Brisbane Airport with a new classy

Airports seem to grow larger, and some of them also turn greener. At least that's what the new Domestic Terminal at Brisbane, Australia aims to be. And for that the international design studio Urban Art Projects (UAP) have collaborated with artist Ned Kahn to give the Brisbane Airport Corporation an eight-storey kinetic public art project, which with replace their short-term multi-level car park. American artist Ned Kahn is will use natural elements like wind and light into his art for the 5000 sq m kinetic frontage for the short-term car park.

The car park will seem to sway and ripple from one end at the outside, thanks to the 250,000 aluminum blowing wind. The insides will be a stunning display of kaliedscope style delicate light and shadow patterns projected on to the walls through the sunlight that will pass through. This design aims to provide both ventilation and shade inside the car park.

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Taiwan’s railway station built by local government

TRA brings sunshine to the railway. The Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) will open a sparkling new station, its first to be powered by the sun. The solar powered station will open up to commuters on July 14 and is an attempt to improve public transportation for people who work in Tainan County's Southern Taiwan Science Park. Earlier set up as a temporary station for visitors to the 2008 Taiwan Lantern Festival at the science park, the Nanke Station was negotiated upon by the county government and the TRA, converting it into the first permanent station to be built by a local government. A solar powered system is to be installed at the station. Panels are to be installed on the roof and all over the platform that will absorb in juice from the sun.

Five hours of solar power in the form of direct sunlight is enough to generate as much as 2,688 kilowatt-hours of energy a month that is good enough to power up this station during the daytime. The station is so designed to allow in daylight. Three cheers for the greenest railway station in Taiwan.

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the H2Otel in Amsterdam by water

Amsterdam might just play host to a super green and luxurious hotel. This on uses neither the grid, nor the usual renewable energy sources we come across, like the wind and the sun. The H2Otel designed by Netherlands-based architecture firms RAU and Powerhouse Company is powered by water instead. This hotel is a prototype and an example for hoteliers around, using a very different system developed, that integrates the use of water as an energy source for everything from for heating, cooling, cooking to the generation of electricity. Besides its watery act, the hotel also features a host of other energy efficient strategies, making it greener and cleaner, like a passive design, smart fixtures and appliances and advanced climate control systems.

Hotels are usually energy-sucking monsters that go to any lengths to keep all their lights glowing, for the sake of luxury and convenience to their guests. The air-conditioning is an immortal machine that never ceases to function, which does burn away all those precious loads of energy. An energy efficient one like the H2Otel just makes living in one of these luxury spaces a whole lot greener.

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Eco-Mosque home in Cambridge, UK

Cambridge, UK, will now have more than a University to show off on the globe. The city will play home to the first eco-mosque, designed by Marks Barfield. Yes you got that right; these are the same guys who came up with the London Eye and the Kew Gardens Treetop Walkway. The Eco-Mosque will be laid out on an area of 0.4 hectares, purchased two years ago. Costing £13 million, this mosque will be a one of a kind place of worship that will hopefully inspire many others, regardless of the religion they belong to around the world, to take up the green cause. The mosque features a green roof, natural lighting provided by beautiful skylights, and energy locally generated by ground-source heat pumps.

Using a brick face, the mosque will complement neighboring buildings too, and will be Europe’s first true eco-mosque, accommodating up to 1,000 people with areas dedicated to worship, ablution, teaching, children's area, morgue and a café and meeting room. Nothing gets better than being closer to Providence in a place as green as can be.

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Sma x Eco House with cell modules and lithium ion batteries

Well, the Japanese sure take their green energy seriously, so much, that homes will now be offered pre-fitted with lithium ion batteries out there. The Daiwa House Industry Co Ltd will soon start putting up homes with lithium-ion (Li-ion) rechargeable batteries and photovoltaic (PV) cell modules on the market starting spring 2011. Nothing gets better than powering up a home with solar power, with PV cells soaking in the sun during the daytime and storing the energy in the lithium ion batteries. These modules can be a pinch, especially after buying a new home. So, buying the entire package together could reduce the costs to some extent too. And then again, a solar powered home leaves no carbon footprints when it comes to powering up.

