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Top 10 eco-friendly designs for the environmentalist in you

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Our unhealthy practices and way of living are truly harmful to the environment and have been slowly leading to its deterioration. And the world has been changing (for the worse) because of this. Hence, it is extremely important to live sustainably and consciously and to take care of the environment. Designers and creators are coming up with eco-friendly alternatives for almost everything. Every product that is necessary and utilized by us in our everyday routine has a green alternative to it. Replacing our usual mass-produced designs with these eco-friendly options will make a huge difference to the environment and Mother Earth. From soap packaging made using artichoke waste to eco-friendly iPhone 14 cases – we’ve curated a whole collection of sustainable product designs to help you go green!

1. The Kreis Cup

Meet the Kreis Cup, a coffee cup that’s sustainable, durable, and designed to enhance your coffee-drinking experience! Available in a cup and travel-mug styles, the Kreis Cup is a reusable cup made from used coffee grounds and plant-based materials, free of petroleum-based plastics.

Why is it noteworthy?

It is heat resistant and designed to keep your coffee hot longer. That being said, the Kreis Cup is still ultimately biodegradable, unlike the plastic-based to-go mugs you get at your local cafe or the breakable ceramic mugs you use at home. Once it reaches the end of its lifespan, the Kreis Cup disintegrates easily into the soil, leaving absolutely nothing behind.

What we like

  • Made from spent coffee grounds that have been dried, treated, and then suspended in a natural, plant-based polymer
  • Has the faint, unmistakable scent of coffee

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

2. Float

At first glance, this product concept to help kids eat and finish their food seems to have no connection to picky eating. Float looks like regular food storage that kids can bring to school but upon closer inspection, it is a bit more interesting.

Why is it noteworthy?

The shape of the container is inspired by a ship and that’s where the helping picky eaters comes in. Before starting to eat, parents are encouraged to talk to their kids about the perils of leftover food. After eating, you can then float the container in water and depending on how much leftover food is there inside, the ship will lose its balance and sink or if they finished everything, it will float. This gives a bit of interactivity in trying to convince kids to eat all of their food.

What we like

  • Made from sustainable materials
  • Kids will have fun in assembling and disassembling the container

What we dislike

  • Not sure if this will actually convince kids to eat food that they may not always like

3. Packioli

A Turkish designer was able to come up with soap packaging called ‘Packioli‘ that is both hygienic and non-plastic and therefore more eco-friendly. One thing missing from most similar products is convenience and she was able to add it to this as well.

Why is it noteworthy?

She used artichoke leaves and combined them with peapod bioplastics in order to create packaging that commercial soap brands can actually use if they really wanted to be more eco-conscious in creating their products.

What we like

  • The packaging itself can last for a week if it gets wet and afterward, it starts disintegrating in the water

What we dislike

  • People may find the look of the packaging a bit eccentric and odd

4. Remix Maison

Remix Maison is a collaboration between designer Irina Flore and Native Shoes using the latter’s material called Native Shoes Remix. This proprietary material is made from repurposed footwear, specifically using EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) and rubber.

Why is it noteworthy?

The shoes that are no longer in use are cleaned and then ground into a new kind of material and then used for other purposes. The sculptural structures also use metal for their frame. For this particular collection, they have created a piece of furniture that also looks like a piece of art.

What we like

  • Created from repurposed materials
  • Sturdy and ergonomic

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

5. CoffeeB

Swedish coffee brand CoffeeB has come up with a coffee machine that uses eco-friendly single-serve Coffee Balls. So basically it’s similar to the coffee pod machines except this one doesn’t have any plastic pods or capsules so you don’t contribute to the world’s plastic waste.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Coffee Balls can last up to three months at room temperature or if you store it in your ref. And after you use them, they can be turned into compost or natural fertilizer for your home plants and gardens. In case you don’t know how to use them post-coffee, the machine comes with instructions and guides on how to properly recycle them.

What we like

  • Made from partially-recycled materials
  • The coffee grounds used are certified organic and Fair Trade

What we dislike

  • Not sure if the packaging could affect the flavor of the coffee

6. Mujjo

Mujjo has created a collection of luxurious cases for the iPhone 14! The cases are supposed to be the company’s most eco-friendly ones to date.

Why is it noteworthy?

The cases are created from Ecco Leather, which is now Gold Rated by the Leather Working Group. The beautiful vegetable-tanned leather is produced in the Netherlands and provides a durable finish that will develop a patina over time, making each individual case unique. The interior of the case is lined with the finest Japanese microfibre – which is slim, lightweight, and yet extremely strong.

What we like

  • A raised bump around the rear camera provides great protection to the protruding lenses
  • The leather subtly rises 1mm above the edge of the glass, creating a raised bezel, which ensures abrasive surfaces are kept away from the screen

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

7. The Third Size

The Third Size is a product concept that utilizes rice straw to create not just the tissue but the boxes they come in as well. As anyone who has lived without a bidet or who suffers from various allergies and sicknesses, tissue paper is among the most used materials. In reality, just a small part of it is used and the rest is discarded. Re-using it comes with so many hygiene and medical issues. Some of them come in disposable boxes so the container is also part of the waste.

Why is it noteworthy?

