studio shed: boulder colorado

Studio Shed is an ingenious little product manufactured here in Colorado to enhance backyard enjoyment. These tiny little modern sheds come in an array of finish options, can be put up in only one day (the company has nationwide installers) and they can add just the finish that your yard needs. Born out of a need for a less expensive shed than those previously on the market before them, the Studio Shed-ers created their modern offering. Use it as an office, studio, playroom, storage or whatever extra space you need. Some sizes will not even require a permit. I'll take two please!

bottle houses: building with recyclables

Bottle Houses seem to be primarily an American phenomena, but they are catching on around the world as a very low cost building material. Here are some beautiful takes on incorporating the opaque material.
More links:
Bottle Houses around the US.
Bottle Houses on Prince Edward Island
Fractal Bottle House
Charles Stagg
Vitreosity

sanctuary: sustainable design magazine

Sanctuary Design Magazine focuses solely on sustainable design unlike Dwell and Azure that cover stories about sustainability occasionally. Australia's Sanctuary uses the motto "Sustainable Living with Style". The editors Verity Campbell and Michael Day have made green their mission: it is published by the non-profit Alternative Technology Association. Reminds me a little of....HauteNature! We applaud them.

fabulous cabin: new prefab models

Fabulous Cabin (FabCab) had a new prefabricated home on display at the Seattle Home Show last month with an open kitchen, living space, bedroom and bathroom for a price of about $85,000.

The home has been built using sustainably harvested Douglas fir and uses low-VOC pains and finishes, bamboo flooring, energy-efficient lighting and water efficient fixtures. The startup is offering small FabCabs from about 300-450 square feet, medium FabCabs up to 600 square feet and large prefabs that measure more than 600 square feet.

supposed design studio

I have a huge design crush on the Japanese architecture firm, Supposed Design

floating gardens: studio noach + holtrop

From the exhibition “Architecture of Consequence” in the Netherlands, Studio Noach and Anne Holtrop have developed a floating spa that seems to be a “construction of a landscape”, an extension of the land into the water to create a serene environment. Using recycled polystyrene and Patrick Blanc’s “living wall” ideas, the architecture of the spa makes the walls and ceilings the outer for hills and valleys while the interior follows the counter form of the landscape.

The composite GreenRexwall, developed in collaboration with the German constructor Aquahouse GmbH, is a strong and constructive material such that cement, steel and bricks are no longer needed. The plantable walls and roof become a breeding ground for birds, butterflies and insects plus the innovative technical installations provide big energy savings. The surrounding water acts as a heat exchanger and cooling source, making the spa up to 70% more efficient than using conventional energy systems.via Architecture Daily

hempcrete: carbon neutral building material

Hempcrete® by U.K.-based Lhoist Group, is a bio-composite thermal wall material made from hemp, lime and water. More CO2 is locked-up in the process of growing & harvesting the hemp than is released in production making it carbon neutral.
Lhoist

fearon hay architects: new zealand

New Zealand, The Auckland-based architects Fearon Haydesigned this perfect retreat in the dramatic landscape on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, Central Otago.

architecten 2012: material reuse

2012 Atchitecten is a design firm from the Netherlands working to reduce the waste stream by incorporating reclaimed and waste materials into their construction projects and forms.
Watch this episode about the Architcture Firm's reuse projects, like their washing machine space station coffee house.
More on their website.

spring leaf: net zero, leed neighborhood boulder

Boulder, Colorado will be the first town to integrate smart grid city wide system. Spring Leaf in Boulder is now the first net-zero neighborhood in the U.S.

The planned neighborhood will contain 12 LEED Platinum-certified homes powered completely by solar energy and heated with geothermal energy. The homes, which will be located close to local shops, schools, and offices, will also feature recycled countertops, bamboo cabinets and non-toxic paints. Spring Leaf Boulder will wrap around a park that acts as both a community gathering space and a place to soak up storm water.

