George Mills/Promo image

Located in the beach resort Sao Sebastiao (north of the state of Sao Paulo), Brazil, Casa nas arvores is architect George Mills’ dream summer house.

Completely integrated with the surrounding nature of the Atlantic Forest in which it sits, the house raises 20 feet high to interact with trees.

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(Source: treehugger.com)

Guy Laramee/via

With the increasing popularity of electronic readers and e-books, the future use of hard-bound books also comes under question. While designers have responded with the likes of lighting, accessories and even fashion made entirely out of old books, French Canadian artist Guy Laramée tackles it from a decidedly philosophical — and creative — perspective, carving intricate, three-dimensional landscapes that look amazingly real up close.

Guy Laramee /via

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© ciocci

When the cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground on the coast of Italy over the weekend, resulting in the deaths of at least six passengers, it marked one of the worst incidents involving a luxury vessel in recent memory — but the full extent of the damage may be yet to come. The ship is said to be loaded with some 2,380 tons of oil which, as the situation progresses, could very likely be spilled into the pristine, ecologically rich waters near the site of the wreck.

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(Source: treehugger.com)

We’ve seen pipes reincarnated into lamps and chandeliers, but Dallas-based designer Stella Bleu presents an intriguing re-use idea: recycling old industrial piping into shelving that allows books to be displayed in a whole new way. And yes, these skinny shelves double as lighting too.

Employing iron pipes in a winding form, the shelves are designed to hang off the wall using brackets, creating a modern look that has a bit of a gritty industrial touch to it.

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