Solar City Tower for Rio

This renewable energy generating tower located on the coast of Rio is one of the first buildings I've seen designed for the 2016 Rio Olympics, (In case you didn’t notice, it’s also a waterfall.) The Solar City Tower is designed by Zurich-based RAFAA Architecture & Design, and features a large solar system to generate power during the day and a pumped water storage system to generate power at night. RAFAA’s goal is that a symbolic tower such as this can serve as a starting point for a global green movement and help make the 2016 Olympic Games more sustainable.

The self-sustaining tower for the 2016 Olympic Games is designed to create renewable energy for use in the Olympic Village as well as the city of Rio. A large solar power plant generates energy during the day. Any excess power not used during the day is utilized to pump seawater into a storage tank within the tower. At night, the water is released to power turbines, which will provide nighttime power for the city. On special occasions water is pumped out to create a waterfall over the edges of the building, which RAFAA says will be, “a symbol for the forces of nature.” Info on the size of the solar and pumped water storage system is not available yet.

 Access to the eco tower is gained through an urban plaza and amphitheater 60 meters above sea level, which can be used for social gatherings. On the ocean side of the 105 meter tower (behind the waterfall) is a cafeteria and shop. An elevator takes visitors up to the top floor where an observation deck offers 360 views of the ocean and city. At level 90.5, a bungee platform is available for adventurous visitors.

Mini Generators Use Vibrations from Traffic, Movement to Create Electricity

Researchers at the University of Michigan are developing tiny generators that harvest the kinetic energy going on around us on a daily basis. The Parametric Frequency Increased Generators, or PFIGs, scavenge tiny vibrations created by traffic on streets or bridges, people walking up and down stairs or even machinery operating in factories. The teensy power providers could eventually provide electricity for devices like watches, pacemakers and wireless sensors that monitor infrastructure.


So far scientists designed three prototype PFIGs with a fourth on the way. The first two utilize electromagnetic induction to convert energy, much like large-scale generators at power plants do. The third prototype is the coolest one, in my opinion. The PFIG measures one cubic centimeter and utilizes piezoeletric material, a substance that produces a charge when it’s stressed.


Designers say the PFIGs could be used to power small devices like wrist watches, pacemakers and wireless sensors that could have huge implications for infrastructure health monitoring. For example, tiny sensors on bridges or buildings could detect cracks or weak spots before these problems were visible to the human eye. The sensors could also be deployed throughout public spaces or buildings to track environmental pollutants or monitor energy efficiency.


While other kinetic energy harvesters exist, the PFIGs are some of the first to derive power from non-periodic vibrations–low-frequency vibrations that occurs in the surrounding environment, not as the result of intentional movement like pulling a cord or twirling a battery.

Concrete Chair by Tejo Remy & René Veenhuizen

Dutch designers Tejo Remy & René Veenhuizen have designed a collection of furniture that looks inflated but is actually made of cast concrete.

The series includes prototypes of two chairs, a bench and table that have been cast inside plastic sheeting and reinforced with steel rods and metal fibres.
The prototypes will be on show as part of an exhibition of the designers’ work at the Industry Gallery in Washington DC later this week.

W+W by Gabriele and Oscar Buratti with Roca Innovation Lab

Milan designers Gabriele and Oscar Buratti have collaborated with bathroom brand Roca to create a combined toilet and wash basin, where waste water from the sink is used to fill the toilet cistern.

Called W+W, the design filters and stores waste water from the basin and uses it to fill the cistern of the toilet.
Users can divert waste water from the basin into a reservoir or the mains waste, depending on what it has been used for.

If the reservoir is empty, the toilet cistern can be filled from mains water.


The information below is from Roca:
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W+W – GROUND BREAKING DESIGN FROM ROCA
Created by the Roca Innovation Lab. together with the designers Gabriele and Oscar Buratti, W+W is a truly exciting new product revelation from Roca.

The washbasin and WC are two essential elements in every single bathroom. Highlighting its commitment to design and innovation, Roca has combined these two elements to create W+W – an all-in-one washbasin and WC made from vitreous china, designed to maximise space and conserve water. This ground breaking idea, incorporating Roca’s new ‘water-reuse’ technology, uses waste water from the basin to fill the WC cistern, thereby reducing water usage by up to 25% compared to a standard 6/3 litre dual-flush WC.
The basin in W+W has two wastes – the basin waste and one further down the waste pipe. Once the basin has been used and filled with water, the user has the option of either diverting it to the mains (e.g. if the basin is being used for shaving, or brushing teeth), or recycling it by storing it in the cistern ready for the next flush.

When the grey water is selected to be reused, it is stopped from flowing out to the mains at the secondary waste and diverted to fill up the cistern, at which point it automatically passes through a double filtration system. In order to eliminate bacteria and odours, this system filters particle debris as well as chemically treating the grey water before storing it to flush the WC. Once the water has been filtered and treated, it is then stored in the grey water reservoir and used to fill the cistern as required. The reservoir holds up to 4 litres of water, and there is an overflow so that if it gets too full any excess grey water will be discarded via the main waste outlet. In addition, if for any reason there isn’t any grey water stored in the reservoir, for example if the basin hasn’t been used, the float will recognise this and trigger the inlet to fill the cistern from the mains.

