Last week, Kohl’s Department Stores (NYSE: KSS) that currently operates 1,059 stores in 49 states, became the first retailer to announce its commitment to reach net zero U.S. greenhouse emissions. To achieve this goal, Kohl’s will continue to invest in projects to reduce the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions that the company emits into the atmosphere, according to the company.

“Kohl’s is committed to the communities we serve, which includes taking significant steps to reduce our environmental footprint. We want to demonstrate that it is possible for a large company to have a successful business model and operate in a sustainable way,” said Ken Bonning, Kohl’s executive vice president of store planning and logistics. “We’re pleased to be working with the U.S. EPA’s Climate Leaders program on this important greenhouse gas reduction initiative. By pledging to neutralize our carbon footprint, we are taking significant steps to ensure that our operations are environmentally responsible – from waste reduction to our energy programs to our building standards.”

“We applaud Kohl’s Department Stores for setting a goal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions,” said Susan Wickwire, Chief of EPA’s Energy Supply and Industry Branch. “As a Climate Leaders partner, they’re proving that they can be both industry leaders, and leaders in the fight against climate change.”

Initiatives central to Kohl’s achievement of its Climate Leaders goal include a continuation of the company’s five environmental strategies: maximize energy efficiency, minimize waste, improve new building design, reduce emissions and encourage environmental values. This will be the equivalent as offsetting the annual emissions from electricity used by more than 99,048 homes, the company affirmed.

If you want to find out more about it: http://www.kohlscorporation.com/InvestorRelations/Investor01.htm

After a long week of work in setting up a renewable energy social venture in South Africa, I was relaxing at the Kruger National Park with world famous guide and game reserve owner – Vic Wilkens – of Simbavati Lodge in South Africa.  In this video, Vic, me and my wife Sommer were in an open Landrover only 10 feet away from these 8 lions.  It was breathtaking – for more reasons than one!

For assistance in setting up and structuring social ventures, contact Ray Dinning, JD, LLM at (757) 232 -2619.  The initial consultantion by phone is free.  Thanks for watching.

The big question is will the Copenhagen conference support the concept of emission trading schemes in any real way – and will the participants put aside their vested self-interests to move realistically towards making our planet more eco friendly.

On top of that, will they go the extra distance and help poorer or developing countries become more ‘green’?  Somehow, I suspect that won’t happen in a significant way.  Tokenism seems to be the main action of the developed countries – more so with the biggest polluters.

In a way even emission trading schemes are a form of tokenism – it can be a bit like shifting the deckchairs on the Titanic.  I wonder if affordability would more real if the great powers just took a risk and re-directed a portion of their defence budgets for a year or two into the environment.  I can’t see it being much of a risk – there is no real threat of war between the major powers and, as for the ongoing war on terror, more and better planes subs, carriers, and missiles aren’t going to work – we already have enough super tech weaponry now.

How much are countries like the US, Australia, Russia, China and South America with vast land masses  really making any effort to move from fossil fuels to the more sustainable power sources  such as solar, wind or geo-thermal power?  Of course they may be more expensive – at the moment – but surely the more these ‘free’ and sustainable resources are built, then the cheaper they become. It seems a bit of a false economy to delay serious introduction of these power sources.  The technology is there.

I can understand undeveloped countries or small countries with little land mass to spare preferring to use the nuclear option, though I wish they wouldn’t – but, there is really no excuse for bigger and richer nations.

Wouldn’t it be great for our children and grandchildren to live in a world that is truly carbon reduced!

Big news happened on Tuesday in the world of renewable energy. Norway has become the first country to produce osmotic power, a revolutionary new, emission-free way of generating electricity.

Osmotic power produces emissions-free electricity by mixing fresh water and sea water through a special membrane.

State-owned utility Statkraft’s prototype plant, which for now will produce a tiny 2 kilowatts to 4 kilowatts of power or enough to run a coffee machine, will enable Statkraft to test and develop the technology needed to drive down production costs.

How it works

The plant is driven by osmosis that naturally draws fresh water across a membrane and toward the seawater side. This creates higher pressure on the sea water side, driving a turbine and producing electricity.

“While salt might not save the world alone, we believe osmotic power will be an interesting part of the renewable energy mix of the future,” Statkraft Chief Executive Baard Mikkelsen told reporters.

[via CNET]

Statkraft, Europe’s largest producer of renewable energy with experience in hydropower that provides nearly all of Norway’s electricity, aims to begin building commercial osmotic power plants by 2015.

Future full-scale plants are estimated to be the size of a football stadium and will be able to produce 25 megawatts of electricity, enough to provide power for 30,000 households.

According to CNET, Once new membrane “architecture” is solved, Statkraft believes the global production capacity for osmotic energy could amount to 1,600 to 1,700 terawatt hours annually, or about half of the European Union’s total electricity demand.

The potential for this technology is enormous as it can be located anywhere that clean fresh water runs into the sea. Osmotic power could soon become a major part of many countries energy mixes and has the potential to usurp even solar and wind – due to it being far less stochastic and reliable.

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350.ORG held an amazing march across the Brooklyn Bridge a few weeks ago. My documentary production classmate Lauren Wylie invited me to get in on some of the Green Action and meet her amazing mom! Interestingly enough, Lauren is working on a documentary about climate change in Antarctica and Rob Swan’s quest to save the continent. And yes, she is literally the only person in my life that I know who has been to Antarctica! As she returns for her second trip and to film the documentary, she will be blogging about her experiences. Check out Lauren’s blog and see what’s happening on the bottom side of the world!

Lauren!

Lauren and Rob!

Lauren’s amazing mom Dottie!

Furnace Fighter

You know what that means, Christmas, a half inch of snow causing school closings, ice patches, and expensive heating bills. So lets get to work on saving some hard earned money by fighting that furnace.

If you happen to peruse your local electric company’s website, you will be likely to stumble upon a list of ways to conserve your energy usage. Most of them are very inexpensive and just take a little elbow grease and time, such as insulating your water heater, changing filters, applying weather stripping, etc…

Depending on where you live in Warren County, you will receive electric service from one of two different utilities: Mcminnville Electric (city residents) or Caney Fork Electric (rural residents). Both websites offer tips, and many overlap, but it wouldn’t hurt to look over both for a more complete list of projects.

In addition to this, Energy Right, which is a program developed by the TVA and local electric companies, has a list of projects of its own. It also includes an online energy e-Valuation, a paper evaluation you can print, and several other educational options.

The best thing about this program is that if you do their online energy e-Valuation, they will send you a conservation kit filled with items like compact flourescent bulbs, faucet aerators, and other ways to reduce your energy costs and save money. Not bad, especially since it’s free!

One last thing that I will devote more time to in the future: The Tennessee Valley Authority offers a ‘green power initiative’ where anyone can purchase blocks of green energy to power their home. Basically, for every block of 150 killowatts per hour you purchase, you give them four dollars to help purchase the green power that is more expensive. It’s safer for the environment, so that should help offset the cost somewhat.

You can choose how many blocks to purchase (including just one for a lowly premium of four dollars per month). Now, for me to purchase enough green power to offset my entire electric bill for the month of October, I would have had to purchase 10 blocks for a total of 40 dollars. I can not afford this, and I don’t expect that anyone else can either. However, if everyone bought a single block, it would make a massive difference.

You can sign up by contacting your local utility or directly on the TVA website.

Well, it’s been a busy week. Or perhaps the crutches are just making it seem that way.

It seems that in addition to my broken big toe (thanks cat, really, thanks so much), Representative Setzer has been under the weather according to the email he posted to us on Wednesday.

We hope he gets to feeling much better; and sooner rather than later.

Our installer/contractor was out on Monday trying to beat the weather. While he and his crew were working I left them to run some errands. Okay, maybe run fails to describe the actual movement.

While I was out driving around, I heard an interview with an American who worked for a Japanese newspaper for a number or years. He was shilling a book about his experiences.

While he was there, he wrote articles on the Japanese mafia and obviously pissed them off quite badly. He was following leads that would reveal that one of the top crime bosses (a common thug according to the reporter) had parlayed some information on his Japanese peers to the American FBI in exchange for a temporary nullification of his blacklisting. It seems he wanted to come into the US for a liver transplant at a top hospital.

The reporter was invited to the meeting with the bosses goons by an ultimatum of do it or be dead within the week. He wisely decided to attend.

And this is the most interesting part of the interview; he took a friend from the Japanese police force along, one assumes as both a witness and as protection. In the meeting, the bosses “emissaries” threatened him and his family with death if he didn’t drop the story. But because of the nature of the language used, even the policeman would have been hard pressed to testify in court that the reporter had been threatened.

Language is a slippery thing. Taken literally, one can have a rather benign conversation. Or tell a rather interesting story. But the subtext, the body language, a simple lifting of an eyebrow or a drop in the voice’s register can relay a lot of meaning within the context of the conversation.

That said, I don’t have the capacity to be quite that clever. As I told the Orthopedic P.A., I’m both lazy and impatient. And underpinning those rather charming traits is a wide pragmatic streak. Why dance around the point and lose the potential for making your meaning clear? Because frankly, there are people in this world who are so stupid they wouldn’t “get it” if you tattooed in reverse on their forehead so they had to read it in the mirror every day.

And it comes down to the literalness of this. While I was out running around, our contractor was at our house losing money. Even though he’s been “in discussions” with Steve Smith, Duke Energy is obviously not budging on any part of the problem as presented. And according to him he has to “continue to work with these people” because he has a number of jobs pending and in process in the region. His livelihood, and hence his life, depend on the good graces of Duke Energy.

If Duke in any way admits culpability in our project (which Steve Smith did initially, but has since denied) then a precedent has been set. In their minds, it is easier (read cost effective) to sandbag each shallow pocket complaint, rather than examine the  model as it exists to find ways that it can be both accommodating and productive.

I have a strong suspicion that our delay in hearing from the PUC hinges on this point.

Since there is no ombudsperson to act as an advocate for people who have no other choice in their energy provider (but they are NOT a monopoly they are a “Public Utility”) we don’t know if there is progress, no progress, the zombie virus is running rampant through the states capital and news organizations are forced to suppress the information…you know, that kind of thing. We also don’t know how much elbow rubbing goes on between the folks at the PUC and Duke Energy. As with Green Power, which touts itself as a non-profit, “renewables” organization, the PUC doesn’t have the monetary or political clout to call shenanigans on Duke Energy out loud and in public.

It is highly likely that Steve Smith is hoping that in turning a blind eye to the work our contractor does, (which according to Duke Energy directives, he has to get their permission to implement,) they can placate us.

Buy one peasant off at another peasant’s expense and the problem will go away.

Well, if Duke Energy wants to “buy me off”, I’d like to let them know right now, I’m not a common whore.

I’m an expensive call girl.

I have a price that would allow me to sucker punch my principals to the point that I can lay down and shut up, but it is unlikely that Duke would be willing or able to meet it.

And speaking of expensive prostitutes, then there’s politics…..

We received a “letter” from President Obama on Saturday; or more correctly, several of his staff. Now don’t get me wrong. I didn’t expect a direct reply to the letter we sent to him. (or to Stephen Chu or Beth Perdue or any of the other big names on the stage) Those were sincerely meant as -You need to know what kind of muck your subjects are crawling around in, because if you want to actually implement any changes in a forward direction, understanding the muck and it’s layout are important- letters.

I am honestly and sincerely happy that several different people are gainfully employed dealing with common muck letters for the President.

I wonder how much one makes, opening letters, examining them for hidden dangers, sending the envelopes off to the reply-envelope-preparer so they can assume that the information on the address label constitutes the name of a person sending it (rather than, say….2 people), taking the time to hand address it in the name of a person that can’t possibly exist in the U.S., then sending the mislabeled envelope to the folks whose job it is to find files in their computer with the same general subject as the one in the letter, cutting and pasting the parts together with the rather insincere salutation of  “Dear Friend”, slapping a electronically scanned signature on the bottom, an embossed stamp on the top, stuffing the information heavy – content light letter in the envelope and how-do-you-do-Mary, off to the US Postal Service. Postage paid with my tax dollars. Proud American. Yes, indeed: Proud American.

No slap at the President. He inherited a huge mess and we sympathize. There was truly no expectation of a personal reply. But the rather haphazard attempts to make the appearance of being personable lean to the insulting my intelligence end of the scale. Frankly, Mac and I didn’t need to be informed on governmental initiatives for clean and renewable energy. We assumed as much based on the fact that we are somewhat marginally informed due to lived experience. Instead of a bid for attention, it’s called: Trying to do our part because it’s the right thing to do. You should try it sometime.

