Curbed Boston: All Posts by Rob BearLove where you live2011-12-09T16:01:21-05:00https://boston.curbed.com/authors/robbear/rss2011-12-09T16:01:21-05:002011-12-09T16:01:21-05:00Five Houses For Sale by the 20th Century's Master Architects
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<p> This is it, we're wrapping up Innovation Week 2011 today, so we've decided to take a look back, way back to the work of some of the most influential—and yes, innovative—architects of the 20th century. Better yet, all of these properties are currently on the market and, trust us, would be perfect as a last-minute Christmas present. Up first is Prairie Style pioneer <strong>Frank Lloyd Wright's</strong> textile block masterpiece <strong>La Miniatura.</strong> Built in 1923 in Pasadena, Calif., the four-bedroom, four-bath manse was the very first of Wright's Usonian houses. Though larger than many Usonian homes, which were aimed at middle-income Americans, La Miniatura served as an early prototype for a style that would define more than sixty Wright designs. Set amid lush plantings, La Miniatura is <a href="http://architectureforsale.com/property-details.php?property_ID=752">asking</a> almost <strong>$5M.</strong></p>
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<p> ? Midcentury master <strong>Louis Kahn,</strong> who combined modernism with a raw material obsession derived from the warehouses of his Philadelphia childhood, built this house in 1961 in that city's Chestnut Hill neighborhood. Named the <strong>Esherick House,</strong> after the patron who commissioned it, this is one of only nine houses built by Kahn during his illustrious career and, by modern standards, is highly unconventional. Though it measures 2,500 square feet, the study in cubes features just one bedroom. Perhaps that's why it's been <a href="http://theesherickhouse.com/">lingering</a> on the market at <strong>$1.5M.</strong></p>
<p> ? <strong>Philip Johnson's</strong> Glass House is one of the most celebrated American houses of the 20th century, but, three years before he built that steel-and-glass masterpiece in 1949, Johnson began his foray into house architecture with this concrete-and-glass number. The <strong>Booth House</strong> is a small but elegant home, as the brokerbabble has it, a welcome alternative to the " big, white elephant McMansion of recent years." The price <a href="http://architectureforsale.com/property-details.php?property_ID=870">reflects</a> the mini-mansion status at <strong>$1.6M.</strong> That's not too bad for tony Bedford, N.Y., nevermind the starchitecture.</p>
<p> ? While Johnson was working his magic in New England, out on the West Coast, <strong>John Lautner</strong> was testing the boundaries himself. Later to become famous for his outlandish designs like the Chemosphere, Lautner built this modest suburban home in Glendale, Calif. in 1949. Known as the <strong>Schaffer Residence,</strong> the elegant glass-and-wood stunner was recently featured in Tom Ford's film <em>A Single Man.</em> The two-bed, frequently-published home is <a href="http://architectureforsale.com/property-details.php?property_ID=11">asking</a> <strong>$1.5M.</strong><br> </p>
<p> ? Another SoCal architecture legend, <strong>Pierre Koenig,</strong> had his Case Study #22 immortalized by the preeminent architectural photographer of the era, Julius Shulman, but this one, built in 1983, didn't get the same treatment. Instead, the <strong>Michael Gantert Residence</strong> has the honor of being one of the last built by Koenig. <a href="http://architectureforsale.com/property-details.php?property_ID=920">Listed</a> for <strong>$2.3M,</strong> the three-bedroom property enjoys sweeping views over Hollywood Boulevard and the rest of Los Angeles.</p>
<p> · <a href="http://architectureforsale.com/property-details.php?property_ID=752">645 Prospect Crescent</a> [Crosby Doe]<br>· <a href="http://theesherickhouse.com/">204 Sunrise Lane</a> [Crosby Doe]<br>· <a href="http://architectureforsale.com/property-details.php?property_ID=870">319 Pound Ridge Road</a> [Crosby Doe]<br>· <a href="http://architectureforsale.com/property-details.php?property_ID=11">527 Whiting Woods</a> [Crosby Doe] <br>· <a href="http://architectureforsale.com/property-details.php?property_ID=920">6431 La Punta Drive</a> [Crosby Doe]</p>
https://boston.curbed.com/2011/12/9/10417284/five-houses-for-sale-by-the-20th-centurys-master-architectsRob Bear2011-12-09T11:01:08-05:002011-12-09T11:01:08-05:00Five Creative Ways to Deal with the Switch to Green Lighting
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<p>Most people like—or at least don't mind—being "green"; recycling and cutting down our carbon footprints and all that has become fashionable over the past decade or so. One technology that hasn't been fully embraced are the new lighting technologies. Thanks to a cold white hue, the compact fluorescent has been slow to make its way into stylish residences. For the Europeans, this transition will eventually be mandatory, and with the U.S. not far behind in legislation, it's time to get creative. The London-based design retailer Hulger took issue with the standard CFL shapes and decided to <a href="http://inhabitat.com/plumen-rethinking-the-fluorescent-bulb/">develop</a> a whimsical bulb that would "encourage people to buy CFLs through genuine desire rather than a nagging sense of guilt." The result is the <strong>Plumen,</strong> an unconventionally-shaped CFL that looks good outside of a fixture. Of course, the stylish alternative <a href="http://www.plumenshopus.com/products/plumen-001">costs</a> a bit more than its traditional competition, but it's worth it for something you'd actually like to turn on.</p>
