GEN'S TORRI SUPERIORE Perched like a fortress in the foothills of the Liguria maritime alps, the tiny Italian hamlet of Torri Superiore may seem an unlikely flagship in the search for sustainable solutions in architecture, landscape, and lifestyle. But a closer look into this labyrinth of stone dwellings reveals a community working hard to find workable solutions to what many see as a looming global energy famine. — Published 2006.0823
	BAN TALKS TO STUDENTS As a noted architectural experimenter, Japanese architect Shigeru Ban was a natural choice as keynote speaker to open the student-run HOPES (Holistic Options for Planet Earth Sustainability) conference for 2006 in April. Now in its 12th year, the conference weaves together a mix of architectural scholars, practitioners, and students to promote a deeper understanding of sustainable design issues. — Published 2006.0510
	ENERGY CONCERNS MAINSTREAM In March 2006, architect and planner Bob Berkebile, FAIA addressed an overflow audience at the Building Energy '06 conference in Boston. He gave a stirring call to arms, saying that this was a powerful moment in human history. — Published 2006.0419
	SERENITY ON A BUDGET A "not-so-big" house is not necessarily an inexpensive house. But if you keep the size of the house small and stick with common materials, basic construction methods, and simple details, you can indeed build or remodel on a limited budget. — Published 2006.0412
	PATAGONIAN LUXURIES An exotic location like Chilean Patagonia demands an exotic hotel. Hotel Remota's design draws from the dazzling explosion of islands, glaciers, icebergs, and mountains on this southern tip of South America. Inspired by Patagonian sheep farm buildings, Hotel Remota offers warm interiors to shield visitors from the wind and cold. A central courtyard introduces visitors to the Patagonian wilderness: except for a few large boulders, the plaza is empty, but full of suggestion. — Published 2006.0405
	RACE TO THE SUN Seventeen teams of North American architecture and engineering students, joined by a team from Spain, have shown how their generation of design professionals is preparing for a responsible, low-energy future. These students met in Washington DC in October 2005 to participate in the Solar Decathlon on the National Mall. There, the teams assembled solar-powered houses that they had designed, and they demonstrated various technologies to the visiting public. — Published 2006.0118
	DESIGN TO SURVIVE In December, 2005, the American Institute of Architects Board of Directors adopted a position statement they hope will "transform the profession to emphasize sustainability." In the absence of federal leadership on this issue, the AIA recognizes the need for design professionals to find solutions to serious global problems. In the following letter to the construction industry, a veteran environmental activist/ architect discusses what this means to practitioners. — Editor — Published 2006.0104
	SPEC'ING GREEN "Architects have the ability to change entire industries with the stroke of a pen. If we specify a material with low carbon dioxide emissions in its fabrication — say, floor tile, carpet, gypsum board — industry will respond. This is the American way. Architects are consumers; they're not always aware of the incredible power they have to change the way products are manufactured." — Ed Mazria in Metropolis Magazine. — Published 2005.1102
	WHERE THE LAW IS CLEAR At the University of Hamburg, the new Central Library of Law is a showcase of "green" operations that also projects a literally green, leaf-patterned backdrop for a historic villa. The German firm me di um Achitekten, partners Klaus Roloff and Michael Ruffing, conceived the library as a compact and transparent book warehouse, connected to the existing Faculty of Law building by a glass atrium. The library's facades and atrium perform dual roles of energy conservation and accommodation to the existing campus. — Published 2005.0831
	CAREFUL CONSERVANCY The Trustees of Reservations, one of the oldest land conservancies in the United States, is in the business of improving and preserving scenic landscapes in Massachusetts. When it came time to design an administrative center, the largest capital project in its 113-year history, the statewide nonprofit organization took pains to apply its own tenets of environmental stewardship. — Published 2005.0810

Solar Design page: [prev] | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | [next]