I just want to take a quick second to plug a good cause and introduce you to Project H Design, if you haven't already heard of it. Project H Design was founded by the talented Emily Pilloton, Managing Editor of Inhabitat, as a charitable organization that supports, inspires, and delivers product design initiatives for Humanity, Habitats, Health, and Happiness. Right now, Project H Design is working on a case study with Hippo Roller.
In England, a handful of efficient demonstration homes have been built on the grounds of the Building Research Establishment Ltd, including “The Lighthouse,” which is the first net zero carbon house in the UK. The house is also the first to attain level six in the Code for Sustainable Homes, which indicates that it is carbon neutral. The two-bedroom house is only 93.3 square meters (barely over 1000 sq. ft.) in a 2-1/2 story building. The building has solar panels and evacuated solar tubes on its roof, as well as making use of passive measures with ventilation chimneys. It also incorporates rainwater catchment as part of the building design.
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Foster + Partners has quite the pipeline of projects and this supertall skyscraper, Russia Tower, is one of them. Russia Tower is expected to be the tallest building in Europe, and one of the tallest in the world, coming in at a whopping 2,009 ft tall, just behind Taipei 101 and Burj Dubai. Even further, it’ll be the largest building in the world with a natural ventilation system. Foster + Partners designed the building with an "energy cycle" system, which is a hot water circuit that runs through the building distributing the energy to regulate temperature and heat water. The energy cycle system is intended to chart new territory in sustainable architecture.
For starters, when complete, Greenbelt will use roughly 40% less energy and 30% less water than a comparable building. And it looks fantastic, too — another case that living green doesn’t require throwing out your style. Located at 361 Manhattan Avenue, the eight unit building has one- and two-bedroom condos that range in price from $599k – $815k. In addition to all the green features listed below, I like how the developers plan to incorporate enhanced sound proofing and insulation in the walls, ceilings, and floors. People would probably be more willing to live in attached spaces, if they knew the extraneous sounds wouldn’t be a problem. Nevertheless, it’s clear the developers are setting a good example in that regard because Greenbelt will have the latest technology to minimize noise disruptions.
I just received a tip on this modern, LEED for Homes-built home being built and sold in Portland, Oregon. It looks like a great design for a tough, slanted site. Located at 9130 SW 7th, this 1,982 sf home has a cool, two-story, up-down feel that’s common in townhouses, without the hassle and noise of a party wall (technically, it’s in the garage). Nice. I’m just going to roll through some of the green features, just to get a general idea of how green it is: reclaimed Oregon Myrtle wood floors on second level, durable standing seem metal roofing, IceStone countertops, radiant heating system with solar hot water assist, whole house heat-recovery ventilation and air filtration, occupancy sensors for efficient lighting, rainwater catchment system, photovoltaic solar electric system, formaldehyde-free cabinets, and radiant concrete first floor, etc.
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