Design4D

Solegear receives award for 100 percent biobased Polysole plastic @gizmag

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:00:59 +0000

As a society we have become too reliant on plastic based products some which can’t easily be recycled. New developments in sustainable materials need to be incorporated into the mainstream of architect’s specifications as soon as possible.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GizmagEmergingTechnologyMagazine/~3/IPJgSc987Yk/

Superb interactive film using Google Maps @Futureshorts

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:28:56 +0000

This film which can be personalised and spread via Facebook is a powerful marketing tool but the growth of virtual social and work spaces also questions the way we interact with one another and how this impacts on the spaces we build. Will public libraries with their inefficient storage of data exist in the future? What is the difference between a library and an art gallery? Where does the virtual office end and the social network begin? Technology is blurring the clear definition of space which architects were previously used to designing. Our Kinematic Apartment project began to tackle these questions with a flexible environment designed to accommodate the needs of living and working within one single space.

http://thewildernessdowntown.com/

Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing @whipcar

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:34:50 +0000

This article discusses a car sharing start-up which raises the question of ownership and how far this could be pushed. Moshe Safdie envisaged a future where all cars were shared and so parking space could be greatly reduced by parking vehicles one in front of another. Cars used to be a status symbol but on a smaller scale so did owning the latest LP which has now been reduced to an ephemeral series of bytes downloaded from the Internet.

I like the idea of a business based on sharing which also becomes a means for social connections to form within the community.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/fastcompany/headlines/~3/ya3PbQ7zPqk/whipcar-the-peer-to-peer-car-share-start-up-in-london

Office flexibility in the home. moving power points! @Mainlinepower

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:57:46 +0000

Design4D are currently designing an art gallery space where moving furniture will require us to have numerous power points. We are always looking for ways to translate the flexibility we are used to at the office into other environments thereby maximising a space’s potential value. This new product by Mainline enables one to position power sockets along a track as and when required. I wonder if this could be developed to incorporate cable trunking which could then be recessed into the wall…

http://www.mainlinepower.co.uk/

MIT’s Fleet Of Solar-Powered Oil-Cleaning Robots a Solution for Gulf Spill @treehugger

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:02:11 +0000

A potential solution for oil disasters but also inspires the idea that with ‘free’ solar power we could have dynamic facades adjusting blinds or even better the nano-particles of the glass to shade internally as and when needed.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/08/mits-fleet-of-solar-powered-oil-cleaning-robots-a-solution-for-gulf-spill-video.php?campaign=th_rss

World’s Largest Urban Forest Was Planted by Hand in Brazil @treehugger

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:25:27 +0000

An amazing bit of history here which shows that even areas where the growth of a city has destroyed the surrounding forest it is still possible to restore by hand the natural habitat on an impressive scale!
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/08/worlds-largest-urban-forest-was-planted-by-hand.php?campaign=th_rss

Restaurant chain tracks carbon footprint of all its menu items @gizmag

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:19:45 +0000

We are currently asking suppliers to provide us with carbon footprint data for products we specify. If they can’t provide this data then we begin to ask where the source of their products are from and whether they could be sourced locally. More recently an external furniture supplier were willing to change their source of FSC timber to reduce the cost of importation and the transportation involved in a product we wanted to specify. So reducing carbon footprints can save money as well as being more sustainable!

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GizmagEmergingTechnologyMagazine/~3/MJQC6hY0nJE/

Vegetation is a positive social and psychological part of urban environments @treehugger

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:06:17 +0000

This piece of research reinforces the idea that mixed use urban areas like our Shell House or Creekside Arcade scheme need adequate parks and vegetation to reduce crime, encourage fitness and create a more social environment. Obvious really but then who would have guessed obesity would become a major health issue because of poor design?!
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/08/urban-planners-make-you-fat.php?campaign=th_rss

Wars to be fought over water in the future @treehugger

admin — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 11:02:29 +0000

This article raises the interesting issue of water conservation. Our Waterscape City proposal envisages a decentralised water treatment system using Living Machine technology. Not only would this save money on expensive infrastructure it would also remove the need for chemically intensive treatment plants and reduce water loss problems. By centralising systems you remove the local understanding and awareness of the inputs required and their implications on the environment. It is this detached lack of awareness that generally results in unsustainable solutions.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/treehuggersite/~3/yqhbjFOZWcA/military-style-3g-drone-hunts-down-water-loss.php

Solar City Produces 4X the Energy it Consumes @inhabitat

admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:06:30 +0000

To be able to see the quantity of solar panels and the huge amount of energy generated is an impressive result and makes one realize that you don’t necessarily need a huge array of panels to make a significant impact on energy costs.
http://su.pr/1jM9SW