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<div> <p>? Like the folks at Hulger, the Belorussian design duo behind <strong>Solovyov</strong> couldn't stand the conventional "pig tail" CFLs, so they <a href="http://dornob.com/brain-bulb-curved-compact-fluorescent-fits-fixtures-skulls/">devised</a> this glowing brain as an alternative. While it might be most appropriate in a haunted house—or a neurosurgeon's office—we would still love to see this prototype come to market.<br></p>
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<div> <p>? Not all of the new green bulbs are CFLs, there are LEDs too and, frankly, they can be just as boring. Designers YaRan Chang, Hsin Chou Liao, Chung en Lee and Simon Shih have developed this whimsical concept that combines green lighting with recycling. The LED fixture is threaded to accept a standard soda bottle, turning any clear or colored old bottle into a funky new lamp. Every time you finish a soda you have the chance to <a href="http://dornob.com/bottled-brilliance-diy-plastic-bulbs-for-hanging-led-lights/">create</a> a new <strong>Bottle Light.</strong><br></p>
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<div> <p>? Sometimes all it takes to spice up a boring, environmentally-friendly bulb is a truly wacky light fixture. This one, which accepts CFLs, is a radical solution to the problem of dim and dark corners. Plus, with the full enclosure, no one will be the wiser to your choice of a green light bulb. Further innovation includes a magnetized front facia for easy bulb replacement, not that you'll be having to do that too often. The <strong>Corner Light</strong> was <a href="http://dornob.com/corner-light-softly-illuminates-little-used-interior-spaces/">designed</a> by <strong>Peter Bristol.</strong><br></p>
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<p> ? No one will be paying attention to your bulb choices when confronted with this off-the-wall chandelier. <a href="http://dornob.com/ball-of-lighting-ceiling-lamps-made-of-miniature-furniture/">Created</a> by <strong>Paola Pivi,</strong> the hanging lantern is covered in 80 tiny furniture models from the Vitra Design Museum collection. However, considering each of the miniatures costs more than $150, this could be one expensive DIY job.</p>
<p> · <a href="http://inhabitat.com/plumen-rethinking-the-fluorescent-bulb/">PLUMEN: Rethinking the Fluorescent Bulb</a> [Inhabitat] <br>· <a href="http://www.plumenshopus.com/products/plumen-001">Plumen Shop US</a> [official site]<br>· <a href="http://dornob.com/brain-bulb-curved-compact-fluorescent-fits-fixtures-skulls/">Brain Bulb: Curved Compact Fluorescent Fits Fixtures, Skulls</a> [Dornob]<br>· <a href="http://dornob.com/bottled-brilliance-diy-plastic-bulbs-for-hanging-led-lights/">Bottled Brilliance: DIY Plastic Bulbs for Hanging LED Lights</a> [Dornob]<br>· <a href="http://dornob.com/corner-light-softly-illuminates-little-used-interior-spaces/">Corner Light Softly Illuminates Little-Used Interior Spaces</a> [Dornob]<br>· <a href="http://dornob.com/ball-of-lighting-ceiling-lamps-made-of-miniature-furniture/">Ball of Lighting: Ceiling Lamps Made of Miniature Furniture</a> [Dornob]</p>
https://boston.curbed.com/2011/12/9/10417430/five-creative-ways-to-deal-with-the-switch-to-green-lightingRob Bear2011-12-08T16:25:46-05:002011-12-08T16:25:46-05:00Five Inventive Residences from the Pages of Dwell: Part Two
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<span class="credit">Photos: Jason Schmidt/<a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/a-fresh-angle.html">Dwell</a></span><p> We're back to finish up where we <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/06/five-inventive-residences-from-the-pages-of-dwell-part-one.php">left off</a> with <em>Dwell</em>'s picks for most innovative homes from their archives. (For a look at more <em>Dwell</em> favorites, pick up the <strong>"Best Homes in America"</strong> <a href="https://w1.buysub.com/pubs/PX/DWS/BHA-gift-order.jsp?cds_page_id=108798&cds_mag_code=DWS&id=1323198572824&lsid=13401309328021833&vid=1&cds_response_key=B14C">special issue.</a>) Up first is a Canadian house with a decimal in its name, the <strong>23.2 House</strong> in Wood Rock, British Columbia. Designed by Vancouver-based <strong>Omer Arbel,</strong> the angular structure was built using reclaimed wood for parts of the interior with the overall shape of the building impacted by one overarching maxim. At the designer's insistence, none of the reclaimed planks could be altered in any way. This determined some of the house's more absurd angles, but it's hard to argue with the results, like the roof that <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/a-fresh-angle.html">hovers</a> over a seamless expanse of sliding glass. </p>
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<span class="credit">Photos: Dave Lauridsen/<a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/fertile-grounds.html">Dwell</a></span><p> ? In this pick, the <strong>Orchard House</strong> in Sebastopol, Calif., the architects left the raw wood off the ceiling and instead it found its way into the furnishings. Most notably, a gigantic slab of unsealed salvaged cypress that rests on sawhorses and <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/fertile-grounds.html">serves</a> as a primitive kitchen island. Designed by the architecture firm <strong>Anderson Anderson,</strong> the place was built for a East Coast couple relocating to Sonoma and was so designed to emulate, in part, the NYC loft they were leaving behind.</p>
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<span class="credit">Photos: Dean Kaufman/<a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/Creative-Commons.html">Dwell</a></span><p> ? The Dutch popped up in our last <em>Dwell</em> round-up and now they're back again to represent for the Low Countries. In a distinctly European twist, the <strong>Villa van Vijven</strong> was built as a collective home for five families. While each family lives in a distinct apartments, they all share communal spaces like the lawn and "the public square," a cobblestone plaza beneath the main structure. The design was <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/Creative-Commons.html">helmed</a> by <strong>Next Architects</strong> and has a distinctive, and very Dutch, orange exterior.</p>