I realize that the Administration is trying to create jobs and reduce job loss. And having a mass of clerks gainfully employed sending tangentially related reply letters to concerned and/or disgruntled citizens, allows a lot of folks to take home a paycheck every week and makes me want to say with complete and utter restraint: thanks clerks, really, thanks so much.

After spending the past year working on www.sunskool.com I have been amazed at the demand for this data. Sites like Sunskool  andoffer an educational resource to teachers and students are less common than generic offerings. I’ve been watching some of the competitors especially SMA and their Sunny Portal. This basic system is a generic setup more suited for commercial and residential market. I know here in Australia a large number of Schools with funding from NSSP use the SMA solution.

Now they have made their portal mobile check out the fully offering http://www.sunnyportal.com/sunnyportalmobile/index_en.htm

STEWART Brand, author of “The Whole Earth Catalog,” visited Seattle last week, promoting his latest environmental manifesto and surprising more than a few members of the audience with his ideas about tackling our energy and climate crises.

In sum, while judging that solar and wind power are part of the mix of renewable energy sources required to sustain world living standards, Brand flatly asserts that we must rapidly deploy nuclear power plants to meet both environmental end energy goals.

In his “Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto,” Brand sifts through data to establish that wind power is much less reliable and much more expensive than initially thought. Geothermal is almost tapped out in terms of dramatic growth. Deploying solar for generation of electric power would take 50 square miles of desert per plant to generate 1 gigawatt of power.

It’s not the message we might associate with a prime mover for renewable energy for 40 years, but an argument we should expect from a man so closely associated with ahead-of-the-curve thinking on key issues ranging from the future of computers to space colonization.

At age 70, Brand doesn’t mince words. Countering fears surrounding long-term nuclear waste disposal, Brand urges us to trust the evolution of science to find better ways and new options to treat waste 200 years from now. In the meantime, the “short-term” multigenerational solution of containing waste in concrete and steel containers will suffice. Brand frames the choice we face by challenging us to think about the hazards posed by coal mining and burning, huge wind farms, and damming our rivers.

The “ecopragmatist,” therefore, weighs the costs and benefits, both short- and long-term, of each potential energy source, looking for a mix that sustains our economy while cutting greenhouse-gas emissions. A growing list of environmental leaders, including the former head of Greenpeace, apparently agree that nuclear must be part of our energy equation.

I would add that the nuclear plants of the 1960s and 70s — generating 20 percent of America’s electricity today — are dinosaurs compared with the next generation of reactors that will burn uranium more efficiently and produce lower volumes of radioactive material. In the race to combat climate change, the Chinese, Russians, French and Indians have taken the lead in developing breeder reactors and even experimenting with the thorium fuel cycle.

France produces 80 percent of its electricity from atomic power and generates a surplus that it sells to the rest of Europe. China and India, acutely aware of the need to fuel their economic growth, are building or planning 30 new nuclear plants of various designs.

While the United States has lagged in nuclear innovation, a Bellevue startup named TerraPower is working on the design of a “traveling wave” reactor that uses depleted uranium as its primary fuel and contains waste within the reactor core for scores of years. By not requiring fuel-enrichment plants, this new type of reactor would eliminate a part of the fuel cycle vulnerable to diversion of fissile material. This proliferation-resistant technology would be especially timely for the 26 countries in the world seeking first-time civilian atomic energy.

And how are we Canadians doing? Our government is trying to sell off CANDU and to foreign companies like Areva, where the once industry leading technology will no doubt fade away as Areva promotes their own NextGen reactors and eliminates a competitor with the swipe of a pen.

[via SeattleTimes]

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Air Conditioning Bill Too High? Should’ve Moved Into This Building

from Gizmodo Australia by Rosa Golijan

Apparently the oddly arranged 600mm diameter circular windows on this building in India are not a hidden message from aliens, but a clever way to create ambiance indoors while saving up to 25 per cent on air-conditioning costs.

suppose design office: taipei pop music center proposal

from Designboom – Weblog

image courtesy suppose design office

continuing our coverage of the taipei pop music competition, here is japanese
firm suppose design office’s proposal. the design is based on natural landforms.

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

image courtesy suppose design office

Cheap, Printed Solar-Powered LEDs Could Change 1.5 Billion Lives

from Gizmodo Australia by Rosa Golijan

Photovoltaic cells printed on sheets aren’t news, nor are LEDs and ultrathin lithium batteries. What’s news is a combination of the three which can help give light to 1.5 billion people who live in impoverished areas without access to electricity.(more…)

Heathrow Airport Gets Fleet of Electric Shuttle Cars

from Green Options by Andrew Williams

For those eager to absolve the carbon guilt caused by yet another international flight, Heathrow airport is trialling an innovative electric car shuttle fleet to ferry passengers to and from the business car park.

Seeing as Heathrow is the world’s busiest international airport, I suppose the effort is a little bit like launching an attack on a saber-toothed tiger with a blunt knife, or maybe a feather duster… But hey, maybe I’m being unfair – I suppose you’ve got to start somewhere right? And I admit, the system does seem a bit nifty – if not quite as good as the Johnny Cabs (video) in Total Recall.

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Oct 31, 2009 (5 days ago)

a.asadov architectural studio: aerotel

from Designboom – Weblog

aerotel by a. asadov architecture
image courtesy a. asadov architecture

russian firm a. asadov architectural studio have designed ‘aerotel’ a concept hotel on water.
the project is an alternative for the man-made islands and could be realized in any
water area – from town lakes to the ocean seashores.

the advantage is that construction costs would be low (in comparison with man-made
islands) for the full recreation complex. aerotel consist of two levels for relaxation – on
the water (with several ponds of fresh and sea water) and in the air (the hanging hotel
with a ‘web park’)

the construction consists of the ring membrane, stretched on arms and fixed on 3 supports,
coming to the bottom. the arms structure forms a ‘web park’ with pedestrian roads
and some plants – some kind of ‘hanging gardens’. inside the membrane there could be
a hotel with cafes, restaurants and winter gardens. you could reach the hotel two
ways – from water (by escalator along the support) or from the air – by airship (there are
special mooring areas on the ring for them to land and park).

image courtesy a. asadov architecture

image courtesy a. asadov architecture

image courtesy a. asadov architecture

image courtesy a. asadov architecture

image courtesy a. asadov architecture

image courtesy a. asadov architecture

ACME’s Proposal for the Rathaus-Terrassen Competition in Weilburg, Germany

from Bustler.net News by Vanilla Hustler

In September 2008, the historic city of Weilburg in Germany launched the “Rathaus-Terrassen” architectural contest as invited competition to design a replacement for an existing parking structure.

London-based practice ACME was one of the 13 invited offices and eventually won the 1st prize in the public voting process and was awarded the 2nd prize from the professional jury.

Click above image to enlarge
ACME’s proposed concept for the “Rathaus Terrassen” in Weilburg, Germany

The project site is located below the dense medieval city center of Weilburg, in the steep landscape of the surrounding river valley.

The design of the Rathaus-Terrassen develops a typology of terraced landscape building as an integral part of the context, creating a very urban character towards the city while blending into the valley landscape on all other sides.

The horizontal stone fin facade varies to account for the differing demands of the building program of retail, restaurants, housing, and car parking by changing the form, density, dimension and frequency of the stone fins.

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Current situation of Weilburg’s city center

Here’s some more information from ACME:

The site is the largest continuous open space within the dense medieval city of Weilburg, where the stark and scenic contrast between the walled town and the surrounding sweeping landscape of the river valley remains clearly legible.

The design of the ‘Rathaus-Terraces’ originates from the Baroque terraced-landscape building typology, found nearby in the Weilburg Castle Gardens, and develops them into a contemporary form of landscape building.

A building as an integral part of the landscape allows the project to blend into the surrounding context while inviting inhabitation and managing to create specific urban character towards some if its city context. In this way, an active urban frontage can be created facing the old city centre, while the facade towards the river valley blends into the rhythm of rock cliffs and forested slopes along the Lahn river.

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Rendering

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The project provides the required program of 19,200sqm of retail, surgeries, housing and car parking within a stratified massing, where vertical routes are carved in at specific moments to create connective visual sight lines and public routes between the city centre and river. In order to maximise activities within the project, functions like gastronomy and housing are dispersed widely within the overall massing. Access to each unit is provided through the new pedestrian cross-routes within the project and through lifts from the proposed public park landscape above. While the retail space orientates itself towards the city centre, the other functions differ in position and orientation to maximise south facing aspects, privacy and stunning views into the Lahn valley. The creation of new routes, public parks and a multitude of commercial and private programs ensures that the complex has a wide variety of uses, thereby maximizing its contribution to the regeneration of Weilburg’s historic core.

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Similar to the strongly layered geological rock visible around the site, the building envelope is structured in horizontal layers. The fine scale of layers allows the envelope to change gradually from vertical to horizontal orientation, inviting different forms of use and inhabitation on its surface. The horizontally organized reconstituted stone fins filter daylight and natural ventilation to open areas such as corridors and the carpark while providing sun shading for other functions. Externally, the fins are used as steps, planters, benches and circulation spaces to create public routes and parks within the project. Variation of the fin thickness, spacing and position are used to form larger openings like entrances, balconies and windows where required.

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Rendering

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Plan

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Canyon Circulation Diagram

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Terrace Circulation Diagram

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Retail Access

Project Facts

Location: Weilburg, Germany
Client: City of Weilburg/ Nassauische Heimstätte (Projektstadt) in cooperation with a private investor
Functions: approx. 6,000 sqm retail, 2,000 sqm residential, 1,200 sqm Surgery/ Doctors Practices, and 280 parking spaces
Total GFA: 19,200 sqm
Project costs: approximately 15-19 Million Euro ($22-28 Million)

Credits

ACME: Julia Cano, Kelvin Chu, Sebastian Drewes, Deena Fakhro, Michael Haller, Daewon Kwak, Friedrich Ludewig, Isabel de la Mora, Andreas Reeg, Teresa Yeh

Images: ACME

Warmer Seas Blocking Nature’s Carbon Pump

from Green Options by Michael Ricciardi

Diatoms are one of the most common types of phytoplankton.

Climate change isn’t just warming the atmosphere, it’s also warming the ocean’s surface and deeper levels of the water column. This is known as the pelagic ocean (the “pelagic zone” is any part of the water column other than that at the sea floor) and it just so happens to harbor the most productive ecosystem on planet Earth. The pelagic ocean is responsible for an estimated half of the world’s primary production (i.e., the basic food or nutrient making needed to sustain other life), and sustains most of the world’s natural fisheries.

The pelagic zone also plays a very complex but important role in the global carbon cycle. Inorganic carbon (mostly in the form of CO2) can be “drawn down” from the atmosphere by two main processes: the respiration of photo-synthetic algae and plankton (which produce oxygen and serve as a food source as well), and, secondly, the sedimentation of carbon (in the form of sinking, dead marine matter) onto the sea floor. Most algae and phytoplankton have chlorophyll and live in the upper most layer of the water column where there is sufficient sunlight penetration (this is called the euphotic zone; from the surface down to 200 meters is the epipelagic zone). Although carbon is also removed via “outgassing” (the exporting of carbon and carbon-based molecules into the atmosphere via ocean-air circulation), these two processes keep carbon out of the atmosphere. And of the two, bottom accumulation (via sinking) is the predominant means by which carbon is removed from the water column.

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Mini-E Hits Pothole, Shuts Down: Electric Car Durability in Question

from Green Options by Christopher DeMorro

One major obstacle on the road to widespread acceptance of electric cars is reliability. Electric cars are still relatively new ground, and anybody who has ever gotten a cellphone wet or left a laptop in a car during a hot summer day (guilty on both counts) knows that electronics are very sensitive to the elements. Apparently, they are also sensitive to potholes.

One of the “lucky” few who were given an Electric Mini to test out—the founder of GM-Volt.com found out just how sensitive when the Mini came to a dead stop in a construction zone after hitting one such pothole.

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soma wins first prize to design thematic pavilion at yeosu expo 2012, south korea

from Designboom – Weblog

soma has won first prize to design the thematic pavilion at the yeosu expo 2012 in south korea,
which is set to be one of the event’s major facilitis. its exhibitions will give visitors an overview
and introduction to the expo’s theme ‘the living ocean and coast’.

we experience the ocean mainly in two ways, as an endless surface and in an immersed position
as depth. soma’s concept for the thematic pavilion consists of continuous surfaces with
contrasting spatial qualities, transitioning between contrasting experiences to form the pavilion’s
outer appearance. towards the sea, the conglomeration of solid vertical cones defines a new
meandering coast line, a soft edge that is in constant negotiation between water and land.
on the opposite side, the pavilion develops out of the ground transforming into an artificial roof
landscape with gardens and scenic paths. the topographic lines of the roof turn into lamellas
of the kinetic media façade that faces the expo’s entrance and the ‘digital gallery’.

