Greetings from ICFF! Inhabitat is on the scene today reporting live from the mother of all home furnishing tradeshows, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Stay tuned for all of the fresh green designs we uncover on our treasure hunt across the show floor and keep it tuned right here and on our Twitter feed to see our latest finds.

+ ICFF Coverage on Inhabitat

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Post tags: "green furniture", eco design, eco furniture, green design, ICFF, icff 2013, International Contemporary Furniture Fair, javits center furniture show, new york design week, sustainable design

In the developing world, mortality rates for expectant mothers total over 300,000 deaths each year. The WE CARE Solar Suitcase is a brilliant new device that aims to reduce this figure by providing hospitals in off-grid areas with access to a steady source of energy and light. Designed by Dr. Laura Stachel and her husband Hal Aronson, the system includes high-efficiency LED lights, a universal cellphone charger, 12V DC outlets, a set of 40 or 80 watt solar panels, and a 12 amp-hour sealed lead-acid battery.

READ MORE >

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Post tags: birth, clean tech, Design for Health, developing nations, dr. laura stachel, green design, hal aronson, health technology, Light, photovoltaic light, renewable energy, Solar Power, solar suitcase, solar-powered light, sustainable design, wecare solar

As news breaks that global carbon dioxide levels are at an all-time high, one scientist is developing “artificial trees“ to help cleanse the air and reduce greenhouse gas pollution. Columbia University’s Klaus Lackner has developed a carbon dioxide capturing material that acts as a powerful sponge – and it’s able to soak up CO2 faster than plants!

Read the rest of Klaus Lackner’s Artificial Trees Soak Up CO2 Emissions Faster Than Plants

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Post tags: artificial trees, carbon dioxide sucking plastic resin, carbon emissions, Columbia University Mudd Building, eco design, green design, greenhouse gas, Klaus Lackner, sustainable design

Read the rest of Adam Frank’s Reveal Light Projects a ‘Daylit’ Window on Any Wall

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Post tags: Adam Frank, BKLYN Design 2013, Dumbo designers, eco design, green design, green designers in Brooklyn, green events in NYC, green interiors, green lighting, Recycled Materials, Reveal Light Projector, sustainable design

Read the rest of Noble Goods Unveils New Line of Sustainable Wood Furniture with Unique Resin Inlays

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Post tags: Amanda Coen, BKLYN Designs, Brooklyn, brooklyn chamber of commerce, Brooklyn Designs, Christopher Moore, eco design, eco-resin, fsc certified, FSC wood, furniture design, green design, home goods, house ware, industrial design, inhabitat, inhabitat nyc, Molly FitzSimons, new york city, Noble Goods, reclaimed wood, recycled aluminium, Recycled Materials, resin, resin inlay, salvaged materials, salvaged wood, sustainable design, west elm

Contemporary Energy’s Solar Kettle uses the sun’s rays to boil water on the go. The lightweight thermos-like device is perfect for camping or picnics, allowing users to make hot beverages or sterilize water without electricity. Using fold out reflectors, it channels solar power to the container, boiling the water inside.


Read the rest of Contemporary Energy’s Solar Kettle Boils and Purifies Water Off the Grid

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Post tags: Contemporary Energy, eco design, green design, Solar Kettle, solar kitchen, Solar powered water purifier, sustainable design

When Inhabitat’s Architecture Editor,  Bridgette Meinhold, heard about the earthquake in Haiti in 2010 and the massive devastation it caused, she wanted to help, and was drawn to start investigating different options for temporary shelters and disaster relief housing. This exploration gradually broadened to a larger focus on design for disaster-preparedness; seeking out what type of shelters can best withstand earthquakes, hurricanes, rising sea levels and tornados. Now I’m thrilled to say that after years of research, Bridgette has just published an incredible new book entitled Urgent Architecture: 40 Sustainable Housing Solutions for a Changing World. Urgent Architecture showcases inspiring and innovative ideas for resilient design – design that will withstand the test of time – surviving climate change, rising sea levels, manmade and natural disasters. I recently had a chance to interview Bridgette about her new book at Inhabitat HQ in NYC, and she gave me some fascinating insight into her inspiration for the book, the impact climate change will have on future housing and what she believes is necessary to create a more sustainable and responsive built landscape. Watch the video above for the interview, and if you want to learn more, you can get your own copy of Urgent Architecture here.

