In the past few years, we’ve seen some interesting shifts take place between urban and suburban dwellers. Gas prices have risen and the life of the commuter has gotten to be too expensive for many; massive foreclosures have prompted countless former homeowners to downsize to urban apartments; and a move toward a greener lifestyle has driven a growing segment to move to the inner cities where owning a car isn’t a necessity. So for the first time since their inception, we’re seeing the suburbs becoming the less desirable place to live. But the homes, supermarkets and big box stores are all still out there, languishing in the urban sprawl. What can we do about it? Short of demolishing entire neighborhoods and wasting the space, we can haul out the repair kit and start fixing the suburbs.

Reburbia was an inspiring design competition run by Dwell Magazine and Inhabitat. It called for planners, urban designers, architects and engineers to come up with a way to re-use suburban space in a positive way. All of those wasted areas with nothing in them (many part of the original suburban design), all of those big box stores with their massive parking lots, and all of those McMansions with their ridiculous array of way-too-many bathrooms and wasted yard space would be repurposed into something useful and beautiful – something that would serve future generations of Earthlings. These are the four winners of the Reburbia competition.

First prize went to designer Calvin Chiu for his project Frog’s Dream. He envisioned turning abandoned suburban neighborhoods into wetlands and natural water processing centers for nearby urban centers. A natural population of plants, algae and bacteria would purify the water that would then be transported to the closest city. While it may not be the most immediately do-able idea, it does demonstrate just one of the many ways that we can start transforming deserted suburbia into part of a new and improved urban support system.

Entrepreneurbia, the entry from Urban Nature, F&S Design Studio, Silverlion Design, took second place in the competition. It’s less a model than it is a simple, common-sense suggestion: change rigid suburban zoning laws to allow for more constructive use of the space. The entry suggests that when living, eating, shopping and working spaces are no longer segregated, these formerly suburban areas become self-sustaining communities. Residents wouldn’t need cars because everything is within walking distance, but public transportation would exist to carry them into urban centers when needed. Forward-thinking business owners would be drawn to these promising new areas. Overall, suburbs that used to be sterile and boring would become vibrant, independent cultural centers.

Forrest Fulton took third place with his proposal, Big Box Agriculture: A Productive Suburb. The idea is a somewhat radical one: take supermarkets away from being resellers of food to being producers of food. According to the designer, as suburban businesses close their doors for good there will be a growing number of empty buildings, lots and parking areas going unused. Fulton suggests that we reuse those areas to grow sustainable crops: container farms can be built right on top of the asphalt, the interior of the stores can double as restaurants and greenhouses, and customers can pick their own produce. Customers would even have the option to bring their harvest right into the store to an on-site chef and enjoy one of the freshest meals they’ve ever had. Putting the food production in suburbia reuses the land wisely, drastically cuts down on food transportation costs, and as a result of both lowers the cost of food.

The Urban Sprawl Repair Kit from Galina Tahchieva took the special People’s Choice Award, and for good reason. Her thoughtful, practical suggestions are by no means out of reach for today or the future. She suggests making use of the typically wasted wide open spaces that define suburbia, putting homes and office buildings into the vast unused street setbacks and parking areas. She also suggests building onto existing buildings to make the formerly monofunctional space into a multifunctional one, cutting down on the long drives to get anywhere that mar suburban life currently. Even the foreclosed McMansions can be revamped into senior centers and community centers without demolishing any existing buildings or erecting any new ones.

The other entries, though they didn’t take a prize, were all thought-provoking and brilliantly conceived. While they may not all be suitable for immediate (or even eventual) implementation, they do deserve a real, honest look. Projects like the above from Ha Young Ihn and The Miller | Hull Partnership encourage us to think about all of the ways existing buildings and infrastructures can be re-used in a positive way. By turning dead shopping malls and empty big box stores into green markets, community centers, and even suburban farms, we can revitalize faltering areas without making the economic and environmental impact that comes with new construction.

Some of the entries focused less on living and working spaces, and more on energy generation. Proposals from Alan Berger & Case Brown and Joseph De Le Ree showed us that we can exploit existing structures and highways to generate cleaner energy for everyone. By reusing abandoned big box stores as biofuel generators or putting massive wind turbines over heavily-used freeways, we would be giving something back to the environment and to the citizens of the area.

The entries that dealt with housing were perhaps the most inspiring: both where to house people in suburban-turned-urban environments, and what to do with the abandoned foreclosed McMansions that dot the suburban landscape. The two above were incredibly creative in their visions: LivaBlox from Evan Collins proposes re-using existing big box stores (and their cargo containers) as residences, then using the tops of the buildings for urban farms and solar power collection. T-Tree, by Adil Azhiyev & Ivan Kudryavtsev, proposes social housing built on currently unused suburban land. The solution would cut down on energy and living costs; wind mills on the top of each structure would further reduce utility costs.

Going Green: 15 Food & Shopping Tips

Green your diet with vegan tips, a farmers' market finder, a CSA resource, simple steps to reducing carbon impact and choosing the best organic foods.

Illuminating Reuse: 15 Recycled Lights and Lamps

Traffic lights, egg cartons, cardboard and other junk materials are transformed into brilliant light fixtures in these recycled lamp designs.

15 Awesome Alternative Ways to Reuse Shipping Containers

Once their conventional usefulness is up, shipping containers can be transformed into spectacular, modern buildings like hotels, museums, homes and shops.