Using biodegradable and recyclable materials like rice straw can help in limiting wastage. Third Size is a multi-size carton that can hold replaceable tissue packs. The different-sized holes let you choose which size tissue you’ll be needing, whether to blow your nose, wipe off a table, or do your business in the bathroom. The box is sturdy enough to be re-used several times over and can even be used as a container for other stuff if you have no need for tissue paper.

What we like

  • Helps in limit wastage
  • The box is sturdy enough to be re-used several times over

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

8. B-Wise

Unveiled this year at the Dutch Design Week, ‘B-Wise’ is a uniquely grungy-looking lampshade that’s actually made from mycelium – the vegetative part of a mushroom or fungus that often grows underneath the surface while we just notice the mushroom caps that make their way through the ground or tree bark.

Why is it noteworthy?

The pendant lamp, which measures an impressive 60cm wide, comes with a grungy appearance that is unique to each lamp. To make each lamp, the designers at Myceen take an empty mold and fill it with mycelium along with waste organic material from the timber and agricultural industry including sawdust and straw for the mycelium to feed on. In a matter of just 5 weeks, the mycelium grows into the shape of the mold and is then de-molded and dehydrated to prevent any further growth.

What we like

  • Unique grungy appearance

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

9. Kudarat

Meet Kudarat, a leather alternative synthesized using algae, food & fiber waste. Created by Divya Verma of the National Institute of Design in India, Kudarat bases itself on the concepts of circularity & sustainability, targeting SDGs (sustainable development goals).

Why is it noteworthy?

Kudarat leather resembles animal leather but is cruelty-free, waterproof, compostable, antimicrobial, and possesses good tensile strength, making it perfect for practical applications. It secured the National Runner-Up position at this year’s James Dyson Awards, narrowly being beaten by a design for a reusable EpiPen.

What we like

  • They’re dyed using natural colors derived from food and flower waste
  • The leather looks feels and lasts as long as traditional animal-hide

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

10. Airy

The award-winning prototype Airy is a lightweight, comfortable, fashionable, and even sustainable kind of brace to correct the lateral curvature of the spine.

Why is it noteworthy?

The designer actually created this after talking with a group of adolescent girls, which is the demographic most affected by scoliosis. She tried to solve the pain points of the current back braces available in the market and came up with something that is not just comfortable but adjusts to the still-growing bodies of its users.

What we like

  • The prototype is made from translucent polylactic acid (PLA) and its padding has a Voronoi pattern not just for aesthetics but to let the brace breathe

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

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Decorative chair made of now-useless CDs and DVDs give off colorful sheen

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How you react to CDs or compact discs probably depends on how old you are. It can range from nostalgia to “what’s a CD??” but we all probably know that this is mostly, already a thing of the past. There are still probably a lot of CDs lying around and because of their material, they’re just going to the trash heap and stay there for a long time. Fortunately, there are still people out there who are still thinking of ways to recycle and up-cycle things like these.

Designer: Boris Dennler

One such person is a Swedish designer that was able to create something called Compact Disc Chair which is made up of, you guessed it, around 887 deformed CDs and DVDs. Obviously, this is not something you can actually sit in for a long period of time but is more like a think piece or a work of art to be displayed and marveled at. And if you were born in the recent decade or so, this is probably something that you’ll consider an archaeological piece.

The designer experimented with various ways of heating and deforming the plastic materials of the discs. They fixed it with screws and then glued onto the frame which was a wooden skeleton cut by a digital mill. Because the discs are originally circular, the final output has the look of a combination of fish-scale, chain-mail, and mesh pattern. It is of course multi-colored so when the sunlight hits it, you get an iridescent chair that gives off all the sparkling colors you want.

It’s not a chair built for comfort of course but more like a masterpiece of something from “days past”. For the past 17 years or so, these items have lost their purpose and all that are practically useless now can find some purpose by creating things like this chair instead of just lying in trash heaps because of its plastic material. Whether other designers can create something a bit more useful is something we should probably wish for.

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Canadian company turns used chopsticks into furniture, homeware

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While I would most of the time use a pair of spoon and fork to eat my meals, I am also very partial to using chopsticks whenever I can. I have my favorite pair at home but when I eat out at East Asian restaurants, most of the time they use disposable chopsticks. Just like with a lot of disposable things, these contribute to so much waste globally, with 80 billion pairs being used and thrown away each year. One solution is of course to use a reusable pair and bring it with you wherever you go. But how to go about making sure those thrown away can still be salvaged somehow?

Designer: ChopValue

A Canadian company has actually been trying to do something about all these used, disposable chopsticks. They have been collecting the used ones from restaurants in Vancouver and then turning them into furniture like tables, which is a good way for the chopsticks to sort of come full circle. They are also used to create decorative pieces and even other homeware you may need in the living room or kitchen. They would fit right in with your wood aesthetics if that’s what you’re sporting.

Of course they have to do something more to it than just building furniture since the used chopsticks themselves will grow mold and bacteria over the years. So they developed a proprietary process that involves coating them in water-based resin and then placing them in an industrial oven and “bake” them for around five hours. After that, they are broken down and built into a composite board. Before turning them into furniture or other materials, they are sanded and lacquered. In keeping with the eco-friendly nature, the entire process is chemical-free and therefore the final products are non-toxic.

One of the work desks that they created actually used more than 10,000 chopsticks. Since they collect an average of 350,000 chopsticks per week in Vancouver alone, there should be enough chopstick waste to go around. Hopefully, other cities or parts of the world where they throw away a lot of these disposable utensils will be able to adopt something like this just to make sure that they are not left in the garbage landfills to just rot away.

