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Post tags: 6 ton treehouse, dead tree, eco design, green design, interior design, Johannesburg, Missing Link, office design, Orchestrated Chaos, presentation, Recycled Materials, scrap yards, South Africa, sustainable design, treehouse, upcycled design

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", ambient light, backlit, Climate Change, climate control, curtain, display screen, e-ink, eco interior, eco lighting, eco-leaf, eco-shade, energy loss, energy recovery, flexible technology, green design, green infrastructure, harvest energy, interior design, LED, Lim Wan Xuan, Lite-on, liteon, natural light, OLED, passive cooling, pv, recycled energy, renewable energy, solar, Solar cells, solar screen, Tang Xueling Jane, window shade

Translating Yona Friedman’s ideas of participation, Lucie Dadakova designed these ‘Multilevel Vertical Urban Allotments’ as her final year project for an Interior Design degree course. Dadakova focused on garden allotments due to both their individual and communal nature. She notes, “Each plot bears the signature of its owner, and the shared enterprise of improvising a small-scale landscape is a source of endless originality.” Allotments offer a great alternative for those living in flats without gardens, particularly within urban areas. Dadakova’s project aims to bring an innovative solution by making use of derelict and underused buildings in cities.

+ Lucie Dadakova

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: garden allotments, interior design, landscape architecture london, landscape design, lucie Dadakova, Multilevel Vertical Urban Allotments, urban gardening, Yona Friedman

Tourism Malaysia in Paris has decided to sharpen their eco edge by appointing Bizarreka Design to transform their entire ground floor office into a mini-escape. The new interior environment captivates patrons’ attention by asserting Malaysia as the foremost eco-tourism destination in the world. Two concepts were developed and deployed by Bizarreka Design: nature and heritage. Movable and fixed furniture join together with reused wooden structure and elements, earth-toned tiles, arboreal walls, and layered stone underneath efficient in-wall shelving to reflect the natural splendor of the Malaysian rainforests. Other features such as tan and ecru stones on the wall, and earth tone sofas and rugs all allude to the serene landscapes of the Malaysian beaches and islands.

+ Bizarreka Design

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: "green furniture", Bizarreka Design, eco furniture, eco interiors, eco-tourism, green design, green interiors, interior design, Tourism Malaysia in Paris

Nowadays wherever one looks for fashionable, modern furnishings, they’re lost amongst pieces made in a factory. You won’t find any crumbly, soulless particleboard in the pieces featured here. Our woodsman friend, Jack, whittles his creations in his slow evening hours with a cup of chamomile tea. “Gosh,” he starts with a reluctant reflection when asked where he draws his inspiration for his craft, “I’m not sure. It’s just something I’ve always enjoyed doing. It helps me relax after a long day of working with my squirrel rescue organization.” He says he really likes knowing the fallen tree from which he sourced material, and that it can live on in another beautiful form. He likes knowing how it came together, from his imagination to his living room. He likes working with his hands. Jack relies largely on his faithful axe and his trusty pocketknife to do most of the work.

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Post tags: Decorative Objects, eco housewares, eco-friendly home, eco-sculptures, interior design, Recycled Materials, wooden carvings

This week marks the start of the Cevisama ceramic tile show in Spain, and Inhabitat is reporting live from Valencia on the world’s most cutting-edge ceramics. You heard that right – we’re in Spain to soak in the sights and check out ceramic tiles while we’re at it. This ancient material has received a 21st century upgrade as manufacturers are taking steps to reduce material use, cut carbon emissions, and optimize energy efficiency, and we’re looking forward to checking out an array of innovations ranging from tiles made from recycled materials to air-purifying ceramics and grassy green wall tiles. We’ll be hitting the show floor all week as part of the Reign in Spain tour hosted by Tile of Spain, so stay tuned for our coverage of the best and brightest innovations in Spanish ceramics.

+ Cevisama

+ Tile of Spain

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Post tags: ceramic tile, ceramic tile show, cevisama, Green Building, green design, interior design, sustainable design, sustainable interior design, Sustainable Materials

We’re big fans of this rather clever lime green lamp and we think you can see why. Conant Lighting, known for its ability to take defunct objects and transform them into extraordinary eco lighting, repurposed the deceiving lamp from an old fan, giving it a new lease on life. As always, we do wish that they would include a fluorescent or LED bulb with the lamp, but from the looks of it, it shouldn’t be difficult to just buy one yourself and screw it in.