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<span class="credit">Photos: Lloyd Russell/<a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/operation-desert-shed.html">Dwell</a></span><p></p>
<p> ? The sweltering high deserts of Southern California's interior would seem like the last place to plop an untested new design, but it's precisely the challenges of building here that drove the construction of <strong>Rimrock Ranch,</strong> a vacation getaway for surfwear entrepreneur Jim Austin. Using a solid concrete slab foundation and a steel canopy to shade the house itself, Austin and architect <strong>Lloyd Russell</strong> <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/operation-desert-shed.html">managed</a> to keep the temperature inside comfortable without resorting to the government-mandated air conditioning system.</p>
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<span class="credit">Photos: Gregg Segal/<a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/it-house-joshua-tree.html">Dwell</a></span><p> ? Followers of this year's Innovation Week should find this house pretty familiar, as it <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/07/five-ecofriendly-houses-to-try-green-living-before-you-buy.php">appeared</a> in as an AirBnb vacation rental on Tuesday. It's nice to put more of a backstory to the glassy modern cottage, which rents for $350 per night. Known as the <strong>iT House,</strong> it was <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/it-house-joshua-tree.html">built</a> by Linda Taalman and Alan Koch, of <strong>Taalman Koch Architects,</strong> as their own personal escape in the high desert in Pioneertown, Calif. The house was constructed from prefabricated components and the final cost of constructing this slick getaway was just $265K.</p>
<p> · <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/06/five-inventive-residences-from-the-pages-of-dwell-part-one.php">Five Inventive Residences from the Pages of Dwell: Part One</a> [Curbed National]<br>· <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/a-fresh-angle.html">A Fresh Angle</a> [Dwell]<br>· <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/fertile-grounds.html">Fertile Grounds</a> [Dwell]<br>· <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/Creative-Commons.html">Creative Commons</a> [Dwell]<br>· <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/operation-desert-shed.html">Operation Desert Shed</a> [Dwell]<br>· <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/it-house-joshua-tree.html">iT House, Joshua Tree</a> [Dwell]<br>· <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/07/five-ecofriendly-houses-to-try-green-living-before-you-buy.php">Five Eco-Friendly Houses to Try Green Living Before You Buy</a> [Curbed National]</p>
https://boston.curbed.com/2011/12/8/18230394/five-inventive-residences-from-the-pages-of-dwell-part-twoRob Bear2011-12-08T16:25:46-05:002011-12-08T16:25:46-05:00Five Inventive Residences from the Pages of Dwell: Part Two
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<span class="credit">Photos: Jason Schmidt/<a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/a-fresh-angle.html">Dwell</a></span><p> We're back to finish up where we <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/06/five-inventive-residences-from-the-pages-of-dwell-part-one.php">left off</a> with <em>Dwell</em>'s picks for most innovative homes from their archives. (For a look at more <em>Dwell</em> favorites, pick up the <strong>"Best Homes in America"</strong> <a href="https://w1.buysub.com/pubs/PX/DWS/BHA-gift-order.jsp?cds_page_id=108798&cds_mag_code=DWS&id=1323198572824&lsid=13401309328021833&vid=1&cds_response_key=B14C">special issue.</a>) Up first is a Canadian house with a decimal in its name, the <strong>23.2 House</strong> in Wood Rock, British Columbia. Designed by Vancouver-based <strong>Omer Arbel,</strong> the angular structure was built using reclaimed wood for parts of the interior with the overall shape of the building impacted by one overarching maxim. At the designer's insistence, none of the reclaimed planks could be altered in any way. This determined some of the house's more absurd angles, but it's hard to argue with the results, like the roof that <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/a-fresh-angle.html">hovers</a> over a seamless expanse of sliding glass. </p>
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<span class="credit">Photos: Dave Lauridsen/<a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/fertile-grounds.html">Dwell</a></span><p> ? In this pick, the <strong>Orchard House</strong> in Sebastopol, Calif., the architects left the raw wood off the ceiling and instead it found its way into the furnishings. Most notably, a gigantic slab of unsealed salvaged cypress that rests on sawhorses and <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/fertile-grounds.html">serves</a> as a primitive kitchen island. Designed by the architecture firm <strong>Anderson Anderson,</strong> the place was built for a East Coast couple relocating to Sonoma and was so designed to emulate, in part, the NYC loft they were leaving behind.</p>
<p></p>
<span class="credit">Photos: Dean Kaufman/<a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/Creative-Commons.html">Dwell</a></span><p> ? The Dutch popped up in our last <em>Dwell</em> round-up and now they're back again to represent for the Low Countries. In a distinctly European twist, the <strong>Villa van Vijven</strong> was built as a collective home for five families. While each family lives in a distinct apartments, they all share communal spaces like the lawn and "the public square," a cobblestone plaza beneath the main structure. The design was <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/Creative-Commons.html">helmed</a> by <strong>Next Architects</strong> and has a distinctive, and very Dutch, orange exterior.</p>
