The Commons Strives to be Nation's First Living Building Challenge Residence

Commons Project

In Portland two brothers, Dustin and Garrett Moon, have been getting some serious attention for their project, The Commons — it could just be the first residence in the nation to meet the standards of the Living Building Challenge.  The Living Building Challenge is about getting to something that’s truly sustainable, which is what I think the Moons are going after here.  If you look at their plans, The Commons will use green tech that you might not see in other so-called green homes. 

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By |April 24th, 2008|Multifamily, Nature, Vegetation|0 Comments
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WORKac Vertical Farm Concept for NYC [S2]

Locavore Fantasia

New York asked four architects to generate ideas for an oddly shaped parcel of land at Canal and Varick Street in New York.  New York only requested that the ideas include a residential component and generally comply with zoning.  Of the four designs submitted, one of them caught my eye because it’s of something that’s being talked about more and more.  Vertical farms.  The design by WORKac entitled "Locavore Fantasia" features crops on each floor and four large water tanks for rainwater irrigation.  The idea here is just a concept, but it gets me thinking, which city will be the first to take the plunge on a vertical farm …
 

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By |April 20th, 2008|Land Use, Skyscraper|0 Comments
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Wow! Container Home in New Zealand

Wellington

Sure, this New Zealand home is heavy on the industrial, nuclear reactor look, but it has a certain draw to it, don't you think?  I was pointed to these images in a flickr photoset owned by petraalsbach and was struck by the interesting use of containers — as you can tell, the home was built right up to, and possibly into, the hill.  Containers are strong and stackable,and it seems like lots of people are using them right now in home design.  Container homes may just become more popular than modern prefab …

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By |April 19th, 2008|Container Design, Modern architecture, Modern design, Single Family|15 Comments
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Buzz Lofts, Approachable Green Style

Live Work Buzz Buzz Condos

I used to drive by Buzz Lofts all the time and check out the construction progress.  It's a modern, green, and affordable condo-loft community immediately south of downtown Dallas.  The development is in what you may call an up and coming neighborhood, but the location is great: near the DART rail and all those downtown jobs.  Buzz has been popular, too, with most units nearly sold out. 

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By |April 17th, 2008|Condo, Modern architecture|0 Comments
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Architectural Record's Unbuilt Houses 2008

Unbuilt Houses 2008

Eight houses were chosen for Architectural Record’s special, web-exclusive list of Unbuilt Houses.  They’re all green.  If you take a look, you might notice something familiar.  You’ve probably seen many of them before.  Five of the eight homes have been featured on Jetson Green previously (links below).  I guess that means we’re doing something right (and fast), too.  My favorite would have to be Adjaye Associates’ design for the Make It Right Project in New Orleans. 

By |April 16th, 2008|Modern architecture, Single Family|0 Comments
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Holy Cross Project Show House Now a Reality [NOLA]

Showhouse

We talked about renderings and plans for the Holy Cross Project back in August last year, but it’s now becoming a reality.  The first home is finished and Global Green plans to open it to the public this coming May.  When finished, the entire project will have four more homes and a 18-unit apartment complex — all of it low-income and green, too.  Global Green is shooting for LEED Platinum on everything and expects homes to use 75% less energy than a similar, typical building. 

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By |April 15th, 2008|Affordable, LEED, Modern architecture, Single Family|2 Comments
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