There’s something truly primitive about the sophisticated homes designed and built by Whole Trees Architecture and Construction. The buildings are beautiful in a raw and natural way because Whole Trees believes in using whole, young-growth trees in their projects. The idea is to get back to the roots of construction, to use a whole material rather than an over-processed one, and to let the inherent beauty of nature shine through in each and every project.

Whole Trees Architecture was founded in 1991 by Roald Gunderson, an architect with a keen interest in improving the relationship between humans and forests. They way we’ve been going, he says – chopping down old growth to process and mill it into lumber – isn’t good for us, the trees, or the buildings we make from them. Instead, he uses young growth in his buildings. He processes it as little as possible and lets the natural curves and connections shine through in the finished structure. He advocates “thinning” the forests, much as one would thin a garden. He removes the small, windswept, invasive and diseased trees to make room for the stronger, older trees to repopulate the forests.

But it’s not just about saving the forests. Using whole trees is a more architecturally, structurally and environmentally sound choice than lumber or even steel or concrete. Whole trees tend to be very difficult to burn, and unlike other building materials, they sequester carbon rather than releasing it in the production process. And while most milled lumber tends to come from outside of the U.S., whole young trees can be found anywhere. Using them for construction may just improve the local economy while helping to reduce the carbon emissions that would result from milled lumber’s transportation.

With so many benefits to building with whole trees, why don’t more people do it? There are many answers to that: we live in the age of machines, where few things are done by hand anymore. Not many people are skilled in using trees’ natural curves to create buildings. And it is truly a challenge to design a building using material that is so raw and so variable. But regardless of the challenges, the structures created by Whole Trees are some of the most impressive tree houses – in the most literal sense of the word – ever seen.

The company’s commitment to a greener world doesn’t stop with their design and construction projects, of course. Whole Trees’ office is a whole tree and straw bale building that runs on solar power and wood stove heat. Gunderson’s passion shows through in the workshops and training sessions he gives to people who are interested in incorporating whole trees in their own projects. Maybe someday soon we’ll see more of these fascinating earthy structures popping up all over the world.

Amazing Living Art: Pooktre Tree Shaping

Six Amazingly Creative Bonsai Masters

Like any art form, bonsai has its stars and envelope pushers. Here are a half-dozen of the world's most creative bonsai artists.

15 Amazing & Unusual Trees Around the World

Some trees are just breathtakingly spectacular, whether by their size, age or shape or other unique characteristics - from the oldest to the largest and more.

Doll’s Eyes, Fairy Bells, Miracle Leaf – how can plants with names like these be dangerous? Eat them, and you’ll be sorry you fell for their deceptive names and unassuming appearances. From a tree that can make you go blind to flowers that even kill unsuspecting honeybees, these 13 (more) poisonous plants are anything but innocent.

Manchineel Tree

(image via: Hobo Traveler)

The Manchineel tree (Hippomane Mancinella) is so dangerous, it’s often marked with warning signs. Its leaves and small green fruit resemble those of an apple tree, hence the name – which is derived from “manzanilla”, meaning “little apple” in Spanish. But in Spain, this tree is more often known as “little apple of death”. All parts of this tree are so toxic that if you burn it and stand near the smoke, you can go blind.

Stand under this tree during a rainstorm, and you’ll get a nasty surprise in the form of blisters all over exposed parts of your body caused by contact with a white milky substance that the tree secretes when it rains. The Caribs used Manzanilla sap to poison their arrows and even tied captives to its trunk to ensure a slow and painful death.

Heart of Jesus

(image via: Wikipedia)

Eat the Heart of Jesus (Caladium x hortulanum), and you’ll end up praying for mercy. It actually wouldn’t be too difficult to accidentally set your mouth and throat on fire with this plant, since it shares its common name – Elephant Ear – with another genus of plants called Colocasia esculenta (taro) which have edible roots. While taro tastes akin to potatoes, Caladium tastes like the burning depths of hell thanks to its toxic compound, Calcium oxalate.

Doll’s eyes

(images via: Illinois Wildflowers)

With its broad green leaves and dainty white flowers, Doll’s Eyes (Actaea pachypoda) certainly doesn’t look dangerous. But, the striking white berries – once sewn into rag dolls as eyes, hence the name – are highly poisonous. They contain cardiogenic toxins that have an immediate sedative effect on human cardiac muscle tissue and can be fatal if eaten in large quantities. Even in small quantities, they can cause severe mouth pain.

Larkspur

(image via: Farmer Julie)

Like its cousin monkshood, larkspur (delphinium) is a highly popular ornamental plant, often planted in gardens for their dramatic spikes of showy blue blossoms. Larkspur is so pretty that children often just can’t resist touching them, but even brief contact with the flowers or leaves can irritate the skin. And, if you ignore the warning sign of this plant’s strong, acrid taste, you could die – it’s packed full of potent alkaloids. Before keeling over from respiratory paralysis, you’ll experience excitability, disoreintation, muscle tremors, stiffness, weakness and seizures.

Privet

(image via: Wikimedia Commons)

Neat, orderly rows of privet hedges (Ligustrum) look anything but frightening, but eat the berries and you’ll never want to go near this plant again. Some species, such as Ligustrum ovalifolium,  contain toxic Glycosides which cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, weakness, cold and clammy skin. Equestrians should be especially careful not to let their horses munch on this unassuming plant, as it is often fatal to them.

