Yearly Archives: 2017

/2017

Tiny Home With a Flexible Interior

The recently completed Pacific Harmony tiny home, designed and built by the firm Handcrafted Movement, features superb craftsmanship and some unique interior layout ideas, which make it appear much more spacious than it is. This includes a bedroom, which can be turned into a dining room when needed.

The Pacific Harmony home is towable, and measures 28 ft (8.5 m) in length. The exterior cladding is board and batten, with accents made of Pacific Cedar, while the roof is standing seam metal. Much of the interior is taken up by the living room, which is placed in the center of the home and fitted with a sofa, and a large entertainment center. One of the bedrooms is also located on the ground level, next to the living room. It features a folding oak dining table, which can be folded out of the way when not needed so as to make room for the Murphy style bed. […]

By |November 19th, 2017|Affordable, Design|0 Comments
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Paris is Getting a Vertical Forest Tower

Towers covered with greenery are not a new idea and the first ones are already getting built around the globe in an effort to fight the alarming pollution present in some cities. Now the Paris suburb of Villiers sur Marne is getting its own such tower. The so-called Forêt Blanche (which translates to White Forest) was designed by the famous architect Stefano Boeri, who is no stranger to proposing such vertical forest buildings. Towers based on his designs are already getting built in Switzerland and Milan, while a whole city of such towers is being planned in southern China. […]

By |November 17th, 2017|Green Building|0 Comments
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Light-filled Tiny House Made of Reclaimed Materials

I prefer rustic style tiny homes over the more modern, minimalist ones, and the new creation by tiny house maker Wood & Heart, based in New Hampshire, is a prime example of everything done right. The tiny house is called Legacy and is made of mostly reclaimed materials, which only adds to its rustic charm. This is the first tiny home built by the company and they’ve entered the market in a big way with it, as far as I’m concerned. […]

By |November 16th, 2017|Green Building|0 Comments
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Super-Thin Solar Cell

Solar energy will very likely be the main source of power as the world continues to strive toward greater sustainability. But it won’t be just the large panels that get the job done. In fact, I’m willing to bet that ultra thin and flexible solar cells that can be attached to virtually any surface will be the future. Which is why breakthroughs in this area are so important. And now a team of South Korea scientists has successfully created a super thin solar cell, which is so flexible it can be wrapped around a pencil without causing damage or too much strain to it. […]

By |November 2nd, 2017|Green Tech|0 Comments
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Recycled Tile Used to Reduce Solar Heat Gain

Poor insulation is one of the main problems when renovating old homes into modern residences. It results in excessive heat gain during the summer, and heat loss in the winter. Architect Drtan Lm from Malaysia recently completed a renovation of a home where they took an interesting approach to combating heat gain. The house they worked on was quite dilapidated, but it did contain a lot of intact terracotta tiles, which they decided to recycle into a sunshade for the home. […]

By |November 1st, 2017|Green Building|0 Comments
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Tiny House Development in Detroit Aims to Offer Affordable Housing

The Detroit-based non-profit Cass Community Social Services (CCSS) recently unveiled the first six tiny homes already completed as part of their affordable housing solution in the area. The development is located between the Lodge and Woodrow Wilson Street, and will consist of 25 tiny homes once completed. This is a rent-to-own tiny house project with the final aim of making home ownership accessible to low-income individuals.
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By |October 27th, 2017|Modern design|0 Comments
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