As far as smart technology is concerned, most people wrongly believe that it only applies to newly built properties. Though smart technology is certainly easier to incorporate into new constructions, it doesn’t mean that older office buildings shouldn’t also benefit from a modern upgrade. As office buildings are by far the largest consumers of energy, implementing cost-saving innovative technology is a must!

By following guidelines and investing the right amount of funding, even older buildings can benefit from being fitted with smart technology accoutrements.

The Advantages Of Transforming A Property Into A Smart Building

1. Energy Conservation

Smart buildings have the ability to lower its energy consumption which directly translates into greater savings for property owners. By monitoring water usage, lighting, and HVAC system dependence, owners can gain insight as to where the most energy is used in a building. Additionally, aptly placed smart sensors can also detect problems within a smart building such as malfunctioning technology or broken appliances which can hasten repair services.

2. Increase Productivity 

Any team working on or in a building can greatly benefit from the insights they can gather through the use of smart technology. For example, it’s easier to schedule board meetings and conferences in an office building when a person has direct access to the ongoing schedule of a room. This means more focus is easily placed on productivity and efficiency thanks to a greater dependence on smart technology.

3. Better Indoor Environments

Office buildings can significantly improve the health and well-being of their employees by monitoring indoor air quality, room temperature, lighting, and ventilation systems. These all help manage the comfort levels of a building’s interior.

4. Sustainability

Smart buildings are perhaps the most famous for being highly sustainable and environmentally-friendly. Due to the extensiveness of the global warming problem, we’re faced with, it’s no surprise that many people are wanting to do their part by living and working in more sustainable smart buildings.

Modern technology helps aid sustainability through the use of smart monitoring. That means that it is easy to track the energy consumption of an office building in a non-invasive manner while also conserving natural resources such as water. Smart buildings can even showcase the amount of power being used to charge electric cars, how many ebike spaces are left in an outdoor area and even the air quality and Co2 levels of the specific rooms of a building. Knowing how much a building requires in order to efficiently operate can help landlords prepare for a sustainable future ahead while also having a significant positive impact on our planet and leaving behind bad habits.

The post Advantages Of Turning Older Properties into Smart Office Buildings appeared first on Green Prophet.

Renovating your home is a great way to improve your quality of life. As this process requires a big investment, plan every little thing to avoid any mistakes. Keep reading to find sixteen actionable tips that can help you renovate your home the right way. 

Focus on efficiency

You should not let the home renovation plan take months to complete. Getting more comfort is the reason behind the renovation, and it’s not good if home renovation becomes uncomfortable for you. 

Get the home renovation work completed by overcoming the challenges you face. Hire a reliable home renovation service that can renovate your home without wasting your time, money, and effort. 

Choose comfort over looks

Home renovation is not all about changing the looks of your home. Your primary motive behind home renovation should be making your home comfier. Start your home renovation plan with your bedroom. 

Buy a new memory foam mattress for your bedroom if your current mattress is almost 10 years old. Avoid buying any items for your bedroom that look stylish but don’t provide comfort. 

Proper budgeting

Home renovation can cost you a lot of money if you don’t plan things accordingly. Start your home renovation plan after creating a proper budget. 

You can estimate the costs of the home renovation yourself, however, you should hire a contractor to estimate the costs. You should delay your home renovation plan if you don’t have enough money to get started. 

Set a timeframe

A simple home renovation plan takes about 7 to 10 months. But it might take more than 15 months if you remodel your home completely. After analyzing how much free time you have, you must start your home renovation plan. 

Create a proper schedule for renovation and stick to it. Hire a trusted home renovation service that can get work done on time. 

Do proper research

You will have to spend a ton of time researching if you choose the DIY home renovation route. However, you still have to research if you hire a home renovation service. 

Don’t make any hasty decisions unless you know enough about home renovation. You can do online research to gather the right information necessary for the successful completion of home renovation. 

Limits of DIY approach

A DIY home renovation plan has its disadvantages. It’s easier to make small changes to your home on your own. However, if you want to remodel your home completely, you won’t renovate it without making any mistakes. 

Make a list of what changes you want in your home. Hire a home renovation service if you can’t do things yourself. 

Choose the right services

Don’t hire any home renovation service that’s near your home. Hiring an incompetent home renovation service will result in a waste of your time and effort. 

