Sustainable Design News
SCI-Arc and Habitat LA Complete Sustainable and Affordable Home for Local Veteran and Family
SCI-Arc has announced the completion of a new three bedroom, 2 ½ bath home designed by SCI-Arc students, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA), Los Angeles County 2nd District, General Motors Foundation and Bernards.
Smart-Grid Living: Frey Architekten Unveils the Smart Green Tower
The Smart Green Tower is a 51-meter-high residential and commercial tower, which on account of its planned size, architecture and environmental configuration, is slated to become a flagship project in the area of innovative building-integrated energy systems.
Architecture at Zero 2016
The Architecture at Zero 2016 competition challenge is to create a zero net energy (ZNE) student housing project on the San Francisco State University campus.
adidas x Parley: Shoes Made From Ocean Plastic
adidas has released a limited edition running shoe made from Parley Ocean Plastic, which is collected in coastal areas in the Maldives, and includes illegal deep-sea gillnets retrieved by Parley for the Oceans' partner organization Sea Shepherd.
NAPHN16 North American Passive House Network Conference
Passive House is a building standard which results in a 90% reduction in building energy demand for heating and cooling. Since buildings make up a third of the world's energy consumption, focusing on improving our buildings can have a significant effect on our global energy demand.
2016 Innovation By Design Awards
The 2016 Innovation By Design Awards is open for entries. Organized by Fast Company, the competition aims to honor the designers and businesses solving the problems of today and tomorrow.
Lexus Design Award 2016 Grand Prix Winner Announced
Lexus International has named Agar Plasticity, a project exploring how agar, a gelatinous material obtained from marine algae, can be used as an environmentally friendly packaging material alternative to plastic, as the Grand Prix winner of the 2016 Lexus Design Award.
Construction Climate Talks Episode 2: Josefina Lindblom
In the second episode of the Construction Climate Talks series released today, Josefina Lindblom, Policy Adviser at the European Commission, responsible for their work on Resource Efficiency in the Building Sector, addresses questions such as 'what is a green building?' - a question that is hard to define at a conceptual level.
Scottish Designers Launch Zero Waste Couture Collections
Two Scottish designers have transformed unwanted clothing donated to the charity into striking high-fashion collections challenging perceptions of textile waste.
Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2016
The 2016 Red Dot Award: Design Concept is now open for submissions. Designers, design studios, manufacturers, and universities are called on to submit their best product ideas, prototypes and ready to launch products.
Pininfarina H2 Speed Concept Car
Pininfarina has unveiled its H2 Speed Concept Car at Geneva Motor Show.
Winners of 2015 Cradle to Cradle Product Design Challenge
Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute has announced the winners of Fall 2015 Product Design Challenge.
Green Economy Through Open Innovation
Green Economy Through Open Innovation conference, to be held on February 22 at Alte Kongresshalle in Münich, will introduce the findings of the Open Innovation for Sustainability Platform established by the Sustainability Maker project.
2015 International Store Design Competition
The Retail Design Institute has extended the deadline for its 45th Annual International Store Design Competition. The competition celebrates exceptional retail experiences across more than 20 categories from full-line departments stores to restaurants and pop-up shops.
Green Product Award 2016
The 2016 Green Product Award is still open for submissions, seeking innovative and sustainable products and services.
ArDe: A New Contemporary Architecture, Landscape and Design Fair
ArDe is a new concept 8-day exhibition and conference that will, for the first time, unite the disciplines of architecture, art, design, development, property, technology and finance. It will ask big questions about how the city can change and adapt to respond to new paradigms, swelling populations and global markets, proposing ways for all those involved in the urban fabric to work together to create resilient, sustainable and beautiful cities.
Young Package 2016
The 2016 Young Package competition is calling on designers to cut down the proportion of non-recyclable packaging waste, and to create a package with multiple uses.
2015 IIDA Student Design Competition
The 2015 IIDA Student Design Competition is now open for entries. The competition celebrates original design and rewards individuals and/or teams whose projects demonstrate innovative, functional design solutions that have a positive environmental and human impact, while allowing emerging professionals the opportunity to showcase their work and fresh design ideas to professionals working in the field.
