House Plans.info

I wrote about using old shipping containers to build houses with a few weeks ago. Well here is a great example of a proposed project in Detroit. Designed by architect Steven Flum, in partnership with developer Leslie Horn, the project is waiting city approval. Once received, the condos will end up near […]

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We’ve featured Michelle Kauffman before. Her work is pleasing to me, so I thought I’d share some vidoes. These are inside looks into some of her homes, the Glidehouse and the Sunset Breezehouse. Enjoy…
MKD video 1
MKD video 2
MKD video 3
thanks michelle and preston

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Every morning I look at the same hilltop near my basement apartment and imagine building up there. Something about the seclusion and privacy, the view, the abundant natural light, and living above the smog gives me a boost of energy as I’m headed for work. For now it’s a dream, and it probably […]

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Though it may not be the hot topic of the century, building residences with storage containers is getting a lot of attention right now. Let me tell you why.
Structure: The biggest reason the idea has caught on is that the structure is already done. No need to worry about structural support. You […]

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This last week was the The International Home and Housewares Show 2008 in Chicago. A main focus for many companies was greening up their product line. CNET News gave a thorough report on several of the stand-outs.
Among the featured goodies that CNET found are a power strip that tells you how much power […]

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An important aspect of sustainability is preserving the buildings we can and transforming them into renewed and efficient structures. The unfortunate reality is that remodeling can be a tiring and cumbersome process that leaves a bad taste in your mouth (that’s the mold). Thankfully, remodeling homes is now being recognized and aided. The USGBC and […]

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SMIT, a sustainable design start-up company, has developed an interesting, potentially ground breaking, and completely simple idea called GROW. Solar energy scientists have been trying to imitate photosynthesis for a while now. They’ve done an excellent job of it, and I’m continually impressed with newer techs and better availability. In this sense, […]

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I write here fairly often, but my main job is with the bosses over at www.theplancollection.com, where I answer questions about residential design and construction. I received an interesting email the other day. It was a slightly critical young man who claimed that all the designs on our website were “old school” and […]

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useful + agreeable house by Atelier Tekuto is available exclusively through useful + agreeable (www.ua.tv).
useful + agreeable (u+a) is a multimedia company that specializes in travel and design. Their purpose is to “present a useful + agreeable world.” As part of their quest, they have recently paired up with Japanese architect Atelier Tekuto to bring […]

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CNET reported on a paint under development by researchers at Rice University and City College of New York. The trick is an ancient remedy that my unlce used to swear by (and probably still does). It’s silver. Nanoparticles of silver, to be exact. The trick is to insert these tiny particles […]

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