Nearly Waterless Washing Machine Coming in ’09

A ‘nearly waterless’ washing machine developed by Leeds University researchers is set to debut in 2009. And when they say nearly waterless, they mean nearly waterless – as in only 1 cup. On top of that, it needs only a ‘pinch’ of detergent, and the clothes come out almost completely dry, so there’s no need to throw them in the dryer or even mess with clotheslines. It also uses just 2% of the energy of a conventional washing machine.

From Physorg.com:

“We have shown that it can remove all sorts of everyday stains, including coffee and lipstick, while using a tiny fraction of the water used by conventional washing machines,” Burkinshaw said.

When doing a load of wash, users throw their clothes in like a normal washing machine. Then a cartridge in the back of the machine adds plastic chips - about 45 pounds (20 kg) of them - to the load. Next, a cup of water containing the detergent is added. After the water dissolves the dirt, the chips absorb the water, without the need for a rinse or spin cycle. When finished, a grill at the bottom of the machine opens to collect the chips.

We’re just beginning to see what can be achieved when people actually put a lot of effort into sustainable, earth-friendly products and designs. Since washing machines account for a huge chunk of household water use, this could really help us all save lots of water. Green tech FTW!

Link [Physorg.com] + [Xeros]

Wooden ‘Islands’ Allow Beachgoers to Enjoy Rocky Coast

Architect Vincent Guallart has come up with a way to access jagged, rocky oceanfront property that’s low impact and quite beautiful.  These hexagonal wooden ‘islands’ were built along a rough coast in Spain to allow locals to enjoy the beach comfortably without any major construction.  Guallart says they allow sunbathers and swimmers to enjoy a ‘previously nonexistent platform’.

Guallart is known for edgy, eye-catching designs, like this concept for the centerpiece of Polish city Wroclaw’s bid to host Expo 2012, a World’s Fair.

Link [TrendHunter] + [Guallart]

Recycling Dumpsters for Use as Gardens, Skateboard Ramps & Swimming Pools

This gives ‘dumpster diving’ a whole new meaning: getting somebody’s unwanted used dumpster and turning it into a swimming pool.  Or, perhaps your urban apartment building doesn’t have any green space, and you’d love to stretch out on some grass for a picnic just a few steps from the front door.  Just fill up one of these giant waste receptacles with some dirt and plant some green things, and you’ll have an insta-lawn.

This is one of two proposals unveiled by design graduate Oliver Bishop-Young for the reuse of dumpsters (referred to as ‘skips’ across the pond).   Aside from the above-mentioned creative reuses, Bishop-Young proposes a website where people can detail the contents of their dumpsters so that other people can scavenge it.  The database would be searchable by a variety of filters including item or location (a temporary demo can be viewed here).

What an awesome idea! There are so many items thrown into landfills every day that could easily find a new home if people just had a chance to grab it.  Free stuff and less waste – who could complain?

Link [Environmental Graffiti]
Photo credit: dezeen.com

Indoor ‘River Ecosystem’ Aquarium and Hydroponic Garden

French designer Mathieu Lehanneur has created an incredible item that serves as an art installation, aquarium, fish hatchery, hydroponic vegetable garden and home décor at in one. The refrigerated aquarium houses freshwater fish, with vegetables growing in glass pods on top. The vegetables get their water from the tank, and then filter and purify the water for the fish. It’s its own little mini river ecosystem indoors.

I don’t know about the snakes, but all in all this is a pretty sleek and sexy design, and an interesting approach to dealing with the global food crisis. Check out the video of the installation below:

Via [Inhabitat]

New Vivavi Eco-Friendly Furniture Store at Riverhouse in NYC

Good news for NYC-area fans of sustainable, beautiful furniture and home furnishings! Vivavi - the brainchild of last week’s Who’s Who in Green, Josh Dorfman - has just announced the opening of their latest project – an Eco Pop Up store inside the Riverhouse, an LEED Gold-rated condo building (yep, the one where Leo DiCaprio has digs). It’s open to the public 7 days a week and it’s a veritable treasure trove of luxe modern green design.

