Inhabitat

RAMMED EARTH

Have you been dying to know what rammed earth is? Well, today is your lucky day. Alternative builder / programmer Richard Schave is here to explain it to us…

Rammed earth is an ancient building technique which was used to build parts of the Great Wall of China. Some regions of France have a 300 year tradition of using rammed earth ? due to high limestone content of the soil which acts as a “cement”, providing superior adhesion and compaction. The building technique has seen a revival in recent years as people seek natural and low-impact building methods.

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PHILIPS LED CANDLE

I have mixed feeling about candles. On the one hand, candles are simple, pretty, and can the soft glow of one can enhance the mood of any space. The scented kind can be particularly soothing, if the scent is something you like (such as vanilla or lavender). On the other hand: candles don’t last long, they can decrease the air quality in a room with their smoke, and they are prone to wax spillage. The biggest downside, however, is that they are a fire disaster waiting to happen. I have a friend whose apartment building recently burned down because someone left unattended candles burning in his room.

Recognizing the on-going candle dilemna, electronics company Philips has launched a series of electric candles. But fear not – we’re not talking those tacky candle-shaped tungsten bulbs from a decade gone by. Philips is hip to the LED future, with their new series of LED candles call “Aurelle”. The Aurelle LED Candles combine the warm glow and gentle flicker of a candle without the risks and nuisance associated with open flames.

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VEDIC ARCHITECTURE

Tired of Feng Shui, and looking for a new eastern philosophy on which to govern your design choices? No? Well either way, its time to check out Vedic design. While many of us are familiar with the ancient Chinese design techniques of Feng Shui, Vedic design, or Vastu, is relatively new to the architectural world. Originating thousands of years ago in ancient India, and gaining new popularity from the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (you may remember the Beatles being big fans) Vastu has specific prescriptions for optimal architectural design.

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SMARTWRAP: Interactive Building Film

On display at the Cooper Hewitt back in 2003, Smartwrap is a thin plastic film designed to envelop a building, acting as a multi-tasking, intelligent wall. Smartwrap integrates the currently segregated functions of a conventional wall and combines them into one crazy high-tech composite. It insulates, stores energy, and digitally regulates temperature, as well as providing and controlling light. Users can program different panels to light up, display an image, or switch from transparent to opaque as needed.

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SUNLIGHT DIRECT – Sunlight Transportation for the home

Nothing in the realm of new technology gets me more excited than sunlight transportation. Since sunlight is our most infinitely renewable resource, I am amazed that it has taken us so long to start developing hi-tech lighting and energy systems around it. Like …

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MODERN BIRDHOUSES

Have you met Jr., Richard and Ralph? Three distant cousins of Beaver Cleaver? No, they are the three different models available from Modern Birdhouses, a small company manufacturing a sleek, modernist twist on an old classic.

The birdhouses, named after J.R. Davidson, Richard Neutra, and Ralph Rapson, are both elegant and eco-friendly. Inspired by the pioneering architects of the 1940s Case Study Houses Program, the birdhouses comply with a contemporary standard, utilizing sustainably harvested teak certified …

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CRADLE TO CRADLE CERTIFICATION

There’s nary an eco-design fan who hasn?t seen Cradle to Cradle, the eye-catching book from Melcher Media by William McDonough and Michael Braungart of MBDC (McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry). This compact volume with its waterproof ?Durabook? pages summarizes what McDonough and Braungart predict will be the ?next industrial revolution,? founded on their principles for a new design paradigm.

With the book still circulating at a furious rate, MBDC officially launched their …

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CYLINDRICAL MYSTERY LAMPS

Spotted on Mocoloco, these cylindrical lamps from Lumino Design appear to be made from chain-mail or some other striated material. Unfortunately, all I could find out from the website was “Lorem ipsum dolor.” That’s greek for “website under construction!” I’m looking forward to finding out more about these beautiful mystery lamps, so if anyone knows anything, give me a shout.

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SKYSCRAPER FARMING

By the year 2050, nearly 80% of the earth’s population will reside in urban centers. An estimated 109 hectares of new and (about 20% more land than is represented by the country of Brazil) will be needed to grow enough food to feed them, if traditional farming practices continue as they are practiced today. (and thats not even talking about global warming…) What to do about this impending food crisis? Many think the solution might lie in urban “skyscraper farms”.

