A trail guide in Costa Rica might stop to flick the thorns on an acacia shrub. The thorns are wide and hollow and grow in pairs, like a demonic two-fingered peace sign. And when the guide agitates them, ants scurry out. This particular ant, Pseudomyrmex ferruginea, is a hard-biting acacia defender. It protects the plant from other insects, bigger animals and well-meaning trail guides. In return, the acacia feeds the ants a protein from its leaflets and nectar from its stalk. The acacia and its ant army are a textbook example of mutualism between species. And they represent the principle behind a new concept for urban farming: bug-like greenhouses perched on the roofs of skyscrapers. (source popular mechanics) Read more…

Manchester United star Gary Neville got green light from Bolton Council for his eco house-in-the-hill to be built in Harwood, Lancashire — “the first zero-carbon property in the North West of England”, as it is described on Make Architects‘ website. (source ai4a) Read more...

Ecobuild 2010 was a huge success with more than 1,000 exhibitors, over 41,000 visitors, and dozens of new attractions, initiatives and special events. Here are just some of the highlights..... (source ecobuild) Read more…

Green energy pioneer and former head of the London Climate Change Agency, Allan Jones MBE, is set to transform Sydney into a low carbon city. (source australian review) Read more…

Ocean levels are rising around the globe, so rather than tethering our buildings to the sinking shoreline why not suit them for a life at sea? That’s the approach behind the Water-Scraper, a futuristic self-sufficient floating city. A special mention in this year’s eVolo Skyscraper Competition, the design expands the concept of a floating island into a full-fledged underwater skyscraper that harvests renewable energy and grows its own food. (bron inhabitat) Read more…

Cut two leg-wide holes ergonomically apart, line the holes and the excised disks with recycled plastics, and voilà, you just made your own OOoo Chair. (source pruned) Read more

It may seem ironic, but even petroleum research centers can be LEED certified if they meet the critieria. (source spaceInvading) Read more…

Madonna is giving back to the country that gave her David, her son, in a big way by building an eco-friendly academy for girls in Malawi’s capital city, Lilongwe. (source inhabitat) Read more…

Timed to coincide with the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this month, the exhibition Climate and Architecture aims to relate architecture and sustainability to the larger context of climate. (source metropolismagazine) Read more…

The RD (Roughly Drawn) Legs Limited Edition chairs are hand woven in 100% recycled domestic plastic waste. Building on the early experimental plastic processes developed by Richard Liddle, the design uses no glues or additional fixings in its production. All he add is heat and skill. (source abitare) Read more…

It sounds like the plot of the movie Jurassic Park (minus the dinosaurs), but JDS Architects’ have created an incredible plan for a zoo located on the South Korean island of Dochodo. The island could, according to the architecture firm, be a “case study to define a tourist region based on sustainable development only, where natures and structures function in equilibrium, symbiotically feeding one another.” (source inhabitat) Read more…

The British menswear label Smithfield recently teamed up with furniture designer Peter Masters to create an eclectic and 100% recycled interior for their new Manchester shop. The dynamic space uses mailing tubes and shipping boxes as elements of digital-age styling, recycling them into incredible wall coverings, light fixtures, hanging sculptures, and clothing displays. (source inhabitat) Read more…

Two architects, changki yun (korea) and xiaoyi zhang (china) and kyungam architects  have sent in images of their just completed project floating stage named diliter:dancing  light and water) located on the han river. The project is part of the han river renaissance  master plan and will be an eco friendly icon that harmonizes with yeoido's bam island. (source designboom) Read more…

Danish architect Bjarke Ingels rockets through photo/video-mingled stories of his eco-flashy designs. His buildings not only look like nature -- they act like nature: blocking the wind, collecting solar energy -- and creating stunning views. (source TED) Read more…

Accessible only by boat, Formodesign's House On The Water, is a brilliant concept relying on the sea and the sun's rays to fulfil its energy and water requirements. Located off the coast of Greece's Zante Island, this concept home was conceived as a single family rental unit and is positioned so as to maximize its use of solar energy. (source dezona) Read more…

Dune Anti-Desertification Architecture investigates adaptive (as opposed to mitigatory) strategies leading to the creation of a climate-conscious architecture that responds to the extreme environments of tomorrow’s globally-warmed world. (source earthArchitecture) Read more…

The AIA voted yesterday to award Pugh + Scarpa Architects the 2010 AIA Architecture Firm Award. We’ve featured Pugh + Scarpa’s sustainable works before here (Cherokee Lofts) and here (Solar Homes) — so we were glad to hear that this Santa Monica-based architecture firm was being honored not only for their attention to sustainable design, but for their “excellent work, including its seamless blending of architecture, art, and craft; community involvement…and nurturing of in-house talent.” (source inhabitat) Read more…

The Watersquare creates a sustainable solution to the flooding of cities
With their design for the Watersquare, Dutch company De Urbanisten offer a new solution to the flooding of cities due to heavy rainfall. As part of the Rotterdam Waterplan 2, an urban policy by the City of Rotterdam to look at ways to store and control water. (source wan) Read more…

Local developer Ron Monahan stood outside the first of 12 homes he and his business partner plan to build in a new north Boulder subdivision and talked about his vision: "We're bringing this to the masses." (source architect) Read more…