Do proper research before choosing a home renovation service. Check online reviews of different services to verify their reliability. Choose an agency that can complete renovation on time. You should compare the quotes of different agencies to pick the most affordable. 

Store your tools carefully

Construction tools scattered throughout your home can cause injury. You have to place all your tools at a specific place. If you go down the DIY renovation route, place your tools carefully after completing the renovation task. 

The renovation agency you hire might leave their tools at your home. Keep pets and kids away from those tools.  

Stay safe during renovation

You can easily get injured during the home renovation if you are not careful. Stay alert during the home renovation to avoid any unnecessary injuries. Keep your kids away from renovation tools and materials. If you don’t stay in your home during renovation hours, you should send your dog to a pet boarding service to ensure their safety. 

Use proper tech tools

Tech tools can help you plan home construction the right way. You can create a 3D model of how your home will look after renovation. Using social media can help you link up with good home renovation services. Budgeting tools can help you create a proper budget for home renovation. Spend some time researching tools that can make the renovation process easier for you. 

Get approval for renovation

Improper renovation might result in personal injury or property loss in the future. It’s important to get approval from local authorities before renovating your home. Getting approval ensures that renovation work done in your home doesn’t violate any safety standards. Contact the office of local authorities to get approval before you start on home renovation. 

Proper schedule for cleanup

Set some time aside in the daily renovation schedule to get rid of the renovation mess. Choose the right tools for cleanup and don’t ignore your daily renovation routine. If you don’t have time to clean up your home, you can ask the renovation service you hire to clean your home. 

Plan according to weather conditions

Improper weather conditions can ruin your home renovation project. Check the short-term and long-term weather forecast so you don’t waste your time and money on renovation. Ask your contractor if they can continue the renovation project during harsh weather. However, if there are chances of snowfall or heavy rain, it’s better to postpone renovation. 

Focus on recommendations

It can become difficult for you to gather information about home renovation all by yourself. Ask for recommendations from your friends and family about home renovation. Their experience can help you make the right decisions about renovation and help you save money. 

Don’t forget about recycling

Dumping the material left after home renovation is not the right option. Most of the materials that are removed from your home during renovation can be recycled. Take a look at all the appliances and fixtures present in your home. Look for a recycling facility in your area and check if they can visit your home to take things that can be recycled. 

Buy products at affordable prices

You can save your renovation costs if you buy products at affordable prices. Don’t rely on the nearest shop to buy all the items you need for renovation. Compare prices of different stores online to cut your costs. Look for specific discounts and sales online. 

The post 16 Remodeling Tips to Follow When Renovating Your Home appeared first on Green Prophet.

A small wooden structure in the garden is not just a part of landscape design, but a functional room that can be used for different purposes. Garden rooms will become a place for rest and relaxation, spending leisure time with family and friends, spending the night for guests and many other purposes.

What does the preparation phase include?

Despite the small dimensions of the building, the preparation of a plan, a design project and, of course, the site itself is required. When creating a general plan, it is necessary to indicate the following:

• plan-diagram of the room with the overall dimensions;
• wall thickness, foundation depth and roof type;
• location of windows and doors;
• layout of communications (light, water).

Often, a small terrace or a semi-open veranda attached to the building can be added to the garden room. The standard area of ​​the room should be about 10 square meters, but it may be smaller if you don’t require that much space.

Space planning

Interior design and arrangement directly depend on the scope of the wooden house. Often, a one-story building includes a seating area (sofa or bed), a table with chairs or benches, a TV, and several storage cabinets.

If the garden room will be used as a place for guests to stay, a small bathroom with a shower (cabin or ladder) is made in a separate room, and a kitchen block with a mini-fridge and a microwave oven, a wardrobe with shelves and an area for hangers right in the room. With the correct development of a design project in a small space, you can arrange all functional areas without any difficulty.

Which wood to use?

Traditionally timber is used, but now preference is given to warm, durable and pre-fabricated wooden frames. It withstands winter temperatures, is lightweight, and all the necessary communications can be laid in the multi-layer walls.

