chartreuse

Where oh where have I been? I only just learned about the Aptera electric car, and now I'm obsessed with it. While I love the idea of electric and hybrid cars, until the Aptera, there hasn't been anything that has yanked my chain. This car is it. From its Jetson-era drop-dead cool design to its green construction materials to its safety features, this car has everything I'm looking for in my next vehicle.

Aptera is taking reservations for its electric model in California. Just $500 secures you a place in line. When the car rolls out nationally, I'll be placing my reservation too. In the meantime, I'll be reading reviews about Aptera's electric versus soon-to-come hybrid gas/electric model and waiting for someone to test the vehicle in snow.

www.aptera.com

Those of us interested in LEED were excited last year when the USBGC launched its LEED-H certification for homes. Minnesota currently has about five houses in the process of being certified under this new LEED-H program. One of these is being built in Minneapolis by the design/build firm III AD. This house, being certified in the Gold category, helps shed the old Earth Shoe image of environmentally responsible building. See how architect Jonathan Query articulates his warm modernist vision in the context of this emerging sustainable vocabulary, at www.3-ad.com.