Yellow Jessamine

(image via: KillerPlants.com)

Yellow Jessamine: it’s a pretty name for a pretty plant, but don’t be lulled into complacency by its Southern charm. This perennial evergreen vine, which is the state flower of South Carolina, can be deadly. Though Gelsemium sempervirens is sometimes used in herbal medicine to treat problems like sciatica, when used incorrectly, it can – and does – kill. All parts of this plant contain the toxic strychnine-related alkaloids gelsemine and gelseminine, which is even fatal to honeybees when they make the mistake of gathering its nectar.

Fairy Bells

(image via: Wikimedia Commons)

This plant’s attractive appearance earned it names like Fairy Bells, Virgin’s Glove and Fairy Thimbles – but it’s also known as Dead Men’s Bells and Bloody Fingers, with good reason. Digitalis purpurea, Common Foxglove which is often found growing wild in the woods, is an undeniably beautiful plant containing cardiac glycoside digitoxin. Eat it and you’ll experience nausea, vomiting, convulsions, cardiac arrest and finally, death.

Tree Tobacco

(image via: UBC Botanical Garden)

Considering how much tobacco is consumed around the world on a daily basis, you might imagine a plant called Tree Tobacco is okay to smoke or eat. Not so much. Nicotiana Glauca causes vomiting, diarrhea, slow pulse, dizziness, collapse, and respiratory failure and is known to frequently kill horses and cattle, especially in Texas where it grows wild.

Golden Chain

(image via: Gertie_DU)

Golden Chain (Laburnum Anagyroides) is a majestic tree, with cascades of sunny yellow flowers. It has a long-held reputation as poison in English lore, particularly since its seeds look very similar to peas. They contain both Lupinine and dangerous enzyme inhibitors, and as few as 20 laburnum beans can kill a child.

Mother of Millions

(image via: North West Weeds)

In 1997, 125 cows died in New South Wales after eating an ornamental succulent plant that’s common all over the drier parts of Australia. Mother of Millions (Kalanchoe tubiflora) is so named for its astounding ability to reproduce – each plant produces thousands of offspring. But this drought-resistant plant causes diarrhea, heart failure and death in stock animals that mistake it for food.

Miracle Leaf

(image via: Staff.it.uts.edu.au)

It’s called Miracle Leaf thanks to its medicinal properties, but use Kalanchoe pinnata improperly and you’ll need a miracle to emerge unscathed. It contains bufadienolide cardiac glycosides, which can cause cardiac poisoning, particularly in grazing animals.

Windflower

(image via: Wikipedia)

The delicate, starry white blossoms of the Windflower plant look like something that would adorn a bridal veil, but touch it, and you’ll get a nasty rash. The entire plant contains poisonous chemicals that are toxic to humans and animals, including protoanemonin, a skin and gastrointestinal irritant.

White Bryony

(image via: Roberto Verzo)

White Bryony sounds pleasant enough, but get a load of its other name: Devil’s Turnip. This vine-like relative of cucumber produces pale pink berries filled with a foul-smelling juice as well as a large, tuberous rootstock. When used properly by knowledgable herbalists, this plant treats a number of health disorders, but ingestion can cause vomiting, kidney damage, convulsions and miscarriage.

16 Most Fatal Killer Poisonous Plants

Did you know that things from your local park or even household decorations could be fatal? Here are some of the most deadly poisonous plants around the world.

10 Air Purifying Plants For Homes & Offices

An illustrated rundown (based on NASA's authoritative study) of 10 plants that will purify the air in any home or office.

8 Land Disasters: Earthquakes & Landslides

Some of the most famous and devastating natural disasters of human history, from deadly earthquakes and catastrophic landslides to devastating and massive sinkholes.

(Image via: Inhabitat)

As world-savingly admirable as wind turbines are…well, they kinda stick out. Putting aside the question of whether the colossal wind-turbines we are growing accustomed to seeing are bad for our health or for local wildlife – they’re definitely bad for the view. In fact they’re as incongruous as lamposts in a field of corn. But maybe we don’t need acres of whirring behemoths – we should just design our homes a little differently. Here are three examples of how we might achieve this.

(Image via: Inhabitat)

Released last year, the Broadstar Aerocam (pictured above and top) is a multi-layered horizontal turbine that follows the wind around at a price translating to less than $1 per watt. Its blades continually adjust to find the optimum pitch to bite into the wind, collecting energy the same way the surface of an aircraft wing collects lift. The Aerocam units can be positioned at points between or atop buildings where the wind is strongest – but unobtrusively, never lifting above the skyline.

(Images via: Cleantechnica)

Taking the idea a step further is the Ridgeblade, a turbine that is part of your roof. The genius of this design is the unit’s length – potentially as long as a traditional sky-high turbine – and the Ridgeblade has already won its designers (the UK’s The Power Collective) a prestigious $750,000 award.

(Image via: Ecofriend)

But why stop at houses? Think of all the bridges, road-signs, walkways, billboards and lamposts out there. Think about the artificially-induced wind of road-traffic – as utilized by this design by Arizona State University – or from the passage of trains or aircraft. If we could work horizontal turbines into our existing structures in such a way that they’re out of sight and out of mind, then could we meet our energy needs while keeping our treasured natural views…and bequeath the sky to the next generation?

Crazy Animal Diversions: 5 Natural Masters of Spin

From the gecko self-amputating its tail to swimming worms dropping pretty bombs on larger predators, deception is a major aspect of surviving in the animal kingdom.

