Give us a look into your background, then tell us what you’re passionate about now, what inspires you, and where you’re going.

Growing up in Iowa offered me an appreciation of the important balance between the landscape and how we inhabit it and use it. I have a great love of the farmlands with their big skies and beautiful barns. I guess I am an architectural romantic that way. This background, mixed with graduate school at Princeton and studying with architecture greats like Liz Diller and Michael Graves, and then working for Frank Gehry, helped show me that there are non-traditional models for the practice and work that can be as innovative as the work itself. Both Graves and Gehry were some of the first world-known architects to get into mass-produced products (for companies such as Target and Tiffanys). It got me interested in thinking about an entire building as product.

It was also during the (very painful) process of looking for a home for my husband and I that I realized how difficult it is for most people to obtain a thoughtful, sustainable home. Now that it is no longer a question if people want a green home or not (they do — they want lower energy bills, lower water bills, and a healthy environment for their family), but it can’t cost any more or take any more than a non-green home. And it needs to be easy. I began in my quest for making thoughtful, sustainable homes accessible by looking at models to address those three aspects: time, cost, and ease.

Originally I did it with my previous company that was focused 100% on modular design and construction. I am proud of the work our team did to create over 56 green homes to date and do proof of concept on a very different model for architecturally designed homes.

However, now I am looking at a much larger scale. Proof of concept is no longer adequate. As we look to population projections over the next 40 years, we are going to have to provide shelter for 10 billion people by 2050. At the same time, those buildings are going to have to use dramatically less energy, water, and create much less carbon. Buildings are one of our biggest problems — but this is exciting for architects and designers because it means that through innovation, buildings can be our biggest solution.

I am spending most of my time now looking to the future role of the architect and how we can re-imagine our roles, maximize efficiencies with technology, and realize our full creative potential. I am super excited about the future and all the possibilities.

Tell us about your space. Were there any special considerations that influenced the studio’s design or set up?

Our office in San Francisco was set up with a few main goals: low budget, high comfort, a space where people can be creative, collaborate and thrive. So, we spent money on items we cared most about — mainly the workstation chairs (we chose SAYL chairs because of their comfort, individual controls, and beautiful design), a great espresso machine, and a pizza oven.

We were given various occasional tables, but I didn’t love how they looked, so I wrapped them with old architectural drawings and pages from one of my old Roman architecture bucks. It really transformed the tables into unique pieces. Other items were bought on Craigslist or were donated by friends. We also bought our kitchen counters and shelves used from a restaurant. They are all stainless steel, super functional, look great, and were low cost. We have a green wall by Woolly Pockets where we grow some herbs for the pizzas, as well as some air-filtering plants.

Knowing that people do their best work when they move frequently and sit in different situations throughout the day, we created plenty of working lounge spaces. We are all on laptops, so it is easy to work at our desk, or in one of the lounges depending on the task at hand and if we want a quiet moment or want to be working more collaboratively on a design problem. We also have a lot of books, writable walls, cork walls, and toys to keep our minds playing and encourage conversation and spark unplanned brainstorming sessions.

We bought the chairs before we did anything else – before we built out the office walls or bought any other furniture. So for the first month, we stacked the SAYL boxes to make a curved wall to define our meeting room. I’d say it worked pretty well…

Learn more about Michelle’s award-winning work and strives toward a more sustainable world at michellekaufmann.com.

Photos: Michelle Kaufmann; top portrait by Garret Curtis

2. “Take a Dip,” $125.00 Each terrarium from Brooklyn-based Twig contains a spirited scene using miniature figurines—like this swimmer from the 1920s sporting a smart striped bathing suit.  Get it: Twig

3. Three Itty Bitty Terrariums, $16.20 Perk up any corner of your workspace with one of these easy-to-maintain picks, each of which includes a small succulent. Get it: Tortoise Loves Donkey

4. “Manatee” San Francisco’s Katie Goldman Macdonald created this glass vessel to mirror the soft curves of a sea cow. Get info: Botany Factory

5. Glass Greenhouses, $34.99 – $119.99 These simple house-shaped terrariums can double as protective cases for dried plants and other decorative objects. Get it: westelm.com

Want more product picks? Check out my various collections and random finds on Pinterest.

Images linked to their sources within the numbered text

According to ArchDaily, this hotel was inspired in part by architect Andreas Strauss’ 2005 Das ParkHotel. However, Tubohotel’s concrete modules add a touch of glass and comfort to allow guests a better panoramic view of the local mountain range, Sierra del Tepozteco. Legend has it that Tepoztlan is the birthplace of Quetzalcoatl, Mexico’s ancient feathered serpent god.

Of course, producing concrete creates a colossal ecological footprint, but recycling concrete makes it much more eco-friendly as a building material.

The modules are mostly arranged in stacked pyramids of three tubes to free up the wooded site, the top room of each pyramid is accessible via a set of stairs. Inside, it’s a queen size bed, with curtains providing some privacy.

Construction took only 3 months, with the hotel operating as of 2010. Targeting budget travellers, accommodations are affordable (500 pesos or $43 USD per night) and according to Tubohotel’s website, there are two bathroom houses, private showers and toilets on-site and local cuisine with a celebrity chef nearby as well.

By Kimberley Mok

The Amsterdam offices of BrandBase were designed by the locals at MOST Architecture. The solution needed was in tended to be temporary which meant MOST was challenged to design a space that would ultimately be dismantled later on. Their solution was to use a recyclable product which could be reused for another purpose once the space is changed.

