This A-shaped cabin with a lakeview is a self-sustaining, climate-smart greenhouse villa

Posted on 10/07/2022 by Ida Torres

Sweden is one of those countries always found on the best countries to live in lists in terms of overall quality of life. We also see a lot of travel videos and lists featuring its tourist spots, mountains, lakes, etc. If you dream of living there someday, surrounded by nature and living sustainably, it is not that improbable if you have the means and the opportunity to do so. A company called Naturvillan creates such homes in the country and their latest one is an A-frame, sustainable greenhouse in the middle of the mountains.

Designer: Naturvillan

Atri is the newest villa that they have designed to be a self-sustaining and climate-smart home located on the shores of Lake Vänern. You not only get great views of the lake itself but you’re surrounded by towering trees and a natural plot with rocks slabs. It is A-shaped with a stable base directly on the mountain and has a continuous axis so you can see through the whole house in one view. As you look up the house blends in among the trees, becoming part of the natural landscape.

What makes it extra special, aside from its shape is that it is built to be climate-smart and adapt to any weather. You have air and light coming in from several directions and the architecture allows for interaction between the house’s various parts like the private rooms, greenhouses, the nature that surrounds it, and even the view. You can actually live completely off-grid in this house. You can use solar cells to power electricity and in the winter, you get a wood-fired kitchen pan to give you heat and hot water and power the oven for cooking.

The property has its own drilled well so you can get drinking water that is purified and recycled from the plant beds in the greenhouse. You can also plant fruits and vegetables to feed the occupants of the house so the house can really be self-sustaining. When needed, the “power plant” needs to be run a couple of hours a day, especially during winter and depending on the lifestyle of the people currently living in it. The Atri is perfect for when you want to practice off-grid living and still have a magnificent view when you look outside of your house.

The post This A-shaped cabin with a lakeview is a self-sustaining, climate-smart greenhouse villa first appeared on Yanko Design.

This sustainable house has an aquaponic system that connects a pond for edible fish & a rooftop garden!

Posted on 13/09/2021 by Chi Thukral

Think of the Welcome to the Jungle House (WTTJH) as a sanctuary for a modern sustainable lifestyle. It enables carbon-neutral living with the most luxurious and artistic aesthetic! It addresses climate change with a design that blends sustainability, landscape, fauna, and architecture for them to exist symbiotically. WTTJH is located in Sydney and the most interesting feature is the aquaponic rooftop masked within a heritage-meets-modernism interior style. This example of sustainable architecture shows us that the future is bright for environmentally conscious design without compromising on form or function.

WTTJH is built within a rejuvenated heritage façade of rendered masonry, steel, timber, and greenery – it is where Victorian row terrace housing meets and a post-industrial warehouse aesthetic. The two-story home was close to collapse and originally occupied the 90sqm triangular site. Due to strict heritage controls, it was untouched and in despair till the rejuvenation project by CPlusC brought it back to life in a way that was conducive towards a better future for the industry and the planet.

The original window openings have been framed in pre-rusted steel and juxtaposed with new openings framed in gloss white powder coat steel which adds a wonderful then-and-now element. A black photovoltaic panel array on the northern façade harnesses sunlight throughout the day and acts as a billboard for the sustainability in the architectural structure which is a contrast to the original heritage facade. The rooftop is made from steel planter beds that provide deep soil for native plants and fruit and vegetables. The garden beds are irrigated from the fishpond providing nutrient-rich water created by the edible silver perch (fish)!

The house features a glass inner skin that is fully operable from the outer punctuated masonry façade, providing an abundance of natural light and views while maintaining privacy. This interstitial zone also helps with passive thermal regulation across the upper floors with planter beds ‘floating’ in between the glass and masonry skins to provide cooling to internal spaces via transpiration. The floating planter beds are also an integrated structurally engineered solution to the lateral bracing needs of the masonry wall.

