Earthship Seminar ~ Building Homes Out Of Trash

This past weekend was spent at a seminar learning how to build sustainable, off-the-grid homes at the Earthship headquarters just outside of Taos, New Mexico.

The homes are not the run of the mill green homes that we are getting used to. Architect Mike Reynolds has been building these structures for about 40 years and they are, in large part, made out of trash – specifically used tires, cans, and bottles.

Since he started back in the 1970s, the homes have been refined to allow for recycling all waste [grey and black water], organic greenhouses, water collection and purification, power generation, and temperature regulation….even in extreme weather locations.

We got hands on experience learning how to pack tires into the load bearing and thermal mass foundation for the homes, can and bottle walls, and how to plaster interior walls with a mixture of mud, sand, and hay. In addition, we got to tour many of the homes on the site in Taos. Mike has developed several models over the years and we were able to get inside and explore the size and benefits of each option.

I recommend anyone interested in green build to visit them and take the seminar. You can find more information here. A good article here. And the trailer for the Michael Reynold’s documentary, Garbage Warrior is here.

Many more photos here.

Offices of Selgas Cano Architects

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OUTrial House

Polish architects KWK Promes designed the OUTrial House in Ksiazenice, Poland.

A green clearing surrounded by forest was the only context for the proposed small house. Hence the idea to “carve out” a piece of the grass-covered site, move it up and treat it as the roofing to arrange all the required functions underneath. When the whole was ready, the client came up with another request, to create some space for a small recording studio and a conservatory. The latter was obtained by linking the ground floor with the grassy roof through an “incision” in the green plane and “bending” the incised fragment down, inside the building.

This procedure turned the roof into an atrium, as the only way to reach it was through the interior of the house. As opposed, however, to a typical atrium, the newly-created space has all the advantages of an outer garden while remaining a safe, internal zone within the building. This way, a new type of house was created, and its designation – outrial – is to convey the idea of an atypical atrium which is part of both the interior and the exterior of the building.

Visit the KWK Promes website – here. More photos here.

YTL Residence in Kuala Lumpur

The building includes nine bedrooms, two family rooms, a family kitchen and a private dining area, a family library, a game room, a study, a public reception area, a formal dining room, a ballroom, chapel, 21 bathrooms, a swimming pool, two guest suites plus indoor private and guest parking.

Is this for reals?

Check out more on the Coolhunter.

Dune House

This beautiful house is located in Portugal. The Lisbon-based Pereira Miguel Arquitectos not only built the house but built the dunes around them.

Just amazing.

more from thecoolhunter.net

What’s Your Sign?

Priority Architectural Graphics asks that question to responsible architects and contractors all the time.

They specialize in GREEN SIGNAGE and have several eco-friendly options that you can check out here.

There are so many pieces to consider in the ‘green build’ sector. Offering GREEN SIGNAGE is just one more piece of the puzzle that brings efficiency and responsibility to this industry.

We’re so excited to have them as a new client here at DK Design. They represent the utmost in responsible environmental practices and in educating their clients in new technologies and substrates.

Currently we’re developing a promotional portfolio that outlines their production standards and capabilities.

Todd Jersey Architecture ~ They Bleed Green

Todd Jersey Architecture is a client that we’re very happy to brag about. Offering a full suite of green architectural services including smart cost-effective design solutions, LEED administration, and use of the latest green products and technolgies, they are considered a pioneer in the green architecture movement.

DK Design recently designed their email marketing newsletter effort and are currently working on several other projects for the firm. More on that very soon!

SEED Conference ~ Chicago

On Friday I attended a conference on design, entrepreneurship & inspiration, by 37signals, Segura Inc. and Coudal Partners in Chicago at the IIT Campus.

Jason Fried, Carlos Segura and Jim Coudal led the presentation and discussion.

If you read this blog, you know how much I admire Coudal Partners. Their approach to creativity speaks very clearly to me. Going to this conference helped me understand how they arrived at their current fluid state and how to use that as a benefit…..not a detriment.

We discussed how to take control of our own work, seek out methods to inspire new ideas, and how to adopt unconventional ideas about collaboration and business.

We walked away with a clear grasp of how to use ideas to define a creative business. Moreover, I now understand how to better communicate my skills as an “idea person” to my clients.

Here’s a recap from Jason at 37Signals.

The conference was at the Rem Koolhaas designed Campus Center at IIT. A tour afterwards taught us about the Rem Koolhaas and Mies Van Der Rohe architecture. Much more on that in my next entry.

Jason Fried and Jim Coudal

Jason Fried and Carlos Segura

Rem Koolhaas tube at IIT Campus in Chicago