the orphanage. Inside are two pit toilets, a western toilet, washbasins, a shower, and a
Sarvajal, which is run by Piramal Water Private, was started back in 2008 and is a limited for-profit social enterprise with the mission of providing affordable, accessible and pure water for all. The
The project was sponsored by PetroSA and now is the commanding focal point for the village in the Limpopo province. Replacing a set of basic and dilapidated buildings, the school is now an organized,
The bed is formed from modular cardboard boxes folded together and then laid side by side. To make the box, two intersecting cardboard strips fold together to form an accordion support system. Then a
Chui’s design is a series of repeated L-shaped walls made from earth blocks which are capped with a bamboo and corrugated roof. Each wall section is set 90 degrees from each other to create multiple
Customized fixies may be all the rage in urban America nowadays, but even the simplest, cheapest bike is a rare sight in rural Africa. Fortunately, the bamboo from which to craft bikes grows on trees –
Here at Inhabitat we believe that good design can save the world - and that includes everything from the environment we live in to personal health. In fact, our favorite designs are those that balance
With 3.575 million people dying each year from water-related disease, our current water crisis is one of epic proportions. At any given time, half of the world's hospital beds are occupied by those
With a footprint of just under 1,000 square feet, the new house was constructed using clay, sand, straw, and water bricks clad in recycled sheets of aluminum, and then accented with recycled shipping
The containers are more complex than one would guess after a first glance. C2C partnered with Anshen + Allen Architects and Stack Design Build to design and build a prototype, and the team has
Darfur's underground lake covers a distance of 19,110 square miles and has the potential to restore peace to a region ravaged by drought, however providing access to all that water has proven difficult.
The bathhouse is composed of two rectangular buildings connected via a breezeway in the center. This public central space is covered in translucent panels and acts like a greenhouse, while doors on either
Molo's Softshelter solution is made up of its expandable, accordion style paper room dividers, which it has been selling for many years. The walls are made from 100% recyclable paper with magnetic door
In the 1970's, Georges Mougin was laughed at when he suggested that we should start towing icebergs from the polar ice caps to drought-ridden communities around the world to provide sources of fresh
It's already time to start gearing up for the new school year, and while pencils and pads are on the top of our to-buy list, we've also been on the hunt for right pack to put all these new supplies into.