EPA Tests Porous Pavement, Greener Gardens

from Wired: Autopia by Keith Barry

As stormwater runoff endangers the world’s water supply, the EPA is busy planting gardens and repaving its parking lots.

Don’t worry — it’s not just an attempt to beautify the agency’s field offices in Edison, New Jersey. The renovations are being done in the name of science, with a field test of runoff-reducing pavements and installation of water-cleansing rain gardens. The Environmental Protection Agency is using the trials to see how pavement and plant choices can help filter pollutants out of rain water before it reenters the water supply.

“Runoff from parking lots and driveways is a significant source of water pollution in the United States and puts undo stress on our water infrastructure, especially in densely-populated urban areas,” EPA Acting Regional Administrator George Pavlou said in a statement. The study, he said, “will help us develop strategies to lessen the environmental impacts of parking lots across the country.”

Plus, the agency gets a fancy new parking lot.

Previously, when an EPA staffer’s ‘78 Fiat leaked oil, the next rainstorm would pick that oil up and carry it — along with hydrocarbons from exhaust and leftover fertilizer — straight into the watershed. Without proper treatment, some of those pollutants might end up in your water glass.

While permeable pavement and absorbent plants have become popular tools for “greening” parking lots, the EPA says that no real-world tests have been done to see whether porous surfaces are effective in reducing runoff, or whether rain gardens can absorb runoff from parking lots.

The EPA says their tests will take place over the next 10 years, with three different kinds of pavement and rain gardens installed in working parking lots. By the end of the study, the EPA will be able to provide recommendations grounded in real-world trials for concerned property owners.

Photo: Flickr user doortoriver

Pocket Light Concept Provides Portable Wallet-Sized Illumination

from Gizmodo Australia by Jack Loftus

The Pocket Light is a nifty light that’s powered by a watch battery and folds down to the size of a credit card. Convenient! And, when paired with that other pocket-sized protection, could lead to quite the romantic little evening. (more…)

Oslo’s Skyline Gets Three “Crystal Clear” Landmark Towers

from Bustler.net News by Vanilla Hustler

Kristin Jarmund Architects in collaboration with C. F. Møller Architects, has recently won a major competition to design a spectacular new landmark project in the city of Oslo, for the client KLP Eiendom AS, one of Norway’s largest property investors. The project, which has been dubbed “Crystal Clear”, consists of three towers, which grow organically from the ground to form a sculptural cluster, and are composed of stacked, prismatic volumes.

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Competition-winning design for a new high-rise complex in the heart of Oslo

The development totals approx. 90,000 m² of offices, commercial space and possibly housing, located at one of Oslo’s most valuable sites, the former postal sorting office adjacent to the central station. ‘Crystal Clear’ ties in with the city’s skyline, and the string of developing landmark projects that will help turn Oslo into one of Europe’s most modern capitals.

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Rendering

Here’s some more info from the architects:

A high-rise development, located at Norway’s most important traffic hub in central Oslo, and with fantastic views of the waterfront and fjord-landscape beyond. The idea is to create a landmark sculptural ensemble of towers, yet observe the harmony with the surrounding, low-rise urban fabric of the capital. The three towers of approx. 110, 65 and 55 m height, are arranged along the edges of the site, and the tallest tower is aligned with the existing nearby Oslo Plaza and Postgirobygget towers, while the lower buildings form the link to the city.

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Rendering

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Rendering Interior

The three towers have clear-cut and vertical elevations to the exterior of the site, with large openings and setbacks forming windows to selected viewpoints. In contrast, the elevations towards the interior of the site are composed of stacked, glazed volumes, freely arranged to form a prismatic and crystalline appearance. The layout secures the views over the water, not only for the three new buildings but also the city beyond.

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Rendering Close-Up

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Rendering Close-Up

In between the towers, a two-story base containing shops and restaurants forms an undulating landscape that connects to street level via ramps, plateaus and stairs. This base creates a calm urban garden, framed by the tall buildings, with recreational space and cafes for the city and the buildings occupants. The towers are designed with a high degree of flexibility to house offices, hotels and possibly housing.

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Elevation

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Section

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Aerial photo of the site

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Site Plan

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Floor Plan

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Floor Plan

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Floor Plan

Project Facts and Credits:

Address: Biskop Gunnerus gate 14 b, 0185 Oslo, Norway
Client: KLP Eiendom AS
Year: 2009
Year of competition: 1st prize in architectural competition, 2009
Architect: Kristin Jarmund Architects in collaboration with C. F. Møller Architects
Landscape : Kristin Jarmund Architects in collaboration with C. F. Møller Architects
Competition collaborators: ATKINS, Erichsen & Horgen AS, MIR (illustrations), Oslo Modellverksted (model)
Area: 92,000 m² (75,000 m² above ground)

Using Waste Heat Energy for Industrial-Scale Air Conditioning

from Green Options by Susan Kraemer

Here’s a low carbon cooling technology that uses hot water from waste to make A/C without fossil fuels, saving 80% over fossil-fueled chillers.

This industrial scale chiller from the Chinese company Broad Central Air can convert many different kinds of waste heat into air conditioning. The waste heat can come from many industrial sources, including what the Chinese site calls “town gas” – methane from town landfill, collected and burned to generate heat.

Read more of this story »

Dubai’s Technosphere Would Fit Right Into A Disney Park

from Gizmodo Australia by Rosa Golijan

I think they ran out of weird building designs, because the centrepiece of Dubai’s Technopark looks like it was copied from Epcot’s Spaceship Earth. Whatever happened to architecture proposals for Dubai being completely nuts? (more…)

With the energy prices always on the rise lots of people have started “living off the grid” either by buying brand-new solar power systems or by building their own solar panels or wind turbines. Based on the recent statistics its known that more than 30,000 households have shifted to living off the grid in the U.S alone, only in the last two years. Building your own solar panels or wind turbines isn’t as difficult as you may think it is, in fact you don’t need an engineering degree with all the instruction manuals that are available online at very low costs you can assemble an alternative power system and start living off the grid in less than two days.

Many people are concerned about the state of the earth and how they can help the “green” efforts?. There are many things a single person can do to contribute, but to start one does not have to go too far. Any person from teachers to master electricians can provide insight regarding the green effort. Here I want to address energy consumption tips a person can apply within their own homes:

Become Aware:

Most may not realize how quickly the “little things” can add up in regards to energy consumption. For instance, how much power was used due to a room left lit throughout the entire workday?. Are appliances left plugged in or on standby using more energy than previously thought?. To start, one of the best tips to be provided is to become aware of the little things that can make a big impact:

• Turn off lights whenever possible. Take advantage of sources of natural sunlight within the home.
• Unplug appliances when not in use. Not only does it save energy, but is also extra precautionary in regards to electrical fires.
• Take advantage of the weather. Many of us get in the habit of keeping the home air and heat units on regardless of outside weather temperatures. Open windows and doors whenever possible to reduce energy consumption. Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFLs)

On average compact fluorescent bulbs use about 75% less energy, produce 75% less heat, and last about 10 times longer in comparison to standard bulbs. CFLs can be used indoors or outdoors. They can dramatically improve conservation outdoors because most leave outdoor lighting on overnight or most of the night via a timer. CFLs can be used in conjunction with protective fixtures to shield extreme temperatures and inclement weather. CFLs are used in conjunction with timers, dimmers, motion detectors, and automatic daylight shutoff devices to conserve energy. Make sure to check particular products are compatible with using CFL bulbs.

Home Appliances:

Home appliances can count for a good percentage of household’s energy bill. Refrigerators, clothes washers and dryers, and dishwashers are big factors. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (see URL below) lists the energy performance of top-rated energy saving appliances on its web site. Be mindful of refrigerator temperatures. Recommended temperatures for refrigerators ranges from 35 to 40 degrees F; and freezer temperatures can be set around 0 to 5 degrees F.

http://www.aceee.org

If you’re tired of high electricity bills, discover how thousands of families worldwide benefit from homemade solar panels and wind turbines to power their homes. We can only hope that the technology for this energy source continues to be improved resulting in an increase in quality while dropping the price considerably for the masses.

‘Design and Government’ Calls for German Architects to Submit their Projects

from Bustler.net News by Vanilla Hustler

[edit]

EXPO pavilion, 2000, Location: Hannover, Germany, Client: Foundation Holland World Fairs, Design: MVRDV

Salad Origin Now Traceable With New Kroger Greens

from Slashfood by Sarah LeTrent

The Kroger Co.

Ever wondered where that lettuce leaf you’re eating was grown?

Kroger says it’s become the first grocery chain to employ traceability technology on its salads, so consumers can see exactly where its packaged Fresh Selections salad greens come from.

For its pre-washed, ready-to-serve salads, Kroger is using HarvestMark technology — a 16-digit tracking code on packaging that consumers can plug into HarvestMark’s Web site to trace the greens back to the source, including the region where the produce was grown and the date it was packed. It’s part of the grocer’s new “Quality You Can Trace” program.

Continue reading Salad Origin Now Traceable With New Kroger Greens

BIG Wins Competition for the World Village of Women Sports in Malmø

from Bustler.net News by Vanilla Hustler

Danish architects BIG, in collaboration with British structural and civil engineering firm AKT, Swedish consultantTyréns and German climate engineers Transsolar have just been awarded first place in a design competition in Malmø, Sweden for a 100,000 m2 first of its kind sports facility.

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Competition-winning design for the World Village of Women Sports in Malmø, Sweden by BIG, in collaboration with AKT, Tyréns and Transsolar

The World Village of Women Sports seeks to create a natural gathering place for the research, education and training in all areas connected to the development of women’s sports. Located in the center of Malmø, the 100,000 m2 facility will create a regional landmark and new attraction for the area. The winning design was chosen among five submissions by a jury, comprised of the founder and main financier of the World Village of Women Sports, Kent Widding Persson, the co-founder and entrepreneur Mårten Hedlund, City of Malmø Architect,Ingemar Gråhamn and Architects Mats Jacobson and Cecilia Hansson together with representatives from the City of Malmø.

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Rendering Close-up

Obama $US8b Plan To Modernise The US Power Grid

from Gizmodo Australia by Jesus Diaz

Oh, Sr. Presidente, you look so goooood in the middle of the largest photovoltaic farm in the country — the 180-acre DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy centre in Tampa, Florida. Maybe that’s why you want to put solar panels everywhere. (more…)

Tarzan’s Making His Reservations At This Frame Hotel

from Gizmodo Australia by Rosa Golijan

Finding a room service guy who doesn’t even blink if you’re running around in a loin cloth (or less) shouldn’t be tough in this Dubai hotel. The place already almost looks like a jungle on the inside. (more…)

Lila-Lou’s Ankida Yacht Will Make You Long For A Journey

from Gizmodo Australia

I don’t even want to imagine what the price tag for Lila-Lou’s finely-tuned Ankida yacht will be. I just want to lay on the deck and watch the wind hit those optimally positioned sails as I drift around the world. (more…)

peddle thorp architects: fluid – amphibian pavilion

from Designboom – Weblog

‘fluid’ – the amphibian pavilion

peddle thorpe architects‘(PTA) submission for the thematic pavilion of the world expo 2012
in yeosu, korea is resolved as a vessel – a floating exhibition space that can be sailed to other cities.
it represents an evolution of architecture – a futuristic adaptable living building that can adjust to
the unknowable future, encouraging multidisciplinary problem solving through sustainable solutions.

the overall concept presents a schematic design which is alive, adaptive and reactive
to its oceanic environments. anchored to the coastline as if a living organism, rising and falling
with the tides, the pavilion illustrates the bond and interdependence of the ocean with its
coastal eco system. the architectural form draws on the contours and fluidity of oceanic organisms,
presenting a new paradigm of living architecture.

yeosu is an emerging city, and this piece of architecture can be seen as the vessel to carry
the metaphor of change like an ark to the new world, sending a positive message to future generations,
and offering a platform for people to collaborate and create. the idea is that sustainability
and conservation would run through the design approach. with its open interior,
the pavilion could continued use of the pavilion with the ability to host a range of events even
after the world expo has finished. the design which was developed by antoine damery for PTA,
will promote dialogue and encourage collaboration between asia pacific countries about the
importance of the preservation of oceans and ecosystems.

