Tag Archives: sustainable living

This compact water recycling system reduces carbon footprint, lowers bills & mitigates the global water crisis

Posted on by

Hydraloop not only designed an award-winning water recycling product but also made an eye-opening documentary that shows you how easy it is for everyone to recycle water – stream the Brave Blue World on Netflix for an unfiltered story on water and climate change! This water recycling system looks like a slim closet and can be used in any building or home, anytime. Hydraloop was presented at both CES 2020 and CES 2021 where it received notable attention for being one of the most innovative designs in the sustainability, eco-design, and smart energy categories.

Only 0.014% of the total amount of water on earth is fresh and available. It is one of the most misused natural resources and with the increasing global population, we have to use it in the most efficient way possible and make sure we don’t dry out our planet. Four billion people are already facing severe water scarcity and by 2035 40% of the world’s population could experience serious water stress. By 2050 the water demand is projected to grow by 55%, including a 400% rise in manufacturing water demand – to be able to meet the needs of almost 10 billion people in the next two decades, we need to take important steps right now that can save up to 95% of your shower and bath water alone and enables you to reuse up to 85% of the total in-house water. So even on an individual level, you can add your drop to the ocean and make a positive impact.

Hydraloop’s goal is to create compact recycling systems that can be used at offices, hotels, apartment buildings, homes, and anywhere else with running water – they want to make it easy for everyone to recycle water without having to go through complicated machinery or expensive infrastructure upgrades. It collects water from washing machines, bathtubs, showers, and air conditioning systems. This water is then cleaned and disinfected using their technology to make it reusable keeping in mind that treated gray water should not be directly used to drink to cook. It can be re-used for toilet flushing, washing machines, garden irrigation, and topping up swimming pools which can save up to 45% on tap water and 45% on sewage emission with recycled water. The system is easy to install, completely automatic, self-cleaning, and doesn’t use any filters or chemicals.

Hydraloop’s systems are powered by electricity and uses an extensive six-step process – sedimentation, flotation, dissolved air flotation, enforced skimming aerobic bioreactor, and a UV light disinfection. The latest Hydraloop (H600) can recycle about 260 gallons of water per day for homes and small businesses. “The easiest way to recycle water is to clean it right where you use it – decentralized. By recycling at the source we can make an impact on the global water crisis,” says the team which is why they designed the appliance to be used in any space. If you have a larger company or setting, the Cascade offers commercial-grade, water-recycling capabilities for your needs. Hydraloop future proofs buildings by increasing their value, lowering the running expenses for water as well as energy, and reduces carbon footprint by 6%. It makes any home or business less dependant on the grid while making it easier to live sustainably. Hydraloop is also contributing towards four of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – clean water and sanitization, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, as well as climate action.

Designer: Hydraloop Systems BV

This tiny home in the Community First! Village is built for previously unhoused individuals

Posted on by

Beginning in 1998, a mobile food truck based in Austin, Texas, with the help of thousands of volunteers, has helped serve food to unhoused individuals seven days a week and 365 days a year. That food truck has since transformed into Mobile Loaves & Fishes, a social outreach ministry responsible for the development of “the most talked-about neighborhood” in Austin, Texas, Community First! Village. The village is one of MLF’s three core programs that were started to serve the unhoused population of Austin, Texas, and offers permanent and sustainable housing for an affordable price in a mutually supportive community.

Teaming up with Bailey Eliot Construction, McKinney York Architects, an architecture firm based in Austin, recently designed and constructed a micro-home for one of the residents of Community First! Village. In order to meet the new homeowner’s tiny housing criteria, McKinney York Architects planned to design a micro house that met both the homeowner’s requirements for privacy and the village’s commitment to community support. The home’s final design incorporates a butterfly roof, which implements the use of a central valley where the two pitched roofs meet to collect rainwater for further irrigation use. Additionally, installing a butterfly roof allows for plenty of natural lighting to enter through the windows without having an impact on the homeowner’s privacy.

