Read the rest of Canada’s Gorgeous Green-Roofed VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre Opens to the Public!

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Post tags: Canada architecture, energy efficient public buildings, green architecture, green design, green roof, Landscape Architecture, LEED Platinum building, living building, Living Building Challenge, net zero energy building, perkins+will, Solar Power, vandusen botanical garden visitor centre

LEGO blocks are one of the most enduringly popular toys around. With endless possibilities for reinvention, they challenge minds and cultivate creativity. But as much as we love these colorful little blocks, we have to say that it wouldn’t hurt if they were also a little more eco-friendly. But here comes a sustainable take on the classic block from Japanese firm Colors Tokyo. Fashioned from environmentally friendly materials, the company’s Earth Blocks are an exciting prospect for educating kids on green building.

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Post tags: Cedar Tree, coffee beans, eco friendly legos, eco friendly toys, eco lego blocks, eco toys, eco-friendly, green design, green tea, green toys, lego, lego blocks, legos made from natural materials, sustainable legos, toys

Read the rest of 6 Super Easy DIY Gifts For Your Valentine’s Day Sweetie

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Post tags: DIY, diy roundup, earbud keeper, eco design, electric wire ring, green design, headphone keeper, inhabitat DIY, magazine stool, necktie camera strap, pallet couch, Recycled Materials, shipping pallet couch, texting gloves, upcycled materials, v-day, v-day gifts, valentine's day, valentine's diy gifts

Read the rest of Ryue Nishiziwa’s Gorgeous Vertical Garden House Takes Root in Tokyo

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Post tags: "living wall", Climate Change, CO2, community, Daylighting, eco design, eco-conscious, eco-friendly, Environment, environmental design, green architecture, Green Building, green design, green interior, green living, green space, green technology, home design, innovative structure, Japan, living home, natural light, open floor plan, open space, organic building, outdoor integration, renewable energy, rooftop garden, Ryue Nishizawa, ryue nishizawa vertical garden, SANAA, sustainable design, sustainable living, Tokyo, tokyo architecture, tokyo home, urban planning, vertical garden, vertical garden home, vertical garden house, zen living

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Post tags: adaptive reuse, amazing bookstores, amazing libraries, ateneo, ateneo bookstore, awesome bookstores, awesome libraries, beer crate library, bicycle library, bike library, bike rental, book sharing, bookstore in theater, cathedral, east germany, eco bookstores, el ateneo, famous bookstores, green books stores, Green Building, green design, green renovation, karo architects, lot-ek, magdeburg, nyc forum, Olympia Kazi, open air library, phone box library, post-industrial renovation, public library, public reading space nyc, public space nyc, public spaces, recycled double decker bus, Recycled Materials, renovated bookstore, renovated theater, renovated theater bookstore, rent a bike, repurposed double decker bus, Selexyz Domincan Church Maastricht, sustainable design, the bicycle library, van alen books, van alen bookstore, van alen bookstore opening, van alen institute, westbury sub mendip

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Post tags: can recycling, Cape Town, Coca Cola, coke crates, crate man, eco design, Elliot, green design, PET, plastic crates, plastic recycling, Recycled Materials, Recycling initiatives, sustainable design, Table Mountain, V&A Waterfront

Read the rest of Blue LED Rings On Famous London Monuments Show Just How Far Sea Levels Could Rise

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Post tags: Art, blue leds, Climate Change, eco design, eco-art, environmental awareness, global warming, green art, green design, led ring, London, michael pinsky, Plunge, plunge london, Sea Levels, sustainable art, sustainable design

Bjarke Ingels loves to ski, so there’s no doubt he’s thrilled that his firm, BIG, just won first prize to design the renovation and expansion of the Kimball Art Center in Park City, UT. BIG’s winning design features a soaring, twisting, timber eco-tower that pays respect to the mining history of the Utah ski town. Using reclaimed trestlewood for the structure along with other sustainable strategies like solar power, rainwater collection, a high performing thermal envelope and daylighting, BIG’s tower is sure to make a huge statement. The Danish firm best be on the lookout for office space in Park City so they can get to work on the new and improved art center.

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", big, bjarke ingels, Bjarke Ingels Group, Design Competition, eco design, green architecture, Green Building, green design, green renovation, kimball art center, kimball art center renovation, kimball art center transformation, park city, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, trestlewood, twisting timber tower, UT, Utah, winning design

Read the rest of Fantastic Seattle Remodel by Atelier Drome Maximizes 600 Sq Ft Home With Smart Design & Storage Solutions

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", atelier drome, eco design, functional design, green architecture, Green Building, green design, Green Remodel, green renovation, home remodel, little house, micro house, multi purpose furniture, ravenna remodel, remodel, Seattle, small space living, smart design, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, tiny house

Read the rest of Dublin’s Beautiful 3 Mews Houses Weave Natural Daylight and Lush Gardens Into Their Industrial Aesthetic

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", 3 mews, Dublin, eco apartments, eco design, green architecture, Green Building, green design, green home, Ireland, odos architects, residential building, Sustainable Building, sustainable design

Christopher Simmonds has given an already gorgeous boathouse in Canada a sustainable upgrade that we can’t help but envy. The original boathouse located on Muskoka Lake north of Toronto was feeling a little cramped, so the designer gave it a second story guest room and a roof terrace, and an overall minor upgrade that used very little in the way of new materials. Step into our gallery to see pictures of this gorgeous project or hit the jump to find out more details.

