Sustainable Design News
BMW Group Wins the 2012 Green Good Design Award for the First Time
The BMW i8 Concept, BMW i3 Concept and MINI Rocketman Concept have been presented with the 2012 Green Good Design Award for sustainable product design. This is the first time a BMW Group product has been among the winners of the annual prize.
Disrupt & Delight: Five Principles for Sustainable Brand Innovation
BBMG has recently released a new white paper titled "Disrupt & Delight: Five Principles for Sustainable Brand Innovation." The booklet leverages BBMG's recent experience helping clients embed sustainability into the branding and marketing functions to create shared value.
Infill Philadelphia: Soak It Up!
The Community Design Collaborative, in partnership with the Philadelphia Water Department and the US Environmental Protection Agency Region 3, is hosting Infill Philadelphia: Soak It Up!, an exhibition of best practices in Green Stormwater Infrastructure.
Core77 Launches Design for (Your) Product Lifetime Challenge
Design for (Your) Product Lifetime Challenge, organized by Core77, aims to develop a compelling new "smart" product that is repairable and designed to last. The competition is sponsored by Autodesk and ifixit.
Global Initiative on Urban Resilience
Global Initiative on Urban Resilience (GIUR) is a new effort designed to spur building and infrastructure development, create new investment opportunities and foster community action around the world.
BMW and McLaren Designers Discuss Lightweight Materials
Two leading car designers at the Product Design + Innovation conference provided insights into the thinking at BMW and McLaren, carmakers that are leading the way in developing lightweight vehicles that rely on composite materials.
Rachel Gutter Named World Green Building Council Chairman's Award Winner
Rachel Gutter, director of the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, received the World Green Building Council Chairman's Award. Gutter was given the award for her leadership at the forefront of the green schools movement, and working to make healthy, energy-efficient schools accessible to everyone across the globe.
Empowerhouse Awarded 2012 Mayor's Sustainability Award
Last Thursday, D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray presented a 2012 Mayor's Sustainability Award to Habitat for Humanity of Washington, in recognition of the Empowerhouse, the first Passive House in the District.
LEED for Homes Surpasses 20,000 Certified Home Milestone
More than 20,000 homes across the U.S. have earned certification through the LEED for Homes program, according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
Ontario Association of Architects Expects Steady Sustainable Design Demands
A survey commissioned by the Ontario Association of Architects has found that the majority of practices - 75 per cent - expect demand for sustainable design services to remain constant in coming years.
California Best Buildings Challenge
Inspired by the White House's Better Buildings Challenge (BBC) and President Clinton's pioneering work to promote sustainable buildings, the California Best Buildings Challenge consists of industry-leading firms with a strong California presence that have committed to reduce their building energy, water and waste by 20 percent in two years.
Transformation to a Green Economy Through Green Buildings and Resource Efficient Cities
Transformation to a Green Economy through Green Buildings and Resource Efficient Cities: Key Messages from North America is a new report released by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the United Nations Environment Programme's Regional Office for North America (UNEP RONA) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
USGBC Affordable Green Neighborhoods Grant Program 2012
The 2012 USGBC Affordable Green Neighborhoods Grant Program, made possible by a $500,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, awards $25,000 cash and educational resources to developers of affordable housing who are committed to building sustainable communities through the LEED for Neighborhood Development program.
DyeCoo: Winner of the Third Annual MEDIUM Award for Material of the Year
Material ConneXion named Netherlands-based DyeCoo Textile Systems as the winner of the third annual MEDIUM Award for Material of the Year. Material ConneXion has cited the company for the development of revolutionary commercial dyeing machine technology.
LAVA Designs Green Climate Fund Headquarters, Bonn
The Federal Republic of Germany has selected the proposal of Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA) for the Green Climate Fund Headquarters, Bonn. LAVA's proposal for the headquarters is an 'ecological model project' and demonstrates their motto: 'green is the new black.'
AIA Guide to the IgCC
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has released the first overview guide on how architects can implement in their practice the International Green Construction Code (IgCC), which was introduced in March by the International Code Council (ICC).
The Economics of Biophilia: Why Designing with Nature in Mind Makes Financial Sense
Why do certain places make us feel good? Anthropologists tell us we are hard-wired to respond to nature.
