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Posts Tagged ‘Green’

CityTree: High-Tech Green Wall Cleans as Much Pollution as a Forest

27 Jun

[ By SA Rogers in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

A 13-foot-tall high-tech green wall encased in a concrete frame is capable of cleaning as much polluted air as an entire forest, combining the Internet of Things and biotechnology to collect data while it improves the urban environment. Created by Green City Solutions, the ‘tree’ isn’t really a tree at all, but rather a moss culture that removes dust, nitrogen dioxide and ozone gases from the air while also collecting weather data, providing electricity via solar panels and filtering its own rainwater.

Wifi sensors measure factors like temperature, water quality and soil humidity that help each CityTree self-regulate while also allowing the creators to measure how efficient it is at its job. Over a period of a year, each one can remove up to 240 metric tons of climate change-inducing CO2 from the air. Each one features a display for information or advertising. It also features optional benches on either side, and can be vandalism-proofed and customized according to a city or company’s needs. Green City Solutions takes care of the maintenance, and there’s a slim-line version measuring one square meter for smaller spaces.

Asia’s first CityTree went up in Hong Kong last summer, and around 20 others have been installed in cities like Oslo, Paris and Brussels. More are planned, but red tape tends to get in the way, stalling its growth to additional cities. The German-based company plans to introduce the CityTree to lower-income countries like India as well. While it’s definitely not enough to combat urban air pollution on its own, it’s an interesting element to integrate into a more comprehensive strategy.

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[ By SA Rogers in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

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Pillars of Green: 85,000 Plants on World’s Largest Vertical Garden Facade

23 May

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

An extensive living facade system in Bogota, Columbia, represents growth in the right direction, away from unrealistic tree-covered skyscrapers toward more sustainable and useful vertical greenery.

The Santalaia building has plants spanning over 30,000 square meters of its surface area, able to produce oxygen for over 3,000 people annually (and filter tons of heavy metals, harmful gases and other airborne particulates). Paisajismo Urbano installed this specific system, developed by Ignacio Solano.

The recent trend (in renderings and to some extent reality) of putting trees onto tall towers is problematic from engineering and ecological standpoints. “Intensive” greenery requires thicker layers of soil and more complex systems for watering, maintenance and structural support. “Extensive” greenery, by contrast, provides many of the same benefits with lower cost and less wasted energy.

Many architects are naturally tempted to place trees on buildings, which do have a few functional advantages (like providing shade and making for nice-looking renderings). Still, building residents as well as the public would be better served in most cases by systems like this one. Even then, it is important to determine in advance what the goals and intended benefits are, since any green installation is complex and requires ongoing support.

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Green House: 17 Residential Designs Intertwined With Nature

14 Mar

[ By SA Rogers in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

water lily house

Replicating parks in the middle of largely-concrete cities or merely connecting tropical homes to the lush vegetation that’s already growing right beyond the walls, these homes integrate living plants, water features and direct access to the sky. Prioritizing a connection with nature – and all the natural daylight that comes along with it – these modern home designs are breezy and bright yet private, often placing their courtyards centrally like secret gardens or building around existing mature trees.

Rattan House, Sun House, Water Lily House, Willow House & Cluny House by Guz Architects

rattan house

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rattan house 3

cluny house

willow house

sun house

Has any architecture firm mastered the form of the nature-influenced luxury tropical home quite like Guz Architects? Working primarily in temperate climates like that of Singapore, this firm consistently produces jaw-droopingly beautiful residences full of lushly planted courtyards, green roofs, swimming pools that transition into seemingly natural decorative water features, living trees and lots of blurred lines between indoors and out. For example, the center of Cluny House is a generous fish pond filled with tiny tree-covered islands overlooking a lap pool. Willow House features a ground-level reflecting pool with glass walls to make water a more visual element of the home, with greenery dripping down from the edges of the terrace above.

Jardins House by CR2 Arquitetura

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The fittingly named Jardins House by CR2 Arquitetura is an oasis in the middle of a city, replacing an industrial building. The architects created a series of voids within the structure to house gardens that would be naturally illuminated from above without compromising the privacy of the residents.

Mirante House by FGMF Arquitetos, Brazil

mirante house 1

mirante house 2

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mirante house 4

Every sightline in Mirante House by FGMF Arquitetos is directed through the glass to the valley below, with an open scheme of interior spaces divided by transparent walls. Nature seems to invade the home at every turn, with planter boxes installed in every space and most rooms looking down onto the central courtyard.

Living Garden House by KWK Promes

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living garden house 4

While glassed-in ground floors connected to the outdoors aren’t unusual in tropical settings, this home by KWK Promes uses the scheme a little differently. Rather than opening onto swimming pools or courtyards, the glass room at the base of the home is part of the lawn, so residents can feel like they’re still lounging in the warm grass even in the middle of winter. The glazing opens this lounge to the open air when desired. The home consists of two volumes, one essentially cantilevered over the other (supported by this glass room) while the street-facing facades are nothing but brick for privacy.