The following types of wood are used:

1. Pine. It is highly durable and affordable. This type of wood is warm and reliable, but requires regular treatment to protect it from external factors.
2. Spruce. Warmer and more reliable than pine, but requires even more careful maintenance due to the loose and porous structure of coniferous wood.
3. Larch. Used for garden rooms in cold regions. Larch is resistant to moisture, does not freeze, and withstands extreme temperature.
4. Linden. Used only for warm climates. This wood is sensitive to insects and temperature extremes, but has a pleasant smell and even medicinal properties.

The best option for small frame buildings is oak. It has an aesthetic appearance, excellent performance, increased strength and durability. Oak will last 15 years minimum. The only drawback is the high price, but the finished result is worth it.

Stages of building a garden room

For the correct construction of a garden room, it is necessary to follow the principle of implementing a full-fledged modular design, which will make the construction as simple, reliable and consistent as possible. The construction of a wooden building consists of several stages.

Foundation

You cannot calculate the area of ​​the room and the size of the roof without knowing the size of the foundation. Its depth depends on the characteristics of the soil, the presence of groundwater, and the landscape. For wooden structures, preference should be given to the columnar type of foundation.

For its construction, rubble concrete, concrete or natural stone is used. The screed is made of cement and sand, and, if necessary, a protective waterproofing layer is laid.

Building walls

A rough layer is laid along the perimeter of the foundation, after which a frame with temporary wooden beams is set up. For securing the construction parts, special long nails are used. The rigid frame is gradually “built up”, which is then covered on the inside and outside.

The verticality of the walls is controlled using a plumb line. The corners are covered with linen tow and pieces of timber for strengthening and insulation. Along with the construction of walls, work is carried out to install window and door frames according to a pre-made plan.

Floor and slab construction

A rough floor is laid on top of the beams, after which a finishing floor is formed from a wooden slat on top. For the base, it is recommended to use clay with layers of roofing material and insulation. For the final layer, a mixture of sand and cement is used.

The floor must be sealed with a product to protect it from moisture, changes in temperature and other various factors. In the upper part, the ceiling beams are formed in the same way. Sometimes, even in garden rooms, small attics are made for storage space.

Roof construction

For this object, both pitch and gable roofs can be used. They consist of rafters, coverings, and a roof deck. The simplest type of roof to construct is one that has sloped rafters. The rafters are cut into the wall beams for better fixation, and the lathing is parallel or end-to-end.

For the top layer of the roof, corrugated slate sheets are used. The overlap should be at least one wavelength (about 10-15 cm). Screws or nails are used to secure the structure. For finishing the ridge piece, special fittings with matching color and style are used.

Final stages

Further, the final finishing, installation of doors and windows in the installed blocks, DIY solar panels?decoration of the porch, and landscape design is carried out. The most important thing is to complete the construction on time and install window and door elements to protect the room from the inside. And the rest can be done gradually and without haste.

Usage of garden rooms

A wooden garden room has nothing to do with a gazebo or an attic. The closed structure has a nice appearance and fits perfectly into the exterior of any home. Here are some possible purposes of garden rooms:

1. Place for playing games. The room will be a great place for children to spend time with friends. It can be turned into a full-fledged play area or into a small “headquarters” for teenagers.
2. Guest house. A garden room equipped with a toilet and shower is suitable for guests. They will have their place to stay that is separate from the owners’.
3. Working area. A small room can be equipped as an office by placing a computer desk in it and providing access to a Wi-Fi network.
4. A place for leisure. Music, painting, craft and other hobbies are best done in a separate room and for your pleasure.
5. Pastime with the family. The room can be turned into a complete relaxation area for the whole family and friends.

The building can be used both in summer and in winter (all year round). Seasonality of the garden room should be considered when planning and constructing the building to foresee the influence of temperature and precipitation, as well as to properly protect the room from the outside temperature fluctuations.

The post DIY: building a garden room in your backyard appeared first on Green Prophet.

Design elements are always changing over the course of time. If you look back ten or twenty years ago at how we built and decorated your homes, you may cringe at our choices. What was in style then definitely is not in style now. 

However, there are some design elements that stay classic and stand the test of time. Bricks are one of these elements. They have been used for thousands of years – just look at ancient ruins in Europe and South America! And still, they are used today in some of the most modern and unique homes. 

With some updates and modernization, you can achieve a chic and beautiful home by using this classic design element. 