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<span class="credit">Photos: Lloyd Russell/<a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/operation-desert-shed.html">Dwell</a></span><p></p>
<p> ? The sweltering high deserts of Southern California's interior would seem like the last place to plop an untested new design, but it's precisely the challenges of building here that drove the construction of <strong>Rimrock Ranch,</strong> a vacation getaway for surfwear entrepreneur Jim Austin. Using a solid concrete slab foundation and a steel canopy to shade the house itself, Austin and architect <strong>Lloyd Russell</strong> <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/operation-desert-shed.html">managed</a> to keep the temperature inside comfortable without resorting to the government-mandated air conditioning system.</p>
<p></p>
<span class="credit">Photos: Gregg Segal/<a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/it-house-joshua-tree.html">Dwell</a></span><p> ? Followers of this year's Innovation Week should find this house pretty familiar, as it <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/07/five-ecofriendly-houses-to-try-green-living-before-you-buy.php">appeared</a> in as an AirBnb vacation rental on Tuesday. It's nice to put more of a backstory to the glassy modern cottage, which rents for $350 per night. Known as the <strong>iT House,</strong> it was <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/it-house-joshua-tree.html">built</a> by Linda Taalman and Alan Koch, of <strong>Taalman Koch Architects,</strong> as their own personal escape in the high desert in Pioneertown, Calif. The house was constructed from prefabricated components and the final cost of constructing this slick getaway was just $265K.</p>
<p> · <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/06/five-inventive-residences-from-the-pages-of-dwell-part-one.php">Five Inventive Residences from the Pages of Dwell: Part One</a> [Curbed National]<br>· <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/a-fresh-angle.html">A Fresh Angle</a> [Dwell]<br>· <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/fertile-grounds.html">Fertile Grounds</a> [Dwell]<br>· <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/Creative-Commons.html">Creative Commons</a> [Dwell]<br>· <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/operation-desert-shed.html">Operation Desert Shed</a> [Dwell]<br>· <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/it-house-joshua-tree.html">iT House, Joshua Tree</a> [Dwell]<br>· <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/07/five-ecofriendly-houses-to-try-green-living-before-you-buy.php">Five Eco-Friendly Houses to Try Green Living Before You Buy</a> [Curbed National]</p>
https://boston.curbed.com/2011/12/8/10417682/five-inventive-residences-from-the-pages-of-dwell-part-twoRob Bear2011-12-07T16:39:48-05:002011-12-07T16:39:48-05:00Here Now, Some of the World's Most Innovative Public Parks
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<p>It wouldn't be right to examine the fine art of the public park without mentioning the very first modern park in the West, <strong>La Alameda de Hércules</strong> in Seville, Spain. Constructed in 1574 and named after the rows of poplar trees, the park had two original Roman columns placed near its center. From the 19th Century through to the commencing of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, La Alameda was one of the centers of upper-class social life. With the social strife that accompanied the Civil War, the park fell into disrepair and the neighborhood became one of the city's poorest. By 1989, the immediate vicinity was home to more than 35 brothels. City-led development over the past decade has brought about a resurgence in the park's popularity, and it's become a nightlife epicenter without the red lights.</p>
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<span class="credit">Photos: PPS</span><div> <p>? Also in Spain, the <strong>Parc Guell</strong> in Barcelona was <a href="http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=40">designed</a> by legendary whimsical architect <strong>Antoni Gaudi.</strong> The tiled structures and lush plantings took 14 years to complete, from 1900 to 1914, but that's pretty efficient by Gaudi standards, as his Sagrada Família cathedral, begun in 1882, remains under construction. The park was declared a World Heritage Site in 1984.</p>
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<div> <p>? New York City's <strong>Bryant Park,</strong> like La Alameda, also <a href="http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces//one?public_place_id=26">required</a> a significant revamp to make it more hospitable. Built in its current form atop the partially-subterranean stacks of the adjacent New York Public Library in 1934, the park was intended to be an elevated urban sanctuary, but instead, thanks to obscured views from the street, it became a crime-ridden backwater by the 1970s. In 1979, 150 robberies occurred in Bryant Park, since a 1981 renovation that removed high hedges and added commercial outlets to the park, there has been just one.</p>
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<p> ? The famed <strong>High Line,</strong> the frequently imitated new addition to NYC's West Chelsea neighborhood, takes an entirely different form from Bryant Park's traditional city square, but has a similar role as an urban sanctuary. <a href="http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=1138&type_id=0">Built</a> atop the remnants of an old elevated rail line, the park wends its way through old industrial buildings and the neighborhoods new starchitecture, offering strollers a unique view of the city, past and present.</p>