12 Films With Dystopian Depictions of Earth's Future

These 12 visionary films create dismal futures caused by present-day problems like global warming, wildlife extinctions and resource depletion.

Creative Wind Power Generators & Designs

From low-cost home wind power generators to high-energy wind turbines here are 16 particularly creative, unique and innovative wind power generators and designs.

Greenery isn’t just for roofs anymore – verdant carpets of moss, vines, grass and more bring lush life to vertical surfaces indoors and out through framed art installations, living walls, moss graffiti and even curtains of vegetation. Such ‘green walls’ take the technology and benefits of green roofs and make it even more visually appealing, softening bare concrete and providing shade, humidity and oxygen.

Floating, Greenery-Covered Home Concept

(images via: Treehugger)

In the Netherlands, architects accept the possibility that their city could eventually be taken over by the water that surrounds it – and they’re working on sustainable solutions that work with, not against, nature. If water takes over the city, so be it – residents could be living in dainty little floating homes made from recycled polystyrene hamburger clamshells, coffee cups and packing material and covered in vegetation.

Japan’s Bio-Lung: World’s Largest Green Wall

(image via: Colleen Bishop)

The world’s largest green wall was constructed for Japan’s Aichi Expo in 2005, a massive ‘bio-lung’ measuring 150 meters long and 12 meters high. The wall consisted of hemp canvas called ‘kenaf’, with pockets planted with sedum, vines and flowers. It was named ‘bio-lung’ to convey the message that such expanses of vertical vegetation can function as a huge, breathing lung to purify the air in urban environments.

Largest Living Wall in North America

(image via: Jetson Green)

The largest living wall in North America was recently completed at One PNC Plaza in Pittsburgh, the headquarters of PNC Bank. The 2,380 square-foot living wall has 602 2′x2′ modular panels, each one containing 24 plants for a grand total of 14,448 plants. The greenery, complete with PNC logo, covers a vast section of the exterior wall of this 30-story building. Since its installation, studies have shown that the south-facing wall is 25% cooler behind the green wall than ambient temperatures.

Plan for Green Wall in Cordoba, Spain

(images via: Urbanity)

Architects Thomas and Javier Garcia Píriz Castilian Pulido of CUAC Architecture envisioned a vast stretch of latticed greenery for the east and south sides of the façade of the College of Architecture at Cordoba, Spain. The architects imagine the green wall as a continuation of the existing building’s Art Noveau theme, placing an emphasis on the inclusion of nature in public spaces.

Whole Foods Living Wall

(image via: City Food)

At the new Whole Foods in Vancouver, a colorful wall of plants embellishes the north-facing wall of the building, adding to the city’s long list of greenery-adorned architecture. The wall is planted with native plants like huckleberry, euonymus, and licorice fern, which were individually placed within self-contained soil soil panels and attached to the side of the building.

Vertical Garden Art Installations

(image via: FloraGrubb.com)

Flora Grubb Gardens in San Francisco is a popular destination for fans of vertical greenery thanks to the talents of Kevin Smith, who creates stunning vertical gardens such as this one, made with succulents. Smith and partner, Flora Grubb – who owns the garden shop – also created a vertical tillandsia garden for the Bardessono Hotel.

Potted Plant Patios in Cordoba, Spain

(Image via: Guayre)

Cordoba, Spain is a city famous for its beautiful courtyards, called ‘patios Cordobeses’. Inside the gates of each courtyard, exterior walls are covered in wall-hanging planters, adding color and interest to what would otherwise be blank expanses of white. Each spring, private courtyards are opened to the public as homeowners compete with their neighbors for the best floral display. This one, pictured, won in 2007.

ReviPlant Edible Green Walls

(images via: ReviPlant)

Some critics of popular vertical greenery designs argue that such gardens aren’t being used to their maximum potential unless they’re edible. This design, by Italian company ReviPlant, is a vertical gardening system that takes vegetable gardens off the ground, transforming them into portable green walls that can be used to cover building facades.

Campbell’s Soup Tomato Wall in Harlem

(image via: AGreenRoof.com)

The Campbell’s Soup Company teamed up with Green Living Technologies LLC to create a living wall of the tomatoes grown for the company’s iconic soup in Harlem, New York. This “edible” food-producing wall brings fresh, pesticide-free produce to an area that lacks space for traditional horizontal gardens.

Moss Graffiti: Green Walls with a Message

(images via: Environmental Graffiti)

Vertical greenery doesn’t have to take up an entire wall. Moss graffiti is a form of wall vegetation that serves a purely decorative purpose, with designs ‘painted’ onto wall surfaces using a mixture of biodegradable ingredients that allow the moss to grow. Artist Anna Garforth experiments with poetry, while Edina Tokodi is responsible for popular New York City installations on concrete columns and other surfaces.

Greenery Curtains at Aichi Prefecture

(image via: Anjo City)

In Anjo City, Japan, a novel solution for cooling hot concrete buildings was to construct ‘curtains’ of greenery that filter both the sun and the air. Five nets cover the eastern side of a government building, each measuring 16 meters long and six meters wide. Planters at the base allow morning glories, bitter gourds, loofah and other plants to climb the nets, offering privacy on the balconies.