Spring Leaf's developers expect that the townhouses and single-family homes will cost approximately $200 per square foot, there is currently one model home open to tour. There is a geothermal heat pump, hepa filtration system and other green features and materials on view. The home exceeds LEED silver standards.

garbage warrior: pre-screener

Gotta see this movie about Earthship construction around the world and trying to get a bill passed for experimental architecture that is environmental and energy efficient--you can rent it on Netflix.

frank lloyd wright: beth shalom: elkins park pennsylvania

Frank Lloyd Wright was invited by Beth Shalom Congregation of Philadelphia to design a new synagogue in the suburb of Elkins Park. Mr. Wright accepted the comission in September 1953. In March of 1954, he submitted a design to the Board of Directors of the Congregation. The Board approved the beautifully executed designs of Mr. Wright and arranged to build the new structure. The building, explained by Mr. Wright, is meant to evoke an image of a mountain. It is the Mt. Sinai in modern materials of concrete steel aluminum and glass. Mt. Sinai was the location God chose to reveal his Torah to Moses for Israel and for mankind. Mr. Wright therefore designed a natural symbol of communion betwen God and humanity with this his only synagogue he designed durning his career and the last project he completed before his death.

I had the pleasure to tour the synagogue myself, to see this wonderful piece of architecture, now a National Historic Landmark. The interior is a grand light filled space with soaring dimensions and handcrafted modern details. I feel it is truly one of his best works.
Beth Sholom Synagogue

adaptive reuse: soest netherlands: zecc architecten

When the original use of a structure changes or is no longer required, architects have the opportunity to change the primary function of the structure, retaining some of the existing architectural details that make the building unique. Adaptive reuse, is seen by many as a key factor in land conservation and reducing the amount of sprawl. For those who prescribe to the smart growth concept, it is more efficient and environmentally responsible to redevelop older buildings closer to urban cores than it is to build new construction on faraway greenfield sites.

In the United States, especially in the Northeast and Midwest, loft housing is one prominent result of adaptive reuse projects. Formerly-industrial areas such as the Meatpacking District, Manhattan, New York and Callowhill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania are being transformed into residential neighborhoods through this process. This transformation is sometimes associated with gentrification.

This example of Adaptive Reuse in Soest Netherlands, an old water tower, was ingeniously converted to a nine level residence. Built in 1931, the tower renovation features smart design choices for maximum space usage and natural light.

In addition to a 3 level window that allows natural light to enter the structure near the ground level, the home features a sauna and roof deck with fantastic views. Completed in 2004, the tower residence was designed by Zecc Architecten.

via Arch Daily

dan phillips: utilizing recycled building materials

Dan Phillips is a true humanitarian, attempting to help as many families as he can build their own homes affordably. Phillips helps them to construct low cost housing primarily out of reclaimed building materials or interesting discarded things.

For local sources for reclaimed building materials go to Resource Yard, Hillen Corporation or these other national links.


Phillips stars in a new documentary out too, called 'Better Bones & Gardens' alongside Kipp Nash and urban farmer. These men are remaking the common house and garden in wildly imaginative ways. Watch the trailer:

d-build: deconstruct design develop

Rob Englert and Grant Meacham are in the process of developing a new method of cataloging and distributing reclaimed materials in an effort to promote the benefits of their use in new constructions and products. To do so, they are creating a website called D-Build, which will be both a blog and an online marketplace that sells material from dismantled houses and the products made from them, while illuminating some of the material's cultural history.

This will be done by carefully cataloging a house as it is dismantled, taking note of historical information alongside dimensional data, which will be uploaded to a central database. Additionally, each home will be scanned, preserving buildings that might otherwise have no blueprints or other documented history. Then, all of this information will be linked to the online marketplace, so buyers can access an information-rich history of the materials they are browsing.

D-build is currently being prototyped, but you can check out their demo in the video above. The website will first focus on Syracuse, launching at the grand opening of the new Syracuse Center of Excellence Headquarters in December. It looks like this will be the first house to be taken apart and cataloged:

via Core 77

team germany wins solar decathlon

The U.S. Department of Energy announced today that ‘Team Germany’ from the Technische Universität Darmstadt has won the 2009 Solar Decathlon with their project surPLUShome. This is the second time in a row that a team from TU Darmstadt wins this international contest after already snatching the title in Solar Decathlon’s last edition in 2007.
After 9 days and 10 contests, Team Germany reached the highest overall scores, closely followed by Team Illinois and Team California. Dubbed “the big, black monolith,” surPLUShome is almost entirely covered with photovoltaic panels that managed to generate 19 kilowatts during one day of test runs—more than twice as much as some other Solar Decathlon contestants.
The Solar Decathlon—a competition in which 20 teams of college and university students compete to design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar-powered house. More about Team Germany's house here.

