Material reuse has been a wildly popular trend in sustainable architecture over the last decade. Using old materials and giving them a new life in a building not only keeps those materials from wasting away in a landfill, but also adds a considerable amount of character to the finished project. Architect Alejandro Bahamón and artist Maria Camila Sanjinés were fascinated by the use of waste in architecture and decided to document 33 projects from around the world that extensively utilize a wasted material in their new book, REMATERIAL From Waste to Architecture. We had a chance to catch up with Alejandro Bahamón about his latest work -- read on for our exclusive interview!

 

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Inhabitat favorite KieranTimberlake Architects recently published their second monograph entitled 'Inquiry'. The firm first came onto our radar in 2003 with their SmartWrap installation, an exhibit which showcased an interactive building film at the Cooper Hewitt. Since then, the sustainable design firm has been recognized by the AIA's 'Annual Committee on the Environment Top 10 Green Building Projects' in 2007, 2008, and 2010, in addition to plenty other honors. Their new monograph expands upon the firm’s belief that architecture extends beyond its contextual vistas to include sites, histories, and cultures. The firm’s evolution and philosophy is beautifully documented in drawings, graphics, pictures, and accompanying text covering 19 different projects. Read on for a look inside!

 

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Shiply is a UK-based green logistics company founded by young entrepreneur Robert Matthams after he realized that the current way goods are shipped and delivered to households is extremely wasteful, leaving 25% of trucks and 15% of delivery vans empty after delivering packages to homes and businesses. Robert's idea was simple: pair the empty returning delivery trucks with new deliveries, and he could save money, time, and fuel while making shipping green. And just like that, Robert had redesigned the logistics industry to a new, greener standard. The response has been phenomenal. Shiply offers a very disruptive 75% savings over the competition in the UK for shipping nearly any item, and has quickly amassed a 400,000-client user base that puts 30,000 transport providers to better use. We sat down to ask Robert about how all of this got started, and where he sees shipping and logistics in our eco-friendly future. He couldn't comment on when Shiply would expand to the U.S. and other countries across the world, but we gather Mr. Matthams has big plans for Shiply, and for the future of transport.

 

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Not only does Architecture for Humanity improve people's lives through architecture and design, but they have time to write books about it. Only six years after their first book comes Design Like You Give A Damn [2]: Building Change From the Ground Up, a second work which chronicles over 100 projects from around the world that address issues such as disaster reconstruction, shelter, education, and the basic needs of communities. Edited by the amazing team at Architecture for Humanity and published by Abrams, DLYGAD[2] goes more into detail about how each project came about and provides an informative source from which communities can learn to accomplish their own projects just the same. Recently we caught up with Kate Stohr, co-founder of Architecture for Humanity, to find out more about this second book and the things she learned while working on it. PLUS, we're giving away a copy, so read on to hear Kate's answers and learn how you can win a book of your own!

 

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Opened late 2009, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, has come to be Saudi Arabia’s first LEED certified project and the world’s largest LEED Platinum project. Designed by HOK, the university is a super sustainable learning institution dedicated to advancing science and technology with a fellowship program that provides full tuition to both male and female graduate and doctorate students. The campus was designed as part of a larger master plan (also designed by HOK) to support a new town of 12,000 people living in over 6.5 million sqf on a 3,200 acre space along the Red Sea. Sited in an environment facing extraordinary challenges, including an extremely hot, humid climate, HOK was asked to create a low-energy, sustainable project that would also provide the necessary facilities to support cutting edge research and education, and a comfortable place to live. What resulted was a spectacular campus, that while modern in design, also draws deeply upon the traditional architecture of Saudi Arabia to minimize its energy needs. Structured like a traditional Arabic city, the campus is compressed to minimize the amount of exterior envelope exposed to the sun and reduce outdoor walking distances. The project also utilizes everything from passively cooled circulation thoroughfares, solar towers, traditional Arabic ‘mashrabiya‘ screens, water reclamation able to capture 100% of the wasterwater, and more. We recently sat down with HOK’s Bill Odell, architect and Director of HOK’s Science & Technology group, to talk about the design of KAUST. Read on for Bill’s fascinating story on how he and his global team at HOK were able to construct this top-notch, high-tech institution, and how the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) helped them turn out the world’s biggest sustainable project in just 28 months.

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

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Set high up in the hills of Phuket, Thailand, Villa Amanzi is a tropical paradise that sits lightly on its site. The private villa designed by Original Vision features large windows that offer panoramic ocean views, takes advantage of natural ventilation, and has a vegetated interior courtyard that draws daylight into the home. Inhabitat recently had the pleasure of talking to Original Vision's Adrian McCarroll about his methodology, his Villa Amanzi, and the challenges involved with designing buildings in natural tropical landscapes. Read on for a closer look at this gorgeous project!

 

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Set in the highlands of Minas Gerais, Brazil, Gustavo Penna’s Lincoln Residence is an elegant minimalist home that emphasizes its beautiful surrounding landscape. The home was built using simple materials such as glass and painted brick walls, and features wide windows that take advantage of the view while conserving energy. Inhabitat recently had the pleasure of speaking with Gustavo Penna of GPA&A to discuss his methodology, what advice he has for students, what he considers pretentious architecture, and more. Read on to get a better idea of Penna’s inspiring architectural philosophy, and have a closer look at the beautiful Lincoln Residence.

