Bleu Nature Driftwood Lamps

Bleu Nature designs revolve around the tides, so to speak. Every year, an annual beachcombing for driftwood supplies the material central to their collection of home furniture and accessories. This year’s bounty of driftwood designs, which was shown at Maison & Objet, is revealed in...Read more at Inhabitat

Linx Shipping Container Shelter

Dublin-based industrial designer Richard Barnwall has mastered the concept of temporary container shelter in Linx - an integrated, two-story structure that maximizes use of small spaces. Using 20-foot shipping containers, Barnwall’s idea provides functional shelter for workers...Read more at Inhabitat

SOLARA: CA’s First Solar-powered Apartment Community

A new apartment community in San Diego County is proving that green is both beautiful and affordable. SOLARA is a part of a mixed-use development from Community Housing Works that includes 56 fully solar-powered homes. Sun power is only a part of this smart green growth development...Read more at Inhabitat

LIVING AIR FILTER: Bel-Air Mini Mobile Greenhouse

We are always on the lookout for products and materials that improve indoor environmental quality, because the reality is that many interior spaces are just plain unhealthy. This charming concept from Mathieu Lehanneur is an interesting take on how to improve indoor air quality with living plants...Read more at Inhabitat

Loq Kit Sustainable Housing System

Modular design shines in Loq•kit - an innovative, interchangeable idea of home from architect Patrick Freet. This proposed building system utilizes snap-lock components to create walls, infill, and envelope that are adaptable and affordable. Intended for easy assembly that can be customized and changed...Read more at Inhabitat

Living Lightly Among the Trees in Australia

Australia-based architects Steven Isaacs and Lisa Saville have turned a challenging building site into an environmentally sensitive sanctuary among the trees. Located just outside Sydney, the couple’s stunning abode is a lofty duplex built around the existing nature with an ultra-light footprint...Read more at Inhabitat

Algae Hydrogen Balloon Fuel by 20/2 Collaborative

While the hydrogen fuel cell might not be viable for commercial vehicles for years, here’s some hope for the promising element. A group of Philadelphia-based creatives known as the 20/2 Collaborative have designed a unique concept that enables on-site production and distribution of biologically produced...Read more at Inhabitat

Construisons Demain Green Prefab

French designers continue to put the “fab” in prefab: Construisons Demain, a brilliant design from architect Eric Wuilmot, premiered at Batimat in Paris earlier this month. The system showcases low-energy living with three prefabricated wooden modules, resource and energy efficient systems...Read more at Inhabitat

Baumm's Recycled Billboard Bags at District Cotton

We brought Baumm’s colorful recycled billboard bags to Inhabitat earlier this year after Emily discovered them in Buenos Aires. These one-of-a-kind accessories have once again grabbed our attention with an exciting launch of a new series available direct from District Cotton in NYC...Read more at Inhabitat

BITUBLOCK: Building blocks made from compressed rubbish!

If we told you there was a sustainable substitute for concrete you’d probably say rubbish!… and you would be right. The dream of a resource-saving, emissions-reducing replacement for concrete is becoming a reality in the form of BituBlock - made from post-consumer waste...Read more at Inhabitat

BMW Welt: Solar-powered Masterpiece in Munich

An elegance of dynamics drives the design of the new BMW Welt - a stunning solar-powered shrine to German auto engineering. Crafted by world renowned architect Wolf Prix of COOP HIMMELB(L)AU, this sculptural, high-performance structure opened in October to serve as BMW’s center for...Read more at Inhabitat

Recycled Bike Furniture Design by Andrew Gregg

Andrew Gregg’s Bike Furniture proves that two wheels are better than four even when they’re not spinning. An amateur cyclist, professional bike mechanic and sports photographer, Gregg repurposes steel and aluminum bicycle rims, handlebars and frames into edgy, modern furniture...Read more at Inhabitat

Inhabitots: YiAhn Convertible Bassinet

Clean, modern lines and eco design define the YiAhn bassinet- but this early life sanctuary is designed for functionality well beyond baby’s first three months. Rather than buying into the high-priced, short-lived bassinets he found on the market, Brooklyn-based designer Chul Min Kang was inspired...Read more at Inhabitat

HELIX WIND TURBINE: Small Wind Gets Smart

Harnessing wind power for use in residential applications has been a challenge, but a new breed of vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) from Helix Wind offers a promising design that may change the way we do wind at home. The Helix Wind Savonious 2.0 uses a unique rotor capable of...Read more at Inhabitat

ASAP HOUSE: House About Saving a Planet

Telling it like it is right from the start, the ASAP House is a House About Saving a Planet with a prefab design for zero-energy living. The cost-effective package includes geothermal heating and cooling, active and passive solar systems and generous square footage to bring modern...Read more at Inhabitat

Inhabitots: DucDuc Eco-Friendly Austin Crib

Under the premise that “a person’s a person no matter how small”, DucDuc makes beautifully crafted children’s furniture that keeps even tiny ecological footprints to a minimum. The Austin Crib is a prime example of the company’s forward thinking design for the newest members of the planet...Read more at Inhabitat

Integrating Habitats: A Design Competition

Out of a pilot program called the Wild Urbanism design studio at the University of Oregon’s Department of Architecture comes Integrating Habitats, an open design competition focused on the interface between nature and the built environment. In collaboration with the Nature in Neighborhoods...Read more at Inhabitat

PREFAB FRIDAY: pieceHomes

pieceHomes premiered at Dwell on Design last month with seven modern prefab designs that take full green advantage of factory-built construction. Created by LA-based Davis Studio Architecture + Design, pieceHomes hold the promise of thoughtful integration of materials, technologies, and...Read more at Inhabitat

HOK'S LEED Gold-certified Straw Bale Building

A mix of desert climate, high performance goals and the insight of a leader in sustainable design has yielded one of the first LEED Gold-certified straw-bale buildings in the world. Resource- and energy-efficient, the Santa Clarita Transit Maintenance Facility designed by HOK...Read more at Inhabitat

POWER YOUR CAR WITH ALGAE: Algae Biocrude by LiveFuels

Image by John MacNeill, commissioned by Solix Biofuels

If you think algae is just that green grime that dirties up your pool, think again: it’s also a surprisingly viable source for biofuel. The LiveFuels Alliance, funded by LiveFuels Inc based in Menlo Park, CA, is tapping into the oil producing potential of algae with an ambitious initiative to replace millions...Read more at Inhabitat