The journey from ground to roof begins with the raw textures of burnished concrete and fiber cement panels, ascending a steel and recycled timber stair to the bedroom and bathroom level finished in rich and warm timber boards lining the floors walls, and ceilings. The upper floor living space continues with timber flooring and a recycled timber island/dining bench to warm the space. The kitchen has been assembled from an array of machined and polished metals contrasting the concrete and timber finishes of the floors below. Unpolished stainless steel and brass and gold anodized aluminum glow and glean light revealing their factory finishes.

A colonnade of thin steel blade columns supports the roof above and has been deliberately staggered perpendicular from the building’s edge to provide shade from the afternoon sun to keep the building cool in Summer without the need for mechanical shading devices. Above are the hot-dip galvanized planter beds that form the roof structure in its entirety. These structural roof ‘troughs’ are the roof beams spanning up to 8.5M while holding deep soil for the planter beds, exposed at their bases to create the industrially raw ceiling finish below, a detail complimented by the factory finishes of the kitchens stainless steel and brass.

It is an architecture that explores active and passive systems, the poetic, the emotional, and the nurturing capacity of human beings to reverse the impact of climate change and to establish resilience through architectural design that addresses some of the profound pressures on the natural world. It is both a functional and a symbolic advocate for innovation design and sustainable living. It is the architecture of climate change activism where sustainability, landscape, fauna, and architecture exist symbiotically.

Climate change must be reversed, and human beings must become sustainable in every aspect of their lives. Conserving our resources and becoming more sustainable as a species is now critical to our very survival. Almost 100 years ago Le Corbusier famously said that ‘A house is a machine for living in’. If we are to survive the next 100 years a house must be ‘a machine for sustaining life’ and it must promote those values in its architectural expression to the public who largely consume architecture through the media where the image is everything. If we are to promote these values, they must be an intrinsic part of the conceptual fabric of a project.

Architecture that is not only beautiful: an architecture that generates and stores power; an architecture that harvests and recycles water; an architecture that produces fruit, vegetables, fish, and eggs; an architecture that recycles and reuses the waste it produces. Architecture nourishes the mind, body, and soul. Architecture where landscape, food, nature, garden, environment, energy, waste, water, and beauty exist symbiotically.

Designer: CplusC Architectural Workshop

This sustainable modern house provides food, water, power & protection for 100% off-grid living!

Posted on 02/09/2021 by Chi Thukral

This airy modern home features lush gardens, solar panels, and a recycled water system to make living 100% off-grid home possible with style! Architect Rodolfo Tinoco designed Casa Jardin to be so well equipped that it fend for itself in any situation. It has all systems in place to provide food, water, power, and shelter during natural disasters. The unique structure has several details that help reduce its environmental impact, promote a sustainable lifestyle and provide plenty of privacy if you are on a vacation (that’s also why it’s conveniently located by the beach)!

Casa Jardin is built just one block from Tamarindo Beach which is Costa Rica’s main tourist destination. It is a blueprint for self-sustaining architecture. “I wanted to create a prototype that would provide food, water, and power, and also protect during catastrophic situations like droughts and floods,” said architect Rodolfo Tinoco who designed the home for himself and his family.

A vertical garden on the main facade wraps itself upwards and around the home. This creates privacy from the adjacent road, helps control the temperature of interior spaces, and grows edible greens – all factors that help make the home more sustainable and cozy!

The residential area is one level above ground and is spacious for a family with a sleeping area, large living room, bathroom, and a giant balcony where the vertical gardens continue to grow.

The home is set atop V-shaped stilts, reducing its impact on the land while also creating a covered outdoor space below. But raising it was also a way to plan for the changing climate: “Elevating the structure addresses the fact that our sea level is actually rising and properties will have to deal with this in the future,” explains Tinoco.