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Remix Maison is a piece of eco-friendly art and functional furniture

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When I see all my old shoes that cannot be worn properly anymore, I sometimes wonder if there’s a way to recycle or up-cycle them so I don’t have to just add them to the growing pile of trash. The good news is that there are a lot of people who think about problems like this and come up with amazing products that use repurposed and eco-friendly materials. Even better, the things that they come up with not only look good but are also pretty useful.

Designer: Irina Flore

Remix Maison is a collaboration between designer Irina Flore and Native Shoes using the latter’s material called Native Shoes Remix. This proprietary material is made from repurposed footwear, specifically using EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) and rubber. The shoes that are no longer in use are cleaned and then ground into a new kind of material and then used for other purposes. The sculptural structures also use metal for its frame. For this particular collection, they have created a piece of furniture that also looks like a piece of art.

The bench designs come in different kinds of seemingly abstract shapes but they are all fully functional, multi-purpose, and of course, very eco-friendly. It is meant to be placed in small spaces and near entryways or anywhere in your space that you want to display something nice. But it’s not just for display. It also can be a seat for one person, a tray for items like keys or notebooks or alcohol (the sanitizing kind), a holder for a pair of shoes or slippers, or a hanger for your coat.

The form of the items in the collection are based on conceptual drawings by Flore and are actually pretty decorative and colorful, also because of the material used. Each piece is designed to reflect more modern sensibilities but also, because of the repurposed materials used, it also makes us more aware of the way we consume things. And since it’s built to hold some of the most important things we use, it also makes us think about our every day actions and the things that we need to function.

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Eco-friendly coffee capsule machine uses coffee balls that can be turned into compost

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As a certified coffee addict (I’m on my 3rd cup today!), I have all kinds of coffee stuff in my kitchen, aside from often going out for my coffee fix. One of my favorite devices is my coffee capsule machine since it’s quick and easy to use. What’s bad about it is that it’s not the most environmentally friendly as the single use coffee capsules are pretty wasteful and cannot be recycled or upcycled. I often feel guilty when using it so I rarely do and stick to my relatively more eco-friendly french press and pour over. But what if there’s something similar to a coffee capsule but is more sustainable?

Designer: CoffeeB

Swedish coffee brand CoffeeB has come up with a coffee machine that uses eco-friendly single-serve Coffee Balls. So basically it’s similar to the coffee pod machines except this one doesn’t have any plastic pods or capsules so you don’t contribute to the world’s plastic waste. You won’t feel guilty using these single-serve energy balls if you need a quick caffeine jolt and you have no patience for the slower coffee machines that you normally use.

Don’t worry, you’re still getting actual ground coffee beans and not the instant ones that true-blue coffee lovers detest. These coffee beans are made round by an almost invisible outer casing that is made from seaweed. Hopefully the packaging doesn’t actually affect the taste since I’m not sure I would actually like seaweed-flavored coffee. They did say the casing is flavorless as well as transparent and food-safe. The roast type is etched on the casing.

The Coffee Balls can last up to three months at room temperature or if you store it in your ref. And after you use them, they can be turned into compost or natural fertilizer for your home plants and gardens. In case you don’t know how to use them post-coffee, the machine comes with instructions and guides on how to properly recycle them. The machine itself is made from partially-recycled materials and the coffee grounds used are certified organic and Fair Trade.

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This eco-friendly heater judiciously uses cooking oil to keep indoors cozy warm

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When reducing carbon footprint and eco-friendly products are on your top priority list, a biofuel powered heater is what fits the bill. This sturdily build heater for modern homes is ultra-mobile and suffices your interior heating requirements for the winter season in the most sustainable way possible.

The creator of the Bio Heater is South Korea based industrial design consultancy Unichest for their client Flint Lab. The latter have found a novel way to make judicious use of all the cooking oil that otherwise is as good as waste after use. Target market for this particular prototype is majorly going to be the rural areas and farms where dirty kerosene and coal-fired heaters still dot the landscape.

Designer: Unichest

The good thing about waste cooking oil, plant oil, coffee oil, animal fat or microalgae oil is their property to be produced at low cost sans any additional processing requirements – thereby saving time and money. Flint Lab leverages this goodness to produce eco-friendly fuel for the Bio Heater. Unique combustion technology under the belly of this heater is used to transfer heat energy that’s further radiated in the room. According to Flint Lab, households in Asian cities employ coal stoves which are a nemesis for the worsening air pollution situation. As per a 2016 research by University of British Columbia, at least 5.5 million people succumb this air pollution in countries like China and India

Bio Heater is based on easy parts composition and manufacturing methods to put forth a neat and minimalistic design that blends perfectly with the traditional home setups. As Flint assures, the combustion engine burns contaminants in exhausted gas to significantly reduce the amount of soot generated. The chunky wheels on the front make the thing ultra-movable just like a wheelbarrow. Rounded top can be used to place things when not in use or even heating eatable during the winter season since we’re talking about energy conservation most of the times.

Steel is the primary material used in the construction to keep things lightweight and sturdy. The designers – Cho Sunghwan, Lee Sooyeol, Park Yeongeun, Yang Sihoon, and Lee Hyunju – offer this unique heater in colors including black, silver and orange to keep modern buyers interested.