Sunken Pavilion by Act Romegialli

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Take the steps on the lawn or navigate a subterranean tunnel to access an enclosed swimming pool and gym from the original home in this addition by Act_Romegialli. The swimming pool structure is essentially sunken into the ground with its glassed facade peeking out at an artificial pond full of water lilies. This keeps the structure naturally cool and focuses views on nature rather than neighbors.

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Green House 17 Residential Designs Intertwined With Nature

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Modern Babylon: Hanging Plants Serve as Green Walls & Window Shades

19 Feb

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

green-screen-wall

A single-story house in Vietnam echos an ancient world wonder, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, but on a domestic scale and with minimalist contemporary design sensibilities and a functional purpose.

green-wall-design

green-wall-interior

Created by MIA Design Studio, the home is both open to its surroundings but also shielded by a veil of greenery reaching up to the rooftop above.

green-house-pools

green-kitchen

green-space-exterior

“The boundary between the interior and exterior is being diminished, letting man sense the fluctuations of nature. Space is opened up but maintains the privacy of the individuals. This is the daunting problem of living in a metropolitan area with cramped space and pollution.”

green-floor-plan

green-bedroom

green-deck

green-hallway-creepers

The green screen is a theme carried between three distinct volumes of the house, lining a connective hallway that joins disparate living, sleeping and working spaces. A series of outdoor gardens between the interior areas and perimeter wall create a natural sanctuary for the residents, providing access to a personal forest within the a bustling built environment.

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Urban Agritecture: Terraced Townhouse Supports Series of Green Roofs

20 Nov

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

urban-agritecture

A stepped-roof residence recently completed in Vietnam combines architecture and agriculture, inspired by the terraced rice fields found in the countryside.

windows-and-shade

steps-and-light

Designed by H&P Architects, the accessible platforms overhead serve a variety of purposes simultaneously. Slotted windows at each incremental level allow in light while the natural vegetation helps filter dust, noise and heat in the tropical climate. These plants, in turn, are supported by a built-in irrigation system as well as channeled storm water.

stepped-house-design

rooftop-deck-vegetation

A series of small staircases connect each of the exterior decks, stepping over planters that span the length of the house across multiple levels.

living-room-view

light-conditions

terraced-green-space

At grade and on the floor above are living accommodations including a play area, lounge and kitchen as well as multiple bedrooms. A workshop and study are located on the third and top level. The whole house is also designed to maximize airflow across levels, bringing cool air in from the shaded side and venting it along the horizontal rooftop windows.

green-roof-diagram

roof-view-looking-down

From the architects: “agricultural cultivation helps bring city dwellers closer to the nature by giving them interesting first-hand experience in planting, taking good care and sharing harvested produce from their own farmland plots with their neighbors.”

stepped-housed

stepped-house-at-night

This home “serves as a constant reminder of the origin of paddy rice civilization in a flat world context threatened by various types of pollution currently at an alarming level. it is, at the same time, expected to promote the expansion of farmland plots in urban areas with a view to securing food supplies for future life.”

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Form Follows Treehouse: Tiny Green Canopy Home Tops Wood Trunk

12 Dec

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

living tree building

Wrapped in living greenery, the upper story of this solar-powered, tree-shaped dwelling branches outward, set upon a wooden framework supporting it from below.

tree trunk shape house

Designed by Elevate Structure Inc. in Hawaii (photos by Corey Lum for Civil Beat), the 40-square-foot-base expands upward to a 400-square-foot second floor above, overhanging to provide shade for outdoor uses (patios or parking) underneath.

tree house interiors

Eco-friendly features include living and breathing exterior walls that can also be used to grow edible produce, self-sufficient solar power generation via side and top panels and rainwater storage and collection (up to 1,500 gallons).

tree house shape

The modular structure was originally designed as an easy-to-ship, simple-to-build and off-the-grid solution for remote parts of Oahu, but the target has since been expanded due to broader public interest.

tree house living walls

While they work wonderfully as elevated homes, the units can also be used for other purposes, including small stores, cafes, offices, gyms and/or storage spaces.

From its creators: “Inspired by Hawaii’s natural beauty, Elevate founders Tiffany and Nathan set out to create these innovative structures to help care for the environment and help people. The pressure of existing global issues – insufficient water availability in areas, poor air and water quality in others, and high energy consumption are exacerbated by the increasing population density and demands of urban environments – combined with their streak of entrepreneurship brought the Elevate unit to life.”

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Feministische Fotografie von Goodyn Green

27 Oct

Eine Frau liegt im Bett.