In addition, W+W is fitted with the Singles-Pro tap which further enhances its environmental credentials. Singles-Pro features a progressive cartridge which means control always starts the flow with cold water and as you continually turn the control the flow changes to a mix of hot and cold, ending the turn with hot water. This means that heating systems are not fired up unnecessarily, thereby saving energy. Singles-Pro also includes a flow limiter which restricts the water flow to a maximum of 9 litres per minute.
Through W+W Roca has created a unique product that combines functionality, sustainability and aesthetic design which consolidates the brand’s global leadership in bathroom solutions. W+W (approx. £2,703) will be available to buy in the UK from January 2010. The Singles-Pro tap (included with the W+W) can also be purchased separately and is currently retailed for approx. £260

Paraty House - Brazil

Elegant, calm, minimalist, clean and beautiful are among the adjectives that can be used to describe almost all of Marcio Kogan’s much-publicized and much-awarded residential masterpieces.

The magnificent, streamlined residences must serve as an antidote of some sort to the Brazilian architect who has been quoted as saying that he loves his home town of São Paulo and New York because they are similar in their chaotic ugliness, and because he likes “energy, chaos and a multi-cultural population in a city.”

 Out of this chaos-, humor- and cinema-loving creative mind, an astonishingly lovely, peaceful balance is projected onto residential projects.


Reviewers of Kogan’s work often mention Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright or their contemporaries, but Kogan has said that he is more inspired by Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini and Andy Warhol.

However, the 57-year-old Brazilian-born and educated Kogan does have a modernist approach, and he has described the work of fellow Brazilians of modernist ilk -- Lucio Costa, Oscar Niemeyer, Lina Bo Bardi and Vilanova Artigas – as incredible.

The Paraty House, pictured here, is located on one of the hundreds of islands near the colonial town of Paraty, close to Rio de Janeiro. Before it was completed, Kogan predicted that it was to be his favourite house. Its simple premise is two large drawers pushed into the hill and connected by an internal staircase.

Its elegance comes from the seamless link between indoors and out, from the use of native wood, stone and vegetation, and from the minimalist, sweeping vistas that make so many of Kogan’s houses appear as if they were either taking off or recently landed. And although the stacked-boxes style is starting to wear thin as style-du-jour, this is surely one of its best examples. - Tuija Seipell

Coffee cup lamps

The Etsy shop Domestic Construction offers up some interesting hanging lamps made from drinking mugs and cups. The repurposed vessels have been modified to accept hanging lamp wiring and are available in a number of configurations.

The Greenpoint, Brooklyn-based Domestic Construction is a multi-disciplinary design studio that specializes in alternative surfaces, interiors, environments, and one-of-a-kind fashion and home products.

'our new lines madge and gerry! cousins of ted, madge is made of assorted mugs while gerry is made out of vintage glassware. they live in the neighborhood, just a short mini van ride away from ted. check back often... we'll frequently be adding new cups! by popular demand we've added a switch to the ted lights! ideal for hanging over your bedside table, a kitchen nook, bathroom sink or just to jazz up a corner of your living room... '(etsy)

Lamp Post Perch

There are days when our feet just can’t keep up with us and need to rest every two seconds, and that’s where the Nichola Trudgen Wanderest comes into play. Although designed for seniors, it is a lamp post perch that could benefit anyone.

 Essentially a shallow seat perfect for catching one’s breath or taking weight off of sore feet, Nichola Trudgen’s Wanderest will encourage elderly folk to incorporate more light activities and exercise into their daily routine.

The Auto Cannibalistic Table by Atema Architecture is Made with Egg Cartons

The Auto Cannibalistic Table is basically a giant decomposing flower pot. Made with paper egg cartons, herbs are planted inside the table, which ends up feeding you as well as providing you with a place to eat. The irony of this cannibal table is that the herbs end up eating the structure of the table as they grow, causing it to decompose.

While this recycled table is eco-friendly and unique, it obviously is not meant to last very long, leaving you table-less but with lots of tasty herbs!

Industrial Waste Furniture

Bangkok-based company Scrap Lab transforms manufacturing leftovers, off-cut and any other kind of solid industrial waste into these unique pieces of sustainable seating. The materials they work with include wood, paper, steel, foam, plastic, and various other metals.

With the recent rise in popularity of discarded clothing being refashioned into couture pieces and artwork created using found objects, furniture made from industrial waste is another excellent example of our global pursuit to become ecological combatants and ensure that as little as possible goes to waste.

New York's urban oasis in the sky

An elevated park in the sky built on top of the skeleton of an old rail system? It may have sounded impossible only five years ago, but today, the eagerly awaited High Line elevated urban park officially opens for thousands of New Yorkers looking to escape the hubbub of the city below!

The High Line was originally constructed in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District in the 1930s to lift dangerous freight trains off of city streets. Abandoned in the 1980’s the High Line went into decay and disrepair and was rediscovered in popular consciousness in 2000, after acclaimed photographer Joel Sternfeld captured the beauty of the industrial relic in photos: overgrown with wildflowers — an abandoned human structure essentially reclaimed by nature in a matter of 20 years.

