The Gurdau Winery in the Czech Republic is tucked away in the lush rolling landscape of beautiful fields and vineyards located outside the village of Kurdějov. It is historically known to be one of the region’s most important wine-growing site sites and has recently received a large inflow of wine tourism. Local practice Aleš Fiala studio designed a sweeping and sloping grass-topped concrete roof over the winery to subtly conceal it.
The idea behind the sweeping green roof was to help the new building subtly and seamlessly merge with its green landscape. Concrete tunnels were dug into the site to create “cultivated encounters and connections between man, wine, and landscape,” the studio said. “The landscape context is addressed in the form of a gentle curve – a wave in the landscape, a hill between hills…great care has been taken to incorporate the building into the terrain and its connection to the cultural and natural greenery,” architect Aleš Fiala said.
“Embedding the building in the terrain creates a feeling of a welcoming background and a natural blending with the place from which the wine comes,” Fiala continued. The sweeping roof and the ground meet, allowing the building to blend with a series of winding concrete walls that supports planters around a paved patio. The back of the building features massive concrete columns that form a parking and delivery area. The roof has been marked with large circular cut-outs that merge with the glazing on the ground floor, allowing the winery’s reception and tasting rooms to be filled with streaming natural light.
The front of the winery includes a large terrace that can be entered via a glazed facade, which is protected from the sun with the help of wooden slats and a sleep canopy. The basement level houses the processing area and two apartments for visitors. “The production areas are located under the terrain, while the customer areas are open to the sun through a glass facade, thus making use of passive energy,” explained Fiala. “The spaces of the wine house are changeable and conducive to social, and romantic moments as well as quiet contemplation over a glass of wine,” he concluded.
Located in the Hlubocepy district in Prague, Czech Republic is a family home alongside a wildlife corridor. Designed by RO_AR architecture studio, the home features a concrete roof topped with grass, and is intended to be a “bridge between the urban and the natural”. The home is meant to be a “clash of two geometries” and features a rectilinear form clad in thin oak slats.
“Urban space surrounds the site on the south and east sides. It is a chaotic and random development, often adversely affecting the value of the terrain. We designed a building that was created by the method of land deformation. The terrain was to transition smoothly from the north-west side into an artificial ‘hill’ into which the house was to be placed,” said studio founder Szymon Rozwałka.
Reminiscent of a hill, the grass-topped structure features a ground floor with an interesting carved form to accommodate a garage and an entrance sheltered by an overhanging first floor. A paved path connects the side of the house to the garden. The front of the home has a white render finish, and a oak batten cladding to provide privacy. While the back end of the home opens into the garden via fully-glazed facades.
“The home seeks to extend the natural context into the interior of the site and into the interiors. It becomes an abstract body that, through its form and scale, corresponds to the surrounding rocks in the background,” said Rozwalka. The first floor of the home features a room that expands into a small terrace, that is hidden from the surrounding properties with the help of a concrete wall. A paved patio has been placed outside the living area, and it faces a small pond.
The roof of the home is an exposed board-marked concrete ceiling from within, dotted with large skylights wherever the curves intersect. Concrete walls within the home are contrasted with wooden ceilings, staircases, black-metal frames, furniture, and fittings. The family house is a modern concrete wonder that also manages to beautifully incorporate a speck of green, and add a bit of nature to an otherwise urban dwelling.
Every year means new iterations of your favorite phones from the likes of Apple, Samsung and Google, so you might be tempted to upgrade to your handset. But with some new phones costing over $1,000, keeping up with the latest and greatest can really take a toll on your wallet. So why not offset the cost by putting your old device up for sale? If you’re wondering which trade-in service will yield you the biggest bang for your buck, and how easy it will be, we have answers to those questions (and more). We've rounded up some of the leading contenders for offloading your old electronics. It’s not just phones, either — perhaps you have an old laptop that isn't quite cutting it anymore, or maybe you've got some other stuff sitting in the closet collecting dust.
Trade-in sites
If you're looking for the littlest hassle and want your money as soon as possible, there are plenty of sites that will automate the trade-in process. You'll select your device from a list, get a quote within minutes and send the device back for cash in a matter of days.
Decluttr
Decluttr definitely lives up to its name. Not only can you sell phones from a number of manufacturers, including Apple, Samsung and Google, but the site also takes lots of physical media, including CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, video games and books. For devices, you'll be asked for a general assessment of its condition, and given a quote immediately. Once you complete your order the site will send you a free shipping label. Decluttr also will accept handsets as old as the iPhone 6S, though it'll offer you only $7 for a 16GB model in good condition.
uSell
uSell operates as a broker, searching other sites for their best offers on a given device and taking care of the rest. Like most buyback sites, it's big on iPhones, but you can still sell off other manufacturers' devices; it really depends on who's buying them at that point. The selection is a bit of a grab bag — newer phones like the Galaxy S21 aren't listed, though you can get a quote for the iPhone 11 ($210 for an unlocked, “flawless” 64GB model). Once you complete your order the site will send you a free shipping kit to send out your phone, and you can get paid for the item via PayPal, Venmo or an old fashioned check.
ecoATM
If you don't want to have to worry about packaging up your old device and mailing it off, or would like to receive your payout right away, there's always ecoATM. It's literally there in the name: an automated machine that you place your device into and it examines the handset and pays you on the spot. It accepts the biggest brands (i.e., Apple, Google and Samsung), along with devices from a wide variety of manufacturers, including LG, Motorola and ZTE. If the machine determines that your device isn't worth anything at all, you can still use ecoATM to responsibly recycle your old gadget. You'll find ecoATM kiosks in Walmart and Kroger locations, as well as malls and check cashing stores across the country.
Amazon
While browsing Amazon listings, it’s likely you’ve come across products marked as “refurbished.” Well, if you’ve ever wondered where those come from, a lot of them likely hail from Amazon’s trade-in program. The company will put its own products, like Kindle readers and Fire tablets front and center, but you can also send in phones and gaming products in for an Amazon gift card as well. It’s not great if you want cash, but if you’re looking to upgrade an Amazon device this option is your best bet, as trading in an older one also nets you a 25 percent discount in addition to the store credit. You’ll need to print out a shipping label, or you can drop off your electronics at select Amazon Locker or Whole Foods locations.
