Is it time for a new wall color in your house? In your favorite
paint store you can find Sweet Pear, Mossy Evergreen and Clover Field paint
colors all with the intention of making your house feel more
"natural." But before you go flipping through an endless sea of
color palettes, consider these 7 innovative green ideas—that go far beyond
color—that are making an impact in architecture today.
1. Green Walls
Considering the issue of new wall paint, the only thing that will get you
closer to nature is an actual green wall. A green wall is
simply a wall that is covered in vegetation. These can range from the classic
ivy you see growing up the side of a city building, to the specially designed
living walls you can see inside the house of an adventurous resident. Being
that most North Americans spend 80-90% of time indoors, the major priority
benefit to incorporating a green wall into your home will be the improved air
quality and energy efficiency. This is because a living wall will trap a
layer of air within the plant mass, which in turn limits the movement of heat
and wind between building walls.http://www.greenroofs.org/index.php/about/green-wall-benefits
2. Rooftop Gardens
For some people, going green doesn't stop at the ceiling. Rooftop gardens are
gaining popularity in urban areas where any amount of deck or patio space is
a luxury. Green roofs can act like urban backyards, covering the entire roof
space of a building and made available to the public. It provides an escape
from the concrete jungle below, and has been shown to provide many mental and
physical benefits to its users. http://dornob.com/rooftop-deck-designs-8-great-urban-green-roof-gardens/#axzz2YffnTU00
3. Vertical Farming
Taking rooftop gardening to the next level is the concept of
"vertical" or "high-rise" farming. Think of a skyscraper
full of tomato plants. In order to combat rising global population, the dream
of scientists and architects is to grow crops ranging from produce to staple
foods in high-rise buildings. While it remains a dream today, the concept is
already being implemented on a smaller scale with community gardens, urban
farms (see how a Tokyo corporation grows food for its employees here:http://inhabitat.com/pasona-hq-is-an-urban-farm-that-grows-food-for-its-employees-in-tokyo/pasona-hq-kono-designs-11/?extend=1 and our next topic: Pinkhouses.
5. Highly efficient modular construction
Design company Perkins+Will have created a cutting
edge K-12 education building in Washington, DC, called Sprout Space. This
building will provide a healthy learning environment to its students through
its "high-performance, healthy and modular classroom." These rooms
incorporate an integrated rainwater collection system, photovoltaic roof
panels, and highly efficient heating and cooling systems. The end result will
be an environment more conducive to learning through modular construction and
school design. At this school, playing outside isn't just for recess. http://www.perkinswill.com/news/sprout-space-modular-construction-summit.html
6. Shipping container living
What happens to all those old shipping containers retired from sea? The New
York based architecture firm LOT-EK has taken these old containers out of
retirement by constructing new buildings with them. One of their clients in
the Taichung City Cultural Center in western Taiwan who will soon have a new
public library and fine arts museum made out of 1,620 shipping
containers. http://inhabitat.com/lot-ek-unveils-plans-for-solar-taichung-cultural-center-made-from-1620-recycled-shipping-containers/
7. The Tiny House Movement
Last but technically not least, the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company is making
its impact in the field of architecture under the philosophy of "less is
more." The company designs and creates building plans for inexpensive,
energy-efficient homes smaller than 120 square feet. These impressive abodes
include an office with a desk, fireplace, two comfy chairs, a sleeping space,
a small kitchen and dining space. What it doesn't include is the expensive
energy bills; none of these homes built in California have consumed more than
$70 in energy a year! http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/678735/list/Houzz-Tour--A-Tiny--Happy--Eco-Friendly-Home