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Eco-sustainable pods can be a workspace in the middle of nature

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Having an enclosed space in the middle of a forest may be a dream come true for some people. I wouldn’t want to live there of course but it would be a good place to get away every once in a while and breathe in nature, literally. And if the said space is eco-sustainable and made from sustainable materials, that is definitely a plus, or rather a requirement. If you could bring said space outside of the forest to the concrete jungle, then that would be an ideal product.

Designer: Giancarlo Zema Design Group

Originally, the SEED Room was created to be part of the Trees Breathing Experience, located in a forest of Paulownia trees. The trees are connected to IoT sensors so they can track how these trees, which trap 50 tons of CO2 every year, have impacted the real world. The sensors send the data to machine-learning algorithms, arranged as digital avatars in blockchain, and then displayed in the pods where people can stay in the forest.

The eco-sustainable pods are made from the Paulownia trees that surround it, which can absorb 10 times more CO2 than most other trees. It is also shaped like a seed, hence the name. It is 25 square meters and also has 25 square meters of solar panels so it is self-sustaining. Even the furnishings inside of the SEED Room is made from recycled cardboard from Origami Furniture. Each unit is 98% recyclable and has internal micro-ventilation and cooling systems. This means they are considered low-consumption residential habitats.

You can make the pod a living space or a workspace and can be recreated for other places, whether in the middle of nature just like the Trees Breathing Experience or in eco-resorts or even in spaces where there is no nature around. But for its original purpose, they used special sensors connected to trees and the movement will create original music. They also created aromatherapy that’s inspired by the trees’ flowers, leaves, and bark.

This is not just an eco-sustainable space that you can use but it’s part of a climate initiative that will show the ecological and economic value of plants like the Paulownia trees. Well, that is if you still need more evidence that having more trees is important.

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The Tesla of prefabricated homes + more eco-friendly designs that are the future of architecture

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With the world turning topsy turvy since the pandemic hit us, living in a sustainable, conscious, and smart manner has never been more imperative. The architecture around us should seamlessly integrate with, and nourish the planet, not drain her resources and reduce her lifespan. Being at one with Planet Earth, while taking rigorous care of her has never been more of a priority. In an effort to encourage an eco-friendly way of life, sustainable and eco-friendly architecture has been gaining immense popularity among architects! Architects have been designing sustainable homes, cabins, hotels, and even floating cities! These architectural designs aim to harmoniously merge with nature, co-existing with it in peace, and allowing us to live in equilibrium with the environment. They reduce their carbon footprint and encourage a green and clean lifestyle. And, not to mention they’re aesthetically and visually pleasing as well! From the ‘Telsa of prefabricated homes’ to the world’s first floating city in South Korea – these architectural designs will convert you into sustainable architecture advocates!

1. OM-1

Don’t you just wish sometimes that you could “build” a house online and then order it just the way you like it? Well, now you actually can to some extent as a company called Dimensions X is aiming to be the Tesla of prefabricated homes. Plus, just like the environmentally friendly car company whose model they are following, the houses they will be offering homes that are energy efficient and will offer less carbon footprint.

Why is it noteworthy?

Australian entrepreneur Oscar Martin partnered with architect Peter Stutchbury to create a company that can offer people their prefabricated homes with a few clicks on their website. The process isn’t yet as simple as ordering a Tesla but they do have an online configurator that will tell you how much it will cost you as soon as you build your prefab home and make certain changes to it. There are modules and elements that you can modify to make it your own.

What we like

  • An energy-efficient home with a small carbon footprint
  • You can choose things like the length and size of the entire house as well as placements of doors and windows, finishes, orientations, and other elements that you can personalize

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

2. Wattle Bank Home

Situated on a plot of land on Amy’s parents’ farm, the couple’s Wattle Bank home was designed and built by the modular home building company, Modhouse, founded by Amy’s parents Mark and Melissa Plank. Each 20-foot shipping container that comprises the tiny home connects to one another via integrated passageways. These hallways also help make the most of the available living space by hosting utility rooms, like the laundry and entryways. Throughout the home, floor-to-ceiling entryways and windows give the feeling of indoor-outdoor living, adding some extra space to the interior as well.

Why is it noteworthy?

While downsizing our lifestyle requires letting go of many luxury comforts, it also makes room for simpler life pleasures. Sure, getting rid of the pool might hurt a little, but more green space allows for more plant cultivation and harvesting. For one Australian couple, Amy Plank and Richard Vaughan, downsizing meant disbanding from domestic duties for the freedom to surf, garden, and enjoy nature whenever and however they like. Hoping to make their dream of a downsized, sustainable lifestyle a new reality, Plank and Vaughan found the freedom they hoped for in shipping container architecture. Merging three shipping containers together to form a 530-square-foot tiny home, Plank’s and Vaughan’s Wattle Bank home fits the bill.

What we like

  • Provides a feeling of indoor-outdoor living
  • Built using eco-friendly materials

What we dislike

  • Not much to distinguish it from other shipping container-based architecture out there

3. Shell House

Japanese architect Tono Mirai is known as the pioneer of something called “earth architecture,” and his latest creation, Shell House, is a cabin in the middle of the forest that seems to have sprouted out of the ground. The 625-square-foot cabin is in the forested mountains of Karuizawa, Nagano, with a view of Mount Asana, Honshu’s most active volcano.

Why is it noteworthy?

