Fallingwater is located in southwest Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands, approx. 90 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh. Nestled within the scenic, wooded Bear Run Nature Reserve, the house appears to be carved from within the stone, stretching out over a 30′ waterfall, created from the Appalachian Mountains.

The house is so integrated with nature that the experience of visiting the house actually changes with each season, where winter, spring, summer and fall, all contribute to the unique experience of this beautiful home.

This unique private residence was designed to be a nature retreat for its owners, combining materials such as glass and stone with cantilevered terraces that reach out to their surroundings. A glass encased interior staircase leads down from the living room and allows direct access to the rushing stream below.

Listed among Smithsonian’s Life List of 28 places “to visit before you die”, this masterpiece is a fine example for organic architecture at its best, exploring the dynamic relationship between architecture, man and site.

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The steepness of the site, landscape controls and landslip potential resulted in a limited building envelope to work within. These constraints (or opportunities) led us to explore a sensitive yet sculptural response that minimised it footprint by echoing in form a tree with branches, with rooms branching and cantilevering in all directions of a central trunk to take advantage of views, access and aspect.

A modest brief called for a three bedroom residence with associated living spaces.
Upper level projections include an entry branch with study, a sunroom to the west, and a living area and deck cantilevering some 6m meters from the core overlooking the ocean and beach below. At a half level lower, the master bedroom wing springs from the stair landing into the bush to the east.

A dining room and kitchen make up the upper level core of the building, whilst two further bedrooms, bathroom and laundry complete the lower level accommodation.
In its applied materiality, the treehouse draws on the modest local vernacular of 1950′s painted fibro shacks with cement sheet lining and expressed battens over joints.

The cement sheet panels used on the treehouse are painted in 2 tones of green that help merge with building with the vegetation on the hillside in which it sits and reinforce its relationship with the landscape. The vertical timber battens on the building are a naturally stained timber, which will silver over time like the branches and trunks of trees within the bush.

The sculptural form and associated colour scheme allow the built form to both connect with the landscape and to dissolve it within it. The two tones of green pick up on colour variations and light and shade within the bush, and effectively reduce the mass of the object within the landscape. Varying light intensities across the course of the day further affects the colours and consequently the buildings relationship with its context in an engaging and dynamic way.

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The newfound exoplanet was discovered by a team of astronomers from the University of Hertfordshire and the University of Goettingen.

It’s located a mere 44 light-years from Earth. And although that may seem like a far distance, it’s actually just around the corner – cosmically speaking. It’s so close that researchers say telescopes on Earth may be able to image it directly.

The alien planet has been classified as a super-Earth, meaning it’s larger than Earth but smaller than gas planets such as Neptune.

It orbits at a distance of 55.8 million miles from the sun, which puts it in its host star’s habitable zone – the region where liquid water can exist on a planet’s surface.

But it’s not just the possibility of water that has astronomers thinking the newfound planet could be habitable.

The dwarf star is likely rotating on its own axis instead of having one face permanently turned toward the sun. The result is an Earth-like day and night cycle.

“The longer orbit of the new planet means that its climate and atmosphere may be just right to support life. Just as Goldilocks liked her porridge to be neither too hot nor too cold but just right, this planet – or indeed any moons that it has – lie in an orbit comparable to Earth, increasing the probability of it being habitable,” study co-author Hugh Jones said in a statement.

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How money is created and governed is unquestioned. This seems tobe of little interest to the majority of the population.

Understanding the monetary policy is critical to understanding why are lives are the way they are.

Often economics is viewed with confusion and boredom and intimidating mathematics. The complicated methods deter people from the truth about the system.

This is the process where banks lend money (credit) and then charge interest on it.

People and governments are now submerged in debt and desperately trying to pay interest on money created out of nothing.

The Federal Reserve:

It starts with congress. Remember the federal reserve is a partnership between themselves, a cartel, and the federal government. In any partnership, there is a common interest for both partners.

So the question is why are bankers and politicians in this partnership? The answered lies in how money is created.

It starts with congress, or the government side of the partnership. Congress needs more money.

Politicians like to spend money. That is how they get elected. They don’t like to raise taxes because that looses votes.

So politician are always playing a balancing game between gaining votes without raising taxes.

So they have to borrow the money to hold on to their voters support. When you can’t tax it from your voters you are forced to borrow it. Thus, we have what is called the national dept.

The politicians, like everyone else who borrows money has to pay it back. However, they can not raise money by increasing taxes because this looses votes. So after 30 days, when they are unable to pay back the money they have borrowed to get elected, they borrow more.

This is why they national dept grows and grows.

The federal reserve enters the picture at this stage, because the politicians can never borrow enough from the private sector.

There is just not enough existing money.

The government then goes to the Federal Reserve and asks them to create more money for another loan. However, the federal reserve is not lending money they are printing it for the government.

Now the federal reserve asks the government to pay interest on that loan.

Once the federal reserve creates this money, out of nothing, it becomes fresh money into the economy.

That’s how the money supply keeps growing and growing.

