Links

Links to Organisations, Initiatives and Ideas That Solearth Find Useful

USEFUL GREEN LINKS

AECB
http://www.aecb.net
The Association of Environmentally Conscious Builders-UK

EASCA
http://www.easca.ie
The Irish association for ecological construction companies

Living Building Institute- Ireland
www.livingbuildings.ie

Living Future Institute
http://living-future.org
(Formerly International Living Building Institute)

Living Building Challenge
https://ilbi.org/lbc
Direct link to the North American versions of this revolutionary new standard

Pharos Project
http://www.pharosproject.net/
Materials Transparency

Natural Building Colloquium
http://www.networkearth.org/naturalbuilding/intuitive.html
Building from renewables

Anna Heringer
http://www.anna-heringer.com/
A brilliant architect working in Bangladesh but influencing the world

Ask Nature
http://www.asknature.org/
Biomimicry Enquiry

ReMaterialise
http://extranet.kingston.ac.uk/rematerialise

Inventory of Carbon and Energy (ICE) University of Bath
http://www.bath.ac.uk/mech-eng/sert/embodied/

Think Or Swim- Climate Change blog by John Gibbons
http://www.thinkorswim.ie/

Centre for Ecoliteracy
http://www.ecoliteracy.org/

LandViews
http://www.landviews.org/
online journal of LAND: Landscape, Art and Design

Worldometers / World Clock
http://www.worldometers.info/
http://www.poodwaddle.com/clocks/worldclock/
Realtime world statistics

Inhabitat
http://inhabitat.com/
Inhabitat.com is a weblog devoted to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials

All Ireland Research Laboratory
http://www.airo.ie/

Water sculpture with a difference
Clock water sculpture in Osaka rail station apparently
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gusJeslMbLc&feature=player_embedded#!

Design Intelligence
http://www.di.net/
The Design Futures network of design, product, and construction leaders exploring global trends and challenges in design

European Solar Radiation Atlas
http://www.helioclim.org/esra/

Buckmiinster Fuller Challenge Idea Index
http://challenge.bfi.org/ideaindex
The BFI Idea Index serves as a tool to educate, network, and help solve world problems.

Natureplus
http://www.natureplus.org/en/current-news/home/
Natureplus is an international environmental organisation whose aim is the development of a culture of sustainability within the building sector.

Building Life Consultancy
http://www.buildinglifeconsultancy.com/

BRE Building Research Establishment
http://www.bre.co.uk/
UK’s leading research organisation on sustainable building and building generally.

Passive House  Plus (formerly Construct Ireland) Magazine
Ireland and UK’s premier sustainable construction periodical
http://passivehouseplus.ie/

Breeam
http://products.bre.co.uk/breeam/default.html
BRE’s assessment method

Centre For Alternative Technology
http://www.cat.org.uk
The legendary CAT in Wales, 25 years of inspiration and on-the-job learning in green building.

Chartered Institution Of Building Services Engineers.
UK CIBSE
http://www.cibse.org
Useful source of many types of information on the technology of green (and other) buildings

City of Dublin Energy Management Agency.
http://www.codema.ie
CODEMA provide invaluable information on energy efficiency and water saving appliances

Terre
http://terre.grenoble.archi.fr/accueil.php
Frances innovative earth building centre.

In Situ Rammed Earth Co
www.rammed-earth.info
A new UK company specialising in this most pleasing form of earth friendly building.

Ecological Design Collaborative
http://www.ecodesign.org
Sim van Der Ryn’s ecological design collaborative based in California. Sim Van Der Ryn is the founder of the discipline of ecological design.

Energy Research Group: University College Dublin
http://erg.ucd.ie/

Cultivate Centre
http://www.cultivate.ie/
Irelands fantastic sustainability education centre in Dublin.

Environmental Building News
http://www.buildinggreen.com/
Site of the US publication Environmental Building News.

Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects
http://www.feildenclegg.com
Feilden Clegg Bradley, prominent UK design architects for large scale energy efficient and ecologically designed buildings

Forestry Stewardship Council FSC
http://www.fsc.org/en/
Website of The Forestry Stewardship Council, the worlds leading network for sustainable forestry accreditation group

GAIA Group
http://www.gaiagroup.org/
The Gaia Group of ecological Architects across Europe

Greenmaps
http://www.greenmap.org
Home of the worlds green maps for cities

Green Roofs
http://www.greenroofs.com/
The homepage of Linda S. Velazquez with comprehensive studies of green and grass

International Dark Sky Association
http://www.darksky.org/
Web page containing the International Dark Sky Association’s guidelines on reducing light pollution.

