I was noodling some recent journalist potshots about headlines for “the greenest …” when I landed on this video piece from the Nightly News. NBC’s Kiko Itasaki wonders if this home in Unst, one of the northern Shetland Islands of Scotland, is the greenest in the world. Everyone knows the question has no answer, but I think Michael and Dorothy Rea have accomplished something worth noticing that’s for sure.
The aim of their project, according to the Reas’ website, was to “pilot an approach to carbon-neutral living that can be replicated across the UK and elsewhere.”
They built a home from an off-the-shelf kit from Scotframe Timber Frame Engineering (water-tight assembly in 4.5 days by three men). Systems for the home include an air-to-water heat pump with a custom water battery, a heat recovery ventilator, LED lights, solar panels, small wind turbines, and fuel cells that store power for use with a refitted electric Toyota Yaris.
Additionally, the Reas have a 1,000 square-foot, hydroponic greenhouse where they grow food to sustain a vegetarian diet. Apparently some of the food is maintained by minerals and rainwater harvested from the roof, too.
by: Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit, 2012-09-03 09:02:48 UTC
Some innovations that social entrepreneurs are bringing to the developing world would be extremely beneficial for us to adopt in the developed world. Ideas which were often conceived at the point of need are often highly practical and, given their customer base, must be producible at very low cost.
Those of us who don't have the space (or disposable income) to accommodate custom terrariums or a functional hydroponic 'island' might be interested in "Auxano," Philip Houiellebecq's concept for a more practical home hydroponic system. Like the "Volet Végétal" stowaway garden, the Cardiff-based designer's planter soaks up the excess sun that freely flows through our windows, photosynthesizing natural light into a friendly bit of greenery in the concrete jungle:
Auxano was designed to enable the ever increasing amount of city dwellers to grow their own produce effectively and efficiently within the space constraints of city living. Auxano is an innovative and practical solution which revolutionaries the current interior hydroponics market, providing very economical vegetable and herb growth rates through maximising exposure to the commonly ignored natural resource in many city flats; sunlight. This has been achieved through the growing units being window mounted. Its innovative oxygenating pump system further enhances its green credentials in that no electricity is needed for the product to operate.
The small self-contained planters are designed as an ultra-low maintenance home hydroponic system, a soil-free source of hyperlocal produce for aspiring urban gardeners. Although I personally enjoy the simple pleasure of handling soil from time to time, the Auxano's one-touch nutrient mechanism is a clever solution for the constraints of the modern (read: undersized) apartment.
organized by iF design, 439 entries from 28 countries were submitted under nine different categories: mountain bikes, cross bikes, racing bikes, urban bikes, special-purpose bikes, e-bikes/pedelecs, cothes, parts/components and accessories.
Inspired by the infrastructure of the internet, Moving Platforms is a completely interconnected rail system where local trams connect to a network of non-stop high speed trains enabling passengers to travel from their local stop to a local address at their destination (even another country) without getting off a train. Sounds far out right?! Hit the jump and watch the interview with the designer to see how it works!
Moving Platforms involves a network of high speed trains that run non-stop between two ends of a continent, Los Angeles to New York for instance. The high speed trains run on a line that passes outside towns and cities with a network of local feeder trams that carry passengers from local stops out to meet them. As they near each other, the high speed train slows down slightly and the tram speeds up alongside it, at which point the trains physically connect via a docking system allowing passengers to transfer directly across from the tram to the high speed train and vice versa.
Once transfers are complete, the trains separate, with the high speed train speeding up again along its route, and the tram slowing down and going back into the town or city centre with the newly disembarked passengers.
The tram, in effect, acts as a moving station. The same system could also be used by passengers transferring from one high speed train to another.
by: TreeHugger Science, 2012-09-03 15:16:44 UTC
The cell is made with readily available copper, zinc and tin instead of the rare metals that are typically used, but are becoming increasingly scarce.
I never fully understood the implications of Dieter Ram’s ‘Good Design Is Thorough Down to the Last Detail’ maxim, till I experienced it myself. It was a well designed chair, that looked innovative and inviting; but believe me I could not park my butt on it for more than five minutes. And to add to my woes, I had to suffer through an entire three course dinner sitting on it, pretending it was comfy and cushy! Only if this designer had been good with the most essential detail of making the chair comfortable! Oh well enough said, here is a tribute to the Most Buzzed Designs of August, which go to exemplify that attention to detail is a key ingredient in good design.
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2012-09-03 10:10:25 UTC
The Forest Products Laboratory of the US Forest Service has opened a US$1.7 million pilot plant for the production of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) from wood by-products materials such as wood chips and sawdust. Prepared properly, CNCs are stronger and stiffer than Kevlar or carbon fibers, so that putting CNC into composite materials results in high strength, low weight products. In addition, the cost of CNCs is less than ten percent of the cost of Kevlar fiber or carbon fiber. These qualities have attracted the interest of the military for use in lightweight armor and ballistic glass (CNCs are transparent), as well as companies in the automotive, aerospace, electronics, consumer products, and medical industries... Continue Reading Wood pulp extract stronger than carbon fiber or Kevlar
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-09-28 06:50:44 UTC
AirRenew™ Gypsum Board is for use in interior walls and ceilings and is specially designed to offer a healthier living and working environment by improving ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-09-28 06:50:26 UTC
Ceracasa introduces one of the most significant product innovations of recent years. The tile body is reduced to half of the thickness ( the 11 mm ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-09-26 08:40:39 UTC
Re-Imagine is a project born out of questioning our resourcefulness and our attitudes towards waste. It builds on the Studiomama’s interests in expediency ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-09-25 15:17:25 UTC
Parans brings indoor lighting systems powered by solar energy or more precise light. In the SP2 panels are placed outside a building to capture sunlight ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-09-25 06:26:22 UTC
While crossing the African continent, twin brothers Arjan and Alfred Koop, became aware of the true meaning of sanitation or the lack thereof in especially ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-09-22 07:43:18 UTC
“Pico” focuses on revealing the matter as a substance itself - the compressed sand and minerals that constitute ceramic tiles. Intended to maintain ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-09-21 09:33:59 UTC
The Centre for Sustainable Design organises the 17th International Conference "Towards Sustainable Product Design", this time its theme is *Resource ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-09-21 06:29:45 UTC
Flex/the Innovationlab helped We Beat the Mountain with their go-to-market strategy and product design.
We Beat the Mountain:
VISION
We Beat ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-09-20 16:52:08 UTC
In 19th century North America young trees were shaped over the course of several years until they adopted the contours of a chair. Ronan and Erwan ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2012-09-20 06:52:57 UTC
Unique lightweight PORCELAIN KERLITE slabs are produced via a revolutionary technical process. Features include: 3mm slab thickness, weighs less than ...
The cell is made with readily available copper, zinc and tin instead of the rare metals that are typically used, but are becoming increasingly scarce.
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