There is another partner to this and that is the commercial banks. So now this new money, printed by the federal reserve, is moved into the general public.

For every billion dollars created, commercial banks can create an additional nine billion to be pushed out into the economy as personal and commercial interest based loans for the private sector.

Therefore every single dollar circulating in our economy is all based on dept, which literally has nothing behind it, at all.

G. Edward Griffin

Through practicing heart coherence tools, a byproduct has been that my intuition has increased significantly. Now, I count on my intuition to guide me in many different situations every day.

Scientific Research on Intuition

Researchers have conducted numerous controlled studies on intuition for more than half a century and have expanded the definition of intuition to include not only a conscious perception by the mind, but also an unconscious perception by the body’s psycho-physiological system. This unconscious perception often is evidenced by subtle changes in emotions and measurable physiological changes that can be detected throughout the body, according to the study “Electrophysiological Evidence of Intuition” (McCraty, Atkinson and Bradley, 2004).

The study found that the center of this intuitive ability is the human heart, which encompasses a degree of intelligence whose sophistication and vastness is only beginning to be scientifically understood. Furthermore, this “heart intelligence” can be systematically cultivated to our advantage.

HeartMath researchers studied intuitive perceptions that could not be attributed to subconsciously stored memories or to experiences or to the conscious brain’s normal sensory or analytic processes. As a result, they theorized that the body is connected by sensory perception to “a field of energy that enfolds the information” we attribute to intuition.

HeartMath’s research findings on intuition are discussed in two parts in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

Research Publications on Intuition

The first part Electrophysiological Evidence of Intuition: Part 1. The Surprising Role of the Heart focuses on the role of the heart in intuitive information processing.

The second part Electrophysiological Evidence of Intuition: Part 2. A System-Wide Process? focuses on where and when in the brain intuitive information is processed, and on how the heart and brain appear to interact in intuitive perception.

The heart has been regarded as a conduit of intuitive information and wisdom beyond normal cognitive awareness by virtually all ancient human cultures. Now modern science has confirmed what our ancestors knew, and that the management of one’s emotional nature—along with the ability to consciously generate positive emotion and heart coherence —provides the doorway for unleashing intuition. Often, in moments of peace, stillness, or appreciation, intuitional insights start to “flow.”

Practical Intuition

Intuitive insight is not necessarily an ingenious breakthrough or something grandiose or psychic. Intuitive thoughts, feelings, and solutions often manifest themselves as practical intuition or good old common sense, which as we all know is not that common. As I used the HeartMath tools to manage my emotions and develop my heart coherence, it was my practical intuition that significantly increased.

How many situations do you face right now that you wish could be made simpler and dealt with through practical intuition?

4 Reasons to Develop Practical Intuition:
-To gain better understanding of another’s perspectives, attitudes, and  
feelings and improve communication.
-To make decision-making easier when choosing among several viable  solutions.
-To spawn insight and inspiration for your creative spark and expression.
-To create coherence within yourself and to gain clarity on your life mission,
ways to give back and to help humanity.

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“We are speaking out against deceit, lies and twisting of the truth, and turning us into folklore-for-profit. They are not telling the truth about time cycles,” charged Felipe Gomez, leader of the Maya alliance Oxlaljuj Ajpop.

Several films and documentaries have promoted the idea that the ancient Mayan calendar predicts that doomsday is less than two months away, on December 21, 2012.

The Culture Ministry is hosting a massive doomsday-themed getaways in Guatemala City, which as many as 90,000 people are expected to attend. Just in case the world actually does end.

Maya leader Gomez urged the Tourism Institute to rethink the doomsday celebration, which he criticized as a “show” that was disrespectful to Mayan culture.

Experts say that for the Maya, all that ends in 2012 is one of their calendar cycles, not the world.

Gomez’s group issued a statement saying that the new Maya time cycle simply “means there will be big changes on the personal, family and community level, so that there is harmony and balance between mankind and nature.”

Oxlajuj Ajpop is holding events it considers sacred in five cities to mark the event and Gomez said the Culture Ministry would be wise to throw its support behind their real celebrations.

More than half of Guatemala’s population of nearly 15 million are from indigenous groups of Mayan descent.

The Mayan calendar has 18 months of 20 days each plus a sacred month, “Wayeb,” of five days. “B’aktun” is the larget unit in the time cycle system, and is about 400 years. The broader era spans 13 B’aktun, or about 5,200 years.

The Mayan culture enjoyed a golden age between 250 AD and 900 AD.

The main design concept is to create a house which has close relationship with nature and this is achieved by having a swimming-pool linking the house with the landscape and ultimately visual connections with the sea. The idea of connection is reinforced by having the basement level media-room with a u-shaped acrylic window which allows diffuse natural light in and also views out into the pool. The curved roofs, which symbolizing the sea waves, also emphasize the idea of the nearby sea. These are almost totally covered with thin bendable photovoltaic panels supplying enough energy to the house, while the remaining area is used as a green roof giving residents some outdoor leisure spaces.

