Compact Abod Shelter: A Quick Solution for Providing Hygienic Homes to Slum Dwellers
by: The Design blog, 2013-04-08 10:56:47 UTC

It is estimated that a large part of the world population, around 32%, are in need of humane and decent accommodation which has led to the concentration of slum dwellings.  Slums have become a pressing issue for many nations, particularly the developing nations, where the gap between the rich and the poor is significant.  Slums pose a lot of health hazards owing to a lack of proper sanitation, drinking water, sewer system, electricity and many other facilities that render the unsustainable and inhumane.  To bring a quick solution to this blatant issue, Doug, a designer from Des Moines in Iowa has come out with the Abod Shelter, which is a lightweight and sustainable dwelling that can be built by the slum dwellers themselves in just 24 hours!  Not only is this an innovative solution to the housing crisis that plagues countries world over, but it can also be erected in the most uninhabitable locations without the need of building machinery, industrial tools, water and electricity!

Doug, along with his teams helped him to put together this philanthropic effort to create humane shelters that could practically be erected in no time at all.  This extremely cost effective shelter is also very flexible as its design can be altered to create a shelter according to personal requirements.  The Abod Shelter has a core structure upon which one can include ‘accessories’ wherever suitable – whether it is a kitchen or doors and windows.

The Abod Shelter is actually made out of corrugated metal and some dwellers may choose to add an opaque plastic panel along the sides to facilitate day light usage, particularly in areas where it is not possible to get an electricity connection.  The shelters also have inbuilt gutter systems in order to make sure that rainwater does not seep inside the home and also to make sure that the sanitation aspect of the home is well looked after.  These houses can also be erected in a cluster and can be linked to one another in order to form a neighborhood community.  The test pilot project o the Abod home or the first Abod neighborhood community was situated at a location that was in the suburbs of Johannesburg, South Africa.  This project was extremely successful and has therefore given the impetus to initiate many other projects in those parts of the globe that have slums in high concentration.

Tools for Life by OMA for Knoll
by: Dezeen, 2013-04-08 17:19:12 UTC

Milan 2013: architect Rem Koolhaas has unveiled a collection of rotating, sliding and motorised furniture for US furniture brand Knoll (+ slideshow). (more...)

Home made chairs are DIY and accessible
by: TreeHugger Design, 2013-04-05 09:00:00 UTC
These tables and chairs are easily made and assembled .

More hot poop on composting toilets
by: TreeHugger Design, 2013-04-08 16:52:00 UTC
A look at what has changed, and how much has actually stayed the same.

Consumers Care About Buying From Socially Responsible Brands Now More Than Ever
by: Co.Exist, 2013-04-03 17:00:43 UTC

There will always be a segment of consumers who religiously buy products from socially-responsible companies--toilet paper from Seventh Generation, shoes from Timberland, jackets from Patagonia, ice cream from Ben and Jerry’s, and so on. But more and more, these socially-responsible shoppers are in the mainstream. A recent survey from marketing agency Good.Must.Grow (GMG) found that most Americans care about buying products from companies that do good in the world.

GMG’s survey of 1,015 Americans yielded some fascinating, but not entirely surprising, statistics: 30% of respondents said that they expect to increase the amount of goods and services they buy from socially-responsible companies over the next year (last year, that number was 18%), and 60% of people said that buying goods from socially-responsible companies is important to them. But just 21% (the same percentage as last year) said that they will increase charitable donations in the coming year--an indication that responsible purchasing is serving as something of a stand-in for charity.

Treatment of employees is the biggest factor (45%) when people decide how responsible a company is. Environmental impact follows close behind (38%). Transparency, corporate oversight, and impact on society are also important factors.

Companies shouldn’t think that the trend towards socially-responsible purchasing means that they can just claim that their products are "green" and call it a day. According to the survey, 63% of people trust company claims about social responsibility only sometimes--when they do verify information, it’s often by reading product packaging, checking out the news, and doing independent research.

This skepticism holds true especially for large corporations that own brands that tout their social responsibility (think Kashi and parent brand Kellogg). In a survey conducted by Weber Shandwick and KRC Research last year, 56% of respondents said they would think twice about buying a product if they couldn’t find information about the larger corporation behind it. One out of six U.S. consumers claimed that they would avoid a product entirely if they didn’t like the parent company.

For most companies, these statistics are incredibly important: they signal a sea change in what consumers care about. In the future, it will become ever more difficult to be a successful company without paying attention to social responsibility. There are exceptions--ask most people if they’d ditch their iPhone as a result of poor labor practices, and they’ll admit that they won’t. Even so, Apple is making strides with its environmental and labor policies. This is a trend that can’t be ignored.

NOHrD WaterGrinder cranks-up the art of exercise
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2013-04-04 04:30:42 UTC


Bug Bathroom Collection by Rui Pereira & Ryosuke Fukusada
by: mocoloco, 2013-04-02 16:05:41 UTC


Plate Tissue by Liu Kejia
by: design milk, 2013-04-04 13:00:06 UTC

Plate Tissue is a minimal design created by New York-based designer Liu Kejia. Liu Kejia is a recent graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Masters Industrial Design program. She is mainly passionate about furniture and product design, and has already manufactured a number of pieces. We spoke briefly about her future plans in design, and she is very adamant about starting her own design firm and product line.

Plate Tissue is one of Liu Kejia’s most recent design accomplishments. The entire design is constructed of two materials: cork and white polycarbonate. The reasoning behind these material choices is due to their flexible manufacturing nature, as well as their low cost. The top portion of the tissue box functions as a recessed surface to place small accessories such as skin care products, pens, or make up.

I am definitely a huge fan of the material combination. I think white goes exceptionally well with natural colored materials such as wood or cork. The embossed portion of the tissue box is both organically aesthetic and functional. It just goes to show how even the simplest of materials can combine to look as amazing as Plate Tissue.

Second Shot recycles skateboards into snazzy eyewear & watches
by: TreeHugger Design, 2013-04-04 12:00:00 UTC
A Canadian company is making some smart-looking embellishments out of recycled skateboard decks.

71% of Consumers Think Green When Purchasing
by: Environmental Leader, 2013-04-03 14:23:23 UTC
A record-high 71 percent of Americans consider the environment when they shop, up from 66 percent in 2008, according to research from Cone Communications. Some 7 percent consider the environment every time they shop while 20 percent consider it regularly. Forty-four percent consider it sometimes, according to  the 2013 Cone Communications Green Gap Trend Tracker. Even as thinking [...]