Called the "Sma x Eco House”, these homes might just use HEMS (home energy management system) too, that will keep a tab on energy usage of electric appliances and LED lighting equipment. To be approximately sold for around ¥54 million (approx US$606,061), a home like this will sure have you receiving shorter electricity bills in future.

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Sky scraper of the future by Misakyan

Sky scrapers of the future will be nothing like those silly boxy structures we see in metropolitan cities around the globe today. Judging by this design, we sure expect some pretty futuristic structures in the future, which would probably scare the life out of visiting aliens. The tower designed by Vahan Misakyan might just find its place in city of Yerevan in Armenia, and at first sight, it does look intimidating with that insect-like design. But it isn’t really isn’t what you’d expect from a structure like this. This one has a clean and green soul! The structural geodesics of this building are linked with habitable bridges, with the tower using a rain water collection system integrated in its skin, besides photovoltaic cells and wind turbines.

Based on geodesics, soft transitions between the vertical and horizontal planes peeling of the ground, the structure will play home to offices, residences, and a hotel. Indeed a great design by Misakyan.a

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Green energy buildings in city skylines

In today’s cities, we have buildings sprouting up everywhere, with people choosing to live in them and work in them. And it obviously is necessary that if not all than at least the majority of these should have some green qualities to flaunt. Well, there are a few buildings in the world that have a lot more green in them, than the others standing around. These buildings find innovative solutions to keep the inhabitants inside with a pleasant weather and keep the sun out when unneeded, without causing too much of a carbon footprint. Companies too have been innovating designs for solar panels on buildings and wind turbines beings developed by AeroVironment. United Technologies is developing cleverer ways to heat up and cool buildings, reusing heat wasted in the process.

Sensor systems today are being used o track occupancy, carbon dioxide levels and lighting levels and adjust the environment accordingly in buildings. After all, these high tech green structures are the future of architecture.

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environmental impact with sustainable features

California’s Northern Sonoma Wine Country will now play host to a sparkling new hotel, with a water theme. David Baker + Partners working in collaboration designed which hopes to be rewarded with the LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. A short drive from San Francisco, the h2hotel stands four stories high and has 36 rooms. The building also integrates a living roof on its terrace, which takes up 75% of its top. This helps minimize heat, add a bit of green and works as a home for insects and birds too. The roof is also designed to work as a water collection surface, channeling rainwater and using it to juice up the “Spoonfall” water sculpture, made of a thousand espresso spoons. Part of the h2hotel’s power supply is sourced from solar panels that soak up the sun.

The hotel also uses reclaimed and sustainable materials and products wherever possible. Reclaimed wood has been used for furniture, with flooring made from bamboo. The paint used to spice this one up keep the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) too.

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The Strata Tower in London by inbuilt wind turbines

The Strata Tower in London is sparkling new and has made a point to take the breath away of people who come across it. Well, besides just looking great, the tower in the city of London is a green building too, incorporating the use of wind energy to power it up. And no, it doesn’t need any of those gigantic wind turbines set around it for its clean energy. The Strata Tower accommodates three in built turbines that grasp the way the wind blows and power up the building. Standing 147 meters high, the building adds a lot of green to the city skyline. The £113.5m Strata is just the first of two more towers like it to follow. The turbines aren’t really noisy at all, and do not cause residents to stuff balls of cotton in their ears. The Strata’s wind turbines manage to generate enough energy to satisfy 8% of the 43-storey building's energy needs.

Incorporating wind turbines like these in a building’s design has never been put across so efficiently before, making the Strata Tower in London a symbol of green energy usability.

