The tenants of Patch22, the highest wooden apartment building in the Netherlands, can design and create their own floor plans thanks to the project’s impressive level of flexibility. Architecture firm FRANTZEN et al architecten designed Patch22 with multifunctionality in mind– the team anticipated different future uses so that the building can accommodate housing units or office spaces, depending on circumstances. […]

They look like plastic bags but are made of materials like natural starch and vegetable oil derivatives. If placed in a glass of water at normal temperature, an EnviGreen bag dissolves in a day. And when placed in a glass of boiling water, it dissolved in just 15 seconds! These bags take less than 180 days to biodegrade naturally once […]

When you think of Detroit, ‘sustainable‘ and ‘agriculture‘ may not be the first two words that you think of. But a new urban agrihood debuted by The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative (MUFI) might change your mind. The three-acre development boasts a two-acre garden, a fruit orchard with 200 trees, and a sensory garden for kids. If you need a refresher […]

Millennials are not known for being a quiet bunch. The children of revolution and rapid social change, eighties, nineties, and noughties babies are outspoken, liberal, creative, and free-thinking, and the most successful companies have learnt to love them for these qualities. They inject a refreshing vibe into the businesses that social media and the internet culture have left floundering, bringing […]

Tiger Beer, in collaboration with MIT-spinoff Graviky Labs and agency Marcel Sydney, has launched Air-Ink; an innovative range of pens, markers and spray cans made from air pollution. To create Air-Ink, unique devices were developed to capture soot from vehicles’ exhausts. These were fitted to trucks, ferries, chimneys and even cranes around Hong Kong and India. The captured pollutants were […]

Baubotanik, or Living Plant Constructions, is the brainchild of architect Dr. Ferdinand Ludwig who found inspiration in the ancient art of tree shaping that’s spanned cultures worldwide, from medieval European topiary to Japanese bonsai. Baubotanik puts a modern spin on the natural process of grafting by adding metal scaffolding and other construction materials to transform the trees into a load-bearing […]

Newfoldr is an open-source project aimed at reducing waste while giving you cleverly-designed – and customized – cardboard gadgets for your home. The project consists of desktop gadgets like a lamp, a fan and a Bluetooth or wired speaker that you can create yourself – Newfoldr supplies the electronics and you supply the used cardboard. Support the project to get your own […]

This beautiful hydroponic garden system, called Foop, has been developed by the Japanese company Barakan Design. I love how compact an unobtrusive the piece is, blending beautifully with any surroundings. And as someone who has a very curious cat, I appreciate the closure, allowing the greens grow undisturbed. The Foop garden communicates with an app on your device, allowing you […]

A cheap and effective method of dealing with mosquitoes was unveiled in Thailand in February 2016 by the Duang Prateep Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to combating mosquito infestation and mosquito-borne illnesses. MotoRepellant attaches magnetically to the exhaust pipe of any motorcycle, and is filled with non-toxic mosquito repelling oil, which is activated by the heat from exhaust fumes. The filters repel […]

Hydroponic technology has come a long way in a short time, so it’s no surprise to see architects integrating growing systems into new projects. D+DS architecture is taking this idea to the green extreme with their new residential concept called URBAN PLANT. Designed to be a fully sustainable housing complex, the project envisions a living solution where tenants would be […]