Swiss architecture firm Frundgallina has dramatically transformed a rundown chalet in the Jura Mountains into a whimsical self-sufficient dwelling punctuated by a variety of gabled openings. The architects kept the structure’s exterior dimensions, but rearranged the interior by dividing the floor plan into...
Optical illusions go hand-in-hand with architecture, but this tiny cube structure by Matt Thitchener Architect truly hovers over the landscape — with some help from embedded supports. Cantilevered on a hill, the North Avoca Studio is completely powered by the large array of solar panels on its roof. Located...
A new apartment complex infused with nature has taken root in New York City’s concrete jungle. Local design firm COOKFOX Architects completed 150 Charles Street, a residence that takes over the abandoned Whitehall warehouse on the Hudson River waterfront. Designed to blend in with the existing urban fabric,...
A reflective facade and calculated layout blends Bangkok's new Naiipa Art Complex into the environment. Designed by Bangkok-based Stu/D/O Architects, the mixed-use building carefully wraps around the existing trees on the property while using its mirrored cladding to camouflage the structure into the lush green...
Toronto-based Teeple Architects has paired a beautiful but unusual site in Ontario with the sculptural Port Hope House, an award-winning residence that boasts a wide array of sustainable features. Located east of Toronto, the single-family rural home takes inspiration from the client’s 75-acre property that...
When Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects was asked to design a vacation home on the San Juan Islands of Washington state, the Seattle-based design firm didn’t take the easy way out. The site, which overlooks stunning views of Griffin Bay, includes three beautiful old-growth trees that the architects wanted...
Welcome to Inhabitat, your online guide to the best green design ideas, innovations and inspiration to build a cleaner, brighter, and better future.
Delft-based architecture firm Mecanoo has unveiled designs to transform a disused railway and dyke in Taichung, Taiwan into a vibrant linear park. Dubbed the Taichung Green Corridor, the project will reuse the former rail that traverses Taichung's downtown and stretches over a mile in length. The project aims...
Delft-based architecture firm Mecanoo has unveiled designs to transform a disused railway and dyke in Taichung, Taiwan into a vibrant linear...
Paris-based firm Corpus Studio has created a rustic retreat tucked into the Catskills. A Craggy Cabin is a 2,200-square-foot haven made out of five smaller wooden cabins all connected with large sliding doors. The wooden exterior pays homage to the nature that surrounds the cabin, while the oak-clad interior...
Paris-based firm Corpus Studio has created a rustic retreat tucked into the Catskills. A Craggy Cabin is a 2,200-square-foot haven made out...
Tight budgets typically pose one of the biggest challenges in design projects. But as Michael Green, CEO and President of Michael Green Architecture, shows in his firm’s recently completed Dock Building, beautiful architecture is “always possible regardless of budget.” Built for the Royal Vancouver Yacht...
Tight budgets typically pose one of the biggest challenges in design projects. But as Michael Green, CEO and President of Michael Green Architecture,...
While Hawaii's Kilauea volcano continues to erupt, this explosive episode of volcanic activity has already made a dramatic impact on the land, from the summit down to the ocean. Prior to the eruption, the crater summit presented as a massive lava pool. With the start of the eruption and the opening of fissures...
While Hawaii's Kilauea volcano continues to erupt, this explosive episode of volcanic activity has already made a dramatic impact on the land,...
An important feature of permaculture is the concept of stacking functions, or finding multiple uses for the same space or resource. North Carolina-based PineGate Renewables is taking this principle to a new level with the opening of the largest solar farm apiary in the U.S. Starting this week, the Eagle Point...
An important feature of permaculture is the concept of stacking functions, or finding multiple uses for the same space or resource. North Carolina-based...
A city-dwelling family in need of rural respite reached out to Von Weise Associates to make their country escape a reality. In response, the Chicago-based architecture firm delivered a stunning modern getaway that fully embraces the rural vernacular with a sensitive renovation of an existing farmhouse and barn....
A city-dwelling family in need of rural respite reached out to Von Weise Associates to make their country escape a reality. In response, the...
If you live in a city, riding a bike can be a great option to get you where you need to go. More and more people are opting for bicycles instead of cars, but most American cities are lagging behind when it comes to offering safe roads for bicyclists. Many cities ban cyclists from riding on the sidewalk and expect...