The City of New York was originally planning to tear down the High Line, but a group formed, called ‘Friends of the High Line’, to protect, preserve, and renovate the High Line. This eventually lead to a design competition, and the commissioning of landscape architects James Corner Field Operations and architects Diller Scodifio + Renfro to rehabilitate this abandoned space into a lush, green, elevated paradise for Manhattanites.

Video of the opening of the High Line Urban Park

Reclaimed rubbish made into works of art

Most discarded objects such as plastic toys, utensils and metal objects will fall fate to an eternity in a landfill, but artist Sayaka Ganz sees a second life in them. In a move for both the planet and art, Ganz recovers all of this junk and upcycles it into animal shaped sculptures. Meant to depict animals caught in motion, at a distance the sculptural effect is certainly striking – one look and you can’t help but think you’ve just caught a real life leap or swoop frozen in time.

Sayaka has already created a number of such sculptures for her collection, all which draw inspiration from her time abroad in various countries. As an artist creating these pieces, she attempts to unravel and understand the mysteries of the world. She believes that by taking arbitrary pieces of discarded materials - much like those pieces of life – each one will find a way to fit with another in a sculpture, and sense can be made.

Sustainable Manufacturing Processes

Sustainable manufacturing practices are just as important as using sustainable materials. Both are factors in the production of sustainable furniture.



What is a sustainable practice, exactly? The manufacturing process should also be a responsible process. Here are some sustainable practices:

Sustainable Design:


Any sustainable manufacturing process begins at the very first starting point: design. The product should be designed in such a way that makes it efficient, user friendly, durable and easily recycled.
 Alternative Energy Use in Manufacture:


The manufacturing process employs a renewable energy source.

Resource Efficiency in Manufacture:


To conserve natural resources, the manufacturing process should be efficient in its use of energy, water, and materials. When energy efficiency is factored into operations it reduces greenhouse gas emissions while increasing production at the same time.

Non Exploitative Labor:


The piece of furniture is designed or manufactured by people who benefit from their work and their labor is not exploited.

Closing the Loop:


There should be some way to recycle the product at the end of its lifecycle. The product should be developed with a view to recycling the material that has already been used, so that new, quality products e created without using new materials.

Sleepbox

In a world where people appreciate good design everywhere, cool mini hotel rooms are the latest ‘it’ trend. In Tokyo, the Capsule Inn exemplifies the bare-essentials hotel rooms for brief use, and similar concepts are popping up at airports, train stations and downtowns around the world, replacing and mimicking the “day rooms” already existing at many airports.

Unlike Tokyo’s bed-only cabins where customers climb into a human equivalent of a honeycomb for a night’s rest, Yotel pods at Gatwick and Heathrow airports in London and Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam come in larger and more comfortable formats. These self-contained mini hotel rooms are equipped with a bed, table, HD TV and Wi-Fi.

The fourth Yotel is set to arrive in New York in 2011 with a location opening on 42nd and 10th street boasting 669 luxury rooms and the largest outside terrace in any hotel in New York.

 Also in Amsterdam, Citizen M has a hotel with 230 mini rooms at Schiphol Airport and a 215-room hotel in Amsterdam City. Citizen M plans to open similar hotels across Europe.
Qbic Hotels has opened two “cheap chic” hotels with mini rooms in the Netherlands: Qbic World Trade Centre Amsterdam and Qbic Maastricht, plus one in Antwerp, Belgium.

Taking the next step in rest and space efficiency, Russia’s Arch Group designed the SleepBox.

Along with an airport version of the rest pod, equipped with the usual, high-tech necessities offered by other companies, Arch Group has also designed an easy-to-relocate version fit for hostels. A small, mobile compartment, 2m (l) x 1.4m (w) x 2.3m (h), SleepBox is made of wood and MDF. SleepBox is meant to “allow very efficient use of available space and, if necessary, a quick change of layout”, making it perfect for hostels where demand and space available often come in conflict with each other. The hostel-specific SleepBox features bunk beds, flip-out tables and sockets for computers or phone chargers and not much else.

The self-charging cellphone

YOUR cellphone need never again run out of juice while you're on the go. So says Nokia of Finland, which filed a US patent last week for a handset that recharges itself by harvesting energy from the owner's motion (bit.ly/b8gFt3).


Nokia envisages a phone in which the heavier components, such as the radio transmitter circuit and battery, are supported on a sturdy frame. This frame can move along two sets of rails, one allows it travel up and down, the other side to side.

Strips of piezoelectric crystals sit at the end of each rail and generate a current when compressed by the frame. So as the user walks, or otherwise moves the phone, the motion generates electricity. This charges a capacitor which in turn trickles charge into the battery, keeping it topped up

Click on the title to go to the patent

Recycled Bowling lane furniture

An abandoned bowling alley finds a second life in this beautiful series of furniture by LA-based designer/woodworker William Stranger. Crafted from reclaimed strips of wood salvaged from a local defunct Tava Lanes Bowling alley, the collection springs to life in a variety of forms including a series of wall hangings and a low coffee table.