Blackbird Guitars Releases El Capitan
Blackbird recently launched El Capitan, the first guitar made of flax linen fabric.
Helen Schuler Nature Centre and O2 Planning + Design Win Award for Green Roof Design
Helen Schuler Nature Centre's primary goal is delivering diverse and dynamic nature interpretive programs, and Green Roofs for Healthy Cities recently recognized the achievement of this goal through their North American awards program for the design of green roofs.
WRNS Studio Unveils The First Library in the U.S. to Achieve Net Zero Energy Building Certification
WRNS Studio recently unveiled the first library in the U.S. and the first school building in California to achieve Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) Certification from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI).
CENTRO University in Mexico City Announces New Campus Designed by Enrique Norten
CENTRO has just announced its large-scale expansion with a new state-of-the-art campus designed by architect Enrique Norten of TEN Arquitectos and built for LEED Platinum certification.
Makerspaces and Sustainable Development Workshop
Interest in the social, economic and environmental possibilities of makerspaces and the maker movement continues to grow. Amidst the claims and aims people bring to this collaborative flourishing of tool-based creativity is an argument that community-based workshops can become experimental spaces for the pursuit of sustainable developments.
Designing Affordability: Quicker, Smarter, More Efficient Housing Now
Opening at the Center for Architecture on October 1st, Designing Affordability: Quicker, Smarter, More Efficient Housing Now will examine how architects, engineers, planners, policy makers, tenants, and homeowners are crafting innovative ways to reduce the cost of housing and increase opportunities by rethinking how we build, maintain, and occupy structures.
Shenzhen Design Award for Young Talents 2015
The second edition of the Shenzhen Design Award for Young Talents is now open for entries. The competition, an initiative of Shenzhen, a UNESCO City of Design, aims to recognize the success and talent of young creators working in any of the 69 member cities of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, plus Hong Kong.
2015-16 RSA Student Design Awards
The 2015-16 RSA Student Design Awards is now open for entries. The competition challenges young designers with project briefs based on complex issues facing society, the environment and business. Past winners include Sir Jonathan Ive, Chief Design Officer at Apple (RDI) and Richard Clarke, Global Vice President of Design at Nike.
Greenbuild 2015
The 2015 Greenbuild conference will be held at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. from November 18-20.
USGBC Releases International Rankings of Top 10 Countries for LEED Green Building
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has released its international rankings of the Top 10 Countries for LEED.
iF Public Value Award 2016
iF launched a new competition which seeks projects that actively aim at improving living conditions, promoting peaceful coexistence or preserving the environment - in other words, creating a public value - including businesses' social projects, environmental initiatives,and innovative approaches from the public sector..
5th Annual Architecture at Zero Competition
The fifth annual Architecture at Zero competition for zero net energy (ZNE) building design is now open for submissions from students and professionals worldwide. The competition engages architecture, engineering and planning experts in the pursuit of designing energy efficient buildings.
World Design Impact Prize 2015-2016
The World Design Impact Prize is seeking nominations for the 2015-2016 competition. The World Design Impact Prize is a biennial award created to celebrate, recognize, and encourage impact design projects from around the world.
The 20th Annual ASFD Pinnacle Awards
The 20th Annual ASFD Pinnacle Awards are open for entries. The Awards were created in April 1995 by the American Society of Furniture Designers board of directors to promote design quality and encourage the recognition of furniture designers within the retail home furnishings industry.
LEAOS Carbon Urban E-Bike Wins 2015 Red Dot Product Design Award
LEAOS Carbon Urban E-Bike has won the 2015 Red Dot Product Design Award. LEAOS is the first E-Bike with a consequent unbroken designline including handlebar and fork.
Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2015
The 2015 Red Dot Design Concept Award is now open for entries. Designers, design studios, manufacturers, and universities are called on to submit their best product ideas, prototypes and ready to launch products.
