Can Floating Neighborhoods Deal with Rising Sea Levels?

A collaborative team in Amsterdam have created a floating neighborhood called Schoonschip on a canal. It consists of 46 dwellings with more than 100 residents. Each dwelling has a unique architectural style and various exterior finishes. The project seeks to conserve natural resources while decreasing pollutants. Construction at Schoonschip will be completed later this year. … Read more

Novel Material for Cooling Structures

Yi Zheng, an  associate professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at Northeastern University in Boston, has created a sustainable material that can be used to make buildings or other objects keep cool without relying on conventional cooling systems. Zheng envisions this “cooling paper” covering the roofs of buildings. The light-colored material reflects hot solar rays … Read more

Witchcliffe Ecovillage in Australia

Witchcliffe Ecovillage in Western Australia will serve as home to around 700 people and be a model of sustainability for communities worldwide. The Ecovillage site spans about 300 acres of former farmland. Project co-founders and partners, Mike Hulme and Michelle Sheridan began the project with a plan to create “the most sustainable residential community possible”. The … Read more

Tour an Off-Grid Shipping Container Home

Rosie constructed a fine off-the-grid home out of five 20ft shipping containers. The home is situated in the middle of a spectacular conservation block and her modern shipping container home has been wonderfully designed to take full advantage of the surrounding landscape. This home is completely off the grid, with solar power, rainwater collection and … Read more