Village Green: New Apartment Homes Prove Public Housing Can Be Sustainably Designed
As the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) established public housing programs for low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, public housing by definition must be affordable for its residents. But not all public housing is also sustainably designed.
ONE Prize 2012: Blight to Might
Terreform ONE is now accepting submissions for the 2012 ONE Prize Competition.
IN-EI Issey Miyake Lighting Collection
IN-EI, Japanese for "shadow, shadiness, nuance," is a new lighting collection created by Issey Miyake and his research and development team "Reality Lab."
ASID Student Design Competition 2011-2012 Winners
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) announced the winners of the 2011-2012 ASID Student Design Competition.
Spark:Mobility Design Awards 2012
Spark Awards have launched a competition for sustainable transportation design. The competition's focus is on designs that are "green," and show a commitment to using natural resources efficiently.
New Energy Efficiency Symbols
As Earth Day is just around the corner, Cree and The Noun Project have introduced new graphic symbols to represent various energy-efficient technologies, including LED lighting, biofuels and solar farms, designed during the recent Iconathon at the Cree campus in Durham.
Material Matters: A Future Furniture Fair
Our economic system is in turmoil. Our resources are becoming scarce. In the meantime, we stick to the same economic models, producing more products, producing more waste.
AIA Announced Support for 2012 International Green Construction Code
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced its support for the International Green Construction Code (IgCC), a new model code expected to help conserve energy in both commercial buildings and residential structures while providing direction for safe and sustainable building design and construction. The International Code Council (ICC) will publish the 2012 IgCC later today.
Sustainable Innovation 2012: Resource Efficiency, Innovation and Lifestyles
Sustainable Innovation 12 will provide a platform to discuss the opportunities and challenges related to resource productivity, innovation and lifestyles related to products, services, technologies, infrastructures and business models.
The Center for Green Schools Launches Green Classroom Professional Certificate
The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) today released the Green Classroom Professional Certificate (GCP).
RIBA Guide to Sustainability in Practice
The RIBA Guide to Sustainability in Practice is an invaluable new sustainability guide for architects, written by architect and sustainability expert Lynne Sullivan OBE.
USGBC LEED Green Building Program to Recognize Energy Credits from BREEAM
A pivotal LEED International Roundtable meeting of European roundtable members ended in Paris today. The meeting convened leaders from across Europe to address regional issues in LEED for existing and historic structures in the E.U.
Eco Bike Design Contest 2012
Solsonica and POLI.design have launched Eco Bike Design Contest, offering a total of EUR7,000 in prize money for innovative projects involving an electrically assisted bicycle and a photovoltaic shelter to protect and recharge it.
Green Building Incentive Trends: Strengthening Communities, Building Green Economies
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) released a report that finds that the most attractive incentives for greening American communities are also the most basic: tax incentives, density/floor area ratio bonuses and expedited permitting.
Autodesk Showcases Sustainable Design at Second Annual Sustainability Summit
Autodesk President and CEO Carl Bass joined Fortune Magazine Sr. Writer and Editor Marc Gunther to discuss sustainable design at the company's recent Sustainability Summit in San Francisco.
HOK Partners with USGBC on Design of New Orphanage and Children's Center in Haiti
HOK is the U.S. Green Building Council's official design partner for Project Haiti, a facility targeting LEED Platinum certification that will replace a Port-au-Prince orphanage and children's center devastated by the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that rocked Haiti and killed 316,000 people two years ago.
Green Solution House: Conference Center Will Take Sustainability to a New Level
Green Solution House will be an innovative laboratory that integrates the latest knowledge within materials and appropriate green technologies.
Winners of the Nationwide Sustainable Housing Competition 2011
Nationwide Building Society has announced the winners of the third Nationwide Sustainable Housing Competition, in partnership with RIBA Competitions.
Seymourpowell Hires Chris Sherwin as Head of Sustainability
Seymourpowell added Chris Sherwin to its roster as Head of Sustainability. Sherwin will be responsible for developing and delivering specific sustainable innovation offers, to help clients explore the opportunities from sustainability.
AIA Selects 7 Communities for 2012 Sustainability Program
The American Institute of Architects announced that 7 communities have been selected for its Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) program.
2nd Annual SEED Awards for Excellence in Public Interest Design
The SEED Network launched the 2nd Annual SEED Awards for Excellence in Public Interest Design to promote projects that help create socially, economically, and environmentally healthy communities.
