Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building

The marijuana industry is growing, but how is it affecting the environment? Let's explore the conversation around cannabis production's environmental footprint.

https://inhabitat.com/we-need-to-talk-about-the-environmental-impact-of-marijuana

The personal finance site Wallet Hub has released its greenest states report for 2021, just in time for Earth Day. While the results aren't shocking — with Vermont in the lead and five Southern...

https://inhabitat.com/the-winners-and-losers-of-2021s-greenest-states-report

Does a city that went a record 240 days of no rainfall in 2020 really need to water ornamental grass?

https://inhabitat.com/southern-nv-water-authority-wants-to-ban-useless-grass

Yerba Buena Island, a ‘secret’ island of parks, open green spaces and beachfront, offers one of the most spectacular views across the San Francisco Bay.

https://inhabitat.com/yerba-buena-is-a-new-green-island-community-in-san-francisco-bay

Emeco's new line of stools is handcrafted with a sleek, modern design. These handcrafted, beautifully modern stools are guaranteed for life, made with recycled materials and maintain a small carb...

https://inhabitat.com/emecos-za-stools-offer-a-lifetime-of-sustainable-beauty

The Yannell House project is turning a home built in the 1890s into a Passive House complete with modern style and amenities.

https://inhabitat.com/architects-give-1890s-home-a-passive-house-retrofit

Engineers at Purdue University have developed a paint so white that it actually cools surfaces.

https://inhabitat.com/worlds-whitest-paint-could-be-an-a-c-alternative

The competition offers a €15,000 prize pool, with an €8,000 award for the first place winner.

https://inhabitat.com/enter-the-wwf-observation-cabins-competition-for-a-shot-at-17k

MCXA designed Casa Mague around existing trees.

https://inhabitat.com/aztec-inspired-eco-home-sits-lightly-on-the-land-in-mexico

Tucked into the trees where the rainforest meets the sea, the Sirena House is a Costa Rican retreat that combines separate pavilions to cause less impact on the local surroundings.

https://inhabitat.com/dreamy-costa-rican-retreat-uses-a-pavilion-concept-for-minimal-impact

Vietnamese architecture firm SILAA has recently completed the Hachi Lily House, a nature-inspired retreat tucked into a pomelo tree-filled village near the city of Hue.

https://inhabitat.com/reclaimed-timber-makes-up-this-tranquil-nature-retreat-in-vietnam

By 2025, only zero-emissions delivery vehicles will be allowed in urban areas.

https://inhabitat.com/the-netherlands-to-ban-carbon-emitting-delivery-vehicles

Millions of Americans live near Superfund sites. Now, research shows living near these toxic waste sites could reduce life expectancy from 2 months to 1 year.

https://inhabitat.com/living-near-superfund-sites-could-shorten-life-expectancy-by-1-year

Whether picking up trash or advocating for national policies, spend Earth Day making a difference.

https://inhabitat.com/how-to-get-involved-in-virtual-and-local-earth-day-events

Terraced into a hillside, the new hotel rooms have been placed beneath an old, existing barn that the architects also renovated to house the hotel’s reception, lounge and breakfast hall.

https://inhabitat.com/noa-tucks-a-3-star-hotel-beneath-a-refurbished-barn-in-italy

After 33 years of working in an old drafty building in Oxfordshire, international nonprofit CABI has upgraded to a new low-energy home that combines beautiful design with employee wellness and en...

https://inhabitat.com/green-roofed-cabi-hq-champions-biodiversity-and-energy-efficiency

New Zealand has introduced a new law that will require all financial institutions to report the impacts of climate change on their businesses.

https://inhabitat.com/new-zealand-requires-financial-institutions-to-prepare-climate-impact-reports

David Valentine, a marine scientist at the University of California, has discovered barrels of DDT buried in the ocean just 10 miles off the coast of Southern California.

https://inhabitat.com/barrels-of-toxic-ddt-discovered-off-the-coast-of-california

BobaWare is the result of a months-long brainstorm by classmates determined to reduce the waste caused by the production and consumption of boba and bubble tea.

https://inhabitat.com/bobaware-eliminates-single-use-plastic-from-the-boba-experience

Located in the Italian city of Turin, this residential building from the '60s has undergone a sustainable renovation with energy-efficient upgrades.

https://inhabitat.com/residential-building-from-the-60s-gets-an-energy-efficient-remodel

Efficiency Lab for Architecture unveils Community Information Center for an Avenues: The World School campus in San Jose.

https://inhabitat.com/a-campus-building-is-designed-to-reduce-stress-from-californias-car-culture

Ten years after an earthquake and tsunami caused meltdowns at the Fukushima power plant, Japan has announced plans to release contaminated water from the plant into the ocean.

https://inhabitat.com/fukushima-nuclear-power-plant-to-release-contaminated-water-into-ocean

Marine life is migrating from the equator to the tropics, according to a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

https://inhabitat.com/global-warming-driving-mass-migration-of-marine-life

How can people live in harmony with global warming and rising water levels? In Amsterdam, a group of forward-thinking people decided to go with the flow.

https://inhabitat.com/lessons-from-schoonschip-amsterdams-floating-eco-village

Cascina Merlata Lot R7/2 is a social housing complex that will function as a “city within the city” where residents can walk or ride their bicycles to everything they need for their daily liv...

https://inhabitat.com/eco-friendly-affordable-housing-emphasizes-walkability-in-milan

