First Full Bamboo School in Philippines Stands Up to Tough Stormwinds

As you may recall in the famous fairy tale, the three little pigs build homes of straw, brick and wooden sticks to avoid having their houses being huffed and puffed and blown down by a big bad wolf. In the end, the pig with the brick house triumphs, but in real life, a new school in the Philippines (where they know quite a bit about buildings being blown down by powerful tropical winds) has done one better by utilizing a flexible, storm resistant material that is also locally grown and rapidly renewable - bamboo. Designed by architect Eleena Jamil of Malaysia as the winning entry in the Millennium Schools competition organized by Illac Diaz's MyShelter Foundation, the structure was recently completed in Camarines Sur, and is proud to call itself the first full bamboo school in the Philippines.

6 Green Lighting Tips That Will Help You Cut Your Energy Bill

Lighting is one of the most crucial elements in interior design, and not surprisingly, it also has one of the biggest impacts on energy consumption as well. When a room is illuminated intelligently - both naturally and artificially - it can reap a bevy of benefits, affecting the comfort, mood, health, and in turn the productivity of a space's occupants. Thankfully, with massive improvements in green lighting technology in the last few years, the options for energy-efficient illumination are greater than ever. Moving far beyond the ubiquitous CFL, companies and eco-conscious designers are carefully considering human health and comfort in addition to the energy consumption of their products. But you don't need to spend big bucks to transform your space - in fact, implementing these alternative lighting options can put extra money in your pocket. Read ahead for our eco-friendlylighting tips, which will arm you with exactly what you need to transform your interior space with beautiful lighting while cutting your energy bill.