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Organically shaped metal building, a museum in Xiamen, China

The stuff we usually come across in a museum usually leaves us jaw dropped, be it rare pieces from history or wax statues. The experience gets better when the museum building itself is as awesome as the exhibits inside. The guys at MAD Architects thought the same probably, while designing this beautiful and stunning museum building for the city of Xiamen, China. At first look, the building does remind one of a bunch of poisonous mushrooms on which you’d probably find a fairy sunbathing. The organic molten metal building will float above the city below on five legs, and will use solar panels on its roof to power up. The warm climate in the city of Xiamen makes the solar panel array on the roof even more applicable and efficient.

The building will have three levels, ground floor with a landscaped public, amphitheatres, open sports fields and meeting spaces, the middle level with exhibition spaces, cafes, restaurants and offices and the roof level housing artificial landscaping. Lucky Xiamen!

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Vertical garden on the surface of a children's library building in Southeast Spain

Now a passerby would probably hit himself on the head and pinch himself to make sure he isn’t dreaming, if he walks past this awesome structure for the first time. At least I would, if we hadn’t checked it out before hand. Anyways, what we’re talking about is a vertical garden is the southeast of Spain. This six-storey high garden has been sprouted up on the façade of a new children's library building, in the town square of San Vicente del Raspeig. The garden is in itself an architectural wonder; a designed conceived by architect Jose Maria Chofre. The building, owing to the fact that it has a full fledged garden growing on its side walls, contrasts the otherwise concrete surroundings.

Using synthetic felted material, plants are inserted into the frame between two metal grids. The garden consists of a metal frame structure and can be easily accessed from several corridors in the back and can be replaced. Smaller plants are housed on the top while ferns take up the space below. A beautifully green concept indeed, this vertical garden sure is an eye catcher!

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The Ocean Imagination pavilion shows off the true beauty of nature

Is it a wheel? Maybe a giant-wheel! Hell no! It’s the Ocean Imagination, the Thematic Pavilion of Yeosu 2012 by Unsangdong Architects, a pavilion beautiful enough to be a wonder of the world. Looking great isn’t everything this one boasts. It’s green too! A viewer gets a closer look at the ocean’s ecosystems with this pavilion with various exhibits that relate to man-made nature. The pavilion also features the Ocean Gate, a type of vertical sea-shore. Also, the Sustainable Ocean void space combines flowing water with the ecological environment, while the structure’s outer space is used for exhibiting the Water-Valley, Media-Valley, Play-Valley, Green-Valley and loads more.

With a total area of 6200m2 and a theme and exhibition area of 2,000m2 and 1,600m2 respectively, the 100m Ocean Imagination is sure to make your imagination run wild and bring you a lot closer to nature.

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Sustainable skyscraper twins for Dubai

At first look, these towers looked more like the spiny spiky legs of an overturned spider. Those spikes protruding from its façade give it a somewhat alarming look. This one isn’t that bad at all though. Its green, clean and is a revolutionary design by the designers and architects at the ARXX Studio. These twin towers might just find their place in Dubai, and are self-sustaining. The twins, known as the Gullwing Twin Wind Towers, are unique. They use an energy-generating system that incorporates the use of wind turbine hinges attached to the building that help generate electricity from wind. The circular structures, or wings, drive turbines, cylindrical with circular sections each with a series of bladed rings to capture the wind to generate green energy. And if you’re still wondering why these towers couldn’t be designed to stand up straight like every other skyscraper we come across, get a hold of this. The curvy structure was so designed, to create a tornado effect. In short, the buildings will work as two living tornados, producing energy.

And with this, architecture gets a greener shade with concepts that might seem out-worldly, but are just as practical!

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New green international airport-Hanimaadhoo Island

The island nation Maldives is in need of a new international airport, and has found UK firm Haptic Architects and Norwegian Narud Stokke Wiig Architects who have taken the mantle to help them out with it. This latest architectural wonder at Hanimaadhoo Island is actually a revamped version of the domestic terminal. Proposed to be a single terminal building, the airport building looks striking from outside thanks to its dramatic curving roof. Crafted out of timber diagrid, the lightweight roof comes with a highly insulated skin.

Apart from the roof, the other green initiatives include north facing rooflights and large roof overhangs, to cut down on the solar gain, to rainwater harvesting facilities and roof mounted photovoltaics. The entire ambiance and landscaping is done keeping in mind the Maldivian culture and nature of the country.

