Shipping Container Homes

Would you live in a shipping container? Many people do! A more affordable option to traditional home, shipping container homes are made from durable steel, are water resistant and termite resistant, and offer dependable safety from natural disasters.

Cnn reports in this short video.



Interested in seeing some examples of the finished product? This site has great photos of interiors and exteriors of energy efficient shipping container homes.

2009 Green Building Trends

Alisa Kane from The Bureau of Development Services in Portland discusses new green building trends for 2009 and beyond.

Designers involved in global change, by Cameron Sinclair

Cameron talks extensively about sustainable living and design, and how a small idea became a large reality. Watch the video for more information.

Straw Bale Homes in Crestone Colorado

Tuscon Saryon from the Integral Design Studio shares with us this 10 minute video clip entitled "This New Green House". He believes architects have a responsibility to the planet to design sustainable homes. Watch a straw bale, off the grid home being built in Crestone Colorado, a community that is a mecca for sustainable homes, by local builder Paul Coppana.

Teach children about sustainable living with this creative home energy kit!

I think this is the coolest learning toy for children that I have ever seen. It's from Thames & Kosmos, and is called the "Power House" model kit.

Developed by physicist Uwe Wandrey, the kit combines science and technology lessons, while the user embarks on an adventure of building a sustainable home and surviving on a remote island. In the step by step story, the user learns how to harness the power of the sun and the wind as well as energy from other sources. Recommended for children 12 and up, the Power House consists of 20 unique building projects, including:

- a home
- a wind powered generator
- a solar selector
- a solar power station
- a green house
- a current indicator
- a sail car
- an electric crane
- an oil Lamp
- a light Telescope
- a solar oven
- an electric switch
- an oil press

and several others. The kit comes with a 96 page manual to guide the user through projects. Priced at $157, I think this kit is a great learning tool for the money. There is a very detailed description on the Thames and Kosmos site at this link. You can purchase it at Barnes and Noble here.

I actually want one for myself! What do you think?

Major discovery by MIT researchers plans to unleash a new genre of Solar Energy

This video has been racing around the internet this month. Researchers at MIT have developed an alternative energy that is designed to complement solar power.

John Wilson discusses his energy efficient home

The Wilson family home is a great example of how a home can be energy efficient even in the cold area of Ontario Canada. The home is straw bale and south facing, and they utilized both solar and wind energy. All of the materials they used in building the house are toxin and chemical free. Watch the video for more information!