PrairieMod

Redefining "Green" Thumb

Check out these amazing recycled cardboard cacti creations made by designer David Stark. See them here.

Image via Inhabitat

Kaufmann Studio's New Net-Zero Pre-Fabs

PrairieMod reader, Paul R., sent me a link to an article discussing Michelle Kaufmann's new foray into Net-Zero pre-fab home designs. Read more about it here.

Image copyright Michelle Kaufman Studio

ReStyle Modular Furniture

I'm really digging UK designer James Howlett's smart and fun take on furniture, as embodied in his ReStyle Multifunctional Modular Furniture. Check it out here.

Image via jameshowlett.co.uk

Cork Does It All

Many people don't realize that cork can do so much more than stop-up wine bottles or rest under your sweaty drinks. As a renewable resource, this all-natural material has a multitude of potential applications in your home. Read more about it here.

Image via Wikipedia

Break::the::Box 2010: City Farm

Plan on attending the next very cool UTRF Break::the::Box event titled "City Farm :: Garden in a City" which will take place Friday, July 16, 2010 :: 2 pm. Find out more after the jump...

Seeing The Light

D Light Design has recently won the Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy for it's low-cost solar lantern, which was developed specifically to rid dependence in sub-Saharan Africa on kerosene lamps. Read more here.

Image via D Light Design

Rehabbing Ross

Here's some video and lots of great images on the rehabbing of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Ross House in Glencoe, IL that appeared on the WTTW program, Chicago Tonight. See it here.

Image via Chicago Tonight weblog

Little Mod Birdhouse

A PrairieMod reader sent me this great link to a very Mod DIY birdhouse project that I think might be a must-build for the "Little Red House". See it here.

Image via 2greenthumbsup.com

NatureMill: Compact Composting

Composting usually brings to mind images of big bins of smelly food scraps and grass clippings taking up space in a corner of your yard. Well, NatureMill is a hi-tech way to produce garden-rich compost right in your kitchen with none of the smell or hassle. Find out more here.

Image via NatureMill

Spill Here! Spill Now!

Still think increasing oil drilling off our coasts is a good idea? A Jamaica-sized oil slick (and growing) in the Gulf of Mexico that threatens wildlife, the fishing industry and the health of the area's residents says otherwise. An ecological disaster of this magnitude will hopefully spark a firm resolve to finally get our country on a clean, renewable energy fast track. In the meantime, you can get "slick and tired" of this horrible mess here.

Image via BBC News

Light Bulb Terrariums

Reuse those old light bulbs and make some terrariums. Check out the link here.

Image copyright Instructables

"Dragon Rock" Gets Its Green Roof Back

Manitoga, Russel Wright’s National Historic Landmark home, studio and woodland garden, will celebrate re-installation of the iconic designer’s green roof on April 17. Thanks to a federal Save America’s Treasures grant, paired with NYS funding sponsored by Assemblywoman Sandy Galef, Senator Vincent Leibell, New York State Council on the Arts, the David L. Klein, Jr. Family Foundation and other private sources, and a major in-kind donation from Kemper System Inc, the historic “green roof” on the 20th century industrial designer’s Landmark home has been fully restored. Read more after the jump...

Of Houses And Heartbreak

Here's a link to an article about the unfortunate demise of Michelle Kaufmann's pre fab housing company. She was riding high when we toured her beautiful "Smart Home" at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago a few years ago, but the economic downturn and the inability to get costs where they need to be has kept these homes on the drawing board and as an exhibit. Read about it here.

An interesting side note: The only other model home to be built on the grounds of the MSI was a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Usonian Automatic (another pre fab house design that never took off) that toured the country in the 1980s. Read about it here and here.

Image via the MSI website & sterinerag.com

Going Green Is PreFabulous

USA Today features Sheri Koones' new book, Prefabulous + Sustainable: Building and Customizing an Affordable, Energy-Efficient Home that looks at the intrinsically eco-friendly nature of factory-built housing. Read more here.

Blue Sky Homes

Blue Sky Homes believes that buildings can be – must be – built more efficiently and more sustainably. They've taken up the gauntlet of "build a better pre-fab" and are turning out some interesting looking buildings (a nice respite from the "cargo container" approach favored by other pre-fabbers). Check it out here. Thanks to PrairieMod reader Paul R. for the link.

Image via Blue Sky Homes

"Going Green" Gets Gold

Image Design, LLC recently received LEED for Homes "Gold" Certification for their "Granite Hill" project in Kingsley, Michigan—the second highest honor you can receive from the USGBC. Learn more about this project and all the other exciting "green" things Image Design is building here.

Image copyright Image Desgin, LLC

Urban Freedom With YikeBike!

A PrairieMod Reader sent a link for an unusual and interesting device called the YikeBike. Designed for the urban traveler, could you see yourself riding one of these? Watch a video and learn more here.