From The Lazy Environmentalist:

Set inside a model 2-bedroom unit overlooking the Hudson River, the store features contemporary RC Green sofas and accents, the latest in luxury green lounging from Animavi, a Team 7 sustainably furnished dining room, a bedroom set featuring Okooko’s unique aesthetic and naturally made mattress, an office nook courtesy of Knu Furniture, a nursery outfitted by Oeuf, and loads of others other fabulous pieces from designers such as Amenity, Brave Space, Christian Rathbone, Iannone Design, Knoend, Larson, Lulan, Maku Furnishings, Modern Bamboo, Ortolan, Until Kara and Vers. We also feature the artwork of Sandy Schimmel who transforms tiny scraps of junk mail into visually stunning designs.

The Riverhouse is in Battery Park City, and the store is located in unit 8D adjacent to the Sales & Design center. Hours are Monday – Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday noon to 4pm.

If you live elsewhere in the U.S. and are lamenting the fact that you can’t check it out in person, head on over to the website where you can indulge in some internet retail therapy. If you aren’t already familiar with Vivavi, prepare to be blown away – it’s the kind of sexy green design that inspires poetry of love and devotion.

Link [The Lazy Environmentalist] + [Vivavi]

Vertical Farms are Beautiful and Productive

Imagine walking along a city street, looking up at the tall buildings around you and seeing beautiful hues of green, red, purple and other vibrant colors through glass windowpanes instead of just concrete and steel. Vertical farms wouldn’t just be a super smart way to grow local food in urban environments – they’re pretty, too. And, they’re well on their way to becoming reality.

From ecofriend:

Dickson Despommier, a professor of public health at Columbia University, hopes to make these zucchini-in-the-sky visions a reality. Dr. Despommier’s pet project is the “vertical farm,” a concept he created in 1999 with graduate students in his class on medical ecology, the study of how the environment and human health interact. The idea, which has captured the imagination of several architects in the United States and Europe in the past several years, just caught the eye of another big city dreamer: Scott M. Stringer, the Manhattan borough president.

Stringer’s office is “sketching out what it would take to pilot a vertical farm,” and plans to pitch a feasibility study to the mayor’s office within the next couple of months, he said. While many believe that the potential concept is being given outlandish shape and form which is both unrealistic and not probable, I’m willing for now to go ahead with the concept of all this. After seeing what I have seen take shape in Dubai, improbable structures no longer exist in my vision and I’m willing to believe that very soon I will pick my apple from the 16th floor-West Block!

These artist renderings show some of the incredible ideas being developed. Design is getting greener and smarter!

Link [ecofriend]

Paris Helium Balloon Shows Air Pollution Levels

A giant helium balloon in the skies of Paris gives city residents a very clear idea of how polluted the air is at any given time. The tethered balloon gives real-time reports of atmospheric pollution using a lighting system that can be seen from more than 12 miles away.

From Physorg.com:

A company called Aérophile announced its recent launch of the gas balloon, known as the AERO30NG Aérophile 5500 model, which is located in the Parc Andre Citroën in Paris. Aérophile manufactures tethered gas balloons as tourist and cultural attractions for places including Disney Village in Paris and the Great Park Balloon in Irvine, California.

The newest balloon, which is filled with 6,000 cubic meters of helium, will serve as both an eco-diagnostic public awareness tool as well as a tourist attraction.

Around the city, air pollution data will be collected by several sensors set up by Airparif, an organization that measures air quality in France. Based on this data, the Aérophile balloon will display two measurements: ambient air quality and air pollution produced by auto emissions, which is measured at major traffic junctions.

The balloon’s color signifies the ambient air quality using three projectors that are located in the middle of the balloon. For example, red signifies highly polluted air, orange for polluted, yellow for moderate, light green for clean, and green for very clean.