Inadvertent Vertical Greenery at Abandoned Shipyard

(images via: Artificial Owl)

Not all vertical greenery is intentional – just take a drive through the Kudzu vine-covered South, or enter an old abandoned building taken over by trees and vines. This former glass factory and shipyard in Imari harbour in the Saga prefecture of Japan has been almost entirely taken back by nature, and shows that accidental vertical vegetation can be just as beautiful as that which is planned.

Green Pockets: Planter Wall Tiles

(images via: Momoy)

Green Pockets, interlocking recycled ceramic tiles with built-in planters designed by Maruja Fuentes, turn vertical greenery into a sort of interactive art project that allows users to create wallscapes in virtually any kind of pattern, from free-flowing waves to checkerboards. The small planters make it easy to decorate a wall with herbs, flowers or other plants and easily change out the plants as desired.

Brooklyn’s First Living Wall

(image via: Jetson Green)

Brooklyn, New York got its first living wall in 2008 with the simple yet charming installation at Oulu Bar & EcoLounge in Williamsburg. The LEED-gold certified building and wall were both designed by Evangeline Dennie, with the modern warm wood façade of the building perfectly complementing the greenery for an eye-catching effect.

Changi Airport, Singapore

(images via: Alice)

There’s nothing cold and sterile about the Changi Airport of Singapore, which is home to a beautiful five-story wall of vines. Located in the baggage pick-up area, this self-watering 300-meter-wide vertical wall of vegetation brings some much-needed fresh air into a large, densely populated building.

Green Roofs Plus: Vertically Vegetated Buildings

Greenery isn't just for roofs. These 15 beautiful buildings feature walls decorated with trailing vines, moss, sedum and other plant life.

Earth Architecture: 15 Mud & Dirt Buildings

Incredible things can be made of dirt, as shown by these 15 examples of earthen architecture including adobe pueblos, hobbit holes and modern marvels.

Amazing structures reclaimed by the desert

The elements of one of the world's harshest climates can wreak havoc on anything man-made, even while providing the perfect climate for it to be preserved.

(Images via:  YLighting)

Are we making the most of the creative possibilies of LEDs? From the fan-cooled SoL R38 to the coolant-filled 360 Degree Light, the shape of the next generation of home LED lighting is looking decidedly familiar. Maybe that is to be expected, considering the green, practical need to fit all those screw and bayonet fittings in existing lamp designs – but are we missing a chance to rethink our lighting needs and come up with something neater, energy-thriftier and much more fun? Take the Abyss table lamp – like a corkscrewing paper sculpture (or if you want to be less kind, a length of glowing intestine), it can be bent into exactly the shape you require.

(Images via:  Technabob)

Or the Fragile Future 2 wall-lamp, an ivy-like sprawl of square-edged modular “circuitry” (you can assemble it to fit your wall-space), set with lamps that shine like dandelion heads? This dazzling effect is achieved in the most obvious way possible – by surrounding LEDs with dandelion seeds!

(Images via:  3rings)

Or how about hiding your lighting away in the walls? The appropriately-named Torn Lighting pretends that your wallpaper is hiding a brightly glowing wall, by hiding an LED behind a tailored, faked rip in the fabric. (This would also work nicely with furniture). Those who had nightmares after watching Poltergeist may wish to sit this one out.

(Images via:  Pieke Bergmans)

But for sheer irreverent cheek, it is hard to beat the work of Pieke Bergmans. Her Light Blubs (that’s not a typo) poke fun at conventional lighting by being victims of the “Design Virus”, an affliction that makes them sag and drip like candlewax.

(Images via:  Pieke Bergmans)

Crafted individually to suit their surroundings, these Blubs are made from handcrafted crystal inset with LEDs, and therefore at the other end of the scale from mass-produced domestic lighting – but they crack a much-needed grin at our obsession with ‘bulb-shaped’ bulbs. Maybe it’s time we joined in the fun.

Creative Ways to Give Old Beer Cans New Life

Because used beer cans are so abundant, especially on Mondays, many people have found creative ways to give them new life after the last drop of beer is gone.

Squeaky-Green: Two Waste-free Ways To Wash Up

Trying to limit the environmental impact of your kitchen? Here are two designs from the forefront of the kitchen sink eco-revolution.

Easy DIY Home Energy: 4 Ways to Plant a Solar Tree

Four types of solar tree, from concept to reality, turning solar paneling into works of Art.

Appetizers

It’s surprising how many people have never tried hummus. It’s a filling chickpea-and-tahini spread that goes great on raw veggies, pita bread or even crackers. Hummus is delicious any time of the year, but in Autumn it’s even harder to resist hummus made with roasted red peppers and garlic. This hummus recipe is quick and easy because it uses canned chickpeas and red peppers, but if you prefer you can cook your own chickpeas from dried and roast your own red peppers.

Bread and oil is a classic quick, inexpensive, and extremely yummy appetizer. The best part is that you can customize the taste in so many ways. It just takes a bit of olive oil, some dried seasonings and high-quality bread. The olive oil is the most important part; spring for the extra-virgin if you can. It has a pure, delicate taste that lower qualities can’t match. You can even use flavored or infused olive oil, either homemade or bought in the supermarket. Simply mix olive oil with a few pinches of dried herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary, dried red pepper and sage, a bit of garlic powder and some salt and pepper. This isn’t an exact science, so simply mix your seasonings in to taste. Warm it up for a few seconds in the microwave and serve with crusty whole-grain bread. Adding a few drops of high-quality balsamic vinegar to the oil just before serving adds an unforgettable flavor.

