Where Housing Will Be in 2012
from BusinessWeek
Home prices are likely to fall for the next year, then stabilize, with a rebound in 2012 as the overall economy takes off again. A Business Week special report takes a look at the factors that are likely to shape the market in the years ahead. More

Kokopo House Fuses Luxury and Sustainability Under One Roof
from Inhabitat
The Kokopo House proves that luxury, eco-minded amenities and off-grid living may co-exist. Peering over the top of the forest, the home’s open structure creates a luxurious treehouse-like escape deep within Papua New Guinea’s volcanic region. Open to the elements, the Kokopo House contains no windows, allowing for natural circulation to pass through the barrier-free house. The walls encourage wind movement and cross ventilation through geometric shapes and patterns that are inspired by the flow of volcanic lava. More

Best New Business Hotels
from CNN
The editors of Fortune partnered with international design magazine Wallpaper* and scoured the globe to find the top new spots in dealmaking hubs. More

Using Design to Fight Obesity
from DesignIntelligence
Architects can participate in the cultural fat fight by making simple changes to the design and location of staircases within buildings, say medical researchers. Simple interventions can encourage people to take the stairs. For example, a study performed at a Center for Disease Control and Prevention building found that playing music in stairwells and displaying motivational signs significantly increased the use of stairs. More

Green Not Always an Easy Sell to Skeptical Consumers
from Nation's Building News
Although “green” is now very much in the nation’s vernacular, green builders should not assume that consumers are sold on sustainability, Suzanne Shelton, president and CEO of the Shelton Group, told the NAHB National Green Building Conference last month in Dallas. Shelton said that prospective buyers of green homes are more concerned about what sustainable features will do to improve their lives than to save the planet, and at a time when the state of the economy is the leading concern, consumers are looking to save money on energy but also to avoid paying some of the higher prices they associate with green. More

Living Lamp Provides Green Indoor Gardening Space
from Inhabitat
Rooftop and balcony gardening has seen a great resurgence as of late, but many apartment dwellers lack balconies, rooftop access, or garden space and are unable to indulge in these green trends. Apartment gardeners, take heed! The Green Indoors is a high-tech gardening solution that provides ample light and water to growing plants while making the most of available space by housing plants vertically. Up to 24 specialized plant pots can be connected to the stand to grow any number of vegetables, herbs, or flowers all year long. More

NYC Hotel Creates Elevator to Heaven & Hell
from PSFK
In a new video installation for The Standard Hotel in Manhattan, artist Marco Brambilia and Toronto-based studio Crush have created a moving mural inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy which utilizes over 400 video sources, including samples from several films. The installation has been placed in one of The Standard’s elevators, and when guests look through a viewport it simulates an ascension to heaven or, if you’re on your way to the street, your descent to hell. More

The Green Mandate for Commercial Real Estate
from Contract Magazine
Green building standards may not seem to be on the front burner of commercial real estate as much this year as last, simply because very little new development is breaking ground these days. Yet think and planning and policy shifts regarding sustainable real estate go on, anticipating the day when development will begin again. More