USGBC Releases the Top 10 States for LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has released its annual ranking of the top 10 states for LEED Green Building per capita in U.S.
RSA Student Design Awards 2015
The RSA Student Design Awards challenges emerging designers to tackle pressing social, environmental and economic issues through design thinking.
STHLMNYC 2014: Collaboration for Adaptation, Designing for Future Uncertainties
The theme of this year's STHLMNYC seminar is "Collaboration for Adaptation, Designing for Future Uncertainties."
2014 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo
The 2014 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo will be held October 22-24 at the Morial Convention Center.
H&M Launches Conscious Denim Collection
H&M's new Conscious Denim collection, featuring a clean style and contemporary fit, includes pieces for women, men and children and will be available October 2.
AIANY COTE Awards 2014
The 2014 AIANY COTE Awards is now open for entries.
U.S. Green Building Council Launches Real-Time International Market Briefs
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has expanded its online data visualization resource that allows any user to access aggregated LEED green building project information in the more than 150 countries with LEED projects under way.
SFC Next 2014
SFC Next is a two day learning and networking experience that will help those doing business in and around the home furnishings industry broaden and accelerate their sustainability initiatives.
USGBC+: U.S. Green Building Council Launches New Magazine
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has launched a new magazine for its community. The magazine is available as a complimentary amenity for USGBC members.
Top 10 Countries for LEED Outside the United States
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has released the ranking of the top 10 countries for LEED outside of the United States.
USGBC Launches Real-Time Green Building Data Resource for US
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has launched a new online data visualization resource that highlights real-time green building data for each state in the U.S. and Washington, D.C.
SCADpad: SCAD Unveils the Future of Urban Living
The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has unveiled SCADpad, a unique micro-housing and adaptive reuse experiment that has transformed the parking structure of SCAD's midtown Atlanta location into a sustainable community that proposes an answer to the world's growing urban housing challenges.
Starbucks Opens First Store in Downtown Disney District
Starbucks and Disney teamed up to open the first company-operated Starbucks location at Downtown Disney in Anaheim, California.
Silicon Valley Building by Brick Boasts Eye-catching Rooftop Garden
Brick has recently completed a 70,000 square foot building in Mountain View, Calif. that is on track to be designated LEED Platinum.
Sustainable Brands San Diego 2014
The 2014 Sustainable Brands conference, with a theme of "Reimagine, Redesign, Regenerate," will be held on June 2-5 in San Diego, CA.
Winners of 2013 IIDA Student Sustainable Design Competition
The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) revealed the winners of the 2013 Student Sustainable Design Competition.
Greenbuild Goes Global
Greenbuild for Europe and the Mediterranean region will launch in Verona, Italy October 8-10, 2014.
USGBC Launches LEED v4 at Greenbuild Conference
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has launched the Newest Version of LEED Green Building Program, LEED v4, at the annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Philadelphia.
2013 Greenest Schools on Earth
The Center for Green Schools (Center) at the U.S. Green Building Council has announced the 2013 Greenest Schools on Earth.
The Stevenson School Faculty Housing Duplex
The Stevenson School is an independent school with campuses in Carmel and Pebble Beach, California serving grades K-8 and 9-12 respectively.
Vertical Farm Concept Wins Pomeroy Studio's Award
A Vertical Farm project concerned with food sustainability and vertical agriculture within the context of Singapore was this year's winner of Pomeroy Studio's Design for A Sustainable Future Award (DSFA).
Winners of Designing Recovery Competition
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) revealed the winners of the Designing Recovery competition.
BMW Launches i3
BMW has today launched the series version of its innovative electric vehicle, the BMW i3.
Sustainable Brands London Conference 2013
The 2013 Sustainable Brands London Conference will take place November 18-19 at Lancaster London.
IFC and World Green Building Council Partner to Accelerate Green Building Growth
IFC and World Green Building Council have entered a partnership to rapidly scale up the construction of green buildings in emerging markets.
Winners of 2013 Green Good Design Awards
The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies revealed the winners of the 2013 Green Good Design Awards - a special edition of the Good Design Awards program.
