Scientists created a rubber material that can be recycled over and over
Big news from the building industry. Scientists in Australia have created a new kind of rubber material that can be recycled in an almost endless loop, which could lead to a whole array of new sustainable building materials. The rubber polymer is made of sulfur and canola oil, and it has a unique Read More...
This new office complex is literally the greenest building in Europe
Now more than ever, cities around the world are starting to recognize the importance of green spaces within their urban environments. And in some cities, this sort of development is embodied directly in the buildings themselves. Düsseldorf, for example, has recently unveiled a new office Read More...
These design activities aim to enthuse home-bound kids about architecture
As the lockdown is finding many kids stuck at home, a British architecture firm has decided to bring the outside world to them. Foster + Partners has recently launched an initiative called #architecturefromhome, a series of free downloadable activities that hope to share the whimsy and wonder of Read More...
This beautiful concrete home has trees spilling out the windows
We don’t typically publish stories about the design of individual homes, but sometimes you need to give credit where it’s due. In Ha Long, Vietnam, an architecture studio has created a stunning concrete home that has trees spilling out its windows and balconies. As Curbed writer Liz Stinson Read More...
This series will take you to the world's most ingenious homes
We at the Optimist Daily are always curious about the latest developments in architecture and design. It came to our attention that Apple TV+ has a pretty incredible documentary series out that will take you to some of the world’s most intriguing dwellings. All the episodes in the series Read More...
Experimental “dementia villages” turn back the clock to help seniors
Just imagine how terrifying it would be to find yourself lost in your own home, or to have everyone around you keep insisting that a person you don't recognize is your own child. That’s what life can be like with dementia. It’s scary—and not only that, it can also be dangerous. A person with Read More...
This village for the formerly homeless is adding 3D printed homes
In Austin, Texas, two innovative organizations are coming together to build a series of 3D printed homes for the homeless. Mobile Loaves & Fishes believes that housing alone isn't the solution to homelessness, but instead, building a safe and loving community around the homeless will have a Read More...
In this Dutch neighborhood, there's 1 vehicle for every 3 households
The Netherlands is well-known for being the ultimate biking country, and, today, pedestrianized city centers are also the norm in many of the country’s urban areas. Still, in the country’s major cities, vehicles still tend to dictate the design of most public spaces. In an effort to change Read More...
A design firm transformed old scrap yard into row of sustainable homes
Redeveloping a former scrapyard into a site for sustainable, solar-powered houses may sound like a difficult challenge, but that’s exactly what a London-based architecture firm managed to pull off. Unit One Architects has turned an unused lot in northern London into a row of dwellings, Read More...
Now this is how to make eco-friendly prefab homes without cookie cutter approach
Prefab houses aren’t exactly a thrilling proposition to architects, but with urbanization in full swing, there is a great need for nice, quickly-constructed prefab houses. The good thing is that the architects behind these houses are finding ways to build prefab homes that produce clean energy, Read More...