It is a shell-shaped structure with the west and north elevations closed while the east and south sides are open. The house is elevated four feet above the ground so moisture won’t seep in and over the years, the materials used will develop a rich patina.

What we like

  • Built using local timbers like Japanese red pine, cypress, and cedar
  • Aims to “evoke the life force of nature”
  • The entire house is able to adjust or respond to weather conditions, whether it’s the humid summers or the freezing winters

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

4. The Rain Harvest Home

Even though I know I will probably never be able to live in one, I definitely like looking at homes that are located in the middle of nature. Of course, it still needs to have some kind of modern conveniences as a city girl like me still loves her creature comforts. But the idea of living in a luxurious but eco-friendly home near mountains and trees and rivers has a certain, romantic appeal, even if that will most likely remain just a dream.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Rain Harvest Home seems to meet all of the criteria I was mentioning above as it is located in a nature reserve in Valle Bravo, just two hours away from Mexico City. It’s actually more than just a house, although the house itself is already pretty amazing in itself. It also has an architect’s studio and a detached bathhouse just a few steps away from the main house.

What we like

  • A green roof that seems to be hovering above the house
  • Net-zero structure

What we dislike

  • The raw and unpolished aesthetics may not appeal to everyone

5. OCEANIX Busan

OCEANIX Busan Sustainable Flowting Cities

OCEANIX Busan Project

Oceanix has showcased a prototype of a floating city. It’s a project of the developer firm together with the United Nations and the Busan city government. The floating city is a more resilient and sustainable version of the key shipping hub.

Why is it noteworthy?

Officially called OCEANIX Busan, the floating city is an upcoming destination for visitors and travelers. It’s a unique tourist site that offers organic dining from local restaurants, harbor-view guestrooms, skylit greenhouse amenities, and communal terraces. There are eco-retail options on the elongated ground level, complete with waterfront views. All these can be found in the Lodging Platform which is just one of the many platforms available in the floating city.

What we like

  • Food is grown in the garden right on the hydroponic towers available
  • Sustainable, adaptable, and scalable

What we dislike

  • It’s still a concept!

6. Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex

Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex, comprised of five sustainable green towers, was built to mitigate the effects of urbanization and fight for the environmental survival of our cities.

Why is it noteworthy?

As our cities become increasingly popular destinations for younger generations, the need to introduce sustainable and biophilic architecture has never felt more urgent. As we face urban expansion and densification, architects are taking initiative to ensure the environmental survival of our contemporary cities. Italian architect Stefano Boeri has found promise in vertical city forest complexes, a form of biophilic architecture that incorporates teeming greenery into the very structure of residential buildings. Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex is Boeri’s latest sustainable undertaking, a forest complex in Huanggang, Hubei, China “intended to create a completely innovative green space for the city.”

What we like

  • 404 different trees fill out the layout of Easyhome, absorbing 22 tons of carbon dioxide and producing 11 tons of oxygen over the span of a year
  • Increases biodiversity by attracting new bird and insect species

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

7. The Pied-à-Mer

If you had to spend a sufficient amount of time on a ship, you would want to have pretty comfortable lodgings. Alas, not all of us could afford to go on luxurious cruises let alone go on a private cruise aboard a luxury line. But that doesn’t mean we can’t dream or marvel at what glorious living conditions are out there for those who can afford to do so. This pre-fabricated holiday apartment is one such thing we can only wonder about unless you can someday go aboard the largest private cruise ship in the world.

Why is it noteworthy?

Inspired by the Unite D’Habitation housing typology by Swiss-French architect and designer Le Corbusier, the Pied-à-Mer is a 600-square foot luxury holiday apartment on a private cruise ship. As expected of course, it has a nautical theme but with midcentury, modernist influences. It starts out as a one-bedroom living space but can morph into a two-bedroom space for when they get visits from friends or family members.

What we like

  • Prefab design
  • Nautical-inspired aesthetics

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

8. Redukt’s tiny home on wheels

Poland-based Redukt built a tiny home on wheels that combines simplistic design with a clever layout to produce a mobile tiny home ideal for a family of four traveling through backcountry roads on a summer vacation.

Why is it noteworthy?

Poland-based Redukt, a tiny mobile home company, found sophistication and an open-plan layout through simplistic and versatile design for their off-grid-prepared tiny home on wheels. Prepared for all elements, Redukt’s tiny home on wheels is thermalized with oiled pine boards that give the home a tidy, yet natural personality. Dissolving the barrier between the outdoors and interior space, the tiny home comes with twin glass doors that are just short of reaching floor-to-ceiling heights.

What we like

  • Prepared for all four seasons through the home’s roof topped off with galvanized metal sheets
  • Outfitted with all the elements necessary for off-grid living

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

9. St. Andrews Beach House

St Andrews Beach House Cover

St Andrews Beach House Design View

With just an hour’s drive, you can go from Melbourne to the Mornington Peninsula and spend a few days near the water in a house that doesn’t have hallways and corners.

Why is it noteworthy?

The absence of hallways isn’t just what makes this house unique. It’s a perfect circle. It’s also many things that are unusual. The location of this house alone, St. Andrews Beach, makes it already a winner. It’s an ideal coastal getaway destination which made the owners, a couple who loves the beach, decide on the property. The Andrew Maynard Architects firm was tapped to design the St. Andrews Beach house. It now stands as one of the many spectacular houses in the area. It has quickly become a popular fixture in the landscape even with its size and location, as well as, integration with the environment.