+ Conant Lighting

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Post tags: conant, conant lighting, eco-materials, fan lamp, green design, green lamp, green lighting, green materials, green products, interior design, recycled design, Recycled Materials, upcycled design

We originally wrote about Philip’s new LED replacement for the common incandescent light bulb back in May, but we’re happy to report that this illuminating low-energy alternative bulb is now finally lining the shelves at a store near you! Designed to replace the over 425 million 60 watt incandescent bulbs sold annually that fill the lighting fixtures in our rooms, hallways, offices, and beyond, the A19 AmbientLED delivers the same illumination as a 60 watt white light incandescent, at a mere 12 watts. The new LED bulb also boasts a life of 25,000 hours, and most remarkably, a single bulb can save you hundreds of dollars per year off of your electricity bill. Even more appealing? With a life of 15 years per bulb, you won’t need to be buying new lightbulbs every year.

Read the rest of Philips’ Super Efficient AmbientLED Bulb Now Available in Stores!

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Post tags: 12 watt led bulb, eco light bulbs, energy efficient lighting, green design, green light bulbs, green products, interior design, light emitting diode, Philips AmbientLED bulb, sustainable design, sustainable lighting

Inspired by the penny tile floors at the Standard Hotel in New York City, this unique home in Seattle was tiled with thousands of nickels – 13,650 to be exact! Apartment Therapy has the scoop, complete with step-by-step instructions on how to install your own nickel floor using packing tape, cardboard, glue, and a solid investment of time. If you’re looking for something to do with all of that spare change, read on and transform your own flooring into a work of modern art.

+ Nickel Flooring

Via Notcot

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Post tags: green design, green renovation, interior design, nickel tiles, Recycled Materials, sustainable design, Sustainable Interiors

If you enjoy playing Scrabble (and by “playing” we mean “feverishly plotting to destroy all other players with consecutive triple word scores while laughing maniacally”) we’re pretty sure you’ll fall in love with these cushions that resemble letter tiles from the game. The covers (which come in either black or cream) are made from 100% recycled bottle felt and stitched together with 100% cotton thread – and even the filling is made from recycled plastic bottles. Since each pillow is sold separately, you can purchase whatever combination of letters or symbols you like. So for instance, you could give your favorite Scrabble opponent a set that spells out “I TOLD U QI IS A WORD. IN UR FACE,” though they’d need to have a really long couch…

+ Bespoke Eco Recycled Felt Cushions

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Post tags: cushions, eco design, ecofi, green design, green home decor, interior design, recycled bottle felt, recycled bottles, recycled felt, Recycled Plastic, scrabble piece, scrabble tile cushion, throw pillows

Read the rest of Inhabitat Tours the Incredible Healthy Home 2010!

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Post tags: 2010, Air quality, Architecture, chicago, Eco, green, healthyhome, home, house designer, illinois, interior design, low VOC, natural, Organic, Palatine Village, ShowHouse, Sustainable, tour

Each year thousands of people take up residence in New York City and many settle down to start families, so it seems like this cutting edge metropolis would be the ideal place to weigh every available birthing option. But contrary to what your intuition may tell you, the Big Apple actually ranks as the worst city in the U.S. in terms of maternal mortality rates. To address this pressing issue afflicting countless numbers of would-be parents, designer Kristi Bernick designed a Brooklyn facility for natural childbirth called Deserved Deliveries. The innovative design project explores various methods of birthing, placing emphasis on combining midwifery and obstetrics into one cohesive and comfortable environment.

READ MORE >

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", birthing center, Brooklyn, deserved deliveries, eco design, gowanus canal, green design, interior design, kristi bernick, Pratt Institute, prenatal care pregnancy

Paper shredders are essential if you’ve got confidential info you need to discard, but boy are they bulky! Why not turn those clunky eyesores into functional furniture with this coffee table that doubles as a paper shredder? Called the Papervore, this stylish table is hungry for your top secret papers – check out this video of it in action!

READ MORE >

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Post tags: “green furniture”, coffee tables, industrial design, interior design, Papervore, pigeontail, Recycled Materials

What better way to manage coffee table clutter that with a table that doubles up as a paper shredder? Created by industrial design studio Pigeontail, the Papervore is hungry for all you printed leftovers. Measuring 16″h x 31″w x 16″d and constructed from aluminum, mahogany, oak and acrylic with a distinct mod aesthetic, the Papervore can easily munch up any correspondence with just a turn of the crank. And of course, once you’ve filled up the base container, off to the recycling bin it goes. Click ahead for an adorable video of this clever creation in action!

