Inhabitat

PREFAB FRIDAY: The Collapsible, Flatpacked Olympic Stadium

Any sustainable minded surveyor of large scale events wonders if the expense and waste associated with showpiece stadiums could be reduced, even just a little. Well, the organizers of the London Olympics have a remarkable plan that could offset construction costs, and be sure that their stadium finds a purposeful second life. Currently there are plans in place to dismantle around 70% of the proposed London Olympic Stadium, pack up the components, and send them to the host of the 2016 Olympics! Finally, flatpacked, prefab stadiums!

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ICFF 2008: Stanley Ruiz Twig Jewelry

In a world of shimmering polycarbonate chairs and seamlessly engineered surfaces, Brooklyn based Stanley Ruiz’s work is a breath of fresh air. Inspired by “walking, improv music, and Thoreau”, his New Organic Collection strikes a stunning balance between craft and industry. Composed of powder-coated steel and carefully selected twigs, the collection beautifully blends prefigured forms with raw materials.

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EKLA Home’s New Sustainable Sofas Unveiled

A confessed dumpster diver always on the look-out for abandoned treasures and grand-daughter to both a furniture designer and a scrap metal recycler, Emily Kroll was destined to launch EKLA Home. With a fresh new brand of sustainable sofas, Kroll’s green-minded design endeavor takes its eco-mandate very seriously. If you didn’t catch the Los Angeles-based designer’s off-Javits East Coast debut at Design Lush during ICFF, here’s a quick and delicious recap.

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COAL PLANT DEATHWATCH MAP!

As actions to combat climate change have heated up, many coal plants have finally begun to cool down. (And its about time!) Whether from the realization that coal is a leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions such as CO2 (as well as dirty and destructive in their extraction and processing of the coal itself) or just from the fear that regulation may cause undo financial hardships, many coal plants have been put on the back burner or nixed all together. Our compadres over at Earth2tech have put together a great interactive google map which shows the locations of coal plants that have fallen to the wayside, documenting the demise of these obsolete, smog belching beasts and presenting the info in powerful graphic form.

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LIFESAVER: World’s First Ultra Filtration Water Bottle

Over the years, Milan has evolved from merely hosting a furniture fair every spring to having almost every street taken over by all types of innovative design every April. This year, sustainable design joined in the fray more than ever, with many exciting exhibits highlighting socially conscious design, including the Well-Tech Awards. At this inspirational show we discovered the Lifesaver bottle – a beautifully simple concept for portable water filtration, and one that could make a real difference to a world increasingly threatened by shortages of clean, drinkable water.

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James Law’s High Tech ‘Cybertecture Egg’ for Mumbai

James Law Cybertecture International brings high-tech solutions to large scale structures through innovative ideas for intelligent living. The latest future forward design from this firm is the Cybertecture Egg, commissioned by Vijay Associate (Wadhwa Developers) for Mumbai, India. The 32,000 sq m egg-shaped building will combine “iconic architecture, environmental design, intelligent systems, and new engineering to create an awe-inspiring landmark in the city.”

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Take the Inhabitat Reader Survey

For over three years now Inhabitat has been offering up daily doses of the newest and most innovative green design around. Have you been reading Inhabitat for awhile? Have some opinions that you are dying to get off your chest about Inhabitat? Now is your chance to let us know what you think, and have a say in the way we organize (and advertise) on our site, with a new reader survey we’ve just started running. If …

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San Francisco’s Transbay Terminal gets the green light

San Franciscans rejoice! The Transbay Joint Powers Authority just approved a stunning green design for the new Transbay Transit Center to be constructed in downtown SF. Planned by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, the project consists of a graceful glass tower paired with an elegantly sweeping transit center topped with a five-and-a-half acre public park. Both structures will showcase a stellar set of sustainable features and will fulfill the project’s aim of centralizing the region’s transportation network while providing the SOMA neighborhood with a valuable community space.