There’s a second display at the bottom of the balloon that shows traffic pollution levels. Both displays can be seen both day and night.

This is brilliant. What better way to get people to notice the city’s air pollution levels? It’s as simple as looking up at the sky. It couldn’t be more visible. Brilliant!

Link [Physorg.com]

New ‘Green’ Milk Jugs Not Cutting it with Consumers

So, apparently green milk jugs kind of suck. At least, that’s according to the Wal-Mart and Costco shoppers who have purchased the newly redesigned gallon jugs and complain about how hard they are to pour. These new jugs have been introduced because they’re cheaper to ship, better for the environment, cost less and provide fresher milk to the store. The new shape makes the jugs stackable and eliminates the need for crates. Indentations in the plastic give the jugs structural support.

From The New York Times, via Treehugger:

The jugs have no real spout, and their unorthodox shape makes consumers feel like novices at the simple task of pouring a glass of milk.

“I hate it,” said Lisa DeHoff, a cafe owner shopping in a Sam’s Club here.

“It spills everywhere,” said Amy Wise, a homemaker.

“It’s very hard for kids to pour,” said Lee Morris, who was shopping for her grandchildren.

Eco-Fail – not because it’s not innovative or is a bad idea, but because this is the sort of thing that turns off the millions of Wal-Mart shoppers from ‘green’ products and ideas. I mean, great way to turn the Wal-Mart set green – take away their easy pouring milk jugs and give them something to complain about, especially in this nation of resistance to change. They’re more than likely not going to care if the jugs help the environment if they can’t even pour milk into a bowl of cereal without spilling it.

A commenter on the Treehugger post suggested some kind of reusable accessory – stainless steel, perhaps – that mounts onto the jug to make it easier to pour. Great idea, but would Wal-Mart shoppers really go for that? They want simple, cheap and fast. Perhaps another redesign is in the cards – one that’s more practical for everyday use.

Link [The New York Times] via [Treehugger] via [Bag of Nothing]
Photo credit: David Maxwell for the New York Times

Chicago Plans New Harborside Green Space with ‘Eco-Bridge’

Chicago may just become America’s greenest city before long; they’re already working on a green roof program and a green alley project. Now, the city is working on an ambitious plan to provide residents with green space via an ‘Eco-Bridge’. The Eco-Bridge will be a semicircle around the Monroe Harbor, serving as a breakwater that will give Chicagoans calm waters for sailing and rowing. The bridge itself will also serve as recreational space, containing public parks and fountains.

More details from Inhabitat:

The Eco-Bridge was originally conceived in the early 1900s as part of the 1909 Burnham Plan of Chicago. The bridge is now being designed by hometown firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture. The Eco-Bridge is the last of the major recommendations drafted by the master plan to provide recreational opportunities, views of the city, and calm water for rowing and sailing. The two-mile bridge will connect opposite ends of the city center and Grant Park.

To give a modern and sustainable twist to the original idea, wind turbines will also be incorporated in the project to add economic value and show Chicago’s dedication to sustainability. An observation tower will be placed at the center of the bridge, providing spectacular views of the lake and city. The bridge also provides a chance to showcase the ecology of the Great Lakes and provide a safe environment for fish and water plants.

Chicago hopes that the Eco-Bridge will further enhance their bid for the 2016 Olympic Games - they hope the observation tower will be used to house the Olympic flame. It’s really a wonder why it’s taken so long to get this going, it seems like a great idea to promote the city’s sustainable initiatives, add recreational space, and create a draw for tourists.

The bottom photo shows the original 1919 plans for the Chicago City Center.

We’re proud to see this great city lead the nation in eco-friendly initiatives (EarthFirst headquarters are located in Chicago) and look forward to seeing more exciting things from the Windy City!

Link [Inhabitat]

Rotating Wind Power Skyscraper to be Built in Dubai

Bloody hell! (Oh, how I wish I could use that in conversation without sounding like an asshole.) That is one sexy building in more ways than one. From David Fisher’s Dynamic Architecture firm comes the Rotating Tower, a self-sufficient sun and wind powered design that will be built in Dubai. Construction is set to begin this month.

