Latest Articles

Design 101

Glass

No longer stuck in the ’50s pink- or yellow-tiled rut, today bath fixtures come in a wide variety of materials. For those who enjoy visibility (and Windex), glass is a clear choice.

written by: Virginia Gardiner

01.01.09
Design 101

Ceramic

Long considered to be the standard bathroom material, ceramic is no longer boring. New shapes and colors help redefine what was once only basic bisque or beige.

written by: Virginia Gardiner

01.01.09
Design 101

Plastic

The same qualities that make plastic so prized by designers—malleability, translucency, vibrancy—also make for one-of-a-kind pieces to place in your bathroom

written by: Virginia Gardiner

01.01.09
Design 101

Metal

An easy conduit for hot and cold water alike, metal assumes a multiplicity of contemporary shapes, from globular showerheads to rectilinear radiators.

written by: Virginia Gardiner

01.01.09
A Note on Our Expert

A Note on Our Expert: Kathleen Walsh

Kathleen Walsh is the founder and head designer of the Los Angeles–based design firm Walteria Living, which was established in 2004. Walsh and her staff of five specialize in usually clever,...

01.01.09
Green

Blame It On the Rain

The home’s water collection system makes capturing and storing fresh water so simple that you wonder why cities need a municipal supply at all.

01.01.09
Green

Iceynene

Spray foams are made from a variety of materials, some of which are toxic or harmful to the environment, so it’s important to know what you’re getting.

01.01.09
Green

Geothermal Heat Facts and Figures

No matter where you live, you can use the stable temperatures of the earth to condition building spaces. In winter, the ground is warmer than the air, so it can be used to heat a house. In summer...

01.01.09
Green

Eco-Hat

The EcoHat is as typical of the Oxley Woods design as an old-fashioned chimney. The unit is easily accessible from inside the home, allowing for repairs and updates to technology without the need...

01.01.09
Green

Straw House: Facts and Figures

Environment: About 200 million tons of straw go to waste in the U.S. every year. If all the wasted straw were burned, it would add up to nearly 6 percent of the total CO2 emitted annually by...

01.01.09
Green

Heat-Pump

One piece of correspondence that never darkens the mailbox of this Northern California beach house is a utility bill (nor are guests wandering around swathed in multiple sweaters).

01.01.09
Green

Around the Lighhouse

1. Windcatcher The ventilation shafts of the windcatcher reach several feet above the roof to pull cooler outdoor air inside. 2. Photovoltaic array Solar panels extend down the sloped roof, ca...

01.01.09
Green

Sit to Be Fit

If you ask Thomas Robertson, the difference between actively green houses and his passively sustainable Courtyard House is the difference between “a solar-powered yacht and a sailboat.

01.01.09
Green

The Mighty Ducts

Houston’s summers are almost unbearable, as anyone who’s ever experienced its humidity and relentless sun can attest.

01.01.09
Green

Trombe L'oeil

For heating a space of such peculiar dimensions, Bonnifait and Giesen turned to a solar design principle called the Trombe wall—after Félix Trombe, the French engineer who popularized...

01.01.09
Green

Nomad Is an Island

Much like the updates to your favorite software, video game console, or social-networking site (have you, like, totally seen our Facebook page?) the Nomad version 2.0 is at hand.

01.01.09
Green

It's in the Can

As anyone who has ever camped knows, nature calls even when it’s cold, rainy, or dark

01.01.09
Green

A Whole New Dynamic

The wood for the 7.83 Hz house is grown and cut using biodynamic farming practices.

01.01.09
Green

A Grand Entrance

Expansive glass openings play an essential energy-saving role at the Minarc House, alternately pulling breezes and the sun’s warmth inside.

01.01.09
Green

Stoops to Conquer

Green design isn’t just about meeting quantifiable energy conservation standards or using the right kind of paint—it’s about placing a building in its environment appropriately.

01.01.09
Green

Branding Sustainability

If LivingHomes sound more like branded products than houses, perhaps that is intentional. “One thing I’m bringing from [the world of] tech is to treat homes as products more than as...

01.01.09
Green

Natural Habitats

The experimental buildings on Shoal Lake are featured in the recently published Cabin, Cottage & Camp: New Designs on the Canadian Landscape, a thoughtful compendium of contemporary &ldquo...

01.01.09
Green

Sunlight Express

Americans expend as much energy on transportation as they do on powering their homes.

01.01.09
Green

Little Feet

For his initial Aero House prototype, architect Tadashi Murai wanted something as sustainable as possible.

01.01.09
Green

i-love-trash

Before Tom McMurtrie became the recycling coordinator of Ann Arbor in 1991—a position that lets him shape the town’s recycling policy—he made his business selling Solarwall (www...

01.01.09