materials

Heineken wobo glass bottle to brick sustainable concept

Sweet goodness! What a great idea. Manufacturing Beer bottles to convert to brick structures for later use. This reminds me of the POM bottles that can be used as regular glass cups for home use. Why can’t this come back to reality! The amount of bottles tossed each year is absurd. Makes me want to ask photographer Chris Jordan to make a visual map of it for his “Running Numbers” series! (Did ya know in the USA alone we go through 106,000 aluminum cans every 30 seconds! It’s absurd!) There’s also the “66 Beer Bottle= a cheap solar water heater” direction.

Upcycling is a 21st century term, coined by Cradle to Cradle authors William McDonough and Michael Braungart, but the idea of turning waste into useful products came to life brilliantly in 1963 with the Heineken WOBO (world bottle). Envisioned by beer brewer Alfred Heineken and designed by Dutch architect John Habraken, the “brick that holds beer” was ahead of its ecodesign time, letting beer lovers and builders alike drink and design all in one sitting.

Mr. Heineken’s idea came after a visit to the Caribbean where he saw two problems: beaches littered with bottles and a lack of affordable building materials. The WOBO became his vision to solve both the recycling and housing challenges that he had witnessed on the islands.”

I want I want!!! It’s like buying Lego’s with your beer bottle as an adult! or you can just reuse what you have laying around much like the students at Western Washington University.(their show is in Seattle today, Nov 10th, 5-7pm)

via inhabitat

Clemson Clay Nest Natural Architecture 2005
Clemson Clay Nest , 2005

The natural environment still manages to fill us with a sense of awe and amazement. despite the amount of scientific knowledge mankind has gathered, nature still holds great mysteries that we may never be able to unravel. This complexity has continually daunted man. In frustration, we try to control nature by enforcing order. as a result, we have distanced ourselves from the earth, even though our survival is completely dependent on it. We are now trying to regain our close connection to nature.There is an emerging art movement that is exploring mankind’s desire to reconnect to the earth, through the built environment. Referred to as ‘natural architecture’, it aims to create a new, more harmonious, relationship between man and nature by exploring what it means to design with nature in mind.” (via Designboom)

Very cool! I’ve always been a fan of art/architecture created using natural resources in their raw format. Reminds me of one of my all time favorite artist Andy Goldsworthy (books/Wiki) who makes some incredible art using natural resources.

Buy the book “Natural Architecture” here (Due out November 2007)

(DesignBoom has more page excerpts)

rocket bike jet bike gadgetoff 2007

Woa, bang, boom, yikes, aha! That about sums up my experience at Gadgetoff 2007. What a mind torching adventure with a surplus of surprises, ear wrenching explosions, curious minds, and a safari into a wonderful world of gadgets we all love to geek about! Everything from flame throwing bbq’s, rocket bikes, robotics on wheels, and hybrid cars roamed every corner while gaming devices, weird toys, numbing food items, interactive screens, musical instruments, and hot air balloons filled up the rest of this landscape of greatness with people from all ages and disciplines.

Gadgetoff’s spontaneous flow of events kept you on your feet, jumping from boats, to buildings, into a rustic railroad house, and a cool science museum while somehow getting us all to sit calmly in an auditorium for several intellectually stimulating lectures. We were a geek fest storming the town in fashion with electronics in every pocket, Segways leading the crowd, and individuals rifling with excitement on anything cool and usually out of the ordinary.

I’ll post a few pictures on my adventure after the jump with notes, otherwise, hit up Gadgetoff.com, their blog, or a bunch of their YouTube Videos thanks to Michael (co-founder)

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Ted Talks Poster List

“Two weeks ago, TED.com hit a milestone: posting our 150th TEDTalk. To help you keep track of all the TEDTalks you’ve watched and want to watch, here’s a simple, low-tech tool: a list of all the TEDTalks posted to TED.com so far, in the order they were posted.”

Nice, a master list! via TED

Other inspirational conference video sources:
GEL videos
POP!TECH PopCasts
GadgetOff
All Things Digital 

GM test drive detroit driving

A few weeks back I was invited by GM to fly out to their Proving Grounds in (Milford) Detroit to test drive their new 2008 cars, take a “Drivers Skill Enhancement Course” (stunt school), interview some VP’s in Design and Energy, and have some fun. I’ve grown up driving Japanese cars but took this opportunity to dive into GM’s world with an open designers mind and to scope out all of their brands; Pontiac, Hummer, Saab, Cadillac, Saturn, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC.

I’d like to thank GM for funding this gathering and would welcome this adventure again though I’d suggest a few changes which I’ll address throughout.

If ya don’t like to read, check out the video I composed from hundreds of pictures taken during the journey above.The entire journey and story after the jump.