Inhabitat has the details:

The Dynamic Architecture building has been aptly named Rotating Tower as the floors would be capable of rotating around a central axis. It will be continually in motion, changing shape and giving residents the ability to choose a new view at the touch of a button. The form of the building would constantly change as each floor rotates separately giving a new view of the building as it turns. According to Fisher, the building ensures a very high resistance to earthquakes as each floor rotates independently.

The new tower is the first building of its size to produced in a factory. Each floor, made up of 12 individual units, complete with plumbing, electric connections, air conditioning, etc., will be fabricated in a factory. These modular units will be fitted on the concrete core or spine of the building at the central tower.

With so much wealth concentrated in Dubai, I think we’re going to be seeing a lot more green innovation coming out of this little country. Imagine the possibilities that are still out there even after incredible inventions like this are conceived and built. This takes the shiny, cool sci-fi future of your childhood dreams and wraps it all up in a green package that can help take us out of the age of oil and into a new era.

Link [Inhabitat]

Cradle to Cradle Design: 100% Biodegradable Furniture

In the last few decades, furniture has gotten incredibly wasteful. Think about how many crappy items you’ve purchased – tables, chairs, desks, bookshelves – that were made with such cheap materials in such a shoddy way that they fell apart after only a few years. Such throwaway furniture has increased the amount of crap that piles up in landfills day after day. You might think that going back to sturdier, more well-made furniture is the answer, but what if we could have 100% biodegradable furniture that could just be composted in your garden after you’re done with it?

Triplepundit has it:

A recently created design house by eight Dutch design students has embraced C2C fully. The company, called Artishok, has just completed its first designs after spending months researching the best 100% biodegradable materials for modern furniture.

The team was directly inspired by William McDonough, an architect, and the chemist Michael Braungart, the two inventors of C2C. The duo believes that another Industrial Revolution is at hand which is concentrated around ecological production methods.

The Artishok design studio embodies this perfectly, creating furniture from corn based plastics. Artishok’s products look no different than other designer stuff and the advantage of the Artishok items is that they virtually do not contribute to your carbon footprint. After use, you can safely throw the furniture on your garden’s compost heap without polluting the soil even 1%. That means that the eight students are about as close as any designers to replicating the natural cycle directly.

Because they’re made of 100% natural materials, they eliminate the garbage problem completely. Can you imagine, millions of people across the world never throwing another piece of furniture in the trash? That’s the direction we need to go in, for sure.  I can’t wait to see more furniture designers embracing the cradle to cradle concept!

Link [Triplepundit]
Photo credit: Flickr user jetheriot

UK Eco House Sold for Record $14.2 Million

Known as the Orchid House, this eco-friendly dwelling recently smashed records when it sold for £7.2million, or $14.2million USD. The futuristic-looking home is one of the properties on the Lower Mill Estate, which aims to turn a disused gravel pit into a 450-acre nature reserve.

Inhabitat has it:

Possibly to subsidize the £3,000 per square foot cost of the property, the building aims to generate more energy than it consumes, making use of geothermal heating. The house can be adapted to any occasion, be it a family holiday or a large reception, due to its flexible living spaces. Inhabitants and visitors to the property can be entertained by the glass-sided badger set installed in the garden.

The inspiration for the form comes from the flora and fauna on the estate, with living and dining areas appearing to fan out from the building’s core. The form is created using laminated veneer lumber – not great for the planet, as it consists of layers of wood held together with adhesives – but it does stay beautiful longer than conventional timber. This lumber is then clad with timber shingles with a camouflage pattern burnt into them. The main living spaces join the home’s pontoon to float over the lake.

Rumor had it that Brad Pitt was going to buy this place, and before that it was said that Kylie Minogue was looking into it. The proud new owner chose to remain anonymous, and it’s been said that he or she is in the entertainment industry. All of the interest in the house from big names surely had a big impact on the perceived value of the place. The home is expected to be completed by 2011, and that’s when we’ll find out the name of the buyer.

