DRUMROLL PLEASE…
AND NOW THE ANNOUNCEMENT YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR..
ERIKA has been selected as the winner of our Pimp my Eco Ride Contest
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Mike Chino
Mike is a writer, researcher, and musician based in San Francisco. He left sunny UC Santa Cruz with a B.A. in French and Modern literature and delved into publishing through a stint at ReadyMade Magazine. Inspired by the impact that forward thinking can have on the present, he has cultivated a voracious appetite for developments in sustainable architecture, design, and technology. Mike likes to bike, blog, and build things, and in his spare time he also cooks, produces music, and rocks out.
June 26, 2009
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June 25, 2009
Design gets very literal in this toilet made from poop!
Form follows function to whole new level in Virginia Gardiner’s energy generating toilet - which is literally made from poop! Designed for use in developing countries, the LooWatt is a waterless toilet system that transforms human waste into a highly valued commodity - energy. The low-cost mechanical eco commode encourages people to trade in their waste for biofuel, creating an urban infrastructure that encourages proper waste disposal, cuts down on the spread of water-born illnesses, and provides a reliable source of energy (so long as you’re regular). Check out Dwell’s fantastic video (below) for an interview with designer Virginia Gardiner, and read on for more on the poop toilet!
June 24, 2009
PIMP MY ECO-RIDE CONTEST CLOSES TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT!
Heads-up all eco-enthusiasts looking for a slick new summer ride! Our Pimp my Eco-Ride Contest is closing tonight at midnight, which makes this your LAST CHANCE to convince us why you should win this limited edition Strida 5.0 SX folding bicycle! To enter, simply click on the link below and submit a photo and comment explaining why we should Pimp your Eco-Ride, and we’ll be selecting our favorite entry to win this ultra-light and eco-chic folding bike valued at $950!
ENTER OUR PIMP MY ECO-RIDE CONTEST >
June 19, 2009
THERE IS STILL TIME TO WIN A FREE BIKE WORTH $950!
We’ve extended the deadline for our Pimp My Eco Ride contest to Wednesday, June 24th at midnight, which means that there’s still time to score this beautiful Strida 5.0 SX Limited folding bike provided by our great friends at Areaware.
ENTER OUR PIMP MY ECO-RIDE CONTEST >
Strida 5.0 SX Limited Folding Bicycle
The Strida 5.0 series of slick folding bikes are revered as some of the most sturdy, lightweight, and compact cycles in their class, with everyone from urban cyclists and eco-geeks to space-starved city residents singing their praises. Recently designer Mark Sanders rolled out the latest and greatest folding cycle to grace the lineup, the SX Limited. This souped-up folding bicycle features extended handlebars, a classic comfy leather seat, and thinner, larger 18″ Schwalbe tires for faster and smoother cruising.
PIMP MY ECO-RIDE CONTEST: Win a Strida Folding Bike!
WIN A $950 STRIDA FOLDING BIKE!
As the weather gets warmer we’re looking forward to spending plenty of sun-soaked days outdoors - and what better way to take full advantage of the beautiful weather than by breezing along on a slick bicycle? We here at Inhabitat want to encourage the use of the world’s most eco-efficient (and fun) mode of transportation, so we’ve teamed up with our fantastic friends at Areaware to give away a styling brand new STRiDA 5.0 SX Limited folding bike!
All you have to do to win is provide us with photographic evidence of why you need this awesome bicycle - is your current ride a crusty old clunker? Is there a mammoth mountain of steps leading up to your 6th floor walkup apartment? Whatever the case, upload your photos after the jump and leave a comment explaining why we should pimp your eco-ride, and we’ll be selecting one lucky winner to receive this beautiful limited edition Strida bicycle valued at $950!
TO ENTER:
1. Sign up for our newsletter
2. Leave a comment on this post, and upload a photo explaining why you need this fantastic folding bike! All photos must be sized to 537 pixels wide and should be under 100k in file size.