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RECYCLED COFFEE STIRRER LAMP from Studio Verissimo

If you are a coffee drinker with a hard-to-kick habit, you are probably all too aware of how many coffee stirrers are wasted at places like Starbucks every single day. Day in and day out, millions of these single-use sticks go straight into the garbage and off to the landfill after a quick 10-second swirl of cream or sugar. You may have even wondered – like we sure have: “Isn’t there something that we can do to get better use out of all these toss-away coffee stirrers?” Well we are happy to report that there finally is answer to the java-waste woes: Portuguese design group Studio Veríssimo has just debuted a gorgeous eco-luxe chandelier that not only provides a glimmer of hope for discarded coffee sticks, but also created quite a stir at the recent Touch | NY exhibition during New York Design Week.

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Lunar cabinet glows in the dark with eco-paint

We are captivated by the lunar visions created in this glowing ‘Fullmoon’ credenza. Designed by Sotirios Papadopoulos for ENNEZERO, this intriguing piece brings a realistic recreation of the moon’s surface to light with a luminescent paint. Despite looking very chemical-intensive and unsustainable, the glow-in-the-dark paint is actually an ‘ecological powder’ that’s been modified into a substance called ELI, or ‘Ecolightinside.’

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Scientific breakthrough decomposes plastic bags in 3 months!

This month heralds a world-changing scientific breakthrough as a teenage prodigy has developed a new way to decompose plastic bags in just three months! A 16 year old named Daniel Burd conducted his experiment as a science fair project, and ended up with a revolutionary solution to the plastic plague that has laid waste to ecosystems around the world. By isolating the microorganisms that break down plastic, Burd’s research has yielded an industrially scalable way to cinch closed the material’s millennium-spanning life-cycle.

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Sunplant photovoltaic foliage on display in Milan

Clearly a design better suited to sunny Italy than our native London, Toshiyuki Kita’s Sunplant, which we spotted in Milan this year, is an elaborate outdoor energy installation that fuses art with environmentally friendly gadget power. It’s a lovely metaphor: energy from the sun hits one of the plant’s eight PV panel ‘leaves’, which is then used to recharge up to 48 AA batteries that sit at the installation’s centre.

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Herman Miller Environment: Eco revamp of design classics

Herman Miller, the company behind the famous Aeron cradle-to-cradle chair, has just won another point for sexy sustainability by offering new takes on eight furniture design classics in eco-friendly fabric. The new Herman Miller Environment collection includes the Eames Aluminum Group Lounge Chair, the Executive chair and the Compact sofa. The selected eco-revamped designs will be stocked exclusively by ABC Home, which chose the range for its ability to integrate today’s sustainability agenda into designs with timeless beauty.

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APPLE FILES SOLAR PATENT: MacBook going solar?

If you read Inhabitat with any frequency, you know we are always on the lookout for greener gadgets that will reduce the amount of energy and waste associated with wireless mobility. Well, we just spotted some breaking greener gadget news that are sure to get Apple fans excited! Drumroll please..

Apple just filed a patent to infuse their hand-helds and computers with a thin film of solar cells, paving the way for a new generation of gadgets with battery life boosted by the sun. The patent approaches the prospect from every angle, with schematics to stack photovoltaic cells beneath the entire surface of their portables – including the screen!

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Masdar’s Solar Powered Rapid Transit System

In Arabic, Masdar means “the source,” and the the latest development to spring from the city’s upwelling of green tech is a futuristic transit system that will serve the city’s six square kilometers. Realizing a concept straight out of sci-fi, the system consists of a fleet of solar-powered programmable vehicles that seat six and keep streets congestion free.

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TRANSPORTATION TUESDAY: VW’s 235mpg car

With oil prices at $135 dollars per barrel, the pressure is on for car makers to innovate and create more fuel efficient vehicles. Volkswagen seems to be taking this task seriously with the 1L, a prototype that is capable of traveling for 235mpg using 1 gallon of gasoline, or 100km on 1L of gas. Adding to the excitement of this breakthrough is recent news that VW plans to get this concept out to market in 2010!