Apple
This is a good option if you’re looking to upgrade to a newer Apple device. You can trade in iPhones, iPads, Macs and even Apple Watches. That’s notable as wearables are a category you don’t often see on trade-in sites. Apple will even take your old Android phone if you were thinking of making the switch. The trade-in values are on par with other sites, but you can get a smaller payout in the form of a gift card instead if you’d rather wait before making a new purchase, want to put it toward media purchases or even just use it in an Apple Store. Which, by the way, also accepts trade-ins in case you’re not comfortable shipping your old but still expensive device.
It'sWorthMore
The nice thing about It’sWorthMore is that its on-site forms handle a larger variety of gadgets than other sites, incorporating companies such as Microsoft, AMD and even GoPro in addition to standards like Apple, Samsung and Google. You’ll answer a few standard questions about your device’s condition and whether you still have the original box — obviously, the more you’ve kept from the original packaging, the better. You’ll then get a ballpark estimate of its worth and a prepaid shipping label to print out. Once your device is received you’ll generally get the assessment and payment via check, PayPal, Venmo or Zelle within two to three business days.
BuyBackWorld
The appeal of BuyBackWorld is that device assessment is a streamlined process: Instead of having to answer a barrage of detailed questions for your device you give it a general assessment and let the site handle the rest. Just like with It’sWorthMore, BuyBackWorld will provide a printable shipping label in your confirmation email but, if you don’t have a printer or boxes to pack your device up, you can always have the site send you a free shipping kit, which can handle everything the site takes except desktop computers.
GadgetGone
If you’ve read through the other site descriptions, GadgetGone’s modus operandi should be familiar: To sell a product, you’ll have to answer a few questions about what type of device you have and what condition it’s in, after which the site will generate a prepaid shipping label. At least here you can find brands like OnePlus included among the options, and you can also sell MacBooks and Mac Minis here. You can get paid a number of ways, too, including PayPal, virtual VISA card, Amazon and Target gift cards or just good old fashioned bank transfer.
Store trade-ins
Sometimes you need your money right now, or just don't want to trust your device to the vagaries of various shipping companies. There are a few nationwide retailers that accept trade-ins for cash or store credit. Additionally, wireless carriers like Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint will all give you credit toward a new phone.
Best Buy
Best Buy also offers trade-ins both by mail and in-store — with more than 1,000 locations, this might be extremely convenient for you. You fill out the form online and bring that to customer service. It's easy, but there's one big downside: You can get your payout only via a Best Buy gift card. This is great if you spend a lot of money with them anyway, but less good if you really need cash.
GameStop
GameStop is infamous for buying games back at ridiculously low prices and flipping them at near retail, but don't let that stop you from making some easy cash when you need to quickly clear your closet of old electronics and games. And yes, I said cash: GameStop offers store credit, a Visa prepaid card or actual money if you want to take your bounty elsewhere. For example, you can trade in Animal Crossing for the Switch and get $22 in store credit or $18 cash, which isn't bad when new copies are going for $48 on Amazon. GameStop also accepts phones, tablets and Apple Watches, though the prices aren't going to match what you'd get from an online trade-in site.
Consumer to consumer
Sometimes you prefer to cut out the middleman and get a bit more personal — a transaction where you're selling your device directly to another person instead of letting a faceless site flip it for you as a "refurbished" unit. In those cases, you want a site that's more user-to-user, though a few will still automate certain bits to make your sale as smooth as possible.
Swappa
Swappa is a marketplace site, which means sellers can set their own price. So if you're getting rid of a newer phone, this is probably the best way to go — the iPhone 13 fetches around $515, for example. That's a huge improvement over what you'd get selling through a site like Decluttr, which is offering only $422 for a 128GB unit.
Amazon
When shopping on Amazon, you've probably been tempted by some of those marketplace deals in the past and, chances are, if you list an item on there, someone will give your old device a look. Since almost everyone on earth seems to have an Amazon account, your potential customer base is huge, and it costs only $0.99, plus a percentage based on category, to sell an item through the site. The downsides are that Amazon isn't really optimized for individual sales; you'll be competing with wholesale companies and even bots that will tweak the price of a product automatically in response to the competition.
eBay
eBay is sort of the Wild West of sales sites, but the biggest advantage is that you can sell anything there and hopefully find a buyer, regardless of how old a product is. Even so, the site has come a long way in the past decade or so, adding structured categories that can help lead customers to your product. For phones, you can search by network, color or storage capacity, and even filter for features like 4K video or fingerprint sensors.
In the end, it still works as it always did: You list a product and set an end date for the listing with a minimum price, or just set a "Buy It Now" price if you don't want to wait to see how an auction turns out. Chances are you already have an eBay account with a feedback score, so there's no extra setup required on your part. Your first 250 listings are free every month, and you'll pay up to 15 percent of the purchase price only if an item sells. The biggest downside is that you're competing with a lot more sellers, and chances are there's always someone willing to undercut you on price.
Cash-back comparison
Ultimately, the site you go with should be whatever's most useful and convenient, but if you just care about how much money you'll end up with, we've priced out a few recent flagship handsets just to give you an idea of what each site offers. We've also thrown in the Nintendo Switch, because it might be time to sell yours off and finally upgrade to an OLED model.
All phone prices are for the lowest storage capacity, usually 128GB. The prices are for the unlocked models when available, or the carrier where it's being traded. These prices were valid the day this post was written, but they fluctuate daily or, in the case of sites like Amazon and eBay, hourly.
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Google Pixel 6
Nintendo Switch
Declutter
$432
$226
$135
$125
uSell
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
ecoATM
$280
$155
$40
N/A
Sprint
$230
$115
$45
N/A
Verizon
$282
$220
$15
N/A
T-Mobile
$230
$115
$45
N/A
AT&T
$280
$230
$130
N/A
Best Buy
$330
$150
$105
$50
GameStop
$291 cash / $364 credit
$131 cash / $164 credit
N/A
$80 cash / $100 credit
Swappa
$455
$224
$124
$238
Amazon
$401
$275
$190
$75
eBay
$405
$368
$200
$131
BuyBackWorld
$415
$230
$140
$110
It'sWorthMore
$442
$273
$153
$100
GadgetGone
$465
$271
$141
$41
If you were looking to sell some games, we've also got a shorter list, because not every site accepts trade-ins. GameStop will offer you more money than what's listed below if you're a member of its Elite or Elite Pro programs.