Taking full advantage of the 200 square foot area limit for each micro-home, McKinney York Architects also installed a screened-in sunroom for the homeowner to have the option of either opening the screens up to the rest of the community or keeping them closed for optimal privacy. Inside the home, original pine timber lines the walls, giving the feel of a blank canvas for the homeowner to leave as is or design as they’d like. The tiny home manages to include a bedroom with room for a twin-sized or larger bed, a modest kitchen, a relatively spacious working area, dining space, and a cozy den for relaxing.

Community First! Village is a 51-acre development planned by MLF over the course of two phases which spanned over four years and has expanded to include a total of 500 tiny homes as well as community amenities such as gardens and behavioral healthcare facilities. In 2014, the first phase of Community First! Village commenced after Tiny Victories 1.0, a design competition in partnership with Mobile Loaves & Fishes and AIA Austin DesignVoice, invited firms to design sustainable, tiny housing solutions that take up no more than 200 square feet. Following the first phase, which culminated with a 27-acre master-planned community for the “chronically homeless” population of Central Texas, the village’s second phase kicked off in 2018. Today, Community First! Village offers permanent housing and encourages a safe, uplifting community space for more than 250 formerly unhoused individuals.

Designer: Mobile Loaves & Fishes, McKinney York Architects, and Bailey Eliot Construction

This lillypad-inspired floating sustainable city was designed to support emission free transportation

Posted on by

Bjarke Ingels has always pushed the boundaries and turned ambitious concepts into a reality. What I love about his work that he always incorporates sustainability into his architectural structures while moving ahead with the times – Ingels shows us time and again that the future is green. BiodiverCity is one of his most recent projects, it is a city of three islands connected by autonomous vehicles for land, water, and air to make this a transport emission-free habitat off the coast of Malaysia.

Three islands will be built in Penang and will serve as cultural, business, and residential hubs. The most striking thing about the development is that all the transportation on the 4,500 acres will consist of autonomous boats, vehicles, and air travel, making the islands car-free and pedestrian-friendly. Construction is one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions, in fact, even more than the aviation industry. So to reduce the impact on the environment, most buildings will be prefabricated or 3D printed on-site and others will use a combination of bamboo, Malaysian timber, and “green concrete” which is made from recycled materials like aggregate.

The commercial build is still in progress, but will eventually consist of three islands — the Channels, Mangroves, and Laguna. These will include about 2.86 miles of beaches, 600 acres of parks, and 15.53 miles of waterfront. Previous land developments in Penang have disturbed the local habitats and coastal areas, so to make amends and solve this looming issue, BiodiverCity will be designed as connected “urban lilypads” and all islands will be able to harness resources locally. The Mangroves honor the wetlands (and of course, the mangroves) and will be made for business and events with a special space called Bamboo Beacon to host conferences or concerts. Lastly, the Laguna will be a cluster of eight small islands built around a marina and this is where people can live in houses that float, are stilted, or terraced. The three islands will be made up of different “districts” that will altogether house 15,000 to 16,000 people on 50 to 500 acres of land.

BiodiverCity will be planned to be a sustainable city where people and nature not only co-exist but thrive. There will be “buffers” between 50 to 100 meters that will surround each district in order to form a harmonious relationship between the people, the land, and the wildlife – think of these buffers as architectural glues for the new ecosystem. To keep native animals safe in spots that are being inhabited by humans, the builders will also include canopies, waterways, and boardwalks. In line with this strong green approach, there will also be green roofs and open spaces to create a symbiotic relationship between people and nature. “We are literally embarking on a journey to create more of Malaysia for future generations. We have decided to set the bar as high as humanly possible by imagining a new archipelago that aims to be both more culturally and biologically diverse than previous developments.” said firm founder Bjarke Ingels. The islands will be built in collaboration with other private companies like Hijjas, Knight Frank, and Ernst and Young.

Designer: Bjarke Ingels Group

BiodiverCity is a part of the Penang2030 initiative that focuses on sustainable living while improving the state’s quality of life, level of income, and participation from citizens.

The islands will be integrated with a SMART grid that provides residents with live data detailing waste and energy consumption – this will help the community to make informed sustainability-related decisions.

The Channels will have a 500-acre digital park for researchers, educators, families, and businesspeople with virtual reality and robotics that will be the new norm in future cities.

