Blog

Tag: Environment

10 Green Architecture and Design Books

by Dan
Architecture + Design & Typography + Environment / April 22, 2010

To continue our Earth Day theme today, here's a list of 10 new and recent books for architects and designers about sustainable building and design: 

1. 1000 New Eco Designs and Where to Find Them by Rebecca Proctor
2. Designing Sustainable Packaging: A guide to eco-friendly packaging design by Scott Boylston
3. Earth Architecture by Ronald Rael (paperback coming soon!)
4. Ecodesign: The Sourcebook by Alastair Fuad-Luke
5. The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture by Alanna Stang and Christopher Hawthorne
6. Green Roof: A Case Study by Christian Werthmann
7. The Hybrid House:Designing With Sun, Wind, Water, and Earth by Catherine Wanek
8. LEED Materials: A Resource Guide to Green Building by Ari Meisel
9. Off the Grid Homes: Case Studies for Sustainable Living by Lori Ryker
10. Prefab Green by Michelle Kaufmann and Catherine Remick

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10 Books for a Greener Life

by Dan
Environment / April 22, 2010

If you are looking for ways to be more environmentally-friendly, here are 10 books that will help you to green your home, your kitchen and your life:

1. 1001 Ways to Save the Earth by Joanna Yarrow
2. Anna Getty's Easy Green Organic by Anna Getty
3. Cool Cuisine: Taking the Bite Out of Global Warming by Laura Stec and Eugene Cordero
4. Eco-Chic Home: Rethink, Reuse & Remake Your Way to Sustainable Style by Emily Anderson
5. Go Green: How to Build an Earth-Friendly Community by Nancy H. Taylor
6. Green by Design: Creating a Home for Sustainable Living by Angela Dean
7. It's Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living by Crissy Trask
8. New Green Home Solutions: Renewable Household Energy and Sustainable Living by Dave Bonta and Stephen Snyder
9. Squeaky Green: A Method Guide to Greening Up Your Cleaning Up by Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan
10. Your Eco-Friendly Home: Buying, Building, or Remodeling Green by Sid Davis

Happy Earth Day!!

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Happy Earth Day World!!

by Danielle
Environment + Food & Drink / April 21, 2010

 

Here's an excerpt from ANNA GETTY'S GREEN ORGANIC: COOK WELL, EAT WELL, LIVE WELL, the ultimate guide to anything and everything that is good for our earth.

Enjoy!!

 

 

Zucchini and Sweet Potato Bread with Pumpkin Seeds and Dried Cherries
Makes one 9-BY-5-inch loaf
crumble topping
1⁄4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons cold
unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

zucchini and sweet potato bread
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1⁄4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground
cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 1⁄2 small zucchini)
1 cup grated garnet yam (about 1⁄2 large garnet yam)
3⁄4 cup pumpkin seeds
3⁄4 cup dried cherries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.
2. To make the topping, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and pumpkin seeds. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside.
3. To make the bread, in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking
powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
4. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the zucchini and yam. Add the flour mixture, pumpkin seeds, and dried
cherries and stir well. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter.
5. Bake the bread for 1 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean.
6. Let the zucchini bread cool in the pan before removing it from the pan
to serve.

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Natural Houses

by Dan
Architecture + Environment / March 17, 2010

For architects Arthur Andersson and Chris Wise, the fundamental elements that give buildings meaning are found in nature and Natural Houses: The Residential Architecture of Andersson-Wise presents seven exquisitely crafted homes by this Austin, Texas-based firm.

Filling everyday activities with poetry and awe, their designs address both pragmatic needs and the psychological yearning for refuge and contemplation, centering and escape, joy and comfort. 

Here's a sneak preview of the work featured in the book:

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Unchopping a Tree

by Dan
Art & Photography + Environment / January 12, 2010

Lewis Blackwell's beautiful book The Life and Love of Trees has been receiving a lot of media attention recently, not least from Ellen Degeneres. But if you need reminding why trees are important, take a couple of minutes to watch this stunning film by artist and architect Maya Lin for the What Is Missing Foundation:

Maya Lin - Unchopping a Tree from What is Missing? Foundation on Vimeo.

(via Kottke)

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Talking about The Life and Love of Trees with Ellen

by Siobhan
Animals & Nature + Art & Photography + Environment + Excerpts / January 05, 2010

In case you missed it over the holidays, here's Lewis Blackwell's interview with Ellen about two of his passions - trees and photography - which he has married in his truly gorgeous book, The Life and Love of Trees.

The book really is stunning - everyone who picks it up seems to have the same reaction as Ellen.

If you haven't seen it yet, have a look at's an  are few images from the book posted on the this slideshow of images from the book posted on the website for O, The Oprah Magazine.

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Green Christmas

by Dan
Environment / December 03, 2009

Reduce your carbon footprint and save money this season (without sacrificing style or tradition!) with green living expert Anna Getty's new book I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas!

Anna advises how to best choose a tree (real or fake?), mitigate the negative effects of necessary travel, recycle post-holiday, and more.

She also shares her favorite holiday recipes and homemade craft ideas:

Organic appetizer anyone?

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