Climate-proof Buildings and Apocalypse-proof Castles

With the effects of climate change upon us, designers are making climate-proof buildings. One family takes a step further with an apocalypse-proof castle. There’s this reality show on National Geographic Channel airing these days, and it’s about a castle…

neoli2 September 2013

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Good-bye Animal Suffering. Hello, Lab Meat.

As a general rule we don’t eat meat that often. It’s not some conscious effort to be a vegan, either for health reasons or out of respect for our fellow animals—we just like vegetables better. But once in a while…

neoli29 August 2013

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3 Tips in Choosing LEED Contractors

The decision to build green is not always an easy one. You know the drill: there’s tedious paperwork to be done, strict rules to consider, and very little leeway. USGBC, championing green buiding(Image from www.bestpracticesconstructionlaw.com) Thankfully, that’s where LEED contractors…

neoli24 August 2013

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Benefits of Biking for the Newbie

I'm in the market for a new bike. It occurred to me that I know how to ride a bike, but there is absolutely no bike in the house. Also, I've never bothered learning how to drive a car. I…

neoli19 August 2013

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Why Graphene is Our New Favorite Material

You’ve probably heard about graphene before. It’s this new revolutionary material that’s tougher than diamond, more elastic than rubber, a much better conductor than copper, and it can even repair itself. A perfect hexagonal lattice of graphene. (Image from www.bbc.co.uk)…

neoli11 August 2013

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Aircon-less Architecture | Surviving the Heat without Air Conditioning

That precious, sanity-saving technology called the air conditioner celebrated its 111th birthday last July 17. (For a fantastically-detailed and engaging history of air-conditioners, check out Poplorica: A Popular History of the Fads, Mavericks, Inventions, and Lore that Shaped Modern America,…

neoli1 August 2013

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New Century Global Center: China’s New Big Building and What It Means for the Rest of Us

China has a new shiny building, and it’s a big one. As in big big. The New Century Global Center: The new largest standalone structure in the world. Set in the city of Chengdu in Southwest China, the New Century…

neoli27 July 2013

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LEED Now Encourages Cradle to Cradle Certification

As we wait for the November launch of LEED v4, it’s worth noting that our favorite sustainable building rating system now includes Cradle to Cradle Certification. This is the result of a majority vote (a whopping 85{e3829ec1db02d54faaf9fa2de0d48db26af01d7a7944a63c3b26976124791cab}) by members of…

neoli24 July 2013

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Living Simply in a Small, Simple House

A recent trip to Davao, a city in Mindanao, Philippines made us realize the various degrees of sustainable living. As with any city, the farther you get from the center, the simpler the people’s lifestyle becomes. Farther still—in the outer…

neoli20 July 2013

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Saving Elephants Through Radioactive Carbon

Yes, this is supposed to be a blog on sustainable building, but once in a while let’s veer away from all that and delve into something about the natural world. Specifically, saving elephants. A baby elephant follows its parent. (Image…

neoli12 July 2013