With “green living” making its way into new demographics that historically shunned the movement as leftover hippy recalcitrance, trends for new condo buildings are now beginning to include some elements of the green movement in an attempt to suit a new class of buyers who are rapidly becoming more environmentally aware.

One of the features of this new green build movement is the use of cutting edge product to create a very forward pushed design both inside and out.

One architect who is building on this movement is Chad Oppenheim. Oppenheim is an award winning architect in Miami who is known for very distinctive modern industrial style buildings, and his firm Oppenheim Architecture and Design is building the first mixed-use sustainable design condo tower in Miami called COR.

Incorporating innovative green technology seamlessly into the architectural identity of the building COR utilizes a hyper-efficient exterior shell that provides structure, insulation, and shading. Another green feature is how COR addresses power. COR extracts power from its environment via wind turbines and photovoltaic panels. Hot water is generated via solar power.

Another of Oppenheim’s projects getting a lot of attention is FloridaCube, a 15-story mid-rise building in Miami’s ultra-chic design district. FloridaCube, perhaps Oppenheim’s boldest design yet is scheduled to open in 2008 will have 112 units ranging from $350,000 to 2 Million.

In design often the way to stand out is to go back to the basics and re-introduce simplicity. In that vein CUBE is actually a simple design but implemented in a very new way.

Essentially what buyers of this project do is select one or more cubes which can be connected vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, allowing for total customization of the way your space interacts with the building as a whole.

Oppenheim has said the concept will be the “next frontier in multifamily, high-rise housing in urban areas.” And you thought living green couldn’t be fun. Take a look as some images of COR and FloridaCube, and watch for more of this type of inspired design in the future!

MEDIA: COR and CUBE