The House Arc is the brainchild of Bellomo Architects. The small-footprint, modular, off-grid housing solution is designed to be shipped in pieces (fabricated locally if possible) to a site and erected by the user or community. The designers envision the freestanding tiny-house as an emergency housing solution for communities located in warm weather climates struck by natural disasters — like earthquake-ravaged Haiti and hurricane-battered New Orleans. The first House Arc prototype has been built and installed on the Big Island of Hawaii.

The house has a simple layout the features large windows that provide natural light, maintain views, and funnel in ocean breezes to cool the interior. A rooftop shading trellis diffuses sunlight and limits heat infiltration. The raised structure (no foundation) allows air to flow underneath for cooling and has little impact on site terrain and ground permeability.

The House Arc’s modular construction allows for quick on-site assembly. The structure is designed to assemble like a piece of modular furniture (think iKea) with a kit of parts and an easy-to-follow, graphic installation manual.

Rooftop solar panels (see rendering above), a rainwater capture system and other customization can further enhance the design’s green quotient. In addition, several units can be combined to create a larger domicile like the one in the rendering below.

Related: House Arc and other sustainable ‘Arc’ designs can seen @  bikearc.com, which specializes in modular bike parking systems and structures.

via: designboom.com

More great eco design on The Alternative Consumer

A 2008 report by CNN points out that the greenhouse gas emissions from ocean-going ships is a far greater problem than most people realize. The shipping industry emits an astonishing 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gases per year — over twice the amount of the aviation industry! The Australian company, SolarSail, may offer the industry some hope.

Recipient of the Technical Innovation Award at the Sea trade China Awards 2010, SolarSailor specializes in hybrid marine power. Their SolarSail and Hybrid Marine technologies are patented for use on tankers, cruise liners, commercial ferries, private yachts, and unmanned coast guard drones. They have it all covered.

Their website offers this description of how their solar panels function like wings, “Comprising a unique pivotally mounted airfoil and joint it is attached in such a way as to be able to angle to the sun and/or the wind to harness solar power and sail, folding away when not in use.”

• This month SolarSail launched the first of four new hybrid-powered passenger ferries for (more…)

If you’re spending more quality time with your iPhone or iPod than you are with your kids, you may want to download this little app. Whirleo is an eco-themed app game that can help you connect with your kids while teaching them the importance of saving the planet and fighting pollution. This fun-with-a-message app is pretty affordable — the first seven levels of the new game are free and players can unlock 23 additional levels for just $0.99.

Details: Whirleo follows the journey of a group of colorful, spinning tops that whirl across the planet Rotopolis. As they move around the planet, each Whirleo cleans up pollutants released by the begrimed Guzzler (we know the type). Using their mobile (more…)