How to Incorporate Brick in Your Home

There are numerous ways to incorporate brick as a design element in your home. One of the most recent trends is an exposed brick wall in the home. Whether it’s in a hallway, the kitchen, or a bedroom, there is something so chic and unique about exposed brick. 

This timeless design element not only brings warmth and texture to interiors but can also create a sense of natural charm. No matter what style you choose, raw or polished, it can complement a variety of decor styles. Similarly, installing brick veneer on an exterior wall gives a similar visual appeal, blending natural beauty with long-lasting quality. The combination of the rugged brick with modern furnishings can make any room feel both inviting and stylish. Design choices like this work well both in contemporary and traditional settings.

You can add brick to walkways leading up to your home, the exterior of your home, and even the chimney that sits on your roof. The options are endless! 

Color Changes Everything

When you think of bricks, you probably picture a rusted red color. While this look is classic, this isn’t your only option! 

You can change the color of your brick depending on the design you’re trying to achieve. With just a simple coat of paint or change of material, you can have blue-ish gray, white, black, and even tan-colored bricks to add to your home’s design. 

Right now, white bricks are trending, especially in kitchens. It gives a clean and modern look to virtually any room and should be taken advantage of. 

It’s All in the Detail

Just because you’ve decided to incorporate bricks into your home doesn’t mean you have to stick to the classic design of staggered bricks. Get creative with the details using smaller or uniquely sized bricks. 

Use them in arches, around windows, to create round fire pits, and whatever else you’re inspired to create to make your home more comfortable and stylish. 

A modern take on this classic design element requires attention to the details of the layout, placement, and their location. 

Get a Professional Opinion 

Bricks aren’t the easiest design element to work with, especially if you want to do it yourself. It’s best to get the opinion and helping hand of a professional brick mason to help you achieve a modern design with this classic structure. 

Not sure where to look? Brickworks Property Restoration is the most professional and skilled brick masons available. With careful consultations and excellent customer service, you’ll have everything you need to have a stylish and modern home using the forever classic brick design element. 

The post Standing the Test of Time: How Brick is Used in Both Classic and Modern Designs appeared first on Green Prophet.

The soothing feeling, beautiful surround and less expensive nature of eco-friendly home materials and installations cannot go extinct. Find out in this article about environmentally friendly materials for home improvements. 

What Are Eco-Friendly Materials For Home Improvement?

The fuss about eco-friendly homes will only get louder as the need to give attention to climate change intensifies. 

Save yourself the stress of brooding over what materials will fit and look great around your home. Below are some environmentally friendly materials you can install for your home improvement. 

•       Bamboo

Bamboo is receiving wide acceptance among homeowners as a reliable, clean and safe building material. Luckily, it grows quickly and serves as a durable structure useful for making shades in the home. 

•       Recycled Wood

A retouch of your deck with recycled wood isn’t a bad idea. Recycled wood offers environmental friendliness than new timber. It can also be painted as a form of maintenance and beautification at the same time.  

•       Straw Bales

Talk about incredible insulation; straw bales can give just that. The use of straw bales for home improvement helps achieve a balanced temperature during winter and summer. 

You can harvest and replant them easily without much environmental effect. This building method has been proven to be sustainable and less costly. Having a mini structure erected with straw bales in your backyard is a lovely improvement to your home. 

•       Recycled Steel

Steel comes as another environmentally friendly alternative to home improvement. Junk cars can provide enough steel needed to handle mini construction projects in an existing home. This helps save costs while having a minimal environmental impact. 

•       Composite 

You can also explore the use of Composite materials for home improvement. These materials offer a remarkably low maintenance cost and come in different colours to add beauty to the home. 

Composite materials are not only friendly to the environment. They repel attacks from insects and maintain a safe and beautiful surface in any weather or season. They are typically made of wood and plastic fibres. 

•       Sheep Wool

Who would think animals could be a source of home improvement materials? This is the case with sheep’s wool, an eco-friendly material suitable for insulation on home walls. Wool from sheep comes as a natural solution to maintaining a cosy and warm environment.

Is Composite Decking Good For Environment?

Composite decking is gaining increased popularity among homeowners. It is a decking option that has proved its reliability and cost-effective nature in many ways. 

Composite materials are typically made from wood and plastic materials. These materials are often recycled to achieve increased sustainability after installation. 

Is Composite Better Than Pressure Treated Wood For Home?

