#sustainable-design

#sustainable-design

The dream project for me isn't a skyline object or spectacle, it's a long-life system -a project whose structure is reused, materials are upgraded and recycled rather than replaced, and performance improves over time. Where sustainable strategies aren't hidden in basements, or rooftops, but become part of the architectural experience. A dream project would be an urban district reimagined, edited with a scalpel (rather than a sledgehammer) with its declining building stock given a new life through subtle upgrades, modest interventions, and attention to craft and building performance.

Here's something to blow your mind: decades before IKEA convinced us all that assembling furniture with an Allen wrench was somehow fun, a visionary designer named Luigi Colani was already flatpacking children's furniture in the 1970s. And get this, it wasn't just about convenience. His Tobifant desk and chair set was actually genius problem-solving at its finest. If you know anything about Luigi Colani, you know he was the king of curves and organic shapes.

The Garden House is a light-filled, mass-timber hub for The Packer Collegiate Institute's Lower School, designed for the joy of its students and the ease of those who teach and care for them.

I started out getting vegetables from Goma and selling them in this market. I never expected to be the one rebuilding it decades later, says Bakarani. We have built a market with local people, especially our mothers and sisters, in mind. We have kept the concept of the old one but have enlarged it, and it is more functional. It was a nightmare imagine what it was like for our mothers or sisters selling there exposed to the sun from morning till evening Dieudonne Bakarani

Text description provided by the architects. Adopting sustainable living today, both in design and daily life, is crucial for reducing our environmental footprint and preserving resources for future generations. In design, this means using eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient technologies, and creating spaces that harmonize with natural surroundings. In daily living, sustainability involves mindful consumption, reducing waste, conserving water and energy, and supporting local, ethical products. Together,

At first glance, Sula resembles a decorative candle that's been reimagined for the 21st century. Its organic, rounded form sits comfortably in your hand, and the warm wood finish gives it that luxurious, handcrafted quality that makes you want to keep it on display even when it's not lit. But flip it over or lay it on its side, and you'll discover its secret: a hidden solar panel that soaks up sunlight and stores energy in its lithium battery.

Clinching the title for London was the 'Chelsea Brut' by Pricegore Architects. The minimalist's dream home is an extension, refurbishment and retrofit of a four-storey 1960s townhouse in a dense part of west central London. The house, which was unveiled in a special episode of Grand Designs, features a sleek grey brick façade, while its inside has been stripped back to its structure, also finished in grey using raw materials like lime plaster, lime slurry and clay-block floors.

Picture this: you're hiking through the Carpathians when fog rolls in and you lose your bearings. Instead of waiting hours for a helicopter rescue team, a drone reaches you in minutes, delivering supplies and guidance while thermal cameras track your location. This isn't science fiction. It's the vision behind Lynx, a jaw-dropping architectural concept that's equal parts rescue station, tourist destination, and gothic cathedral.

Amid countless questions, reflections, and debates about rethinking what a hotel can be, current hotel architecture faces growing complexities that span user experience, environmental responsibility, and the relationship with local context. Contemporary hotel design shows a clear-and increasingly prominent-intention to blend seamlessly and harmoniously with its surroundings, building a sense of identity that responds to local cultures, traditions, and character.

Eclectic maximalist style has been all the rage for a while now - and designers say the trend will continue into the new year, with a strong focus on vintage finds. As a part of our sixth annual State of Home Design survey, Apartment Therapy asked designers, what's one vintage item you think we'll be seeing everywhere in 2026?

The new devices are an update to the Fairbuds XL with noise cancellation, first launched in 2023 and designed with repairability in mind. On these headphones, owners can replace the battery, cushions, speaker covers, headband, and drivers on both the new and older models. To make repairs, you can easily open up the headphones with a guitar pick or a credit card and a basic screwdriver. The company has tutorials on its YouTube channel to guide you through the process.

In Accra, where public investment in recreational space is limited and green areas increasingly scarce, the Backyard Community Club proposes a new model for shared civic life: a community sports facility centered on a tennis court, demonstrating how design can deliver inclusive, sustainable, and socially transformative environments. Designed by DeRoche Projects, it is Ghana's first project using a precast rammed earth system an innovative method pioneered by the studio that reimagines an ancestral material for contemporary, scalable use.

The Waterfront Botanical Gardens and Graeser Family Education Center sit on a former landfill site, which had been unusable and closed off to the public for decades. Today it has been redesigned into 23.5 acres of lush, verdant, sustainable public space: the first botanical garden in Louisville. The education center and surrounding trails and gardens provide green space to residents and visitors, while educating the public on topics of conservation and sustainability.

Air conditioning accounts for 9% of electricity used on earth and 3.2% of all greenhouse gasses. Even if some countries like Germany shuns its use, air conditioning releases close to one billion tons of CO2 each year. As summers get longer and hotter; heatwaves become more commonplace; and tropical climates expand further north and south, the demand for climate control is set to grow significantly. This catch-22 dilemma seems insurmountable but new, more sustainable solutions are being developed as direly needed alternatives.

