Petz Scholtus, an industrial designer, recently bought an apartment in the historic part of Barcelona. Not only did she get her mortgage from a green, or ethical, bank, she also paid close attention to how her move and her new home impact the environment. Petz hired a local bicycle mover to transport her belongings, which did not include furniture at the time of the move. For the renovation, she wanted to find products that were made close to home, were produced without a huge environmental impact, and which could be dismantled after her tenancy (following the cradle-to-cradle recycling model) and did not use too much energy. After a few initial bumps, she created an eco-friendly, creative, and cozy home. Read the full article from The New York Times here. I am a big fan of her Bidon Lamp, an open source design that anyone can make at home. Here are directions on how to do it.