Image copyright YikeBike

More Fay Jones Related News

It's a double E. Fay Jones news day! Students with the Fay Jones School of Architecture in Fayetteville broke ground on Little Rock's first sustainable, design-build home. Constructed in modules, they'll be transported and put together on-site in the spring. Follow the link to learn more and to watch a video clip.

Image via www.todaysthv.com

Plan On Checking Out These Toys

I stumbled across some very cool, very Mod wooden toys on a recent trip to Whole Foods. I searched on the web to find out more about the company that made them, Plan Toys. Turns out Plan Toys is not only about responsible toys for childhood growth, but also being responsible to the environment. Follow the link to learn more.

Image copyright Plan Toys

Earth Blossom House

PrairieMod reader, Karlitos Estein sent us an email showcasing a new organic building design called "Earth Blossom House" that he co-created for the Clifton Schooley & Associates rammed earth company. Rammed earth construction intrigues me and Karlitos' design is a stunning example of what could be done with that building style. See and read more here.

image via Clifton Schooley & Associates/Karlitos Estein

Portland Building Goes Green In A Big Way

The wall of the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building would definitely stand out, as architects and federal officials plan one of the world's most extensive vertical gardens in downtown Portland on a series of 250-foot-tall trellises designed to shade the west side of the 18-story office building.Read more about it here.

Ray Kappe's LivingHomes

Architect Ray Kappe has designed a line of sustainably-minded, factory built residential concepts for LivingHomes. Modern in appearance, thoughtful in environmental impact, comfortable in use of materials, could these homes be the Usonians for the 21st century? Find out more here.

Image via LivingHomes

Vinyard Project Wins Award

Here's a link to an article from Green Builder Magazine about Image Design, LLC's "Vineyard Project" in Paw Paw, MI winning the 2009 Green Home of the Year Award. Read the article here.

Copeland Furniture Wins Award

Congratulations Copeland Furniture! The American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) announced that Copeland Furniture (makers of the officially licensed Frank Lloyd Wright-designed furniture), is the recipient of the 2009 Sage Award for environmental excellence. Read about it here.

Image via copelandfurniture.com

In Memorium: Malcolm Wells

The “father of modern earth-sheltered architecture", Malcolm Wells, passed away on November 27, 2009. Read about this remarkable man's life and career here.

Image via wicked local bourne

Save Food From The Fridge

MocoLoco posted on Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Jihyun Ryou's effort to look at food storage in a smarter and potentially more energy-efficient way by "saving" them from the fridge. Read more here.

Image via MocoLoco

Taking Arcosanti To China

Former Taliesin Apprentice and Arcosanti creator, Paolo Soleri, recently took his ideas and designs for a "Lean Linear City" to China. Read about it here.

Image via The Daily Courier

It IS easy being green!

For those of you still using plastic trash bags, here's an environmentally-friendly option: Green Genius's biodegradable kitchen and yard bags. They're puncture-resistant, priced the same as the brands you're probably used to using, made from 40% recycled materials and will break down (eventually). You can even try it for free!

More About LEED Logs

Here's a link to another article on the recent LEED Platinum rated log home by Image Design, LLC and Hybrid Homes, LLC. Read it here.

Images copyright Image Design, LLC

Ram Tough

PrairieMod reader, Karlitos S. sent us a link to Clifton Schooley & Associates website. The firm uses a really interesting, beautiful and eco-friendly building approach for their buildings and other structures called "rammed earth." Find out more about it here. Thanks Karlitos!

Image copyright Clifton Schooley & Associates

Get Cookin'!

Check out Greencookingpots the new line of ecofriendly cookware from Mica and Café McMullen. The enameled cast-iron pots and pans are chemical-free and absorb and distribute heat evenly, making for efficient cooking. No more Teflon for you!

Image copyright Green Pots

"Watercress" Goes Platinum

Team Hybrid and Image Design, LLC's "Watercress Project" in Pentwater, Michigan just received LEED for Homes "Platinum" certification, the highest honor from the USGBC. It also makes it possibly the first log home in the US with such a designation. Read more about it here.

Image copyright Image Design, LLC

Freed Speaks On Green Building

Here's a link to an interview with architect Eric Corey Freed of the firm organicARCHITECT about desert architecture, sustainability and Frank Lloyd Wright. Read it here.

Image via Wikipedia

Dow's Power House

The blog, Jetson Green, recently posted on Dow Chemical's new "solar shingle", which could be a low-cost way for consumers to capture and utilize alternative energy. Read about it here.

Image via Jetson Green

Taliesin Gets Back To Its Roots

Students from the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture have revived the spirit of agriculture that was originally integrated as part of Wright's vision for life at Taliesin, his Spring Green, Wisconsin estate. Read about it here.

