Beginning a year at college can be stressful enough in its own right without the added hassle of scrambling to buy myriad dorm room supplies and decorations before classes begin. Target and other superstores may benefit from that rush, but a new site aims to help students plan and shop for their living quarters ahead of time with the help of some 3-D modelling.

DesignYourDorm is a web-based 3-D interior design tool that allows college students to customize their dorm room interiors and purchase what they need online. When students register with the Los Angeles-based site, they begin by indicating the university they'll be attending. Ultimately, that will generate a selection of floor plans with exact room dimensions used in the corresponding dorms, and DesignYourDorm is currently pilot-testing those capabilities with the University of Pennsylvania, according to TechCrunch. For universities that haven't signed on, however, students are given a series of generic room layouts. Either way, they next choose the type of room they'll have—single, double or triple, in various configurations—and then begin moving furniture and accessories around. Gaps can be filled in from items available from DesignYourDorm's online store—furniture, accessories, appliances and more—and many of them can be virtually dragged and dropped into the room to see how they will look. Perhaps best of all, roommates can collaborate virtually over the summer using the site to plan and coordinate their purchases ahead of time. Once they've decided what they'll need to buy, they can order the items and have them shipped directly to their college—order fulfillment is handled by Amazon, which passes revenue on to DesignYourDorm through its affiliate program.

Similar in many ways to DesignMyRoom—which sadly got repurposed since we covered it last year—DesignYourDorm is free for both students and participating universities, which will ultimately get a cut of sales generated through the site, according to TechCrunch. Given that there are more than 18 million college students in the US alone, could be a good one to bring to campuses in your neck of the postsecondary woods!

Website: www.designyourdorm.com
Contact: www.designyourdorm.com/contact.aspx

Spotted by: Roberta Steinberg

We've written about holiday rental houses that let consumers try out stargazing and farming; at the opposite end of the spectrum, perhaps, is a new UK-based project that aims to let them experience world-class architecture instead.

Reportedly the brainchild of writer and architectural critic Alain de Botton—and with the Swiss ambassador to the UK on its board of advisors—Living Architecture hopes to offer holiday renters the experience of living, eating and sleeping in a space designed using outstanding architectural practices. Toward that end, it has commissioned established and emerging world-class architects to build houses around the UK. Peter Zumthor, for example, is currently working on a hilltop retreat designed for periods of sustained work and reflection. That house will be on the edge of Dartmoor, according to Building Design, while the "Balancing Barn" in Suffolk—now in the works from Dutch architectural firm MVRDV—will reportedly be the first to be built. Filling out the roster of five are The Long House, Shingle House and In-Between House—designed by Hopkins Architects, NORD Architecture and Jarmund/Vigsnæs Architects, respectively. All will be available for holiday rentals beginning in the spring of 2010.

Offering a sort of high-end tryvertising along with an educational experience that's sure to create status stories aplenty, the Living Architecture project is in some ways reminiscent of the pop-up Greenhouse by Joost cafe that was erected in Melbourne last year to demonstrate sustainable practices. It's better to show than to tell, as the saying goes—how can *your* brand demonstrate its possibilities in a way that will impress, educate and get consumers talking...? (Related: Test-sleeping for homebuyers.)

Website: www.living-architecture.co.uk
Contact: info@living-architecture.co.uk

Spotted by: Rinske Eekhof

Much the way BookOfCooks connects amateur chefs with consumers seeking a home-cooked meal, Plant Concierge is a new site that helps those in need of gardening advice find local experts who can help.

Whereas most directories list just professional gardeners, Plant Concierge includes experienced amateurs who may just be available for a few hours per week, for example, but who can still provide the expertise that's needed. Professionals and amateurs alike can register on the site, creating a profile with the geographical area they're willing to serve, photos of their past projects and the types of services they can provide. (Registration is currently free, but ultimately there will be a charge, Plant Concierge says; retail stores can list themselves as well.) Consumers in need of help, meanwhile, can conduct a search on Plant Concierge based on where they live, the type of help they need (advice, maintenance, design or installation) and the types of plants involved—edibles, for example, or lawns and hedges. Profiles and reviews can help consumers choose the gardener they'd like to help them, and all arrangements and payments are negotiated directly by the consumer and the gardener.

With growing interest in all things green—and, in particular, urban farming and hyperlocally grown food—there's little doubt there will be plenty of demand from consumers lacking the expertise or time to handle all the gardening themselves. For talented amateur gardeners, meanwhile, it's a golden opportunity to jump on board the sellsumer train and earn a little extra cash. Then, of course, there are sites like Plant Concierge, which stand to win by making this win-win possible. Currently Netherlands-based Plant Concierge serves the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa; one to partner with or emulate in other parts of the world...? (Related: More homegrown vegetables, without the sweat — Boosting suburban farms.)

Website: www.plantconcierge.com
Contact: www.plantconcierge.com/index.php?p=contact

Earlier this month, we spotted MyEex and Earth Aid, two initiatives that reward consumers for reducing household energy use. Taking a different approach is US-based Positive Energy, which compares households' energy consumption, adding a social twist to being green. The company works with local utility companies, which use its software to add persuasive information to customer bills. Instead of just listing their own energy use, it adds information for households on the same street or block, showing how the consumer measures up in comparison to all of their neighbours, as well as to the energy efficient ones. Households with low energy use are encouraged with smiley faces beside their usage.

Positive Energy's approach combines technology, marketing and behavioural science, based on the idea that social pressure is more effective than enforced pressure from far-off governments and regulatory agencies. By changing the customer's mindset, long-term changes in consumer behaviour are likely to be brought about, saving both energy and money.

While MyEex and Earth Aid use money as motivation, Positive Energy works on a transformative level by comparing individual practices against normative values, making low energy use a societal norm. Utility companies in other parts of the world: time to add some Positive Energy to your billing process? (Related: Energy meters get tweeting.)

Website: www.positiveenergyusa.com
Contact: info@positiveenergyusa.com

Spotted by: Jenny Lau

Back in 2007 we wrote about EarthFriendlyMoving's Recopack containers, which offer an alternative to traditional cardboard boxes for moving. Bringing the concept out of California comes Frogbox, a Canadian contender that currently serves the Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., areas.

Very similar to Recopacks, Frogboxes are green, industrial-strength plastic containers that are available in standard and wardrobe sizes. Consumers simply order the boxes they need, and Frogbox drops them off at their home using its biodiesel delivery truck. Pricing is by the week, and the company also picks the boxes up once the moving is all done. Moving dollies and packing paper are available as well. Frogboxes can be used hundreds of times before they get recycled, says the company, which thoroughly cleans them between uses. A one-bedroom bundle of 25 Frogboxes and one dolly is priced beginning at USD or CDN 79 for one week—the company charges in the customer's local currency—plus a delivery fee that ranges from USD or CDN 30 to 50, depending on the address. In much the manner of Save Your Logo, Frogbox donates one percent of its gross revenues to frog habitat restoration.

Cardboard and paper waste make up an estimated 18 percent to 26 percent of landfill material, Frogbox says, so it's nice to see the spread of reusable plastic alternatives. The company is planning an expansion across North America; time to introduce "frogs" to your neck of the woods...? ;-)

Website: www.frogbox.com
Contact: www.frogbox.com/contactus.php

Spotted by: Murray Orange