Check out the rest of the images of the Orchid House at Inhabitat.

Link [Inhabitat]

A Nature-Inspired Underwater Power Generator that Looks Like Sharks

Following nature’s innate wisdom when planning a design seems like a really smart idea. I love bio-mimicry, and this is just about the coolest thing I’ve seen. Underwater generators that disturb sea life as little as possible and look this awesome? Love it.

Gizmodo has it:

It never hurts to take cues from nature when designing technology, and that’s just what BioPower Systems did when engineering its bioSTREAM underwater generator. It’s inspired by shark tails, using the shape in a fixed device that moves with the motion of the ocean. It reverses the use of the tail, with the water moving it rather than it moving in the water, but by anchoring it to a fixed point it allows it to align itself in any direction depending on how the flow is moving. No word on just how cost-effective generating energy this way would be, however.

I wish they would add shark fins to them that stick out of the water. I’d pay to go see that – a giant field of artificial sharks swimming in an unchanging and immovable formation.

Read more about biologically inspired ocean power systems at the BioPower Systems website.

Link [Gizmodo] + [BioPower Systems]

Get a DIY Flat-Pack Home Delivered and Have an Attractive Cabin in Two Days

So you want to build your own home, but aren’t exactly a contractor. Maybe you don’t have the first clue how to go about doing it, and are in a hurry and strapped for cash. Until now, you would have had no choice but to give up your DIY dream. Lucky for you, a company called Argos has become the first major retailer to offer an attractive and affordable cabin that supposedly takes two people only two days to build.

From Springwise:

The British retailer’s basic five-room cabin, measuring roughly 32×17 feet or 8×5 meters, costs GBP 10,999. An upgraded model, with amenities such as laminate floors with in-floor heating, costs GBP 13,099. Both models are suitable for year-round living and are made by Finnish forestry company Finnforest using wood from sustainable forests.

Argos’ cabins open up several new-business opportunities. For starters, there’s likely a much larger market for ready-to-move-in cabins than for cabins that must first be put together, however easy their assembly might be. Thus, one option would be to buy the kits, assemble them and then resell the homes. The cabins’ low price coupled with their short assembly time would make the potential profit margin a lot greater than would be the case with conventionally built homes that require weeks to build.

Why stop at IKEA flat-pack furniture when you can have a flat-pack home? This is pure awesome. Just get yourself some land and you can have a nice, modest cabin that you won’t be paying off for decades to come. The entire thing (not counting land, utility hookups, surveys and permits) costs little more than the average down payment on a traditional home. This would be a great starting point for a compact homestead complete with solar panels and other energy-saving utilities.

Link [Springwise]

The Pedal Powered Snow Plow Is Chock Full of Awesome

Great FSM, do I want a Pedal Powered Snowplow. Kudos to designer Kevin Blake for this bit of super smart green design.

Pure Awesome.

Via [Carectomy]

Great Green Design: The Heineken Bottle That Doubles as a Building Material

Here’s another wickedly smart green design idea- manufacture beer bottles so they can be reused as a building material.

Heineken manufactured these purely awesome bottles back in 1963 because one of their brewers saw the lack of cheap building materials and the glut of beachside bottle litter while on vacation in the Caribbean. Functional, green, economical, and gorgeous to boot. We need more of this.

Link [Frostfirezoo]

Atlas Kinetic Cell Phone Charges Up While You’re On the Go

I love green design that just makes sense. The Atlas Kinetic Phone captures the daily motions of a typical in-the-pocket cell phone and translates it into power. It’s also built with an all aluminum casing for a longer life cycle.

I hope someone at RIM sees this. I would LOVE to have a Blackberry with something like this. Coat it in a solar wrap and give me a phone that I never have to plug in. Free me from wires entirely!
Link [designer ID] via Yanko Design