Claudia Schneider's weekend home sits on an 180-foot cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, 90 minutes from Santiago and many miles from the electrical grid. But a variety of sustainable strategies make the home's remoteness a non-issue. Dubbed the "Casa Cuatro," the house was designed by Foster Bernal Architects, who fitted it with solar panels, a wind turbine, and a......read more
From NYC-based architect David Jay Weiner comes Zen Garden House, a residential retreat nestled in the San Luis Valley near Crestone, Colorado. The home has been designed to take advantage of the unique serenity and jaw-dropping vistas in the surrounding area. Befitted with a traditional tatami mat meditation space adjacent to an outdoor Zen rock garden, the house provides......read more
As lovers of both product design and the great outdoors, we're pretty into this collaborative project from designers François Chambard of UM Project and Frederick McSwain. Currently on display at Gallery R’Pure in NYC, "Off the Grid" is an eclectic collection of objects inspired by the outdoors. Included among the items are a tent that doubles as lighting, travel......read more
Aurora Robson's glimmering reputation was built on Plastic bottles are utterly detestable Notcot recently reminded us about the Aurora Robson's most recent exhibit, Be Like Water, just finished showing at 2424 in Philadelphia. For more Robson, visit her site. (via Notcot)...read more
Even though expanded drilling operations off the Santa Barbara coastline could have created $100 million dollars in California revenue, Governor Schwarzenegger has switched positions and no longer supports drilling expansion. This is one of the more positive responses to the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which is shaping up to be the worst in American history. If a Republican......read more
In the wake of last week's catastrophic oil spill, still growing in the Gulf of Mexico, many people are feeling helpless as to what they can do in their personal lives to stop supporting offshore oil drilling and the use of oil in general. Fortunately, our everyday lifestyle and purchasing decisions matter. We as individuals have the power to help reduce our country's reliance on oil,......read more
In Washington on Thursday, President Obama addressed widening public anger over the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, ordering a moratorium on offshore drilling in U.S. waters. The announcement reverses a previous decision to expand offshore drilling off American coastlines. At the White House press conference, the President also said there was too much complacency in goverment prior......read more
In Washington Monday, the Obama administration took another stab at halting offshore drilling in U.S. waters, announcing a six-month moratorium that's no longer based on water depth. The goverment's previous two moratorium orders were rejected by the courts. Echoing the sentiments of environmentalists, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar argued that the order is necessary because of......read more
NPR reports that the Obama administration released a new set of rules for offshore drilling operators that create tougher requirements for well design, cementing practices, blowout preventers, and employee training. In effect, the rules will improve the safety of drilling operators and lessen the chance of another disaster like the one in the Gulf. With the federal ban on offshore drilling in......read more
Freewheelers is a series of video portraits of tricked-out bikes and the people who ride them – from self-build fixies and coveted vintage steeds to bikes as art or manifestations of style. Two bipartisan senators have proposed a sensible idea that most people are going to hate. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio) wrote to President Obama’s National Commission on......read more