Elden Ring (Xbox)
Horizon Forbidden West (PS5)
Pokémon Legends Arceus (Switch)
Decluttr
$17
$17
$20
GameStop
$11 cash / $14 credit
$13 cast / $16 credit
$14 cash / $17 credit
Amazon
$8
$51
$14
eBay
$21
$20
$25
Once you've picked a site and listed your item, there are a few important things to remember before you ship off your device. The most important, when disposing of a phone or laptop or any other device containing personal data, is to do a full factory reset. That also means turning off "Find My iPhone" and the activation lock on iOS devices. See if you can unlock the phone, too; you'll actually get more money selling it carrier-free. And finally, make sure you've backed up any important data you may have, like contact info, game saves and, of course, photos. Cash is great, but it won't save your memories.
Images: Mike Blake / Reuters (ecoATM); Alamy (Gamestop); Getty Images for eBay (eBay)
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/where-to-sell-used-electronics.html?src=rss
For decades now we’ve become accustomed to tossing all sorts of things into the recycling bin, like glass bottles, aluminum cans and cardboard. One category, however, that still isn’t on everyone’s list is consumer electronics. Over a billion phones were purchased in 2022, and that’s just one type of gadget. All that electronic waste can have real consequences for the planet, so it’s something you should have on your mind next time you clean out that closet.
Sure, you can try parting with your stuff for cash, but it can be tough, if not impossible, to find someone who wants a 12-year-old printer or a busted CRT. Few places have curbside pickup — in fact, some localities make it illegal to leave electronics for the garbage collectors — so you're going to have to find a reputable center to take it. We've gathered some resources to help you dispense of your broken and unwanted computers, televisions and any other gadget flotsam that's taking up space.
National chains
There is no national electronics recycling law at this time, so you won't find any federal programs to assist you with getting rid of old devices. The USPS does run a program for federal agencies and their employees, but it's not available to the general public. Instead, the rest of us have to rely on nationwide retailers to toss out our old stuff.
Best Buy
Best Buy has more than 1,000 locations in the United States, so it's likely you have one nearby where you can drop stuff off. You just need to take it to the customer service counter. They'll issue you a receipt too, but keep in mind that you can't claim the drop-off as a deduction on your taxes because Best Buy isn't a charity.
You can even recycle televisions and monitors, though you'll be charged a fee of $30 per item to cover the higher costs of transporting and disassembling them. (Consumers in California are not charged the $30 fee, while locations in Connecticut and Pennsylvania will not accept televisions or monitors at all.) If you're turning in a printer, you’ll get up to a $50 voucher toward the purchase of a new HP or Epson printer (select models only).
Also be aware that Best Buy limits you to three items per household per day, including up to two televisions.
Staples
Recycling your stuff at Staples is similar to Best Buy — just bring your products to the customer-service counter. But it’s more limited in that you can only bring in seven items a day, and the store won’t accept televisions at all (monitors are allowed). Staples Rewards members also receive a small credit of $5 per month for bringing in goods to be recycled or shredded. Members who spend at least $50 on ink or toner within a 180 day period can also receive $2 for every used ink cartridge they turn in, up to 20 a month.
Office Depot
Office Depot
Office Depot has more than 1,300 locations, but unlike Staples and Best Buy, it won't recycle your old gadgets for free. If you're only getting rid of a few phones or batteries, those can be turned in at no charge. For everything else, you must purchase a Tech Recycling Box, which costs $8.39, $18.29 or $28 depending on the size. Once you have the box, you can fill it with as many items as you want, provided they all fit inside, including smaller televisions. So it's a great deal if you have a lot of stuff you want to dispose of. These can be turned in either in person or by mail.
You can also return used ink and toner cartridges and get $2 each, up to 10 a month, if you’re a rewards member and spend at least $10 in-store on products within the same month.
Home Depot and Lowes
You can dispose of old rechargeable batteries, old phones and CFL bulbs in the dropoff boxes at any of 2,300 Home Depot or 2,200 Lowe’s locations. The bins are usually located in the front of the store, and Home Depot has an 11-pound limit on individual items.
Target
Target locations have drop-off bins for recyclables located near the entrance; in addition to bins for paper and plastics, there is a specially-designated bin for e-waste like cellphones and used ink cartridges
Manufacturers
If you can't make it to a retail location, especially when you need to get rid of only one or two items, many companies offer recycling programs for their own products. They'll even pay for shipping. Some run their own programs while others use outside organizations. We've outlined policies from a handful of manufacturers below.
Amazon
While Amazon would love to direct you to its trade-in program, you're probably reading this post because there's stuff you can't sell, and for those items Amazon offers mail-in recycling. You can send in your busted Kindles, Fire TVs and even Dash Buttons, as well as select peripherals like keyboards and mice. You'll just need to fill out some forms online and generate a shipping label, which you can slap on any box. Drop it off at a UPS location, and you're good to go; Amazon will cover all the costs.
Apple
Apple
If your iPhone or MacBook is still in good shape, you should consider selling it, but if it's too old or beat up you can still score a gift card by turning it into Apple's recycling program. For iPhones (as well as select handsets from Samsung and Google), iPad and Apple Watches you'll be asked to fill out a form attesting to the product's condition and given a trade-in quote, with a working iPhone 7 going for $30 and an iPhone 11 scoring you $160. For Macs, you'll be asked to provide a serial number as well. Though Apple won't give you cash for anything it deems old or unacceptable, you can still mail it in or bring it to any Apple Store so it can be responsibly disposed of.
Dell
Dell offers drop-off recycling via a partnership with Goodwill. Not every location participates, but there are more than 2,600 that do. And, because it's a charity, you may even be able to deduct it as a donation on your taxes. Dell also has a mail-back program on its site where you can generate a shipping label and drop the package off at a FedEx location instead.