*Our image uploading is a bit tricky - sorry! Please don’t forget to copy and paste the image tag for your photo submission in the comment form or it will not show up in the comments. It has come to our attention that many of you are submitting comments without photos. As this is a PHOTO CONTEST - entries without photos will be deleted.
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LAST CHANCE TO ENTER INHABITOTS ECO-CUTEY CONTEST!
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO ENTER THE ECO CUTEY COMPETITION!
Creating a more sustainable future starts with today’s tots, which is why Inhabitots is currently running an adorable Eco-Cutey contest to show off the cutest kids that give a hoot about the environment! If you know an adorable eco-tot that deserves the prize, …
Solar Powered Machine Spins Furniture Shaped by Sunlight
Austrian designers mischer’traxler have created a solar powered machine that makes an incredible array of furnishings that vary based on how much sunlight it receives over the course of a day. Titled “The Idea of a Tree“, the machine spins spools of thread into stools, benches, containers, and lamp shades that wax and wane as the available sunlight shifts. Variations in weather, the time of year, and other environmental factors create pieces of different shape, color, and size, instilling the furniture with growing, seasonal qualities that mimic photosynthesis.
Solar Powered Bus Shelter Unveiled in San Francisco
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom recently unveiled the first of 1,100 solar powered bus shelters that will be installed throughout the city between now and 2013. Crowned with a rolling red crest of photovoltaic panels, the shelters will use the sun’s rays to power their intercom, LED lighting, and even wireless routers that will help blanket the city with WiFi goodness. Designed by Lundberg Design and contracted through Clear Channel, the new shelters signal a bright future for solar technology in the Bay Area.
Michelle Kaufmann Designs Folds Under Terrible Economy
It is with great sadness that we recently learned of the closing of Michelle Kaufmann Designs, one of our favorite green architecture practices and close friends to Inhabitat. The groundbreaking studio blazed the path for green building and was in large part responsible for linking modern, modular prefabricated housing with sustainability. Having interviewed Michelle and followed her growing practice over the past five years the news comes as a great blow and we’re really sorry to see them go!
Guardian Climate Change Summit 2009
In the midst of the current global economic crisis, many businesses stand to lose sight of sustainability goals as they focus upon the meeting the bottom line and keeping their staff in employment. However there has never been a more critical time for environmental policy, and the Guardian Climate Change Summit 2009 is a rallying call for businesses to move from environmental awareness to action in these tough economic times. Taking place in on June 15th at London’s Hotel Russell, the conference aims to inspire more businesses to prioritize the environment by showing that meeting the bottom line financially and keeping climate change high on the agenda are far from incompatible.
Stunning Stamen Chandeliers Made From Toothpicks
Designed by Daisuke Hiraiwa, these elegant echidna-esque Stamen chandeliers elevate an everyday material into brilliant expressions of found design. Each one is created by gluing hundreds of toothpicks together to form a flexible disc that gives their bristling points a fluid form. The pointillist pendant lamps recently debuted at ICFF 2009, where they wowed onlookers with their complex folding curves and innovative use of materials.
Comfy Chair Made From Reclaimed Playground Slide
Designed by Evan Dublin, this brightly-hued slide chair is sure to give any room a brilliant pop of color. A slick example of found design, the chair is crafted from a deconstructed playground set reclaimed from a New York City salvage yard. Evan set the slide on end, upholstered it with cushy padding, and finished it with a wood base for a playful …
World’s Tiniest Car Made From a Children’s Ride
We keep on saying that smaller, more efficient vehicles are the way of the future, but we never thought we’d see one this tiny! In a bid to create the world’s smallest car, Perry Watkins of the U.K. has repurposed a “Postman Pat” children’s ride into a street-legal vehicle that pushes far beyond clown-car dimensions. The car measures 39 inches tall by 26 inches wide, is capable of accelerating up to 40mph, and gets 70 miles per gallon!
Inhabitat Reports from ICFF 2009!