It features a leaf-shaped photovoltaic roof that harnesses enough solar power for the family to live off-grid. Rainwater from the roof is recycled for irrigation, as is the water produced by the HVAC system. Sewage is fully treated and drained into the property’s natural water flow. “Water is our most valuable resource, and this project shows it’s possible to use and reuse it efficiently,” explains Tinoco.

Casa Jardin’s interiors feature a neutral color palette that helps keep an emphasis on the natural environment outside. A teak wood ceiling, light gray porcelain tile, and whitewashed walls combine to create a naturally illuminated space. It is also inspired from a beachy aesthetic and visually keeps the space light, refreshing, and open!

Casa Jardin engages holistically with its surroundings and stands as just one example of LSD’s greater mission -“We’re committed to creating architecture that responds to the immediate context in our tropical climate while also being reflective of each owner’s unique needs,” says Tinoco who is an example himself, showing us all that sustainable living is possible with a family and without compromising on any luxuries!

Designer: LSD Architects

This 3D printed smart home is autonomous and self-sustainable!

Posted on 23/08/2021 by Chi Thukral

Do you know what the future of architecture looks like? Smart, sustainable, and self-sufficient! You shouldn’t have to choose between a smart modern home and a sustainable lifestyle because you can have it all in one 3D printed unit thanks to Haus.me because they have created the ultimate autonomous self-sustaining shelter!

This off-the-grid home comes fully ready to move in and is equipped with water tanks, solar panels, and autonomous waste disposal — no plug-ins needed! There are two models – mOne and mTwo – available for sale at $199,000 and $379,000. All the features are the same, however, the only difference between the two models is the floor area – the smaller one is suited for two inhabitants and the larger one is made for a small family. The homes also come with a patented window system and insulated walls to help minimize their energy consumption which lets them comfortably depend on solar power as their sole source of energy. The interior is packed with every smart feature that you could want like Nest cameras and thermostats, Apple TVs, and internet connection for complete autonomous living. When you buy any of the models, they come fully furnished with everything because it has all been designed keeping in mind how space can be optimized in the compact dwelling.

Haus.me’s homes also feature an air-purifying system that claims to eliminate 99.99% of bacteria – a USP post this pandemic for future homeowners. These structures are the first fully self-sustainable mobile houses and don’t require an electric grid, propane, natural gas, firewood, or any other fuel – it is 20x more energy efficient than a traditional American home. The 3D printed units have a minimal and modern aesthetic without compromising on the warmth of a home and while enabling us to live our best flexible/remote lives!

Designer: Haus.me

This sustainable, self-sufficient, prefab house can be flat-packed & it looks like a cruise ship!

Posted on 05/08/2021 by Chi Thukral

When you can’t go on a cruise, you bring the cruise home – literally! The Sail House is a spacious, self-sufficient, nautical-themed home with a unique form inspired by large white sails on ships. It is designed by Los Angeles-based architect David Hertz who is celebrated for sustainable architecture. Sail House was also selected as the 2021 Architizer A+Awards Jury Winner for Residential/Private House!

Sail House has a central structure called the main house with several guest houses bordering it and all nestled on the lush Bequia Island in the Caribbean – didn’t I say it literally brings a cruise home? Since the Caribbean is a notoriously difficult area to source building materials, the team made sure that the entire project – the main house and the guesthouses – were prefabricated offsite, flat-packed, and delivered in 15 shipping containers. This ensured minimal site impact to the sensitive ecosystem and was nearly zero waste which is important because otherwise, the construction waste would have had to be transported out of the island which would increase emissions.

The luxurious home was named after its eye-catching tensile roofs inspired by the history of sailing on the island. “The main inspiration for the Sail House was a wooden boat with its masts and sails, the expressed stainless steel rigging and hardware, which is referenced in the home,” said Hertz. The roof membranes also act as a rain collection system by funneling water into a concrete foundation for storage. This nifty system provides for 100% of water needs and the air pulled from the stored water is then used to cool the space when needed. Additionally, the cantilevered roofline provides more shade and ventilation to increase cooling naturally. The electricity needs are covered by solar panels.

