Planted in the middle of a new vineyard in Newberg, a small town in Willamette Valley, The Allison Inn and Spa is doing some amazing things in terms of reducing the ecological footprint associated with typically high-impact hospitality operations. The resort and vineyard was designed by GGLO to save 48% on utility costs, as well as reduce potable water use by 78% and overall water use by 37%, compared to a comparable non-green project. The Allison was completed in September...

Consumption: watts up? How I (almost) saved the earth. Saving energy by conserving water. Thinking green: it's not black and white. Marketers should heed FTC Green Guidelines. Good-bye McMansion, hello tiny house. Deconstruction versus demolition. Also, subscribe to our weekly newsletter for updates, article summaries, newsworthy links, and other site news.

It's been a great week for prefab enthusiasts -- with news from LivingHomes, KitHAUS, and Blu Homes -- but there's still more. Recently, developers at Kootenay Lake Village completed this LVL prefab near Nelson, British Columbia. The new home has double insulated walls, high grade energy efficient windows, low-flow bathroom fixtures, and a green roof, just to name a few of its green features. The LVL is about 25 x 60 feet and has approximately 1,453 square feet. Included in...

In his Cool Product of the Week article, Alex Wilson has the story on this Baja urinal designed for residential use by the Waterless Company. The no-flush, touch-free toilet retails for $248 and has to potential to save about 3,250 gallons of water per year, assuming a home with two males, three uses, and 340 days, according to Building Green. Baja is made with a patented EcoTrap system. Basically, fluid flows down into the drain insert and passes through BlueSeal,...

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to tour this newly-built net-zero energy home in Park City, Utah. The Sungazing House, built by Tall Pines Construction and designed by Jean Yves Lacroix, is home to the O'Meara family of four and features impressive views of the surrounding area. Perhaps more impressive, however, is the fact that it's pursuing Passive House, LEED Platinum, and NAHB Emerald certifications. Sungazing House was designed and built to minimize the need for energy. It does this...

Yesterday, LivingHomes announced that this modern prefab in Newport Beach received LEED Platinum certification. Designed by KieranTimberlake, the KTLH1.5 model home was a showcase for TED 2009 and features stylish, contemporary interiors from Kristin Kilmer Design. Steve Glenn, CEO of LivingHomes, said the home "uses far less energy, water, and materials resources than most homes and ... has far better indoor air quality." The Newport Beach prefab was built with blown-in insulation, high performance windows, low-flow fixtures, dual-flush toilets, bio-composite...

Blu Homes continues to dominate the green prefab world. Today the company announced the relaunch of Glidehouse, a gorgeous home originally made famous by Michelle Kaufmann. Glidehouse will be available nationally and built in Blu's own factory using the company's proprietary steel and wood framing system. The new Glidehouse retains all of the signature features of the old design and can be purchased for $360,000+. When constructed, Glidehouse will be airtight, energy efficient, and built to the standards of the...

Minarc recently took an R+D Award from Architect Magazine for this sink made of recycled rubber tires. RUBBiSH, as it's called, is made through a process whereby tires are melted, stripped of particulates and impurities, and stretched in a lightweight layer over a sub-material to create the surface. RUBBiSH is available in a 1/8 inch sheet of rubber or in a framed option where the product is held in place by two sheets of aluminum at the countertop edge. [+]...

Salem, Oregon is a-buzz with the news that its LEED Certified Courthouse Square building and transit mall have been declared structurally unsound. The ten year old home of Cherriots bus service and hub for local government is being evacuated as we speak. City departments are scrambling to lease office space in other buildings, and quickly move before catastrophic failure of the building threatens them.