Epson
You can ship old products back to Epson by simply creating a shipping label on its site and dropping it off at a FedEx location. Or just drop it off at a Best Buy location for a $30 or $50 voucher toward a new Epson printer.
HP
If you can, HP recommends taking its products to the nearest Best Buy. Ink and toner cartridges can be returned by mail; the company will mail you an envelope that can hold between 3 and 8 ink cartridges and can be dropped off in a mailbox or at the post office. For toner and large quantities of ink cartridges, you can print out a label and use your own box, or request a box be sent directly to you, which you’ll fill with items and drop off at a UPS location.
Other manufacturers
Many other companies use outside recyclers to dispose of their products, and you'll often see the same names popping up again and again across different manufacturers. This should simplify things in some cases — you should be able to send in products from multiple sources in one package. You just need to fill in the make and model to generate a prepaid shipping label. However, different states have different rules on what you can return, so the drop-downs for selecting your product may vary by area.
Two major recycling companies you'll notice a lot are RLG, which covers Acer, Canon, Google, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft and Motorola, and MRM, which recycles products for Alcatel, BlackBerry, Barnes & Noble (nook), TCL and Toshiba.
Phones
Cell phones are the easiest gadget to recycle — if you haven't already decided to sell yours off on eBay or via sites like Decluttr and ecoATM. But, if you can't or won't make some cash off of it, you can send it to:
Call2Recycle, which has drop-off centers all over the country in many chain stores, including Lowes and Home Depot. It will also accept rechargeable batteries.
Cell Phones for Soldiers accepts phones in any condition and sells them to refurbishers or recyclers. The proceeds go toward purchasing phone cards for troops so they can call their friends and family back home. To be clear, the phones are not given directly to the soldiers.
The four major US carriers — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint — all offer free recycling. You can trade in your old device in-store or send it in for a credit toward a new phone, or let them straight up recycle it. AT&T also participates in Cell Phones for Soldiers.
If you do decide to try your luck with ecoATM to see if your old phone is still worth a few bucks and it turns out it's worth nothing, you can at least rest easy knowing that the company will also recycle your phone responsibly.
States
There may not be a national law dictating that you must recycle your electronics, but at least 26 states have passed rules that vary widely on what they demand of manufacturers and consumers. Almost all states that do collect products for recycling provide this service free, with the bill footed by the companies in some way. Most provide some local programs to help you get rid of your stuff, regardless of whether recycling your gadgets is required or optional.
The following states have some special circumstances worth noting:
Connecticut: Does not allow recycling centers to charge you a fee for turning in electronics, so many organizations and retailers that would usually charge for recycling televisions and monitors do not accept them. Because you cannot dispose of them curbside, you can take them to a municipal transfer station for free.
New York: If you live in a New York City apartment building with 10 or more units, contact your landlord about getting an ecycleNYC drop-off box installed in your building. It’s super convenient and free.
Pennsylvania: Does not allow retailers to charge you a fee to recycle, so places like Best Buy and Staples will not accept televisions or monitors. Many recycling centers have also closed as a result of underfunding, so check the list of open locations first. Some nonprofit recyclers may still accept the items, and you should check to see if your local government is hosting any drop-off events. Lancaster and Dauphin Counties also still run civic recycling programs.
Virginia: This state does not have a dedicated statewide recycling program, but some localities run their own programs including Fairfax, Loudoun and Rockbridge counties, and cities like Arlington. Check each municipality’s site for details.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/where-to-recycle-electronics.html?src=rss
The word ‘biophilic’ has been buzzing around in the architecture world recently, and for good reason. With our cities falling victim to overpopulation, it’s extremely important to mitigate the effects of urbanization as best as we can and preserve the bits of remaining green, that are slowly but surely dying. Biophilic design aims to create spaces that help us build and maintain an intimate connection with nature. It’s an architectural approach that seeks to connect our human tendency to interact with nature, with the buildings we reside in. Biophilic design elements can be integrated effortlessly into any living space by simply adding green plants and natural light. These elements create environments that are peaceful, calm, and nurturing to reside in. They positively affect our mental and overall well-being. And, we’ve curated a couple of homes that do this perfectly! From a minimal Japanese home with an indoor garden to a concrete home with a ramp-like cascading green roof – these architectural structures embody biophilic design completely.
1. Welcome to the Jungle House
Designed by architecture studio CplusC Architectural Workshop for its director Clinton Cole, the Welcome to the Jungle House has been built partially from recycled materials in Sydney. The home features a rooftop vegetable garden and an aquaponics system inhabited by fish.
Why is it noteworthy?
The home was designed and built as an experiment in sustainable urban living. The rooftop vegetable garden and aquaponics system function as the major elements of the home, and were incorporated in an effort to help the residents have and maintain a better and stronger connection with nature.
What we like
Designed to combat the climate emergency
Equipped with solar panels
What we dislike
Climate change has already disturbed the home’s aquaponics system
2. Villa KD45
Located in the hot bustling city of New Delhi, is the Villa KD45, a majestic home defined by a flowing ramp-like green roof that adds a somewhat surreal and biophilic element to the otherwise brutalist and concrete house. The home rises like a gentle wave, from the landscaped ground on which it has been built, giving the impression of a subtle tsunami flowing on an angled property.
Why is it noteworthy?
Besides featuring a unique cascading form, the roof is populated by concrete planters, which add a rather calming green effect to it. The rest of the home is also heavily marked with trees, gardens, and loads of shrubbery. The impactful presence of green in the home beautifully contrasts against the concrete and rugged appearance of the home, tactfully balancing the rough and the smooth, the soft, and the hard.
What we like
The terrace also features a landscaped garden, that provides lovely views of the neighborhood park
Large sliding doors create an alluring indoor-outdoor connection between this section and the garden
What we dislike
The property seems quite difficult to maintain
3. Atri
Created by a company called Naturvillan, Atri is a newly built A-frame villa located on the shores of Lake Vänern. With a rather large form, that instantly grabs eyeballs, the home also manages to be self-sustaining, climate-smart, and sustainable. It’s like a sustainable greenhouse in the middle of the mountains! The home also provides stunning views of the lake, as well as of the surrounding majestic trees, and a natural plot with rock slabs.