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<span class="credit">First photo: Ermanec/<a href="http://www.panoramio.com/photo/66068">Panoramio</a>; All others: <a href="http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=829">PPS</a></span><p> ? <strong>Millennium Park,</strong> in Chicago, might take less of a novel approach to the layout of the park, but no expense has been spared in integrating some of the finest public art and architecture into an urban environment. An amphitheater by Frank Gehry and the now-famous chrome "Bean" by Anish Kapoor—actually titled "Cloud Gate"—<a href="http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=829">headline</a> the impressive installations, while fountains and acres of grass provide relief from Chicago's summer swelter.</p>
<p> · <a href="http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=40">Parc Guell</a> [PPS]<br>· <a href="http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces//one?public_place_id=26">Bryant Park</a> [PPS]<br>· <a href="http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=1138&type_id=0">The High Line</a> [PPS]<br>· <a href="http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=829">Millennium Park</a> [PPS]</p>
https://boston.curbed.com/2011/12/7/10418154/here-now-some-of-the-worlds-most-innovative-public-parksRob Bear2011-12-07T12:00:56-05:002011-12-07T12:00:56-05:00Five Eco-Friendly Houses to Try Green Living Before You Buy
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<p> Shrugging off the trappings of our resource-intensive society for something a little less damaging to the environment is no easy feat, so perhaps it's wise to consider renting an eco-friendly pad before committing to a purchase. To that end, a quick search of the vacation-rental site <strong>AirBnb</strong> turns up some awesome places to try out green living. Up first is the <strong>itHouse</strong> in the desert enclave of Pioneertown, Calif. Equipped with solar panels, well water, and glass walls, the one-bedroom house is completely "off-the-grid." The self-sufficient structure <a href="https://airbnb-trips.pxf.io/c/482924/378143/5503?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airbnb.com%2Frooms%2F19606&sharedid=archive.curbed.com" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">rents</a> for <strong>$350 per night</strong> and lies some two hours outside of Los Angeles, not far from Palm Springs. Like many of that town's modernist homes, the itHouse has a clean aesthetic that makes the sacrifices more bearable. </p>
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<p> ? Nestled in a leafy jungle environment on the eastern coast of Hawaii's Big Island, <strong>Mahi Oli'Oli</strong> uses solar panels to power the fridge and "mood lighting," but the house relies on trade winds, rather than air conditioning, to cool the interiors. The well-appointed one bedroom sits on a six acre parcel with sweeping ocean views over the palm tree tops. <a href="https://airbnb-trips.pxf.io/c/482924/378143/5503?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airbnb.com%2Frooms%2F22592&sharedid=archive.curbed.com" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Renting</a> for just <strong>$115 per night,</strong> Mahi Oli'Oli takes full advantage of its tropical setting.</p>
<p> ? Set on the ground floor of an eco-friendly townhouse in San Francisco's Mission District, this studio is accessed down a gated passageway at the rear of the house. Guests are supplied with two bikes for low-impact touring. The water is heated by solar power and solar provides some of the electricity. The only downside is that the owner is currently <a href="https://airbnb-trips.pxf.io/c/482924/378143/5503?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airbnb.com%2Frooms%2F19040&sharedid=archive.curbed.com" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">constructing</a> the Zero Cottage, a "net-zero solar house," in the courtyard. Rent is around <strong>$130 per night.</strong></p>
<p> ? Not every green vacation home is located in some sunny locale. This one, in Bishop, Calif. on the interior of the Sierra Mountains, is often <a href="https://airbnb-trips.pxf.io/c/482924/378143/5503?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airbnb.com%2Frooms%2F71258&sharedid=archive.curbed.com" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">covered</a> in piles of snow during the winter, but a litany of features help keep the environmental impact down. There's a "passive solar design for winter warmth and summer cooling, solar hot water, solar radiant floors, heat recovery ventilator, drain heat recovery that recycles the heat from your hot shower, and even a solar heated hot tub!" The rent is <strong>$275 per night.</strong></p>
<p> ? All of these American attempts at living off the grid pale in comparison to the lengths that the Swedes are willing to go for the environment. The <strong>Kolarbyn</strong> in Skinnskatteberg, Sweden is, intentionally, the "most primitive hotel" in Sweden. The accommodations consist of twelve huts built from stone, earth, and wood, and cost <strong>$50 per person per night.</strong> This sort of subterranean living is simply impractical for modern humans, but that shouldn't keep you from <a href="https://airbnb-trips.pxf.io/c/482924/378143/5503?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airbnb.com%2Frooms%2F14766&sharedid=archive.curbed.com" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">trying it out</a>...and feeling much better when you return home.<br>· <a href="https://airbnb-trips.pxf.io/c/482924/378143/5503?