Green Building : Jetson Green

International Shed of the Year 2009

Shed spaces of all sizes are popular these days.  Sure, you may run into zoning laws and ordinances, but given the legalities, a well-designed shed space could work perfectly as an affordable office, workshop, or anything else.  So we were interested to learn that We Love Sheds just held an international competition to find the best International Shed of the Year 2009.  Maryland-based entrant Chuck Witmer beat out roughly 186 other shed entries to take this year's prize for THE_SHED.  He built it himself, and it's beautiful.

Omega Center Seeks World's First Living Building Certification

The Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL), which officially opens on July 16, 2009, is at the bleeding edge of green building.  It's located on the 195-acre campus of the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York, an education and retreat center.  Not only is it on track to achieve LEED Platinum, it may be the first building in America to meet the requirements of the Living Building Challenge.

McGlasson WeeHouse Now For Sale

If you've ever wanted to live in a modern prefab and you're interested in living about thirty minutes north of Duluth, Minnesota, now might be your chance.  In 2005, Alchemy Architects designed this seasonal cabin of roughly 840 square feet, and after that, it became a hit in the national media.  I noticed it in Kiplinger's of all places!  The McGlasson weeHouse has two bedrooms, one and three-quarters bathrooms, a roof deck, and a detached sauna. 

Probably Platinum Modern UR 45 Home

Just a quick jaunt north of Dallas right off of Central Expressway, there's a small community called Urban Reserve.  In Urban Reserve, all the homes are modern and sustainably designed -- the minimum standards require Energy Star and a HERS of at least an 80.  This home is just one of several architecturally unique homes in the development.  Referred to as UR 45, it was designed by Shipley Architects for an executive of the development company, Rick Fontenot.  And according to GreenSource, the architect and owner are aiming for LEED Platinum. 

Stunning Passive Solar Remington Court

One of Hybrid Architecture + Assembly's most recent projects, Remington Court, is quite stunning.  Opting to do everything from start to finish, the company designed, developed, and built the four-unit project -- a successful endeavor considering three of the four units sold prior to completion!  The interiors are modern and minimalist, relying on products such as HenryBuilt cabinets, Corian counters, Starck-designed Duravit toilets, and some of the following green features and elements:

Wetland Discovery Point Takes Platinum

This newly constructed 3,200 square-foot building, Wetland Discovery Point, is the third LEED Platinum certified structure in the state of Utah, making it one of the greenest buildings around.  WDP is part of the Utah Botanical Center of Utah State University and provides an indoor / outdoor learning experience for over 4,000 school children each year.  The building was designed by ajc architects and built by Big-D Construction, and here are some of its green elements:

Efficient Modern Passive House in Utah

There's a new site called Our Passive House, where the owners are documenting the design and construction of the first Passive House in Utah.  It just so happens that I live in the same general neighborhood, so we'll try to present a follow up article when the home is complete.  Owners Joe and Rebecca, available on Twitter @ourpassivehouse, hired Brach Design, Utah's first certified Passive House consultant, to design the home.

14 New Green Duplex Designs [NOLA]

You're probably familiar with Brad Pitt's juggernaut project, Make It Right -- back in December 2007, we talked about thirteen single-family designs planned for construction in the Lower 9th Ward.  A number of these have been built, and the progress has been interesting to watch.  In addition, Make It Right just announced fourteen new duplex designs from top international architects.  The designs emphasize community, affordability, flexibility, and sustainability, and starting in mid-August, Make It Right expects to break ground on two of these.  Check out a preview of all fourteen and the firms behind the designs:

Vodafone Extreme Mobile Solar Home

"La casa movil de Vodafone," or the Vodafone Mobile Home, creatively combines glass house living, tiny house design, loft-like features, sustainable elements, and portable architecture all in one tight package.  Design Boom recently reported that the portable home was designed by Waskman Design Studio, with CuldeSac, for Vodafone to showcase its fixed phone and wireless internet services.  And blogger Marcos Morales and his family of four are vacationing throughout Spain with it as we speak. 

Maison IDEKIT Quebec Container Home

Using seven recycled shipping containers, architect Bernard Morin and wife Joyce Labelle built this contemporary residence in St. Adele, Quebec.  The home is the first of many to come for their new company, Maison Idekit, which will help homeowners turn containers into architecturally unique, and inexpensive, homes.  The company has two more residential projects set to break ground in the next couple months using a total of twelve container modules.