Mention green energy and most people think of solar panels or giant wind turbines. Well, think again. Researchers are developing new technologies to harvest the power of ocean waves – like this 200 meter rubber tube called the anaconda. See video below.
Archive for the ‘Eco’
Pack and Stack Car
Congestion… pollution… cars are nothing but problems. But not for long. The brain trust at MIT’s Media Lab is currently developing a shared commuter vehicle system that combines the clean efficient driving of an electric car with the ingenious stackable parking of a Pringles can. See video below.
The High Line
Maybe it was Al Gore. Maybe its skyrocketing fuel costs. But something’s changed and we all know it– we’ve got to move in a new direction on the environment. And maybe nothing’s more symbolic of this change than the High Line project in New York City. Designed by Field Operations in association with Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the project renovates a 1-1/2 mile stretch of abandoned rail line into an elevated, linear park, perhaps the largest and most significant urban renewal for the city in a hundred years.
See links below for video and slideshow.
Diseño Earle’s Eco House
Our Eco House project has been featured on the leading eco-blog Jetson Green and been given a stirling review. A big thanks to Preston and the team at Jetson Green for their feedback! Jetson Green is a personal favourite of ours and it helps us keep up-to-date with what’s going on in the eco-world.
You can read the article here.
PS - The Eco house has also been featured on the contemporary design website Contemporist. Thanks again and you can read their article here.
Energy Solutions
With the architectural world seemingly leading the fight against climate change, here are two ingenious ideas of dealing with lowering our environmental impact.
The first is a simple and practical method of electricity generation, soon to be implemented in the Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth, UK. The structure is 170m high and towers over the harbour offering stunning views of the Solent and out over the Isle of Wight from it’s observation deck. Obviously the Spinnaker has quite a few steps.
The idea is to harness the energy created from the footfall the building receives by placing small “heel-strike” generators under the stairs. If this proves successful, the scheme will be used in London’s Victoria Station, where the 34,000 people using the stairs every hour will maintain around 6,500 lightbulbs… Nice.
The second idea is purely a concept at this moment, but a brave look at the possible future of how we manage our living environments. This solution is a skin which covers the entire of a building and acts as a complete environmental solution. The skin, or membrane, is a mix of biochemistry and electronics that will harness the elements outside by absorbing air and moisture, purifying and distributing and transmitting light where needed, managing the internal environment and even recycling the air. Still only a concept, but a brilliant take on nature. Watch the video below to have it all explained.
Both concepts featured on the Mad Architect blog
Solving the Energy Problem Naturally
This new skin that captures energy is amazing. It certainly gives the designers the freedom to use form knowing that the energy savings will still be there. Read more about NVS here.