Fish House is a modest and yet luxurious residential design which gives residents opportunities to live in harmony and comfortably with nature.

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People are achieving these goals in a verity of ways. For example, When you incorporate natural resources into your living space, a more serene and peaceful life style is created for yourself and your family.

A peaceful environment in the home encourages family members to spend more time within it. More time inside the home rather than outside of it, creates a stronger family bond.

Ty-Hedfan is a new house perched above a river in a small village at the top of a valley five miles from Brecon and the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales, United Kingdom. The site is quite unique, sloping down to the confluence of two rivers, Ysgir Fach and Ysgir Fawr, that run across the length of the property.

Ty-Hedfan, meaning ‘hovering house’ takes full advantage of this river side location. Because of a statutory no-build zone along the river bank, it cantilevers the main living areas up to the river bank and elevates them amongst the trees. The house is a further exploration of the practice’s interest in highly site specific and contextual architecture, taking its cue from the traditional Welsh long house form, using local materials such as slate and stone and by fully utilizing the typography of the site to create a striking and unique form.

The house totals 2400sqft (223sqm) of internal living space which is split into two quite differently constructed wings: The main house wing has the cantilevered living room and a double height kitchen and dining spaces that open onto an elevated courtyard overlooking the garden, river and countryside. The upper floor of this wing, partially within the roofspace, contains 2 bedrooms and bathrooms. The second wing is perpendicular to the first and partially buried into the sloping ground.

It has a gently sloping green sedum roof that appears to be an extension of the garden behind. This wing comprises two guest bedrooms and a study room with bed mezzanine, all with full height windows and doors opening up onto a riverside deck. Punctuating the green roof are irregular shaped rooflights bringing ample daylight into this semi sunken area.

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Today we have developed the necessary technology to surpass the fondest hopes and dreams of any social innovators of the past. The fact that previous attempts at social change have failed is no justification for us to stop trying. The real danger lies in complacence.

In order to sustain our civilization we must coordinate advanced technology and available resources in a total, humane, global systems approach. One that could be applied to ensure a higher standard of living for everyone.



Bloom Energy Fuel Cells:

Built with solid oxide fuel cell technology, Bloom’s Energy Server is a new class of distributed power generator, producing clean, reliable, affordable electricity.


Each Energy Server consists of thousands of Bloom’s fuel cells. Each cell is a flat solid ceramic square made from a common sand-like “powder.”


Each Bloom Energy fuel cell is capable of producing about 25W… enough to power a light bulb. For more power, the cells are sandwiched, along with metal interconnect plates into a fuel cell “stack.” A few stacks, are the size of a loaf of bread. This is enough to power an average home.


In an Energy Server, multiple stacks are aggregated together into a “power module” and then multiple power modules, along with a common fuel input and electrical output are assembled as a complete system. Consequently, Bloom fuel cells have the capacity to power 150 homes in the foot print of a parking space.



Bloom Energy Servers convert natural gas or renewable biogas into electricity using a direct electrochemical reaction rather than combustion. This highly efficient process is not bound by the same thermodynamic constraints for creating electricity, and thus enables exceptionally high conversion efficiency.

By contrast, the average coal-fired power plant converts only 33 percent of its energy input into electricity. Yet because no one wants a coal plant in their “backyard”, this electricity must be transported over hundreds of miles of power lines, which lose a part of the produced power — anywhere from 7 – 10 percent in the developed world, and up to 50 percent in developing economies.

Since Bloom Energy Servers typically generate power onsite, energy is generated & provided directly where it is needed, thus avoiding these losses altogether.

As the world transitions to a renewable energy future, the most sustainable pathway is to consume our precious resources more efficiently. It’s also smarter — fuel savings mean saving money.

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The sun is a powerful heat source, yet most of us allow this energy to dissipate. Thermal mass provides an inexpensive, non-mechanical, low-maintenance way to store the sun’s heat. Build your own heat reservoir in your living room by using thermal storage tubes and water, which act as thermal mass. These storage tubes range from 4 to 10 feet high with diameters of 12 to 18 inches.

That’s a lot of water, which equals a lot of free heat.

Water storage tubes prevent wide temperature swings by absorbing and diffusing solar energy, making it a very low tech form of radiant heating and cooling, which is most comfortable for people. The radiant energy of tubes will naturally temper your house, but shouldn’t be specifically used as a substitute for heating/cooling needs. Dyes can also be used to provide not only added color but also increased solar gain.

When installed adjacent to a south facing window, the tubes function as a Direct Gain Water Wall. The tubes absorb and store solar energy, while transmitting natural daylight. The tubes temper both the heat and light from the sun by removing the wide temperature fluctuations and also help reduce glare from the south facing windows.

The tubes can also be installed in a separate cavity for Controllable Passive heat gain. When opaque or translucent panels are used, the built up heat is transmitted naturally or via a fan.

Solar tubes provide not only a cool, passive form of controlling indoor air temperature but also a sculptural centerpiece for the home.