Gary Neville's Home, Bolton UK

Bolton Council in the United Kingdom may soon see the construction of its first zero-carbon underground home. Designed by Make Architects for green enthusiast and British football star Gary Neville, the one-story, nearly 8,000 sq ft structure has been designed to be beautiful and functional while keeping energy consumption to a minimum.

Far from classification as a drab bunker, this thoughtful design not only considers its eco-impact, but keeps in tune with the tranquil and expansive meadows and hillsides which surround it. The positioning and orientation of the property was carefully thought out, building materials will be locally sourced, and traditional building methods will be used where possible. A ground source heat pump will provide the heating and photovoltaic panels and an on-site wind turbine will generate renewable energy.Almost all of the home will be constructed into the hillside, which, according to the design firm, “enables the surrounding moorland to seamlessly flow across the roof.” The layout takes the form of a flower, with the “petals” hosting areas to eat, relax, entertain, work and play, all around a central kitchen. When lit at night, the house will leave a distinctive, glowing floral impression on the darkened landscape. Amusingly, some have compared the structure to the famed Teletubby house, which admittedly shares some aesthetic value. However, the architects at Make contend their inspirartion arose from Skara Brae, a neolithic underground settlement in Orkney.

While the house will likely be quite costly, the eco-standards it is implementing will certainly make it a worthwhile and impactful venture. The structure has already been selected as an exemplary project within the Government’s ‘Planning Performance Agreements for Renewable and Low Carbon Energy Schemes’, and it is anticipated to be so advanced that the government is considering using the scheme as a benchmark for all future zero-carbon developments. The team hopes that construction permits will be granted soon in order to commence preliminary work on the residence this year.

Prototype for the House Arc Modular Home Unveiled

We love prefab designs, but we love seeing them come to life even more! Last July, we brought you renderings for the House Arc, a bicycle rack-inspired modular home designed by Joseph Bellomo, and now we’re thrilled to give you a peek of the prototype version which was just unveiled. Prefabricated and flat-packed into a 4-by-10-by-3 foot box, the House Arc can easily be shipped and assembled at its final destination.

The prototype is a 150 sq foot prefab home and weighs all of 3,000 pounds. Built to withstand tropical environments and nasty weather, the rounded design is like an “eggshell where you only need the minimal amount of structure and still have something that is incredibly strong,” says Bellomo. The frame is made from lightweight steel tubing and the foundation consists of a few concrete blocks. Designed to be off-grid, the home will be powered by solar panels mounted on the roof.Although not originally intended as a solution for catastrophe-wrought Haiti, Bellomo thinks his home might make sense as disastar relief housing, and is currently looking for sponsors and investors who may be interested in developing his prototype for that purpose. He says, “We’re going for a kit of parts that the average person can assemble quickly–like an IKEA house, only easier to put together.”www.inhabitat.com

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

ALMOST all know where the name of this stadium. No other took the name of antiapartheid, Nelson Mandela. Dad and a great hero of South Africa who is willing to jail for 25 years fighting for racial differences in the country (apartheid).There is an additional name "bay" or the bay behind him, because the stadium is located in front of the Gulf of Nort End. The only world-class stadium in the Eastern Cape Province was built at a cost of U.S. $ 150 million (approximately USD 1.4 trillion). VIP has 150 rooms, 60 business class rooms, sports clothing shop, gym, 500 parking bays, and several multipurpose rooms. In addition, the stadium has 74 blocks of toilets.

It's one of the five new stadiums in South Africa (South Africa) which was built to hold 2010 World Cup, but in Cape Town, Durban, Polokwane and Nelspruit.

Stadium with the entrance 32 is designed with a unique purpose. Grooved dome. Has a multifunction, the stadium is 40 meters high. On the west side, the stadium consists of six levels. Whereas in the other three sides with only five levels of the total capacity of 48,000 spectators. However, after the World Cup will be reduced to 440,000 spectators.


Construction began in 2007, FIFA had hesitated whether to be completed by deadline, in January 2010. However, it was Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium to be completed even earlier, in December 2008. On June 6, 2009, the stadium was opened and attended by 17,000 local residents. A month later, the stadium has been used for the Confederations Cup.

On 28 November 2009, the stadium for the first time will be used for music Koser. Group and renowned singer will perform in South Africa, including the popular group Busta Rhymes.