Read the rest of The Papervore Coffee Table is Hungry for Your Paper Scraps

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Post tags: "green furniture", coffee tables, industrial design, interior design, Papervore, pigeontail, Recycled Materials

These gorgeous lamps may look as if they’ve been excavated from ancient crystal caves, but they are in fact the product of an imaginative assemblage of recycled and eco-friendly materials. Created by a collective of designers based in Hong Kong, the ‘Living Pixels‘ lamp takes antique and junk light stands, low-energy bulbs, and a diffuser made up of recycled banners and turns them into a colorful feast for the eyes. But here’s the kicker — as vibrant as these lamps may appear to be in their luminescent state, when turned off, they’re actually a nondescript white!

Read the rest of Stunning Living Pixels Lamps Made From Recycled Banners

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Post tags: Chan Wan Ki Kay, Chen Siu Wa Shai Chai, DIY, energy efficient light bulbs, green design, green interiors, green lamps, green lighting, interior design, Living Pixels, low energy light bulbs, Recycled Materials, Suen Ka Hei Catherine, sustainable lamps

There are over 425 million 60 watt incandescent bulbs sold every year, which makes the energy-sucking globes the most commonly used bulbs in the United States. Lighting the way to a more energy-efficient tomorrow, Philips has just unveiled the 12-watt EnduraLED – the world’s first replacement for the commonly used 60 watt incandescent. The EnduraLED is capable of lasting 25 times longer than a standard incandescent and only consumes 20% of the energy. If all the bulbs in the states were switched to these LEDs it would save 32.6 terawatt-hours of electricity each year — enough energy to power 17 million homes.

Read the rest of Philips Unveils World’s First LED Replacement for Most Common Bulb

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Post tags: 12 watt led bulb, energy efficient lighting, green design, green products, interior design, light emitting diode, Philips EnduraLED bulb, sustainable design

Sometimes it takes looking to the past and pulling cues from previous design theories to break new ground and push modern green design forward. Dezeen shows us Edwards Moore’s stunning renovation of an existing apartment in Fitzroy, Melbourne that creates more available space by stripping away dividing walls and focusing on the concept of continuous living space called “Raumplan”, which was developed by architect Adolf Loos in the 1920’s. Dubbed Cubby House, the project is filled with reclaimed materials, features transforming spaces that define multiple functions, and has reflective views that increase indoor natural lighting.

Read the rest of Stunning Renovation Showcases Reclaimed Materials, Flexible Spaces

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", Adolf Loos, australia, Chubby House, continuous living space, Edwards Moore, green design, interior design, Melbourne, Raumplan

Even the most basic origami figures prove that a few simple folds can result in an intricate and captivating sculptural design. Expanding upon the concept behind this Japanese art, designers Francesca Rogers and Daniele Gualeni Design Studio have created “Light Form” – a beautiful modular lighting system consisting of wood panels that can be flipped back to expose energy-efficient electroluminescent lights. The system can be easily affixed to any wall, creating a luminous mosaic that balances modern design with with a grand nod to traditional Japanese art.

Read the rest of Light Form: Gorgeous Wood Wall Panels Flip Up to Reveal Light

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Post tags: Daniele Gualeni Design Studio, Francesca Rogers, Fuori Salone, ILLIDE, interior design, interior lighting, italian design, italian lighting, japanese lighting, Light form, Milan Furniture Fair, modular lighting, oragami lighting

In recent years global warming has lent a hand in increasing the population of the Mountain Pine Beetle, which has been wreaking havoc on acres of woodland area, giving way to a surplus of diseased, buckling, blue-stained pine wood. Seeking an inspired use for this damaged wood, Straight Line Designs has been working on a series of furniture that highlights the unique beauty of this otherwise wasted material. From tables to walls to benches – here’s more proof that with a little ingenuity, you can turn even the most unsightly material into something splendid!

Read the rest of Bug Infested Wood Transformed into Sleek Modern Furniture

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Post tags: "green furniture", "sustainable furniture", damaged wood, diseased trees, felled wood, green interiors, infested wood furniture, interior design, mountain pine beetle, pine furniture, pine trees, straight line designs, wood furniture

The kitchen of the future was going to be so high-tech. Frigidaire’s Dream Kitchen of Tomorrow had it all; an IBM punch card recipe file, automatic dispensing and online TV ordering. And that’s not all – read on as we take a look at several extraordinary retro-futuristic kitchens to see how they’ve withstood the test of time.

Read the rest of The Kitchen of the Future Today

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Post tags: Green Building, green design, interior design, kitchen of the future, Products, sustainable design