Why is it noteworthy?
Atri features a traditional A-shaped form, with a rather stable base embedded directly in the mountains. It also features a continuous axis, allowing you to glimpse through the entire house in one single view! As you slowly look up at the house, you notice that it artfully blends amongst the trees, effortlessly becoming a part of the natural landscape, and seeming as if it is at one with nature.
What we like
Self-sustaining and sustainable
Climate-smart
What we dislike
No complaints!
4. Oasis Towers
Dutch architecture studio MVRDV designed the Oasis Towers development in Nanjing, China. Functioning as a residential and commercial complex, the structure comprises of two L-shaped skyscrapers with intriguing cascading terraces. The facades of the skyscrapers mimic cliffs, giving them a rather jagged and geometrically interesting appearance.
Why is it noteworthy?
The most interesting highlight of the towers is the lush green ‘oasis’ situated at the center of the site. This green landscape slowly moves outwards, and harmoniously integrates with the cascading terraces. It functions as the biophilic element of the architectural structure, and a rather imposing one too. “With Oasis Towers we wanted to push this trend to the max – not only emulating nature with curving, stratified ‘cliffs’ but also to literally incorporate nature into the design with the greenery and by tapping into natural processes,” said MVRDV co-founder Winy Maas.
What we like
The terraces are clad with recycled bamboo and are covered in trees and other greenery
The green space ensures privacy for the residents staying on the upper levels
What we dislike
No complaints!
5. The Slope House
3D visualizer and international architect Milad Eshtiyaghi is known for his enchanting architectural creations, that you always wish to see in real life! Some of them are concepts, while some of them manage to transform into something tangible. The Slope House is one of his untraditional creations that perfectly embodies biophilic design on the inside and the outside. The home is an A-frame cabin, but a rather unconventional one. It’s an angular timber cabin that finds itself located on top of an idyllic hillside, somewhere in the depths of the Brazillian rainforests.
Why is it noteworthy?
Called the Slope House, the timber cabin maintains a signature triangular frame that’s a thoughtful twist on the conventional A-frame cabin. The home has been equipped with two modules – one is an internal structure that houses the primary bedroom, while the other holds all the main living spaces – the kitchen, the dining area, and the den. The tiny cabin from Eshtiyaghi is envisioned propped atop a truss system that was specifically chosen to minimize the home’s impact on the preexisting landscape.
What we like
The home is a rather unconventional and fun twist on the traditional A-frame cabin
Natural plants have been added inside the house as a small garden
What we dislike
The theme and form of the home may be a bit too eccentric for some
6. The Melt House
The Melt House was built at the request of a young family that wanted to “feel green” in the home they were staying in. It was designed by Satoshi Saito of SAI Architectural Design Office and was meant to be a home that not only feels and looks green, but is truly green in its essence, and allows the family to actively use the external space, and grow together with the green.
Why is it noteworthy?
The main attraction of this home is its centerpiece – which is basically a dry garden that acts as a multifunctional room right in the middle of the house. The double-height space almost resembles a courtyard, connecting the two main structures that comprise the home. Clerestory windows have been interwoven through the space allowing for a generous amount of sunlight to stream in while sliding doors separate it from the outside. This creates an interesting indoor/outdoor connection.
What we like
It features an impressive dry garden that also doubles up as a multifunctional room
The home allows its residents to grow with the green
What we dislike
A garden in the middle of the home can be difficult to maintain and tend to
7. The Raintree House
The Raintree House is a beautiful modern sanctuary that boasts stunning views of the ocean, as well as the exotic jungle surroundings. It is located in the northwestern province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, and it was designed to ensure that it “felt like it had always been there”.
Why is it noteworthy?
The home aims to be a fine specimen of sustainable architecture and merges seamlessly with its surroundings. The project was led by the studio’s design principal Benjamin G Saxe. It is heavily inspired by the tall trees that are positioned around it, as well as the tangled foliage and raised canopy situated close to it.
What we like
Causes minimum damage to the surroundings of the home
Sustainable + eco-friendly
What we dislike
No complaints!
8. Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex
Five imposing sustainable green towers were designed together to create the Easyhome Huanggang Vertical Forest City Complex. This complex was built in an effort to mitigate the effects of urbanization, and to fight for the environmental survival and preservation of our cities. This is extremely critical since our cities are becoming more and more populated by the day, and it is imperative to focus on sustainable and biophilic architecture in these current times.
Why is it noteworthy?
Designed to be “a completely innovative green space for the city”, the forest city complex is a form of biophilic architecture that incorporates growing and teeming greenery into the structure and essence of residential buildings.
What we like
404 different trees fill out the layout of Easyhome, absorbing 22 tons of carbon dioxide and producing 11 tons of oxygen over the span of a year
Increases biodiversity by attracting new bird and insect species
What we dislike
No complaints!
9. The Wall House
Designed by CTA, the Wall House is a multi-generational family home located in Bien Hoa, Vietnam. The home is marked by hole-punctured bricks that are designed to bring air and sunlight into the home. These perforated square bricks aid in creating a living space that feels open, free-flowing, and airy – which were the requirements of the clients.
Why is it noteworthy?
To create an expansive indoor and outdoor connection, a small garden was created around the periphery of the home. This was done by planting trees, and leafy green plants throughout the home, in turn adding a beautiful biophilic element to the home. The presence of the trees and plants makes you feel as if you’re standing in a garden, rather than at someone’s home!
What we like
Generous amounts of light and air stream into the home, which improves the air quality
What we dislike
The aesthetics of the home may not be universally liked
10. Hugging House
This modern eco-home architecture concept is called the Hugging House, and it features a beautiful garden roof while managing to incorporate the natural landscape of the site into its layout. Designed by Veliz Arquitecto, the Hugging House is still a concept, but one we would love to see come to life. Hugging House is a modern eco-home architecture concept that features a garden roof and incorporates the natural landscape of the land into its layout.
Why is it noteworthy?
