The GFRY Studio at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago presented their “2000 Watt Living” project at this year’s Milan Furniture Fair. The ultimate goal of their initiative is to reduce the average American’s daily energy consumption to 2000 watts – just one sixth of what it is today. Definitely not your typical student work, GFRY students designed objects and systems that either reduce our energy consumption or allow us to generate our own electricity. While these projects may not be hitting store shelves just yet, they do serve to further deepen the discussion of developing more sustainable habits in our daily lives. Read on for some of our favorite projects!

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Post tags: 2000 watt living, energy technology, gfry studio, green design, milan furniture fair 2009, school of art institute of chicago, sustainable design

Where can one go to find breathtaking landscapes, artistic scenery and people with unique character? Punkaharju, Finland is one place, and PunkAlive goes to great measures to incorporate these qualities in their new furniture line that recently debuted at Zona Tortona during the Milan Furniture Fair. We spoke with Jukka Lommi and Jukka Rissanen on the opening day of the fair and learned about how PunkAlive is getting closer to nature by combining style with sustainability.

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Post tags: "sustainable furniture", green design, green Interiors, kerto, locally sourced wood, milan furniture fair 2009, punkalive, sustainable design, zona tortona

We saw quite a few environmentally-conscious trends at the Milan Furniture Fair‘s bi-annual showcase of lighting products, Euroluce. With energy use in mind, LEDs showed up from almost every company. As an extremely efficient and small bulb, the LED allows its surrounding fixtures to morph into innovative forms that highlight the beauty of light. Also in hot demand at Euroluce this year are shades made from natural or recycled fibers, whether strung, woven, or draped — or some combination of the above. The shades help to create soft, glowing light — thanks to their translucent material — but they are also nice to look at when the light is off. Euroluce is showing a variety of lighting options that differ in aesthetics and innovation, and we are happy to report that many of the designs are evidence that environmental responsibility is an important agenda item.

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Post tags: energy efficient lighting, Euroluce, green design, LED lighting, milan furniture fair 2009, sustainable design

Zona Tortona is regarded as a sister show, or “satellite exhibit,” to the Salone Internazionale del Mobile; however, it was at Zona Tortona that I found some of the most innovative and forward-moving designs this week in Milan. Zona Tortona takes place in a neighborhood where the streets via Zona and via Tortona cross. Historically this neighborhood was an industrial area with rows of compact tenement housing placed in between factories. The transformation from commerce to creative space began in the early 80s when artists and designers were being pushed into the outskirts of the city at the same time that industry started moving further into the countryside. Today, Zona Tortona is known around the world as an art and design district and is universally recognized for the exhibit that runs concurrently with iSaloni.

Read the rest of MILAN: Our Top Picks From Zona Tortona

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Post tags: cardboard chairs, cardboard furniture, cardboard shelving units, contemporary furniture, eco friendly chairs, eco friendly shelving units, eco-friendly lighting, green architecture, milan furniture fair 2009, recycled cardboard, recycled furniture, recycled materials chairs, recycled materials shelving units, resource conservation furniture, restored furniture, sustainable lighting, wood conservation, zona tortona

The 2009 Milan Furniture Fair showcased an incredible assortment of furnishings, lighting, and housewares from all over the world, ranging from the well-established designers showcased in the main exhibition halls to the young designers and start-up companies exhibiting at Salone Satellite. Although in visiting the modern and contemporary halls of the fair I was disappointed by the lack of green design, it was encouraging to see that this year the fair is focusing on quality. Although the materials and construction of most of the furniture would not be considered sustainable, the intention is that the pieces will last a lifetime. Many of the designs also allowed for modularity, or reconfiguring over time. Read on for our favorite green design finds from the show!

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Post tags: best of green, eco-friendly materials, energy efficient design, green design, green furniture, Green Lighting, industrial design, milan furniture fair 2009, Salone Satellite, sustainable design

The rules of kitchen design have just changed. Whirlpool and Elmar recently debuted the kitchen of the future at the Milan Furniture Fair, and it’s energy efficient, eco-friendly, and interconnected. Their Green Living kitchen brings together contemporary cabinetry, advanced appliances and systems that work together in a culinary-centered symbiotic relationship.

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Post tags: eco kitchen, elmar sustainable kitchen, green design, kitchen design, ludovica roberto palombra, milan furniture fair 2009, sustainable design, Sustainable Materials, whirlpool green kitchen

The Well-Tech Awards are one of our favorite annual exhibitions at the Milan Furniture Fair, showcasing an assortment of innovative projects that push forward the realm of green design. The year’s exhibition featured a variety of projects that focused upon integrating sustainable solutions into our daily lives. From products that pare down the resources we consume to innovations in energy-efficient lighting and projects that monitor our resource usage, we were thoroughly impressed with the designs on display. Read on for our favorite finds!

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Post tags: alternative energy, eco-friendly design, green design, industrial design, milan furniture fair 2009, Solar Power, sustainable design, well tech awards showcase

Designer Nicolas Cheng of Studioroom906 is presenting this beautiful set of stationary made from recycled eggshells at the Milan Furniture Fair this week. In his “Childhood Memories” collection, Cheng uses wasted eggshells that undergo a “high pressure technique” to create a new material that utilizes the existing proteins and mineral crystals from the shells. 100 recycled eggshells are used per set which includes a pencil, pencil holder, eraser and A5 paper.

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Post tags: green design, milan furniture fair 2009, nicolas cheng, recycled eggshell stationary, Recycled Materials, studioroom906, sustainable design, Waste reduction

Attention all green design junkies! The 2009 Milan Furniture Fair starts today, and Inhabitat is on the scene to bring you all of the latest and greatest from this year’s event. We’ve assembled a team of design experts who will be bringing us up-to-the-minute coverage of the show, and we’re expecting a cutting-edge crop of green housewares, furnishings, lighting, and more. Don’t miss out on the latest developments from one of the design world’s biggest annual events – keep it tuned to Inhabitat from now until April 27th as we showcase our favorite finds in sustainable design!

+ Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2009

+ Milan Furniture Fair 2008 at Inhabitat

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Post tags: green design, industrial design, milan furniture fair 2009, salone del mobile milan, sustainable design

Drill Design is set to unveil these new Paper Wood Stools at this week’s Milan Furniture Fair with the tag line that “off the rack” just will not do. Composed of wood veneer and recycled paper, these stools break the mold by moving away from the one size fits all paradigm. Not only are they light of weight and sturdy in strength but they come in a variety of heights to seat everyone from tiny tots all the way up to the towering Shaquille O’Neals in the crowd.

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Post tags: "green furniture", drill designs, green design, milan furniture fair 2009, paper wood stools, Recycled Materials, salone internazionale del mobile, sustainable design, sustainable furnishings