Leo A Daly Honored for Sustainable Design of SCAD Hong Kong Campus
Leo A Daly recently received two 2011 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Hong Kong awards-an Honor Award for Architecture and a Sustainable Design Award-for its design work on the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Hong Kong campus in the Sham Shui Po district.
Winners of the IIDA Student Sustainable Design Competition 2011
The International Interior Design Association and InterfaceFLOR announced the winners of the ninth annual IIDA Student Sustainable Design Competition.
New York and San Francisco Receive World Green Building Council's Government Leadership Awards
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced New York and San Francisco as the recipients of the World Green Building Council's Government Leadership Awards for Excellence in City Policy for Green Building.
USGBC App Lab
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has launched its online App Lab as part of its LEED Automation Program.
The Green Overlay: RIBA Outline Plan of Work Goes Green
The greatest single challenge currently facing the construction industry is building low carbon buildings.
adidas Group, C&A, H&M, Li Ning, Nike and Puma Partner to Reach Zero Discharge by 2020
adidas Group, C&A, H&M, Li Ning, NIKE, Inc. and Puma released a joint roadmap towards zero discharge of hazardous chemicals (ZDHC) in the supply chain by 2020.
LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System Honored by Renewable Natural Resources Foundation
The U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system has been recognized by the Renewable Natural Resources Foundation (RNRF) with its 2011 Outstanding Achievement Award.
USGBC President Rick Fedrizzi Recognized with Olmsted Medal
Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) was recognized yesterday by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) for his commitment to environmental leadership and stewardship.
USGBC President Rick Fedrizzi Elected Chair of World Green Building Council
Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has been elected chair of the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC).
Dedication Ceremony for the Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space
A dedication ceremony was held yesterday at Spaceport America in New Mexico - the world's first commercial space terminal.
mo: A New Mobility System
Under the direction of Munich design agency LUNAR Europe, a "human-centred" design process has been used to develop an innovative mobility system by the name of "mo."
CGBC Releases Groundbreaking Report on the Environmental Impacts of Wastewater Treatment Strategies
Capping two-and-a-half years of extensive water-related research, Cascadia Green Building Council released Clean Water, Healthy Sound, a groundbreaking report that uses Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to examine and compare wastewater management practices in urban areas.
The Second Annual PUMA Safe Sustainable Design Lecture with Alejandro Aravena
The Design Museum and PUMA, through its PUMA.Safe programme, announced the second Annual PUMA.Safe Sustainable Design Lecture at the Design Museum London.
Australia's First Carbon-neutral Office Building Crowned Greenest Building of the Year
The Pixel Building, designed by studio505 in Melbourne, was named the Best of the Best at this year's BPN Sustainability Awards, held last night at WatersEdge Sydney.
2011 Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards Winners
The winners of the 2011 Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards were announced at the U.S. Green Building Council's Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, showcasing excellence in holistic retrofitting projects from around the world.
The Vertical City: Woods Bagot Faces the Future
Presenting at the 2011 Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) World Conference in Seoul today, Ross Donaldson, Joint Group Managing Director (JGMD) at Woods Bagot, encouraged delegates to be futurists - embracing design trends of tomorrow, as the vertical city becomes entrenched in our urban landscapes.
Buildings = Energy
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, currently about 40% of the energy consumed in the United States is attributed to buildings.
Changing the Tide on Climate Change: Woods Bagot Confronts Sustainable Ignorance
Speaking at the 24th World Architecture Congress in Tokyo, Joint Group Managing Director (JGMD) at Woods Bagot, Ross Donaldson, tabled a solution to empower the design industry to defy sustainable ignorance and meet the climate change challenge.
Empowerhouse Wins Affordability Contest at Solar Decathlon
Empowerhouse, the team of students from Parsons The New School for Design, Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy at The New School, and Stevens Institute of Technology, were named the winners of the first contest announced in the Solar Decathlon competition in the category of affordability.
Teewave AR.1 Electric Sportscar
Gordon Murray Design and Toray today unveiled a prototype electric sports car named Teewave AR.1
Recipients of the 2011 USGBC Leadership Awards
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has named the recipients of its 2011 Leadership Awards.
Herman Miller Honored for Sustainable Performance
Herman Miller has once again been recognized as a leader in corporate sustainability by The Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World). This marks the eighth consecutive year Herman Miller has been placed on the DJSI World.
