12.29.2006

Recycled Tire Link Doormat


Recycled rubber doormats were introduced after WWII, made from discarded truck tires. Rubber strips are linked by rustproof steel wire in an open-weave design that allows dirt and debris to be scraped off at the door. Safe for floors—and a great example of environmental recycling! Washes clean with a hose. Made in USA. $8.97
whatever works

Plastic made from plants



Zelfo is an eco-logical, wood like, mouldable material processed solely out of plant fibres and water by means of a sustainable process.

Patented early in 2000 by a team based in Austria, it was not until Zelfo Australia that this material was developed for commercial production.

Suitable for use in various products because of its aesthetics, strength and ease of use. Due to its novel moulding process, rounded corners are easily incorporated into forms. We can of course also produce sharp edges.

True biodegradability* of the various fibres is also a bonus. The various fibres, such as hemp, flax, sugar-cane and waste paper are NOT blended with any resins or glues ensuring the eco-message is adhered to in full. This does not affect the strength which has been shown to be superior to many other types of plastics and wood.
Zelfo Australia

12.21.2006

Bamboo Fibre and Timer Sofa


Working with solid hardwood, premium U.S. leather hides and other material, Maria recognizes that ecology demands the use of sustainable resources. Thus begins her research and development that culminate in her patent pending BambooTimbre furniture. BambooTimbre is made from rapidly renewable bamboo plants, with bamboo culms flattened, layered and bonded in defined patterns for structural integrity.
Maria Yee

Recycled Glass for Mulch and Pavers


Landscape2go

Ultimate Tree Houses




Design Team: HNTB; Brad Bell Studios

Beyond the typical four walls, floor and ceiling, a tree house is the adventure, the experience, a child’s escape from an adult’s structured world. The concept of “tree house” often evokes thoughts, memories, history, and imagery of childhood and parenthood: activities and learning, the act of construction and personalization, nature and our relationship to it. But, traditional form and materials often confine the limitless imagination. The leaves of the tree provided the basic form for our design. Through the use of parametric 3-D modeling software, the basic “leaf” surface was generated, and transformed into the “wall panels” that create the tree house. Precision in fabricating the components, as well as being able to accurately quantify the construction materials, makes these very organic, expressive forms, feasible to assemble and install. To represent the personalization of the tree house, area school children crafted their own “leaves” to be hung inside the house. The leaves draw the eye upward and engage you with wind, sound and sky.

Design Team: Sebo Shim & R. Kelly Giddens, The BECK Group

The design allows the patron to directly participate in the actions of a butterfly or similar insect as they become the “Pollinator” and move within the three tulip blooms. This concept creates both a visual and educational experience. The tulips are connected by a wheelchair accessible ramp and elevated pathways, as well as steps to provide movement between the blooms, simulating pollination. Bolted, plywood ribs stand 11 feet tall and represent “nectar guides” radiating from the tulip center which will draw “Pollinators” to the flowers. The plywood ribs are in-filled with painted wood slats just as visual cues such as color in flowers attract certain “Pollinators”. The slats are also angled specifically to create and control the visitors’ view from within the tulips.
Dallas Arboretum

12.18.2006

Under Sea Resort


The UnderSea Resort and Residence is going to change how travelers spend their leisure time. The change will be so dramatic that it will be compared to the Wright Brothers and the birth of aviation. For the first time in history, millions of people each year will be able to directly experience the wonders of life beneath the ocean without the necessity of scuba gear and oxygen tanks. Further, they will be able to remain under the ocean indefinitely, just like the marine life they are watching.
The UnderSea Resort and Residence will foster and expand openness and respect for our own ecosystem, which is currently under attack by the indiscriminating and daily butchering of marine life. In keeping with that respect, our company will donate a percentage of profits to promote education in the area of marine biology. However, the Undersea’s biggest contribution may be that it will give a great opportunity for humankind to learn that marine life is as caring and loving as we are with our own loved-ones.
UnderSeaResort

Electro Scoot


The result of a collaboration between GRO Design, Tim Modelmakers and Korff & Van Mierlo, the Scoot is powered by a lightweight lithium ion battery requiring only six hours for a full charge that will see you good for a range of between 40 – 50 km. The Scoot can also travel at up to 30 km/h and, as it’s categorised as a motorised bike, it doesn’t require a number plate as is exempt from road taxes.
electroscoot

Eco Pod Home Recycling Center


The home recycling center with compaction and collection. Designed by BMW Designworks, the ecopod will clean up the way you recycle with its eco-chic design and functionality. After dropping an aluminum can or plastic bottle in the top opening, press the ecostep to hear the sweet sound of compaction. As the ecostep releases, the redeemable container automatically falls into the enclosed collection bin. Open the door and remove the bin for collection or redemption. Glass, paper and other recyclable items can be stored in the removable bins inside the top lid.
eco pod

12.13.2006

CNN Reports Algae-filled Hummer wins 'green car' contest


The GM vision for the futuristic Hummer concept includes an algae-filled body shell, designed to shed oxygen, that also opens up like leaves on a stem to catch sunlight when parked.

The concept sketch, which was produced by GM's West Coast Advanced Design Studio, shows the Hummer riding on an aluminum shell and powered by a hydrogen tank and fuel cells.

"This design team said, 'We've done hybrids. We're doing fuel cells. What's the next step that actually improves the environment?'" said Frank Saucedo, director of GM's California design lab.

Saucedo said the GM team had deliberately chosen the polarizing Hummer brand for its imagined environmental remake.

"People think of it as a military vehicle, as a suburban SUV, but really these types of vehicles -- the SUVs and the early Jeeps -- were for people who worked in the outdoors, environmentalists, naturalists and outdoorsmen," he said. "This is just us coming full circle."

GM said this week that its entire Hummer lineup would offer biofuel engines, capable of running on renewable fuels such as biodiesel, over the next three years.

The GM entry in the Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge won out over a number of equally ambitious vehicle sketches from other automakers.

None of the sketches are even close to the full-blown concept cars that automakers roll out at the industry's major trade shows to generate buzz for their brands.

Toyota Motor Corp. suggested an electric-powered, tandem-style vehicle with wicker seats that the occupants could opt to pedal through stop-and-go Los Angeles rush-hour traffic.

DaimlerChrysler AG's luxury Mercedes-Benz unit suggested a diesel-burning convertible with wood panels that could be easily replaced and recycled.

CNN