Reading Time: 2 minutes Japanese architect Shigeru Ban is known just as much for his humanitarian efforts as for his innovative, contemporary designs. Ban, who was awarded the prestigious Pritzker Prize for modernist architecture last week, has pioneered the use of recyclable materials such as cardboard and paper in disaster relief projects. In earthquake-ravaged towns as far-flung as Christchurch and Chengdu, Ban’s work has helped local communities get back on their feet. The Pritzker Organization chairman and CEO Tom Pritzker said of Ban’s prize: “Innovation is not limited by building type and compassion is not limited by budget. Shigeru has made our world a better place.” Here are just a handful of inspiring examples of his selfless work. Cardboard Cathedral: Christchurch, New Zealand For one of his recent projects, Ban helped rebuild the symbol of Christchurch: the city’s 132-year-old Gothic cathedral that was badly damaged in the 6.3 magnitude earthquake in February 2011. Built…

Reading Time: 2 minutes Real estate projects are often financed through the deep pockets of wealthy investors. But what if there was a more democratic way, with a range of individual investors contributing small amounts to help get a project off the ground? This type of investment, known as crowdfunding, has long been used to raise funds in other industries, particularly arts. Film producers, theatre directors, musicians and more have all benefited from this revenue source, in which several small investors pool their funds together to finance a project. Now it seems this democratic form of investment has spread to the real estate sector. Within the tech industry, startups with a real estate crowdfunding focus are starting to appear on the scene. One of these new businesses, US-based Realty Mogul, recently announced that its 6000 members had invested $14.6 million in real estate projects worth more than $100 million during its first year in…

Reading Time: 2 minutes Sony is set to enter the property business. The company has announced plans to launch a real estate unit – including brokerage, consulting and property management services – in August this year. The new business, to be called Sony Real Estate Corp, will be based in the trendy Ginza area in Sony’s home town of Tokyo. The company is making an initial investment of 250 million yen ($2.4 million USD) to get its property unit off the ground, according to an official statement. So why is one of the world’s leading electronics companies diversifying into property? The answer lies in the current global tech climate. Once the go-to source for electronics, Sony’s popularity has been waning in recent years as consumers have embraced mobile products from tech giants Apple and Samsung. At the same time, consumer demand for some of Sony’s main revenue spinners – such as televisions and personal…

Reading Time: 3 minutes Late last year, Alek Lisefski and his partner downsized in a dramatic way. Inspired to simplify their lives, cut down on expenses and reconnect with nature, the couple moved into a tiny house built on the back of a 8×20 foot trailer. With less living and storage space, the pair believed they would be forced to own less, consume less and spend more time outdoors. The property – if you can call it that – has most of the comforts of your average home packed into its pint-size quarters. It was designed with the environment in mind, with features like a homemade composting toilet and fold-up roof overhangs to shade windows from the sun. A web designer by trade, US-based Alek has been documenting the Tiny Project online in the hope of inspiring others to build their own miniature home. Today he chats to Lamudi about how the project has…