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airbnb.com%2Frooms%2F19606&sharedid=archive.curbed.com" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">itHouse Pioneertown</a> [AirBnb]<br>· <a href="https://airbnb-trips.pxf.io/c/482924/378143/5503?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airbnb.com%2Frooms%2F22592&sharedid=archive.curbed.com" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Mahi Oli'Oli</a> [AirBnb]<br>· <a href="https://airbnb-trips.pxf.io/c/482924/378143/5503?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airbnb.com%2Frooms%2F19040&sharedid=archive.curbed.com" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Mission Garden Apartment</a> [AirBnb]<br>· <a href="https://airbnb-trips.pxf.io/c/482924/378143/5503?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airbnb.com%2Frooms%2F71258&sharedid=archive.curbed.com" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Eco-Home with Stunning Views</a> [AirBnb]<br>· <a href="https://airbnb-trips.pxf.io/c/482924/378143/5503?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airbnb.com%2Frooms%2F14766&sharedid=archive.curbed.com" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Sweden Subterranean</a> [AirBnb] </p>
https://boston.curbed.com/2011/12/7/10418454/five-ecofriendly-houses-to-try-green-living-before-you-buyRob Bear2011-12-06T12:25:54-05:002011-12-06T12:25:54-05:00Five Inventive Residences from the Pages of Dwell: Part One
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<span class="credit">Photos: Leslie Williamson/<a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/20th-century-fox.html">Dwell</a></span><p> As part of Innovation Week 2011, we asked the design-minded modernists over at <em>Dwell</em> to pick their favorite innovative homes from those previously featured in the magazine. Here's what they turned up. First off, it's <strong>Eero Saarinen’s iconic Miller House</strong> in Columbus, Indiana. This midcentury masterpiece is hardly new—it was <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/10/13/the-miller-house-americas-unsung-midcentury-residence.php">completed</a> in 1952—but the architecture of Saarinen combined with interiors by Alexander Girard and landscape design by Dan Kiley make for an impressive home even by modern standards. Plus, the house, which had been owned by the Miller family for years, has just been <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/20th-century-fox.html">opened</a> to the public by the Indianapolis Museum of Art. </p>
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<span class="credit">Photos: Dean Kaufman/<a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/a-platform-for-living.html">Dwell</a></span><p> ? Fast forward to 2011, when this rustic-meets-modern mountain getaway was <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/a-platform-for-living.html">featured</a> on the pages of <em>Dwell.</em> A few hours outside of Tokyo, the structure is combination of tent platform and modernist house, designed by <strong>Shin Ohori.</strong> Built for a couple who design outdoor equipment, the building is simultaneously a relaxing country getaway and laboratory.</p>
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<span class="credit">Photos: Bryce Duffy/<a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/double-the-pleasure.html#ixzz1fJnaFeRX">Dwell</a></span><p> ? Seeking to take maximum advantage of the California sun and the climate of La Jolla, designer and developer Sebastian Mariscal built a pair of matching residences, <strong>the 2inns,</strong> that blend interior and exterior spaces. The living room boasts floor-to-ceiling glass walls that allow for seamless views to the Pacific.</p>
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<span class="credit">Photos: John Clark/<a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/westenders.html">Dwell</a></span><div> <p>? As Portland, Oregon's burgeoning creative class seeks cheaper alternatives to that city's classic neighborhoods, they have been pushing into a part of town known as the West End. The previously run-down neighborhood has been revitalized by visionaries like architect <strong>Jeff Kovel,</strong> who <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/westenders.html">built</a> himself an apartment atop his offices. In order to capture views of the historic church steeple across the street, Kovel cut a vertical section out of the existing building.</p>
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<p> ? Located in the Netherlands, this house looks like a typical modern home, with a bit of a rough edge, but it's so much more. <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/harvest-boon.html#ixzz1flnkIhkH">According</a> to architect <strong>Jan Jongert,</strong> "Reused materials account for 60 percent of the structure...and that goes up to as much as 90 percent when it comes to the interior." For instance, the siding is wood taken from dismantled cable reels and heat treated for weatherproofing. The phoenix-from-the-ashes story behind the construction suits the lot too, which was once the site of a devastating fireworks factory disaster.</p>
<p> · <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/10/13/the-miller-house-americas-unsung-midcentury-residence.php">The Miller House: America's Unsung Midcentury Residence</a> [Curbed National]<br>· <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/20th-century-fox.html">20th Century Fox</a> [Dwell]<br>· <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/a-platform-for-living.html">A Platform for Living</a> [Dwell]<br>· <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/double-the-pleasure.html#ixzz1fJnaFeRX">Double the Pleasure</a> [Dwell]<br>· <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/westenders.html">WestEnders</a> [Dwell]<br>· <a href="http://www.dwell.com/articles/harvest-boon.html#ixzz1flnkIhkH">Harvest Boon</a> [Dwell]</p>