What we like

  • Absence of hallways
  • Unique circular form
  • Built from eco-friendly materials

What we dislike

  • There isn’t much to see or explore in the area – which could be an issue for some

10. SAWA

SAWA, designed by Mei Architects and Planners, won the Experimental Future Projects category in the World Architecture Festival 2021. The apartment building drips with green roofs and balcony plantings. It is also Rotterdam’s first 50-meter-high residential building. The design beat out seven other nominated projects for the top prize in the category.

Why is it noteworthy?

The building is called the healthiest building in the Netherlands. It is designed to prove that humans can live and build in a sustainable way. The plan for the building intentionally reduced the approved volume of the zoning plan model with a stepped exterior. SAWA will house about 100 apartments, with a large communal deck on the first floor plus numerous terraces. The column structure within the building allows apartments to be rearranged in the future, which helps future-proof the building for multiple uses.

What we like

  • Focuses on circular timber construction, biodiversity, and healthy communities with ample planting space
  • Built with an aim to reduce CO2 emissions and help achieve national and international climate goals

What we dislike

  • No complaints!

The post The Tesla of prefabricated homes + more eco-friendly designs that are the future of architecture first appeared on Yanko Design.

Homes designed to help you achieve an eco-friendly + green lifestyle

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With the world turning topsy turvy since the pandemic hit us, living in a sustainable, conscious, and smart manner has never been more imperative. Our homes should seamlessly integrate with, and nourish the planet, not drain her resources and reduce her lifespan. Being at one with Planet Earth, while taking rigorous care of her has never been more of a priority. In an effort to encourage an eco-friendly way of life, sustainable and eco-friendly architecture has been gaining immense popularity among architects! Architects have been designing sustainable homes. These homes aim to harmoniously merge with nature, co-existing with it in peace, and allowing us to live in equilibrium with the environment. They reduce their carbon footprint and encourage a green and clean lifestyle. And, not to mention they’re aesthetically and visually pleasing as well! From a tiny home composed of 2 shipping containers and is designed for off-grid living to a compact home that finds harmony in New Zealand’s landscape – these amazing homes will convert you into sustainable architecture advocates!

1. Wattle Bank Home

Situated on a plot of land on Amy’s parents’ farm, the couple’s Wattle Bank home was designed and built by the modular home building company, Modhouse, founded by Amy’s parents Mark and Melissa Plank. Each 20-foot shipping container that comprises the tiny home connects to one another via integrated passageways. These hallways also help make the most of the available living space by hosting utility rooms, like the laundry and entryways. Throughout the home, floor-to-ceiling entryways and windows give the feeling of indoor-outdoor living, adding some extra space to the interior as well.

Why is it noteworthy?

While downsizing our lifestyle requires letting go of many luxury comforts, it also makes room for simpler life pleasures. Sure, getting rid of the pool might hurt a little, but more green space allows for more plant cultivation and harvesting. For one Australian couple, Amy Plank and Richard Vaughan, downsizing meant disbanding from domestic duties for the freedom to surf, garden, and enjoy nature whenever and however they like. Hoping to make their dream of a downsized, sustainable lifestyle a new reality, Plank and Vaughan found the freedom they hoped for in shipping container architecture. Merging three shipping containers together to form a 530-square-foot tiny home, Plank’s and Vaughan’s Wattle Bank home fits the bill.

What we like

  • Provides a feeling of indoor-outdoor living
  • Built using eco-friendly materials

What we dislike

  • Not much to distinguish it from other shipping container-based architecture out there

2. Piaule

Garrison Architects created 24 prefabricated cabins in the Catskill Mountains. Deemed Piaule, the 50-acre boutique resort consists of cabins elevated on stilts. The property also includes a communal lodge with a lounge and restaurant, a sunken spa, and a wellness space.

Why is it noteworthy?

The resort is located on a beautiful site that includes state-protected wetlands, a seasonal stream, and stunning views of the surrounding Catskill Mountains and Kaaterskill Grove. The hotel was built while attempting to preserve the nature of the land, hence it takes up only 5 acres of the otherwise 50-acre property.

What we like

  • Interiors are made from materials that are local and native to the area
  • The cabins are constructed around existing trees

What we dislike

No complaints!

3. Koto Design x Adobu’s prefab home

Based in the English seaside village of Westward Ho!, the architecture studio Koto Design captures the mellow vibe of a day spent at the seashore and translates it into a home space. Inspired by Scandinavian simplicity and Japanese minimalism, the result comes through breezy, open floor layouts and organic building materials.

Why is it noteworthy?

The architecture studio is known for its extensive catalog of sustainable, prefabricated tiny homes that can be transported to locations across the globe. In a recent collaboration with the USA-based, backyard home-building company Adobu, the two studios worked together to construct a tiny, prefabricated home that marries Scandinavian design with a Californian twist.

What we like

  • Provides a semi-outdoor lifestyle
  • Is carbon-neutral, and provides off-grid capabilities

What we dislike

No complaints!

4. Adraga

Called Adraga, the tiny home features an array of sustainability elements including solar panels, rainwater collection, and composting garden beds. As part of a larger series of tiny home one wheels, Adraga is home to a retired couple who just want to disconnect from the busyness of the world.

Why is it noteworthy?

