sustainable design

Stefano Boeri Architetti's Wonderwoods Vertical Forest is nearing completion in the Netherlands. The tower will be covered in thousands of plants and hundreds of trees, which the firm says is equal to around 2.5 acres of forest.

Students have built a research center to enable scientists to monitor bird life and climate change in a Spanish forest. The simple shelter takes its place remarkably well among the trees and was constructed from sustainably sourced timber.

Work was recently completed on what's being hailed as the largest mass timber building in Asia. Designed by Toyo Ito, the project features impressive green design, including solar panels that produce more electricity than it requires.

As we transition away from fossil fuel use, what should we do with all the old infrastructure? MVRDV offers one answer with its plan to transform a former oil refinery into a sustainable mixed-use development that produces more power than it needs.

A country residence and a city apartment offer two very different kinds of living experiences, but MVRDV hopes to combine the two with Ziel. It's envisioned as a series of stacked villas and will incorporate significant greenery and social areas.

URB has unveiled the "world’s largest ocean restoration project" on the Dubai coast, the stunning and sustainable Dubai Reefs. The floating community is intended to be the center of marine research, eco-regeneration and eco-tourism worldwide.

Haptic Architects and Oslo Works have revealed plans to transform a parking lot in Norway into a new tourist attraction. It will be centered around a "Fjordarium," with underwater galleries providing superb views of the local marine life.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill has revealed plans for a new development on NYC's Governors Island that will focus on promoting ideas to tackle climate change. It will boast impressive green technology and produce its own power and non-potable water.

Foster + Partners has been commissioned to extend and refurbish a winery in Spain. The project will create a new timber visitor center with a solar panel array, enabling it to produce almost six times the electricity it needs.

The built environment often has a negative impact on wildlife and the environment, but this international architecture competition turns design on its head and puts plants and animals in the spotlight. The results are simply breathtaking.

Studio Gang's highly anticipated Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts project has finally opened to the public, following a painstaking renovation and extension of the aging museum, including an interesting pleated roof that helps reduce its overall energy use.

Commissioned to design a new bar for a whiskey distillery, Roomoo Design Studio came up with the idea of incorporating discarded whiskey barrels into the design. The firm painstakingly dismantled oak barrels to create a unique and eye-catching interior.