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INHABITAT

Future-forward design for the world you inhabit


London Design Festival: Designers Visit Recycling CenterToday

Greengaged, London Design Festival, recycling center, designers and recycling, powerday london

Early on a sunlit mid-September morning, on the banks of The Grand Union Canal in London, 25 designers, writers and academics from London Design Festival’s Greengaged hub, took residence on the Beauchamp ‘Electric Barge’ to take a trip to Powerday waste recycling plant in west London. Docked at Little Venice in Paddington, the Beauchamp is a silently-running and environmentally-sound answer to canal travel. Inhabitat writer Kate Andrews was on the trip and shares her insights from the experience.

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Affordable and still Green: Sandbag Houses by MMA ArchitectsYesterday

mma architects, south africa homes, south africa architecture, curry stone foundation prize, sandbag houses, ecobeam technologies, affordable housing, sustainable housing

On Fridays, we feature homes that we feel are environmentally responsible, but as one might suspect, architecture can also be good for the soul. MMA Architects recently completed a home built out of timber and sandbags - and became the winner of the Curry Stone Foundation Prize this year. The prize is awarded to individuals or groups that create architecture that has the potential to make positive changes in a community by offering shelter, community health, peace, or clean water, air and food. This sandbag house was built for a mere $6,000, making it affordable for low-income housing. The design also utilizes uncomplicated techniques- and was constructed with the help of its future residents who were able to gain a sense of ownership through the building process.

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PREFAB FRIDAY: Werner Sobek’s Modular HomesYesterday

werner sobek, prefab, r128, prefabricated houses, prefab housing, sustainable building, sustainable houses, energy-efficient homes

German engineering has long been heralded as innovative and forward-thinking. And with the help of German innovator, acclaimed architect and structural engineer, Werner Sobek, the ingenuity also appears to be pushing the prefab movement. Werner Sobek and his engineering and design firm have conceived a modern, modular, and minimal series of prefab homes: the R128, H16 and R129.  Engineered to be sleek and sustainable, the R128 and H16 are custom designed using prefabricated lightweight, modular parts and special systems designed to be energy-efficient and off-the-grid.  The R129, on the other hand, is a complete departure from the traditional notion of a house - or a box- in fact, it’s an elliptical globe.

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Lost & Found Upcycled FurnitureYesterday

lost & found upcycled furniture, lost & found by &made, dave cameron, toby hadden, upcycled furniture, upcycled stool, upcycled table, london design festival, salvaged furniture

What once was lost is now found in Lost & Found’s Upcycled Furniture, a collection of stools and tables. Designed by UK-based design studio, &made, each piece features a brightly-colored base rescued from becoming trash coupled with a rough and irregular tree stump for a top. The rather unusual and unexpected combination represents &made’s goal desire to spark dialogue about our contemporary throw-away culture.

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BOOK REVIEW: EcoChick’s Guide to a Greener YouOctober 9

Eco Chick guide to life, starre vartan, eco lifestyle, green lifestyle, sustainable style, green cleaning, sustainable products, green design.jpg

The Eco Chick Guide to Life is a roadmap to greener living for the modern girl. Starre Vartan covers fashion, makeup, cleaning supplies, pets, drinking, food and more in this easy-to-read guide. When it comes to transitioning into a greener lifestyle, Vartan leaves no questions unanswered. She explains food and clothing labels, breaks down the reasons to go vegetarian, and spells out every acronym.

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