This weekend team Inhabitat took the International Contemporary Furniture Fair by storm, seeking out the freshest green designs amid this year’s crop of over 2,500 exhibitors. From sleek and chic chaises to eco-efficient products to the patently bizarre, we were wowed by the wealth of designs on display. Read on for our favorite finds from the show, stay tuned for more coverage, and don’t forget to check out our photo album for more eco-friendly furnishings, lighting solutions, and products!
VIDEO: Inhabitat Green Tour of BKLYN Designs
It’s hard to capture all of the excitement of this year’s BKLYN Designs in words and photos alone - which is why we’re thrilled to bring you a video tour of our favorite green design picks from the show! Follow Inhabitat founder Jill Fehrenbacher and crew as they scout out hot new products and get exclusive interviews with the designers that created them. For more coverage of the stellar show, be …
Seedbomb Plant Capsules Combat Desertification
Doomsday devices they are not - these seed-sowing plant bombs are one design team’s weapon of choice in the fight against global desertification. Consisting of a biodegradable shell loaded with a potent payload of plant capsules and nutrient-rich artificial soil, Seedbombs are designed to be dropped out of planes to help slow the spread of desert regions that are growing due to deforestation and other man-made causes.
Create a Virtual Room in Comcast Town and Win a Real Remodel!
Have a vision for your dream apartment? Great - Comcast recently rolled Comcast Town, a blue-sky space to live out your wildest interior design dreams! It’s a bit like Google Sketchup, except that you can customize your virtual apartment with everything from Eames-like desk units and Aarnio-esque ball chairs to growing grass carpets, alien rugs… and… squirrel phones. Best of all, Comcast is hosting an online design competition for the best room, and the winner will receive a REAL room remodel to their actual house worth up to $30,000 and done by our very own Jill Fehrenbacher! Getting started is a snap - just check out the video above and head over to Comcast Town to create your dream apartment!
The contest deadline is Thursday May 14th at 11:59 PST, so submit your design today!
Ecosystems Bada Table Transforms into a Loveseat
Whether you’re an advocate of low-footprint living or a space-restricted city dweller looking to get the most milage out of your dining room, Ecosystems‘ brand new transforming Bada table may be just the piece you’re looking for. Crafted entirely from reclaimed walnut, the slick table features an ingenious design that transforms into a loveseat with a flick of the wrist, saving on both the space and materials consumed by multiple pieces of furniture.
Inhabitat Editors’ Choice Awards @ BKLYN Designs
DRUMROLL PLEASE…
We are excited to announce the Inhabitat Editor’s Choice Awards for BKLYN Designs 2009! As we walked through the BKLYN Designs show this year we were thrilled to see fresh new faces and established designers alike unveiling an inspired assortment of locally-sourced designs made from recycled materials, elegant energy-efficient lighting solutions, and beautifully crafted furniture of every fit and form. Read on for our picks for the finest trends in future-forward furniture design!
MOST INNOVATIVE USE OF MATERIALS: FUNATURE BY HUGH HAYDEN
Hugh Hayden’s fresh new line of FUNature repurposes plastic balls into a bright bunch of furnishing solutions. We were particularly impressed with his tennis ball chair, which is composed entirely of recycled tennis balls that have lost their bounce.
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN: PAPER LAMPS BY LEVENT & ROMME
Levent & Romme’s elegant lamps consist of a single sheet of paper that has been laser-cut to let light shine through in beautiful patterns.
Inhabitat Giving Out Awards at BKYLN Designs 2009!
DRUMROLL PLEASE! New York Design Week is about to begin and we’re kicking things off this weekend with our first ever Green Design Awards at BKLYN Designs! Running from May 8-10, this incredible showcase of locally-sourced design is one of our favorite events of the year, and we’ll be giving out ‘Editors’ Choice Awards’ to recognize our favorite pieces during our annual Mother’s Day Green Design Tour this Sunday. We’re looking forward to scores of fresh new furnishings, great green products, and energy-efficient lighting solutions, so stay tuned for more coverage to come and if you’d like to join us at the event you can pick up tickets here!