AIGA LA (Re)xtravaganza
AIGA LA (Re)xtravaganza is a blowout celebration, acknowledging the international AIGA (Re)designAward winners for the best design thinking in sustainable and socially responsible design.
IDC Invests in Sustainable Education: LCA Calculator for Academic Institutions
Industrial Design Consultancy (IDC), has just released an Academic version of the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) Calculator.
BMW Concept e
At the Frankfurt International Motor Show, BMW unveiled its latest design concept in electromobility area.
Autodesk Offers Free Materials on Net-Zero Energy Buildings, Greener Materials and Energy Efficiency
Autodesk introduced new educational content that addresses high-performance building strategies, materials selection and energy effectiveness through the company's online educational resource, The Autodesk Sustainability Workshop.
Forward Motion: Advancing Mobility in California and Quebec
A convergence of circumstances, including energy security, climate change and air quality concerns, have led to a rapid push toward sustainable transportation.
Hanwha Solar Becomes Lead Sponsor of the SCI-Arc/Caltech Team for Solar Decathlon 2011
The Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) announced that China-based Hanwha Solar made a $350,000 cash gift to the SCI-Arc/Caltech entry to the U.S. Department of Energy's 2011 Solar Decathlon.
Opel One Euro Car: Lightweight Electric Vehicle
The One Euro Car from Opel is a revolutionary concept for zero-emission urban mobility.
Winners of the EESC Design Eleven Competition: Ageless Design
The second edition of the EESC Design Eleven competition is ready to reward the best innovative and sustainable design project and packaging.
The Carbon Age Begins: Start of Carbon Fiber Production for BMW i3 and BMW i8
SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers - a joint venture of SGL Group and the BMW Group - today officially opened its new state-of-the-art carbon fiber manufacturing plant in Moses Lake, WA.
Stem: New Eco-friendly Vacuum Design
Cambridge Consultants has developed a new "eco-vacuum" concept called Stem that would use 43% less energy than the average vacuum cleaner while maintaining the same cleaning performance.
No More Green Wash
Are you worried about the amount of rubbish in your bin at the end of the week? Do you lament at the amount of plastic not plankton in the ocean? Do you feel yourself harden against the worry every time the polar ice caps are mentioned?
Results of the Design for the Real World Redux Competition
The Museum of Arts and Design in New York, the Victor J. Papanek Foundation at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, and the Austrian Cultural Forum New York announced the finalists and winners of the Design for the Real World - inaugural competition supporting environmentally sustainable and socially responsible design.
Sustainability by Design: Call for Case Studies
The AIA New York Chapter is offering a 5 part workshop series of Continuing Education Programs providing a detailed look at sustainable design in the New York region.
USGBC Joins Global Reporting Initiative as an Organizational Stakeholder
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has joined the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) as an Organizational Stakeholder (OS), becoming a member of GRI's global network of organizations and companies that are committed to transparency, accountability and sustainable development.
Green Lite Motors Produces Hybrid Vehicle Combining Car Comfort with a Breakthrough in Fuel Efficiency
Green Lite Motors, a clean technology company developing new transportation alternatives for commuters, is using Autodesk Product Design Suite from Autodesk, to more efficiently design a three-wheeled hybrid vehicle capable of traveling 100 miles on a single gallon of gas, as well as achieving highway-ready speeds of 85 miles per hour and a cruising range of 250 miles.
Cut the Crap: How to Develop Greener, Lower-Cost Products
Would you like to learn more about designing and engineering waste out of your products while reducing cost?
BMW i: A New Understanding of Mobility
BMW i is about the development of visionary vehicles and mobility services, inspiring design and a new understanding of premium that is strongly defined by sustainability.
Nationwide Sustainable Housing Competition 2011
Nationwide Building Society has launched the 2011 Nationwide Sustainable Housing Competition, in partnership with RIBA Competitions.
Colors 81: Transport - a Survival Guide
How do you make a boat from garbage? How do you carry fifteen people on a motorbike? How do you build a submarine in your attic?
Sustainable Innovation 2011: State of the Art in Sustainable Innovation & Design
Sustainable Innovation 2011 will provide a platform to discuss the opportunities and challenges related to sustainable innovation, technology, product and service design and development.
Beyond Design Wins Green Good Design Award for Aero PakMat
Beyond Design recently won a Green Good Design Award for their design of the Aero PakMat.