Magnificent stadium by taking a big name world leaders, stelah World Cup will be the headquarters of Southern football team and the Kings Bay United.

Umeda Sky Building, Osaka Japan

Umeda Sky Building is a landmark building and observatory in Osaka. The Umeda Sky Building is also know as the Floating Garden Observatory.The observation platform of this observatory is a bridge connecting the two towers of the Umeda Sky Building, whose roof features a doughnut shape that provides an unobstructed 360-degree view. While enjoying the breathtaking sights you can also directly feel the wind—which at 170 meters off the ground can get quite strong. From this observatory you can not only see all of Osaka but as far away as Awaji Island. The basement of the Umeda Sky Building houses the Takimi-Koji gourmet street with old fashioned images of Osaka from the 1920s.The futuristic Umeda Sky Building in Osaka Japan is a great place to view the Osaka skyline, but its unusual design makes it a sight worth seeing itself. Escalators in suspended tubes guide visitors up to the observation deck and the "Floating Garden Observatory" where, high above the ground and out in the open air, Osaka almost seems peaceful.

Located in the Umeda district of Kita-ku in northern Osaka, the building was designed by Hiroshi Hara and was constructed by Takenaka Corporation. It consists of two 40-story towers that connect at their two uppermost stories, with bridges and an escalator crossing the wide atrium-like space in the center. The escalator ride is an event in itself as it feels like you are floating up into the sky.

Once inside, you pay 700 yen (a little under $6) for a ticket to take the glass elevator up to nearly the top. Then you take the famousescalator to the top, which is surprisingly underwhelming. It’s not all that scary as your view is really blocked quite a bit going up, so you don’t really get a great sense of being suspended 550 feet in the air on a moving staircase. At the top, it’s your standard observation deck, with binoculars that let you zoom in on places of interest.

Boston Arcology (BoA)

Get ready Boston, someday you might just have this incredible floating city within a city located in your harbor. The BoA, short for Boston Arcology, is a sustainable mega structure designed by Kevin Schopfer, who also designed the amazing New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH). The BoA will house 15,000 people in hotels, offices, retail spaces, museums, condominiums, and even a new city hall. Built to LEED standards with golden proportions, this amazing building would serve as an expansion of the city without impacting what is already currently built.To be located on a buoyant platform of concrete cells right in the Boston Harbor next to downtown, BoA would sit perpendicular to the waterfront, thus minimizing the view sheds of existing buildings onshore. The massing of the structure was designed using the principles of the golden triangle. Angles and towers criss-cross inside of a fixed border, giving structure to the projections inside. Elevators and moving walkways aid the transportation of the residents, employees and visitors in order to create an all pedestrian environment.

Sky gardens will be located every 30 floors and act as public squares for gathering spaces. BoA will also include a bevy of sustainable elements in order to achieve a LEED building certification. Energy will be generated via wind turbines, solar panels and harbor based water turbines. Natural daylight will flood the building with the help of a passive glazing system. BoA will also include a fresh water recovery system, greywater recycling, and sky garden heating and cooling vents. And while the design seems pretty incredible and maybe even impossible (especially considering the economy and lack of funding), it truly is a spectacular mix of architecture and ecology.

Recycled Cardboard Interior

The British menswear label Smithfield recently teamed up with furniture designer Peter Masters to create an eclectic and 100% recycled interior for their new Manchester shop. The dynamic space uses mailing tubes and shipping boxes as elements of digital-age styling, recycling them into incredible wall coverings, light fixtures, hanging sculptures, and clothing displays.

Peter Masters runs a company called Burnt Toast that specializes in clean-lined, well-crafted objects, and he has also created interiors for a variety of clients including the UK based store Habitat and sportswear label Adidas. Burnt Toast’s deconstructed aesthetic, which can been seen in their designs for chairs and tables, coordinates well with the upscale urban fashion at Smithfield. Although the corrugated interior is intentionally minimal, a designer’s eye can tell that there was considerable planning behind these well chosen forms.The concept behind Brunt Toast’s interior is that the cardboard components can be reused in a variety of configurations without added materials or cost. As the fashions change through the seasons, the store will also continue to look fresh. The store’s relaxed, but mature aesthetic compliments the clientele that visit The Northern Quarter neighborhood in Manchester.

