The Chinese National Aquatic Center, better known as the Watercube, recently won the most prestigious architecture award from the Australian Institute of Architecture! Although not officially a cube, the incredible aquatics facility is the 2008 winner of the Jorn Utzon Award for International Architecture. The design and construction of the memorable facility was a collaboration between Australian firm PTW Architects, Chinese practices CSCEC and CCDI, and international firm Arup.

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The Schwimmhaus by German architects Confused-Direction is a green hausboot (oops, house boat) designed to float around or just stay put on the shore. Its modern pre-fab aesthetic sets it aside from most maritime-y houseboats, and a green roof adds freshness and sustainable cred. Still under construction, Schwimmhaus is being built from wood salvaged from an old farm house in addition to other sustainable building materials.

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MVRDV and ADEPT Architects are the masterminds behind this incredible Sky Village high rise. Designed as an acropolis of stackable green-roofed units, the structure recently won a competition to construct a new high-rise in Rødovre, an independent municipality of Copenhagen. The high-rise incorporates lots of sustainable design elements to reduce its environmental impact, and its main concept is centered around a system of individual units that can be stacked in various configurations to maximize available space and allow for easy structural changes in response to market demand.

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The kitchen is the heart of any home. The average American spends three to five hours a day in the kitchen – preparing food, eating, hanging out, entertaining, standing in front of the fridge (with the door closed, of course) trying to figure out what to make for dinner. For our readers who have been inspired by our Green Home 101 series and are interested in doing some serious “greenovating” starting in the kitchen, we’ve gathered a few useful tips to consider. Your goals should include extremely efficient appliances, low-VOC and healthy finishes, and surfaces that are durable, easy to clean, and of course, aesthetically pleasing.

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Tags: green, home, 101, kitchen, sustainable, appliances, energy-efficient, design, product, counter, cabinets, floor, cooking, stove

On a slope near the village of Karjat, India, a team of architects have begun to envision a modern, 3-story building that will peer out into the valley through a veil of bamboo poles. Designed by Architecture Brio, the building will act as a staff dormitory for the NGO Magic Bus. The building’s structure is modern and rectangular, but softened by the more rustic feel of its bamboo exterior. By using bamboo, a rapidly renewable resource, as a primary supporting material, the building’s design is both sustainable and feels like an organic manifestation of the surrounding landscape.

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Tags: architecture, brio, magic, bus, bamboo, dormitory, green, sustainable, indian, architecture

The Danish are known for their trendsetting fashion and wind energy industries, and they soon may be just as famous for their sustainable and carbon neutral buildings. Just last week the University of Copenhagen and Christensen & Co Arkitekter A/S, broke ground on a stunning new Faculty of Science building, dubbed the Green Lighthouse. This carbon-neutral building makes excellent use of natural light and will feature solar panels, LED lighting, and scores of other sustainable strategies.

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These gorgeous pieces of FSC certified wooden furniture were created by German design company Woodloops. Founded in 2003 by product designer/carpenter René Mueller and forester Nina Griesshammer, Woodloops strives to “covey our original views to common behaviors, weaving known circumstances into new and curious concepts”. We love the way their furnishings celebrate the integrity of raw materials, showcasing the wood grain and unique features of each piece.

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GO VOTE!

In case you’ve been living under a rock, today is election day in the U. S of A - and we’re super excited for the possibilities that this hotly contested presidential election brings. If you are anything like most Americans, you’ve probably been following this election in the news, online, and on SNL, and you probably realize the monumental changes this election could bring to US politics. Now, more than any other time, it is crucial that you exercise your right as a citizen to have a say in our democracy - so go vote right now! We hope you have gone to the polls already, or are making plans to go later today. If you think your vote doesn’t really matter, just think back to the 2000 presidential election where we ended up with the George W. Bush disaster for eight years, based on 537 contested ballots in Florida. Just think, if a few hundred more people had gotten out to vote (or if a few hundred voting booths had worked properly), we might have ended up with Al Gore as president. And just think how different things would be today if that were the case. Think of what a better state our environment would be in today if Gore had won in 2000.

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Today we’re interrupting our regular programming with message of utmost importance. Every Tuesday we present you with a number of transportation options that will improve the environment. From hybrid vehicles to bicycles, how we move from place to place has a dramatic impact on our world (today’s entry would have been awesome, trust us). But today there is no single choice more important for Americans than going out to vote. So use your car, motorcycle, bike, skateboard, or even (gasp) your legs, and grab a friend, your neighbor, or even a total stranger, and take them to vote. Think that your selected presidential candidate has it in the bag and don’t need to do anything about it? Think again!

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The sleek solar-powered Xof1 car recently rolled into Victoria, Canada to break the world’s record for the longest distance travelled in a solar vehicle! Appearing for all the world like a silvery flying saucer, the single-seat vehicle completed a 15,000 kilometer journey that took pilot Marcelo da Luz all the way across Canada and beyond the Arctic circle.

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Tags: xof1, solar, power, vehicle, car, canada, world, record, breaking, alternative, energy, efficient, alternative, fuel