This Puget Sound eco cabin is made almost entirely from reclaimed materials

Activist and artist Anna Hoover collaborated with architect Les Eerkes from Olson Kundig Architects to build the Scavenger Hut – a beautiful, low-impact cabin hidden in the idyllic landscape of the Puget Sound. The design for the 693-square-foot compact cabin called for both affordability and sustainability. Accordingly, it was built using mostly reclaimed materials and leaves a minimal footprint thanks to a unique six-foot raised foundation.

When artist and activist Anna Hoover was considering the cabin’s design, she was looking for something simple and rustic that would be a “thought refuge, a room with a view to sit and contemplate future projects and reflect on recent travels and interactions, plenty of ‘headspace’—tall ceilings—and the ability to host other artists for studio time,” she explained.

Related: These minimalist prefab cabins are designed for human “recharging”

Enter architect Les Eerkes, who designed the project while at Olson Kundig. Working with Hoover, Eerkes designed an eco-friendly timber cabin that would be a simple, but elegant space to encourage thoughtful contemplation. Even better, Eerkes came up with a plan to build the structure for less than $200 per square foot.

To cut costs, the cabin was built with glued laminated timber. The exterior facade is clad in T1-11 plywood, which Hoover charred herself using a Weed Dragon Torch. Additionally, the six columns that support the cabin not only reduce the structure’s footprint, but also added an affordable way to avoid excavation and labor costs that come with laying a concrete foundation.

The majority of the building materials – and even the plants – were reclaimed from homes and buildings slated for demolition. “The process of reclaiming these plants and items and giving them a new life and home is fulfilling on many levels,” Hoover says. “Easier on the pocketbook and the environment—and you receive the benefit of a good workout.”

The interior is a light-filled space, flooded with natural light thanks to an abundance of windows. The kitchen and living room are on the ground floor topped with a sleeping loft. Along with the salvaged kitchen cabinets, the interior is a hodge-podge of reclaimed materials. A hot-rolled steel staircase leads to the loft where floor-to-ceiling windows give stunning views of the surrounding forest. The room even has a drop-down door that opens completely to further blend the space into its surroundings.

+ Les Eerkes

Via Dwell

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Stay in a cozy geodesic dome at this amazing Patagonia retreat

Set in the stunning landscape of Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, EcoCamp Patagonia is a sustainable retreat made up of upscale geodesic domes. Offering amazing views of the surrounding nature (including the park’s majestic granite towers), the domes operate on renewable energy and were built to be low-impact on the landscape.

Tucked into the otherworldly landscape of the Andes mountain range, the award-winning EcoCamp operates completely on environmentally sound principles. The guest accommodations as well as the common spaces are run on solar and hydraulic energy. All waste is either composted or recycled. Additionally, the meals are made with locally-grown food and the ecocamp works closely with the local community on sustainability issues. The camp’s environmental profile is so strong that it has earned ISO14001 certification since 2007 and ISO 9001 certification since 2012.

Related: EcoCamp Patagonia is a Gorgeous Geodesic Campground in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park

The glamping domes were built off the ground on elevated platforms to minimize impact on the landscape. Their design was inspired by the indigenous Alacalufe nomads who are known to leave no traces when they travel. The green color of the domes not only helps reduce solar radiation, but also blends the complex into the environment. Each dome is insulated with thick walls and heated with propane heaters.

There are four types of guest domes on offer – from standard accommodations to swanky Suite Dome Lofts. They all come with quality amenities like comfy beds, private bathrooms and skylights that flood the interiors with natural light. Guests can mingle in the Community Domes or take a class in the Yoga Dome. The lodge also offers hiking excursions through the amazing mountainous landscape of the Andes.

+ EcoCamp Patagonia

Via Dwell

Images via EcoCamp Patagonia

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Repurposed cargotecture dwellings keep naturally cool in Costa Rica

An environmentally conscious family tapped DAO and Re Arquitectura to design a home expansion project with low landscape impact. In response, the architecture firms created Franceschi Container Houses, a series of cargotecture apartments to independently house the family’s three sons. Located in Santa Ana west of Costa Rica’s capital, the repurposed shipping container dwellings make use of passive climate control, solar water heaters, and recycled materials to minimize waste and energy demands.

Set next to the Uruca River canyon, the Franceschi Container Houses were built on the same property as the main family house where the clients have been living for around 20 years. The project comprises three independent units raised off the ground for minimal landscape impact. The dwellings were built from repurposed 40-foot-tall cargo containers and feature identical floor plans.

Related: Qatar unveils first-ever FIFA World Cup stadium to be built from shipping containers

The architects carefully placed the dwellings to maximize passive climate control conditions and to optimize natural lighting. The social areas and a deep covered porch are located on the ground floor while the private areas are placed on the upper level. Waste was minimized through recycling and leftover materials like wood and metal were reused for miscellaneous objects like handrails, door handles, planters, and hangers.

+ Re Arquitectura

Via ArchDaily

Images via Re Arquitectura

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Outstanding eco-friendly resort in China is made with recycled and locally-sourced materials

The four pavilions of the Naked Gallery resort in China were built using a combination of locally available natural and recycled waste materials. Xiaohui Designer Studio designed the complex as an eco-friendly space that “includes 75% of sustainable and renewable materials, 75% recyclable materials, and 75% of work by local craftsmen.”

The designers utilized locally available stones, the soil excavated from the other sites in the resort, and bamboos abundant at the foot of Mount Mogan where the resort is located. The materials of the formwork and the joists of Naked Gallery are collected from the waste materials from other structures, which helped reduce the generation of waste and alleviate the influence of the architecture on the natural environment.

