It has been five years since Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans, and many parts of the city are still waiting to be rebuilt. Thanks to the Make It Right Foundation, much of the rebuilding will focus on green and sustainable technologies. Home owners still coming back to the infamous 9th Ward will get to…
25
Aug
Aug
For those considering building without a septic tank or access to a sewer line, it might be time to look at composting alternatives, especially if putrid smells can be avoided. Swedish-based BioLet has manufactured waterless toilets for 35 years.
13
Aug
Aug
The Grand Bay Coastal Resources Center is the first state government-owned LEED certified building in Mississippi. The Center is built on land that was underwater during Katrina, and has special landscaping to protect it from forst fires.
11
Aug
Aug
Until now, almost all of the bamboo in products sold here has come from overseas. That could change soon, as new planting techniques may lead to millions of new acres of bamboo shoots in the American South.
01
Aug
Aug
When you buy a new garage door, hopefully one that is green, the old one is typically taken away and disposed of in a land fill. While some companies will take the old door and try to refurbish and sell it or will recycle the material, others simply toss it. But there are many creative…
23
Jul
Jul
Evidence of new buildings featuring an innovative and cost-effective roof can now be seen in a growing number of African nations, including Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Sudan, as part of a Roofs for the World initiative.
19
Jul
Jul
Hybrid cars are gaining in popularity thanks to sporty models like the Toyota Prius. These vehicles prove to the average consumer that you can drive a more fuel efficient vehicle without making a big trade off in style or power from a traditional gas only vehicle. These types of hybrids, known as parallel hybrids, still…
16
Jul
Jul
“By scientifically determining the arrangements of fibers of different lengths and types of underutilized wood and agricultural waste, we are now turning fiber residues into useful products.”
09
Jul
Jul
Students are encouraged to stay after the class to continue to work on the building. “This workshop looks like a good opportunity to learn straw bale building in an indigenous cultural setting,” says Culver.
05
Jul
Jul
Wonderfully natural in every sense and one hundred percent Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood floors are here with Mafi, a company that specializes in sustainable, engineered wide plank flooring. FSC is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation that supports environmentally-oriented, socially acceptable and economically sustainable use of our earth’s forests.
05
Jul
Jul
A master designed urban community in South Africa was chosen as one of the sixteen real estate project by the Clinton Climate Initiative Development (CCI) . The Zonk’izizwe Town Center, a development of planned urban community in Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa is participating in this CCI program which will strive to reduce the amount of…
29
Jun
Jun
EKLA HOME created by Emily Kroll in 2007 is a great sustainable minded furniture company that uses reclaimed wood, Organic fabrics, and low VOC binders. Kroll comes from an established line of furniture makers; furniture designer on one side, and an architectural and scrap metal recycler on the other. Kroll uses this knowledge, as well…
28
Jun
Jun
Bamboo has gotten a lot of accolades in the green building and construction. They are renewable, has natural antibiotic properties, and are biodegradable. The biggest perk is that renewable factor; it only takes three years for bamboo to reach their maturity whereas a tree can take up to 150 years. Another reason to celebrate Bamboo…
24
Jun
Jun
An often over-looked area of green building, landscaping can offer a refuge in an urban environment, as well as save natural resources.
14
Jun
Jun
“The principle of roofs-first is to be able to rapidly, and at the lowest cost, provide shelter so the families can move in and eventually fill in their wall. They don’t have time for a slow process of building up from foundations or traditional walls and wait until they can afford a roof? No. The roof-first process builds the roofs for them.”
07
Apr
Apr
As part of a massive greening of the Empire State Building a new Heat Mirror® film technology by Southwall is being used to dramatically boost the energy-efficiency of the landmark building’s more than 6,500 hundred windows. The insulating film will be combined with an insulating gas to create “super windows” that reduce heating and cooling…
13
Feb
Feb
Honestly, I researched small sustainable home building options for three years and was not sold on a yurt until I realized the fabric kits are the least expensive and fastest way to build a home. That was 2008 August. Architectural plans, finances, property construction, etc. caused me to store the yurt until I moved in…
23
Nov
Nov
This short Technology and Entertainment Design Conference clip is by Rachel Armstrong who states : “Scientists need to work outside their own areas of expertise to make new technologies that are pertinent to the 21st century and to collaborate, both with other scientific disciplines and the arts and humanities.” “Metabolic materials” – is what TED…