“Our masterplan proposal, BiodiverCity, supports the Penang2030 vision with a clear focus on livability, on stimulating a socially and economically inclusive development, and on environmental sustainability for future generations,” said BIG.

“If Penang is defined by its rich cultural diversity and its abundant biodiversity, we would like to envision the Penang South islands as an archipelago where the two can coexist in a human-made ecosystem, expanding and enhancing one another,” said BIG founder Bjarke Ingels.

This sky-high tower is actually a liveable carbon sink designed for future sustainable cities!

Posted on by

If we could draw up a pie chart, you’d be able to visualize just how much damage the construction industry causes. To be specific, the building and construction industries are responsible for 39% of the world’s carbon emissions – to put it into perspective, the aviation industry produces only 2.4% of the global carbon emissions. So it is evident exactly where we need to make a change for it to have a large scale impact that can slow down climate change. Industries have to be responsible to reduce emissions and pursue carbon neutrality through investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency or other clean, low-carbon technologies like the architecture firm Rescubika has done with their Mandragore concept. The tower was designed in response to the City of Tomorrow Project which aims to make New York City carbon-neutral by the year 2050.

Mandragore is a sky-high green residential tower envisioned to be constructed on Roosevelt Island, New York City. The project aims to push the existing limits of sustainability practices in construction and imagines the future of urban areas to be a lot cleaner. The renderings of the tower show a dynamic form using parametric design software to create a silhouette of the mandrake plant that also inspired the name of the project – Mandragore. The project also aims to make Mandragore the tallest tower in the world while being carbon negative which means it will use more canon than it actually produces.

The building mimics the natural processes or forms found in nature to be sustainable – this is called biomimicry. Rescubika’s building is a mandrake analogy that represents the shifting identity of the man and the natural world showing a close relationship between ourselves and other living things. Ambitious architectural concepts all aim to make sustainable structures that reduce the overall carbon footprint of the industry – but how will they make these liveable carbon sinks? The Rescubika team suggests it can be achieved by pulling from the best of modern sustainable architecture with advanced passive heating/cooling techniques to condition interior spaces, natural material choices, and lots of plants.

Currently, Mandragore’s plan is to house 1,600 trees with about 300,000 square feet of living plant walls across its 160 levels! The concept also looks at ‘energy sobriety’ which calls for a shift in lifestyle choices that helps the resident reduce individual carbon footprints by reducing the energy they consume. A small detail to help the residents and stay aligned with the building’s mission is to have home offices integrated into the house plan to reduce commute and emissions. While concepts are largely based on future technologies and still have a lot of logistical challenges to solve, structures like Mandragore are important to study to push boundaries and work towards green cities. We have 30 years left to reduce carbon emissions to have a shot at a healthy future, so no design is crazy and everything is on the table!

Designer: Rescubika Architecture

This award-winning eco-friendly floss was designed to make flossing cost-effective, efficient and effortless!

Posted on by

Sometimes we don’t realize but small parts of our routine tend to have a big environmental impact, for instance, floss is good for our teeth but it is terrible for the ocean and turns it into a plastic minefield. Most floss is made up of nylon which is biodegradable but another thing that makes it dangerous is that it is designed to not tear causing serious harm to ocean life. There are millions of miles of floss strings in the ocean and we need to switch to eco-friendly alternatives – there are a couple in the market but there is a demand for more innovative designs like the Phloss here.

Phloss is a refillable flossing aid that has a string suspended between two prongs. These prongs not only maintain the tension of the string but also reduce the effort required by your arms which makes flossing more effortless, efficient, and quick. Phloss was created to speed up the cleaning process without compromising on quality after the reduced dexterity. Since it is refillable, there is a waste management system designed for the compostable floss strings. “These refills are delivered to people using a subscription service, the used floss refills can be sent back to the manufacturer for industrial composting, utilizing waste material and following a circular economy,” elaborates Boyle. Flossing removes 80% of plaque from the teeth and is vital to our personal hygiene so it is essential to find a sustainable alternative instead of giving up this good habit. Dental products often have a short life span and Phloss aims to close one of its most notorious loops.