All the cardboard components are made from 100% recycled materials and are sourced from Romiley Board Mill. All of the wood used in the construction came from MRC, a Manchester wood recycling company. Smithfeild’s store blog states that “the focus behind the shop, both interior and contents, is that to stand out from the crowd it shouldn’t cost the earth.”

Besides the tubes and boxes, there are cardboard animals watching over the fashions. The dogs were inspired by the collie in the Smithfield logo. The company chose this breed to represent them, because they are synonymous with hard work and a fiery temperament. The store carries a host of Scandinavian and European brands including: Wood Wood, Spitfire Design, On Tour, Organic label Knowledge Cotton Apparel, Dunderdon and local brand Three Crowns.

Tafoni Prefab Floating House is Inspired by the California Coast

Houseboats are a staple of the San Francisco Bay Area, but many people find them too cramped to be a permanent residence. The Tafoni Floating Home, designed by Joanna Borek-Clement aims to change that with a design that is both spacious and compact. The home, which is inspired by smooth, oval California coastal pebbles, is ideally meant for the houseboat district of Sausalito, and is roomy enough for even the most claustrophobic customer.

Borek-Clement’s 960 square foot home is divided into a kitchen, living room, and bedroom area. The living room and bedroom both feature Tafoni-shaped windows – windows that resemble the naturally occurring sandstone formations that appear along the Northern California shore. Unlike most houseboats that have low ceilings, the Tafoni house has high ceilings and minimal partitions, giving it the illusion of spaciousness.
There are no particular features of the home that stand out for their sustainability, but Borek-Clement points out that, “Houseboats, as opposed to traditional homes, have no foundations that permanently impact the land. They can be moved from one dock to another to allow the shaded land underneath them to recover.” As climate change hits some coastal areas hard, floating homes may, in fact, become a more popular type of dwelling. And as Borek-Clement notes, living close to nature makes it more important to be respectful of the surrounding flora and fauna.

Taichung Convention Center

Like a cluster of pleated, venetian blind-esque volcanoes, this new convention center in Taiwan has “skin” that will naturally ventilate the structure and generate energy from solar power. Beijing-based MAD Architects recently designed the Taichung Convention Center as a commission by the Taiwanese government. The center is intended to become a new local landmark and help redefine the cultural landscape of the city, while also drawing attention to sustainable development and growth.The folded solar eco-skin of the building serves two purposes – first, the envelopes provide natural air flow to the interior to minimize air conditioning. Second, the pleatings also utilize a “double photovoltaic glass,” which will help reduce energy consumption. One side of the pleat is a transparent material that lets light into the interior, providing plentiful natural daylight, while the other side of the pleat is solid.

Built according to existing site topography, the structure of the center further accentuates what was already there. The moutainous forms resemble craters and are anywhere from 39-85 meters in height. Outdoor courtyards and balconies dot the architectural form to create a more organic landscape. In total, the building area is over 216,000 square meters (+ 2.3 million sq ft) and will have various uses including entertainment, retail, convention space, offices and parking. The inside of the convention center is filled with light and will hopefully be all it claims to be in terms of sustainability.

Blue Vulcano Stadium, Croatia

With a lightweight skin, recycled materials, solar power, and a somewhat crazy-lookin’ volcano-esque shape, this “cloud-covered” stadium in Zagreb has tons of eco-promise. Designed by Croatia-based njiric+ arhitekti, the Za(breg) Stadium is set to be a new landmark for the city center. Nicknamed the “Blue Volcano” by both the public and the press, the new stadium rises up from the city floor in a smooth arc to encapsulate the arena within.

The stadium is constructed of lightweight materials – steel cables, EFTE membranes and a polycarbonate dome, reducing the need for an excess of resources. An artificial hill will hold the arena and is built up from recycled rubber, while the exterior surface is corrugated aluminum painted with blue pigment. The volcano-shaped building is topped with a dome, and a “floating cloud” covers the interior playing field. Lightweight photovoltaic panels are sewn into the zeppelin-like cloud and generate power for the stadium.

Surrounding the stadium are retail areas to make the site a multi-use development and the spacious grounds house more areas for the public to recreate. A skateboarding and climbing area are built into the side of the stadium and additional playing fields sit adjacent to the site. All in all, a good project for Croatia that could help unify the city with a fun and smart eco stadium.