Inhabitat » Beth Shea

Polar Bear Robots Replace Dead Bears at St. Louis Zoo

Beth Shea — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:00:25 +0000

Officials at the St. Louis Zoo are preparing for their holiday Wild Lights exhibit by installing electronic polar bear proxies in place of the deceased polar bears who died in their captivity. The gesture is rife with social commentary, given the fact that polar bears have become the iconic images of climate change, and our generation could witness their extinction. Could artificial animal zoo exhibits be the reality of the near future? See what PETA proposes and learn more about this new breed of bear at Inhabitots.

‘Mons Lavabo’ Sink Helps Kids Save Water When Washing Hands

Beth Shea — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:00:44 +0000

With flu season upon us, parents can use all the help they can get when it comes to keeping their kid’s hands clean and germ free. The bright and cherry ‘Mons Lavabo,’ a short-listed entry in Designboom’s Green Life contest, is the wash basin equivalent of a superhero whose powers are promoting good hygiene and saving water. Designed by Teng Chuan Tey and Romualdo Faura Bernabe from Spain, Mons Lavabo is a kid-sized sink that caters to the hand washing habits of children. Made from Duralmond (biodegradable and recyclable crushed almond husks), the enclosed form of Mons Lavabo helps reduce splashes, a motion sensor turns water on and off to prevent waste, and Mons’ sole ‘tooth’ acts as a soap dispenser to remind kids to lather up.

ANDREA Air Filter Purifies Indoor Air with the Help of House Plants

Beth Shea — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:00:10 +0000

We first reported on the conceptual design of the Bel-Air living air filter back in 2007, and now everyone may breathe a little easier because it came to fruition as the ANDREA Air Filter and went on the market this week! The stylish air purifier, invented by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur with Harvard professor David Edward elevates common houseplants to heroic status as they eliminate noxious chemicals that pollute indoor air. Visit Inhabitots to see precisely how the ANDREA Air Filter works!

Inhabit’s Mid-Century Modern Pillows and Wall Art

Beth Shea — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:30:52 +0000

The eco chic Eames Modern Rocker is the quintessential rocking chair for green, design-savvy parents — and when we came across Inhabit’s Modern Chair collection of pillows and wall art featuring vibrant silhouettes of Eames icons including the plastic RAR Rocker, we knew baby’s nursery decor scheme just came full circle. Inhabit’s feather and down cushions, fabric wall hangings and stretched canvas art are handmade in the USA from 100% recycled polyester and printed with no waste, eco-friendly inks. And with a name like Inhabit, we know to expect inspired, green design.

KOZ Architects’ Colorful, Green Sports & Leisure Center in Saint-Cloud

Beth Shea — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:40:40 +0000

KOZ Architects’ Sports & Leisure Center is a rainbow colored wonderland for kids in Saint-Cloud, France. Designed for festive celebrations and entertainment and featuring the ‘coolest’ indoor climbing wall in France, the vibrant hues from the outside of the building correlate via color coding to the interior areas — enabling spatial orientation for young children. Environmentally aware KOZ architects made ‘green’ the standout color in their project by implementing eco-aspects into their design. The openings in the roofs and the glass facades allow for maximum natural lighting and limit electrical consumption, and they used prefab concrete slabs to reduce waste, pigment infused concrete to reduce paint use, and installed a solar heated hot water system.

Modern Cabana’s ‘KIDDO Cabana’ Prefab Playhouse

Beth Shea — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:30:43 +0000

Fans of prefab design can now pass their affinity on to their children via Modern Cabana’s newest addition to their collection of modern living spaces — the KIDDO Cabana. Dubbed the “ultimate choose-your-own-adventure” dwelling space, kids will adore turning the blank canvas of the KIDDO into their own unique playhouse. KIDDO is made in San Francisco with FSC-certified wood harvested from sustainably managed forests in the United States, no-VOC paints and glues, and natural tree oil stains. The interior boasts an array of kid enticing features you have to see! Visit Inhabitots to peek inside.

Eco Clothing Origami Sculptures by Bela Borsodi

Beth Shea — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:00:07 +0000

Bela Borsodi proves that fashion is an art form by creating faces and animals out of clothing, origami-style. In his ‘Wild Life’ spread in Italian Vogue he brought creatures including a frog and a swan to life by masterfully fashioning them out of accessories. His expert flair for folding leaves a zero carbon footprint since the clothing he works with is not permanently altered, and may crawl back into a drawer or return to a hanger in the closet once it has served its purpose. Visit Ecouterre to view Borsodi’s animated creations and watch the clothing ‘heads’ he created for fashion label Yalook come to life and give you a piece of their… mind?

Birdhouse Lamp by Inke Heiland made from Salvaged French Oak

Beth Shea — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:30:16 +0000

Designed to cast a sweet glow and add a touch of outdoor ambience, we think Inke Heiland’s Birdhouse Lamp is a joyful embellishment that would add natural flair to any room of the house. Handmade from 100% salvaged French Oak, the Birdhouse Lamp comes with an energy saving CFL light bulb and a pair of Heiland’s vintage handcut wallpaper bird silhouettes.

Artist Amelia Santiago’s Wool Felt ‘Pet Portrait’ Sculptures

Beth Shea — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:30:09 +0000

Since cloning your pet goes against Mother Nature, do the next best thing and have artist Amelia Santiago create a three-dimensional ‘Pet Portrait’ sculpture as an homage to your best furry friend. Santiago will handcraft a sculpture of your dog, cat, bunny or horse out of 100% wool felt, implementing every physical detail of the animal’s coat and appearance. Her replicas bear an uncanny resemblance to their real-life models. In most cases, you’d be hard pressed to tell the two apart.

