The tower will have stainless steel tubes running along the facade  for the plants to grow in. The plant varieties that were selected for the project naturally have the ability to grow in rocky crevices, which the narrow tubes will simulate. An experiment to see how well the plants thrive in the design has been in progress. With little water  consumption, the results indicate that they have been growing remarkably well .

The base of the tower will have retail stores, offices and parking. The rest of the tower will be for residential housing, which has a plan to include elliptical balconies that shift. The design was introduced by the French architect, Edouard François.

A different kind of Starbucks opened in Tukwila, Washington. The building is made out of shipping containers; three of the containers are 40′ long, and one is 20′ long.

Not only was this a decision to be green, but it also served the purpose of using containers in the design, which deliver their coffees and teas from other countries.

Rainwater is collected from the roof and used for the landscape around the building. The plants that were used require less water, as well.

There is outdoor seating, a drive thru, and a walk to window. No indoor seating was provided.

This is not only a step toward the green motion for the company, but it is also an inspiration for other businesses as well.

Wow.  I can’t imagine how many shots it took to make this.  A lot of folks might think it is time lapse, but it is individual pictures stitched together!

Natural Talent Design Competition

The 2012 challenge calls for designing a Sustainable Learning Center
in Rosemount, Minnesota on the Dakota County Technical College campus.
This new Sustainable Learning Center will act as a gathering place to
educate and enlighten students and community members about sustainable
design and technology. It is intended to be a working demonstration of a
net zero energy, innovative/low water use, zero waste, zero emissions
building…  http://www.usgbcmn.org/newsmedia/natural-talent-design-competition/

I look forward to being on the panel of judges.

A web site has been developed by design agency 00:/ called WikiHouse. The site is an “open source construction set” for DIY individuals who desire to build their own structure.

There are pre-existing templates to browse through, the ability to modify them, as well as  modeling your own. Once you have the desired plan, you can download it, print it, and cut it with a CNC machine. You’d have to purchase the materials and assemble them once they’ve been cut to the correct shape. They suggest using 8′ X 4′ sheets of plywood. Use of tools required is kept to a minimum for ease and speed.

There are many purposes for quick and easy assembly structures, from meeting rooms, to post-disaster homes, workshops, children’s playrooms, to residential homes.

These aren’t the green roofs that are commonly referred to as living roofs. This is a portable pod that can be lived in on top of roof tops (or any other desired location).

Nau Architects have released a self sustainable concept that they call the Living Roof. It is  a compact design that can adjust to your needs, where the “function ring” rotates depending on your desired use. From a bed, to an office, to a lounge area. The unit was made to be portable and able to be off the grid.

The pod collects rain water and has a filtration system to purify it for drinkable water, as well as cleaning or bathing. It collects solar energy through it’s photovoltaic shell, while any unused energy is stored to battery cells for later use. There are wind turbines at either end of the pod, which ventilates the interior space while funneling rainwater to its collectors. The turbines also contribute to generating electricity for the home.

The living roof is  directed more toward hotels for a luxury suite, but the pod would make a desirable home or cabin for anyone wanting comfort without sacrificing our environment to do so. The main drawback with the design would be transporting the unit, as to place it on a rooftop could require air lifting, which is not environmentally conscientious.

As green design becomes more common and sought after, a beautiful living wall has many advantages. For starters, it is physically appealing to the eye. Different plants can be used to create images, logos, or just an attractive compilation of greenery.

This image is from the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. headquarters in Pittsburgh. It is a  soil-based wall at 2,380 sq. ft. in size, consisting of 602 panels that are 2′ x 2′.

The benefits of green walls are as abundant as green roofs. They reduce the heat island affect given off in urban environments, filter the water that runs through the plants, helps control the indoor temperature of the buildings, and absorbs noise.

Will wall coverings make a comeback? There are new reasons to consider wallpaper as an option. As far as “sick building syndrome” goes, trying to get rid of toxins can be a difficult task. In older buildings, it can be a common issue.

A new type of wall paper has been developed by the German company Blucher Technologies, which absorbs many hazardous pollutants, such as radon, pesticides, PCB’s (polychlorinated bipheny), formaldehyde, and other toxins (as well as odors). The product is called Saratech Permasorb.

The wall paper is a “breathable, glass fiber/polyester nonwoven paper-like covering” with tiny black spheres that act as absorbers.

This provides a great solution to an issue that is hard to combat. A healthier home with the benefit of a fresh smelling atmosphere is reason alone to take another look at wallpaper over a new coat of paint the next time you decide to redecorate a room.

A new light has been shined on concrete; and through it. LiTraCon has patent a light-transmitting concrete design. The concrete has optical fibers running the full width of the unit, which allow light to pass through while still being structurally solid. The fibers blend into the concrete due to their small size, yet the effect is significantly beautiful.

With the prefabricated panels and blocks, new possibilities have been opened for design. Structure and decor both can take advantage of the new material.

It’s wonderful when your home is “off the grid”, where it relies on itself and takes care of its occupants. People have become accustomed to living with electricity and sewage, going to supermarkets to buy the food we eat (which a lot is grown from hundreds of miles away), and many other amenities.

What if you didn’t have to pay for electricity? Or drink city water, which has a laundry list of chemicals added to it? And what if you got free, fresh food, without having to leave your home? Trying to change a way of life that has become the norm can be an interesting challenge. Yet when it improves a person’s way of life, saves them money, and is more helpful to our environment than the way we live today, it’s a challenge once should be jumping to take.

The design below harvests its own  rain water, uses a green wall to filter waste, has a green roof to grow food, as well as collects its own energy from the sun and wind.

The team that produced this design consisted of: Cornelia Bailey, Tanushree Bhat, Marilee Bowles Carey, Anthony Caspary, Eric Diamond, Xiaonan Huang, Reenu John, Na Rae Kim, Paolo Korre, Eugene Limb, Hsin-Cheng Lin, Miguel Angel Martinez, Nikhil Mathew, Elise Metzger, Mahdieh Salimi, Kshitij V. Sawant, Owen Schoppe, Jessica Striebich, Hannah Swart, Traci Thomas, Helen Tong, Sally Wong, Yixiu Wu, HyeKyung Yoo and Gene Young of IIT Institute of Design.