Beijing Expansion Looks Like High Tech Eden

from Gizmodo Australia by Jesus Diaz

They may have some of the dirtiest city skies in the planet, but at least the Chinese authorities are doing some nice and beautiful urban planning for the future of Beijing. (more…)

nabito architects: taipei pop music center proposal

from Designboom – Weblog

taipei pop music center proposal by taipei pop music center
image courtesy nabito architects

international firm nabito architects have sent in images of their proposal for
the taipei pop music center proposal.

‘by consuming pop music, people want to express who they are, to which group they
belong and what their identity is.’

their design is based on a horizontal slab that consists of a node at the center.

the middle of the taipei pop music center
image courtesy nabito architects

taipei pop music center at night
image courtesy nabito architects

taipei pop music center at night
image courtesy nabito architects

taipei pop music center interior
image courtesy nabito architects

image courtesy nabito architects

the facade is divided into sections of approximately 1m wide by means of vertical steel
pillars. within these areas LED panels are managed by a central PC that can change
the building aspect according to needs (entertainment, advertising, culture, news and events).

image courtesy nabito architects

photovoltaic system integrated into a glass curtain wall. the building performs as
a self sufficient organic system, harvesting solar energy by day and using it to illuminate
the screen on northern facade after drak, mirroring a day’s climate cycle.

a famous example of this technology is the media wall (beijing) with its first venue
dedicated to digital media art.

it offers the most radical example of sustainable technology applied to an entire building’s
envelope to date.

the facade is constituted by glass panels that integrate photovoltaic cells.
each panel has a specific density.

longitudinal section
image courtesy nabito architects

longitudinal section
image courtesy nabito architects

cross sectional view
image courtesy nabito architects

floor plan
image courtesy nabito architects

floor plan
image courtesy nabito architects

Winners Announced for the Lavender Lake Art Factory Competition

from Bustler.net News by Vanilla Hustler

The winning designs of the suckerPUNCH-curated Lavender Lake Art Factory competition have recently been announced. The international competition asked architects to submit concepts for an ‘art factory’ at the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, New York that will contain private/shared art studios, a storefront gallery/bar, analog/digital shops, and live/work spaces for rotating artists in residence. Both the interior and exterior realizations of the project should rethink the white boxes of modern art work and display spaces and conceive a sequence of spaces that address the diversity of contemporary art and design at multiple scales.

The jury comprised Abigail Coover (Hume Coover Studio, suckerPUNCH), Nathan Hume (Hume Coover Studio, suckerPUNCH), Mike Szivos (SOFTlab), Jose Gonzalez (SOFTlab), Armand Graham (Asymptote), Serra Kiziltan (Gage Clemenceau Architects), and Philip Mana (Studio Daniel Libeskind).

And these are the winning designs:

1st Place: “Water Fields”
Pablo Esteban Zamorano & Marcos Cardenas (Santiago de Chile, Chile)

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Pablo Esteban Zamorano & Marcos Cardenas

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Pablo Esteban Zamorano & Marcos Cardenas

An art factory, an open public space, a beach, a picnic field, a crop garden, a space for the community and for culture, a land open to the water, the city and the arts. The border condition (water-land) of this site made us think about how these limits could react with each other to create something new. An hybrid space product of a simple movement: the inundation of the site, the analysis of a close up view of the canal and the projection of that into the site as a geometry, to translate what used to be water into land but now as a construction of the memory of the canal. The Gowanus Canal is now a new public space for the city that brings the canal back to the people.

2nd Place: “Lavender Lake Art Factory”
David Jaubert (Brooklyn, New York)

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David Jaubert

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David Jaubert

Given the disparate relationship between the factory typology and public place exemplified by the surrounding context, the project seeks to explore the tension between the two as an impetus for a potential hybrid type. By shifting the ground plane on the site, the project’s parti allows for the multiplicity of the datum rather than it’s displacement, resulting in a site condition that aims to extend the synthesis between the public and private domain.

3rd Place: “Lavender Lake Art Factory”
Chiara Gambassi & Jan Kudlicka (Bucine, Italy)

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Chiara Gambassi & Jan Kudlicka

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Chiara Gambassi & Jan Kudlicka

What or who influenced this project: Typical rude ambience of Brooklyn, train bridge on one side and the river on the other side. The urbanistic juxtaposition of the industry in the east and the living area in the west. Missing of the green places. So we tried to make a project which has got some similar story with the surroundings but with using new materials. Create the place with the symbiosis between the park/building.

Honorable Mention: “HydroCarbon Architecture”
Cesare Griffa, Davide Guerra + Federico Rizzo/r&d Architecture (Turin, Italy)

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Cesare Griffa, Davide Guerra + Federico Rizzo/r&d Architecture

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Cesare Griffa, Davide Guerra + Federico Rizzo/r&d Architecture

The Gowanus site is A toxic body in which the degeneration of the space is a direct consequence of the industrial and criminal activities that took place here over time. The environmental clean up is a necessity. There is an hygienic problem that needs to be addressed, and social potential that need to be unveiled. A mere sterilization of the site is not enough, there is a need of oxygen to sustain life. The appearance of a Gowanus social movement can be the engine of renovation. Such a movement requires a specific space that embed also the dark and degenerated aspects of the area within an hygienic project.

Honorable Mention: “YMCArt Center on the Gowanus”
Vanessa Keith/Studioteka Design (Brooklyn, New York)

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Vanessa Keith/Studioteka Design

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Vanessa Keith/Studioteka Design

Our project emphasizes public space for the community, a YMCA with a twist: art spaces + community spaces + research spaces. The main building, located to the north along fifth street, combines space for art with an environmental research and remediation program, including offices and research labs, which makes the project economically sustainable. We were intrigued by the concept of industrial symbiosis and the notion that the site’s industrial legacy could be transformed into an amenity for local residents. By incorporating site remediation within the program and structure, the project serves as a demonstration of a new locally focused strategy.

Images: suckerPUNCH

Super Colossal Wins Gold Coast Cultural and Civic Precinct Master Plan Competition

from Bustler.net News by Vanilla Hustler

Our friends at Australian architecture and design studio Super Colossal have just been named winners in the Gold Coast Cultural and Civic Precinct Master Plan Competition.

Further commendations have been awarded to the entries by Gall & Medek Architects with the Queensland College of Art, GU, Masters of Design Futures program; as well as DC8 studio; LVO’ Architecture Pty Ltd; and Matt Drysdale.

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First Prize in the Gold Coast Cultural and Civic Precinct Master Plan Competition for Super Colossal

The Gold Coast is Australia’s sixth largest city and one of the fastest growing regions in our country. The city’s population is around 500,000 and, if as forecast, it continues to grow by 13,000 to 16,000 annually, it will be home to 900,000 residents by 2030. The 16.5 hectare site is located at 135 Bundall Road and is bordered on three sides by rivers and canals. Formerly a simple rural cane farm, the site is now at the heart of a growing city with views across the skyline of Surfers Paradise, Main Beach and Broadbeach.

The competition sought to generate creative new visions and ideas for the future of this key site and its facilities, stimulate community discussion about the future of the Gold Coast Cultural and Civic Precinct, as well as identify specific design features/strategies to be incorporated in the future development of the site.

Electric Ultracapacitor Buses Becoming More Feasible

from Green Options by Christopher DeMorro

One thing many Americans have been loathe to accept is public transportation. Perhaps it is a feeling embodied in the quote attributed to Homer Simpson that “public transportation is for jerks and lesbians.” Or maybe it’s the fact that America is huge and far too spread out to make public transportation viable for many commuters. Yet even so, public transportation remains one of the smartest choices for much of the US, and, with the green revolution must come greater acceptance of it.

And, when you’re talking public transit, buses make up one of the most important parts, but they are gas guzzlers. So naturally, weening these behemoths off of petrol is a high priority for many city governments. Towards this end, China and Sinautec have been testing a fleet of electric buses equipped with ultracapacitors for quick recharging and zero emissions… and so far it works.

Of course, there is a catch.

Read more of this story »

Solar Traffic Light offers promise of green energy cities

from DVICE by Adario Strange

By now we’ve all seen our fair share of green energy cars and devices, but there remains a dearth of public works-centric green tech innovations. Helping to fill the void of cool green-tech-meets-public-works design ideas, Taiwanese designers Cheng-Tsung Feng, Yao-Chieh Lin and Bo-Jin Wang created this solar-powered traffic light that easily could have emerged from the labs at Cupertino.

The traffic light uses a discolor LED that allows the red, yellow and green signals to all occupy one space rather than the traditional three-tiered design we have on today’s streets. The trio won this year’s international Lite-On Award (Silver Level) for their striking design which hopefully will inspire cities around the world to adopt this kind of green-centric infrastructure in the near future.

Via Yanko Design

mikou design studio: bobigny school complex, france

from Designboom – Weblog

the bobigny school complex, france by mikou studio
image courtesy mikou studio

french firm mikou design studio were awarded first prize for the design of
the bobigny school complex, france.

the overall project is based on a volumetric spiral consisting of 3 levels.
covered with a grassroof the building includes a preschool and primary school,
recreation centre, central kitchen, toy library, housing service and parking.

image courtesy mikou studio

image courtesy mikou studio

image courtesy mikou studio

image courtesy mikou studio

architect: mikou design studio
client: city of bobigny
gross external area: 5300m2
budget: 9 million euro
programme: preschool and primary school, recreation centre,
central kitchen, toy library, housing services, parking
date: 2009 design competition entry winner

Underwater Kite Harnesses Ocean Energy

from Green Options by Susan Kraemer

A completely new concept of underwater wave energy using a simple 7 ton kite turbine design has been developed by Minesto; which is a spinoff from the Swedish military and aircraft design firm Saab. The Deep Green underwater turbine captures the power of the ocean just like a kite in wind.

The system could generate 18 terawatthours of energy annually, enough to provide nearly 4 million British households with reliably green electricity every year. UK households now use about a third of what average US households use in energy.

Read more of this story »

Australia Gets Wave Power Inspired by Oil Rig

from Green Options by Susan Kraemer

Oceanlinx; another Australian wave power company that uses the floating oil rig as the model for its wave power began installation this month of its last test before grid-connecting a 2.5 MW unit off the coast of Port Kembla, near Sydney.

It should be sending power to the Australian grid early next year. Unusually, for wave power concepts, this converts the energy of ocean swells under the platform into air pressure which turns a wind turbine. The company’s previous demo in 2007 proved it works.

Read more of this story »

UPI-2M: biooctanic

from Designboom – Weblog

‘biooctanic’ by UPI-2M
image courtesy UPI-2M

croatian architectural firm UPI-2M have designed ‘biooctanic’ a series of crop production
towers used for the production of bio fuel and city air recuperation.

the idea was to place the towers on positions of existing petrol stations in cities. their
research led them to the conclusion that algae and bamboo would give best production
results; max. amount of bio-fuels per unit of surface (or spatial unit), also considering
other factors, like cost of technologies required for cultivation and processing, growth rate,
annual input-to-yield ratio, etc.

they envisioned this system and applied it to their immediate environment, cities in croatia,
however it is applicable to any urban area in the world. by applying the bio towers we would
reduce the amount of valuable agricultural land used for production of bio-fuel plants, reduce transportation costs and related air pollution. this kind of crop production also has advantages
over farming in open spaces, because it’s not weather-dependant, and you can create artificial
conditions which enhance the plant growth (conditions that can’t be achieved in the natural
environment). the visual identity of the towers is a symbol and result of their function.
beside the benefits of bio-fuel and oxygen production, they consider the towers architectural
appearance as an added value primarily to the conscience of the city inhabitants.

image courtesy UPI-2M

Global Sea-level Rise

from mapmaster>

The loss of ice from the Greenland Ice Sheet has increased and will contribute substantially to global sea level rise.

Minimum arctic summer sea ice extent

from mapmaster>

Sea ice has decreased sharply in all seasons, with summer sea ice declining most dramatically — beyond the projections of IPCC 2007.

If You Suffer Acrophobia, Don’t Look At This

from Gizmodo Australia by Jesus Diaz

Photoshop whiners of the world: Stop saying words! This is not a photo montage. These two doors and the stairs are very real, suspended many metres up on the concrete walls of the Congress Hall in Biel, Switzerland. (more…)

installing one of our Sun Tunnel lights ('08)

Yes – unplug, turn it off, turn it down, try to eliminate some of the electricity-sucking devices that we don’t need powered up, and that we probably won’t miss.

Initially, I had considered going to the breaker box and shutting everything down for a day, just to try it.  And then I remembered my freezer full of blueberries and other items painstakingly gathered and frozen … so, I shelved that idea.  But I did live the day without turning on television, radio, lights, and limiting my computer time to 20 minutes (largely for writing these posts).