Ein Beitrag von: Brooke Nolan

Die Fotografin und Regisseurin Goodyn Green kommt zu unserem Treffen mit einem alten blauen Fahrrad, alten Jeans, Lederjacke und kurzen scharlachroten Haaren. Zwei Tattoos auf ihren Armen zeigen die Sprüche „How feminine is this?“ und „pretty damn fucking feminine“. Ich berichte über die Arbeit von Goodyn Green, die Rollenklischees hinterfragt.
kwerfeldein – Fotografie Magazin | Fotocommunity

 
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Fist-Bump This Crosswalk Signal to Get a Green Light

08 Oct

[ By Steph in Design & Guerilla Ads & Marketing. ]

walkbump 1

Pedestrians approaching a crosswalk button that has been modified with a silicone fist knew exactly what to do in order to get across the street. Anthropomorphizing a common urban fixture, designer duo Alfredo and Alberto make a walk through Los Angeles a lot more fun with nothing more than some silicone, glue and a #walkbump sticker printed with the simple instructions “fist bump to cross.”

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Screen Shot 2015-10-07 at 5.20.00 PM

The designers captured video of pedestrians as they encountered the guerrilla installation. Nearly everybody seems game to play along, some snapping selfies. While the Spanish-born designers don’t explain exactly how they made it, all it likely took to create was taking a quick clay mold of the button for a seamless fit, and a separate one of a fist, casting them into one piece in an eye-catching yellow hue.

rotten apple 2

rotten apple 1

This ‘quick and dirty’ urban intervention calls to mind the Rotten Apple Project, a series of cheap projects that anyone can replicate in their own cities, from turning a bike rack into a folding seat to screwing coat hooks onto bus stop signs. This kind of active participation in how cities look and function – often without the permission of officials – can enliven public spaces, whether the installations are just for fun or create new uses for existing structures. Check out 12 more creative DIY urban interventions.

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[ By Steph in Design & Guerilla Ads & Marketing. ]

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Dirt Cheap: World’s Largest 3D Mud Printer Makes Green Homes

23 Sep

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

3d printer aerial view

Able to print full-sized structures from mud and clay, this 40-foot-tall 3D printer represents a huge step toward printing affordable housing from free materials. The project was unveiled yesterday, debuting with a live demonstration at a three day rally event in Italy along with a series of workshops and conferences.

giant 3d house printer

wasp printer

Representing a hybrid of biomimicry, new technologies and ancient building techniques, the BigDelta printer from World’s Advanced Saving Project (WASP) draws inspiration from natural and human precedents.

3d printer demo

3d printer scale models

BigDelta’s structural strategies and resulting home shapes are informed by a breed of wasp that constructs mud homes as well as a long human tradition of creating earthen dwellings.

3d mud printer above

Building with water, dirt, clay and plant fibers taps into a set of plentiful organic resources, reduces environmental impacts, obviates the cost of and need to ship materials and provides naturally robust and insulated housing shells.

3d mud printer nozel

The lightweight steel frame of the printer itself, supporting a giant printing nozzle suspended in its open center, is easy to collapse and transport between construction sites.

3d printer italy stage

This larger model follows a smaller Delta prototype used to execute a series of complex geometric structures at reduced size, testing the technology and materials.

The design aims to address a growing housing crisis: “by 2030, international estimates foresee a rapid growth of adequate housing requirements for over 4 billion people living with yearly income below $ 3,000. The United Nations calculated that over the next 15 years there will be an average daily requirement of 100.000 new housing units to meet this demand.”

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Silicon Greenery: World’s Largest Green Roof to Span City Blocks

16 Sep

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

largest green roof

Aiming to turn Cupertino into the green center of Silicon Valley, this expansive green roof design rolls over 30 acres of central urban real estate, capping a massive mixed-use redevelopment project. The resulting street-crossing expanse is set to include miles of walking trails, vineyards, orchards, playgrounds and an amphitheater.

silicon vally green roofs

Developers from Sand Hill Property Company assembled the constituent real estate, including a partially abandoned Vallco Shopping Malls, from separate owners.

silicon valley green rooftop

Their proposal to create nearly 1,000 apartments and over a million square feet of office space was developed in part by architect Rafael Viñoly with the assistance of OLIN Landscape Architects.

largest roofs

In the buildings below, a cinema, gym, shopping center and ice rink are slated for construction, revitalizing the downtown area and integrating with outdoor elements above.

silicon valley theater amipheather

“The Hills at Vallco features an unprecedented 30-acre community park and nature preserve, which will not only be the largest community park in Cupertino, but also the largest green roof in the world” according to the developers behind the scheme.

cupertino california silicon valley

The plan has been pitched to the city as a way to secure its position as a hub for technology and innovation in California. The project is currently entering a public review phase. Critics note that feasibility may be an issue, citing the architect’s record with a London skyscraper known for blowing over pedestrians and lighting cars on fire.

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