Imagine a project that does not need to be constructed, because – being a tree - it grows by itself. Such a project only needs to be planted. Therefore the transportation of the materials for such a project is very energy efficient, because as a matter of fact, no major transportation of materials is actually necessary. The only materials to be transported are the seeds for planting. And the only energy spent is to prevent hastiness and impetuousness as such a project needs a lot of time and patience to grow. (source bustler) Read more...

With bee populations dwindling and researchers still working to find answers, architects in the UK are showing their support for insect populations in London city parks by designing luxe bug hotels! British Land and The City of London Corporation just announced a shortlist of five designs in their Beyond the Hive competition for bug hotels that will now be built around the city in hopes of buoying insect populations with sustainable habitats. Starting June 18th, the public can start voting for their favorite design which will be awarded a "Golden Beetle" award along with a juried winner during the London Festival of Architecture. (source inhabitat) Read more…

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…

Our fascination with prefab buildings knows no bounds — but add bamboo to the mix and you’ve really got our attention. These two beautiful houses in Hawaii were recently built using bamboo as the main building material. The total construction time? Two days. (source inhabitat) Read more…

Shanghai will showcase the city's "tolerance, energetic and innovation" in a shikumen-style building in China's joint-provincial pavilion at the World Expo 2010, the Expo organizer revealed today. (source Shanghai expo) Read more…

Design team Chimera has conceived of an incredible series of spiraling skyscrapers for London modeled after the complex ecosystems created by the mangrove tree. (source inhabitat) Read more…

This five star hotel is going under – underground that is! Designed by ReardonSmith Architects for a proposed development at Hersham Golf Club in Surrey, London, this new subterranean hotel will pay its ultimate respects to London’s Green Belt by placing all 200+ guest rooms underneath it! The entire scheme is covered with a plush green roof that takes its cue from the surrounding countryside. (source inhabitat) 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 Sea Ranch condominium complex by Moore Lyndon Turnbull Whitaker was hailed as a paradigm of ecologically sensitive design—and remains so today.
Sea Ranch grew out of a remarkable commitment to the 1960s cause of ecology. An enlightened land developer, Oceanic Properties, commissioned the environmentally conscious landscape architect Lawrence Halprin (who passed away last month) to plan the development of a 4,000-acre ranch near Gualala, Calif., some 115 miles north of San Francisco. (the architect) 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…

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 challenge is enormous: make Seattle the first carbon neutral city in North America by 2030. (source Seattle Times) 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…