We can’t say enough good things about stuffed mushrooms. The little white cap mushrooms are usually pretty inexpensive, and making stuffed mushrooms isn’t nearly as complicated as the finished product makes it seem. This recipe for Garlic and Rosemary Stuffed Mushrooms includes butter, but you can easily substitute a non-dairy equivalent to make the recipe vegan. It’s definitely worth it. But there’s no need to heat up the whole oven to roast your garlic if you have a toaster oven handy. Just cut off the top of the head, peel off the outer layer of skin, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil and roast in the toaster oven at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Casseroles

Beans are so important for vegetarians and vegans; they give us the necessary protein and fiber to keep us going strong. This simple bean and rice casserole is cheap and easy and contains three different kinds of beans. You can dress it up with some cumin, garlic and chili powder to give it a taco-like taste. Or add some Italian seasoning and vegan sausage crumbles, and substitute zucchini and carrots for the vegetables to make a delicious Italian casserole.

Lentils are like a superfood for non-meat-eaters. They’re cheap, chock full of protein, quick to prepare, versatile and (we think, anyway) very tasty. This French Lentil Casserole has a unique sophisticated flavor that doesn’t taste anything like the bland pasty lentils that many of us were forced to eat as children. The croutons on top give a lovely texture; again, substitute a non-dairy margarine for the butter in the recipe to make it vegan.

Macaroni and cheese is a really difficult meal to give up when you go vegan. Especially if you grew up in America, mac and cheese is a classic comfort food that’s present at lots of family gatherings. This Vegan Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe uses soy cheese, which is avoided even by many vegans. But in this recipe, the soy cheese is spruced up with some additional ingredients and actually tastes similar to dairy mac and cheese.

Side Dishes

Parsnips are a wonderful, if underused, vegetable. They taste sort of like a cross between a carrot and a potato, and if you mash them along with potatoes they add a unique nutty and tangy taste. Parsnips are just coming into season in the Autumn and are available through most of winter. Try this amazing sweet and hearty recipe for Ginger Roasted Winter Vegetables for an experience unlike any other.

Sweet potatoes are an icon of the season. They are sweet, filling, and – luckily – very healthy. These Baked Sweet Potato Sticks are sort of like a healthier version of French fries. They couldn’t be easier, and they accompany a variety of meals very nicely. Try serving them with a vegetarian meatloaf and green salad for a delicious and healthy vegan meal.

This Green Bean Casserole may take a while to make, but it’s absolutely worth it. Use up the fresh green beans that are perfect right now from the garden or farmer’s market and this amazing casserole will blow you away. And when you dig into the recipe and start making it, it’s not as complicated as it looks at first glance.

Soups, Stews and Chilis

This Curried Carrot Bisque from the always-fabulous vegan chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz may require a trip to the grocery store (unless you have curry powder, coconut milk and three pounds of carrots at home) but you’ll be impressed with the results. The flavors of the curry powder and carrots melt together in an unbelievably tasty combination that will warm you to the core.

Chili is a must for when the weather starts turning cool. Serve it up with some vegan cornbread or homemade Italian bread and it’s a feast! The great thing about chili is that it takes on a different personality every time you make it. This vegetarian chili recipe is a great place to start, but play around with your chili to get it just the way you like it. Add vegetables, vary the amount of liquid, and change up the spices until it’s perfect. When making a vegan chili, there are several ways to get that distinctive “meaty” flavor. Some additions we’ve tried: cocoa powder, dark beer, and balsamic vinegar. Don’t try them all at once, though!

If you’ve never had a soup or stew made with miso, you’re missing out. The fermented soybean paste imparts a salty, rich flavor to whatever it’s in. This hearty Vegetable Stew with Red Wine and Miso is great served over rice or mashed potatoes, or just scooped out of a big bowl with a big spoon.

Desserts

Autumn is dominated by apples. They’re in season, and if you go to a you-pick orchard, you can make a perfect family day out of picking and preparing the apples to make this amazing Whole-Apple Crisp. The recipe just needs a little modification to make it vegan: use vegan margarine instead of butter, agave nectar or maple syrup in place of the honey, and soy yogurt instead of Greek (or omit the yogurt and serve it with some soy ice cream).

If apples aren’t your thing, this delicious Vegan Pear Baklava is just as sweet. You can again use agave or maple syrup instead of the honey. The finished product is something like a pear crisp without the crunchy topping. The nuts between each layer provide a delicious contrast in flavors and textures.

Rice pudding is another of those comfort foods that a lot of us miss when going vegan. The stuff you buy ready-made in the stores is full of dairy, but this vegan Slow Cooked Rice Pudding is just as rich and surprisingly simple to make. It’s perfect for chilly autumn evenings, and it’ll hold you over until breakfast – when you’ll probably want another bowl!

20 Vegan Recipes: Appetizers and Desserts

Look no further for delicious, healthy, easy to make vegan desserts, vegan salads, vegan appetizers, vegan snacks and vegan treats that everyone will enjoy.

20 Vegan Meals and Recipes that Taste Good

Going vegetarian seems challenging enough - but vegan? Here are some amazingly tasty vegan meals that will make even a carnivore's mouth water.

77 Delicious Eco-Friendly Meals and Recipes

Whether you are a vegan, vegetarian or even a meat-eater here are some essential (and relatively easy) meals and recipes to green your eating habits on a regular basis.