MAKING: Nike's New App to Help Designers Invent Better
Nike has recently released MAKING - a new app that helps designers and product creators make informed decisions about the environmental impacts of the materials they choose.
Cook Stove Design Competition
The Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell University's Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management is accepting submissions for its "Cook Stove Design Competition."
John Naylor Wins 2013 Foster + Partners Prize
The Architectural Association and Foster + Partners have today unveiled the recipient of the 2013 Foster + Partners Prize.
Greenbuild 2013 International Conference & Expo
Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, to be held in Philadelphia this November, is the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building.
Nearly 100 Building Projects Test the LEED v4
Nearly 100 building projects across the globe are already using LEED v4, the next version of the LEED green building program, according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
Herman Miller Reintroduces Eames Molded Plastic Arm and Side Chair in Sustainable Fiberglass
The Herman Miller Collection is reintroducing the Eames Molded Plastic Arm and Side Chair in fiberglass, utilizing a new, more environmentally sensitive material chemistry and manufacturing process.
Center for Public Interest Design
Portland State University's School of Architecture has recently launched Center for Public Interest Design, a research center that aims to investigate and utilize the power of design to make social, economic and environmental change in disadvantaged communities worldwide.
Introduction to Sustainable Design Resources
Introduction to Sustainable Design Resources, a live webinar organized by the ASID Foundation of the American Society of Interior Designers, will provide an overview of sustainable design principles and outlines the "12 rules" for specifying healthier building materials and FF&E.
Winners of 2013 iF Concept Design Award
iF has today unveiled the winners of its 2013 Concept Design Award.
2013 Green Dot Awards: Call for Entries
The 2013 Green Dot Awards is now open for entries. The Awards recognizes outstanding products and services which are manufactured and delivered in an environmentally friendly manner.
Toyota i-Road Concept
Toyota has unveiled its i-Road Personal Mobility Vehicle (PMV) concept at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.
H&M Conscious Exclusive: Sustainable Partywear Collection
H&M has recently unveiled Conscious Exclusive, a partywear collection made from more sustainable materials, featuring clothing and accessories for both men and women.
Green Dot Animo Leadership High School by Brooks + Scarpa
Brooks + Scarpa has recently designed a public school for 500 students is located in a tough South Los Angeles neighborhood almost directly under the flight path into LAX and adjacent to the very busy 105 Century freeway.
The Business Case for Green Building
The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has today released "The Business Case for Green Building: A Review of the Costs and Benefits for Developers, Investors and Occupants," highlighting that there are a large number of compelling benefits from green buildings received by different stakeholders throughout the life cycle of a building.
The:Square3: New Sports Themed Project Revitalises Berlin Sport Precinct
Three towers of gold, silver, and bronze and three diagonally shaped city blocks make up THE:SQUARE3, a new mixed use development inspired by sport that revitalises a unique urban quarter in Berlin.
Winners of 10th Annual ASID Student Design Competition
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) has unveiled the winners of the 10th Annual ASID Student Design Competition.
Sustainable Brands 2013: From Revolution to Renaissance
The 2013 Sustainable Brands conference, with a theme of "From Revolution to Renaissance," will be held on June 3-6, 2013, in San Diego, CA.
Autodesk Milano Office
Goring & Straja Architects has recently designed the interiors of Autodesk's new Milano office, located within an existing condominium complex.
It's Not Easy Being Green: Two Designers Exploring Sustainability Worldwide
It's Not Easy Being Green: Two Designers Exploring Sustainability Worldwide is a new publication by Aart van Bezooyen and Paula Rache that brings together six months of making new friends, photographing local impressions and collecting materials.
Bjarke Ingels to Talk on Sustainable Design at Nordic Cool 2013
Bjarke Ingels, the internationally acclaimed Danish architect and founder and principal of BIG, will give a forum talk at Nordic Cool 2013, sharing to the audience his views on development and challenges of sustainable design.
Compostmodern 2013
Compostmodern, the bi-annual conference for sustainability and design, will take place on March 22-23, 2013 at the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco.