Boyle conducted research, where he dived into factors like user experience, sustainability, cost, and effectiveness of existing floss alternatives like Quip’s refillable floss, oral irrigator, dental floss, interdental brush, and floss pick. After addressing the pain points, he took the best parts of all these existing alternatives to craft Phloss and was mindful of making it an inclusive design. He then created several prototypes before landing on a final version which had an ergonomic build, smooth curves, good grip, and clean aesthetics that didn’t distract from its purpose. The same aesthetic mood board was also applied to the packaging of the refills because it is an important part of the overall product-service, the success of the product depends on every detail of the user experience and interaction.

Phloss’ aim was to make the flossing accessible and desirable while being eco-conscious. Boyle’s ‘take back’ system gives the manufacturers valuable compost for a range of agricultural applications. It is designed for mass manufacturing which makes it easier for people to quickly switch to eco-friendly options. The packaging will also reflect its goal to be eco-friendly and the product will come in a fully recyclable cardboard tube while refills will arrive in compostable envelopes. There are so many little changes we can make that go beyond the bamboo toothbrushes or reusable cups to truly be a step closer to living sustainably. Understanding this, Phloss also won the Joseph Joseph Brilliantly Useful Design Award at New Designers Awards 2020!

Designer: Charlie Boyle

Problem Solving

Design Process

This $65,000 tiny house on wheels is made with eco-friendly materials for sustainable home owners!

Posted on by

Back with yet another tiny home I am currently dreaming about – the Natura by The Tiny Housing Co! The tiny house movement promotes living sustainably, you use only what you need in terms of resources and space which doesn’t hinder your quality of life and also allows enough time for nature to complete its replenishing cycle. Natura is a wonderful example of the best to come out of the tiny house movement, it is an environmentally friendly home on wheels! “As negative as pandemic has been throughout the world, a positive thing that’s come from it is people have really come to realize that nature is important to people’s lives,” says Smith-Burchnell, Founder and Director of The Tiny Housing Co.

One of my favorite things about tiny homes is the loft-style beds because they give you a little private cozy corner and that is exactly how the bedroom in Natura is set up. It has a multifunctional king-sized bed with plenty of storage under the frame. The bedroom also has a single large window that makes it more spacious and allows for a lot of natural light to flood your top floor. The space optimization goes beyond the bedroom, there are many built-in spaces for you to put the things you own like under the stairs as well as in the walls! The choice of materials for exterior and interior has been kept in line with the eco-friendly mission – there is wood paneling on the exterior, a thick corkboard layer on the front to add a defining feature that doubles as a breathable, fire-retardant area by the bedroom. The house is well insulated because of the natural materials chosen. Natura also features 1000W pre-installed solar panels as well as an Energy Recovery Ventilator which helps to remove excess humidity, filters the air, and removes stale air while keeping your home warm. Like a modern house, it includes an elegant glass double door which doubles up as a glass wall that keeps the living area well lit and house plant-friendly. To add to the spaciousness, it also includes an outdoor deck – since the house is on wheels you can always change the view!

Natura is ready to move in as soon as you receive it and comes fitted with A++ energy-efficient appliances like a 2-hob induction cooker, fridge freezer, electric oven, extractor fan, under-sink water filter plus a bathroom with a large shower. “Small space, less waste, high-thermal efficient insulation & ERV system and super energy-efficient appliances means you’ll spend a fraction on bills if any. Use of corkboard reduces harmful VOCs, formaldehyde or other chemicals to be required in your home,” elaborates the team. While luxurious tiny homes are nothing new, not many combine luxury with sustainability like Natura.

Designer: The Tiny Housing Co

Click Here to Buy Now!

This 3D printed sustainable clay range is an indigenous storage solution that reduces food waste!

Posted on by

All over the world, we face the challenge of waste generation and management. Most people think that plastic is the biggest culprit but you would be surprised to know that food waste the largest waste contributor worldwide. To put it into context, food is responsible for 44% while plastic is responsible for 12% – that is a problem we need to fix and designer Lea Randebrock is taking a step in the right direction with her Clay Pantry collection.