Give These Smart Appliances a Whirl

Whirlpool has announced that it will make 1 million "smart" clothes dryers in 2011. "Smart" because the appliances are connected to the grid and can adjust their power consumption based on electricity demand. If 1 million clothes dryers went into power conservation mode during peak time, it would reduce demand by the equivalent of almost 6 coal power plants! Read more here.

Image via Whirlpool/Treehugger.com

Making A Greener Apple

Apple is doing their best to make-up for a less than admirable record of "Thinking Different" when it comes to sustainability. It seems like they are trying to turn over a new leaf with this new "Apple and the Environment" commitment. Now if they can get past the need to obsolete their products every six months...Read more here.

Image copyright Apple

Consider In-The-Box Thinking For Your iPhone

Treehugger.com reports on the cheapest (possibly most "green" and most hilarious) case you can have for your iPhone: This $0.99 cardboard skin from Case-Mate. It even comes with optional Sharpie marker inscription! See more here.

Image via Case-Mate

Fight The Flu & Save Money

Want to kill germs, be eco-friendly and keep a few dollars in your pocket? Then consider making your own viral-fighting hand sanitizer in preparation for this year's flu season. Find out how here.

Image copyright bratha/via lifehacker.com

Nutrition Labels For Homes

JetsonGreen.com reports on a recent white paper released by Michelle Kaufmann Companies titled "Nutrition Labels for Homes: A Way for Homebuyers to Make More Ecological, Economical Decisions" that calls for the equivalent of a nutrition label for homes measuring their environmental performance. Read more about it here.

Images via Jetson Green

Show Mies The Money

Apparently, stimulus money promised for upgrading and "greening" buildings is slow in coming—even for the building that served as President-elect Obama's transition office in downtown Chicago, The Mies van der Rohe-designed John C. Kluczynski Federal Building. Read more about it here.

Fall For These Plates

Looking for the right dinnerware to serve on for a Fall Festival? How about these ultra eco-friendly plates by VerTerra made from fallen leaves pressed into an elegant shape using only heat and water. See more here.

Image copyright VerTerra

Biodegradable, Plastic Tin Can Lids

Dezeen, a design magazine, has a sweet post about Jack Bresnahan and his series of biodegradable, plastic lids. Check it out here.

Image copyright Jack Bresnahan

Drink Beer, Save The World

PrairieMod readers Donna O. and Jen B. both sent me a link to an article about the Morton Arboretum testing out a new eco-friendly paving material made from recycled beer bottles and other glass. Called "FilterPave", it is about 40 percent porous, so it can trap pollutants that would normally be swept away into drains and streams. Read all about it here.

Junktion

One person's trash is another's treasure, right? This is especially true to the Israeli group called junktion. Formed in 2008, they take throw away items and transform them into unconventional (and often very clever) useful products. Seeing this wood pallet shoe rack made me smile and want to make my own version. See more here.

Image copyright junktion

Google The Sun

According to this recent Treehugger.com article, search engine giant, Google, is jumping into the renewable energy pool by attempting to develop a significantly lower-cost solar energy technology. Could solar-derived electricity soon be affordable for regular people? Read more here.

What You Can Do With Bamboo

Bamboo is a pretty amazing plant. Strong, fast growing, anti-bacterial, beautiful—it's truly a wonder material. Check out how Finnish company, Magaru, is using bamboo to make some pretty interesting (and Organic looking) modular furniture and shelving designs. See it here.

Image copyright Magaru/via MocoLoco

Meyer May House At 100 Symposium: Day Two

The PrairieMod Squad is back in Chicago after a day chock full of amazing experiences at the Meyer May House Centennial Symposium, hosted by Steelcase. As part of the event, we enjoyed listening to riveting dialogue between panelists and watching some great short films about Wright and his legacy. We also learned something new about our hosts and the innovations that they are involved in. Learn more after the jump...

Crushing On Cork

It may sound weird, but I've been dreaming about tree bark lately. No, I haven't lost my marbles—I've just been learning about the amazing properties of using the bark of the cork oak tree for all sorts of home applications--including flooring (the use I've been dreaming most about for the Little Red House). It's comfortable under foot, comes in many colors and varieties, resists water, fire, mold and insect damage, durable, easy to install and easy to repair. Plus, contrary to what you may have heard, cork harvesting is sustainable and very eco-friendly. Follow the link to learn more about this remarkable bark!

Image via usfloorsllc.com

Snack In Style

Your snacks for lunch don't have to languish in boring (and eco unfriendly) bags. Check out this useful and beautiful lunch set from Evelyn Fields' etsy.com page. The handmade set includes a sandwich bag, a mini bag & a napkin. She makes them from unbleached cotton with secure Velcro closures, they can be cleaned by machine wash & dry, or better yet line dry. Plus, your order comes with FREE healthy snack ideas! Check out this and other examples of her handiwork here!

Image copyright Evelyn Fields