If I had the means to make one major change in our home, it would be to go off the grid and have a usable system of solar power, or other clean, renewable energy.  Even having just a solar water-heating system would make me pretty giddy.  We’re just not there yet.  We have a friend who works for TVA, and he said they are trying to bring some initiatives into the area – including home solar and wind installations that would enable people to sell excess power back to the grid, etc.  But I think it’s going to be a long, slow road to get there.

We have made a few great changes over the past couple of years to decrease our power usage, as well as buying kilowatt hours of “green” energy from TVA’s Green Power Switch.

Solar Tunnel fixture in our laundry room

Last year we installed two solar tunnel lights – one in our kitchen and the other in our laundry room.  With the highly reflective tunnel surface, it’s amazing how much light we receive – enough that on most days/most of the time, we don’t need to turn on the electric ceiling fixtures during the day.  I would actually love to have one of these in every room (which would probably result in making our roof look like swiss cheese or a bubble farm, so it probably won’t happen). But it’s a great, reasonably-priced and fairly easy to install passive solar project.

program your power usage

Probably the biggest energy-saving device we have installed is a programmable thermostat.  I think I tend to take a little bit of grief over the temperatures I have programmed in – I keep the house pretty chilly in the colder months, and I have heard about it, trust me.  But looking at our historic monthly electricity usage, all the little changes have added up, and we are definitely using less electricity than before some of these changes.

Of course we have made many of the typical changes – switching lightbulbs, insultating/turning down the water heater, drying clothes on our clothesline, unplugging unused appliances and charging devices, etc.  We even have a few silly items, like my portable solar charger for my iPod, and Dillon’s nifty solar-panel book bag. I know that using my iPod charger isn’t really making any significant dent in our energy usage, but it’s been a pretty fun little gadget to have – especially for biking and on our bikamping trips.

There are a number of things that we haven’t “unplugged” from – mainly television, cablebox/disc player, and … computers.  It’s the silly addictions to our variety of electronics that pains me, but I still can’t bring myself to pull away from.

The Experiment Guide posed this question: What is the hardest part about reducing the amount of energy you use?

For me, it is definitely electronic gadgets – from my computer to my iPod to my Kindle.  During the Experiment I have consciously been trying to limit my time spent messing about on my computer.  I think setting time limits could be a good compromise, and we’ll have to see if I can stick with it.  Kind of sadly, I guess, my computer has become a source of socialization – from email to my Twitter friends to keying my thoughts on this silly blog.  I don’t think I’m alone.  After all, this entire No Impact Experiment revolves around a group of people in random places brought together through an internet adventure.

Maybe I really do need to transition to more frequent direct human contact?

As the discussions at the “UN Climate Change” meetings and the recent “India – China Climate Change” agreement shows we can no longer afford to spew out tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Neither can we as individuals easily cope with the rising fuel company price hikes anymore. The myth of a never-ending natural reserve has been dispelled. We are surrounded by renewable sources of energy everywhere, which is simply waiting to be tapped into. Sun energy is the cleanest and inexhaustible of all known energy sources. Solar energy is nothing but the light, heat and other radiation that is emitted from the sun. Solar radiation holds huge amounts of energy and is responsible for almost all the natural processes on earth.

How would you like to save money on your electric bills?. Paying virtually nothing each month even?. Or switching only part of your power system over from the grid?. You can when you make solar power. Buying the panels or building them it’s your choice. Many people do this and you can too. In order to make solar power your energy choice you can build your own solar panels if you so wish or you can buy them. Looking around to find the best deal may take some time

Solar energy is sustainable, clean and a green renewable energy. Solar energy with the help of developing technologies can play an important role in reducing greenhouse gasses and help us in stimulating the economy. The principal of building solar power is that solar power is generated by converting sunlight into electricity. Solar energy can directly be converted into electricity using photovoltaic (PV) batteries, and indirectly by focusing the sun’s energy to boil water which in turn is used to provide power. The solar energy produced from the sun, is a renewable source of energy. Even though we cannot utilize the power of the sun during night or on cloudy days, etc. As long as we have the sun, we can have solar energy. In contrast, oil once it is gone, is gone.

•           Solar cells are noiseless.
•           Solar energy is clean and is non-polluting.
•           Solar cells involve very little maintenance, as they do not have any moving parts to be fixed.
•           Solar cells are long-lasting.
•           Solar powered products are very simple to install and there is no worry of wires.
•           Once you recover the higher initial costs of a solar system through reduced electricity bills, your solar power system will require expenditures only for maintenance.
•           Solar is environmentally safe, conserves resources and reduces air pollution, which causes acid rain, the “Greenhouse Effect” and respiratory health problems.
•           Solar Power Plants do not add to the carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and other air pollutants and wastes produced by most of today’s modern power plants.
•           Carbon gases have been a major contributing factor to climate change, and their avoidance has the potential to result in far-reaching positive change.

Considering the advantages of solar energy, the need to build solar power systems is clear. The advantages range from benefiting our pocket to saving the environment. Installing solar panels or solar lights may be costly in the beginning, but you can definitely save money in the long run. As the raw material for generating solar power that is solar energy is available for free in comparison to the rising cost of oil, which means future savings.

Wind and solar power are making a huge comeback, because the power prices are always rising. Companies charge you large amounts for supplying power that you can get for free. So why not switch over to solar or wind or both as a choice for your household electricity. Solar power is an option that will have you choosing between three types of solar cells. Crystals in either the single or multi cell, and silicone are all that are available at present. You can even buy them out of recycled material if you wish. However, did you know that these solar panels are seemingly very easy to make? Yes, and it doesn’t cost you that much money either to make solar power. But if you’re looking to run your full household off of solar energy, you may want to plan carefully first.

That’s where the expert advice comes in. How many solar panels will you need in order to run your whole house?. Should you combine it with wind power?. Of course you will also need to consider the wattage of the solar panels that are needed. Solar power isn’t something you can decide on and change to overnight. Some thought will need to be placed into the process, and compared with many choices. Find out which solar cell will best suit your needs and how many watts each panel should hold. There are many questions and routes you can take so be sure to get some advice first. Remember, the money you save going the D.I.Y route will be well worth your effort.

The advantages of employing solar energy as a power source have some far reaching effects upon not only my abilities to be self sufficient but for the environment also. Practical solar equipment is relatively new at the market place and there is still much that we have to learn about this amazing way to make power. Regardless of its newness this astounding form of power generation is preordained to become our major energy source in future years.

So “Build Green Solar Power Systems“. Generate your own electricity and don’t care about all the rising electricity prices, be a leader by taking the initiative to save the environment and make the electricity power company pay you!.

We can only hope that the technology for this energy source continues to be improved resulting in an increase in quality while dropping the price considerably for the masses.

The unseen, unyielding power of the wind is an element of nature and is free for the taking. Yet, it is difficult for us to imagine ever harnessing this great power to be used as a clean, renewable source of energy for our home!. Harnessing wind power does not produce any greenhouse gases or other waste products. Wind turbines, also called windmills, are capable of harnessing wind power and then transforming the kinetic energy of the wind into a usable form of mechanical energy. However, because the speed of the wind fluctuates from day to day, using harnessed wind as the sole energy source for a home is not usually recommended. A calm breeze could suddenly turn into a tornado and visa versa. The establishment of wind farms is presently being considered in order to produce an adequate supply of electricity through the multiple installations of these same wind turbines.

When we talk about renewable energy, normally we will relate it to the power from the sun, better known as solar power. But, other than the sun, wind is another source to generate renewable energy. Let’s explore how does wind power work in generating energy that can be used to replace the non-renewable fossil-fuel energy. Back to the basics, wind power is actually a form of solar power because the wind is generated due to the heating effect from the sun. When the sun heats the earth’s surfaces at different speed on sand, water, stone and various types of soil, these surfaces absorb and release heat at different rates, creating different temperatures. At a certain temperature, the hotter air begins to rise from the surfaces very quickly because it is lighten than the equal volume of cool air. As the results, the hot air rises and reduces the atmospheric pressure near the earth’s surface, which draws cool air to fill the gap the hot air leaves behind. This action causes air movement or is known as Wind.

Based on the physic theory, when the air moves, it generates kinetic energy, a type of energy created with the motion of mass. With energy conversion technology, we can capture and convert the kinetic energy into other forms of energy such as electricity. Energy from wind is a renewable energy that can be generated endlessly. It has become the future trend as the one of major power generation sources besides the solar power. The world as a whole is putting great effort to make wind power a long-term energy strategy to produce electricity, mainly due to the wind power generation is clean and most importantly, it is renewable and environment friendly, a stark contrast to traditional power plants that rely on fossil fuels.

A wind power system consists of a wind turbine, which is made up of a tower, blades and a nacelle, a control gearing system. The wind power generated from a wind turbine is determined largely by the length and the design of the blades. The design of blades creates a pressure of difference in wind, high pressure at one side and low pressure at the other side. The pressure difference between the sides of blades rotates the blades. The rotation of blades generates kinetic energy and being transferred into electric energy, is in turn transferred into electricity via a transformer.

With the technology improvements that lead to a better generation of techniques, the cost of generating electricity from wind power has been greatly reduced. Making it a feasible renewable energy solution to be used as the major source of electricity for the future. In fact, there are many homemade wind power system building guides available that give guidance to people who are interested in implementing renewable energy system at home to make a homemade wind-power system to generate electricity for home uses. The renewable energy generated from wind has started to become an alternative energy source from today, and it will definitely be one of the major sources for the future, replacing the finite fossil fuels at our disposal as one of the power generation sources to consider.

The PRO: Supply and Maintenance-

The good thing about do it yourself wind power is that it has very marginal cost. The fuel consumption is tolerable and the maintenance cost is also ideal. According to scientists, the energy that we can harness from the atmosphere is a lot greater than what the world can consume. Accordingly, the wind power available is five times more than the world consumption. However, there has to be a practical limit as to the amount to be used. For now, studies are being done on how it will impact the atmosphere if we harness it on a global scale.

The CON: Battery Rewiring-

Harnessing the energy does not mean it’s all just good times since you have free electricity. A great deal of effort is needed in the maintenance of your tools. Many of the materials sold in the market now are mostly do-it-yourself (DIY). DIY wind power means you will install the wind turbines and you will also need to maintain the batteries and all that. The most common problem that users encounter is rewiring the batteries. This is a hassle if you are unsure what to do but it is just a breeze if you know the steps to take.

A battery that can produce 0-300 volts normally has 42 coils around the edge of the stator. There are two ends to this wiring system and DIY wind power enthusiasts like you will observe that at one end, there are three wires joined together whereas for the other end, the three wires are separate. Each wire is connected to 14 coils and these 14 coils send different current flows in different intervals. A majority of DIY wind power users prefer 23 or 24 volts. In this case, you will have 3 sets of 14 coils. Each coil will be able to produce about 212 volts of power. At full speed, you should be able to have 300 volts maximum with a 12 volt system.

Now Pay Close Attention Here – Are you seriously looking for a proven way to save money on your electricity bills?. There is a new product launching very soon which will help you to build a wind power unit at home called “Green Power Easy“. You will be surprised to learn how easy it is to Build a Windmill at Home, that will not only save your money but you will help in cleaning up the environment.

Artificial Photosynthesis to Generate Hydrogen Gets $1.4 Million Funding From DOE

from Green Options by Susan Kraemer

A University of Rochester team has been awarded $1.7 million to generate hydrogen fuel with sunlight using artificial photosynthesis and nanotubes. Generating hydrogen without using a fossil fuel is not easy. Using sunlight to split hydrogen off from water has been done before, but the process has not been cheap or efficient.

They propose to change that by dividing the nanoscale process into three separate modules that can be manipulated separately to isolate the process of gathering sunlight from the process of generating hydrogen.

This way they can better control each step.

Read more of this story »

Go to the Dark Side With BMW Night Vision

from Wired: Autopia by Stuart Schwartzapfel

BMW packed the new 7-Series sedan with optional gadgets ranging from radar-assisted cruise control to blind spot detection. There’s even a heads-up display. Pick all the high-tech options and you’ll add $26,000 to the car’s already hefty price tag. But the coolest feature is the new night-vision system that likens a twilight drive to a Special Forces recon mission.

The Night Vision with Pedestrian Detection system significantly advances the first-gen system found in the last 7-series by adding people-spotting technology that distinguishes between animals and humans. The system was developed by the Swedish firm Autoliv Electronics. It is the latest evolution of technology that Lexus andMercedes-Benz also have offered since Cadillac brought it to the automotive sector in the 2000 Deville sedan.

