Build a Geodesic Dome Solar Greenhouse to Grow Your Own Food. Index. Hobbit Houses: 15 Grassy Hill-Shaped Dwellings. “In a hole in a ground lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing to sit on or eat: It was a hobbit hole and that means comfort.” This line by J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the beloved The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fantasy novels, has inspired hundreds of copycat underground hobbit homes around the world – and is itself inspired by ancient Viking hill houses. These 15 green-roofed dwellings that take a page right out of Tolkien’s books come in all sizes for all kinds of functions, from hotels in New Zealand to backyard playhouses and vintage underground hill-dug duplexes. The World’s First Hobbit Motel (images via: wayfaring.info) For tourists the world over, New Zealand will forever be associated with The Lord of the Rings, since it served as the filming and production location for the film version of the saga.
Modern Hobbit Home in Switzerland (images via: toxel) (images via: webecoist) DIY Geothermal Heating Systems and Pump - Geothermal Desuperheater. Proponents of geothermal heating and cooling systems have been pounding on the door of public acceptance for almost two decades. And now, thanks to improved equipment and changing attitudes, doors are beginning to open. Though the number of geothermal systems sold today is still less than 1 percent of the domestic heating market, sales for fall 1997 through spring 1998 were up nearly 22 percent from the year before.
When the numbers for the '97-'98 season are tallied, the industry expects similar gains. Slowly but surely, homeowners are beginning to take notice. What's so compelling about geothermal technology? Energy efficiency. Geothermal Basics The heart of a typical geothermal system is a ground-source heat pump that cycles water through an underground piping loop. While this equipment may sound exotic, its operation is fairly easy to understand when compared to that of conventional air-to-air heat pumps. The geothermal principle works about as well for air conditioning. U.S. Finca Bellavista: Highflying Treehouses Nestled in the Costa Rican Rainforest Canopy Finca Bella Vista – Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World. Living Moss Carpet Adds a Touch of Green to Your Bathroom. Building a Bridge Out of Wind: BIG PIC. Step into my backyard office pod. When I was young, I was fascinated by "Growing Pains" dad Jason Seaver’s work-at-home setup.
I loved that in between appointments with patients in his home office, the good doctor could pop into the family kitchen and hang with Mike, Carol, Ben and the gang while mom Maggie was out working as a reporter. What could be better, right? Now, as an adult who primarily works from home with the exception of meetings, events, and occasional respite at a local coffee shop, the work-where-you-live concept that I found so novel in "Growing Pains" has, well, worn off a bit. That's not to say I'm unhappy (and I certainly enjoy my current, zero-impact non-commute) but sometimes things get a touch claustrophobic. Designed and built in the UK, the Archipod was conceived with Mother Nature in mind — the company was founded out of “frustration at the commuting lifestyle, with its attendant road congestion, air and noise pollution, road rage, running costs and time loss.”
Copenhagen Adopts a Mandatory Green Roof Policy. As part of its overall strategy to become a carbon neutral city by 2025, Copenhagen has become the first Scandanavian city to adopt a policy that requires green roofs for all new buildings with roof slopes of less than 30 degrees. Copenhagen presently has 20,000 square meters (over 215,000 square feet) of flat roofs. It is hoped that as much as 5,000 square meters of new development each year will be covered with vegetation. Vegetated roofs, or green roofs, provide several benefits for buildings and their surroundings. They can absorb as much as 80% of rainfall, helping to reduce stress on stormwater systems. Via LivingRoofs.org Thanks for the tip @mona_jensen!