If only everyone could work as Peter Frazier does. On the edge of a forest overlooking a bay. Mr. Frazier decided a while back that he needed to change his lifestyle due to weight gain. One of these changes including, with the ability to work from home, and environmentally friendly workspace. With a beautiful view as inspiration, Peter lost 30 pounds by working standing up as well as meditating, running, hiking, and kayaking. And, did I mention his awesome office?

I love this house designed by Charles Wright on the beach in Port Douglas. The entire house has an environmentally sustainable design.

Vaulted ceilings make up the inside and it is made up of concrete, steel and brick. A wooden deck surrounds the home and the lap pool is shaded by sea water. The roof is double ventilated, eliminating the heat gain from roof penetration.

And of course the house has indoor/outdoor dining, an open kitchen and all other modern conveniences such as WiFi, Cable TV, etc.[Charles Wright]

Uh, yeah, I could live here for sure.

Italian furniture design company, Lago, makes a cool shelving system in a unique way. Rather than the standard shelf, which simply holds things. Lago has created a way for you to bring your own creativity into the equation and mix up the shapes of the shelving to go with your environment, with their floating ‘Shelf System’ range, named Tangram.

From expressive geometric through to the letters of the alphabet, the floating shelves open the way for storing and displaying items in the home. No price is given on the website for Tangram, but something tells me it’s going to be on the steep side.

I ran across a cool magazine over the weekend called Atomic Ranch. Atomic Ranch celebrates midcentury houses—from 1940s ranch tracts to 1960s architect-designed modernist homes. With an emphasis on affordable solutions and homeowner renovations, their quarterly magazine shows you how to make your house cool, both inside and out. Check them out at Atomic Ranch.

Michelle Kaufmann, award-winning green architect and sustainable living expert, today announced the debut of mkHearth™, her latest preconfigured home design. According to the press release, mkHearth™ is a sustainable, modular approach to the modern farmhouse inspired by the natural beauty found in rural structures across the American landscape. The new design is suitable for urban or rural settings in all climates and is ideal for community developments.

If you haven’t heard of Michelle Kaufmann, she is the leader of full service design/build architectural firm that uses off-site modular technology and prepackaged green solutions as the means to create beautiful, eco-friendly homes and multi-family developments.

“As Americans begin to demand greater efficiencies from their homes, the market for green structures has continued to grow despite what we’re seeing in the traditional home industry,” said Michelle Kaufmann, founder and chairwoman of Michelle Kaufmann Companies. “We’re very excited to respond to that growing demand with the debut of mkHearth™, which works in a variety of climates, making green home design accessible to many more people.”

Here homes have large open design with flowing spaces The mkHearth™ revolves around a center hearth space(hence the name), a dual-purpose fireplace/cabinetry unit that circulates up the three stories. The home features window seats, screened-in sleeping porches, and sliding wood doors on barndoor tracks (to maximize light and cross-ventilation). The loft on the third floor is flexible space for an office, library, bedroom or playroom.

mkHearth draws on Michelle’s 5 EcoPrinciples: smart design, eco materials, energy efficiency, water conservation, and healthy environment.

Specific examples of how mkHearth™ has been designed to incorporate Michelle Kaufmann’s 5 EcoPrinciples, include:

• Smart Design: Designed for urban or rural settings in all climates, the home includes strategically placed windows, glass doors, and sliding wooden sunshades to maximize daylight and breezes and minimize heat gain. The central hearth and ample outdoor living areas give the home an expansive feeling despite its responsibly-sized footprint.
• Eco Materials: Renewable and recyclable materials are used through out the home, including FSC-certified woods for cabinetry and flooring.
• Energy Efficiency: All heating, cooling, and lighting systems are highly efficient and reduce resource consumption. Solar options are also available.
• Water Conservation: The home includes water-conserving fixtures as well as a rainwater catchment system that minimizes the need to use fresh, potable water for landscape irrigation.
• Healthy Environment: Holistically designed for healthy living, the mkHearth™ uses non-off-gassing materials and paints, air filtration systems, and high-performance insulation.

via PRWeb and Michelle Kaufman Companies