Since then, thermal imaging has made way for far- and near-infrared cameras that detect even the smallest changes in temperature. BMW’s passive system uses far-infrared technology to scan for heat, whereas Mercedes’ near-infrared system illuminates the road with projected infrared light. The BMW system stands apart for its extreme depth, clarity in rain and ability to minimize extraneous information. Despite the added safety such systems offer, Cadillac and Lexus dropped them because few people bought them. But BMW, like Mercedes, still sees a market for it.

The system does a great job of helping you see in the dark, but it is not without flaws.

BMW isn’t suggesting drivers switch off their headlights. The $2,600 option compliments the 7-Series’ adaptive headlights, which follow your steering inputs to help you see around that turn. The system provides a crisp, clear picture of 1,000 feet of pavement ahead of you, a distance Autoliv says is twice the range of the headlights. That can mean the difference between avoiding that deer and totaling your $110,000 Beemer.

“The new system is like an extra set of eyes — a very complex processing unit is constantly monitoring video of the road ahead,” says Stuart Klapper, night vision business director at Autoliv.

A silver dollar-size far-infrared camera in the grille detects the temperature of everything ahead. A computer converts the data into an image (shown at right) that appears on the dashboard’s i-Drive navigation display. Warmer objects like a pedestrian or moose are white, while cooler objects like a parked car are black. The pedestrian-detection feature kicks in when the car exceeds 25 mph, scanning the road 10 to 100 yards ahead of you. Pedestrians appear with a yellow tint, helping you figure out if that dark shape is a kid on a bike or a dog in the road. The system also monitors your speed and trajectory to warn you if you’re on a collision course.

BMW designed the system to account for country and city driving conditions. When driving at slower speeds in the city, where higher pedestrian traffic is expected, the system monitors a smaller area ahead of you so it isn’t warning you about the drunk staggering across the street three blocks ahead.

We tested the system during a weekend in Manhattan and the Berkshire Mountains, about 150 miles from the Big Apple. We did more than 500 miles behind the heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel of the big Beemer and have mixed feelings about the system’s execution.

The system is remarkable for the crisp, clear picture that it projects. It’s like watching a black and white movie on a nice TV. The more time you spend with it, the more you appreciate how well it highlights everything from a couple walking down the street to an oncoming car. Things you couldn’t see through the windshield appear clearly and vibrantly on the screen. This was particularly helpful driving a tight country road. A motorist had pulled over on the side of the road and, thanks to the bright image on the screen, was easily spotted. That might have prevented an accident.

That said, the system provided a few false warnings on the run from Sandisfield, Massachusetts, to Becket on Route 8, a winding road with plenty of tight turns and blind corners. It’s exactly the kind of road where you’d want the system to work flawlessly, yet it continued to warn of dangers that weren’t there. We suspect that, as the car rounded a corner and its nose pointed ever-so-briefly away from the road, the sensors detected something at the side of the road.

“It is possible that an animal or another warm object may have triggered the alert. In the 7-series, a false warning can occur,” Klapper says. “In the new 5-series, we have fine-tuned the warning algorithms to eliminate most false warnings.”

That’s all well and good, but the one time a deer did cross our path, there was no warning because we weren’t going fast enough to activate the pedestrian/animal warning. But we did find that the system is far more effective — and useful — in the city.

The biggest problem is that you have to take your eyes off the road to use it. You have to wonder why the display wasn’t mounted closer to the driver’s line of sight as it is in Mercedes S-Class models with Night View Assist Plus. Klapper says BMW wanted to take advantage of its high-resolution iDrive navigation display. That may be, but it detracts from any safety advantage the system might provide.

BMW’s done a good job advancing in-car night vision, but it remains to be seen whether consumers will embrace it with the same fervor as navigation systems and voice-activated controls. The technology’s future isn’t as clear as the image on the screen in the car.

Photos and videos: Autoliv Electronics.

mikou design studio: URSSAF offices, saint etienne, france

from Designboom – Weblog

URSSAF offices, saint etienne by mikou design studio
image courtesy mikou design studio

URSSAF offices, saint etienne by french firm mikou design studio was an entry
in the design competition to create a new building for the social security organization.

the building is sculpted by successive withdrawals, emphasizing terraces planted
with plants behind horizontal railing strips

bas van der veer: a drop of water and bioplastic planter

from Designboom – Weblog

[EDIT]

handles are incorporated into the design of the planter making it easy to transport and plant the tree
and protects the tree from animals

the bioplastic planter makes use of renewable plastics

an illustrative graphic of the planter’s biodegrading process

bas van der veer’s multiculti herb planter has been a part of designboom’s handled with care and kitchen ecology exhibitions.

It seems that Ontarians are beginning to come to better grips on the realities of wind energy. I’ve always said the wind has potential to be a useful integration to our energy mix, but the current realities are that it is highly subsidizes, stochastic, lacks battery storage and will only raise hydro bills and cost us money for an energy source that produces less than 10% of the time and only shifts our reliance on coal to other energy like gas due to its inability to produce during peak hours of consumption.

Slashdot It!

Green energy sources are being discovered by the energy concious crowd and many of them are looking toward building it into energy efficient and environmentally safe homes. What is all this “green” stuff?. The reason for the green name is this type of energy contributes nothing or very little toward global warming, if such a thing even exists, and none toward polluting the environment.

Green energy sources are found in the sun and wind. This energy is converted into usable electrical power through the use of solar panels and windmills and passive heating for space or water heating. The sun is by far the most popular source of energy. The energy captured from the sun has many options:

· It can be used for converting the sun’s energy into electrical energy. Harnessing the suns energy using solar panels containing photovoltaic cells converts sun energy into electrical power for use in the green home.
· Passive energy can be used to heat water for domestic hot water use in the kitchen, bathroom and the laundry.

Utilizing passive energy or converted solar energy can greatly reduce the homeowners electrical bill or even eliminate it. Wind has been used for centuries to perform various mechanical tasks like running windmills to pump water. Windmills can be used to supplement solar panels in the alternative power configuration. As with the sun, there are no pollutants. However, it is good idea to live in a windy location to take full advantage of using the wind as an alternative power source.

Water can also be used as an alternative power source. However, it is a good idea to live close to a source of running water. It also non polluting as are the wind and solar energy sources. Green energy sources are not dependent upon fossil fuels and are pollution free, but they can greatly reduce or eliminate the homeowners electric bill.

Trash Cans Get Pimped Out For Charity

from Gizmodo Australia by Rosa Golijan

My trashcan is a metal, woven-looking thing filled with crumpled up ideas and 48 gum wrappers. Makes me wish I had one of theses 35 customised, artist-designed trashcans being put into auction for charity instead. (Particularly the cactus one.)(more…)

Team Germany Wins Solar Decathlon…Again

from Bustler.net News by Vanilla Hustler

The U.S. Department of Energy announced today that ‘Team Germany’ from the Technische Universität Darmstadt has won the 2009 Solar Decathlon with their project surPLUShome. This is the second time in a row that a team from TU Darmstadt wins this international contest after already snatching the title in Solar Decathlon’s last edition in 2007.

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Winning project at the Solar Decathlon 2009: surPLUShome by Team Germany (Technische Universität Darmstadt), Photo: Jim Tetro, U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

After 9 days and 10 contests, Team Germany reached the highest overall scores, closely followed by Team Illinois and Team California (previously on Bustler). Dubbed “the big, black monolith,” surPLUShome is almost entirely covered with photovoltaic panels that managed to generate 19 kilowatts during one day of test runs—more than twice as much as some other Solar Decathlon contestants.

Click above image to enlarge
surPLUShome, Photo: Thomas Ott

Dishwasher Robot Ensures Our Future Selves Will Have Zero Personal Responsibility

from Gizmodo Australia by Jack Loftus

My elaborate plan to take out years worth of repressed childhood dish washing memories on my own children some day has hit a Panasonic robot-sized snafu. (more…)

Principle Power’s WindFloat to Perform First Inter-Energy Marriage

from Green Options by Tina Casey

Somewhere in the U.S. there is a justice of the peace who still refuses to perform inter-racial marriages, but Principle Power, Inc. has no such backward looking qualms when it comes marrying two different forms of sustainable energy. Last week the company won a $750,000 development grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to adapt its patented WindFloat platform to bring wave energy generating capability on board, along with the wind turbines for which it was originally designed.

Of particular interest to DOE is WindFloat’s innovative three-corner design, which stabilizes the platform against turbulence and enables it to be deployed in deep water where winds are more favorable to energy generation. In addition to its obvious use in the civilian world, the marriage of wind and wave power may also prove fruitful for its application to the U.S. military’s need for non-petroleum energy sources at remote bases.

Read more of this story »

Rotating hotel gives every guest a room with a view

from DVICE by Michael Trei

Rotating restaurants have been around for decades, but building an entire hotel that rotates to give every guest a view is a much tougher challenge. That’s the plan for a new hotel to be built on Šolta Island on the Croatian coast, where every room will have an ocean view at least part of the time.

Rotating at the dizzying speed of 1.3 times per day, it’s unlikely that you’ll get vertigo, but you’ll still need to choose carefully if you want to catch a sunset view over the marina with your honey. Still, it beats checking in only to discover that your room faces the dumpsters out back.

World Architecture News

Maldives Gov’t. Meets Underwater To Show Effects Of Global Warming

from Gizmodo Australia by Dan Nosowitz

The Maldives, a stretch of islands off the coast of Sri Lanka, are so close to sea level that global warming poses a serious threat. So the government held a cabinet meeting underwater to bring attention to the problem. (more…)

foster + partners: margot and bill winspear opera house opens

from Designboom – Weblog

margot and bill winspear opera house by foster + partners/OMA at the AT &T performing arts center in dallas
all images © nigel young
image courtesy foster + partners

the margot and bill winspear opera house, dallas by foster + partners opened yesterday.

responding to the dallas climate, a solar canopy extends from the building, shading
a fully glazed, sixty-foot-tall lobby which enhances the transparency of the building.
this establishes a direct relationship between inside and outside, creating greater
accessibility and thus a more democratic building. beneath the canopy, which forms
an integral part of the environmental strategy, a shaded pedestrian plaza creates a major
new public space for dallas, as defined by the masterplan designed by foster + partners
and OMA for the AT&T performing arts cente

NL architects: TNW – sports hall, utrecht

from Designboom – Weblog

turnaccommodatie nieuw welgelegen (TNW) by NL architects
image courtesy NL architects

turnaccommodatie nieuw welgelegen (TNW) by NL architects is a sports hall dedicated
soley to gymnastics. four individual gymnastic clubs will combine their efforts in this
new facility. the project based on the idea of a ‘tulip’ TNW is the 3rd last building of
the redevelopment of a sports complex in the center of utrecht.

the brief for the TNW excluded the possibility of creating windows in the hall. in order
to be ‘livable’, daylight is required, but for serious training and competitions windows will
cause undesired effects – too much contrast and too much distraction.

the idea of tulip is to ‘peel off’ the skin at the top to bring daylight into the interior.
by partly bending out the facade a gap comes into being between the roof edge and the walls:
indirect light will reflect into the hall. the carefully deformed envelop creates a mildly
glowing gradient that lights up towards the top.

a pleasant side effect of bending out the facade is that the building becomes sculptural.