 

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Steven Holl has risen to become one of the most celebrated and well-respected architects working today. His architectural work is widely recognized and covers extensive ground ranging from the museums, educational facilities, residences, retail design, office design, public utilities, and master planning. But unlike the indistinguishable corporate work or ego driven monstrosities that litter the physical and cultural landscape, each of Steven’s structures rises above any predictable style, and are instead inspired by a unique contextual awareness. His ability to masterfully blend space and light in subtle forms has turned him into a central figure in the discussion of contemporary sustainable design. It also comes as no surprise that his work has garnered him wide acclaim not only from critics, but most notably, from his contemporaries.

On this rare occasion, Steven was kind enough to sit down and answer a few of our questions regarding his style, green design, and even a little something about his childhood. Steven also marks the first interview in a new series in which Inhabitat will pose seven questions to one of today’s most influential designers, hoping to shed some critical light on the state of design today. Read ahead for our seven questions with Steven Holl.

 

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Car designer and entrepreneur Henrik Fisker made his name in the car industry designing the highest of the high-end luxury cars for BMW and Aston Martin. After making waves in the auto industry with vehicles such as the Aston Martin DB9, Aston Martin V8 Vantage and BMW Z8, he decided to break away from this corner of the auto world imbued with tradition and start his own company, Fisker Automotive. Fisker’s first vehicle to hit the road has been the Karma, an impressively green, extended range electric vehicle with so many curves, your eyes are already driving it before you’ve even gotten behind the wheel. Coming in as loud and clear as the Karma’s sex appeal, Henrik Fisker is on a mission to make green cars cool. We recently had a chance to talk to him about how he’s risen to the top of the electric vehicle pack, and where he plans on taking his cars from there.

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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.

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Diogo Aguiar and Teresa Otto of LIKEArchitects create architecture with humor, subjectivity, and a focus on using sustainable building materials and maximizing energy-efficiency. In the past we've featured their gorgeous frozen trees made from plastic bags and their pop-up prefab bar made from re-usable containers and LED lights. We recently talked to Diogo and Teresa about their architectural philosophies, the challenges and rewards of sustainability, and performance architecture. Read on for a look at some of LIKEArchitects' most innovative and exciting projects!

 

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If your wallet is already feeling the pinch from your monthly energy bill as we head into the colder months, you’ll be happy to know that you can keep those expenses down using a simple device called a programmable thermostat. We introduced these handy gadgets to you back in October and now we have a fun, informational video that makes it even easier to understand what programmable thermostats do and how they can save the average household about $180* a year. Click the video above to get the full scoop on how programmable thermostats work and what kinds of perks the latest models offer – including the ability to control your home’s temperature from bed, your office or even while you’re on vacation.

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Earlier this year we reported on the opening of the stunning Salvador Dalí Museum located in St. Petersburg, Florida. The museum is home to the world’s largest collection of Dalí works, and since its debut this past April, the dazzling venue has already welcomed over 300,000 visitors. With its clean minimalist lines juxtaposed against a sparkling geodesic glass atrium, the spectacular structure designed by HOK stands as a work of art in its own right, while still paying homage to the spirit of Salvador Dalí. The building also brings more to the table than just its looks. Housing over 2,000 pieces of Dalí’s most important works, the museum is sited within a corner of the country that often finds itself battered by severe storms with catastrophic results. To prepare for the worst, HOK designed the shell of the structure to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. The design also features numerous green systems, including a solar hot water powered dehumidification system, high efficiency HVAC and ventilation systems, and strategic daylighting to illuminate the interiors. We recently sat down with principal architect and Senior Vice President of HOK Yann Weymouth who enlightened us on the intricacies of the design, and what it took to get the museum built. Jump ahead for our exclusive interview with Yann as he explains the design, and how his team of architects and engineers used Building Information Modeling to build a space that’s not only beautiful and sustainable, but disaster-proof.

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

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A few years ago, I sat down with Cameron Sinclair to talk about his recently-launched Open Architecture Network. He describes it as a “gift to the design community” with a simple mission: “to generate design opportunities that will improve living standards for all “by providing an open-source platform through which anyone can view, post, share, and adapt sustainable, humanitarian-based, scalable solutions. The idea that designs and all associated documents can and should be shared within the decidedly proprietary architectural industry is truly innovative, and could very well aid in the reshaping of the entire architectural profession into a more socially-focused and responsible vocation. Read on for a full transcription of the interview.

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If you’re worried about keeping warm and cozy these next few months, look no further than our video on how to button up your home for the cold season and cut your utility bills while you’re at it! We’ve enlisted the help of green energy expert Steve Schappert to take eco-fashion blogger and author Starre Vartan through a home energy audit and winter weatherization home makeover. Watch the video above to find out where Starre’s home was lacking when it came to energy efficiency, and learn how you can pinpoint and remedy similar problems in your own home.

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