From the monthly archives: April 2010
The Royal Victoria Docks in London are bursting with development, and we were excited to hear that the latest tower to take hold boasts some extraordinary eco features. Designed by Studio RHE, the Silvertree is a 24-story skyscraper wrapped in a shimmering photovoltaic skin that is interspersed with lush vertical gardens. Slated for completion in time for the 2012 Olympics, the building will also feature a ground-source heat pump and an on-site biomass energy generator to round out its array of carbon-cutting features.
Read the rest of Silvertree Eco-Tower Rises in the UKhttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed
Permalink |
Add to
del.icio.us |
digg
Post tags: Architecture, british architecture, eco design, green architecture, green design, sustainable design, wintergardens
The characters and voices from Star Wars will now guide you via your GPS - Awesome initiave from Tom Tom. We can't wait to hear Darth Vader force us to turn right. Geek genius.
With new murals in downtown Manhattan and the Bronx, a pop-up store in the works, a project with City Kids, and new limited edition prints, the events surrounding Shepard Fairey's upcoming solo show "May Day" almost amount to more of a city-wide residency. But the internationally-acclaimed artist, whose last major exhibit was a touring museum retrospective and whose Obama poster was one of the most iconic images of the historic campaign, big is nothing new. While Fairey's fame naturally invites criticism, the show (opening 1 May 2010 at Deitch, and closing the NYC institution) is a reminder of exactly what makes the prolific artist such an important generational voice.
Filled with portraits of cultural and political heroes and images addressing various social issues—all depicted in Fairey's propaganda-poster-meets-street-art style—his work's strength lies in its direct Warholian style and unapologetic messages. From his original Obey stickers to his ongoing commitment to human rights, environmentalism, and other pressing issues of our time, Fairey's art practice has always been about the power of words and images to effect change.
As Antonino D'Ambrosio writes in his essay for the book that will accompany the show, the image of Clash guitarist and lead singer Joe Strummer (a CH exclusive and the first produced for this series) represents a figure like Fairey himself, who D'Ambrosio calls, "a creative-activist who is always FOR and never against. He is about PRODUCING not reducing. He wishes to go FORWARD not fall backward."
May Day runs through 29 May 2010.
With new murals in downtown Manhattan and the Bronx, a pop-up store in the works, a project with City Kids, and new limited edition prints, the events surrounding Shepard Fairey's upcoming solo show "May Day" almost amount to more of a city-wide residency. But the internationally-acclaimed artist, whose last major exhibit was a touring museum retrospective and whose Obama poster was one of the most iconic images of the historic campaign, big is nothing new. While Fairey's fame naturally invites criticism, the show (opening 1 May 2010 at Deitch, and closing the NYC institution) is a reminder of exactly what makes the prolific artist such an important generational voice.
Filled with portraits of cultural and political heroes and images addressing various social issues—all depicted in Fairey's propaganda-poster-meets-street-art style—his work's strength lies in its direct Warholian style and unapologetic messages. From his original Obey stickers to his ongoing commitment to human rights, environmentalism, and other pressing issues of our time, Fairey's art practice has always been about the power of words and images to effect change.
As Antonino D'Ambrosio writes in his essay for the book that will accompany the show, the image of Clash guitarist and lead singer Joe Strummer (a CH exclusive and the first produced for this series) represents a figure like Fairey himself, who D'Ambrosio calls, "a creative-activist who is always FOR and never against. He is about PRODUCING not reducing. He wishes to go FORWARD not fall backward."
May Day runs through 29 May 2010.
Having already tackled British eating habits, we recently talked to Jamie Oliver about his latest massive project reshaping how Americans view food from the ground up, starting with U.S. school menus. In this video, Oliver shares the motivation and tactics behind his revolution, along with the challenges of working on public policy.
We never thought we'd say this, but Macbook skins have really come a long way. When they first started coming around we were not fans in the slightest bit, but, after viewing this beauty &mdash we're pretty certain we're fully converted. Read Full Post
Read Full Post
Yes, I'm a techie. But I love my Ork Poster and Parsons Table just as much as I love my MacBook—and there's just not enough brain space to be an expert at decor and technology. That's why I love Support Details.com when I'm on a tech support call and need quick, basic info.Read Full Post
Studio Seilern Architects turned a challenge into an opportunity when they designed the Whitehorse Street Apartments for an urban infill lot in London. Located on Whitehorse Street in the prestigious Mayfair district, the lot only has a small street frontage with the bulk of the available building space located on an inner site. In order to make the apartments desirable, Studio Seilern decided to create their own views, by putting a garden on the entire first floor and splitting the complex in two to create room for a beautiful set of vertical gardens.