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URBAN UNDERGROUND AGRICULTURE

If you’ve ever been to Tokyo, you know that beneath the crowded streets, unexpected worlds exist. Subway exits lead to awe-inspiring underground food courts, where every culinary delight under the sun can be found behind gleaming glass cases. In one particular subterranean section of the city, a new edible phenomenon has emerged, thanks to staffing agency Pasona, Inc.

In February, the agency opened Pasona O2, an indoor urban farm where vegetables, rice, flowers and herbs flourish under fluorescent lights and LEDs in an environment that is almost entirely chemical-free. In a basement that was once a bank-vault, plants are cultivated and nourished hydroponically ? using nutrient-enhanced water instead of natural soil. Temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels are all controlled by computers. This kind of tank-farming makes it possible to grow plants rapidly, all year round, by maintaining an optimal balance of nutrients.

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BOOPOP & MOXBOX

Design company Moxbox has a thing for swingin’ sixties names like “Moxipop” and “Chromosomo” And, as one might expect from a company with a “Barberella” screen, Moxbox’s furniture would look right at home alongside a hanging bubble chair on the set of Austin Powers. But although Moxbox has a certain 60’s pop aesthetic, their beautiful furniture transcends mere retro nostalgia. This Boopop (huh?) coffee table is composed of 2 different layers of bamboo plywood which have been overlaid and cut in concentric circles. The grain of lighter bamboo runs perpendicular to the grain of the darker bamboo underneath, enhancing the optical effect created by the circles. A layer of resin over the top of the table smoothes the whole thing out into a flat surface.

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CONVERTIBLE “POUF” TRANSFORMS FROM CHAIR TO BED

At Design Within Reach I spotted this fabulous 3-in-1 furniture piece which converts from bed, to chair, to table. Called a “pouf” (and I’m not really sure why) this space-saving sleep solution is amazingly efficient. Folded up it becomes a chair – add the bent plywood tray on top, it becomes a cute table. When the “pouf” is unfolded, a full-length sleep surface is revealed ? perfect for impromptu houseguests. DWR’s pouf comes in two different designs. The first, the Trio Pouf, …

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MODERNIST MURPHY BEDS

Readers of Inhabitat may have noticed that I have a thing for folding furniture. Transformer furniture is just so much more space-saving and efficient than regular furniture. I really feel that all furniture should have some sort of multipurpose element to it.

Murphy beds are the original folding furniture, dating back to the turn of the century. Unfortunately, they have been around (and been neglected) for so long that most of them have a kitschy grandma look: nostalgic but not something you really want cluttering your house. Fortunately, it is possible to find fold-up furniture that will save space AND maintain your minimalist aesthetic.

Clei UK makes modernist Murphy beds in a variety of shapes and styles. They have bunk beds, double beds, single beds, and beds that transform into desks and shelves. This particularly awesome LGM piece folds up seamlessly into a
shelving unit ? and has a work desk that folds out of it as well.

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reTHINK / reDESIGN / reCYCLE

The AIA Chicago Young Architect’s Forum is currently accepting entries for reThink / reDesign / reCycle, – a two-phase juried competition that seeks proposals for an ecologically intelligent, urban recycling receptacle. If you are interested, better get a move on ? the deadline for registration is June 24th!

Via Archinect

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LIVING ART

I discovered New York City botanical artist Paula Hayes while on my morning jog through the east village. I kept passing this mysterious shop window on E13th street full of beautiful glass terrariums, and curiosity got the better of me. Turns out this was no ordinary boutique gardening shop. Hayes has become an international art star for her living sculptures: glass-blown hand-crafted terrariums and other pieces which integrate conceptual art with plants.

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HILTON GOES GREEN

Hilton Hotels is about to open America’s first green hotel, in Vancouver, Washington. The 226 room hotel was designed to be green in almost every way, and will be the first LEED-certified major hotel in the country. Designed by Portland architecture firm Fletcher Farr Ayott , the hotel was constructed with recycled steel and recyclable brick. The building reduces energy consumption in a variety of ways: automatic sensors turn off lights and heating in unoccupied rooms, employees are encouraged to use public transport, and alternative fueling stations are available for electric cars.