About 1/4th of the food waste, which is generated in industrialized countries goes back to the actions of consumers and the busy lifestyles of western countries in combination with a lack of knowledge. Old-timey solutions like root-cellars made it possible to store produce throughout winter but now we have cheap food that is quick to cook and always available which has been taken for granted. People are not only detached from their environment but also from the food they consume and Clay Pantry wants to change that approach through its organic design. It provides a suitable space for fruits and vegetables which make up for the highest waste count. Inspired by traditional storing methods, this collection was created to be used within our modern lifestyle settings – the best of both worlds. The furniture-container collection includes the Root Stool, Fruit Shelf, Tempered Box, and Watering Jug which are all crafted around the behavior and actions of watering plants. “By watering the objects like plants, the focus goes effortlessly to the objects and the content,” describes Randebrock who has been a student of furniture design and is inspired by indigenous materials.

Clay has been used since ancient times as a storage solution for food and drinks, having grown up in India it is a big part of the culture and in fact, water stored in clay pots is always cooler (and sweeter!). The cooling effect is due to the porosity of earthenware which has natural cooling properties when soaked with water. Clay Pantry optimizes this property to give you a range of storage containers for small, urban homes. The Root Stool provides dry and dark storage space and the Tempered Box was created for produce that needs humid and cool conditions. The Fruit Shelf and Water Jug are self-explanatory. Clay Pantry’s modular nature makes it a perfect fit for compact apartments and for those looking for an eco-friendly storage solution for their produce.

“In the situation followed by the challenging spring of 2020, I believe it is more important than ever to include empathy in our society. Any aspects of everyday life are challenged and need to be redesigned and restructured. While this is a challenging time, this is a chance to question the status quo. As a designer, I hope to contribute in a positive way to a Post-Corona society,” says Randebrock, a student of the Royal College of Arts. She has used a traditional food storage method but brought it to life using 3D printing – the best of both worlds is embodied in this collection that serves us and our environment.

Designer: Lea Randebrock

clay pantry

clay pantry 1

clay pantry 2

This 100% electric pod inspired by James Bond is the worlds first floating eco-hotel suite!

Posted on by

Half the year is over and we haven’t been able to catch a break. To keep my hopes up, I continue to make a travel bucket list, and right now all I want to do is go off-the-grid regardless of the place. And there is nothing more perfect for that than Anthénea which is the world’s first autonomous and eco-friendly floating suite equipped with high-end facilities. This modern pod will literally wash all those worries away and you can continue being an eco-conscious traveler!

Anthénea is a UFO-shaped water suite made in France by veteran designers, engineers, and naval architects, whose vision was to create a nomadic vessel for eco-conscious tourists. It was a project born from the dreams of Jean-Michel Ducancelle, a naval architect, who was inspired by James Bond’s floating pod in ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ (1977). The 50 sqm pod has three living spaces – a living area, a sleeping zone, and a lounge area that features a 360° solarium on its roof for 12 people. All interior elements are entirely made from sustainable materials. Anthénea adapts to a wide temperature range (-30°C to +40°C) and its stabilizing ballasting keeps the seasickness at bay! Coastlines are often overburdened with tourism and Anthénea offers an ecological way to lighten that load while promoting sustainable travel which is our ultimate future.

The design has been decided upon after extensive study so that it can resist cataclysms and the rise of oceans. Its spherical shape is based on the principle of surface tension observed in nature. This is the optimal form of resistance to extreme conditions on the water. “By its shape and lift on water technology, the peripheral crown enhances the stability of the pod,” adds the team. It is equipped with silent electric motors that can keep it afloat indefinitely thanks to five south-facing solar panels and two electric propulsion pods. “Anthénea only uses solar power. An energy sensor dome meets the electrical and hot water needs. The home is equipped with certified black and gray water stations. She produces what she consumes and releases clean water only,” says the team. The domed shape helps optimize the sun’s rays for solar power and blend seamlessly into the environment. The central well serves as an undersea observatory and natural air conditioning system – design details like this about the structure makes Anthénea self-sustaining.

The most aesthetic part aside from the submarine-like views is the solarium with a motorized reclinable sunshade roof that enables it to automatically switch in the wind direction and facilitate natural ventilation of the living areas. All equipment and design choices are inspired by natural elements. Guests can upgrade their suites to include a desalination system and wood-burning stove that can be installed anywhere with zero environmental impact. Anthénea is a new kind of tourism, but also a new way of life in the face of many environmental challenges.