dow solar: photovoltaic roof shingles

Dow Solar Solutions has launched a new range of BIPV system that will be great for all those who don’t like to give up the appearance a conventional roofing shingle gives to their house for being ecofriendly. The company’s latest solar panels look just like regular roofing shingle and according to the company, they cost about 40% less than other solar panels that can be installed like roofing tiles. Dow received $20 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to help develop its BIPV products.

In addition to being cheaper, these new solar shingles, dubbed Dow PowerHouse, are 10% more efficient and cost 15% less on a per-watt basis. The panels can be installed by regular roofers and can provide renewable energy without changing the look of your house. The new solar shingles can be integrated into rooftops with standard asphalt shingles, Dow said, and will be introduced in 2010 before a wider roll-out in 2011. The shingle will use thin-film cells of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), a photovoltaic material that typically is more efficient at turning sunlight into electricity than traditional polysilicon cells. Dow's shingle will be about 30 to 40 percent cheaper than current BIPV systems. The Dow shingles can be installed in about 10 hours, compared with 22 to 30 hours for traditional solar panels, reducing the installation costs that make up more than 50 percent of total system prices. The product will available in North America through Lennar Corp (LEN.N) and Pulte Homes Inc (PHM.N) before marketing is expanded.
via Reuters

solar decathlon: team germany

The sleek looking home by Team Germany, currently in third place at the Solar Decathlon at the National Mall in Washington DC, consists of four simple modules which make it easy to construct. a single multi-use room on the first floor and a loft upstairs. The house has a silicon skin of 40 rooftop solar panels and 250 thin-film CIGS panels on the exterior walls. The home is priced at $650,000 to $850,000 including the 11.1 kW solar photovoltaic system (producing 200% of the energy needed by the home).
The team has scored well in the categories of architecture (94 out of 100), market viability (91 out of 100), and communications (53.25 out of 75).

solar decathlon: 2009

For three weeks in October, the U.S. Department of Energy will again host the biennial Solar Decathlon at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Solar Decathlon is a competition of 20 teams of college and university students to design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar-powered house. There are 10 subjective and objective contests in these categories: architecture, market viability, engineering, lighting design, communications, comfort zone, hot water, appliances, home entertainment, and net metering.
The competition educates students and the public, promotes solar technologies, promotes innovatiove whole building design, and demonstrates the potential for net zero energy homes.
My favorite contenders so far are:
silo house cornell u

lumenhaus virginia tech

icon solar house u of minn

libeskind to unveil home of the future

Daniel Liebskind's architecture always impresses from his Jewish museum in Berlin and San Francisco to his Modern Art Museum here in Denver, his style is angular and discernible.
On Sept. 29th Libeskind will unveil his new prototype Libeskind Villa, a german-made sculptural living space made ultra sustainable. A partnership with berlin based Proportion GMBH and the prototype was built on the premises of Rheinzink GMBH & Co., the developer of the villa’s zinc façade.

Libeskind’s first signature series home (although he has created apartment complexes prior to this), brings his signature modern asymmetrical spaces together with maximum insulation and durability, cutting-edge technologies stringent energy saving compliance (adheres to the tough German KFW40 code of less than 40 kwh/m²a).

The villa is largely constructed of wood creating a maximum thermal insulation, and efficient operation (heat transition coefficient of 0.11 w/m²k), the insulation of the villa’s exterior walls matches that of passive houses.

Additional onsite renewable energy sources for heating, electricity and water include a solar thermal system, invisibly integratedinto the zinc façade, as well as a geothermal system with a high-efficiency heat pump. Electric power may be generated from photovoltaic thin film, while rainwater can be harvested from the rooftop for use in the garden’s irrigation system.

It is encouraging to see Libeskind transition from larger civic works to bring his design skills to the people.

via Design Boom