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Post tags: Architecture, boat house, canada, Christopher Simmonds, eco design, green design, minimalist, Muskoka Lakes, Nature, solar gain, sustainable design

Almost five years ago, San Francisco became the first American city to ban plastic shopping bags from supermarkets and chain pharmacies. Now the city is poised to expand that ban to all retail stores and restaurants within the city limits. Only certain products, like newspapers, fish, poultry, fresh flowers, and bulk goods are exempted from the ban. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to expand the ban, and it’s expected to be officially approved next week.

Read the rest of San Francisco To Expand Ban on Plastic Bags

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Post tags: environmental destruction, environmental issues, expanded plastic bag ban, green design, plastic bag ban, San Francisco, San Francisco plastic bag ban, sf plastic bag ban, sustainable design, Waste reduction

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Post tags: "office building", "sustainable architecture", anabatic office, betillon dorval bory, Betillon/Dorval-Bory, Costa Rica, eco design, eco office, fundercor, green architecture, Green Building, green design, natural cooling, natural ventilation, passive cooling, rain forest, stack effect, Sustainable Building, sustainable design

Read the rest of Accounting Giant KPMG’s New Headquarters Balances Its Energy Budget To Almost Zero

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", 3XN, accounting firm, Denmark, eco design, eco headquarters, Frederiksberg, green architecture, Green Building, green design, KPMG, new headquarters, solar passive design, Sustainable Building, sustainable design

Recent data suggests that we send more than 14 million cars to the scrap yard each year, so it’s refreshing to see some of those abandoned automobiles put to good use in sustainable, eco-friendly style. Leger Wanaselja Architecture’s fabulously ambitious McGee House does just that. The curvaceous upper walls of the 2 bedroom home are fashioned from over 100 salvaged car roofs, while the roofs of the home are constructed from sawn apart gray-colored cars. The bright and airy awning you see? It’s made entirely from the side windows of Dodge Caravans, once “America’s best-selling minivan,” now prevalent in scrap heaps.

Read the rest of Leger Wanaselja’s McGee House is Made From Over 100 Salvaged Car Roofs

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", "solar energy", "sustainable architecture", Eco Architecture, eco design, green architecture, Green Building, green design, Leger Wanaselja Architecture, low toxicity, McGee House, poplar wood, Recycled Materials, salvaged cars, salvaged wood, scrap cars, sustainable design

If you’ve ever wanted to get more involved with the good humanitarian work of Architecture For Humanity, there’s an even better chance to volunteer now through your local chapters. The American Institute of Architects and Architecture For Humanity have announced a major strategic partnership that will expand the industry’s commitment to disaster assistance and long-term reconstruction. While the two organizations’ missions are different, they have recognized their complementary skills and the new collaboration will provide architects a way to use those strengths in their local community. We couldn’t be more thrilled that these two organizations are teaming up and providing more options for volunteering.

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", aia, aia afh collaboration, american institute of architects, arch for humanity, Architecture, Architecture for Humanity, architecture non profit, architecture organization, Disaster Relief, eco design, green architecture, Green Building, green design, humanitarian aid, humanitarian design, humanitarian relief, natural disasters, new partnership, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, volunteering

MDC Interiors created this uber-cool Glow Table from recycled pallet wood, concrete, glass, pine, and steel. The concrete combined with a narrow pallet strip provides an industrial feel along with a warm and earthy presence, and the natural opening in the pallet wood creates a perfect place to hold your favorite drink. A set of accent lights under the glass illuminate the beverages atop, and a dimmer switch is attached to change the light setting.

+ MDC Interiors

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Post tags: "green furniture", eco design, eco furniture, glow table, green design, mdc interiors, pallet furniture, recycled pallet furniture

Aedas Architects and a team of other world-class consultants and designers have conceived of PierESCAPE: a series of outdoor “dock-like extensions” aimed at revitalizing Chicago’s famous Navy Pier. This proposal promises to strengthen connections between the city and nature, and between civic space and culture in a manner that is exciting, enriching, and sustainable, according to Arch Daily. Step in to see a quick video by Aedas which details their vision for this iconic urban space.

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Post tags: Aedas Architects, chicago, eco design, green design, Lake Michigan, Navy Pier, PierESCAPE, public spaces, sustainable design, tourism, tourist destination, Urban design, urban renewal, wetland

Image @Iwan Baan

Four years ago, Ai Weiwei and Herzog & de Meuron made waves with their Bird’s Nest National Stadium for the Beijing Olympics. Now they will be turning heads again, this time by designing the 2012 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, which will be on display during the London Olympics. This will be their first project together in the UK and one of Ai Weiwei’s first major works after his incarceration in China last year. The trio’s intriguing design for the Serpentine Gallery will actually dig into the ground to uncover traces of each of the eleven previous pavilions, much like an archeological dig.

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", 2012 serpentine gallery, 2012 serpentine pavilion, ai wei wei, Ai Weiwei, Architecture, green architecture, Green Building, green design, Herzog & De Meuron, herzog and de meuron, London, news, serpentine gallery, serpentine gallery pavilion, Serpentine Pavilion, Sustainable Building, sustainable design

Read the rest of Marks Barfield Proposes a Soaring Bamboo Science Center for the Amazon Rainforest

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Post tags: amazon rainforest, amazon treehouse, bamboo architecture, bamboo treehouse, ecotourism, green architecture, green design, green rainforest architecture, Marks Barfield Architects, Solar Power, sustainable design