2012 List of Top 10 States for LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has released its annual list of the top 10 states for new LEED certifications in 2012.
NASA and Autodesk Collaborate on Sustainable Building Performance Monitoring
Autodesk and NASA Ames Research Center have announced a collaboration to research and develop new technology that can monitor and optimize the operational life-cycle of high performance buildings.
GreenBiz Forum 2013
The 2013 GreenBiz Forum will bring together the greatest business minds to not only "talk shop" about what's working in sustainability, but also to help you understand the best way to apply those insights and techniques in your initiatives.
Design by Nature: Maggie Macnab at TEDxAcequiaMadre
Maggie Macnab has recently delivered a talk for TEDxAcequiaMadre, exploring the subtle relationships of everyday natural processes as the essential metaphors of human experience.
H&M to Launch Global Clothes Collecting Initiative in February 2013
H&M will launch a clothing collecting initiative worldwide that will allow its customers to hand in used garments in H&M stores.
Empowerhouse: New Model for Green, Affordable Housing, Now Open
Solar Decathlon Team, Habitat for Humanity and D.C. Goverment have completed Empowerhouse, an innovative model for affordable, energy efficient green housing located in the Deanwood neighborhood of Washington.
KKE Architects Wins AJ Retrofit Award for The Riverside
The Riverside, a higher educational building designed by KKE Architects for the University of Worcester, has won the Higher Education Building category of the AJ Retrofit Awards 2012.
Autodesk Expands Its Sustainably Designed Offices
Autodesk deepens its investment in sustainable operations, opening five new green office spaces this year in San Francisco, Milan, Beijing and Farnborough, UK.
Declare: Living Future Institute Launches Ingredients Label for Building Products
The International Living Future Institute launched Declare, a "nutrition-label" for building materials that aims to transform the marketplace through transparency and open communication.
ASID REGREEN Implementation Workshop
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) has launched a new sustainable design workshop focused exclusively on interior design.
An Architect's Guide to Integrating Energy Modeling in the Design Process
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has released An Architect's Guide to Integrating Energy Modeling in the Design Process - an exhaustive, step-by-step map to predicting (and thus reducing) the energy usage of buildings.
USGBC's California Best Buildings Challenge More than Doubles to 13 Companies
This year, 13 companies in California have committed to the California Best Buildings Challenge, totaling more than six million square feet of collective building space.
Best in Show of the 2012 International Design Excellence Awards
The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) unveiled the Best in Show for the 2012 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) at its annual international conference in Boston.
Eco-friendly Blood Glucose Monitor Concept
Cambridge Consultants has developed a blood glucose monitor concept for diabetics that's simpler to use, less cumbersome to carry and has a third of the environmental impact of traditional devices.
Design Intelligence: Fashion: A Swedish Event for Sustainable Fashion in New York
Design Intelligence; Fashion will take place at Parsons The New School for Design on September 18-19, 2012. The event will focus on different parts of the innovation process from sustainable, material and production viewpoints.
Architectural Record's Innovation Conference 2012
This year, Architectural Record's Innovation Conference celebrates its tenth anniversary. The conference will highlight the profession's top innovators, most influential new projects, and groundbreaking achievements in super-tall, super-efficient and super-smart buildings.
BMW C Evolution Electric Scooter
BMW Motorrad unveiled a near-production prototype of an e-scooter as it might soon go on the market. Since it was conceived as a future-oriented vehicle for commuting between the urban periphery and the city centre, there were two particular requirements for its development: performance figures comparable to those of a maxi scooter with a combustion engine and a long range in realistic conditions of use.
LEED-Certified Building Stock Surpasses Two Billion Square Feet Worldwide
The total footprint of commercial projects certified under the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED green building program surpassed two billion square feet. An additional seven billion square feet is currently in the pipeline across the globe as registered projects.
Allsteel Receives ISO 50001 Certification
Allsteel has received ISO 50001 Energy Management System certification - the first furniture manufacturer in the world to be certified to this new global energy management standard and only the third company in the U.S. to receive the rating.