Houses of the future

The Wall Street Journal asked four architects to design the most energy efficient, environmentally sustainable houses they could imagine, without regard to cost, technology, aesthetics or current living standards. Click here to see the results.





Picture copyright: © William McDonough + Partners

AIA 2009 Top Ten Green Buildings

"Washington, D.C. – April 13, 2009 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) have selected the top ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment. The projects will be honored at the AIA 2009 National Convention and Design Exposition in San Francisco.

The 2009 COTE Top Ten Green Projects program celebrates projects that are the result of a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems and technology. They make a positive contribution to their communities, improve comfort for building occupants and reduce environmental impacts through strategies such as reuse of existing structures, connection to transit systems, low-impact and regenerative site development, energy and water conservation, use of sustainable or renewable construction materials, and design that improves indoor air quality."

Here is the link.

Photo credit: © Peter Vanderwarker 2008

Emergency Response Studio

The idea of a self-contained, sustainable mobile artist's studio that originated in 2006 is being constructed in Socrates Park in Astoria, NY these days. I talked to the artist, Paul Vilinski, and his idea was to transport his studio from New York City to New Orleans for a period of several months to create his art.


You can find more about the artist and his project at his web page www.emergencyresponsestudio.org.


Photo: Courtesy of the artist

Recycled-Container Chic

New York Times posted a story about Live THE Box competition in their Real Estate section today. Here is an excerpt:

"THE idea came to Christopher Stone as he was looking out the window of his office near Newark Liberty International Airport one day, and his eye fell on shipping containers. Lots of huge, empty industrial containers stacked up high, row after row.

'It seemed like they were just waiting there for some new purpose,' said Mr. Stone, an architect. He thought, 'Why not create something with them that would benefit people?' And, 'How about housing for the poor?'"

You can read the whole story here.