West Coast Green 2007

mkLotus house retaining pond
Originally uploaded by re-modern.com

Last week, we took a trip to West Coast Green, the largest residential green building conference in the U.S. Held in San Francisco, this 2nd annual conference was much bigger than last year. In addition to dozens of speakers and hundreds of sustainable building product showcases, there was also mkLotus, a green modular home by Michelle Kauffman, installed in from of City Hall. For more photos of the event, click here.

Fortis Arbor Sustainable Wood Mosaics

Tile or wood? Now you don't have to choose between these two materials when replacing interior backsplashes, countertops, or fireplace surrounds. Fortis Arbor by Flux Studios is an eco-friendly wood mosaic handcrafted from certified lumber that are too small for making furniture, and would otherwise have been thrown away or burned. We saw these recently in a kitchen installation and it is certainly stunning and unique. Installation is just like traditional mosaic tile and a special non-toxic, waterproof grout is available to resist staining and flex with movement. The tiles are available in bamboo, teak, and rosewood - hardwoods which are both beautiful and durable.

Trash Luxe

Our friends at Artecnica, the company behind Design With A Conscience, just told us about TrashLuxe, a new London art exhibition about design that transforms trash and waste into luxurious creations. Part of this year's London Design Festival, TrashLuxe mixes together furniture, art, and jewelry works by young and established designers from the UK and abroad, including Karen Ryan, Ineke Hans, Paul Cocksedge, Stuart Haygarth, and the Campana Brothers.

Visit Trash Luxe's website or Dezeen Design Magazine for a good writeup about the event.