Pressure-treated wood is another alternative to home improvement but not as safe and eco-friendly as composite materials. 

Although regular softwoods and hardwoods might pose demanding maintenance, they are still more environmentally friendly than pressure-treated wood, coated with chemicals to offer resistance to several elements. 

Is PVC Environmentally Friendly?

PVC is, no doubt, an amazing option for home improvement. However, in choosing environmentally friendly materials, you might want to reconsider going for PVC. Although there is a way to decide the impact of PVC on your environment. 

This depends on how much of the material component is gotten from renewable plastic. PVC materials made with 100 per cent renewable plastic give a toxic disposal process that can cause damages to human health and contaminate the environment. An alternative to this scenario is to have them recycled. 

Is Composite Decking Expensive?

Composite decking is not too expensive for its natural benefits. However, if you’re working on a tight budget and want the cheapest flooring for your deck, you can consider wood. 

Composite decking is more expensive than wood but has a low maintenance and installation cost. To have a big and beautiful decking, perhaps for your patio, you would have to let go of some extra bucks compared to other natural flooring materials. 

Typically, you should have a budget of about $40 to $60 per square foot for composite decks. This includes installation and is relatively high compared to other natural deck options with a typical $30 to $40 cost, including installation.

The post Environmentally Friendly Materials For Home Improvements appeared first on Green Prophet.

A stunning appeal, easy-to-install nature, and impressively low maintenance cost are some benefits that stand composite decking out among other eco-friendly flooring materials. 

The reason many consider composite decking to be eco-friendly is not far-fetched. You will find out in this article why composite decking is facing increasing approval among homeowners. 

Is Composite Decking Eco-Friendly? 

Composite decking gives an eco-friendly nature at a time when climate change deserves attention.

Composite decking, right from its manufacturing process, is “green” and entails zero harmful elements. Its maintenance is equally eco-friendly and requires no extra demand.

What Is Composite Decking Made Of?  

Composite decking is made from recycled plastics and wood. Polyethene elements like grocery store bags, milk jugs, detergent containers etc., are compositions of composite decking. 

These recyclables are added to wood flour like lumber, doorframes, etc. This gives composite decking waste-free manufacturing with harmless elements. 

This process is one major reason many consider composite decking to be eco-friendly, and it doesn’t end there. 

Composite decking continues to offer safe decking even after years of installation. However, care and maintenance are essential in sustaining its appeal.

Why Do Many See Composite decking As Eco-Friendly?

Composite decking has several benefits that go in line with healthy and safe environmental goals. 

Maintenance

Regarding maintenance, composite decking does not require sealing, painting or any other preservative. 

Basic cleaning can do just right to keep your deck looking neat and attractive. However, we recommend that you clean spills or tough stains just as immediately as they happen, if possible. Leaving them unattended to overtime can cause disfiguration of the floor. 

Composition

Composite decking is composed of zero-toxic materials with a harmless manufacturing process. Unlike pressure-treated wood, composite decking is not coated or injected with chemicals to offer resistance to rot and other degrading environmental elements. 

This vital aspect makes it highly environmentally friendly flooring for the home.

Disposal 

Composite decks offer environmental friendliness all through their existence. Up to disposal, composite decking offers greenness all around. You can recycle composite decking if you don’t want to go through other stressful disposal methods. 

A hauling company would do that for a fee, and you’ll have your worn-out deck disposed of safely, with no harm to the environment. 

Is Composite Decking Worth It?

Yes. Composite fencing is a worthy investment in the long run. Below are some features that clear all doubt about its reliability and uniqueness;

• Typically offers between 15 to 20 years life span, lasting way more than wood. 

• Eco-friendly and resistive to severe weather.

• Very minimal maintenance cost.

• Thanks to its plastic feature, it is highly mould resistant, irrespective of how exposed to moisture it is. 

• It is lightweight and has a lock style, making boards easy to figure out for a successful DIY installation

• Diverse in style and appeal, providing a taste for every property owner. 

How Can I Keep Composite Decking Clean?

Right, composite decking has a low maintenance nature. However, you should create a basic maintenance routine to keep your deck looking intact and appealing. 

• Avoid Stagnant Water

Composite decking can be very resistive to liquid, but extra care would help it uphold this feature to its highest possibility. We recommend you do everything possible to minimize the presence of standing water or other liquid on your deck. 