If built, the Hugging House’s location would be fully incorporated into the layout of the home. Describing the design in his own words, Veliz Arquitectos notes, “We have taken advantage of the slopes of the land in order to create visual connections at different heights with the existing vegetation and beyond the landscape, as well as [used] the premises with which we always try to characterize the project.”
Dutch architecture studio MVRDV unveils its winning Oasis Towers development in Nanjing, China which is – a residential and commercial complex consisting of two L-shaped skyscrapers with cascading terraces! The skyscrapers feature an intriguing cliff-like facade and also face each other from the northern and southern corners. The 150m tall towers will be located at the edge of Jiangbei New Area Financial District.
The most interesting highlight of the towers is the lush green ‘oasis’ situated at the center of the site. This green landscape slowly moves outwards, and harmoniously integrates with the cascading terraces. “The contemporary architecture of Nanjing takes its inspiration from nature in form and appearance. With Oasis Towers we wanted to push this trend to the max – not only emulating nature with curving, stratified ‘cliffs’ but also to literally incorporate nature into the design with the greenery and by tapping into natural processes” said MVRDV co-founder Winy Maas.
The exterior of the towers is basically a gridded facade, which is interestingly contrasted by the inner facade that comprises of cascading terraces that give the impression of a rippling waterfall. The terraces are clad with recycled bamboo, and will be covered in trees and other greenery, and will slowly go on to form a natural perimeter around the oasis, functioning as an elevated extension of it.
A 3-4 story podium creates a protective perimeter around the site, separating it from the surrounding area, and bringing MVRDV’s vision of “a haven for residents in a dense and rapidly developing part of the city” to life.
The oasis has been filled to the brim with trees and other greenery, and one can gaze at it from the shopping and commercial areas which are located from the ground floor to the third floor. This green space ensures privacy for the residents staying on the upper floors, ensuring the hustle and bustle of the shopping floors does not reach them. This sunken plaza connects both plots across the central road. It provides easy access to the metro station which is located beneath the towers.
As green as Oasis Towers is, it’s also been jampacked with sustainability. The rooftops are non-accessible and have been planted with diverse species of plants to promote biodiversity. Rooftop reed beds have been installed as a greywater recycling system to filter and clean water. Also, a water-source heat pump is supported by an adjacent river to reduce energy consumption.
MVRDV’s sustainable and green vision for Oasis Towers is already giving us goosebumps, and we cannot wait to watch it come to life.
The Plastplan is a design studio that focuses on using recycled materials that are mainly plastic. The company has developed machines that can be used for recycling.
The design studio based in Iceland aims to help make a sustainable planet by resolving society’s excessive use of plastic. It may not achieve the ultimate solution but every little effort matters when it comes to the planet’s future. With the idea that recycled plastic has potential, Plasplan combines the concepts of product designers Björn Steinar and Brynjólfur. With the latter’s background in mechanical engineering and computer science, the pair can work on a collection of household goods and furniture items made solely made from recycled plastic.
The Plastplan team has kept building and designing machines and processes to recycle plastic with the primary goal of using them and creating new objects. In Iceland, recycled plastic has been a problem; that’s why companies are looking for ways to reduce waste and make actual and useful products.
Initially, Plastplan was formed as the founders wanted to start an educational platform where plastic is discussed. It’s not just about the proper use or disposal of plastic. It’s about making it go full circle, as per Björn Steinar. The circular economy of plastics starts with shredded plastic and then transforms into real objects.
Plastplan’s system includes machines based on Precious Plastic designs comprising. This includes injection and extrusion machines, shredders, and a sheet press. The studio also has developed its own industrial 3D printer that allows them to print large-scale items without spending on molds.
The Plastplan team continues to work hard by serving nine other companies. Their plastic trash is picked up, recycled, and then turned into regular, valuable products like a stool, chair, pot, vase, lamp, etc. However, plastic recycling is not really easy and enjoyable for most people. First, there is the sorting of the plastic into seven categories.
Plastplan has worked with Icelandair on this project. The end product is a luggage tag made out of plastic. We can expect more related objects or designs will be introduced like the “Everyday” collection. The series includes a wall shelf, chair, stool, mirror, coffee table, table lamp, and flower vases.
Resting Reefs is a system of artificial reefs that are 3D-printed from the cremated ashes of passed-over loved ones.
Spreading the ashes of relatives who’ve passed over across the ocean is a beautiful way to memorialize loved ones. While the symbolism behind it is the point of tossing your loved ones’ ashes into the wind, Royal College of Art graduates Louise Lenborg Skajem and Aura Elena Murillo Pérez developed a means to still memorialize our passed-over loved ones while regenerating endangered ecosystems in the process. Resting Reef, a line of artificial reefs made from cremated ashes using 3D technologies, marks the culmination of Lenborg Skajem’s and Murillo Pérez’s studies at RCA.
Working with the remains of deceased animals instead of human ashes, the design duo combined animal bones with pulverized oyster shells and a binder to create a composite to be 3D-printed into stippled mounds that resemble underwater reefs. While the designers are still testing their formulas, “it will contain a binder like a low-carbon cement suitable for marine environments.”
The 3D-printed mounds offer ideal growing conditions for oysters by mimicking the form and natural growing scheme of stromatolite reefs, which are formed from microorganisms like blue-green algae. Forming the cremated ashes into solid reef mounds also allows surviving family members to visit their loved ones’ eternal resting places.
Built to prevent natural and human-induced erosion, protect shorelines from the natural elements, and regenerate native biodiversity, Resting Reef transforms traditional funeral services into preservational burial methods that protect marine life. Putting the customizable process in their own words, the design duo explains, “The way they grow is in layers, which is very similar to how oyster shells grow. We are using 3D printers to bio-mimic similar layers and ridges that are ideal for small marine organisms to attach to.”
The Santa Elena student residence is a new bioclimatic dormitory for students living in the rural areas of Peru’s central jungle.
For children living in the rural areas of Peru’s central jungle, a typical walk to school might consist of a two to five-hour commute that takes them down one of the area’s few access routes. Traversing rough terrain and dangerous obstacles to get to school, the students attending the area’s secondary school hail from 16 different neighboring communities.
