Known for its hot and humid summers, the Costa Rican town of Naranjo de Alajuela can be a tricky place to build a cool and comfortable home with a small energy footprint. Yet San Rafael de Escazú-based design studio 10˚84˚ Arquitectura shows that crafting a naturally cool home can be a breeze if you employ...
Ben Lecomte, the first person to swim across the Atlantic Ocean back in 1998, is now attempting to be the first swimmer to traverse the Pacific Ocean. The record-setter is taking on the challenge not only for himself, but also to raise awareness about ocean pollution, health and conservation. Lecomte has now passed...
LEGO Group has just released a LEGO Creator Expert set from the 'vault' that focuses on sustainable energy. The company announced its Vestas Wind Turbine creation at New York Climate Week in hopes of encouraging creativity while spreading the word about renewable and sustainable energy sources. The revamped wind...
Paris-based Vincent Callebaut Architectures has placed first in POST Luxembourg’s international design competition with its chrysalis-inspired vision for transforming the telecommunication company’s historic headquarters building into a carbon-neutral city landmark. Dubbed the Metamorphosis of the Hotel des...
Many people design homes to be surrounded by nature, but Seattle-based PRDG Architects decided to take it a step further by building a modern home around a family's beloved madrone tree. Located in a woody lot outside of Seattle, the ultra energy-efficient Farwell is a two story structure made from weathered steel....
Danish architectural practice 3XN Architects recently won a competition for the Climatorium, Denmark’s new international climate center that will be located in Lemvig. Created in collaboration with urban development consultancy SLA and technical advisory company Orbicon, the winning entry will help establish...
Welcome to Inhabitat, your online guide to the best green design ideas, innovations and inspiration to build a cleaner, brighter, and better future.
When clients tasked Melbourne-based firm MRTN Architects with designing a new home for their whopping 300 acres of natural landscape, the architects could have created a massive structure. Instead, the design team, inspired by the local vernacular, chose to implement a modern take on a simple shed. The 500-square-foot...
When clients tasked Melbourne-based firm MRTN Architects with designing a new home for their whopping 300 acres of natural landscape, the architects...
When Boston-based architecture practice Verner Johnson was tapped to design the $17.3 million Museum at Prairiefire in Overland Park, Kansas, it saw an opportunity to push back against the area’s new suburban sprawl with a site-specific project. Drawing from the region’s landscape history and their experience...
When Boston-based architecture practice Verner Johnson was tapped to design the $17.3 million Museum at Prairiefire in Overland Park, Kansas,...
Envision a garden — you probably picture rows of corn neatly spaced across a field or lettuce coming to life in large raised beds. What you might not realize is that produce can grow very well in limited spaces, too. You can transform the confined windowsill in your kitchen into an oasis of herbs, greens and...
Envision a garden — you probably picture rows of corn neatly spaced across a field or lettuce coming to life in large raised beds. What you...
Zaha Hadid Architects has won an international design competition for the new Sverdlovsk Philharmonic Concert Hall in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Conceived with the firm’s signature curves, the futuristic design beat out 47 competing teams. The proposed building will supplement the existing Sverdlovsk Philharmonic...
Zaha Hadid Architects has won an international design competition for the new Sverdlovsk Philharmonic Concert Hall in Yekaterinburg, Russia....
Passive House certification — one of the leading green standards for ultra-low energy architecture — has finally touched down in South Asia with the completion of the Star Innovation Center near Colombo, Sri Lanka. New York City-based Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture completed the solar-powered product...
Passive House certification — one of the leading green standards for ultra-low energy architecture — has finally touched down in South Asia...
From luxury retreats to minimalist cabins, more and more people are looking for places where they can truly go off the grid. For one family of six, a remote area almost 200 miles from Santiago, Chile was chosen as the perfect place for them to disconnect. Working with architect Mauricio LLaumett of Nüform Studio,...
From luxury retreats to minimalist cabins, more and more people are looking for places where they can truly go off the grid. For one family of...
A new California law banning the sale of animal-tested cosmetics is the first of its kind in the U.S. The California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act was signed by California Governor Jerry Brown on Friday soon after its inception by colleague and Senator Cathleen Galgiani. The regulations will go into effect Jan. 1,...