Trying to limit the environmental impact of your kitchen? No matter how many food scraps you compost or eco-friendly detergents you use, there are your traditional old appliances, encouraging you to do things the bad old way. They need to be rethought, incorporating all that we now know about sustainably closed loops and thrifty environmentalism…and here are two designs from the forefront of that kitchen eco-revolution.

(Image via: Dezeen)

The Flow2 Kitchen doesn’t rely on fancy electronics – but it is a technological marvel. Aside from a little plumbing and wiring this unit is a free-standing sideboard complete with sink, cooker and refrigerator. The key to its success is “low-tech” physics, cycling round in an energy-conserving, resource-hoarding loop. Newly washed pots drip their excess water onto edible plants. The fridge uses evaporating water to suck heat away from it – yep, no electrical supply needed (your utility budget will sniffle with joy). Food scraps go into the built-in vermicomposter, where your very own population of worms will nibble it down into compost ideal for the garden or for those plants under your drip-tray. And if you have kids…what better demonstration of the entire point of recycling?

(Image via: Kontrastblog)

But perhaps you like hi-tech – and perhaps you have more than a little money to throw around, in which case can we interest you in the rather science-fictional delights of the Brand Aion? The work of French designer Antoine LeBrun, the Aion works in a similar way to part of the Flow2 by conserving water, diverting any excess into the plants housed in the lid.

(Image via: Kontrastblog)

However, shut the lid and things get really clever. The whole device turns into a low-energy dishwasher – using a vegetable soap created by the plants growing above it. You keep track of how far along the cleaning cycle it is via the digital readout glowing on the front. Meanwhile, all that greenery is cleaning upwards as well, by scrubbing the air in your kitchen and leaving it as pristine as your crockery. When it becomes available (yes, it’s still in the early stages of prototyping), expect this device to get everyone in a lather.

10 Simple Ways To Go Green

Being 'green' isn't about being a consumer, and trying to be more environmentally aware doesn't have to cost a cent.

Easy DIY Home Energy: 4 Ways to Plant a Solar Tree

Four types of solar tree, from concept to reality, turning solar paneling into works of Art.

Green Utopian Eco-Village Saved

Learn about secret eco villages, sustainable cities, floating islands and futuristic eco housing developments and concepts you may or may not want to live in.

When it comes to sustainable housing and urban recreation, multi-functionality and biomimicry are the wave of the future, with communities intentionally designed so that residents have plenty of access to green space even in the most densely populated cities. The green recreation spaces of the future are often designed to use space creatively, providing unexpected pockets of nature, while the lines are blurred between nature and architecture in conceptual eco-housing.

Jenga-Like Apartment Complex in Singapore

(images via: Design Boom)

Stacked like Jenga blocks, the buildings that make up the Interlace Residential Complex in Singapore form a hexagonal arrangement to form eight large open courtyards where residents of the luxury apartments can gather to interact, swim and enjoy nature. The complex houses 1,040 apartment units of various sizes standing 316 stories tall, creatively using the site’s 20 acres to fit in large amounts of both housing and outdoor recreational spaces.

Vegetal City

(images via: VegetalCity.net)

Like an illustration from a child’s storybook, the Vegetal City concept by Luc Schuiten merges architecture with nature in such a way that it’s practically impossible to discern dwellings from actual vegetation.

Schuiten’s designs are the result of decades of observation and imagination, and his watercolor paintings depict a fantastical vision of how humans could build more intelligent cities that work in harmony with the earth instead of against it. The character of each of his cities is drawn from its environmental setting, including canyons in the desert and a ‘lotus city’ in a humid locale.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park

(images via: DDP.Seuol.go.kr)

Combining green recreation space with office buildings, a design museum, training center and convention facilities, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park will bring rolling green hills to the heart of South Korea’s largest business district in 2010. The project, designed by Zaha Hadid, establishes a cultural hub in the center of Seoul complete with reflecting pools, lotus ponds, bamboo groves and other elements of traditional Korean gardening.

Magic Mountains Undulating Business District

(images via: Room at the Top)

Imagine a lush, green, mountainous wonderland of buildings within the stark concrete setting of a big city. The ‘Magic Mountains’ concept proposing a new green central business district in Chongqing, China, was created by CEBO/Chongqing University for the CO-EVOLUTION exhibition in Copenhagen.

The designers say, “Chongqing, the biggest municipality in the world, is undergoing high-speed urban development. 50 million m2 of floor space and 500 km of highways are being added to the urban landscape and 1,200,000 people are relocating to the city every year. The GCBD district resembles the natural skyline of Chongqing, but with inhabited mountains. The mountain-peaks match the high density centres; the mountains lower reaches resemble traditional Chinese neighbourhoods. The valleys are green open spaces accommodating the ‘living machine’ – a system treating wastewater and generating renewable energy.”

Futuristic Vertical Farm on the London Bridge

(images via: Inhabitat)

As urban spaces become more and more congested, architects are looking to unusual locations for green space – even bridges. Chetwood Architects proposed turning the London Bridge into a vertical farm with solar-powered spires topped with wind turbines. The concept includes vast platforms supporting a network of organic farms and a public organic market where the food grown on the bridge could be sold to the public. It also incorporates solar water heating, rainwater collection and greywater treatment.