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REMINDER: One Good Chair Competition closes May 30th!

image shows ‘Annie’ – the recycled shopping cart chair from Reestore Design

Calling all eco furniture designers! All green ID geniuses! All chair connoisseurs! Here’s your chance to conjure up an innovative armchair in keeping with the tenets of “good” (ie “green”) design. The One Good Chair Competition is looking for some smart new designs that balance beauty with comfort while letting sustainable forms shine through. The winning team will receive $4,500 to help realize their design as a prototype.

Registration CLOSES MAY 30th
Deadline for all entries: June 9th 7pm EST

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ICFF 2008: Nature inspired cork credenza by Iannone Design

This spring’s ICFF brought some stunning new treats from one of Inhabitat’s perennial favorites, Iannone Designs. The star of Iannone’s ICFF booth was this wonderful Cork Mosaic Credenza that features a charming woodland tableau formed from variegated layers of sustainably harvested cork. Its sprightly reliefs of birds, deer and branches secures Iannone’s spot as the epitome of eco-chic.

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Calgary’s new green skyscraper by Foster + Partners

What does one of the largest independently owned oil and gas companies do to turn over a more sustainable leaf? Well, in this case, EnCana hired green-tech architecture firm du jour Foster + Partners to design their new, environmentally sustainable headquarters in Calgary, Canada. Dubbed The Bow, the new tower’s namesake comes from its overall shape, as well as the breathtaking views it offers inhabitants of the Bow River. As expected from a Foster + Partners design, the form of this sustainable skyscraper follows some very green function.

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SUSTAINABLE STYLE: Baboa Jewelry Collection by TOUCH

Last Sunday night’s TOUCH | NY opening in Chelsea was definitely a colorful green addition to New York Design Week’s offerings. The Inhabitat team was excited to be onsite for a first hand look at TOUCH’s innovative Brazilian eco designs, as well as their gorgeous Mana jewelry collection. The crowd was totally festive and chatting up a storm about the need for ‘design that matters’ and is working towards viable economic opportunity. An impressive design find from the TOUCH event was jewelry designer Raquel Soares’ handcrafted, wooden Baboa jewelry. Soares’ collection is an eye-catching example of recycled materials taking on new life with the right assemblage and combination of minimalist means. Baboa’s designs are crafted from left over wood scraps, an aspect we feel sends the right kind of sustainable style message when it comes to repurposed local design ingredients creating a global appeal.

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SUSTAINABLE STYLE: Del Forte Organic Denim

After a month or more of eco fashion and design related events here in NYC, it is good to get back to basics and launch into some much needed time relaxing in the great outdoors and the city’s green spaces. What better way to kick back in eco chic style than is a super sexy pair of Del Forte Denim organic cotton jeans, sewn and finished in the U.S.A? It is no secret that some of the greenest babes out there wear Del Forte Denim, not only for the supreme fit and detailed tailoring, but also in solidarity with the company’s fashion forward attitude. Known on the street to be a stylish eco-luxe investment, the distinctive quality of Del Forte Denim makes them totally sustainable and covetable in their season-to-season appeal.

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Recycled Cardboard Sculpture by Chris Gilmour

With all the exploration of recycled materials in green design these days, the work of artist Chris Gilmour seems like a logical and amusing next step in terms of upcycling and eco-friendly art processes. Gilmour, an English artist based in Italy, re-creates objects and machines from our everyday lives using only packing cardboard and glue. Industrial cardboard is typically used only once for shipping materials and then wastefully discarded. Often adorned with logos and other graphics, the remnants of the material’s former use is an aspect that Gilmour wryly incorporates into his sculptural work, with an ironic wink to the viewer.

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ICFF 2008: Newspaper Chair

Dozens of rolled up newspapers found their way back to functionality in the cleverly designed Newspaper Chair by Kimberly Kulka, a student at California College of the Arts. We love the smart thought process behind this chair – store your magazines and newspapers underneath the form for added structural stability and cushioning (and storage space of course). This is one of the most inspired takes on the magazine rack idea that we’ve seen in awhile.