Looking at Adraga from the outside, its unstained pinewood facades invoke simplicity. Defined by a rectangular, flat-roofed silhouette, the team at Madeiguincho found movement through windows and doors. On one end of the tiny home, a single, farmhouse-style door welcomes residents into the home’s subdued bathroom. There, against the soothing backdrop of walnut wood panels, residents can enjoy a semi-outdoor shower atop wooden floor slats.

What we like

  • The layout of Adraga is designed to optimize the available floor space
  • Incorporated with various off-grid elements

What we dislike

  • In the bathroom, a dry toilet operates without flush water and closes the waste loop – but not everyone may be comfortable with using it

5. The Thornton-Hasegawa House

The Thornton-Hasegawa House is a three-level residence in Wellington, New Zealand that has been future-proofed for off-grid use to find harmony with the surrounding landscape.

Why is it noteworthy?

Calling it the Thornton-Hasegawa House, Bonnifait+Giesen Architects were met with a few challenges when designing the home in accordance with the wild terrain of Brooklyn’s steep hills. To meet the clients’, Tomoko and Aaron’s, request for a small, compact home connected to its surrounding landscape, Bonnifait+Giesen Architects found adaptability in a small footprint and vertical layout. Split between three levels, the Thornton-Hasegawa House covers 50-square-meters and appears as a small tower perched above Brooklyn’s thicket.

What we like

  • Bonnifait+Giesen Architects future-proofed the home for off-grid use
  •  The double-height interior collects pools of natural sunlight

What we dislike

No complaints!

6. Mansfield Container House

Named Mansfield Container House after the town where it resides, Walker’s tiny home is comprised of two 20-foot shipping containers that amount to 30-square-feet in total. Coated with heavy-duty paint, Walker hoped to maintain the industrial personality of shipping containers on the outside. Inside, natural, polished plywood clads the interior walls to help brighten the exterior’s heavy-duty look.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Mansfield Container House is an L-shaped tiny home composed of two disused shipping containers that merge together to form a tiny, off-grid cabin. Shipping container homes have redefined modern architecture. Designers and architects across the globe have turned to disused shipping containers to convert into insulated, tiny homes. Cost-effective, eco-friendly, and modular by design, shipping containers provide the ideal template for designers and architects to have at it and let their creativity fly.

What we like

  • Solar panels were placed on the roof to generate and store solar power
  • Water bladders were built into the roof to preserve 1,000 liters of rainwater

What we dislike

  • Not much to distinguish it from other shipping container-based architecture out there

7. Redukt’s tiny home on wheels

Poland-based Redukt built a tiny home on wheels that combines simplistic design with a clever layout to produce a mobile tiny home ideal for a family of four traveling through backcountry roads on a summer vacation.

Why is it noteworthy?

Poland-based Redukt, a tiny mobile home company, found sophistication and an open-plan layout through simplistic and versatile design for their off-grid-prepared tiny home on wheels. Prepared for all elements, Redukt’s tiny home on wheels is thermalized with oiled pine boards that give the home a tidy, yet natural personality. Dissolving the barrier between the outdoors and interior space, the tiny home comes with twin glass doors that are just short of reaching floor-to-ceiling heights.

What we like

  • The team at Redukt equipped their tiny home with solar installation to generate electricity, a gas installation, and a composting toilet

What we dislike

  • It’s not been equipped with a full-fledged kitchen

8. Moliving

Moliving is a nomadic hospitality solution made up of Scandinavian-inspired prefab tiny homes. Compared to the years that it takes to give rise to traditional hotel accommodations, Moliving boasts a 3-5 month construction, assembly, and installation process. Built with Green- Steel, proximity woods, and other sustainable materials, Moliving’s Hurley House units have a sustainable construction process as well.

Why is it noteworthy?

Moliving, a nomadic hospitality solution, has developed a line of Scandinavian-inspired, prefabricated tiny homes called Hurley House, which can be placed anywhere as tiny private retreats for guests to find relaxation. With hopes of providing city dwellers with a private, countryside oasis, Hurley House is set to replace Hudson Valley’s now-inoperative Twin Lakes Resort.

What we like

  • Short construction + installation duration
  • Built from sustainable materials

What we dislike

  • The classic hotel suite-inspired interiors are unexciting

9. ARCspace

Meet ARCspace, a modular architecture firm that is constantly creating innovative designs and material development to do its part in curbing the emissions for their industry using sustainable, affordable, prefabricated homes. All structures are prefabricated for highly efficient and quick builds which reduce emissions and minimize waste.

Why is it noteworthy?

ARCspace reports the buildings are “spec-built from the ground up in 40-60% less time and cost than traditional construction.” Residents can fully customize their tiny homes or even scale up to the size of traditional homes and have a huge range of interior design details to choose from including optional elements that provide off-grid power and water. Some homes feature self-contained atmospheric water generators called Hydropanels that are grid-independent and pull a few liters of drinking water out of the air each day.

What we like

  • 40-60% less time and cost to construct

What we dislike

  • Although solar panels can be added, the primary supply still comes from onsite plumbing and electrical systems

10. IMAGO-iter

IMAGO-iter carries a 6.5m2 interior volume with 2.4 meters’ worth of headspace, providing just enough room for buyers to customize the space according to their needs. BESS took a customizable approach in designing every aspect of IMAGO-iter, so the mobile home is outfitted with only the bare essentials.

Why is it noteworthy?

