Immersive Tree Hotel – Sweden
The Tree Hotel is located in the small Village of Harads, which is roughly 60km away from the Arctic Circle. The owners sought to create a hotel which was a “well designed hotel which allows visitors to live in harmony with nature amongst the trees”.
Essentially, the Tree Hotel is a series of tree houses high atop the Boreal forest, offering visitors the best of both worlds – the ability to stay within impeccably designed accommodation that offers all creature comforts, while at the same time being totally immersed within the beauty of the forest. We especially love the one clad in mirrors, making one feel truly immersed in the splendours of nature!
Biosphere Home Farming Concept by Phillips
This farming system is called the Biosphere Home Farming Concept. It was designed by the people at Philips, who call the concept a completely interdependent system. This means that there is no input from an external source, but rather that each specific section relies on another part for its continued operation. The concept has the potential to provide households with not only the food they require to eat, but also provide fresh hydrogen, heat and gas. These can be used for other useful purposes, everything from lighting your home to nourishing your plants.
It must be said that this is a stunning concept, one which not only looks great but also fulfils a very tangible problem society is faced with – namely the lack of self-sufficiency. Sure, this will hardly make you totally self sufficient, but it could go some way towards the right direction. Let’s hope that green ideas like this start to be made into reality, and with heavy hitters such as Phillips behind them, this may well be sooner rather than later.
Environmental Office Design – Paris
The Foundation Nicolas Hulot for Nature and Humankind is a state approved NGO which is focused on educating people and raising awareness about environmental issues. The HQ is based in the Parisian region of Boulogne-Billancourt. Since the Foundation was growing and needed larger premises they set out to design a new one from scratch. At the same time they wanted to incorporate the ecological values on which the foundation operates, and to ensure that there were more collaborative working spaces available. Thus Nicolas Favet Architectes were briefed, and with these requirements in mind they set out to design the new HQ using raw materials such as spruce plywood for space segregation, natural linoleum for the floor and recycled bricks in various other places. As you can see below, the outcome is quite imaginative.
Sustainable House Design by H Arquitectes
This green and sustainable house was designed by H Arquitectes in the rural areas of Catalunya Spain. It is built on a platform of natural rock, designed to be extremely easy to build. What’s more, it makes use of dry building methods that save substantial amounts of water – something especially important in arid areas. This also means that the financial and temporal investment is minimal.
The inner layout of the house is based on a lineal sequence of rooms, which are all of different proportions and linked to the structure. Part of the beauty of the design is that the building can work either as an open-spaced layout if required, or alternatively as a closed one. The house’s use of natural wood for the outer shell of the building seems to be a perfect match to its surroundings, blending in seamlessly with the natural environment in which it sits.
Photos via H Arquitectes
The “Floow Bike”
The Floow Bike is an innovative spin on the traditional bike, aiming to make your ride easier and safer. The body is finished in carbon fibre, ensuring that the bike is as light as it possibly can be, yet without losing strength and rigidity. As you can see, it has four wheels and places the rider in a full seat with a large back rest. This, coupled with the full suspension system, ensures maximum comfort for the rider. The extended handles which allow the operator to direct the bike are designed to allow steering without straining the body. Furthermore, the Flow Bike comes with an optional roof to protect the rider from harsh weather conditions. All in all we think this is a great idea, which not only looks great but also has the potential to make green transportation more pleasant and sustainable.
Dedon Green Wall
The Dedon Green Wall is, quite literally, an interlinked web-like wall which allows you to incorporate greenery into your office in a stylish yet practical way. It functions as a room divider, allowing you to be innovative and efficient in the way you utilise your existing work space.The idea being that you place office friendly plants within the 8 ceramic pots engulfed in the wall, allowing the plants to grow freely around the spindles. This eventually creates a web of green and metal to stunning effect. It is definitely a great way to liven up any office and create a light and airy atmosphere which is conducive to a good working environment. The wall was designed by Jean-Marie Massaud who has received numerous accolades, not least the Designer of the Year Award (The Paris Furniture fair 2007) and the ELLE Decoration International Award (2007). The Green Wall comes in two versions, horizontal and vertical and weighs in at just over $2,000.
[Pictures via Dedon]
Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750
Logitech recently released its new wireless K750 Solar Keyboard, which as the name suggests is powered by integrated solar panels. Intergration of the panels is a huge plus, in that it means that there are no bulky power bricks or charging cables required. What’s more, the keyboard can be powered by indoor light, which means it is still a viable option for office use. It can also stay charged for at least three months in total darkness, this coupled with a built in power-meter means that you will always know exactly how much power the keyboard has, and can ensure you will never run out. The K750 retails at £69.99 on the Logitech website.
Unique Office Interior by Most Architecture
Brandbase, a advertising agency based in Amsterdam, has commissioned Most Architecture to design its new temporary office space. Brandbase wished to furnish the office with recyclable materials, and so wooden pallets sprang to mind. The space was designed to meet the work requirements of Brandbase, while at the same time maintaining an informal atmosphere that was inviting to all who entered. The existing space was painted white, it being felt that it would provide an inconspicuous base on which the pallets could stand out. To add to the feel, all the furniture and fixtures were painted black. As such the office has three distinctive layers, the white background, the wooden pallets, and the black accents.
Being an advertising agency, BrandBase included new media outlets from the very start of the creative process. It did this by updating the design developments as well the execution of the project on its Facebook page, amassing followers from around the world.
[Pictures Via]
2 Victoria Avenue in Perth
This low rise office building is not only beautifully designed, but also has amazing green credentials. Finished 2009, the building was developed and is managed by Stockland Commercial Property. The inside is modern, sleek and comfortable. While the outside provides stunning views of the river and urban setting. Woodhead Architects were tasked with the design responsibilities. The brief required them “to provide an inspired fit out that was safe, environmentally responsible, technologically enabled, optimistic and engaging.”
2 Victoria Avenue has achieved a 5 Star energy rating from the National Australian Built Environment Rating System, and as mentioned above this was something fundamental to the design. Several innovative measures were introduced to minimise the carbon footprint, including an active chilled beam system for air-conditioning and a grey water system to reduce water demand.
The building measures at 7,200m2 across four stories, and also has three wind turbines on the roof which help offset energy consumption.
[Pictures via Woodhead Architects]
The Foldable Electric Bike – Perfect for Urban Commuters.
The humble bike is one of the most practical transportation devices known to man, and it is certainly the most eco friendly commuting mechanism within a urban environment. The use of bikes helps cut down pollution, ensures good health and lets you meander through traffic with ease.
The Carrier Bike from Korean designer Shin Hyung Sub Shin seeks to give the bike a 21st Century makeover. The Carrier Bike is capable of transforming between two modes; Bicycle mode (not folded) and Carrier mode (folded). The middle part of the design acts like a storage area that opens with a sliding door. In addition, it is also the part that contains the electric motor and the pedals.
The bike design stresses the importance of comfort, in that is allows the biker to carry belongings easily. The most unique feature is that this same storage part allows users to carry their belongings not only when the bike is in carrier mode, but also when the bike is in riding mode.The bicycle is powered by an electric motor and a battery. It features spoke-less wheels and a handle bar that can also be used as a carrier handle.