Community-built, makeshift dormitories provided children with a place to sleep but were built in breach of the minimum hygiene and safety conditions. Semillas, a nonprofit organization based in Lima, designed and constructed an expandable, bioclimatic student residence for children to have access to education and a comfortable place to live.
Merging with the secondary school’s existing living quarters, Semillas’ Santa Elena student residence remains minimalist by design. Defined by the OSB wood panels that divide the dorm’s living quarters and common spaces, the wood framing remains exposed inside and outside the building.
With the hope for future expansion, the new student residence is also modular and systemic. The modular makeup of the dormitories also allows for plenty of bioclimatic elements that keep students comfortable amidst changing seasons and weather. Fixed mosquito netting envelops the building to stave pesky bugs off. Then, cross ventilation is achieved through openings located on opposite ends of the building.
The new student residence is organized into three functional macro-areas: school, residential units, and outdoor spaces. The existing school hosts common spaces, encouraging collaboration between students. A multipurpose room is also housed in the school, which adapts to different needs throughout the day, transforming from a dining area to a recreation room.
The residential units meet the hygienic and safety guidelines for young students, equipped with sanitary facilities and sleeping areas. The sanitary facilities are operated by rainwater collection tanks positioned on the roof and septic tanks recycle water through underground pipeline systems. Students find their sleeping accommodations in eight-person dorms and teachers enjoy smaller two-person bedrooms.
Septic tanks and rainwater collection systems provide clean water for students.
The transparent windows can be opened for natural-cross ventilation throughout the building.
Underground tanks run beneath the residence to transfer water into an internal reservoir.
The OSB wood panels provide a uniform, minimalist look.
The school combines common spaces with its hallways to encourage student collaboration.
If you’ve been following the news here on Engadget, you know there are always new smartphones coming out to outshine your old handset and inspire some real gadget FOMO. But once you’ve upgraded, what do you do with your old phone? If it’s still in good working condition, chances are that someone out there is willing to shell out a few bucks for your castoff. And that goes for so much more than just phones since you can always find somewhere to sell your old laptops, game consoles and other electronics for a pretty penny. Learn about all of the places where you can sell your used gadgets below.
Trade-in sites
If you're looking for the least amount of hassle and easiest way to get money in hand as soon as possible, there are plenty of sites that automate the trade-in process. You'll select your device from a list, get a quote within minutes and send the device to the company in return for cash in a matter of days.
Decluttr
Decluttr definitely lives up to its name. Not only can you sell phones from a number of manufacturers, including Apple, Samsung and Google, but the site also takes lots of physical media, including CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, video games and books. For devices, you'll be asked to provide a general assessment of its condition before you’re given a quote immediately. Once you complete your order, the site will send you a free shipping label. Decluttr also will accept handsets as old as the iPhone 7, though it'll offer you only $14 for a 32GB model in good condition.
uSell
uSell operates as a broker, searching other sites for their best offers on a given device and taking care of the rest. Like most buyback sites, it's big on iPhones, but you can still sell off other manufacturers' devices; it really depends on who's buying them at that point. The selection is a bit of a grab bag — newer phones like the Galaxy S22 aren't listed, though you can get a quote for the iPhone 15 ($672 for an unlocked, “flawless” 64GB model). Once you complete your order the site will send you a free shipping kit to send in your device, and you can get paid for the item via PayPal, Venmo or an old-fashioned check.
ecoATM
If you don't want to have to worry about packaging up your old device and mailing it off, or would like to receive your payout right away, there's always ecoATM. It's literally all in the name: the company operates automated machines that you place your device into to get it examined, and it pays you out on the spot. It accepts the biggest brands (i.e., Apple, Google and Samsung), along with devices from a wide variety of manufacturers, including LG, Motorola and ZTE. If the machine determines that your device isn't worth anything at all, you can still use ecoATM to responsibly recycle your old gadget. You'll find ecoATM kiosks in Walmart and Kroger locations, as well as malls and check-cashing stores across the country.
Amazon
While browsing Amazon listings, it’s likely you’ve come across products marked as “refurbished.” Well, if you’ve ever wondered where those come from, a lot of them likely hail from Amazon’s trade-in program. The company will put its own products, like Kindle ereaders and Fire tablets front and center, but you can also send in phones and gaming products in for an Amazon gift card as well. It’s not great if you want cash, but if you’re looking to upgrade an Amazon device, this option is your best bet, as trading in an older one also nets you a 20 percent discount in addition to the store credit. You’ll need to print out a shipping label, or you can drop off your electronics at select Amazon Locker, Whole Foods or uBreakiFix locations.
Apple
This is a good option if you’re looking to upgrade to a newer Apple device. You can trade in iPhones, iPads, Macs and even Apple Watches. That’s notable as wearables are a category you don’t often see on trade-in sites. Apple will even take your old Android phone if you were thinking of making the switch. The trade-in values are on par with other sites, but you can get a smaller payout in the form of a gift card instead if you’d rather wait before making a new purchase, want to put it toward media purchases or even just use it in an Apple Store. The latter, by the way, also accepts trade-ins in case you’re not comfortable shipping your old but still expensive device.
It'sWorthMore
The nice thing about It’sWorthMore is that its on-site forms handle a larger variety of gadgets than other sites, incorporating companies such as Microsoft, AMD and even GoPro in addition to standards like Apple, Samsung and Google. You’ll answer a few standard questions about your device’s condition and whether you still have the original box — obviously, the more you’ve kept from the original packaging, the better. You’ll then get a ballpark estimate of its worth and a prepaid shipping label to print out. Once your device has been received, you’ll generally get the assessment and payment via check, PayPal, Zelle or a gift card in under 10 days.
BuyBackWorld
The appeal of BuyBackWorld is that device assessment is a streamlined process: Instead of having to answer a barrage of detailed questions for your device you give it a general assessment and let the site handle the rest. Just like with It’sWorthMore, BuyBackWorld will provide a printable shipping label in your confirmation email but, if you don’t have a printer or boxes to pack your device up, you can always have the site send you a free shipping kit, which can handle everything the site takes except desktop computers.