As most of the building sits away from the street and is surrounded by other buildings, the site offered no natural views. Since the apartment complex is located in a very desirable part of town, the developers wanted to do everything possible to make these luxurious and highly coveted apartments with great views. Residents access the new apartment complex from the street and immediately enter into a light-filled garden. The new development will include high-end residential apartments, an apartment hotel, an underground parking garage and some retail.
Each apartment will have views of the interior garden space, access to natural ventilation as well as ample daylighting. The vertical garden cuts the complex in two, and windows and balconies of the apartment will be covered in vegetation. Eventually as the plants mature, ivy will cascade down the glass-fronted apartments. A sophisticated glazing system will include three layers of windows to provide natural lighting, but maintain privacy across the open space. Construction is set to commence in November 2010 and be completed by May 2012.
Via WAN
New York-based architect Andrea Salvini’s latest project is a lush green, mixed-use residential development on nearly 12 acres in the province of Caserta, Italy. Called simply “The Sustainable Neighborhood”, the design and site plan directly reflect the needs of this tightly knit community in which environmental regulations are becoming increasingly important. We particularly love the neighborhood’s verdant living walls, which were inspired by French botanist Patrick Blanc’s designs and Jean Nouvel’s Musae du Quai Branly in Paris.
Thirteen buildings are planned to be constructed on the site, while preserving existing public amenities and green areas. Commercial and retail spaces on the ground floors of each building would enhance the social life of the residents, creating opportunities for interaction based on shopping and business.
Salvini also included innovative sun-louver shades on each balcony giving tenants the ability to regulate sunlight (and therefore heat) inside their apartments, as the region’s temperatures can become swelteringly hot during summer months.
READ MORE >
Read Full Post
We've all seen small home offices that reside in closets before, but usually those offices have a desk that runs along the longest wall in the space, but not this time. In the entryway to the Chicago home above, can you spot the entrance to their super-tiny cloffice, we mean office in a closet?Read Full Post
Read Full Post
Read Full Post
Kama Games developers developed and modded a BOCHS emulator to run Windows 95 on the Apple iPad. The touchscreen operates, but as you can see from the video below, it's nowhere exact. But it looks usable...barely. Video of Windows 95 chugging along on the iPad below.Read Full Post
I want a tablet so bad, but Apple's iPad price tag just doesn't agree with my bank account and (sorry Windows fans) anything running Microsoft scares me. I've been a big fan of the Android OS since testing Motorola's Droid cell phone, so I have high hopes for any tablet that plans to run the Google made operating system. When I heard el goog, as I like to call them, was working on the actual hardware side of things I got even more excited about the idea of finally getting a tablet into my hands.Read Full Post
This year we witnessed the extraordinary danger of mixing buildings with earthquakes, particularly in poor regions — fortunately, a group called PAKSBAB is finding solutions. Pakistan Straw Bale and Appropriate Building is a nonprofit working at developing durable buildings that can be built with local resources, little money and stay safe during devastating earthquakes like the 2005 7.5 quake in Kashmir. The key ingredient is handmade straw bales.
PAKSBAB’s founder, Darcey Donovan P.E., left for Northern Pakistan to lend a hand in rebuilding the devastated region. She brought with her a lot of experience with straw bale building. She found that there were no baling machines where housing was needed so she developed a simple jack and form system to produce the needed straw bales. The prestressed bails are set on a stone foundation and support a truss roof. Bamboo and netting help secure the walls. The bails act as both the supporting wall and insulation. A couple coats of clay plaster protect and help preserve the straw. The 25 ft by 25 ft buildings cost a mere $2250 for materials — what many of us are willing to pay for countertops. Currently they have finished 11 buildings that are energy-efficient, safe, and very low impact.
How do they fare in earthquakes? To find out Ms. Donovan built an 11 ft by 11 ft straw bale structure on a seismic simulation table and let ‘er shake. This video shows it in action. Although severely damaged, the building did not appear in danger of collapse, even at the end of the test sequence. This means lives saved and resources wisely used by applying appropriate building technologies for those who can most benefit. Add another item to the list of the positive values of straw bale building.
Via Core 77
Shopping for a stacked washer and dryer unit isn't exactly easy. They're one of those purchases that requires internet research before heading out to the stores to check things out. They aren't exactly the Prom Queen of appliances and all look (for the most part) exactly the same so unless you know what you're looking for, you'll be out of luck. Here's our top 4 picks for these small space saving laundry appliances.
• Read the full post at Re-NestRead Full Post
We've owned several computer mice throughout our lives and it's amazing how evolved they have come. We remember when all mice were created equal and there wasn't much of a difference between brands &mdash it really came down to either not caring, or choosing the one you wanted based on your favorite color. Read Full Post
Read Full Post
Ads