Manuel Villa’s Habitable Polyhedron – A Family Garden Retreat

Beth Shea — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:30:23 +0000

We’ve seen our fair share of backyard retreats, but Manuel Villa’s Habitable Polyhedron shapes up to be one of the most unique dwellings we’ve come across. Designed as an escape for young families: parents and their newborn, the Habitable Polyhedron offers respite from day to day household activities in a family’s back garden in Bogota, Columbia. One windowed side of the polyhedron opens to a teak deck leading into nature; and a skylight casts natural light on a workspace and sofa inside. Once the child grows up, the space may accommodate him in the same manner as would a treehouse or playhouse.

‘Adoptabot’ Upcycled Robots Await Adoption into Green Homes

Beth Shea — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:30:35 +0000

In the case of designer Brian Marshall, playing with toys all day really can culminate in a career. Inspired by a childhood spent building with Legos and Lincoln Logs, Marshall’s imagination unearthed the beauty in found items and he crafted an eco-inspired motley crew of robots currently awaiting adoption in the world’s first robot orphanage. Made from discarded objects including lamps, clocks, silverware and cameras, these personable robots range in persona from formidable to fun-loving. But they all have the common thread of having their parts spared from a landfill to bring thoughtful decor and character to green families with a soft spot for robots.

Steven Guarnaccia’s Modern Fairytales for Design Savvy Families

Beth Shea — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:30:27 +0000

Pass on your penchant for design and architecture to your kids in a language they’ll understand — via the re-telling of classic fairytales by illustrator Steven Guarnaccia, who gives a stylish update to The Three Little Pigs and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. In the modern spins of these tales, Goldilocks takes a seat in a ‘Ladderback’ chair, a Danish ‘Egg’ chair and an Eames ‘LCW’ chair when happening upon the Bears’ home, and the porcine interpretations of renowned architects Frank Gehry, Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright are up against a wolf who ‘threatens to demolish smartly designed structures,’ all of which are defined in the book’s glossary. Thanks to Guarnaccia’s new twists, parents can believe in the ‘happily ever after’ of enjoying storytime alongside their kids.

‘Baby in Table’ Furniture Design Evolves as Children Grow

Beth Shea — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:00:45 +0000

Parents are all too aware of the revolving door of quickly outgrown furniture that goes hand in hand with raising a child. Incessantly purchasing furniture is taxing on both the environment and the wallet. Designer Oji Masanori’s ‘Baby in Table’ is a clever alternative that is both stylish and sensible, as it changes in function as your child grows up. Two pieces of Japanese Beech furniture comprise this evolving design which houses an infant during mealtime (via the cut out square on the tabletop), then becomes a child’s desk, while the chair doubles as a step stool for the entire family. Head to Inhabitots to see all the various ways Baby in Table may be utilized.

BOOK REVIEW: The National Parks: Our American Landscape

Beth Shea — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:30:39 +0000

Education is the key to conservation, and Ian Shive’s photographs in The National Parks: Our American Landscape enlighten viewers with a rare, adrenaline-filled look at the phenomenal beauty of the American backdrop. Shive’s photography offers a fresh outlook on nature, making a hairy tarantula in the Chihuahuan Desert featured in an extreme close-up, appear as a dazzling wild gem, and depicting a giant Sequoia Tree as it reaches deep into the sky, its branches blending with the stars. In the book’s collection of 200+ photographs, Shive manages to both capture the magnificence of too grand for words settings while enabling the viewer to interact with the environment and process moments in time on an individual level.

Read the rest of BOOK REVIEW: The National Parks: Our American Landscape

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Post tags: environmental photographers, environmental photography, ian shive, national parks, the national parks our american landscape, water and sky photography

Petting Farm Nominated for 2009 World Architecture Award

Beth Shea — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:30:33 +0000

70F Architecture’s Sheep Stable/Petting Farm is nominated for a 2009 World Architecture Award. The building’s open facade allows for wind to continuously ventilate the entire farm, and its shutters open and close with the rising and setting sun, as if the structure itself ‘wakes up and goes to sleep everyday.’ This gorgeous petting farm in the Netherlands offers local families a chance to indulge in the beauty of nature and design in one setting.

Inhabitat » Beth Shea

Polar Bear Robots Replace Dead Bears at St. Louis Zoo

READ MORE AT INHABITOTS >

‘Mons Lavabo’ Sink Helps Kids Save Water When Washing Hands

READ MORE AT INHABITOTS >

ANDREA Air Filter Purifies Indoor Air with the Help of House Plants

READ MORE AT INHABITOTS >

Inhabit’s Mid-Century Modern Pillows and Wall Art

READ MORE AT INHABITOTS >

KOZ Architects’ Colorful, Green Sports & Leisure Center in Saint-Cloud

READ MORE AT INHABITOTS >

Modern Cabana’s ‘KIDDO Cabana’ Prefab Playhouse

READ MORE AT INHABITOTS >

Eco Clothing Origami Sculptures by Bela Borsodi

READ MORE AT ECOUTERRE >

Birdhouse Lamp by Inke Heiland made from Salvaged French Oak

READ MORE AT INHABITOTS >

Artist Amelia Santiago’s Wool Felt ‘Pet Portrait’ Sculptures

READ MORE AT INHABITOTS >

Manuel Villa’s Habitable Polyhedron – A Family Garden Retreat

READ MORE AT INHABITOTS >

‘Adoptabot’ Upcycled Robots Await Adoption into Green Homes

READ MORE AT INHABITOTS >

Steven Guarnaccia’s Modern Fairytales for Design Savvy Families

READ MORE AT INHABITOTS >

‘Baby in Table’ Furniture Design Evolves as Children Grow

READ MORE AT INHABITOTS >

BOOK REVIEW: The National Parks: Our American Landscape

Petting Farm Nominated for 2009 World Architecture Award

READ MORE AT INHABITOTS >