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SCRAPILE REVISITED

Word is out on the street that Brooklyn furniture company Scrapile has added a bunch of new designs to their fabulous line of recycled wood scrap furniture. I love these guys, so I am very excited to hear the news. For those of you who missed our previous post about Scrapile, the Brooklyn design duo Carlos Salgado and Burt Bettencourt collect scraps from local woodshops, and fashion stunning modernist furniture from the strips. Recently added designs include these lovely accessory boxes, a circular table, and wall-shelving. The new boxes are especially sexy, but I think my favorite of the Scrapile family is still probably the rectangular coffee table. No word on where these will be sold yet…. hopefully The Future Perfect and Vivavi will get on this, since both stores carry other Scrapile designs.

+ Scrapile

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GREENLIFE at NEOCON

The NeoCon 2005 conference is wrapping up today in Chicago. If you find yourself in the area with some free time and you’re reading this ? well, you have to move quickly, cause today’s the last day. Of particular interest to us is the “Greenlife” section featuring some great eco-furniture and materials, such as the Daylight Chair made from recycled car batteries, Vera Za? Arour?s Hemp Rugs, and Bruce Mau’s reuable, modular L7 tiles .

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Print a house in 24 hours with robots!

You may have heard of 3D printing, but did you know that rapid prototyping has grown to architectural scale? Inventor Behrokh Khoshnevis has developed a contour crafting machine which will allow one to “print” a house out of concrete in 24 hours. The contour crafter has been causing quite a stir with forward thinking architects, NASA and advocates of low-income housing, for its wide-ranging potential applications.

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TURN ON

In designing this rotating room, Austrian architecture firm AllesWirdGut claim to have found inspiration in the gravity chamber of Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. I think secretly they also may have been influence by a certain furry rodent. You gotta admit this looks like a human-sized hamster wheel.

TurnOn was one of the projects featured in Architectural Record’s 2005 Young Architect’s Awards. The design is a cylindrical living room which incorporates multiple functions of the home. Different circular modules are attached together to create the wheel-like space that can be turned (literally) to alter its function. “Just like customizing a car, the buyer can customize and accessorize to their own tastes and price range. Colors can be chosen, accessories such as flat-screen monitors could be added,” says Architect Herwig Spiegl, “and the modules could be arranged in infinite combinations.”

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Canada’s first LEED building makes wine

Stratus Vineyards in the Niagara region of Ontario has the distinct honour of being recognized as the worlds first LEED certified winery and the first building to be certified by LEED Canada. Designed by architect Les Andrew, the building burns no fossil fuels, it’s heated by 24 geothermal wells, built with reclaimed wood and steel ? it’s even got bike racks and showers to encourage the use of alternative transportation for its staff.

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ECOSPHERE

For all those out there who are too lazy to feed your fish, and too broke to afford a fine art terrarium ? your salvation has arrived in the form of the Ecosphere. These sealed glass mini-biospheres are the world’s first totally self-contained and self-sustaining ecosystems ? filled with red shrimp, bacteria, algae and filtered sea-water. They require no feeding, no cleaning and no care what-so-ever, except to be kept in sunlight at a comfortable temperature. The ecosphere is meant to represent a simple version of Earth?s own closed ecosystem and contains the same essential elements that are found on our planet: air, water, sunlight, along with the three main facets of a simple food chain: producers (algae), consumers (shrimp) and decomposers (bacteria). They usually last 2-3 years, but have been known to last up to 10 years.

Surprisingly, Ecospheres are relatively inexpensive, starting at $79 for the smallest model.

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TOYO ITO’s tree building

Is architecture the future of branding? Looking at retail trends over the past 5 years one might draw that conclusion. When Prada hired Rem Koolhaus to design their flagship NYC store in 2001, fashion retailers everywhere have been clamoring to beef up their brands with starchitect power. Nowhere is this more evident than on Tokyo’s main shopping drag Omotesando. Prada started the trend here by hiring Herzog & de Meuron to design their monument to brand, and other fashion houses like Dior and Louis Vuitton have followed suit.

Next in the line of Starchitect retail design is Toyo Ito’s gorgeous new building for Tod’s, the Italian leather-goods company. The Tod’s building takes it inspiration from the zelkova trees that line the street below. The seven story building is framed by a concrete exoskeleton ?an angular, asymmetrical latticework of crisscrossing braces that resemble tree branches. At night, with the lights on, the silhouetted structure transforms the whole building
into a stylized forest.

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PERIPHERE

Periphere is a Montreal?based brother & sister design duo who makes beautiful furniture like this decorative Uno chair(above), and Iceberg table(below). I spotted Periphere at ICFF, where their unique, clever designs stood out strongly against the leagues of unchallenging minimalist decor everywhere.

