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

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 compact water recycling system reduces carbon footprint, lowers bills & mitigates the global water crisis

Hydraloop not only designed an award-winning water recycling product but also made an eye-opening documentary that shows you how easy it is for everyone to recycle water – stream the Brave Blue World on Netflix for an unfiltered story on water and climate change! This water recycling system looks like a slim closet and can be used in any building or home, anytime. Hydraloop was presented at both CES 2020 and CES 2021 where it received notable attention for being one of the most innovative designs in the sustainability, eco-design, and smart energy categories.

Only 0.014% of the total amount of water on earth is fresh and available. It is one of the most misused natural resources and with the increasing global population, we have to use it in the most efficient way possible and make sure we don’t dry out our planet. Four billion people are already facing severe water scarcity and by 2035 40% of the world’s population could experience serious water stress. By 2050 the water demand is projected to grow by 55%, including a 400% rise in manufacturing water demand – to be able to meet the needs of almost 10 billion people in the next two decades, we need to take important steps right now that can save up to 95% of your shower and bath water alone and enables you to reuse up to 85% of the total in-house water. So even on an individual level, you can add your drop to the ocean and make a positive impact.

Hydraloop’s goal is to create compact recycling systems that can be used at offices, hotels, apartment buildings, homes, and anywhere else with running water – they want to make it easy for everyone to recycle water without having to go through complicated machinery or expensive infrastructure upgrades. It collects water from washing machines, bathtubs, showers, and air conditioning systems. This water is then cleaned and disinfected using their technology to make it reusable keeping in mind that treated gray water should not be directly used to drink to cook. It can be re-used for toilet flushing, washing machines, garden irrigation, and topping up swimming pools which can save up to 45% on tap water and 45% on sewage emission with recycled water. The system is easy to install, completely automatic, self-cleaning, and doesn’t use any filters or chemicals.

Hydraloop’s systems are powered by electricity and uses an extensive six-step process – sedimentation, flotation, dissolved air flotation, enforced skimming aerobic bioreactor, and a UV light disinfection. The latest Hydraloop (H600) can recycle about 260 gallons of water per day for homes and small businesses. “The easiest way to recycle water is to clean it right where you use it – decentralized. By recycling at the source we can make an impact on the global water crisis,” says the team which is why they designed the appliance to be used in any space. If you have a larger company or setting, the Cascade offers commercial-grade, water-recycling capabilities for your needs. Hydraloop future proofs buildings by increasing their value, lowering the running expenses for water as well as energy, and reduces carbon footprint by 6%. It makes any home or business less dependant on the grid while making it easier to live sustainably. Hydraloop is also contributing towards four of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – clean water and sanitization, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, as well as climate action.

Designer: Hydraloop Systems BV

Proof that whales are ‘cool’ creatures!

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A major part of the green design movement involves minimizing waste by recycling it. Most people think of waste in terms of things you throw in the trash, however even something like water can get easily wasted. Water that drips out of air conditioners is actually a golden resource that tends to get wasted. Air Whale does a brilliant job of putting that water to good use. What it does is, it collects the water, filters it, and sprays a mist right near the air conditioner’s outlets. This mist, when cooled by the AC’s air helps cooling down the room even faster! A wonderful way to use waste water, and a brilliant metaphor with the whale bit! Don’t you think??

The Air Whale is a winner of the Red Dot Design Award for the year 2015.

Designer: Deng Pei-Chih

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