John T Lyle Centre For Regenerative Studies
http://www.csupomona.edu/~crs/
The excellent demonstration and education centre in southern California.

Sustainble Energy Authority Ireland
http://www.seai.ie
Comprehensive information on energy consumption, conservation and renewables across all sectors in Ireland. Grants too !

Rocky Mountain Institute. RMI
http://www.rmi.org/
Website of the Rocky Mountain Institute, A constant source of facts and data as well as inspiration by Hunter and Amory Lovins’ group in the US.

Source Guide
http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/index.shtml
Database of renewable energy products and professionals across the world

Natural Step
http://www.naturalstep.org/com/nyStart
The Natural Step (TNS) offers a sustainability blueprint for society become more sustainable.

Van Der Ryn Architects
http://www.vanderryn.com/
Website of Van Der Ryn Architects in California. Sim Van Der Ryn’s group practise ecological design and sustainable planning based on their proprietary ‘Eco-Logic’ methodology.

BioRegional / Bedzed
The UK based (in BEDZED) environmental consultancy that makes BEDzed work!
http://www.bioregional.co.uk/

Passive House institute (Germany – in English)
http://www.passiv.de/07_eng/haupt_e.html

Mosart Design
Wicklow based architects and designers specialising in passive houses
www.mosart.ie

Cygnum Timber Frame
http://www.cygnum.co.uk/
One of Irelands leading timebr frame companies -also in UK

O2
International network for sustainable design
http://www.o2.org/

Ecobuild Network.
The US based ecological building network.
www.ecobuildnetwork.org

Bill MacDonough And Partners
http://www.mcdonough.com
One of the US’s leading Green Thinkers

CIRIA
The UK Construction Industry’s Research and Information Agency
www.ciria.org.uk

Feasta
Irish Foundation for a sustainable economy.
www.feasta.org

The Low Carbon Trust UK
UK based not for profit company raising awareness of the links between buildings, the working and living patterns they support, and global warming.
http://www.lowcarbon.co.uk

Bill Dunster Architects
Founder of the Zero Emission Developments approach and designers of Bedzed.
http://www.zedfactory.com

Ecotect Software
Excellent early design stage software for low energy analysis -now owned by Autodesk
http://ecotect.com/

Bioneers
Amazing US organisation dedicated to inspiring and connecting all who work on sustainable solutions. The fantastic Bioneers conference is held every October in the Bay Area
http://www.bioneers.org/

PLEA
Passive and Low energy Building design. This top organization hosts a high level conference every year in a different country. The 2008 conference was in Dublin
http://www.plea-arch.net/PLEA/Home.aspx

The International Living Future Institute
Initiators of the Living Building Challenge –as well as US Natural Step and more.
http://living-future.org

TED
The highly influential forum for ‘ideas worth spreading’
http://www.ted.com/

Biomimicry
The approach to design of all kinds that sees nature as model, measure and mentor
http://www.biomimicry.net/

Code for Sustainable Homes
The UK’s new sustainability in homes design system
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/professionals/en/1115314116927.html

LEED
US leadership in energy and environment design scheme
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1988

Car Sharing
Irelands premier car sharing club
http://www.gocar.ie/

Cradle to Cradle Thinking
This ground breaking protocol, from the famous book of the same name, for how to categorise materials so that they are used in a way that is truly in harmony with nature  – and prove it – is the future of material selection.
http://www.c2ccertified.com/

Eco-minimalism.
Howard Liddell of Gaia Architects Scotland gives his take on doing more with less, choosing simple green design strategies over eco fix technologies and reviews what has worked and failed over four decades of building greenly. He has recently published a book on the same subject that’s a must-read.
http://www.seda2.org/articles/Ecominimalism.html

SOLEARTH CLIENTS & PROJECT LINKS

Glenstal Abbey
http://www.glenstal.org/

Airfield Trust
www.airfield.ie

Solas Bhride
http://www.solasbhride.ie

The Village
http://www.thevillage.ie
Irelands first and most exciting Eco Village project designed by Solearth. Under construction,

Wildfowl and Wetland Trust
http://www.wwt.org.uk

Daintree Ltd
www.daintree.ie