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Smiley Bowl Eva Solo

Designers Claus Jensen and Henrik Holbaek bring us these very delightful smiling double bowls for Eva Solo. Stash your nuts or candied goodies up top, and leave the bottom for the shells, wrappers, or perhaps olive pits. Even if you don’t use them that often, these colorful glass bowls smile at you. This is just a reminder when you put a bit of personality into a product, it’s more liked. Two more close up pics after the jump.

via yankodesign Continue Reading

Sumo wrestlers stretching

Above: picture of sumo wrestlers stretching.
Close chip bags without clips and just folds.
10 signals for fresh fish at the market.
Universal phone chargers: Finally they agree on a standard!
– MEIKO music, webpage or myspace.
Amazing absorbing material with egg drop test. From the same makers of the Soft Magnets.
– A marriage prank video you should never do!


Wow! Hussein Chalayan’s Spring/Summer 07 Collection presents some seriously cool morphing clothing! Watch the video above, or watch it over at Gizmodo here. (NSFW: some nudity towards end)

I’ve seen my share of mechanical transforming outfits before, but most have all turned out robotic-like and seemingly uncomfortable on women. Hussein somehow makes these transitions smoothly and gentle, like a ghost peeling away at the models. The designs are very nice and morph for extra “wow” points. Call it fish strings, Nickel Titanium, some other memory alloy, or plan magic, I love it!

I want an outfit that morphs the fabrics pore sizes as my body temp changes after a run, though I think there are smart nano materials that do this already. Or maybe an outfit that’s connected to the internet that changes shape based on the NASDAQ or weather…. okie, I’m getting a bit geeky now.

I’ve posted the a longer version of the Catwalk and more about Hussein after the jump, with interviews and another spectacular soft LED dress thats pretty sweet!
(3 videos after the jump)

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CityScape Brussels Arne Quinze
CityScape Brussels Arne Quinze

CityScape is a colossal fortress of tangled wood hovering in the heart of Brussels for the next year reflecting a frozen moment in time gesturing the increasingly influential city of Brussel within Europe’s capital. The project was funded by MINI for to coincide with the world premiere of the new MINI Clubman Car, which is pretty sweet, though the back reminds me of a refrigerator nostalgically.

CityScape is the vision of designer Arne Quinze who directs the fast paced multidisciplinary firm Quinze&Milan.(They rock!) Their work has been seen around the world, but I first noticed them from last years Burning Man sculpture in Black Rock city which they later burned down like champs! Cityscape reminds me of the trippy Tunnel House in a higher budget way.

I’ve copied a ton of images after the jump, otherwise, go to their BLOG for more pictures, videos, and information.(one YouTube Video about the project)

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random links thoughts

I’ve been really bad at posting this week and I apologize. I’ve been busy and found little to post. I almost posted about the very cool color guiding “MyCuppaTea” but then got distracted by the fact that Guster was playing live near me in September. After hurdling for tickets which I never bought since their concerts start before work ends, I scrambled online looking for the sold out but ever so cool red “Use Helvertica” shirt which lead me to Helvetica: the film. Somehow this took me to a Flickr collection of business cards which reminded me of my DIY Paint Chip card holders which someone did today though not with paint chips.

Now in my bookmarks were some really random links.. a kind of gross but amusing Frog cleaning his stomach, Martin Klimas and his smashing still photography, Hundreds posing naked on Swiss Glaciers thanks to Spencer Tunick, a kick butt Magnum wine ratchet , two huge people fighting, and the ever so fun visible but invisible public toilet which reminded me of the hilarious and very wrong Japanese toilet pranks.

I’d also like to make a shout out to my friend Andy on his company Interwoven Threads (Look good, Do better) He offered up a few shirts to my readers, so if interested, send me a cool link, I’ll pick a few, and he’ll send you a kick-butt shirt and even let you suggest a charity in your area to donate one to.(You buy a shirt, they donate the same one to the needed)

That’s it for now. Enjoy!

nike long ball shoe sustainable reconsidered

I don’t post on shoes too often, but when a big cookie monster like Nike known for making mountains of carbon fuming rubber glue shoes launches a 100% sustainable shoe in their eco-consciousness Nike Considered footwear line, I start to smile.

I’d seen previous attempts in this line that didn’t fair to well stylishly nor environmentally, but the these new Long Ball Lace shoes are rather appealing with it’s minty lime highlights while being 100% biodegradable using a cork sole and sporting some baseball stitch like weaves. Now all they have to do is figure out how to drop the price a bunch and be a bit more like TOMS shoes with donations to the needed, even though they probably do this already. 😉

via coolhunting

Full size pics after the jump
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PoachPod egg poacher
How smart and simple! I want one!

“Poaching is one of the healthiest ways to prepare eggs, since it doesn’t use butter or oil, but it surely isn’t the easiest—until now. The PoachPod suspends the egg like a lily in a lily pond. Simply crack egg into the PoachPod floating in boiling water. When done, simply pop out a perfectly poached, perfectly shaped egg! Silicone ensures quick, easy, clean release. ”

I’m sure you can find more than one use for this egg poacher 😉 (also, if you like boiled eggs, look into Eggo, or other various egg cookers)

Via bookofjoe
Buy at the KitchenOutlet, 2 for $9.99.