• Regular Sweeps

Sweeping remains the easiest maintenance measure for composite decking. Sweeping regularly helps get rid of dirt and debris trapped between gaps. This can be more needed when its autumn and leaves fall around.

• Cleaning With Soapy Water 

Where a basic sweep cannot get rid of dirt or stains from spills or shoes, a simple brush with soapy water can restore the floor’s state. Ensure you use a gentle scrub brush free from metal and gently scrub the affected surface. 

Rinse the spot after washing and clean away the remaining water with a mop. 

Composite decking is by far one of the most stress-free and eco-friendly installations for contemporary homes. From low maintenance demands to several resistance abilities and less installation requirements, you would agree that composite decking is worthy of considering for your decking project. 

The post Why Many Consider Composite Decking To Be Eco-Friendly appeared first on Green Prophet.

To sleep at Dar Ben Gacem is to spend a night in a bygone era. Located deep in the warren of alleyways and vendors that make up Tunis’ labyrinthian medina, this newly renovated artsy boutique hotel offers a tasteful glimpse of Ottoman period architecture and art.

Originally built as a hotel by wealthy merchants in the 17th century and occupied for 300 years by a family who sold perfume, the building eventually fell into disrepair.

Leila Ben Gacem and her family eventually bought the building and spent three years working with local heritage specialists, the Association de Sauvegarde de la Médina de Tunis, and architect Zoubeir Mouhli to restore the building to its original incarnation.

It was important to them that they preserve the historic detailing that contributes so richly to the medina’s unique architectural legacy, while still providing a modern setting that would appeal to tourists.

“I love staying in a place where you really feel its spirit and heritage,” Gacem told Brownbook Magazine.

“I really want to bring out what Tunisian artists have made, and whoever stays there, I want them to really feel the medina. And that’s the fascinating thing. You’re living in this little micro-palace and there’s a whole medina around you. You’re right there near the kasbah and souk.”

Related: Star Wars Fans Restore Luke Skywalker’s Home in Tunisia

Seven rooms are organized over two levels and around a central courtyard that is so typical of homes in the region – a feature that contributes to what Mouhli describes as “domestic introversion.” Each is adorned with colored wall tiles, carved plaster panels, and painted wooden ceilings.

The owners have made an effort to source their furnishings locally.

“Even the choice of furnishings reflects the local setting,” Brownbook reports. “If the detail wasn’t already present in the building, it was procured from one of the overstuffed antiques dealers which line the souk district of the medina, or made especially by local artisans.”

Not only does this lend an air of authenticity to their small boutique hotel, but it also promotes cottage industries and local Tunisians.

“We are social entrepreneurs,” writes Dar Ben Gacem on their website, “as we want to encourage tourism with a socio-economic edge by creating opportunities for micro and small businesses based in the medina; artisans, traders, tour guides, and chefs (mothers) that mastered their ‘cuisine’ by cooking for their families.”

Images via Dar Ben Gacem

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Square footage comes at a premium in Tel Aviv, as it does in New York and many other global cities, so designers Raanan Stern and Shany Tal are particularly well adept at making the most of what they have. But the team have turned space management into an art form with this this tiny artist studio in the heart of the city.

The studio has been carefully measured to creatively store an artist’s special collection of 2D objects. The collection, made up of pieces from the 1940s to today, was organized according to groups, sizes and artistic connections in four different proportions.

Every cell, cupboard and drawer, all of which are finished in a lightweight birch with just a dusting of a clear coating that doesn’t cover up the wood’s natural grain, has been crafted to fit these proportions.

(Related post: Foot-stomped compost furniture from Israel)

Designed as a showcase and a space that can be shared with fellow artists, the studio is deliberately modular, which allows the artist to shift furniture around, open draws or even remove them, depending on the activity du jour.

The real treat happens when the drawers made from recycled shipping pallets are opened and the collection inside is revealed. Or when the pieces are displayed with sticks that are pushed through holes in the exterior surface of the drawers and cells.

Like the closets and other organizational units, white birch has been used for the flooring. The light color helps to aggrandize the 200 square foot studio apartment while giving it a clean, bright finish.

Lastly, a folding bed is built into the back of the study door, an ideal accoutrement that allows the artist to embrace those sudden fits of inspiration that last well into the night.