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ICFF 2008: MIO’s Recycled Tire Rubber Stools

Philadelphia-based design studio MIO unveiled their innovative rubber stool collection at ICFF this week. Fashioned out of recycled tires with a clean-lined steel frame, the Rubber Stool is ingeniously simple and surprisingly comfortable. The rubber seat is woven into the frame without any hardware and simple traction keeps it in place. No assembly required, just sit! Made from hardy materials, the Rubber Stool is perfect for either indoor or outdoor use.

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Reclaimed Wood Housewares by Domestic Aesthetic

It takes more than renewable materials to turn the head of seasoned sustainable design fans. This is why our gaze fell so admirably on the line of housewares from Domestic Aesthetic while making our way through the ICFF this past week. Domestic Aesthetic’s motto “live well, live right” extends beyond their product line into the surrounding community, with social responsibility high on their list of priorities. With a beautiful line of handcrafted pieces, this truly green-minded company is out to make eco-friendly easier for both buyers and manufacturers, and we have to admit that the results are beautiful.

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Cliffside Shipping Container Home in New Zealand

We’re always excited to see architects reuse industrial materials, and in the prefab world there’s no match for the simplicity, low cost, and customization capabilities of the stalwart shipping container. We’ve covered several ways that architects have up-cycled the durable containers into industrial-chic living spaces, and this incredible home in Wellington, New Zealand, is the latest container redux to catch our eye. Composed of three slate grey containers stacked up like blocks beside a hilltop, it strikes the perfect balance between ruggedly engineered construction and clean modern form.

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PREFAB FRIDAY: Focus House in London by BERE Architects

Added to an end-of-terrace house in North London, Focus House is a delightful prefabricated eco-home for a family of five. Bere Architects, the firm behind the design, used PassivHaus principles to inform their process. The world’s leading energy efficiency standard, Passivhaus recognizes buildings that are so energy efficient all they need is a small electric heater. Focus House is a unique design that embodies the prefab principles of waste reduction and efficiency, and raises the bar on energy-efficient building design.

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ICFF 2008: Flatpack Origami Table by MIO

We found many innovative designs at ICFF last weekend, but we were particularly impressed with the concept behind this beautiful table from MIO. Its streamlined form uses a waste reducing pattern that can be cut with little leftover material, and packed flat for efficient shipping. Dubbed the Origami table, the design was inspired by its namesake art form. Through an exploration of folding materials, MIO has created a functional and efficient eco-friendly structure that is self-locking and hardware free.

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ICFF 2008: Tables from Reclaimed Car Parts!

One of our favorite finds at this year’s ICFF were these beautiful geometric tables wrought from scraps of reclaimed sheet metal by Brooklyn based Nine Stories Furniture. Each table is painstakingly crafted of material harvested from old automobiles found in salvage yards. The metal is cut, formed, and pieced together into a durable patchwork that proudly displays the patina and history of its disparate parts.

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LA FELIZ: Eco-friendly Woven Furniture & Lighting

As continuation of our TOUCH | NY coverage of eco friendly furniture, lighting and accessories design from this inspired Brazilian collective, we were excited to discover the handcrafted work of Patricio Lix Klett and his La Feliz Collection. We love the organic and clean functional vocabulary of his designs, and particularly like that his latest plastic wicker creations now come in a recycled version. Part sculpture, part durable furniture and retro style lighting, La Feliz is an extremely stylish collection with a luminous personal touch.

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Kyouei umbrella holder waters your plants

Sick of rain-slicked slippery floors? Looking to take your rainwater recycling to the next level, while simultaneously improving your green thumb? This Umbrella Plant Pot by Kyouei Design offers a beautiful solution to the soggy umbrella dilemma, and allows you to turn that excess, unwanted rain water into nourishment for a plant! It’s a simple ceramic umbrella jar with an ingenious twist – watershed from your soaked brellies collects in a pot at the bottom of the vase to sustains a tiny potted plant.

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