Social Mercor

It may look unassuming, but this sleek black box is the culmination of a two-year long collaboration of more than 50 students from 7 different faculties of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

Initially envisioned by two architecture students and built for the European Solar Decathlon 2012 in Madrid, the goal of Odooproject was to encourage a new sustainable life by designing a house where as much time as possible can be spent outdoors.

Odoo’s square plan has two primary elements: the north half enclosure and the south half outdoor terrace, bordered by the ‘summer wall’ to the south. The design allows comfortable living inside or outside throughout the year as the seasons allow.

To provide a comfortable environment, as efficiently as possible, the house uses both active and passive systems. The compact form of Odoo reduces heat loss, while its organization means it has two south-facing facades. The glass façade exploits solar gain, to heat the interior during the winter, and the solar panels on the ‘summer wall’ generate power from the summer sun...

For many years, architects and city planners from around the world have been trying to create the green ideal: an entire city built to strict environmental standards- highly functional while still retaining aesthetic value.

Here’s a look at some green building and community design that caught our attention in recent months and may (or may not) become reality in the next several years. Their physical footprints may be large, but by using features such as wind power, solar, rainwater recycling and advanced air quality controls, their carbon footprints don't have to be...