https://boston.curbed.com/2011/12/6/10418948/five-inventive-residences-from-the-pages-of-dwell-part-oneRob Bear2011-12-05T17:02:33-05:002011-12-05T17:02:33-05:00Innovative Kitchen Faucets for the Space-Age Home Chef
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<span class="credit">Photos: <a href="http://www.trendir.com/archives/004986.html">Trendir</a></span><p> Much like the toilet—whose latest iterations were <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/11/29/five-new-innovative-toilets-that-deserve-the-title-throne.php">examined</a> under a microscope last week—the kitchen faucet has remained largely unchanged for years. Luckily for fans of new tech, some designers are still pushing the boundaries on this everyday fixture. The acronym-heavy <strong>KWC ONO Touch Light Pro</strong> is the product of such boundary pushers, <a href="http://www.kwc.ch/english/products/kitchen-faucets/overview/linie/kwc-ono-touch-light-pro/">designed</a> in Switzerland to be fully customizable. At the heart of the system is a touch-sensitive toggle for regulating the temperature.</p>
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<p> ? An elegant update to a classic design, this tubular faucet is secured above the sink by a narrow band of metal, but can be removed at a touch for greater flexibility. <a href="http://www.trendir.com/archives/005074.html">Manufactured</a> by the Germans at Kludi, the <strong>My Style</strong> was conceived by the designers at Esprit, the Chinese-German clothing conglomerate. That popular-in-the-'90s brand is looking to claw its way back to profitability, after losing almost 90% of its value over the past four years.</p>
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<span class="credit">Photos: <a href="http://www.trendir.com/archives/002480.html">Trendir</a></span><div> <p>? Though <a href="http://www.trendir.com/archives/002480.html">designed</a> for the bathroom, some of the more substantial faucets in the <strong>Ceadesign</strong> catalog would be perfect for a sleek kitchen from a minimalist like John Pawson. All have a clean, industrial look in brushed stainless steel and a fine Italian pedigree.<br></p>
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<div> <p>? To keep a little greenery in the kitchen with minimal effort, the <strong>Natura faucet by Newform</strong> has a tiny, built-in vase tucked next to the faucet. With a little spout to <a href="http://www.homedit.com/practical-faucet-natura-by-newform/">collect</a> the water from the tap, this is the simplest irrigation system one could hope for. In the bathroom, this faucet could hold the toothbrushes too, but wheres the natural beauty in that.<br></p>
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<p> ? While markedly less elegant than the Newform model, the <strong>Brizo Vuelo</strong> kitchen faucet <a href="http://www.trendir.com/archives/005407.html">packs in</a> more functionality. There's the built-in vase, plus a soap dispenser and, crucially for the kitchen, a spray function. </p>
<p>· <a href="http://www.kwc.ch/english/products/kitchen-faucets/overview/linie/kwc-ono-touch-light-pro/">KWC ONO Touch Light Pro</a> [KWC]<br>· <a href="http://www.trendir.com/archives/005074.html">Esprit 'My Style' by Kludi</a> [Trendir] <br>· <a href="http://www.trendir.com/archives/002480.html">Ceadesign</a> [Trendir]<br>· <a href="<img%20alt=" faucet-natura-newform-1.jpeg="" src="http://curbed.com/uploads/faucet-natura-newform-1.jpeg" width="500" height="528"></a><br>">Natura by Newform [Homedit]<br>· <a href="http://www.trendir.com/archives/005407.html">Brizo Vuelo</a> [Trendir]</p>
https://boston.curbed.com/2011/12/5/10419218/innovative-kitchen-faucets-for-the-spaceage-home-chefRob Bear2011-12-02T16:26:05-05:002011-12-02T16:26:05-05:00Innovative Wall Treatments Sure to Spice Up Boring Interiors
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<span class="credit">Photos: Leigh Davis and Zechariah Vincent/<a href="http://nymag.com/homedesign/greatrooms/67379/">NYMag</a></span><p> Jon Sherman, founder and head designer of the wallpaper firm <strong>Flavor Paper,</strong> packed up and moved himself and his business to the commercial hinterlands of Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, he must have known the new place would have to make a splash. The new industrial-looking building, designed by Jeff Kovel of Skylab Architecture, is <a href="http://nymag.com/homedesign/greatrooms/67379/">kitted out</a> on the interior with some of Flavor Paper's most striking designs. The roof garden is bordered by bright purple paneling, the master bedroom of Sherman's personal penthouse is done up in faux fur, and the skylit living room features a deeply textured modern fireplace. Quite a showplace for Flavor Paper's products, enough to keep clients like Lenny Kravitz and Frank Gehry coming across the river.</p>
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<span class="credit">Photos: <a href="http://www.paytonturner.com/">Payton Turner</a></span><div> <p>? For sheer craziness, there's not much that can top this seemingly-innocuous patterned wall treatment. Produced by Brooklyn-based artist <strong>Payton Turner,</strong> the design is, in fact, artfully-arranged stickers <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2010/12/22/please-welcome-the-craziest-wallpaper-in-the-world-to-the-dancefloor.php">featuring</a> everything from birthday cakes to butterflies to dollar bills. Perfect for a kid's bedroom, so long as there's time to carefully apply thousands of tiny stickers in a designated pattern.<br></p>
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<div> <p>? Some big-name interior designers have been going out on a limb with the patterned walls. <strong>Martyn Lawrence Bullard</strong> used monochrome squiggles on the walls and ceiling of the <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/09/14/first-look-inside-verandas-firstever-concept-house.php"><em>Veranda</em> Concept House.</a> Bullard said he wanted to give the media room a "Studio 54-Halston vibe." We're thinking it might give the occupant a headache instead.<br></p>