If you live in a city, riding a bike can be a great option to get you where you need to go. More and more people are opting for bicycles instead...
When designer Jorie Burns set her sights on owning a second home near Lake Michigan, she decided to take a chance with the more affordable options found in prefabricated architecture. After perusing several different layouts offered at Lakeside Cabins Resort, she and her family settled on a compact floor plan...
When designer Jorie Burns set her sights on owning a second home near Lake Michigan, she decided to take a chance with the more affordable options...
When a couple finally decided to fulfill their dream of living by the beach, they reached out to Sydney-based architecture firm Rolf Ockert Design to bring their vision to life. To make the most of the property’s views that overlook the nearby lagoon and beach of North Curl Curl, the beach home was designed...
When a couple finally decided to fulfill their dream of living by the beach, they reached out to Sydney-based architecture firm Rolf Ockert Design...
UK architect Alexander Nikjoo has breathed new life into a Victorian chapel by transforming it into a contemporary home and studio for an artist. Located in Deptford in South London, the renovation has streamlined the look of the former chapel with a fresh coat of paint and a minimalist material palette. The interior...
UK architect Alexander Nikjoo has breathed new life into a Victorian chapel by transforming it into a contemporary home and studio for an artist....
As the United Kingdom moves forward with its planned ban on single-use plastic products, the first paper straw factory in decades is opening in Wales to meet the consumer demand. Transcend Packaging, the owner and operator of the new plant, has already reached out to 1,361 McDonald's restaurants throughout the...
As the United Kingdom moves forward with its planned ban on single-use plastic products, the first paper straw factory in decades is opening...
If you plant it, they will come. China is pursuing an ambitious project, underway for decades, to increase the amount of land covered by forests to 23 percent of the country's total land area by the end of the decade. In addition to the benefits of green space for people, such as cleaner air and improved mental...
If you plant it, they will come. China is pursuing an ambitious project, underway for decades, to increase the amount of land covered by forests...
Moscow-based design studio BIO Architects has installed its latest prefab DublDom in the snowy mountains of Kandalaksha, a ski town in northeastern Russia. The DublDom was installed as a gift for the town after resident Alexander Trunkovkiy won the competition “Find Your Place 2016,” which asked participants...
Moscow-based design studio BIO Architects has installed its latest prefab DublDom in the snowy mountains of Kandalaksha, a ski town in northeastern...
Now that summer is here, it's time to prepare for some camping trips. But finding a great tent can be tricky. Are you an adventurer who needs a tent that will withstand all types of weather? Are you looking to stay somewhere unconventional (like in the trees, or on a lake)? Or maybe you need something that can...
Now that summer is here, it's time to prepare for some camping trips. But finding a great tent can be tricky. Are you an adventurer who needs...
Luxury travel doesn’t have to come at the expense of the environment. At Six Senses’ new Fiji Resort, visitors can indulge in five-star comforts and minimize their stay’s carbon footprint. Crafted by Auckland design firm Space Studio, this 24-villa resort on Malolo Island is powered entirely with solar energy...
Luxury travel doesn’t have to come at the expense of the environment. At Six Senses’ new Fiji Resort, visitors can indulge in five-star comforts...
Outside the concrete jungle of São Paulo, Brazil is a solar-powered holiday retreat that fully embraces nature. Brazilian architecture firm Studio MK27 designed the striking home, called the Planar House, for a couple and their three children. Despite the rather spacious size of 10,763 square feet, the dwelling...
Outside the concrete jungle of São Paulo, Brazil is a solar-powered holiday retreat that fully embraces nature. Brazilian architecture firm...
For most people traveling on a Greyhound bus, the journey usually involves squeezing into cracked polyurethane seating for uncomfortably long periods of time. But that's not the case for Jessie Lipskin, who transformed an old 1966 Greyhound bus into a shockingly sophisticated and spacious tiny home on wheels....
For most people traveling on a Greyhound bus, the journey usually involves squeezing into cracked polyurethane seating for uncomfortably long...
Nonprofit Nile Valley Aquaponics is raising fish in a Kansas City food desert—and they’re creating jobs, providing healthy food and promoting sustainable urban farming in the process. To help the nonprofit lead the community to greener and healthier living, American architecture and engineering firm HOK designed...
Nonprofit Nile Valley Aquaponics is raising fish in a Kansas City food desert—and they’re creating jobs, providing healthy food and promoting...