GadgetGone
If you’ve read through the other site descriptions, GadgetGone’s modus operandi should be familiar: To sell a product, you’ll have to answer a few questions about what type of device you have and what condition it’s in, after which the site will generate a prepaid shipping label. At least here you can find brands like OnePlus included among the options, and you can also sell MacBooks and Mac minis here. You can get paid a number of ways, too, including PayPal, virtual VISA card, Amazon and Target gift cards or just good, old-fashioned bank transfer.
Store trade-ins
Sometimes you need your money right now, or just don't want to trust your device to the vagaries of various shipping companies. There are a few nationwide retailers that accept trade-ins for cash or store credit. Additionally, wireless carriers like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T will all give you credit toward a new phone.
Best Buy
Best Buy also offers trade-ins both by mail and in-store — with more than 1,000 locations, this might be extremely convenient for you. You fill out the form online and bring that to customer service. It's easy, but there's one big downside: You can get your payout only via a Best Buy gift card. This is great if you spend a lot of money with them anyway, but not ideal if you need cash.
Target
Target isn’t as well known for its trade-in program, but it’s certainly a welcomed option. With over 1,900 locations across the US, it’s easy enough to bring your unwanted phones, tablets, game consoles, smart speakers and video games to a nearby Target’s electronics department for a quote. They’ll even package it up and ship it off to the processing facility for you. You’ll get a Target gift card via email within a week. If you can’t make it to a store, Target also offers a mail-in option.
GameStop
GameStop is infamous for buying games back at ridiculously low prices and flipping them at near retail, but don't let that stop you from making some easy cash when you need to quickly clear your closet of old electronics and games. And yes, I said cash: GameStop offers store credit, a Visa prepaid card or actual money if you want to take your bounty elsewhere. For example, you can trade in Super Mario Bros. Wonder for the Switch and get $35 in store credit or $24.50 cash, which isn't bad when new copies are going for $50 on Amazon. GameStop also accepts phones, tablets and Apple Watches, though the prices aren't going to match what you'd get from an online trade-in site.
Consumer to consumer
Sometimes you prefer to cut out the middleman and get a bit more personal — a transaction where you're selling your device directly to another person instead of letting a faceless site flip it for you as a "refurbished" unit. In those cases, you want a site that's more user-to-user, though a few will still automate certain bits to make your sale as smooth and secure as possible.
Swappa
Swappa is a marketplace site, which means sellers can set their own price. So if you're getting rid of a newer phone, this is probably the best way to go — the iPhone 14 fetches around $533, for example. That's a huge improvement over what you'd get selling through a site like Decluttr, which is offering only $267 for a 128GB unit.
Amazon
When shopping on Amazon, you've probably been tempted by some of those marketplace deals in the past and, chances are, if you list an item on there, someone will give your old device a look. Since almost everyone on earth seems to have an Amazon account, your potential customer base is huge, and it costs only $0.99, plus a percentage based on category, to sell an item through the site. The downsides are that Amazon isn't really optimized for individual sales; you'll be competing with wholesale companies and even bots that will tweak the price of a product automatically in response to the competition.
eBay
eBay is sort of the Wild West of sales sites, but the biggest advantage is that you can sell anything there and hopefully find a buyer, regardless of how old a product is. Even so, the site has come a long way in the past decade or so, adding structured categories that can help lead customers to your product. For phones, you can search by network, color or storage capacity, and even filter for features like 4K video or fingerprint sensors.
In the end, it still works as it always did: You list a product and set an end date for the listing with a minimum price, or just set a "Buy It Now" price if you don't want to wait to see how an auction turns out. Chances are you already have an eBay account with a feedback score, so there's no extra setup required on your part. Your first 250 listings are free every month, and you'll pay up to 15 percent of the purchase price only if an item sells. The biggest downside is that you're competing with a lot more sellers, and chances are there's always someone willing to undercut you on price.
Cash-back comparison
Ultimately, the site you go with should be whatever's most useful and convenient, but if you just care about how much money you'll get, we've priced out a few recent flagship handsets just to give you an idea of what each site will pay out.
All phone prices are for the lowest storage capacity, usually 128GB, and for devices that are in generally good condition with no cracks or scratches. The prices are for the unlocked models when available, or the carrier where it's being traded. These prices were valid the day this post was written, but they fluctuate daily or, in the case of sites like Amazon and eBay, hourly.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Google Pixel 7
Declutter
$361
$268
$153
uSell
$455
N/A
N/A
ecoATM
$275
$185
$55
Verizon
$364
$223
$127
T-Mobile
$315
$210
$115
AT&T
$330
$230
$130
Best Buy
$340
$235
$115
GameStop
$498 credit / $349 cash
$181 credit / $127 cash
N/A
Swappa
$664
$539
$293
Amazon
$578
$460
$229
eBay
$350
$340
$214
BuyBackWorld
$375
$275
$150
It'sWorthMore
$446
$382
$165
GadgetGone
$476
$411
$218
If you were looking to sell some games, we've also got a shorter list, because not every site accepts trade-ins. GameStop will offer you more money than what's listed below if you're a member of its Elite or Elite Pro programs.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch)
Final Fantasy XVI (PS5)
Diablo IV (Xbox)
Decluttr
$20
$16
$18
GameStop
$30 credit / $21 cash
$17 credit / $12 cash
$12 credit / $8 cash
Amazon
$10 trade-in / $45 marketplace
$34 marketplace
$34 marketplace
eBay
$12
$10
$15
Once you've picked a site and listed your item, there are a few important things to remember before you ship off your device. At the top of the list is to do a full factory reset before disposing of a phone or laptop (or any other device) containing personal data. That also means turning off "Find My iPhone" and the activation lock on iOS devices. See if you can unlock the phone, too; you'll actually get more money selling it carrier-free. And finally, make sure you've backed up any important data you may have, like contact info, game saves and, of course, photos. Cash is great, but it won't save your memories.
Images: Mike Blake / Reuters (ecoATM); Alamy (Gamestop); Getty Images for eBay (eBay)
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/where-to-sell-used-electronics.html?src=rss
Septic tanks and rainwater collection systems provide clean water for students. 