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home by Robles Arquitectos in Playa Carate, Costa Rica

Beautiful is the word for this one, with a whole lot of green and eco-friendliness. We’re talking about a house built by Robles Arquitectos in Playa Carate, Costa Rica, which takes the whole concept of self-sufficiency to yet another level, boasting a full 100% of it. The house is located in Playa Carate on the Peninsula de Osa, home to 5% of the world's biodiversity and lacks access to water and electricity, taken that its so far flung and remote. Jaw dropped in shock? You can stop gaping now. This one uses natures helping hand to satisfy those needs. The house uses forest water and with the help of two low-impact hydroelectric turbines and a bunch of solar panels, produces enough energy, about 10,800kWh in all. The house is elevated a meter above the ground, to reduce humidity, and is opened out to nature, for increased ventilation and exposure to the sun.

This piece of architecture by Robles Arquitectos sure gives the concept of sustainable living a much more practical and applicable touch to it.

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The Boxel pavilion uses 2,000 beer crates for construction

The Boxel pavilion shows just how well recycling and design can go, hand in hand. Designed by students from the University of Applied Sciences in Detmold, Germany, the pavilion is made out of around 2,000 beer crates. Part of a course on how to develop structures from computer modeling to construction, this pavilion is the best place to hold a musical performance. Using computer modeling, the pavilion took shape, as the students figured out load bearing and positioning of the crates and after a few assembly tests, this one went up, reinforced with screws and slats. The base uses concrete filled boxes to keep up the structure. The boxes were distributed by a brewery and will be recycled once the pavilion meets the ground again.

A pavilion like this, made out of old recycled crates, that will further be recycled once used, is indeed an architectural marvel. It’s no wonder people love striking a chord at the Boxel pavilion.

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The Omega Center for Sustainable Living’s education facility by BNIM is clean and green

BNIM have come up with the Omega Center for Sustainable Living’s education facility, specially designed and integrated for them by the American design firm. As part of the project, the current wastewater disposal system for the entire 195-acre Rhinebeck campus will have a facelift, and will use biological methods of treatment via an eco machine. This will help educate visitors, staff and local community on innovative wastewater strategies too! The developed system and the building will also be used by Omega to help educate of the ecological impact of their campus. Incorporating a classroom, laboratory, water garden and a constructed wetland with its own power supply generated by solar photovoltaic, this ones self sustaining and carbon neutral.

That’s not all. The building’s power supply is kept up by geothermal heating when needed too, while the structure uses natural ventilation cooling strategies to keep the atmosphere inside pleasant.

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Studio Shift’s World Sustainability Center, a green way to education

The World Sustainability Center created by Studio Shift is a perfect blend of flexible environments, making it just ideal for both researchers, as well as students. The complex, to find a home in Afsluitdijk, Netherlands, will accommodate the general public too. Geometric in shape and design, the building has enough space for varied educational requirements. Owing to the fact that the designing involves the use of a number of architectural forms, this one can’t be referred to as just a single structure. The Center will boast a marina, outdoor amphitheatre and agricultural research garden, using energy-efficient shuttle buses and watercrafts for transport. The panels to be integrated into the façade can be used for multiple purposes, changing from solid panels (solar), perforated panels (glare and sun control) to void panels (view apertures). The roofs and other hard and soft surfaces will have rainwater collection systems too.

The lake that comes hand in hand with this building’s design, will serve as a heat sink for the cooling system. Educating oneself in a green complex like this one is the best way to knowledge!

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Sofas corner or linear Swan Italy

The arrangement of sofas corner of the conversation area is often the most common and most practical, even for stays small. As for the sofa, it can accommodate two to 90 degrees linear, even of different sizes, or choose a modular composition which includes an element of elbow. In the first case is the space to add a shelf between the two sessions, with the modular solution is obtained instead of a seat more, but must then provide a plan of central support. Let's see what offers about Swan Italy.

