The Kantoor Karavaan. A Wonderful Workspace Well Away From The Office...

The Dutch designers of the Kantoor Karavaan, translated, the office caravan, thought the workplace might be more productive if its location was more attractive.
So the idea of the Kantoor Karavaan was conceived. A great idea so people could rent one of these delightful mobile office spaces designed to suit their requirements and positioned in a conducive and pleasing environment.
All they need to do is bring their laptop
and if they can, get to work...

Bosco Verticale. Milan's Residential Forest In The Sky...

Bosco Verticale. The Forest In The Sky and residential towers in Milan's Porta Nuova district.
The idea's seed came from architect Stefano Boeri, the former Milanese Municipal Counsellor for Culture who used his talents and love of eco-architecture to created a vertical residential forest in the Italian fashion capital of Milan.
As well as being a very pleasant visual experience, the plantings will help lessen smog and produce oxygen, regenerating the environment. Plant irrigation comes about through filtering and reusing the grey water produced by the buildings and that, combined with the use of solar energy means the two buildings enjoy a high degree of self sufficiency. Have a look here.
There are thousands of plants and over nine hundred substantial trees, growing in the sky...

The Steely Cottage. It Has Everything That's Needed And Nothing That Isn't...

Everything that's needed and nothing that's not. That's the philosophical approach Ben Bartwell took when planning and building his tiny two hundred square foot house on a flatbed trailer.
There's more to know about The Steely Cottage here but it's a house designed and built for self sufficient living.
The little house is totally off grid and is complete with a composting toilet, a do-it-yourself pressurised water system and a vacuum tube solar water heater.
When the weather's cold there's a wood stove but evidently the house is naturally warm due to the passive solar build.
But the thing I like most is the recycled Corten sheets that've been used to clad the house and are already rusting to wonderful autumnal tones. They'll be pretty much maintenance free for ever.
And forever is quite a long time...

Beautiful Living Roof Gardens...

Living roof gardens combining the beauty of nature with the wonderful benefits of passive energy insulation...