A full transcript of the interview with pics is available after the jump.

Read the rest of INTERVIEW: With Bridgette Meinhold, Author of ‘Urgent Architecture’

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", adaptable housing, book review, bridgette meinhold, bridgette meinhold interview, design for disaster preparedness, design to withstand disasters, disaster design, disaster housing, Eco Architecture, eco design, green architecture, green books, green design, inhabitat book review, Prefab Housing, resilient architecture, resilient design, sustainable design, urgent architecture

An incredible new printer at the University of Melbourne has allowed researchers to print solar cells up to the size of an A3 sheet of paper. Developed in collaboration between the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (VICOSC), CSIRO, and the University of Melbourne, the solar cell printer makes renewable energy even easier to source.

Read the rest of Australia’s Largest Solar Cell Printer Can Spit Out a Photovoltaic Panel Every Two Seconds

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Post tags: CSIRO, eco design, green design, largest solar cell printer, solar cell printer, sustainable design, university of melbourne, Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium

As if having the tallest and most expensive skyscraper in the world wasn’t enough, Dubai has shown its decadence once again by building an ice lounge right in the middle of the desert. The Chillout Café looks as if it were lifted right out of Sweden or Quebec, with couches, chandeliers, and even glasses made from ice. The carved-ice café hits about 21 degrees Fahrenheit, and it offers designer winter gear for its patrons to keep warm while the city blazes at 95° F outside.

Read the rest of Dubai’s Chillout Cafe Brings a Subzero Ice Lounge to the Middle of the Desert

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Post tags: burj khalifa, Chillout Cafe, eco design, green design, ice cafe Dubai, ice hotel, Sharaf Group, sustainable design

MOKO Architects just unveiled plans for a diving and skydiving center constructed out of two abandoned silos and a series of staggered shipping containers. The ten story multi-purpose recreation center will be built out of existing silos located in the Żerań industrial area just 12 km outside of Warsaw’s nucleus.

Read the rest of MOKO Unveils Plans for Crazy Skydiving Center Made From Silos and Shipping Containers

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Post tags: adaptive reuse projects, eco design, green design, MOKO Architects, Poland skydiving center, repurposed silos, shipping containers, sustainable design, Urban design, urban diving and skydiving center in Warsaw

Dutch designer Willem Heeffer used 334 recycled cans to create a series of luminous upcycled chandeliers and furnishings for Top Chef Hans Välimäki’s new Midhill American diner in Helsinki, Finland. Heeffer collected the tins from local restaurants, cleaned them, and then transformed them into fork and knife holders, bar lights, a floor-to-ceiling storage display and three chandeliers. The chandeliers are made from 21 Heinz Beanz classic cans each. The lamps fit perfectly into the interior designed by Martina Rosenqvist and Vera Öller, who used old corrugated roof panels to clad the bars. The single Heinz Beanz can that started it all is for sale at Willem Heeffer‘s website.

+ Willem Heeffer

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: Finland, green design, green interiors, Hans Valimaki, Heinz Beanz, Helsinki, Martina Rosenqvist, Midhill Restaurant, recycled cans, Recycled Materials, sustainable design, Vera oller, Willem Heeffer

As if worrying about rising sea levels isn’t enough, the evils of climate change are also affecting our food supply. A mix of increased temperatures, changes in rain, and bacterial and fungi outbreaks have hit American farmers hard, causing harvests to fall behind schedule or find complete ruin. With dramatic shifts in weather becoming increasingly common, a number of foods we’re used to eating could be in danger of extinction.

