Solar Homes
April 28, 2010
Last Resort - This Ain't Your Grandma's Houseboat
Copenhagen's RAFFA Architecture & Designs have come up with the Last Resort, a solar-powered home that floats on water. A glorified houseboat, its solar array powers both the engine and the home itself. At a size of 5 x 15 meters, it has two decks and is large enough to have a living room, 2 bedrooms, kitchen and bath. Although still only at the design stage, the company has already gotten several orders for it. We so want one.
Via RAFFA
April 16, 2010
Sunflower House Enters Solar Decathalon 2010
Tianjin University students have built the eco-friendly Sunflower house. Obviously, it gets its energy from the sun and features an energy efficient kitchen and recycling toilet system. The team plans to enter the home into the Solar Decathalon 2010 in Madrid this June.
Via Xinhuanet
March 25, 2010
Birchway's Aesthetically Pleasing Eco-Community
The Birchway Eco-Community was built in the London Borough of Hillingdon. Twenty four affordable 1 and 2 bedroom curvy housing units are available. The homes were pre-fabbed and already had kitchens and bathrooms installed. Designed by Acanthus LW Architects for Paradigm Housing, they feature solar thermal and panels, rainwater capture, high insulation, passive ventilation, heat recovery and a biomass boiler for heat and hot water.
Via Birchway
March 23, 2010
Site O' the Week: Design Your Own weeHouse
Looking for a greener prefab? Alchemy Architects' weeHouses come in many shapes and sizes and start at a price of $48,000 for the 20 x 12 x 10' Studio model. The features a custom steel base, an IKEA kitchen wall, natural bamboo flooring, electric wiring set-up, insulated walls, cedar decking and an EPDM rubber roof. There are more floor plans and other options that include solar power and larger living spaces. With so much to choose from, we name Alchemy our SOW this week.
Via weeHouse
March 12, 2010
Site O' the Week: Ma Modular
Ma Modular uses 15 x 36 ft. and 15 x 60 ft. modules in combination with a connector module to create your dream home. Our SOW this week allows you to design your Ma home with green materials such as cork and bamboo. Green options include photovoltaic panels, geothermal HVAC, tankless water heating and a rainwater harvesting system. At $125 a square ft., you have to provide your own foundation.
Via Ma Modular
March 8, 2010
OC's First LEED Platinum Certified Home
Developer Steve Blanchard built the Costa Mesa Green Home in the OC, the first to receive LEED Platinum certification. The home is a huge 5,000 sq. ft., and has 7 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms and a three-car garage. It has enough photovoltaic panels to power up the entire home, and has water recycling, high efficiency HVAC equipment, Energy Star lighting and was built with highly insulated walls and windows. Don't get too excited. The purchase price of the Costa Mesa home is $2,999,000.
Via Costa Mesa Green
March 2, 2010
Home of the Future Debuts at Olympics
During last week's Olympics, the Home of the Future was put on display at the BC Hydro Power Smart Village in downtown Vancouver. Made of 2 shipping containers and covered in cedar and pine beetle wood, the 680 sq. ft. home has solar panels and a plug for the owner's electric car, of course. The home has smart appliances and an energy management system. A green wall acts as insulation, filters pollutants and can grow veggies for dinner.
Via BC Hydro
March 1, 2010
Solar System Stores Heat on Sunny Days
It's a good thing to have a solar heating system, even better if it could also store power for overcast days. This house in New Zealand is being built with a prototype system that does that. Solar panels on the roof are stored in a heat core of dirt that is insulated by polystyrene below a concrete pad. On bad weather days, the heat is transferred from the pad to heat the house. The eco-friendly home will also have thicker exterior walls and double glazing.
Via ODT
February 26, 2010
Site O' the Week - Design Your Genesis Home Online
Thinking of building a house and want it to be green? The GO House by Genesis Homes is a prefab that can be built in about 90 days and will fit in almost anywhere. Those who are interested can configure plans online for a base floor plan as well as other floor options and garage design. Genesis, this week's SOW, sends the price of the module and estimates site costs for prospective customers.
Via Genesis Homes
February 22, 2010
Fab-Homes Offers Passive Housing
The company Fab-Homes is offering pre-designed passive houses for North America. Based in Vancouver, the homes use about 90% less energy and cost about $155.00 a square ft. Building options include solar photovoltaics, solar hot water panels, green roof gardens and a heat recovery system. In addition to offering prefabs, town homes and multifamily models will also be available.
Via Fab-Homes
February 15, 2010
Solar Decathlon Features International Designs
The Solar Decathlon Europe 2010 will take place in Madrid this June and will feature housing from 20 universities in America, Europe and Asia. While the teams take two years to develop their designs, they then assemble them in the Solar Village. Hit the link to see other ideas like the Sunflower from Tianjin University (TUC) that utilizes the sun's movement to gather energy and is based on China's construction philosophy, harmony between humans, nature and housing.
Via Solar Decatholon Europe
February 9, 2010
HGTV Green Home 2010 Giveaway
Every year, HGTV gives away a green home and this year it is located in Plymouth, Mass. It is being constructed with sustainable, green materials and will have a solar roof, rainwater collection, Smart Sun efficient windows and soy-based spray foam insulation. The contest ends in April.
Via HGTV
February 5, 2010
Gary Neville's Rural Solar Home
Make Architects will be designing a flower-shaped home for Manchester United player Gary Neville. Built mostly underground, each petal is a room that meet in a central kitchen area. The £8m Lancashire home will be using solar panels, a ground-source heat pump and wind turbine. Any excess energy will go back to the national grid. If all goes according to plans, the construction will commence later this year.
Via BBC
January 22, 2010
Abandoned Site Becomes Solar Apartment Complex
What was once an abandoned industrial site in Oakland, California, has become a 99-unit housing development that cost over $41 million to complete. The Ironhorse at Central Station not only has a unique name, it has affordable one, two and 3 bedroom apartments that are solar powered. They have a total of 185 photovoltaic modules and 42 solar water heating collecting. Designed by David Baker and Associates, and built by J.H. Fitzmaurice, the Bridge Housing owned complex targets families with incomes from $18,000 to $50,000. The company is accepting applications now.
Via Bridge Housing
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