BKLYN Designs Begins Next Friday!
Heads up East Coast design junkies! BKLYN Designs, New York’s preeminent showcase of locally-sourced green design is kicking off next week from May 8th through the 10th, and Inhabitat will be on the scene to bring you all of the latest from the show. Based upon the tremendous success of last year’s event we’re looking forward to another weekend filled with brand new releases by an acclaimed set of sustainable designers, enlightening lectures, and our very own Jill Fehrenbacher will be hosting another Mother’s Day Green Design Tour. We’ll also be kicking off our first ever Inhabitat awards, where we will carefully vet all designs on display and give awards to our favorite green designers at this year’s show. Check out our BKLYN Designs coverage from last year and don’t miss out on this groundbreaking event - buy your tickets today!
Inhabitat Shop Green Blogger Contest Extended!
Attention all eco-bloggers!
We’ve received a great reception to our Green Blogger Contest and due to popular demand we’ve decided to extend our contest deadline until this Friday May 1st at midnight! This means that there’s still time to enter and win your favorite designer item from the Inhabitat Shop, so if you think you think your blog (or facebook profile, or twitter profile) is influential, and want to prove it then enter today! SImply pick your your favorite item from the Inhabitatshop and blog it, and the blogger (or facebooker, or twitterer) who sends the most traffic to the Inhabitatshop will win the very item they chose to write about - not to mention bragging rights as most influential blog in the ecosphere. Read on for the full contest details!
10 Kid-Friendly Earth Day Activities
Earth day is an excellent time to reflect upon the present while looking forward to a brighter tomorrow, and what better way to teach kids about the importance of future-forward thinking than by engaging in some eco activities! From planting a garden to recycled crafting and exploring nature, Inhabitots has rounded up 10 Kid-Friendly Earth Day Activities that are sure to cultivate understanding and respect for our great green world. Inhabitots is also giving away a T-shirt or onesie of your choice for the most inspired Earth Day resolution, so be sure to share yours today!
+ 10 Kid-Friendly Earth Day Activities
Milan Furniture Fair Starts Today!
Attention all green design junkies! The 2009 Milan Furniture Fair starts today, and Inhabitat is on the scene to bring you all of the latest and greatest from this year’s event. We’ve assembled a team of design experts who will be bringing us up-to-the-minute coverage of the show, and we’re expecting a cutting-edge crop of green housewares, furnishings, lighting, and more. Don’t miss out …
ANNOUNCING: Our Spring Greening Contest Winners!
DRUMROLL PLEASE…
Spring has sprung, the votes have been cast, and we’re excited to announce the winners of our Spring Greening DIY Design Contest! We feel fortunate to have such an incredibly talented reader base - you guys wowed us with some truly impressive examples of DIY design. Thanks to everyone for submitting their incredible Spring Greening projects, and to all our readers for supporting them throughout the voting process… read on for our winners…
Last Chance to Vote in our Spring Greening Contest!
SPRING GREENING CLOSES TONIGHT at MIDNIGHT!
Our Spring Greening Design Contest closes at midnight tonight, which makes this your LAST CHANCE to cast your vote for your favorite DIY design! As our fifteen incredible finalists enter the final round of voting the competition is thick and we currently have several stunning projects closing in on our grand prize of a $200 gift certificate to the Inhabitat Shop in addition to all of the fame and fortune of being showcased on Inhabitat. We’ll also be selecting three runner-ups to receive an eggling of their choice, so be sure cast your vote today in support of your favorite example of DIY design, and stay tuned for the reveal of our grand prize winner this week!
