Designed by a group of young French architects from Studio 1984, the “Nest” is a compact home concept that is reminiscent of a traditional barn. The eco-home, which was conceived as part of the Archi<20 competition for low-cost, environmentally-friendly architecture in France, incorporates a simple quadratic structure that has been built using pastoral materials such as straw and wood. Could you live in something such as this? … [Read more...]
PhotoFlow – Solar and Rainwater Collection System By NOS
In many countries around the world the supply of electricity and clean water is often sporadic and of poor quality. Consulting and design company NOS is looking to address this problem with PhotoFlow, a two-in-one concept design that combines solar power generation with water collection and storage. The PhotoFlow design is composed of eight identical triangular photovoltaic panels that are mounted on a 400 liter recycled polyethylene water tank. … [Read more...]
Might black wind turbines prevent bird collisions?
Four turbines at the Smøla wind farm in Norway are to have one rotor blade painted black to see whether increasing the visual contrast of the turbine against its background might help to reduce bird strikes. Energy company Statkraft, which operates the farm, says that several white-tailed eagles (also called sea eagles) are found dead on the ground having flown into turbines at the inland wind farm. As well as testing black rotor blades, the … [Read more...]
Is solar getting dirtier?
In 2009, Mat McDermott wrote about the need for greater oversight in the manufacturing of solar panels, which pose many of the same problems as other types of electronics. A report from Silicon Valley Toxics called for manufactures to take more responsibility for their entire production chain and end-of-life recycling. The 2013 report from Silicon Valley Toxics found that the industry has yet to turn around its manufacturing practices. The … [Read more...]
Carbon Neutral Hi’ilani Ecohouse gives something back to nature
US architectural firm Studio RMA recently completed the Hi’ilani EcoHouse: a two-family, low-energy property located on an attractive plot on Hawaii's Big Island. The building draws much of its required energy from renewable sources, and Studio RMA strove to offset the CO2 produced during construction by planting extensive forestry. Hi’ilani EcoHouse was constructed using non-toxic termite-proof Structural Concrete Insulated Panels (SCIPs), … [Read more...]
What Do You Think To The Prospect Of Eating Insects?
By 2050, the UN expects that there will be almost 10 billion people on the Earth. This poses some serious practical questions, not least among which is how we'll put food into 2.5 billion or so extra tummies (especially given that we don't adequately fill all of the 7-plus billion we already have). If you're yet to hear alarming phrases like "food security" and "sustainable intensification" you've probably been living under a rock. Which is apt, … [Read more...]
Crops Can Be Made Self-Fertilizing With Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria, Making Artificial Fertilizer Unnecessary
A second Green Revolution? Nitrogen fixation is the process by which nitrogen is converted to ammonia, a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen that is necessary for plants to grow. Problem is, only a few plants like legumes (peas, beans, lentils) can fix nitrogen from the atmosphere with the help of symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The vast majority of plants have to get their nitrogen from the soil, and there's not enough of it everywhere. That's … [Read more...]
Black Magic House Built Quicker Than You Can Say “Abracadabra”
Located on the edge of a forest near Budapest, the prefabricated Black Magic House by T2.a Architects is, as its name suggests, both black and a house. The "magic" part? The home's basic structure was built in just two days, and the entire process – from sending off the digital plans to receiving the prefab parts and completing the structure – took only a week. Black Magic House is constructed from inexpensive building materials, in this case … [Read more...]
Cactus Needles Inspire New Method Of Cleaning Oil From Water
Tiny spikes of copper, inspired by cactus thorns, have the ability to remove micro-droplets of oil in water, according to Chinese researchers, and could lead to more effective cleanups of oil spills. The researchers, who noted that the cone-shaped spines of cactus can harvest water from the air and move it to their base due to surface tension and the shape of the spines, emulated that natural design function in a new development using artificial … [Read more...]
Metabolix Engineers Plants To Make Cheaper, Cleaner Bioplastic
Petroleum-based plastic may be fantastic, but due to the durability that makes the material so popular it may take hundreds of years to break down. Plastic made from renewable biomass, known as bioplastic, is a biodegradable alternative to fossil fuel versions. A company called Metabolix, based in Cambridge (MA), has been working on a technology to genetically engineer plants such as switchgrass to create a biodegradable polymer that can be … [Read more...]
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