Read the rest of Climate Change Could Render Our Favorite Foods Extinct

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Post tags: Climate Change, eco design, food extinction, food shortage, green design, ruined crops, sustainable design, world food supply

Read the rest of Mod Cott is a Low-Energy Guest House on Lake Buchanan in Texas

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", eco design, eco house, green architecture, Green Building, green design, green house, guest house, lake buchanan, low energy house, mell lawrence architects, mod cott, rainwater collection, solar house, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, texas, vacation house

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Post tags: eco design, eco-art, green design, Nest Colonies, recycled art, recycled suitcases, Robert Lach, sustainable design

Read the rest of First-Time Dutch Home Buyers Can Build Their Own IbbN Flat-Packed Prefab Houses for Under $150k

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Post tags: "flat pack", "sustainable architecture", 8a architecten, 8a architects, affordable housing, eco design, first time home buyers, flat pack home, green architecture, Green Building, green design, green homes, I build affordable in Nijmegen, ibbn, Ik bouw betaalbaar in Nijmegen, kit home, nijmegen, prefab construction, prefab home, prefab kit home, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, the netherlands

Read the rest of Minnesota Vikings Unveil Plans for Energy-Efficient Stadium With the World’s Largest Transparent Roof

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Post tags: designing for sports, eco design, energy efficient sports stadiums, green American football stadiums, green design, HKS Sports & Entertainment Group, Metrodome demolition, Minneapolis sports stadium, Minnesota Vikings, sustainable design, Viking sports stadium, world's largest transparent roof

Read the rest of Sky City: World’s Tallest Tower to Break Ground in June

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", Broad Sustainable Building, changsha, china, City in the Sky, eco design, eco skyscraper, eco tower, extreme density, green architecture, green buildings, green design, prefab sky city, prefab skyscraper, prefab tower, sky city, Sky City One, Sustainable Building, Tallest Building in the World, urban density

We all know that sea levels across the world are steadily rising due to climate change, but just how these changes will affect us remains to be seen. The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) just released a report that states melting ice could cause water levels to rise nearly 27 inches around the world by 2100.

Read the rest of UN Scientists Estimate Sea Levels Could Rise 27 Inches This Century

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Post tags: Climate Change, eco design, global warming, green design, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, sustainable design

Read the rest of Kamvari Architects’ Bridge-Like Crete Bioclimatic School is a Haven for Progressive Learning

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Post tags: Crete, Crete Bioclimatic School, eco design, green design, Kamvari Architects, outdoor classroom, sustainable design, sustainable school

After weeks of submissions and an intense week of online voting, we’re excited to finally announce the two winners of Inhabitat’s Lighten Up! Lighting Design Competition. We received hundreds of entries featuring projects that employ LEDs in innovative and interesting ways, ranging from a colorful art installation that reacts to changing light to a restaurant donning beautiful ceiling lamps to a research campus adorned with LED back-lit wood walls. We narrowed all the entries we received down to just 30 finalists, and then left it up to Inhabitat readers to decide which two designs were most deserving of $1000 prizes from Elemental LED. So who won? Now the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

Drumroll Please……….

Read the rest of Announcing the Lighten Up LED Lighting Competition Winners!

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Post tags: "wind power", 3D printed lamp, 3D printed light, 3D printing, aerodynamics, Air Turbine, Air Turbine Light, diTTo design, diTTo’s LED Acoustic Cloud Installation, green design, green interiors, green lighting, inhabitat competition, Inhabitat Design Competition, interior lighting design, LED Acoustic Cloud Installation, LED lighting installation, Lighten Up, lighten up competition, Lighten Up LED Lighting competition, Lighten Up LED Lighting competition commercial winner, Lighten Up LED Lighting competition residential winner, lighten up lighting design competition, lighten up lighting design winner, lighten up winner, lighting object, margot krasojevic, Rolluda Architects, wind-powered light Lighten Up LED Lighting competition