Sofa Wood Plaza

Plaza urban location made it home. The wooden structure of the sofa defines the space and pillows are like actors who interact in a random square. The project ', in fact, to reconstruct a space within their herd size that varies depending on the time.

Fabric sofa corner Molvedo

A collection of elements characterized by simple volumes, minimal, enriched in the comfort dall'imbottitura feather aesthetics informal setting and refers to a 'more friendly image without sacrificing design. Modularity is characterized by a few important elements.

Corner sofa Hills

Hills was created to enrich plastic sculptural 'type of sofa soft and abundant. We have focused our attention on the design of its control lines, soft and its size, generous. Hills' designed as a true 'place'.

Upholstered sofa Flag

Icon collection, Flags is a new concept of aggregation of upholstered for use across contract or domestic. Designed as a union of disparate elements, both in the ratio in the coating, for a completely original visual impact.

Sofa fabric Cubik

The project is developed by Cubik separate elements: different volumes which complement each other, preserving their independence formally. These characteristics make it suitable for any solution Cubik living, able 'to give order and purity of form to any environment.

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Fitted wall exposed

Wall systems are called multi-functional compositions stay: and modular, you can now organize more personalized solutions. Open compartments or shelves for books and objects, large niches for television el'hi-fi, drawers or closed compartments to read: most of the available programs lead to practical solutions tailored. The design of the cabinet must take into account the practical requirements related to space available, but also balance the formal together.

Crossing Wall equipped to Misuraemme

Designer: CRS MISURAEMME / Mauro Lipparini
A true innovation reinvents the library. The panels that compose it, tossing their weight, allowing the racks to be suspended, giving a new sense of visual lightness. "

Tao Day Wall equipped Misuraemme

Designer: Mauro Lipparini
The system TAO DAY may have multiple solutions, obtained by composing the elements in a different way, available in different sizes and lacquer matt, shiny and essences.

Fitted wall Zanette

Composition F consists of 106 bases with drawers, shelves and cabinets in oak Crete. Wall cabinets with glass shelves, Flap in bronzed glass. Port plasma matt platinum bestseller L 312 H 165 P 51.8.

Composition with folding door Zanette

Composition F 104 composed of bases with doors, drawer and shelf lacquered rope, hanging with folding door with bronze glass, oak door plasma Crete. H 51.8 L 312 P 185.

Wall equipped with folding door of Zanette

Composition F consists of 101 bases with doors, cupboards with folding door in bronze glass and lacquered shelf Crete. Port plasma and wall units with white gloss lacquer. L 364 51.8 P 185 H

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Sofa: its many uses

In some cases, you can change the composition of upholstery, for example by moving back and armrests or otherwise providing the information. On structures prepared enough so few gestures to renew the furnishings of the room. Sometimes, however, the elements are interchangeable and can be integrated with tables and minilibrerie.

Eos Feg

You can compose at will, changing the location of bases, backs and arms, the sofa with structure in wood and iron and padded with polyurethane foam. The sofa Eos Feg measure 315.5 × 258.5 x64h. Designer: Louis Ilaria and vague.

Up Berloni

E 'equipped with adjustable back, to increase seating comfort, complete with the sofa shelf shaped aluminum titanium colored. Measure cm 270x290px71h the sofa Up Berloni.

Has backrest with tilt adjustable padded the modular units with removable cotton cover. The sofa Louidic Style & D measure 289 × 282 cm.

Soft removable covers

The modular model has a wooden frame with polyurethane foam padding paired with velvet. The quilt is made of polyester fiber. The cover is completely removable. The sofa Soft removable covers measure 246x92px90h cm.

The sofa has an opening mechanism that allows easy removal of the bed with orthopedic and mesh. The sofa Focus DITRA Italy extent 287x162px85h cm.

Tivoli Nicoline

Beech wood frame and upholstered with polyurethane foam with different densities, the sofa turns into bed without removing the cushions. Measure 200x94px90h cm. The sofa bed Tivoli Nicoline is coated base fabrics.

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