A new California law banning the sale of animal-tested cosmetics is the first of its kind in the U.S. The California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act...
A potential solution to the world's plastic pollution crisis has recently been unveiled at the London Design Festival. Crafting Plastics Studio, established by design duo Vlasta Kubušová and Miroslav Král, created the all-natural alternative, which is made from corn starch, sugar and cooking oil. According...
A potential solution to the world's plastic pollution crisis has recently been unveiled at the London Design Festival. Crafting Plastics Studio,...
Air pollution is a major problem around the world, but one company is helping people stay safe no matter where they live. Bioscarf has created a stylish accessory that doubles as a safety mask for people living in places with high concentrations of pollution. These handy scarves help fight against air pollutants,...
Air pollution is a major problem around the world, but one company is helping people stay safe no matter where they live. Bioscarf has created...
International design practice Safdie Architects recently completed the Eling Residences, a nature-inspired housing development built to look like an extension of the highest plateau of Eling Hill in Chongqing, China. Elevated high above the Yangtze River, the residences are nestled in a densely forested environment...
International design practice Safdie Architects recently completed the Eling Residences, a nature-inspired housing development built to look...
Scientists agree that the dairy industry has an overall negative affect on the environment. For starters, it takes a lot of land, fertilizer and water to grow food for the cows. It also takes a lot of energy to process raw milk, package it and deliver the goods to supermarkets around the world. Then, there is...
Scientists agree that the dairy industry has an overall negative affect on the environment. For starters, it takes a lot of land, fertilizer...
Riding on a prison bus is probably not something most people would like to do for an extended period of time, but when Ben and Meag Poirier saw a retired 1989 Chevy B6P for sale, they knew they could turn it into their dream home. The ambitious couple worked on the 31-foot-long, retired prison bus for two years,...
Riding on a prison bus is probably not something most people would like to do for an extended period of time, but when Ben and Meag Poirier saw...
Designed to “celebrate Utah’s brilliant light and raw beauty,” this LEED Gold-certified family home in Utah embraces indoor-outdoor living. Salt Lake City-based Sparano + Mooney Architecture crafted the home for clients who sought the perfect mountain home in Park City, Utah. Working in step with interior...
Designed to “celebrate Utah’s brilliant light and raw beauty,” this LEED Gold-certified family home in Utah embraces indoor-outdoor living....
Husband-and-wife team Amanda Schachter and Alexander Levi of New York City-based SLO Architecture recently set afloat the latest iteration in their series of Harvest Domes — massive dome-shaped installations made from locally sourced, repurposed materials. Dubbed Harvest Dome 3.0, their most recent buoyant installation...
Husband-and-wife team Amanda Schachter and Alexander Levi of New York City-based SLO Architecture recently set afloat the latest iteration in...
The U.K. postal service has implored its public to stop mailing empty potato chip bags addressed without an envelope after a surge in chip bag mailings was encountered by its courier offices. The mailings are part of an environmental campaign urging the most popular brand of British crisps, Walkers, to reevaluate...
The U.K. postal service has implored its public to stop mailing empty potato chip bags addressed without an envelope after a surge in chip bag...
The innovators at iameco ("I Am Eco") have created a new sustainable laptop to accompany their lineup of eco-friendly tech, including a desktop model and computer accessories. The Dublin group took a look at computers on the market and became frustrated with the e-waste, the earth-damaging materials and the toxic...
The innovators at iameco ("I Am Eco") have created a new sustainable laptop to accompany their lineup of eco-friendly tech, including a desktop...
Wetlands around the world are disappearing at an alarming rate. New research shows that these valuable ecosystems are vanishing at a rate three times that of forests. Unless significant changes are made, the disappearance of wetlands could cause severe damage around the globe. The Global Wetland Outlook,...
Wetlands around the world are disappearing at an alarming rate. New research shows that these valuable ecosystems are vanishing at a rate three...
As the leaves and sunsets transition to an autumnal palette of yellows, oranges and reds and a chill fills the air, you’re probably dragging the boots and sweaters from the back of the closet. But the end of summer doesn’t mean the end of outdoor fun. In the midst of temperatures dropping and the smell of...
As the leaves and sunsets transition to an autumnal palette of yellows, oranges and reds and a chill fills the air, you’re probably dragging...