A stellar example of creative space management that is not material intensive, this Tel Aviv studio also acts as a private gallery that can be shared with other creatives.

:: Designboom

The post Raanan Stern’s tiny Tel Aviv artist studio boasts stellar space management appeared first on Green Prophet.

Just 34, Avishai Reuven started looking for an alternative way to live after returning from a trip to India.

At first he sought out regular RVs, but the prohibitively tight costs in Israel and claustrophobic spaces turned him off the idea. A used car salesman, the young man eventually came across a disused bus that was up for sale for about $10,000. Old buses more than 20 years must be taken off the road in Israel, according to law. The bus, as you can see, appears in great condition.

Reuven instantly saw past the ugly old exterior and decided then and there to put down one third of the $10,000 asking price and drove the bus away.

Given soaring rents and even larger home prices, $10,000 is very little money for a home, so it was no big thing for Reuven to purchase the materials necessary to renovate the bus and turn it into a penthouse suite on wheels – especially since he did all of the carpentry, plumbing and welding himself.

There’s a kitchen and a bathroom, a living room, and even a guest room complete with a coffee maker, according to Ha’aretz, and the former luggage compartment or basement is used as a storage unit. Water comes from a rooftop tank and a ladder joins the two storeys.

Reuven told Ha’aretz that his biggest problem is turning friends away; he also admitted that women are very attracted to the bus, though he currently has a girlfriend, so no others will be invited along for the ride.

So unlike American bus renovations, this and a similar project involve a rough, homegrown DIY process, which helps to drive down costs but also establishes a unique initiative that provides a genuine  sense of ownership. This would have been impossible some years ago, when anyone living in a bus in the United States might have been accused of vagrancy.

When he’s had his fill of this bus parked near Mikhmoret Beach on the Mediterranean Sea, or needs some extra cash, Reuven is threatening to convert three more public buses into mobile homes and sell them all $40,000 a pop. And after that, he’s moving onto a yacht.

If you want to see a design-oriented approach to Israeli bus design, look at this bus and its $300,000 makeover.

:: Ha’aretz

All images via Avishai Reuven’s Facebook page, except top photo via Haaretz

The post Old Bus Converts to Mediterranean Penthouse Suite on Wheels appeared first on Green Prophet.

Uri Jeremias peered over the roof of his restaurant back in 2001 and fell in love with a large abandoned building. It wasn’t for sale, but the restaurateur persevered, and eventually converted the Ottoman era palace into a resplendent boutique hotel.

Located in Acre, a well-documented UNESCO heritage site 150 miles north of Tel Aviv, The Efendi Hotel is named for the builders who were responsible for the last bit of construction done on what are actually two enjoined Ottoman palaces.

The southern structure is the Afifi House or Wizo House, according to the hotel website, while the northern structure is the Hamar or Shukri House, named for a family of musicians who once resided there.

“The two structures together contain within their walls the stories, secrets, mysteries, and enchantment that have been gathered for over 1,500 years.”

In the 18th century,  a soap manufacturing business thrived in the lower part of the house, according to its owner. The soap was made from olive oil and remnants of the factory can still be seen today.

Painstakingly restored with help from the local Antiquities Authority, the soaring buildings boast such gems as a 1878 Frescoe of Istanbul and a 400 year old claw bath.

Built on even older historical sites, the wine cellar dates back to the Crusades, and all of this history has been carefully preserved – sometimes with professional craftsmen flown in from Italy.

As We Heart notes, however, the historical aspects of the renovated palaces merged as one boutique hotel are carefully combined with fresh, modern finishings and furnishings.

The rooms have soaring, palatial ceilings, minimalist decor, as well as natural daylight that seeps deep into the hotel. Tall windows and regal balconies offer spectacular views of the nearby Mediterranean Sea.

Hundreds of fine local wines are available and it’s even possible to enjoy the traditional Muslim Hammam experience at the hotel, and some rooms have been adapted for people with disabilities.

Naturally one should expect to pay a pretty penny for the honor of wining, dining and sleeping at this beautifully-renovated boutique hotel, which means that only a small portion of the population will be able to enjoy the experience, but it might be worth a splurge for those who love design matched with history.

:: We Heart

Photography Assaf Pinchuk

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