When Czech architecture firm NEW HOW Architects was asked to design a holiday home in the Ore Mountains, it decided to craft a nature-inspired home that would go against the trend of white plaste...

https://inhabitat.com/a-solar-ready-holiday-home-disappears-into-a-czech-forest

The French government is planning to end all short flights for routes that could be traveled in 2.5 hours or less by train in order to reduce carbon emissions.

https://inhabitat.com/french-government-to-ban-short-domestic-flights-in-favor-of-trains

The 2021 numbers are up 16% for a total of 752 rhinos, according to results released by Nepal’s government this week.

https://inhabitat.com/nepals-rhino-population-is-on-the-rise

Fashionable materials like sequins don’t have to come at a cost to the environment.

https://inhabitat.com/charlotte-mccurdy-phillip-lim-design-carbon-neutral-algae-sequin-dress

What will the world be like once pollinating insects, like the honeybee, are gone?

https://inhabitat.com/virtual-pollinator-park-shows-a-future-with-or-without-pollinators

Set for completion in 2023, the Toranomon-Azabudai Urban Redevelopment Project is a collaboration between urban landscape developer Mori Building Co. and luxury hotel operator Aman.

https://inhabitat.com/redevelopment-project-brings-major-green-space-to-tokyo

A new study shows that the dangerous anatoxin-a, produced by cyanobacteria and found in algal blooms, can be released into the air, posing serious health risks.

https://inhabitat.com/harmful-algal-blooms-release-very-fast-death-factor-into-air

Electric vehicle manufacturers are turning to deep sea mining for metals necessary for EV batteries. But this can be detrimental to these ecosystems.

https://inhabitat.com/do-we-really-need-to-mine-the-deep-seas-to-power-evs

OEOOO has transformed and expanded a disused farmhouse into the Hehl Tenne House, a warm and inviting multigenerational home wrapped in timber inside and out.

https://inhabitat.com/an-airy-multigenerational-home-shows-adaptive-reuse-done-right

Dubbed the House in Repino, the project will focus on minimizing the removal of existing trees.

https://inhabitat.com/wright-inspired-home-has-trees-growing-through-the-roof

Whether you plan to swim laps, go diving or just sunbathe in the backyard, Aerie’s new collection of sustainable swimwear is sure to make a splash.

https://inhabitat.com/aerie-launches-real-good-swimwear-made-with-recycled-nylon

Chris Ramsey is planning to cover 17,000 miles in electric vehicles.

https://inhabitat.com/adventurer-plans-to-drive-ev-from-south-pole-to-north-pole

Sea level rise is killing forests in protected areas on the eastern U.S. coast, according to a recent study.

https://inhabitat.com/sea-level-rise-creates-ghost-forests-along-the-atlantic-coast

Energy efficiency, Japanese design and an emphasis on low site impact are combined at DOJO Saigon, a new light-filled judo training hall in Ho Chi Minh City.

https://inhabitat.com/dismountable-dojo-in-vietnam-is-topped-with-a-rice-husk-roof

Designed to follow the architecture firm’s philosophy of “slow architecture,” the sustainably minded headquarters prioritizes energy efficiency and worker wellness.

https://inhabitat.com/solar-powered-zamasport-hq-produces-over-half-of-its-energy-needs

Artist Hugo McCloud, known for using unusual medium choices such as aluminum sheeting, tar paper, scrap metal and solder, spent his quarantine in Mexico, layering together tiny pieces of plastic ...

https://inhabitat.com/artist-hugo-mccloud-spotlights-waste-with-art-made-of-plastic-bags

"Seaspiracy" is trying to save the oceans, and the new Netflix documentary and movement is making strides.

https://inhabitat.com/seaspiracy-inspires-grocery-store-to-stop-selling-fish

New research published in the journal Nature Communications shows that the deepest parts of the Great Lakes are warming up.

https://inhabitat.com/warming-in-deepest-parts-of-the-great-lakes-could-be-irreversible

Non-fungible tokens (or NFTs) are the newest players in the cryptocurrency market, and their environmental impact may surprise you.

https://inhabitat.com/understanding-nfts-and-energy-consumption

Allbirds put its best foot forward when it stepped into the sustainable footwear sphere. Now, the company is going further with the development of a new, plant-based leather.

https://inhabitat.com/allbirds-creates-a-plant-based-leather

A passive townhouse in Brooklyn features wood design accents and a rooftop patio for lounging.

https://inhabitat.com/brooklyn-home-company-designs-passive-townhouse-with-raw-wood-elements

One welcome side effect of COVID-19 lockdowns is the reduction of light pollution.

https://inhabitat.com/covid-19-lockdowns-lead-to-decreasing-light-pollution

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is concerned over increasing incidences of bears with rare neurological disorders showing up in residential areas.

https://inhabitat.com/neurological-disorder-leaves-bears-in-california-vulnerable

Riverfront revitalization and sustainable adaptive reuse combine at the Beloit College Powerhouse, a Studio Gang-designed student union focused on recreation and wellness.

https://inhabitat.com/studio-gang-transforms-coal-plant-into-leed-silver-targeted-student-union

Nespresso's parent company, Nestlé, has certainly come under fire for things like bottling water in California during historic droughts and sourcing water near Flint, Michigan in the past. While...

https://inhabitat.com/meet-the-artists-creating-sustainable-artwork-for-nespressos-flagship-cafes