by: FEED STOP, 2013-07-18 13:00:00 UTC
This past April 2013, I accepted an invitation to participate and attend the Launch 2020 Summit at Nike HQ in Beaverton, OR. This two-day summit was sponsored by NASA, Nike, USAID, and the US State Department and brings together 150 of the world’s brightest innovators and sustainable system thinkers to participate in workshops and discussions where they tackle sustainability issues facing our society. The participants were strategically selected from academia to manufacturing, from Not-for-profits to government policy experts and entrepreneurs. Launch 2020 uses this format in order to best harness the collective wisdom of the attendees to disrupt the status [...]
You might have seen Blofield Air Design’s Chesterfield-style chair and sofas we mentioned several years ago. Well, they’ve continued on their sleek inflatable and fabulous mission with an expanded and updated line that includes 1-, 2-, and 4-seater sofas, along with their latest and greatest DoNuts design—a doughnut shaped seat with a table on top. I love the fact that you can use your Blofield pieces inside the comforts of your own home or, best of all, in the great outdoors.
They’re super durable and come with their own pumps. The material is UV-protected and, of course, weatherproof for their trips outdoors. You’ll never again have to sit on the ground while camping!
The DoNuts are a clever table/seating combination with an inflatable doughnut-shaped seat that fits six people with a white table that sits on top. Perfect for eating or playing games while you’re communing with nature. The choices are mind-boggling: DoNuts Original (black), DoNuts Solids (15 colors), DoNuts Solids Plus (40 colors), DoNuts Leather-Look (48 colors), and DoNuts Animali (black, bronze, or white).
An electric Big Pump is included and inflates the tube within a matter of minutes.
Big Blo comes as a 1-seater or 2-seater, and there’s even the Very Big Blo which is the mighty 4-seater. Resembling an authentic Chesterfield sofa, the Big Blo’s provide comfort and the look of a traditional sofa but with the ease and mobility of an inflatable piece. The collection comes in black, red, or stone white and comes with additional vinyl protection on the bottoms to ensure durability while it’s outdoors. The Big Blo also includes an electric pump to inflate and deflate within minutes.
If all of that cheap plastic dishware you have in your cabinets for your kids gives your design-loving self hives, take note. Product designer at EKOBO ECOLOGY & DESIGN, Boo Louis, recently launched a kid’s tableware collection called BIOBU by EKOBO. The eco-friendly line, made from biodegradable bamboo fibers, is the perfect alternative to melamine and other plastics that tend to leach toxins when heated or from wear. So there’s no risk to your health or the environment.
The collection is just as durable and practical as other children’s dishware but it looks so much better. The pieces are designed for daily use and can hold hot and cold foods and liquids. They’re even dishwasher safe!
You can buy the line in sets or separately in six super fun colors.
Earlier this morning, BMW unveiled the brand new 2014 i3 at an exclusive event in New York City – and Inhabitat was on the scene to get a first look at this hot all-electric vehicle! The i3 will be the first mass-produced auto with a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic passenger cell mounted onto an aluminum chassis. With a roomy interior, a lightweight body, a 170-hp electric motor, and a 22-kWh lithium-ion battery backing it up, this sweet ride boasts an impressive range of 80-100 miles. Better yet, drivers wanting to go the extra mile can opt in for a two-cylinder range extender engine that will boost the i3′s range to about 180 miles. Priced at $42,000, the 2014 i3 EV is anticipated to be quite a contender in the growing EV market. Click ahead to see more photos of this fantastic green ride.
This 3,600 square feet home in Leon Springs, Texas is LEED Platinum-certified and features several affordable green building strategies that contribute to its net-zero water use. The homeowners asked architect Karla Greer (of Lake Flato Architects of San Antonio, Texas) for a sustainable home that celebrated nature and provided space for entertaining and energy-efficient living.
Sustainable features include a 17,000-gallon rainwater catchment system. Water is triple-filtered to meet 100 percent of potable water needs, which is heated by a ground-source heat pump. Water use is kept to a minimum through the use of WaterSense-certified fixtures.
Concrete flooring is utilized in some areas of the home as a thermal mass to retain heat and night and release it throughout the day. The two-car carport roof sports a 12-kW Sharp solar photovoltaic system.
The build site had a slight slope that provided for elegant views along with an ideal solar orientation that allows for cross-ventilation and a minimal summer heat gain. High-efficiency windows (with an average U-value of 0.31) help to facilitate daylighting and shading is provided by trees and overhangs. A sleeping porch just off the master bedroom is screened on three sides as an extension of the bedroom and connects it to the outdoors.
The home was built with materials that were regionally sourced or contained high levels of recycled content, including the locally-harvested end-grain mesquite block flooring that was finished with low-VOC water-based sealant, gabion basket retaining walls, and countertops and walls made from Leuders limestone. Nearly 90 percent of construction waste was diverted from the landfill.
Bike sharing is just starting to really catch on in the U.S., but it’s huge all over the world. These maps show the systems in cities from Moscow to Rio.
The growth of bike sharing is phenomenal. At last count, there were at least 500 schemes worldwide, from the largest (Paris, with 18,380 bikes), to many small schemes (for example, Civitavecchia, a town outside Rome, has just 40 bikes). More schemes are coming online all the time. Chicago, for example, launched its bike-share, called Divvy, this month.