Alessi Wins Two Green Good Design Awards
Alessi received two Green Good Design Awards from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, for the "Seed safe" designed by Marti Guixe, and the "Blow up - Bamboo collection" designed by the Campana Brothers.
Sustainable Lessons From Around the World
Paula Rache and Aart van Bezooyen are two designers traveling around the world in search for sustainable solutions in materials and design.
Vax ev: World's First Cardboard Vacuum Cleaner
Vax is championing young British design talent by producing the world's first cardboard vacuum cleaner, designed by Loughborough University student, Jake Tyler.
RIBA 2011 National Conference Programme
A season of national conferences aimed at enhancing architects' skills and business prospects has been announced today by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
Early Napa Valley Winery Saved and Converted to Vintner Organization Offices
The Jackse Winery, one of St. Helena's oldest wood-framed winery buildings, has recently been restored and expanded to serve as the permanent offices for the Napa Valley Vintners, a non-profit organization responsible for protecting and promoting the smaller wineries in this premier winegrowing region.
Energy-Generating Algae to Power 1960s-Era GSA Office Building in LA
Architects and engineers from HOK / Vanderweil showcased their creativity and sustainable design expertise with a winning net zero building retrofit design in Metropolis magazine's Next Generation Design Competition 2011.
Measuring Industry Progress Towards AIA 2030 Carbon Reduction Goal
In 2009 the American Institute of Architects (AIA) introduced the 2030 Commitment Program, a voluntary initiative for AIA member firms and other entities in the built environment that asks these organizations to make a pledge, develop multi-year action plans, and implement steps that can advance AIA's goal of carbon neutral buildings by the year 2030.
Antares: Photovoltaic Charging Station Designed by Pininfarina for Metalco
Pininfarina introduced Antares, a photovoltaic charging station for Metalco, during the MoTechEco of Rome, the Sustainable Mobility Show hosted on the premises of Rome's Environment Department.
H2Hotel by David Baker Partners
H2, a new eco-conscious hotel designed by David Baker + Partners, has recently opened its doors to guests.
The Green Ribbon Program to Advance Sustainable Schools
The Green Ribbon Schools program will recognize schools that have taken great strides in greening their curricula, buildings, school grounds and overall building operations.
LMN Wins National AIA COTE Award for LEED Platinum Certified Vancouver Convention Centre Project
LMN-designed Vancouver Convention Centre West (VCCW) has been selected as one of the Top Ten Green Projects awarded by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on the Environment (COTE).
New York School of Interior Design to Present Green Design Awards
For the third consecutive year, the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID) will present the Green Design Awards on May 4, to acknowledge individuals and businesses who have made outstanding contributions toward advancing the cause of sustainable design.
Guide to 311 Green Colleges: Downloadable Book Profiles Most Environmentally Responsible Colleges
As the nation gears up to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, The Princeton Review, in collaboration with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), released the second annual edition of its unique, free guidebook saluting the nation's most environmentally responsible "green colleges."
AIA Guide for Sustainable Projects
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) will release AIA Document D503-2011, Guide for Sustainable Projects, including Agreement Amendments and Supplementary Conditions ("Guide"), in May 2011.
OpenGreen: Centre for Sustainable Design Offers SMEs Free Brainstorming Session
OpenGreen is a one day open innovation workshop aimed at identifying new income generating opportunities for more sustainable products, services and product-services.
Herman Miller Wins Social Innovation Award for Best Sustainability Performance
Herman Miller has won a 2011 Social Innovation award for making substantial gains in reducing its CO2 footprint, while maintaining a strong financial performance over the past year.
10,000 LEED-certified Home Milestone: Green Home Building Continues to Flourish
More than 10,000 homes across the U.S. have earned LEED certification through the LEED for Homes program, according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
Victor J. Papanek Social Design Award: Design for the Real World Redux
The Museum of Arts and Design in New York City in partnership with the Victor J. Papanek Foundation at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and the Austrian Cultural Forum New York announced: Design for the Real World Redux, an international design competition, and the launch of the Victor J. Papanek Social Design Award.
AIA Reiterates Top Five Proposals for Increasing Energy Efficiency
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) today reacted to President Obama's proposals for increasing the nation's energy security by reiterating its top five energy conservation legislative priorities.