Designer: Jean-Michel Ducancelle of Anthénea

   

A million dollar flexible living solution hides in this sustainable cabin

Posted on by

I can’t be the only one who thinks about where would I like to be quarantined next if the situation does arise again – like what kind of house, what view would I like to have and should I go solo or pick my quaran-team. Very valid questions given the times we live in and I am finding the answers to them in my favorite Pinterest pass time – tiny modular homes like Cabin One.

Cabin One is described as a passionately designed home for the future and its minimalist look certainly appeals to millennials who will now be able to buy homes given that the lockdown is making them spend less on avocados (you know what I am talking about). What I love about Cabin One is that it promotes flexible micro-living through its modular build. You can customize the 25 square meters of space as per your needs – it could be a beautiful cabin for one, holiday home for two or a quirky office space that stands in between an Airbnb and WeWork (given that the future is all about working remotely, did I just come up with the next million-dollar startup?). “We have reduced the complexity of the construction industry to three important elements: comfort, quality, and user experience. We do not think in square meters, we think in features,” says Simon, Cabin One’s designer.

It is lined entirely in wood with cozy interiors that will make staying at home feel like a retreat. The modern wooden abode is created from renewable raw materials, produced off-site, and delivered in full to its final destination for easy installation. The large windows allow a lot of natural ventilation and sunshine to grace the cabin and bring the feeling of spaciousness to the otherwise compact quarters. It just feels like a safe space and that is all you need to hang on to during complex times and may you find it within you instead of in a house. In the meantime, take an interactive virtual property tour –  soon all real estate might work like this!

Designer: Simon Becker of Cabin Spacey

These sustainable terraces create the largest interconnected community living room

Posted on by

Innovative Dutch architecture studio, MVRDV, is all about enabling the development of cities and landscapes towards a better future for its residents and the environment. Their most recent project, the Shenzhen Terraces, is being built at the Shimao ShenKong International Centre and it is a glimpse into what architecture in 2020 will look like. The Gryffindor common room has got nothing on these sustainable community terraces, you’ll see!

The Shenzhen Terraces are designed to encourage sustainable living and the structure will be the center of the student community at Universiade New Town in Longgang District. Think of it as a multi-dimensional urban living room for the busy college town. The terraces are all stacks of unusual shapes because the idea is to build them around the existing outdoor public places – evolving spaces without disrupting them. All the buildings in the structure will be connected through the second floor and the small outdoor atriums throughout the community are actually places where the terraces converge to connect. “Shenzhen Terraces aims to bring vitality and innovation to the area through seamless integration of landscape, leisure, commerce, and culture,” says MVRDV. The largest building will consist of a bus terminal and a conference center connected by a large open-air atrium in the middle which optimizes the horizontal space that makes the terraces stand apart from the rest of the town.

It is a sustainable hub for the surrounding town as it offers entertainment, educational, transportation and recreational amenities while also giving back to the surrounding environment. There is a generous amount of water features and plants included in the plan so it can contribute to reducing the local temperature and become a safe space for urban wildlife. The terraces also have a facility to collect rainwater and that can be used for additional food and water resources making the community more self-reliant. Cement alone is responsible for 8% of the global CO2 emissions which makes MVRDV’s choice to use recycled concrete a very eco-conscious one while NASA and architecture schools around the world continue to test other construction material alternatives like mushrooms! The recycled concrete will be used in all buildings as the aggregate, and photovoltaic panels will adorn extensive portions of the rooftops. The entire structure is designed to sustain the community without adding any burden on the local environment – that is why the integration of natural elements is crucial to create a climate buffer for the interiors. In addition to the facilities in the larger buildings, the terraces also host a library, a gallery, and an outdoor theatre.

Each element has been carefully thought about in the aesthetic sense but also how it merges with the structure, the city, and the community – there are a purpose and benefit for it all. The Shenzhen terrace’s grassy, sub-tropical plateaus contrast the city’s vertical high-rises as an example of creating a space where civilization can co-exist with nature. It provides a landscape that beautifully knits life as we know it with a better future.

Designer: MVRDV