Less can really be more....

Saturday, April 14, 2012 Central Texas will have the opportunity to see eleven homes in varying architectural styles that exemplify utility and clever design in 2,500 square feet or less at the first Austin Smarter Spaces Tour. On this self-guided driving tour from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM, attendees will discover how architects, builders, designers, and space planners made homes as small as 182 square feet feel spacious through use of sliding doors, innovative storage and brilliantly placed windows. A portion of the proceeds from the tour will benefit The Big Give, a program of I Live Here, I Give Here, a local non-profit that educates and connects individuals and charities in this area.
The following curated homes were selected for the Smarter Spaces Tour:
2019 East 11th Street, Austin, TX 78702 (Newcastle Homes)**1006 Prospect Avenue, Austin, TX 78702 (Newcastle Homes)1715 Giles Street Unit C, Austin, TX 78722 (North Arrow Studio)1602 Forest Hill Drive, Austin, TX 78745 (Thoughtcrib, Inc.)**4813 West Park Drive, Austin, TX 78731 (GnM Lohr Homes)**2900 East 4th Street, Austin, TX 78702 (Harris Welker Architects)2110 Kenwood Avenue, Austin, TX 78704 (Sago International, Austin Modern Living)3112 Lafayette Avenue, Austin, TX 78722 (Texas Construction Company)2301 South 5th Street, Austin, TX 78704 (DEN Property Group)443 Bastrop Highway, Austin, TX 78741 (Sarah Stacey Design, Reclaimed Space)**3404 South 2nd Street Unit A, Austin, TX 78704 (DEN Property Group)

2301 S. 5th St. photo by Patrick Y. Wong
To experience the true meaning behind “less is more” on the Smarter Spaces Tour, tickets may purchased in advanced for $25 at http://smarterspacestour.com/tickets.html and picked up at designated Will Call locations. Tickets will also be available at all properties for $30 the day of the tour. Children 12 and under will be admitted for free. For more information please visit: http://smarterspacestour.com/.
Presented by Compact Appliance and founded by Launch787 & Modern Home Tours, the Smarter Spaces Tour was created to promote innovative design in smaller spaces. As many cities are moving towards a more urban landscape, living spaces are decreasing in size, the Smarter Spaces Tour highlights the Architects and Designers that are addressing this trend and finding progressive solutions to enhance function and design of living spaces.

Recycled Homes in Austin, Texas

Reclaimed Space is making news as a unique company which builds “one of a kind modular structures” from reclaimed or repurposed materials. Headquartered in Austin they use reclaimed galvanized metal, salvaged wood and home fixtures to build sustainable modular homes designed for use on or off the grid.

The focus of Reclaimed Space is to counteract the environmental impact of new construction and give a new slant to old materials. Their structures can function as offices, guest homes and cabins. They use reclaimed materials from homes with historical or architectural significance to create sustainably and beautifully designed living spaces.

Check it out!

A carbon-neutral opportunity

The typical journey of a 60,000 pound rug shipment from Kathmandu to New York amounts to 25 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. To put this figure in context, 25 tons of carbon is equivalent to the electricity usage of 12 homes over the course of a year or the use of 9,500 gallons of gasoline.

ecoFiber Custom Rugs and Goodweave have partnered with Carbon Clear to provide the ability to calculate transportation emissions and to purchase offsets from some of the most reliable and high quality offset projects available in the marketplace. A custom portfolio of projects, including two textile projects in India, ensure that your contribution will make a difference to the environment and communities where GoodWeave operates.

Working with Goodweave and Carbon Clear is another example of how ecoFiber is working to reduce our environmental impact, while maintaining the aesthetics we hold dear.