Whether you use them as off-grid workspaces or campers on the go, mobile homes provide cozy getaways that we can bring wherever the wind takes us. BESS, a Japanese building firm that specializes in wooden houses, designed and constructed a mobile home called IMAGO-iter to join the party and move with our changing needs.

What we like

  • You can choose between a traditional timber or a domed, wagon-like plastic membrane roof
  • Suspension and electromagnetic brakes have also been worked into IMAGO-iter’s build to help ensure stable and safe driving

What we dislike

  • Outfitted with only the bare essentials

The post Homes designed to help you achieve an eco-friendly + green lifestyle first appeared on Yanko Design.

Nike sustainable apparel and footwear take center stage in 2022 Move to Zero Collection

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Sustainable fashion is more than just a bandwagon or a passing trend. We believe this move is here to stay as there is a need to become more friendly with the environment. It is not just the tech brands and consumer electronics companies that are pushing for sustainabilities, big fashion names and sports brands like Nike have already made the “Move to Zero.”

MOVE TO ZERO is Nike’s official campaign towards zero waste and zero carbon. It may seem impossible to achieve, but Nike knows it is our responsibility to protect the future of sports enthusiasts and Mother Earth. We have learned about the Nike playground constructed with 20,000 upcycled sneakers in recent months. We also remember the Nike Atsuma made from offcuts and the eco-friendly Nike SB Dunk High Cork.

Designer: Nike

Nike Collection Spring Summer 2022 Move to Zero

More products from Nike will prove that sustainability in fashion and the sneaker business is possible with new seasonal collections. These new footwear and apparel mix lines are a perfect mix of style, function, and sustainable materials. So as a new season begins, Nike is ready with collections that take advantage of sustainable methods and materials.

Nike is committed to achieving a future with less waste and reduced gas emissions. The target is zero waste—no waste should go to landfill by 2025. The mission seems ambitious, but it is good to have such marks. The new capsules are a clear move in the right direction for going green.

Nike’s impact on fashion and sports goes beyond what is sold in the market. These sustainable innovations will make the planet healthier and teach people to be more conscious about the environment and their choices. The new Nike capsules include popular silhouettes such as the Air Max Moti, Tech Pack, Nike Pro, Nike Sun Club, and some of the classics reimagined.

Nike Classics

Nike Classics Move to Zero Sustainable Fashion

Nike, the top sports brand in the world, has shared the latest environment-friendly seasonal collections. Let’s start with the Nike Classics as this collection is released in time for the company’s 50th anniversary. Three classics now have sustainable versions: the Nike Dunk Low Next Nature, Nike Blazer Mid ’77 Next Nature, and the Nike Waffle One Crater Next Nature. The latter actually boasts 25% recycled synthetic leather on some details and 100% recycled polyester twill upper. Even the Crater Foram midsole, heel clip, and midsole are made of at least 10% recycled materials as described.

Nike has maintained the iconic styles but with a twist. There is less impact on the environment as some 20% of the materials are utilized. According to Nike, this set honors the brand’s “roots while looking to its future.” The designers decided to make use of Nike Grind rubber and recycled synthetic leather and recycled polyester.

Nike Sun Club

Move to Zero Sustainability Nike Sun Club

Nike Sun Club Move to Zero Sustainable Fashion

The combination of colors alone shows us this collection is not just about sustainability. The sneakers are fun and ready for Summer. Like the Nike Classics, the new pairs are made of recycled laces, recycled synthetic suede, and recycled textile uppers. About 20 percent of content is recycled by weight. This particular series features different classic silhouettes such as the Nike Court Vision Lo NN, Nike Blazer Low ’77 NN, Nike Air Force 1 LV8 NN, and the Nike Air Max Pre-Day.

Nike Air Max

Nike Air Max Move to Zero

Nike Air Max Dawn

The Nike Air Max is well-loved by sneakerheads for several reasons. The series is famous for its Air Max and Nike Air technology, and it’s getting modern versions in the form of the Nike Air Max Motif, Nike Air Max Dawn, and the Nike Air Max 2021. In time for spring/summer 2022, the Nike Air Max 90, Nike Air Max 95, and Nike Air Max 97 are re-stocked but now with uppers made of recycled content.

Nike Pro

Nike Pro Shorts Move to Zero

This collection of apparel takes advantage of sustainable and lower-impact materials. The use of such materials is crucial, especially for popular products like the Nike Pro shorts and tights. Nike has been using materials of at least 50% recycled polyester for most Nike Pro products.

Nike Sportswear

Nike Sportswear Nike Move to Zero

Nike Tech Pack Move to Zero

The more eco-conscious Nike Sportswear includes small parts made with Nike Grind materials. You will notice them in the logos, drawcords, and zipper pulls. The new Nike Windrunner jacket is also made of recycled materials such as more Nike Grind chips, virgin TPU, and even recycled Nike footwear Airbag TPU. The 2022 Nike Sportswear Capsule collection features clothes and apparel from previous waste like recycled TPU and more recycled nylon mixed with organic cotton fibers.

Nike Tech Pack

Nike Jacket Move to Zero

Nike Tech Pack is another result of sustainable innovation. Recycled materials such as recycled nylon and recycled content are combined with organic cotton fibers. This year’s Tech Pack includes a new parka for women, an insulated vest for men, and new woven pants. The pair of pants come in washed color due to less use of chemicals.

Nike Pro Move to Zero

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