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SOLAR PANEL ROOF TILES

Everyone knows that using solar energy is a great way to conserve energy AND lower your energy bills. So why haven’t more people jumped on the solar energy bandwagon yet? Researchers think it has a lot to do with aesthetics and lack of convenience (not to mention cost). Photovoltaic solar panels, which were invented in 1954, consist of grids of raised black cells that, up until now have usually come in the form of large clunky rectangular panels that either stand alone, or must be bolted onto a roof. In addition to being aesthetically unappealing, some homeowners have been reluctant to embrace the technology because installing solar panels may require puncturing an existing roof and bolting on metal supports, which can void the roof’s warranty.

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RECYCLED FERRY HOME

How many of you have wished you could trade your apartment & crappy office space for a floating live/work houseboat in the San Francisco Bay? I know I have. I came across an article in last week’s New York Times which refueled my hope that one day those houseboat dreams could actually come true. The inspiring article I read profiled Olle Lundberg, a modernist architect who works with salvaged industrial materials. Lundberg has a couple of amazing houses in the San Francisco bay area and basically lives the life that I would like to be leading someday as a successful eco-architect, commuting between two stunning residences built from entirely by hand, from salvaged material.

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EXERGAMING

In our post last week about Video Game Exercise Bikes we got some interesting comments pointing out other companies doing similar things to Cyclescore. Upon further investigation, it looks as though there’s already an industry term for this emerging field of videogame / exercise equipment hybrids: “exergaming”. Silly label, but its a million?dollar idea. Integrated athletic video games and equipment are gradually popping up all over the place in many different forms.

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EXERWORKING

In light of our recent post about video game exercise bikes, I’ve discovered there are actually many variations on this theme being worked on in engineering labs around the world. Just today I spotted this Treadmill Workstation on We Make Money Not Art.

It seems that Dr. James Levine at the Mayo Clinic was tired of sitting in his chair all day while plugging away at his computer. (I feel you). So he hooked up his computer …

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THUMB PUZZLE TABLE

I spotted this puzzle table, by Douglas Homer at ICFF. (Yes, I’ve had a really hard time catching up with all the cool stuff I saw at ICFF ). I love this interactive table, which is based on a children’s puzzle. Not only does the puzzle table feature a cool 60’s style op-art aesthetic, but the Rubik’s cube-esque sliding tiles offer endless configurations, and what looks like hours of entertainment. Need a room refresh? Bored at home? Reconfigure your puzzle table! Also, there is storage space concealed beneath the sliding tiles, so in addition to being fun and pretty, this table is also quite practical.

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SUBMARINE HOUSE

For those of you out there who have Jacques Cousteau fantasies, a semi-submerged floating house may be just the thing you need. Italian architect Giancarlo Zema specializes in marine aquatic architecture and currently offers two different types of floating, semi-submerged houses that are designed to be docked in atolls and sheltered bays so that the inhabitants can spend their leisure time viewing underwater sea life.

The Trilobis (above), named after the Trilobyte, is a 20 mt long non-polluting, self-sufficient harbour yacht meant for cruising reefs. Electricity for the craft is supplied by solar power. Photovoltaic panels are integrated into a foam-cored fiberglass skin, which provide power during the day. At night and on cloudy days power is provided by batteries. The underwater bit sits 3.0 meters belwo sea-level, has a transparent observation room which allows unfettered view of marine life. Due to the shape of the Trilobis, is can be arrange in circular colonies.

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URBAN TREE RECYCLING

Ever wonder what happens to those trees on your street that get chopped down by the city? ?The East Bay Conservation Corps in Oakland did. According to their site, “nearly 3.8 billion board feet from urban trees are landfilled, burned, chipped or left to rot.” That represents 30% of the annual hardwood lumber production in America, lost.

Fortunately, they decided to do something about it and formed the Urban Tree Mill, an organization that will pick up your tree (providing it meets requirements) and mill it, preventing a most unnecessary trip to the landfill. Further, the money made from their wood sales goes right back into the community, sponsoring local community environmental and youth programs. This excellent example of an organization taking strides to make both environmental and social changes for the better should serve as a model for similar urban organizations. ?

Any readers in Oakland that need wood in the near future, don’t hesitate to drop these folks a line and let us know how it goes.

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