Tag: eco

‘Food Bridge’ wins design contest for old 520 floating bridge

Another Great Bridge Reuse contest!

A design for parks and gardens on the South Park neighborhood’s waterfront won the international competition to create a use for the old 520 floating bridge pontoons, according to the competition’s Facebook page. The “Food Bridge” would be set afloat along the Duwamish River.

Update 9-28: “The plan is currently to decommission the existing bridge, which most likely involves deconstructing it into smaller pieces so it can be removed from the project limits. We have not yet determined if or how the pieces could be reused, but will consider the ideas which came out of the contest,” Britt Thorson wrote on behalf of Kiewit/General/Manson, the company building the new 520 bridge.

Link to Full Article
rReThinkReuse.org website

Transforming the Bridge : 2012

Another Great reuse Bridge Competition

In 2012, Cleveland Design Competition: Transforming the Bridge challenged entrants to re-imagine the abandoned lower streetcar level of Cleveland’s Detroit-Superior Bridge as a dynamic public space, performance venue and pedestrian experience. At the beginning of 2012, a group of local designers and business leaders launched an initiative called “The Bridge Project” to raise public awareness about the potential of The Bridge and to engage the community for input on opening the lower level for public use. The Cleveland Design Competition partnered with The Bridge Project to engage designers to propose compelling visions for the permanent use of The Bridge, public access into and passage through the lower level of The Bridge and connectivity to surrounding neighborhoods. - See more at: http://clevelandcompetition.com/past-competitions/2012-transforming-the-bridge/#sthash.oBFQBOyw.dpuf

See all of the entries here

BridgeProjectCleveland

Home out of an old 60ft water tower

Over the past two years, shoppers at a West London supermarket may have noticed a bizarre cylindrical dwelling taking shape high above the store’s car park.
The structure from which it has been created - a 60ft tower holding a vast water tank - could not have looked more uninhabitable.
But since 2009, this concrete drum has slowly undergone an incredible transformation.

Full Article

Another Artcile

Aether Apparel Stacked Shipping Container Store in San Francisco

Shipping container design is getting to be more and more of an interesting and eye-catching feature when you’ve got a business that’s based on consumers. Aether Apparel in San Francisco has taken their shop to all new heights (literally) with their three stacked shipping container design by Envelope A+D in collaboration with Chris French Metal.

By taking standard sized containers and offsetting them, they create cantilevered sections on the second and third stories. Glass casements allow for another architectural element to show off the structure and its upcycled nature. The interior is outfitted with reclaimed oak flooring and even a conveyor belt for a little extra element of surprise.

Full Article

Top 100 Architecture Trends of 2012

From dirt wall abodes to pixelated panel interiors, the best architecture trends of 2012 showed a wide range of innovative designs.

2012 was also a year for homes inspired by pop culture. The Hobbit in particular was a popular theme leading up to the movie’s release in December, resulting in architecture with a seemingly earthy feel. It appeared that consumers were open to new designs with this eco look, and some even welcomed homes made mostly out of dirt. Compared to some of the more modern chic abodes on the market, designs such as these proved the public were still willing to buy homes with a minimum amount of grandeur.

Trend Hunter’s Architecture Trend Report explores the implications of these designs in much more detail, and can help businesses looking for ideas in this area.

TrendHunter - Article

Industrial Box Coffee Shops to On-Demand Housing

The rise in popularity of shipping container concepts underscores our competitive and quick-changing society in which companies, housing and art space have to constantly adapt.

Shipping containers are the new space for anything from coffee shops to furniture stores. The temporary nature of these shops is a valuable aspect of the business model. An element of exclusivity and time-sensitivity is the novelty aspect that attracts people to the shop. The flexibility that comes with temporary locations increases consumer accessibility to products or services.

The shipping container wins in terms of practically, as idle shipping containers can be repurposed for tangible use and the industrial look is both mod and rad in contemporary design circles.

Industrial Box Coffee Shops to On-Demand Housing Article

From Shipping Containers to Abodes

This collection of eco homes come in a variety of sizes, shapes and materials. There are many small choices people can make to be more environmentally friendly such as using reusable water bottles, taking public transit and turning down the AC, however, these trends show that no matter your station in life, it is also possible to make sustainable choices for your living space. It makes sense, as your house is probably where you spend the most amount of time.

In the future we can expect to see an increasing number of green housing and solar-powered energy options on a residential level.

List of 71 Eco Houses

Eco Houses around the world

US. This housing unit in San Francisco’s Bay Area includes photovoltaics, a solar domestic hot water system and zoned radiant heating. “There is a huge section of the Bay Area population who make it a priority to live in a thoughtful and sustainable house,” says architect Craig Steely. “The construction cost came in at twice what [the owners] had budgeted. Instead of cutting back, they chose to add more sustainable features to their lower unit, increasing its value so they could ultimately sell the lower unit and recoup their construction costs.”

Eco Houses around the world article