Both the interior and exterior of Sail House include natural construction materials such as woven palm, coconut shell fragments and surfaces crafted by Javanese and Balinese artisans. “Sustainability was one of the main goals of the Sail House project. The non-corrosive and termite-resistant aluminum structural system is wrapped in reclaimed ironwood planks recycled from an abandoned pier in Borneo, as are the plank floors, decks, and the vertical louvers that control low sun and prevailing breezes,” Hertz explained. It is truly one of the most beautiful, resilient, and functional homes I’ve seen that flawlessly balances luxury with sustainability!

Designer: David Hertz Architects

This smart microgreens garden resembles a wall-mounted circular Dyson fan!

Posted on 09/11/2020 by Ruchi Thukral

Micro-gardening has been a trend in urban areas but it had an explosive growth during the pandemic. Quarantine turned many people into home chefs and having fresh basil to top your pizza brings you a little ‘solace’ during uncertain times. Not everyone has a patio or a rooftop to cultivate microgreens so we turn to Solace – a design that makes growing these vegetables easier and more accessible!

Up to 37 million acres of farmland have been lost to urbanization and climate change between 1997 and 2012 alone – that is 3 acres of agricultural land lost per minute and you can expect the numbers to be a lot more jarring for the years leading up to the present. So how does growing and consuming microgreens help with this issue? For starters, growing microgreens requires less water, no pesticides, minimal land/soil, and they also reduce waste. Microgreens are not only cost-efficient but also 40 times more nutritious in vitamin K, C, E, and more. With product designs like Solace, city-dwellers can ‘reap’ the benefits for their health, wallet and do their bit for the planet.

Solace is a scalable and sustainable solution to grow food in small spaces. It has a system that uses wick moisture with a biostrate grow mat and automatic lighting which makes it easy for beginners to start their home gardens. The appliance is also integrated with an intuitive app that guides you through germination, growing and harvesting phases. The circular design increases the functionality of the product by utilizing available space instead of spreading out further. The growing light also serves as a lovely ambient light or night light – the design has a simple yet futuristic aesthetic – a lot like the Dyson circular fan actually. It has a detachable rechargeable battery and I think if it ever goes into production, the team should consider making the battery solar powered so it makes Solace even more sustainable.

Unlike traditional gardens, Solace is mounted on your wall which saves countertop space or the need to have a patio if you want your own microgreens garden. The award-winning design helps you live more sustainably and healthily while embracing the new normal.

Designer: Kennedy Castelli

This self-sustaining compost system turns your food scraps into a thriving indoor garden!

Posted on 20/10/2020 by Shawn McNulty-Kowal

The world as we once knew it is changing. While the list of changes seems too long to share – gardening would be considered one of them. The environment and sustainable living have been hot topics for some time now, but in 2020, they’ve turned into personal commitments for people across the globe. Composting is one way to promote sustainability in your own living space, as proved by AQUA, a sustainable, contained gardening system. AQUA was created by OG Design so that environmentally conscious people can curate their very own self-sustaining indoor garden no matter where they live.

AQUA’s system is comprised of three main working parts: a container for food waste, an elevated light structure, and three soil pots. The food waste container is located on one side of the indoor planter and turns your leftover food scraps into compost for fertilizer. Composting is a method used to decompose organic solid waste and fertilize the soil for gardening. The slim, attractive light fixture is situated directly above AQUA’s garden pots and provides the mini garden with nourishing light-energy. The indoor, gardening system is completely self-sustaining and conveniently sized in order to fit into any kitchen or living space. The system itself works after food waste is dumped into the container on the left-hand side, fertilizing the soil contained in the trio of modestly sized pots, each of which provides energy for plants to then grow and thrive.