The result is an amorphous and sculptural installation that not only creates multiple desks but also an elevated floor along with staggered seating throughout. Glass sheets are used atop the desk surface to provide a smooth, splinter-free worktop. We love the neutral color the pallets give the space, creating a modern yet warm and inviting atmosphere. The pièce de résistance, however, is the main staircase that looks like a cascade of pallets pouring from the top floor down. The form is playful and organic. We could definitely see ourselves working in an office environment like this. And of course, we can all appreciate the fact that when it’s all said and done, these crates can continue their lives being shipped all around the world and nothing needs to be wasted.

By Mike Tyson.

[via Contemporist]

Last week eBay launched eBay Instant Sale, which gives eBay-ers a convenient way to sell their electronics or recycle them for free. Eligible gadgets include laptops, phones, PDAs, cameras, mp3 players, and more. Simply type in the name, make, and model of your device, answer a couple questions about the item’s condition, and you’ll instantly receive a cash offer.

Once the offer is accepted, you’ll get a free shipping label to ship the device out. You can expect to get paid (via Paypal) soon after your item ships and the condition its in is verified.

Even if your used gadget has zero-value, eBay provides a free shipping label so you can send in your device and have it properly recycled—all you need to do is simply drop it in the mailbox. It’s a super convenient solution for those who don’t know how or where to recycle their electronics, and sure beats simply throwing your old gadgets in the dumpster.

[via engadget]

By Vivian Kim.”

From Baumraum:

A treehouse! A promise of adventure for the kids, a retreat for the adults, a romantic hideaway close to nature. These special little dwellings installed up among the trees fire our imagination and rouse our curiosity, bringing back childhood memories, and with them the desire to climb up and enter a magic world amongst the foliage. To be spellbound again, to witness the different sights and sounds up there by day and night and throughout the seasons. To play up there, to work undisturbed, to relax, to daydream…

By Peter.”

Image: Readers Digest, Generation Y by Louise Waterson.

When you purchase paper, buy recycled. According to Treehugger manufacturing recycled paper requires 60% less energy than virgin paper– each ton purchased saved 4000 kWh of energy. To find out how much energy you are using and can save check out their handy recycled paper calculator. There are a lot of recycled paper products. New Leaf Paper is a company that offers a wide variety of competitively priced recycled paper products. They are committed to offering environmentally responsible and economically sound paper.

Or even better try treeless-paper. These products go a step further in that no trees have been destroyed. Instead innovative resources such as sugar cane, elephant dung and bamboo are used.

And once you’ve used it – recycle it. You can recycle internally by using the back of the page as well as the front and then make sure that paper finds its way to your recycling bin instead of the trash. According to the book Trash to Cash, by Fran Berman, “recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees, two barrels of oil (enough to run the average car for 1,260 miles), 4,100 kilowatts of energy (enough power for the average home for six months), 3.2 cubic yards of landfill space and 60 pounds of air pollution.”

We’d love to hear about your paper-saving tips. Leave a comment or email us (lifework_blog@hermanmiller.com).

Above is Al Gore’s paper-filled office via LifeHacker.

How do we do it?  Lots of ways. First, we are an EPA Green Power Partner which means we primarily utilize Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), followed by Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), to achieve the 100 percent green energy goal. Simply put, we now use energy harnessed from sunlight, wind or water. We also generate power from our own waste-burning Energy Center near the Herman Miller headquarters in Zeeland, Michigan.

But it’s not just using green energy. We are also trying to use less energy.  We’ve got a great team of employees who are brimming with ideas on how to conserve. John Kim blogged about some of their smart plans and how Herman Miller is making them a reality on Discover.

We’d love to hear from you about how you conserve energy at home. Any tips for the home office?

(And if you want to read more about Herman Miller going green check out the press release here.)

Consider placing your home office in a room that has the most natural light. Place your desk directly beneath the window where the sun and fresh air can stimulate your creative juices. The natural light will not only keep your utility cost at a minimum, it will also provide Vitamin D which can assist with energy level and attitude.

Solatube has some interesting info on the effect of light in the home. And the Heschong Mahone Group’s studies on the effect of natural light on school kids are fascinating. If they learn better maybe we will also work better with a bit of sun in the room!

Saving money and the environment while working from home with the sun beaming in on you – sounds like a win-win situation.

Image via Living Etc.

Dutch designer Joost van Bleiswijk first came to our attention last March with a Core 77 post on his wonderful cardboard office design for Nothing creative agency in Amsterdam. Here Joost answers some questions about his work habits, Lego and what inspires him.

Where do you do most of your designing? Home is 2 minutes from the studio. The house is a nice and warm place, the studio is huge, white cube of 1000 m2.  I have had a separate workshop since 2002, first in a small garage, later in a 300m2 place and for the past year in an old Philips factory building that is a national monument.

What does an average work day involve? Everyday is different, but it always starts with emails, then coffee with the crew and a chat, then we discuss what has to be done. Then it’s always different. In a ideal day, I work in the workshop, doing tests, little models, etc. But the average day involves telephone calls, email etc. A lot of controlling and talking and looking to what the guys are doing.

You’ve been using corten steel in your latest designs (including the desk clock above). Is there any form of technology that really inspires you and helps you in your work? New fast hardware tools in the workshop, like a new metal grinder, or revolutionary grinding discs.

What item from your desktop can you not do without? I rediscovered Lego as a perfect sketching tool for technical problems!

What inspires you? Kiki [That's fellow designer and partner Kiki van Eijk. There's a nice interview with Kiki on Three Layer Cake. The image below of Joost and Kiki ran in Eigen Huis]

[All images of the Nothing office by Joachim Baan]