[EDIT]

daylight entering the gym
image courtesy NL architects

the gym opens to allow daylight in
image courtesy NL architects

image courtesy NL architects

hall with no daylight
image courtesy NL architects

hall with daylight
image courtesy NL architects

image courtesy NL architects

turnaccommodatie nieuw welgelegen (TNW)
image courtesy NL architects

turnaccommodatie nieuw welgelegen (TNW)
competition: 1st prize
client: dienst maatschappelijke ontwikkeling gemeente utrecht
team: bobby de graaf, sarah moller, michael schoner, gen yamamoto,
rebecca eng, joanna janota, jeong jun song

ShowCase: University Library UBU Utrecht

from Archinect.com Feed

ShowCase is an on-going feature series on Archinect, presenting exciting new work from designers representing all creative fields and all geographies. We are always accepting nominations for upcoming ShowCase features – if you would like to suggest a project, please send us a message.
The UBU is a library located on the campus of Utrecht University in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Incorporating 4.2 million books, 1,000 seats, 450 parking places, 300 workstations, 3 shops, 1 auditorium and 1 bar – the UBU, comparable to a data recorder, is more than a place where people can consult books, it is a place where they can work in a concentrated fashion, but also one where they can meet other people without the need of any other stimulation except the atmosphere that the building radiates. Glass and concrete panels clad the volumes of the building. The glass panels are printed with a repetitive image of a papyrus plant. Papyrus – a traditional material used in paper production – derives etymologically from the Greek byblos, which also serves as the root for words such as bibliography, bibliophile, and � in Dutch � Bibliotheek, or library. The papyrus image is replicated on each glass panel, allowing the fa�ade to perform as a curtain which veils the library while also making subtle allusion to the nature of the program within. The pattern printed facade also mitigates sunlight entering the building, protecting the library�s printed materials. The pattern, which is also cast into the concrete panels of the exterior and interior walls, carries the allegorical motif into the various programs of the library.↑ Click image to enlarge
Exterior.
Photo: Jan Bitter Fotografie
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Exterior.
Photo: Jan Bitter Fotografie
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Close-up of the glass fa�ade.
Photo: Jan Bitter Fotografie
↑ Click image to enlarge
Close-up of the glass panel printed with a repetitive image of a papyrus plant.
Photo: Jan Bitter Fotografie
↑ Click image to enlarge
Interior.
Photo: Jan Bitter Fotografie
↑ Click image to enlarge
Interior.
Photo: Jan Bitter Fotografie
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Interior.
Photo: Jan Bitter Fotografie
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Interior.
Photo: Jan Bitter Fotografie
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Interior.
Photo: Jan Bitter Fotografie

Who knew a kite could power thousands of homes?

from DVICE by Kevin Hall

To effectively gather electricity from wind power, you need a strong breeze going. Along those lines, a company called KiteGen Research figures that wind currents only get strong the higher you go — so why not just go up to 2,600 feet?

It kind of comes off as an idea you’d see in a Pixar movie — or even straight out of a child’s mind — but KiteGen has been using 200-foot-square kites hovering at 2,600 feet in the air to generate electricity, according to Popular Science: “As the kite’s tether unspools, it spins an alternator that generates up to 40 kilowatts. Once the kite reaches its peak altitude, it collapses, and motors quickly reel it back in to restart the cycle.”

KiteGen has plans to expand its scope and test a 1,500-square-foot kite by 2011, which — if all goes well — the company hopes could generate enough to keep 9,000 homes powered.

PopSci, via Neatorama

A-cero Wins Research Center for Renewable Energy Sources in Murcia, Spain

from Bustler.net News by Vanilla Hustler

Madrid-based international architecture firm A-cero, under the direction of principal Joaquín Torres, has recently won the architectural competition for an academic center that researches renewable energy sources. The building that blends in with the surrounding landscape aims to reach highest goals in sustainable architecture. The international competition was organized by the commission of Education, Formation and Employment of the Murcia region in Spain.

Click above image to enlarge
A-cero’s competition-winning design for an academic research center for renewable energy sources in Murcia, Spain

Here is a project description from the architects:

A complex of 9,000 m2 constructed that there constitute teaching areas (lecture rooms and workshops), library, audio-visual, auditorium, administrative area, restoration, facilities and services and parking.

Click above image to enlarge
Close-up

Click above image to enlarge
Entrance

The winning project presented by A-cero, raises the centre as a landscape operation blurring the limits between architecture and free space. The horizontal plane of the plot bends producing a new orography marked by fissures that will be the spaces of access to the centre and exterior spaces of the teaching areas. The resultant geometry north – south looks for the orientation for the interior program. The surrounding one (walls and covering) triangulated specializes and diversifies adopting different solutions as orientation and conditions of use. The idea is that it is possible to cover the “covering” as a park where there coexist green areas (indigenous vegetation and gardens) with areas destined for solar, photovoltaic panels, and other systems of clean energies and energy saving.

Click above image to enlarge
Perspective

Click above image to enlarge
Sections

Click above image to enlarge
Floor Plan and Section Sketch

It is finally a project of clear commitment of respect to the environment and with high sustainability grade. What the architecture Studio A-cero that Joaquín Torres directs with his collaborating associate Rafael Llamazares, he has betting for years of research and development of ideas that promote this concept of sustainable architecture.

Images: A-cero

The Desperate Puppy In The Window, Digitised

from Gizmodo Australia by John Herrman

Projected against a shop window in New York, Sniff is a 3D animated dog. He’s just a computer-generated rendering, sure, but he’s got personality — he reacts to your gestures, follows you around, and presented with a group, chooses favourites.(more…)

Honda Debuts Electric Version of World’s Best Selling Motorcycle

from Green Options by Andrew Williams

Take a look at the first picture of what Honda hopes will become the future of motorbikes. The Honda EV-Cub is an all-electric version of the company’s top selling Super-Cub, and could be on sale as early as next year.

Details are scant about the new machine, but sources say that the retro looking EV-Cub will be two-wheel drive to offer riders more stability and traction.

Read more of this story »

New York City Starts “One Year, One Thousand Green Supers” Green Building Program

from Green Options by Lucille Chi

New York City plans to train one thousand superintendents on green buildings this year. City managers of commercial and high-rise residential buildings now have the chance reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the city on a sky high level.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg took part in the program, “One Year, One Thousand Green Supers” which was also approved by the U.S. Green Building Council and the Building Performance Institute. It’s also made possible by the Thomas Shortman Training Fund. This is part of NYC’s huge goal to reduce their building-generated carbon footprint.

Read more of this story »

Reusable Rocket Plane Launches From Commercial Spaceport

from Wired: Autopia by Jason Paur

One of the giants in aerospace has successfully flown a reusable rocket plane aimed at developing an inexpensive orbital delivery system. The unmanned winged vehicle flew on October 10 and is part of an ongoing Lockheed Martin program to demonstrate the viability of low cost, quick turnaround space delivery systems.

Lockheed Martin is working with UP Aerospace on the project. UP Aerospace provided the launch services for Saturday’s flight, the third in a series of test flights that have so far been kept under tight wraps and out of public view. The Lockheed Martin/UP Aerospace team is operating from the growing Spaceport America in New Mexico.

The prototype vehicle is thought to be similar to the roughly eight foot long, 200 pound rocket plane seen during earlier flights. Lockheed Martin’s Slater Voorhees told Space.com the flight on Saturday was successful, “we’re trying to understand various technologies of systems and how they play together” he said.

Little is known about the vehicle, including what kind of motor is being used. A picture from Lockheed Martin (above) shows a canard configuration rocket plane ascending a launch rail from a 2008 flight. Lockheed Martin has not provided details about the program.

UP Aerospace provided the launch services for the test flight, marking the third launch for various customers this year. The company is perhaps best known for a rocket launch that sent the ashes of Star Trek’s James ‘Scotty’ Doohan and Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper on a sub orbital ride back in 2007.

The company’s launch facility is one of several being developed at Spaceport America in New Mexico. Other companies including Virgin Galactic are also planning to use the desert launch complex, billed as the world’s first purpose built commercial space facility.

Photo: Lockheed Martin via Space.com

9:43 AM (3 hours ago)

ron arad: mediacite in liege, belgium

from Designboom – Weblog

a rendering of the médiacité in liège, belgium by ron arad

the construction of the médiacité in liège, belgium is now complete.
the layout plans and sketches of the complex were designed by architectural firms
chapman taylor and RTKL, with public spaces and buildings designed by ron arad
(with support of architectural firm jaspers-eyers). the futuristically shaped pier,
which combines the latest technologies and materials, has earned the reeam international
environmental accreditation which is a first for belgium in this category of building.
the new space accommodates economic, retail, cultural and leisure activities. the project,
along with the new gare des guillemins (train station) by santiago calatrava and the opening
of grand-curtis – a mega-museum housing gems from the heritage collections of liège – last year,
are all drivers for economic redeployment and cultural regeneration within the city.

the inauguration ceremony is set to take place on tuesday, october 20th, 2009.

detail of the futuristic form

the view from inside

A green tour of the Google campus

from The Official Google Blog by A Googler

We care about a clean energy future and that’s a commitment that starts at home. In honor of Blog Action Day 2009 and this year’s climate change theme, we wanted to walk you through some of the green features of our global headquarters here in sunny Mountain View, California.

• Getting to work: We’ve got a shuttle service that brings employees from around the Bay Area to the Googleplex every day. These shuttles are outfitted with wi-fi and fueled by B20 biodiesel. And employees who bike, walk, skip, hop or otherwise self-power to work can earn points that translate into a donation from Google to their charity of choice.

• Turning on the lights: The rooftops at our headquarters are covered in 9,212 photovoltaic solar panelsthat produce 1.6 MW of electricity — enough energy to power about 1,000 California homes.

• Healthy buildings: The facilities at our main campus use sustainable building materials that are environmentally friendly and healthier, such as “cradle-to-cradle” certified products designed to never end up in landfills, fresh air ventilation, daylighting, and whenever possible, PVC- and formaldehyde-free materials.

• No, we’re not kidding: We’ve been known to use goats instead of lawn mowers to graze the fields surrounding our campus.

• Getting around town: We have a fleet of 8 plug-in vehicles that Google employees can use free of charge to run errands during the day. (In the summer of 2008 our Google.org RechargeIT initiativelaunched a controlled driving experiment, and our plug-in hybrids achieved more than 90 MPG!) Shared bicycles are also scattered among our buildings for Googlers to use for short trips around campus, reducing the need for cars during the work day.

• Waste not, want not: Waste from our Mountain View cafes is separated and the organic component is composted. As a result, we’ve reduced waste sent to landfills, reduced greenhouse gases and recycled nutrients leading to improved soil quality without chemicals. And any disposable plateware and cutlery we continue to use in the cafés is now compostable.

Check out this website to learn more about Google’s green initiatives, and thank you to Blog Action Day for orchestrating the ” largest-ever social change event on the web” yet again.

Posted by Anthony Ravitz, Real Estate & Workplace Services

Multitouch light switches from the future

from DVICE by Charlie White

These light switches look like they belong on a space station. The Basalte Sentido switch glows with a cool blue LED; touch any part of it, and it reacts with a white backlight. Multi-touch different quadrants to control four separate lights individually or separately, and the backlight glows a warm gold. Basalte offer three other styles that are equally impressive.

We’ve seen some fancy light switches before, but these beat all. These Red Dot Award-winning switches come in various shapes and configurations, and you can custom design your own. They all work with low voltage lighting, and are available in Europe for now. Not to worry, these amazing multitouch switches will be commonplace 10 years from now.

Earth And Jupiter Captured In The Same Photo Taken From Mars

from Gizmodo Australia by Adam Frucci

This is a photo of the Earth and its moon and Jupiter and its moons. In the same frame. It’s taken from Mars, and it’s humbling and incredible. Be sure to click the picture to see its full scope. [Reddit] (more…)

State of world fisheries and aquaculture

from mapmaster>

Drawing on research and statistical data since 2000, experts at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver have shown that catches reported by China are largely overestimated, concealing a substantial decline in world catches since the middle of the 1980s.

Totally Tubular

from Archinect.com Feed

Building a bridge of (and to) the Future. A bridge that is cheaper, quicker and easier to build. NYT

Facebook’s swanky new HQ is an old ’60s laboratory

from DVICE by Kevin Hall

Facebook has consolidated the entirety of its Palo Alto operation — some 700 employees strong — into an old laboratory from the 1960s, done up all pretty by San Fransisco’s Studio O+A. What’s that do for them? Well, besides running a tighter ship, they get to enjoy all of the benefits of a pimped-out office, such as walls left blank to write on, plenty of comfy seating and a kitchen that offers “gourmet meals to staff at all hours.”

They also get to take advantage of those industrial leftovers, though, which brings us to my favorite table in the Facebook offices — it’s the first picture in the gallery below. The table only has a set of supports on one side of it. The rest of it is held up by a miniature crane, and the entire thing moves allowing the workspace to be wheeled around. Another cool detail: the head dudes are centrally located instead of in some penthouse, and they are accessible by any of the employees since the space is nice and open.

Check out the gallery below to see more of the Facebook offices, and learn more in a press release after the jump.

No Cars Allowed On The Eco-Friendly Kurilpa Bridge

from Gizmodo Australia by Rosa Golijan

At 470m, the Kurilpa Bridge in Brisbane is one of the longest footbridges of its kind and so eco-friendly that it generates more energy than it uses for its lighting system. Oh, and it’s kinda pretty. (more…)

Lifecycle Building Challenge Winners Honored

from Bustler.net News by Vanilla Hustler

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently honored six innovative green concepts designed to reduce the environmental and energy impacts of buildings. These concepts may assist the building industry in reducing more than 88 million tons of building-related construction and demolition debris sent to U.S. landfills each year.

The EPA awards recognized student and professional designs for buildings and building projects, as well as special categories, including the creation of green jobs.

