Interior Design Sense

Read the rest of 10 MW Dubai Skyscraper Makes 10X More Renewable Energy Than It Needs

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Post tags: “wind power”, 10 MW tower, dubai, eco design, eco skyscraper, green design, renewable energy, robert ferry, skyscraper, solar concentrating, Solar Power, solar updraft, solar updraft tower, studied impact, Sustainable Building

IBM researchers announced yesterday that they discovered a method of creating highly recyclable plastics from one of the most eco-friendly materials around – plants. Not only are the material’s components greener than traditional petroleum-based products, the production process uses significantly less energy.

Read the rest of IBM Creates Plant-Based, Highly Recyclable Plastics

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Post tags: green plastic, ibm, metal catalyst, new plastic, organic polymer, organocatalyst, PET, plastic, Recycle, recycleable plastic, stanford university, water bottles

Read the rest of BREEAM Awards Showcase the Most Outstanding Green Buildings in Europe

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Post tags: “sustainable architecture”, breeam awards, BREEAM excellent, Green Building, green building certification, green design, sustainable design

Tower City, another concept from the 2010 eVolo Skyscraper Competition, re-envisions the city of Marseilles as a stacked skyscraper that sits on stilts above the water. Rather than letting cities spread out as population increases, a the design calls for a new city to be created out on the water, complete with work, housing, transportation and amenities. The futuristic development is based on a stacked framework built using recycled building materials from the old city.

Read the rest of Tower City is an Ecotopia Stacked Up on Stilts

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Post tags: “eVolo”, 2010 evolo skyscraper competition, eco design, eco skyscraper, evolo skyscraper competition, france, green design, Recycled Materials, skyscraper, Sustainable Building, Tower City, Urban design

Olson Lewis Dioli & Doktor Architects recently shared their appreciation of upcycling with youngsters at the Brookwood School Sustainability Fair by teaching them how to turn trash into treasure. The firm taught children at the elementary school how to save simple wooden pallets from the incinerator and craft their very own bird abodes!

The children were provided with a premade kit made from the wooden pallets, and had help from architects on the scene to piece the parts together. The result of their efforts was a batch of adorable, hand made birdhouses perfect for encouraging birds’ own form of upcycling – nest building. The Sustainability Fair, which was open to the public, successfully gathered students, parents, community members, and organizations, in order to promote the use of sustainable practices, like upcyling, “a life-long habit”.

Thanks for the tip Henry Louis Miller!

+ Olson Lewis Dioli & Doktor Architects

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Post tags: birdhouse, carpentry, eco design, green design, Olson Lewis Dioli & Doktor, sustainable design

Invitrum Cabinets

Valcucine has designed a line of cabinets that are made from 100% recyclable materials.  While I’d like to see the Invitrum line become both 100% recycled content and 100% recyclable, but as-is these cabinets represent a big step in the right direction.

Working as a carpenter many years ago I remember many kitchen renovations where we ended up taking old cabinets to the landfill.  We now have good cabinet recycling options if the cabinets are in good condition, but after a long life most cabinets are not things most people want in their houses.

Invitrum cabinets have fewer parts than most cabinets and due to the ruggedness of the materials, they should last nearly forever.

From Valcucine:

Disassembled glass base unit

Products made of single materials have been used: 100% recyclable glass and aluminium. The structure can be completely disassembled and is connected by mechanical joints.

Non-toxic, without glues and easy to dispose of because the materials can be recycled.

Lengthy research into materials and into their limits of resistance have allowed Valcucine to revolutionise the furniture industry, producing the first 100% recyclable base unit in glass and aluminium. The production process of recycled aluminium has the advantage of consuming only one-twentieth of the energy needed to obtain primary aluminium. Traditional kitchens usually entail base units that are installed side-by-side, meaning that the chipboard side panel is double and can reach a thickness of 36mm; Valcucine, on the other hand, has developed the structure of its kitchen horizontally and uses a single carcass side in glass that is only 10mm thick.

• 100% recyclable
• 100% glass and aluminium
• No glues
• No formaldehyde emissions.
• Completely water-resistant
• Designed to be disassembled at the end of its life cycle

The International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, will soon have a permanent new home close to the North Sea. Danish firm Schmidt Hammer and Lassen won the rights to design the new building, which will be built to be environmentally sustainable as well as sensitive to the bordering natural environment. The new International Criminal Court (ICC) will be a striking building meant to convey eminence and authority as well as trust and hope.

Read the rest of The Hague’s International Criminal Court Aims for BREEAM Excellent

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Post tags: BREEAM, eco design, green design, ICC, international court of criminals, Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, Sustainable Building, the hague, the netherlands

Just in time for spring, Hom, purveyor of stylish, modern, prefab double-wides, furniture, accessories, and lighting, has teamed with eco-friendly LA-based furniture manufacturer Cisco Brothers to announce a new line of sustainable outdoor furniture. Crafted with sustainable materials and environmentally responsible manufacturing techniques, the new line offers up a mix of tables, dining and lounging chairs for California-inspired indoor-outdoor living.

Read the rest of HOM and Cisco Brothers Unveil New Line of Eco-Friendly Outdoor Furniture

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Post tags: “green furniture”, cisco brothers, green design, green furnishings, green industrial design, hom, sustainable design, Sustainable Interiors, Sustainable Materials, Sustainable Outdoor Furniture

The next time your umbrella turns inside out beyond repair, think about mailing it to Taryn Zychal and giving it a second life. Recycling Zychal upcycles rescued umbrellas into hoods, umbrella dog rain coats, and organic cat nip filled kitty toys. Based in Philadelphia, her team takes their rule “No Broken Umbrella Left Behind” very seriously – scouring through trash in search of discarded umbrellas after a hard rain. Her styles have become quite worldly with donations of umbrellas coming from as far as France. For every broken umbrella donated to Recycling Zychal, the company donates $1 to a list of animal assistance organizations, shelters and causes.

+ Recycling Zychal

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Post tags: Cat Toys, green design, Hoods, inhabitat, Pet Coat, Recycling Zychal, Sustainable Cat Toys, sustainable design, Sustainable Pet Coats, Sustainable Pets, umbrella, upcycling

Inhabitat reader e_meliss tells us that Global Architectural Development (GAD) is on its way to constructing a mixed-use complex that will be a reflection of technology, sustainability and aesthetics in Istanbul. Dubbed the “One & Ortakoy,” this project is under construction in the neighborhood of Ortakoy.  The developers have planned two buildings – one which will be designated for residential purposes while the second will be reserved for commercial use. Positioned right next to an enchanting hillside location, the project will be a major step toward improvement of the area.

Read the rest of One & Ortakoy: A Sustainable Mixed-Use Complex in Istanbul

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Post tags: “sustainable architecture”, GAD, Global Architecture Development, green roof, green roof playground, istanbul, mixed-use complex, mixed-use green architecture, One & Ortakoy, One and Ortakoy, Ortakoy, Sustainable Building