Housing

April 22nd is Earth Day, an annual event that promotes environmental awareness throughout the world. To mark the occasion we've chosen five inspiring architecture projects that we feel are excellent examples of sustainable design.

Garrison Architects has joined forces with sustainable developers South End Development to create the very first triple net-zero mixed-use project in the United States, a mixed residential and business development dubbed the Seventy-Six.

Influential French architect Jean Nouvel plans a mixed-use development in Paris, France, that will offer a pleasant, greenery filled place to live and work, while incorporating sustainable design such as solar power and passive ventilation.

BIG has completed a residential building in New York City. Named The Smile after its curving street-facing side, which looks like a smile from a bird's eye view, it contains a mixture of luxury housing, high-end amenities, and affordable housing.

All architecture impacts our lives, but probably none more so than housing. The AIA recognizes this with its 2020 Housing Awards. Highlights include a contemporary farmhouse and an apartment building shoehorned into a former parking area.

A "hillside village" has appeared in Beverly Hills. Named Gardenhouse, the greenery-covered project is by Chinese firm MAD Architects and is designed to offer residents a pleasant escape from the bustle of city life.

Stefano Boeri Architetti is responsible for some of the most impressive greenery-covered buildings we've reported on, but with its Tirana Riverside project, it plans an entire greenery-filled neighborhood in Albania.

Talina Edwards is the very first female in Australia to complete a certified Passivhaus. Owl Woods Passive House is only one of 20 certified Passivhaus projects in Australia and boasts a design that is sustainable, functional and flexible.

The LOHA-designed MLK1101 Supportive Housing in Los Angeles provides a safe and affordable home to homeless people and other vulnerable groups. It incorporates several energy-efficient elements, including a focus on natural lighting and ventilation.

Architectural firm Mecanoo recently finished a three-part villa in the Netherlands that puts a modern spin on the traditional Dutch barn-house or "hoeve." Villa Vught comprises three closely built dwellings positioned around a central courtyard.

Italian 3D printing company WASP has joined forces with Mario Cucinella Architects to construct an innovative 3D printed dwelling. Dubbed TECLA, the first prototype is undergoing construction and is located just outside of Bologna, Italy.

Most of the concrete architecture projects we cover are luxury homes for the wealthy. Not the Affordable Housing Langgrütstrasse though, as this concrete apartment building offers some of the cheapest apartments to rent in Zurich, Switzerland, according to Gus Wüstemann Architects.