“Designing buildings and building products with front-end lifecycle thinking is the key to real green building,” said Lisa Heinzerling, associate administrator for EPA’s Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation. “These innovators are great examples of how we can build sustainable structures that help meet the needs of this and future generations.”

Lifecycle building is designing structures to facilitate disassembly and material reuse to minimize waste, energy consumption, and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Also known as design for disassembly and design for deconstruction, lifecycle building describes the idea of creating high-performance buildings today that are stocks of resources for the future. EPA recently reported that doubling the reuse and recycling of construction and demolition debris would result in an emissions savings of 150 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, equal to the entire annual carbon emissions from the state of North Carolina.

EPA, along with its partners, the American Institute of Architects, West Coast Green, the Collaborative for High Performance Schools, and StopWaste.Org, invited professionals and students nationwide to submit designs and ideas that support cost-effective disassembly and anticipate future use of building materials. The competition was open to architects, reuse experts, engineers, designers, planners, contractors, builders, educators, environmental advocates and students. This year, the competition was extended to include international participants who hailed from Singapore, Taiwan, Argentina, Colombia, France, Egypt, and the United Kingdom.

These are the winners from the United States:

[Un] Modular Design for Deconstruction
David Fleming, University of Cincinnati, Richfield, MN
Category: Building—Student

Click above image to enlarge
[Un] Modular Design for Deconstruction by David Fleming, University of Cincinnati, Richfield, MN

This construction trade school design redefines “building” as a temporary resting place for materials to be traded, upgraded and reused. The project shows the potential for a building to evolve with time as materials, fashions, technologies, and uses change. The adaptable structural system can create almost any column, beam and wall configuration. Rather than attempting to find an infinitely reusable module, the project creates a framework for creative materials reuse.

Arboretum and Research Visitors’ Center
Kira Gould, William McDonough + Partners, Charlottesville, VA
Category: Building—Professional Built

Click above image to enlarge
Arboretum and Research Visitors’ Center by Kira Gould, William McDonough + Partners, Charlottesville, VA

The visitors’ center design roots the building firmly in its woodland context by blurring distinctions between the indoors and outdoors, and by incorporating the surrounding forest into the building’s lifecycle analysis. Construction emphasized safe, closed material loops of biological nutrients, which break down to safely return to forest soil; and technical nutrients, which can be remanufactured into new objects. The mechanical connections and reconfigurable modules allow for building alterations. The project performs 51% better than the ASHRAE-compliant base case used to measure the greenhouse gas reduction.

Modular Temporary Construction Wall/Barricade
Douglas Spear and Aaron Barnes, ENVY Modular Wall Systems LLC, Las Vegas, NV
Category: Product—Professional Built

Click above image to enlarge
Modular Temporary Construction Wall/Barricade by Douglas Spear and Aaron Barnes, ENVY Modular Wall Systems LLC, Las Vegas, NV

This modular temporary construction wall system consists of panels and extruded joining parts that are recyclable, reusable and can be recycled into new products with zero waste. It replaces wall systems that are used for a short period of time (1-18 months) and often end up in a landfill. Replacing conventional materials used to create temporary walls saves approximately 1 ton of material from the landfill per 70 linear feet of standard height wall. The modular temporary construction wall system is being used in the MGM Mirage City Center Project in Las Vegas, Nevada where it will conserve over 100 tons of construction debris.

Outstanding Achievement Awards:

Best Green Job Creation:
ReAnimateLA: Center for Ecological & Urban Recovery
Hayley Stewart, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, CA

Click above image to enlarge
ReAnimateLA: Center for Ecological & Urban Recovery by Hayley Stewart, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, CA

ReAnimate LA would create up to 100 green jobs maintaining the sustainable elements of the building, such as the extraction and reuse of salvaged materials in construction, photovoltaic and ground-source heat pump systems, and bioremediation planting. ReAnimate LA speaks to the changing public values on environmental policy and the urban networks that are essential in bringing back value to a localized, organic way of life in the American city.

Best Greenhouse Gas Reduction:
Arboretum and Research Visitors’ Center
Kira Gould, William McDonough + Partners, Charlottesville, VA

Click above image to enlarge
Arboretum and Research Visitors’ Center by Kira Gould, William McDonough + Partners, Charlottesville, VA

The visitors’ center design roots the building firmly in its woodland context by blurring distinctions between the indoors and outdoors, and by incorporating the surrounding forest into the building’s lifecycle analysis. Construction emphasized safe, closed material loops of biological nutrients, which break down to safely return to forest soil; and technical nutrients, which can be remanufactured into new objects. The mechanical connections and reconfigurable modules allow for building alterations. The project performs 51% better than the ASHRAE-compliant base case used to measure the greenhouse gas reduction.

Best School Design:
School M.O.D.
Yosuke Kawai and Ikue Nomura, University of Pennsylvania, Dayton, OH
Honorable Mention for Category: Building—Student

Click above image to enlarge
School M.O.D. by Yosuke Kawai and Ikue Nomura, University of Pennsylvania, Dayton, OH

This prototype school building focuses on feasibility and maximizing flexibility. The usual constraints of fixed areas are resolved by combining modular (M), open (O), and dual structural (D) systems. This construction technique allows any individual to build with locally available materials to meet immediate needs while providing the opportunity for future growth.

Honorable Mention for Reclamation of Materials:
Reclaimed Space: Sustainable, Modern
Zak Hardage, Tracen Gardner, and Kimber Reed-Barber, Reclaimed Space, Austin, TX
Category: Building—Professional Built

Click above image to enlarge
Reclaimed Space: Sustainable, Modern by Zak Hardage, Tracen Gardner, and Kimber Reed-Barber, Reclaimed Space, Austin, TX

This modern, sustainable designed home values reclaimed materials that are the product of disassembly. The average home generates 8,000 pounds of waste, 80% of which is recyclable while Reclaimed Space homes create less than 300 pounds of waste, nearly all of which is recycled. These energy sipping homes feature solar and rain catchment systems, recycled newspaper insulation and reclaimed 100-year old hardwood oak flooring.

Honorable Mention for Innovative Reuse:
Political Ply – An Arid Zone Shade Structure
Jason Griffiths, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Category: Product—Student

Click above image to enlarge
Political Ply – An Arid Zone Shade Structure by Jason Griffiths, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

Political Ply explores methods of re-purposing existing political campaign signs to form a temporary arid-zone shade structure. The structure is composed of hexagons and each cell has a self contained cooling structure. The project is designed for disassembly, and each hexagonal cell is tapered to allow cells to stack together for convenient transportation.

And here are the International Winners:

The Worm Bar
Miaoling Li, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Category: Building—Student

Click above image to enlarge
The Worm Bar by Miaoling Li, National University of Singapore, Singapore

The Worm Bar integrates a worm farm, salad bar, and educational gallery into a temporary pavilion structure. More than 90% of the pavilion components come from the adaptation of an existing scaffolding system that can be easily disassembled for use in other projects. Highlighting the processing of our waste by humble earthworms, the pavilion aims to increase the awareness of consumption patterns, and provoke discussion on alternative methods of waste management. The project even envisions visitors leaving with a souvenir bag of vermicompost!
Political Ply explores methods of re-purposing existing political campaign signs to form a temporary arid-zone shade structure. The structure is composed of hexagons and each cell has a self contained cooling structure. The project is designed for disassembly, and each hexagonal cell is tapered to allow cells to stack together for convenient transportation.

Honorable Mention:
Carapace Communion
Rhys Owen, University Of Westminster, United Kingdom
Category: Building—Student

Click above image to enlarge
Carapace Communion by Rhys Owen, University Of Westminster, United Kingdom

The Carapace Communion project celebrates disassembly by investigating the relationships created when a community’s need for a sheltered meeting space results in the creation of a stronger and more environmentally aware society. Each communion member owns a construction component, but only when multiple elements are assembled (through use of removable fasteners) can a functioning structure be created. These structures can be disassembled to give each member their element back and the structure can be assembled, disassembled or adapted very quickly.

Honorable Mention:
CLOTHed PAVILLION
Hui Ying Lim, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Category: Building—Student

Click above image to enlarge
CLOTHed PAVILLION by Hui Ying Lim, National University of Singapore, Singapore

This temporary pavilion of recycled compressed clothing challenges the limitations of an abundant source of recyclable cloth, by converting it into architectural components. Fabrics currently have very low recycling rate—12% in Singapore. Re-purposing fabric heightens environmental awareness and would result in 169,000 sets of clothes (230 tonnes) being reused. The cloth bales are starched hard and treated for additional strength, and can be de-starched without damaging the material. The pavilion uses standard wall modules to create partitions and furniture that can be easily reconfigured.

Honorable Mention:
Garden Toilet
Caijin Huang, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Category: Building—Student

Click above image to enlarge
Garden Toilet by Caijin Huang, National University of Singapore, Singapore

This is a small project designed as a temporary “public convenience” structure to provide the public with bathrooms and showers at on-site events. The walls are tall enough to provide basic privacy. The structure’s hollow walls can be filled with natural materials (fallen leaves, pebbles, stone) or reclaimed materials (bottles and cans). The shower screens are made of layers of overlapping of bamboo to maximize privacy while creating openness and ventilation. The building can be taken down easily and some of the materials can be returned to nature.

Images: Lifecycle Building Challenge

REX architecture/ joshua prince-ramus – designboom interview

from Designboom – Weblog

museum plaza, louisville, kentucky, 2009
image courtesy REX architecture

was born in in 1969,
received a bachelor of arts in philosophy with distinction
from yale university in 1991and a master of architecture from
harvard university in 1996. joshua prince-ramus is president
of REX and principal in charge of all projects.

asymptote: the yas hotel – nears completion

from Designboom – Weblog

construction of the yas hotel by asymptote
image courtesy asymptote

the yas hotel by asymptote in abu dhabi, UAE is nearing completion.
the project is a 500 room, 85 000 square meter now under construction
by aldar properties pjsc. asymptote was awarded the commission to design
the building two years ago, targeting an open date of october 30, 2009 to
coincide with the formula 1 etihad airways, abu dhabi grand prix.

the main feature of the project’s design is a 217-meter expanse of sweeping,
curvilinear forms constructed of steel and 5,800 pivoting diamond-shaped glass
panels. this grid shell component affords the building an architecture comprised
of an atmospheric like veil that contains two hotel towers and a link bridge
constructed as a monocoque sculpted steel object passing above the formula 1
track that makes its way through the building complex.

aerial view of the yas hotel
image courtesy asymptote

construction of the interior
image courtesy asymptote

the yas hotel main entrance under construction
image courtesy asymptote

the final stretch of construction. the balconies glass and doors are now being put in place for all the hotel suites. the formula 1 race will
be seen from every room.
image courtesy asymptote

the completed gridshell
image courtesy asymptote

the interiors are now near completion – this is a view of the cafes and access areas to ballrooms
image courtesy asymptote

the lobby
image courtesy asymptote

entry area a view looking up towards the building’s facade
image courtesy asymptote

the abu dhabi f1 circuit is now online and ready for race day
image courtesy asymptote

Comfort Inn Partners with Pursol Solar Systems to Push Green Energy into the Mainstream

from Green Options by Tina Casey

From the outside, theComfort Inn La Estancia near San Diego looks like your garden variety mainstream hotel, complete with free parking for truckers and RV’s. But soon it will share something sustainable that many boutique “green” hotels boast, 100% solar power for its electricity usage.

The greening of Comfort Inn is thanks to a partnership with Pursol Solar Systems, which will install an 83 kilowatt photovoltaic system under its Solarize financing program, basically guaranteeing the hotel a 20% savings on its electricity bill without any up-front costs.

Read more of this story »

A New Ecology for the City

from Design Under Sky by Adam E. Anderson

Great article on the Design Observer discussing urban ecology and its role in landscape architecture. I was going to summarize, but thought it better if you just read the whole thing.

Metaphor Remediation: A New Ecology for the City

nord architecture: healing architecture

from Designboom – Weblog

healing architecture by nord architecture
all image courtesy nord architecture

danish firm nord architecture have won the competition for a new healthcare center
for cancer patients.

the design is based on the recognizable contour and scale of type ‘A’ houses.
small individual houses are interconnected by a sculptural roof structure. the building
will consist of an inner courtyard, several terraces and themed gardens.

the design will be realised in collaboration with hellerup byg, bravida danmark,
wessberg ingeniører and metopos landscape.

A Plan To Knit Together The US Electric Grid

from INFRASTRUCTURIST

It has now become conventional wisdom that America’s electrical grid sucks. Except America doesn’t really have an electrical grid per se — it has three big separate grids. One serves the Midwest and East, one serves the West, and one serves the Republic of Texas (most of it anyway). That’s not …

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