The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction has announced the Grand Prize Winners of the 2025 Holcim Awards, selecting one project from each global region to represent the most impactful approaches to sustainable design in this cycle. This edition marks the introduction of the Grand Prize format, replacing the previous tiered distinctions to better acknowledge diverse regional contexts and avoid hierarchical rankings. Evaluated by juries chaired by Sou Fujimoto (Asia Pacific), Kjetil Trædal Thorsen (Europe), Sandra Barclay (Latin America), Lina Ghotmeh (Middle East and Africa), and Jeanne Gang (North America), the winning projects reflect the Foundation's principles of holistic, transformational, and transferable design.

But a third, more urgent verse has been added to the chorus in recent years: impact. Today, truly exceptional design must also be responsible design. It has to account for its lifecycle, its materiality, and its effect on the world it inhabits. This evolution in thinking is a necessary one, pushing creatives to solve for more than just aesthetics and ergonomics.

From sculptural furniture collaborations and serene wellness sanctuaries to sustainable showpieces and high-design everyday tools, each piece offers something more than beauty. It offers thoughtful experience. Whether it's the flicker of a Danish fireplace, the quiet glow of a 3D-printed lamp, or the soft weight of a reversible throw, these gifts are made to be lived with, admired, and loved for years to come.

Kara Pure 2 offers a new vision for home hydration that eliminates these trade-offs entirely. By pulling water straight from the air, mineralizing it with essential nutrients, and presenting it in a sculptural stainless steel form, it changes the simple act of pouring a glass of water into a daily wellness ritual that's as beautiful as it is sustainable and convenient.

Chen Jun's stainless steel firewood stove isn't just another pretty appliance trying to look good in your Instagram feed. This is serious engineering wrapped in sleek design, tackling real problems that have plagued wood-burning stoves for generations. The secret? A sophisticated modular system that completely rethinks how we approach portable heating and cooking. Here's what makes it clever: the entire stove can be disassembled and reassembled without needing a PhD in engineering.

ARTA Architects just bottled that magic into something you can hold in your hands. Meet Clover Collective, a modular stool that's basically the Swiss Army knife of seating, and it's turning heads from Milan to Hong Kong. Here's the thing about good design: it shouldn't just look pretty sitting in a museum. It needs to work for real life, adapt to your moods, and ideally, not destroy the planet in the process.

The brand famous for its tumblers (and how incredibly durable they are) is looking to upend the coffee industry too. Stanley's 'Perfect Pour Over Brew Set' is the company's take on pour-overs, redesigning them in a way that's simple, robust, and reusable. The set features a pour-over top (with a metal filter) and and a Stanley cup for its base. No coffee filters, no disposable liners. Every inch of this brew set is designed for travel, durability, and sustainability.

If you're not familiar with Joe Colombo, let me paint you a picture. This Italian designer was basically the poster child for optimistic, forward-thinking mid-century design. He created bold, colorful furniture and objects that perfectly captured the era's "the future is bright" energy. Colombo sadly passed away in 1971 at just 41, but his work continues to influence designers today. The KD28 lamp is a perfect example of why his pieces remain relevant decades later.

Modern camping gear has evolved beyond basic survival tools into sophisticated equipment that enhances outdoor experiences without compromising authenticity. Today's innovative designs merge cutting-edge technology with thoughtful functionality, creating products that solve real problems while maintaining the spirit of adventure. These breakthrough designs represent a new era where comfort, sustainability, and wilderness exploration coexist harmoniously. The latest camping innovations prove that smart engineering can transform ordinary outdoor challenges into opportunities for enhanced adventure.

BaleBio, a bamboo pavilion designed by Cave Urban for Bauhaus Earth's ReBuilt initiative, pioneers carbon-negative architecture in Bali while reimagining the traditional communal spaces of the island for a changing climate. Rising above the sands of Mertasari Beach in Denpasar, the 84-square-meter structure transforms a disused car park into a living community hub, an open meeting space that merges environmental performance with social purpose.

We just couldn't believe we were seeing materials and building components of significant value routinely discarded,

Following a sustainable lifestyle is important even when you are traveling, as eco-conscious travel blends innovation with environmental responsibility. By focusing on renewable materials, energy efficiency, and waste reduction, travelers can make eco-friendly choices, and designers can create products that support sustainability and functionality. Whether it's durable luggage or solar-powered gadgets, thoughtfully designed items help reduce a traveler's footprint. As more people seek meaningful and responsible journeys, sustainable design plays an important role in shaping the future of travel and protecting the planet.

Because fragments vary in size, shape, and color, the final design is nearly impossible to replicate. The second is quality. Many fragments, especially those sourced from demolition sites, come with flaws. Rather than see these issues as limitations, van Dievoet embraces them, allowing constraints to shape the work. "Creating from materials that have already been used forces me to take into account their shape, thickness, and any breaks," she explains.