Related: Luscious eco-resort design in China inspired by the Silk Road

The resort consists of four pavilions. Local craftsmen built the complex using traditional building techniques which helped cut construction costs and increase construction efficiency. In fact, the transportation fees and construction waste were both cut by 90% during the building process.

+ Xiaohui Designer Studio

Via Archdaily

Photos by Youkun Chen

 

 

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Special bacteria can turn your old electronics into a gold mine

Geologists in Queensland, Australia have discovered a unique type of bacteria that is able to forge small bits of gold into solid nuggets. This discovery could allow mining companies to reprocess previously undesirable gold into market-ready products as well as transform the ways in which gold-containing electronics are disposed. “In electronic waste, there’s a lot of gold,” University of Adelaide associate professor Frank Reith told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). “We need a technique without impact to health or community or environment to [recover] the noble metals that are in everyone’s smart phone or computer.” Current techniques to do so are not nearly as sustainable as they need to be, but that could change if the bacteria proves an effective scalable tool.

In 2016, electronic waste, which includes disposed phones, computers, and televisions, contained $84 billion worth of recoverable materials, including $29 billion worth of gold. Reith and his team are collaborating with New Zealand-based Mint to craft a solution to this problem that utilizes the special gold-molding bacteria. “We’re working with electronic waste as a feedstock, and are piloting a process that uses microbes as a method of purifying precious metals from the mix of other metals that old circuit boards contain,” Mint chief strategy officer Dr Ollie Crush told ABC.

Related: This jewelry is made with upcycled gold from Dell computers

The bacteria works by filtering out other metals and piecing together gold nuggets, one grain at a time. The process of recycling gold could take between 17 and 58 years, which, in geological time, is no time at all. The process would need to be sped up considerably for it to be more widely applied throughout the world. However, the promise of capturing what otherwise would be lost wealth is enticing. “If you can make a recoverable resource from those parts, then you’re adding to the bottom line of any mine,” said Reith.

Via ABC

Images via Depositphotos and University of Adelaide

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This jewelry is made with upcycled gold from Dell computers

Did you know that there’s gold and silver in your computer? These precious metals end up in landfills when people don’t recycle their laptops and other electronics. According to Dell, American consumers trash $60 million in silver and gold every year just by not recycling smartphones. The technology company teamed up with actress and designer Nikki Reed to turn that e-waste into something stunning: jewelry.

Globally, recycling rates for e-waste are under 15 percent, according to Dell. They aimed to take action, and along with mining their recycling stream for materials, they got creative and reached out to Reed. Now she’s transforming materials from old motherboards into a 14 to 18 carat gold jewelry line called The Circular Collection with her company BaYou with Love.

Related: Marcela Godoy Turns E-Waste Into Unique and Beautiful Necklaces

The jewelry is created in Los Angeles, with the mission of reflecting “a beautiful world in which we continuously reuse resources and strive for zero waste,” according to the BaYou with Love website. The collection includes rings, earrings, and cuff links.

Gemstones like opals and diamonds the company says are ethically sourced complete a few of the pieces. The collection ranges in price from the Gold Ball Ring at $78 to the Cufflinks at $348.

Dell said in their statement, “We believe one reason recycling rates for e-waste are so low is that people do not recognize how valuable their electronics still are even if they don’t work.” The jewelry line is one attempt to highlight that value. The company also aims to make it easier for people to recycle by teaming up with Goodwill for Dell Reconnect: you can drop off old computer equipment from any brand at one of the around 2,000 participating Goodwill stores in North America for Dell to refurbish or recycle. You can find a location here.

Reed started BaYou with Love with Freedom of Animals founder Morgan Mogle. They offer clothing, home, and beauty products created with sustainably sourced and recycled materials in the United States.

+ BaYou with Love

+ Dell Reconnect

Via Dell and BaYou with Love

Images via BaYou with Love

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Melbourne architects turn an old terrace house into a gorgeous light-filled home

Melbourne-based Ben Callery Architects converted a compact terrace house with limited square footage into a contemporary, light-filled home by going upwards and outwards. The renovation introduced a large rooftop deck, and natural light floods the interior, providing a strong connection with the outdoors. The Beyond House also takes advantage of a number of sustainable features including passive heating and cooling, solar power, water harvesting, and repurposed materials.

The old row home was previously cramped in between two walls with little light, but by bringing the home design upwards, the architects were able to outfit the top level with a gorgeous open-air deck that allows the homeowners to enjoy a private outdoor space. Although adding this indoor/outdoor connection to the home was imperative to the renovation, the owners were also focused on creating a strong sustainability portfolio for their new home.

Related: Low-impact Abbotsford Eco House uses recycled materials wherever possible in Melbourne

“The owners are serious about sustainability and wanted the new addition to be naturally comfortable, using the sun for heating, breezes for cooling, water harvesting, solar power, recycled materials (even re-using the old kitchen),” the architects said. “We looked beyond the site constraints and beyond the typical spatial boundaries within a terrace house’s rooms and levels.”

The strong connection to the outdoors continues throughout the interior, which was outfitted with strategically placed windows to bring in as much natural light to the living space as possible. In fact, every room in the house has a floor-to-ceiling glass door that provides optimal light, further fusing the indoor with the outdoor.

+ Ben Callery Architects

Via Freshome

Photography by Peter Bennetts via Ben Callery Architects

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