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<div> <p>? <em>Elle Decor</em>'s archives offer up some interesting alternatives to the usual paint and wallpaper. This formal dining room has a series of vases on the sideboard, but they're <a href="http://www.elledecor.com/image/tid/6535?page=0&pause=1">accented</a> by unusual wall decals depicting vases. None too surprisingly, this is the dining room of formal-meets-subversion fashion designer <strong>Donatella Versace.</strong><br><br>? In an equally playful alternative to a thousand tiny stickers, the entrance hall of a family's Manhattan roost was done over with the lyrics to the Rolling Stones classic "Loving Cup." The multi-colored felt letters were the brainchild of <strong>Muriel Brandolini,</strong> who, by the way, just <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/02/inside-muriel-brandolinis-ever-so-cool-manhattan-apartment.php">opened</a> her own Manhattan apartment to the New York Social Diary.</p>
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<p> · <a href="http://nymag.com/homedesign/greatrooms/67379/">Factory Life</a> [NYMag]<br>· <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2010/12/22/please-welcome-the-craziest-wallpaper-in-the-world-to-the-dancefloor.php">Please Welcome the World's Craziest Wallpaper to the Dancefloor</a> [Curbed National]<br>· <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/09/14/first-look-inside-verandas-firstever-concept-house.php#veranda-showhouse-1">First Look Inside Veranda's First-Ever Concept House</a> [Curbed National]<br>· <a href="http://www.elledecor.com/image/tid/6535?page=0&pause=1">Cover Story</a> [Elle Decor]<br>· <a href="http://www.elledecor.com/image/tid/6535?page=3&pause=1">Cover Story</a> [Elle Decor]<br>· <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2011/12/02/inside-muriel-brandolinis-ever-so-cool-manhattan-apartment.php">Inside Muriel Brandolini's Ever-So-Cool Manhattan Apartment</a> [Curbed National]</p>
https://boston.curbed.com/2011/12/2/10419694/innovative-wall-treatments-sure-to-spice-up-boring-interiorsRob Bear2011-12-02T14:07:46-05:002011-12-02T14:07:46-05:00Innovative New Home Furnishings Fit for an Eco-Friendly Home
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<p>With the incandescent light bulb set to be phased out across Europe, the Israeli industrial design collective d-Vision was charged with turning out some innovative applications of the LED. This tiny LED lamp is "powered by an electrochemical reaction of copper and zinc electrodes fitted into tomatoes." The result isn't exactly a space-saving solution, and we'd venture a guess that once the tomatoes begin to spoil this wouldn't be a pleasant addition to a household. The tomato light was part of an exhibition at the Milan Furniture Fair 2010 dubbed "On/Off," which also included LED lamps made out of soap and a straw-powered standing lamp.</p>
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<div> <p>? At this years Milan furniture fair, much of the focus was on sustainable and recycled materials and this arm chair from <strong>Ruben Iglesias</strong> is the pick of the litter. <a href="http://www.sustainableguernsey.info/blog/2011/05/sofa-away-reusing-magazines-and-newspapers-to-make-furniture-the-creative-art-of-ruben-iglesias/">Created</a> from braided ribbons of recycled paper and framed with a wooden pallet, the seat is filled with crumpled, balled-up newspaper. Iglesias has also created a side table out of circulars found in his mailbox and an ottoman.<br></p>
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<div> <p>? Ruben Iglesias isn't the only one making seats out of paper. <strong>Jovana Chris Lei</strong> produced this molded and pressed paper chair with distinct Eames influences, adding layers of paper until it was structurally sound. The design was based on a 2,000-year-old tradition of making umbrellas using a similar process.<br></p>
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<div> <p>? For those who prefer wood to wood pulp products, this modular furnishing serves a variety of purposes. The <strong>WoodU,</strong> <a href="http://www.nirmada.com/blog/2011/06/14/best-green-designs-from-isaloni-2011.html">designed</a> by Italian Alex Nalesso of Skalo Design, could serve alone as a stool or magazine rack, or in combination to form bookcases and sideboards or table legs or whatever you could imagine.<br></p>
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<p> ? Perhaps more eco-inspired than eco-friendly, the Nectar series of lamps by <strong>Rebecca Asquith</strong> take the honeycomb's form and translucence, but they're <a href="http://www.rebeccaasquith.com/design-work/nectar/">made</a> from polyester fibre and steel. There's no denying that they're pretty good looking and quite odd at the same time.</p>
<p> · <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/milan-furniture-fair-2010-tomato-powered-light-wild-light-innovations-by-d-vision-students.html">Milan Furniture Fair 2010</a> [Treehugger]<br>· <a href="http://www.sustainableguernsey.info/blog/2011/05/sofa-away-reusing-magazines-and-newspapers-to-make-furniture-the-creative-art-of-ruben-iglesias/">Sofa Away</a> [Sustainable Guernsey]<br>· <a href="http://www.thinkdesignmagazine.com/Shopping/paper-chairs-jovana-chris-lei">Paper Chairs </a>[Think Design]<br>· <a href="http://www.nirmada.com/blog/2011/06/14/best-green-designs-from-isaloni-2011.html">Best Green Designs from isaloni 2011</a> [Nirmada]<br>· <a href="http://www.rebeccaasquith.com/design-work/nectar/">Nectar</a> [Rebecca Asquith]</p>
https://boston.curbed.com/2011/12/2/10419784/innovative-new-home-furnishings-fit-for-an-ecofriendly-homeRob Bear