Globe Ecological Hub: Green-Roofed Concept City

(images via: World Architecture News)

The relatively new city of Modiin in Israel provides an opportunity to build a sustainable urban center from the ground up, and architect Zvika Tamari of TeaM Architects has envisioned a grass-roofed eco-dome featuring daylighting, active solar systems, natural ventilation and other green building features and techniques. The Globe Eco-Hub consists of a half-buried museum and a linear structure of open courts of various levels, along with a series of open spaces including a recreation park.

Eco Park Houses Joined by a Wave of Green

(images via: Design Boom)

Another unusual concept for eco-housing – and one that is actually in the planning stages – is the Park Houses by Ushida-Finlay Architects. Set for construction in Preston, UK, the Park Houses are a series of five individual four-story homes covered by a single wave-like green roof that pulls them together into one complex. The homes will share common leisure space and will feature large windows to let in natural light. Solar panels will provide some of the power consumed by the homes, and locally sourced materials will be used for building.

Cliff Dwelling-Inspired Co-Op Canyon

(images via: Inhabitat)

When designing green buildings, many architects turn to biomimicry, studying nature’s best ideas and imitating those systems and designs to sustainably solve human problems. LA-based architecture firm Standard looked to the cliff dwellings of the Anasazi Indians to provide inspiration for Co-Op Canyon, a terraced sustainable city block that incorporates housing, gardens and community spaces. Designed for the Re:Vision Dallas competition, this concept could house up to 1,000 people yet produces net zero carbon emissions and wastes no water.

Songdo International Business District: South Korea Eco-City
(images via: Songdo.com)

South Korea has become a popular location for master-planned eco-cities, with several multi-use sustainable urban centers planned. The city of Incheon will soon get a $30 billion complex called the Songdo International Business District that will accommodate 75,000 residents and 300,000 commuters. Designed by Kohn Petersen Fox, Songdo IBD will contain 1,500 acres of offices, hotels, residential and retail developments and a 100-acre Central Park reminiscent of New York City. This ambitious project will also feature a modern canal system inspired by Venice and 120 of its buildings will meet LEED standards.

Green Office 2015: Workspace/Green Space Combo

(images via: Archicentral)

Why waste valuable space on nothing but roads and railways? RAU Architects believe that such spaces can also support functions like recreation and business by building a web over the infrastructure. ‘Green Office 2015’ is a multifunctional building that offers offices and expanses of grassy green spaces replete with natural light and opportunities for on-site energy generation.

Instead of a stretch of concrete and steel, visitors see what looks like an extension of the natural environment – a man-made mountain that makes use of space that would otherwise go to waste.

10 Creative Budget Green Holiday Gifts

Show your friends how great it is to be green with these funky and affordable eco-friendly gifts.

8 Green Shopping Ideas and Gift Tips

Green is well within your means thanks to affordable eco-friendly products and online shopping sites with interesting green gadgets and great gift ideas for the holidays.

15 Funny & Literal Green Gift Ideas

From Green Eggs and Ham and the Giant Green Egg to Al Green and Soylent Green here are some quirky alternatives for greening your holiday gift shopping.

(Image via: maxblack)

Tire recycling is on a roll. Only a few decades ago, the world had little or no idea what to do with the hundreds of millions of scrap tires littering the planet – hogging landfill space, collecting stagnant water for disease-carrying moquitos to breed in, and causing epic flagrations that can burn for years. Now we live in eco-friendlier times. Recycled tires are (somewhat fittingly) being used to line roads, to make playgrounds safe, to prop up houses…and as these six examples show, to add quirky style to our homes.

(Image via: igreenspot)

Not only is tire furniture hard-wearing (having already been rolled for thousands of miles) – it looks and feels like nothing else. Could it be the next designer super-material? Sturdy enough to keep in shape, flexible enough to cushion impacts – and able to withstand any extreme of weather. Pictured above is a coffee table set, but surely this material is born to make garden furniture.

(Images via: recycoool)

But if you want comfort over durability – add a little air. Recycoool’s inflatable furniture is the work of Israeli designer Nir Ohayon, and consists of inflated inner tubes crossed with industrial strength rubber bands. The result looks deliciously comfortable, if rather startling.

(Images via: englishretreads)

Stretchy but unbreakable, waterproof and available in staggering quantities – why have bag-makers been using plastic and leather when recycled tire rubber fits the bill so exactly? These examples from English Retreads show how it should be done.

(Images via: le souk and Apartment Therapy)

Or maybe you want a durable alternative to ceramic? Tire rubber containers won’t chip or fracture, will flex as they get filled and will take any punishment you throw at them. Perfect for pots to throw your kichen utensils in, as with le souk’s Recycled Tire Bucket (left) – or these Eastern-style tubs and planters (right), fit for any use, any environment.

(Image via: BadAss Paddles)

And lastly…um. Well. What can we say? Apart from offering our congratulations to BadAss Paddles (sadly no longer in business) for their lateral thinking and their creativity…and also for taking the phrase “brand spanking new” so very literally.

Strangely Stylish Sustainable Furniture Designs

Furniture designers have gotten incredibly creative when it comes to sustainable materials and concepts, to the point of the bizarre in some cases.

15 Awesome Alternative Ways to Reuse Shipping Containers

Once their conventional usefulness is up, shipping containers can be transformed into spectacular, modern buildings like hotels, museums, homes and shops.

Squeaky-Green: Two Waste-free Ways To Wash Up

Trying to limit the environmental impact of your kitchen? Here are two designs from the forefront of the kitchen sink eco-revolution.