Dwell’s Innovate It! Design Competition
Attention all inventors, designers, and fans of efficient industrial design! Our friends at Dwell recently announced the second phase of their Innovate It! contest, which calls upon you to take ordinary items and reinvent them into better, brighter paradigms of efficient design. They’re looking for inspired improvements to three everyday items in need of a rework - the common coffee …
Prickly Porcupine Office Cleared for Construction
Passive solar design meets pointillist pincushion in this stunning porcupine-inspired office recently cleared for construction in Prestons, England. Designed by UK-based Moxon Architects, the building features a bristling brise-soleil composed of andonized aluminum fins suspended from tensile rods. This striking facade acts as a rain screen while filtering sunlight and contributing to the building’s energy-efficient profile.
Spring Greening Voting Extended Until Tuesday!
CONTEST EXTENDED UNTIL TUESDAY, APRIL 14th at MIDNIGHT
We’ve received a tremendous response to our Spring Greening DIY Design Contest, and the competition is so close that due to popular demand we’re going to let the voting run for a few more days! We want to make sure that everyone involved in the DIY design competition has …
SPRING GREENING CONTEST - Vote NOW!
After an exciting week of voting our Spring Greening DIY Design Contest is set to close tomorrow at midnight and the competition is fierce! We asked our contestants asked to clean out their closets and repurpose household items into functional examples of DIY design, and they wowed us with an incredible set of entries. Our fifteen finalists have received over 1,700 votes, and with less than two days left several stunning projects are neck-and-neck. We need your help to select a winner to receive fortune, fame, and a $200 gift certificate to the Inhabitat Shop, so if you haven’t voted yet today read on and support your favorite entry!
Phone Book Coffee Table
When we kicked off our Spring Greening DIY Design Contest we didn’t expect our intrepid innovators to take the call literally! We’re thoroughly impressed that Rodrigo Jaroseski of Porto Alegre, Brazil did just that and fashioned a remarkable corrugated coffee table out of several old phone books. Everyone seems to have a couple …
BLOOD POWER? Piezoelectric Nanowires Could Turn Your Body Into a Battery
We’ve seen piezoelectric systems that harvest energy from roads, subways, and even umbrellas — now researchers have announced that they are on the brink of unlocking an energy grid composed of capillaries, arteries, and veins. Heralded by advancements in piezoelectric nanowires, the development may one day harness the flow of blood to power ipods, cellphones and other portable electronics. How’s that for an alternative take on plasma power?
SPRING GREENING CONTEST: 4 Days Left to Enter!
Calling all crafty Inhabitat readers!
Win $200 in our DIY Spring Greening Contest!
Our Spring Greening Contest is running strong after a refreshing weekend of creative submissions, and there’s still time left to submit your DIY designs! To enter, simply clean out your closets and remake your dusty old furnishings, appliances, and household items into inspired examples of found design. We’ll be featuring our favorite entries in an online voting competition next week, and the winner will receive all of the fortune and fame of being showcased on Inhabitat in addition to a $200 gift certificate to the Inhabitat Shop! So break out that dusty dresser or busted chair, give it a brand new life, slap on a fresh coat of (eco-friendly) paint, and let it shine for a chance to win!
The deadline for submissions is this Friday March 27th at 11:59 pm EST
All you have to do to enter the contest is:
1. Sign up for the inhabitat newsletter
2. Send a photo and description of your project to editor at inhabitat.com
Enter Inhabitat’s Spring Greening Contest!
Looking for a fun DIY project this weekend? Why not participate in Inhabitat’s first ever Spring Greening Contest for a shot at fame, fortune, and a $200 gift certificate to the Inhabitat Shop! It’s the perfect time for a bit of spring cleaning, and we want you to take any old furnishing, appliance, or household item and give it a brand new application instead of tossing it in the trash. We’ve already received some stellar entries, and we’ll be showcasing the best and brightest projects in an exciting round of online voting — so break out that dusty dresser or busted chair, give it a brand new life, slap on a fresh coat of (eco-friendly) paint, and let it shine for a chance to win!
The deadline for submissions is Friday March 27th
All you have to do to enter the contest is:
1. Sign up for the inhabitat newsletter
2. Send a photo and description of your project to editor at inhabitat.com