To get a dynamic sense of bike-sharing around the world, take at a look at this tool from Oliver O’Brien, a university researcher from London. O’Brien has collected live data from 100 schemes, including most of the biggest ones. In the "global view," you can see which initiatives are most in use at any time. Then, you can zero in on a particular city and get a dock-by-dock snapshot. Using an animation feature, you can also relive the last 24 hours of activity, and speed up and slow down the frames as you like.
In total, the tool covers almost 10,000 docking stations, and more than 21,000 individual docks. Based on the first few weeks of comparison, the busiest bike schemes at the moment (by percentage of bikes used) are in Moscow, Rio, Mexico City, Taipei City, and New York City. Paris and Mexico City (3,408 bikes) generally have the greatest number of bikes in use at any one time.
Meanwhile, if you want to find out about some of the other 400 or so schemes out there, see this map by Russell Meddin, of Bike Share Philadelphia, and Paul DeMaio, of consultancy MetroBike, here.
Club Sandowich, designed by Cyril de Moulins, is part of the debut collection from French design company Polit and this clever sideboard “sandwiches” your loved possessions in between two slices of bleached beechwood. The two surfaces of wood are connected by four tubular legs, creating storage space for your goods.
To really customize your own sideboard, you pick what color bungee cords (aka sandows – hence the Sandowich name) you want that attach to the boards, helping to further contain your stuff. They also help semi-conceal your goods if you tend to be messy.
Each Sandowich is also equipped with adjustable metal modules that help with organization.
by: Environmental Leader, 2013-07-25 14:32:14 UTC HP is using a railroad to ship electronics manufactured in China to European markets, cutting its travel time, costs and carbon footprint in the process. The train line, which HP describes as a “modern day silk road,” covers two continents, six countries and more than 6,700 miles from Chongqing, China to distributors and customers in Duisburg, Germany. The [...]
We are pretty excited to be a part of the upcoming IDSA Conference in Chicago – Breaking The Rules. Hopefully we get to meet you there. Although it’s in August, it will be wise to register right away. Moving on, here is a quick recap of some of the award-winning designs. Let us know what you think!
The aesthetics on this PC are very classy and it’s fully loaded entertainment hub that puts everything you need right in your hands. The All-in-One Touch PC features Windows 8 and a stunning 27″ diagonal 1920×1080 Full HD touchscreen display so users can easily swipe, tap or pinch to browse content or accomplish tasks.
Yes, starting lines need finishing touches too! The Omega Sprintmaster Starting Block is a redesigned starting block that improves a runner’s ergonomics, adjustability and comfort. It gives the runner freedom to adjust the footpads through a sliding rail, a rear dual LCD display to check on accurate measurement of its footpads and a sleek, unobtrusive speaker design that provides a better hearing position.
The IFmove is more than just a folding bike, a commuter or a city bike; it’s a user-friendly solution for the urban environment. Because usability is its highest priority, this bike rides, folds and wheels fast and instinctively – without compromising in performance or handling. In less than 2 seconds, the IFmove transforms into a convenient package, weighing no more than 12kg!
VESTA is a revolutionary pressure vacuum-sintering furnace, aimed as an easy to understand entry-level model for beginners. It was designed to overcome the image of sintering furnaces as dirty industrial machinery, covered in oil.
The Filter-in-Bottle is a new series of Hario’s cold-brewed tea line. is a teapot with a wine-bottle-style that can be used to prepare cold-brewed tea and then pour it like wine to enjoy its aroma and flavor.
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2013-07-23 20:46:25 UTC
Biomimicry & Lightweight Design
With energy conservation being a current hot topic, a lot is talked about lightweight construction. Often, nature ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2013-07-20 11:03:10 UTC
Belgium Bruno Pieters started Honest By in 2012, a fashion company producing sustainable fashion made, mainly, in Europe. Honest By provides it customers ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2013-07-18 06:37:45 UTC
You will never run out of power with these sleek design magnet-powered bicycle lights. The bicycle lights generate their own power so you never have ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2013-07-16 11:49:11 UTC
The Dopper bottle won a "red dot award":http://red-dot.de/pd/online-exhibition/work/?lang=en&code=2013-04-4498&y=2013&c=181&a=0 because with their ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2013-07-15 20:06:41 UTC
One of the nominees for the MateriaalPrijs 2012.
The production process of immaculate white porcelain is extremely damaging. One kilo is accompanied ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2013-07-12 11:36:05 UTC
MecoConcept has created an hydraulic press that has the ability to create LEGO bricks made of mud and a mixture of hydraulic binder materials. In less ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2013-07-12 11:35:20 UTC
Marcel Wanders designed an energymeter for Innovaders.The Wattcher consists of a sensor, a sending unit (both placed in the meter closet on any electricity ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2013-07-07 17:22:22 UTC
Designing sustainable product is all about quality of design, fun and changing peoples behavior in a playful fun way. I think this chicken house with ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2013-07-04 17:30:40 UTC
The rising chair emphasize the natural shape an object can made by transforming itself. Every piece of the chair has its own task to succeed in this ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2013-07-03 06:02:59 UTC
AirRenew™ Gypsum Board is for use in interior walls and ceilings and is specially designed to offer a healthier living and working environment by improving ...
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