OG Design conceptualized AQUA in order to “[keep] food from entering landfills” and for users “to cultivate their own small vegetable garden,” because food accounts for 46.2% of combustible waste. The interest in gardening, especially indoor gardening, and sustainable living is rising with younger generations as city living becomes more popular. In urban spaces, ecologically conscious living is tricky as there’s less yard space and community gardens can be hard to come by. AQUA makes sustainable living possible for any city home, from the small efficiency studio to the three-story townhouse. As long as you’ve got a kitchen counter or windowsill, your personal vegetable garden awaits.

Designer: OG Design

A fully automatic yet personalized home garden that grows 76 different plants!

Posted on 16/10/2019 by Neha Mistry

If you have the inclination to grow your own greens, then there are many solutions available today. Once you have done your market research, there are a couple of factors that will stand out and help you with the final choice – efficiency of the system, soil or soilless, how often do you have water the plants, the variety you can grow, modularity and of course the cost.

Now imagine an assistant who does all these calculations for your plant needs and all you have to do is follow those instructions every 1-3 weeks. The Verdeat personalized home garden does exactly that! A modular fully automatic gardening system created from environment-friendly materials, the Verdeat is an automatic gardening system that grows up to 76 plants. The seed tray fits in 19 seed pods and is ideal for basil, lettuce, oregano, etc. which have 3-4 weeks growth time. The Microgreen tray fits 4 microgreen pads and has a growth time of 7-10 days that lets you plant watercress, mustard, alfalfa, and the likes. Whereas the pot tray holds 5 standard pots and you can grow your lemons, peppers, cherry tomatoes in there! So all you have to do is choose your plant, pick a tray for it and follow instructions.

Verdeat uses a soilless, organic plant cultivation system and smartly irrigates and provides nutrition to vegetables and herbs. Using the accompanying app, the modular garden is self-sustainable for 1 to 3 weeks, depending on what is growing. It automatically adjusts the water, energy, and nutrients required, without unnecessary wastage.

Being notorious for killing plants easily, I’m keen to see how this system will fare in my home!

Designer: Robert Paluch

Click Here to Buy Now: $174 ~~$250~~ (30% off). Hurry, less than 24 hours left!

Verdeat – a Modular Fully Automatic Gardening System

Verdeat is an indoor garden system that uses soilless, organic plant cultivation. It is an app-controlled system which is self-sustainable for 1-3 weeks by smartly irrigating and providing nutrition to vegetables and herbs.

A Size for Every Requirement

Verdeat S is the best option for kitchen countertops. Ideal for single users and couples living in small apartments.

Verdeat M fits every floor in the kitchen or living room. Ideal for couples and small families living in medium apartments and houses.

Verdeat L fits every floor in the kitchen or living room. Ideal for families, medium apartments and houses.

Features

Autonomous App-Controlled System

It is almost entirely maintenance-free: all you need to do is add water and the required nutrient once every 1-3 weeks. The mobile app will guide you to take care of your plants.

Modular Tray System

The system consists of modular trays with slots to plant the seeds along with a soil-free natural substrate (e.g. coconut fiber). Its unique universality and modularity also allow the growth of regular soil-based pot plants and microgreens.

Environment-friendly

Verdeat is manufactured in EU with 95% recycled materials.

With each purchase, they will plant a tree and give you 3 tree seeds to cultivate in Verdeat and then plant in your neighborhood as a way of giving back to nature. Each unit (size L) is made from plastic waste weighing 10kg / 22lbs.

Mood-boosting Sun-like Light and Better Air Quality

Verdeat creates a near-natural light source that allows you to cultivate anywhere at any time. The plants also act as air purifiers and have a therapeutic effect on your overall wellbeing.

Design Process and Technology

2017 marks the concept/ R&D phase of this idea followed by prototyping in 2018.

How to use

Grow your food in these easy steps:

1. Fill the main tank (placed in the base) with water
2. Add few drops of vegan plant nutrients (included in the kit)
3. Start the app