Eco Factor: Self-reliant future cities with organic food production.

HP Skyline 2020, the online design competition asked students and professionals to collaborate and elucidate their visions and designs that would change the skyline thereby transforming the city itself has recently announced its winners. Encouraging designers to come up with fresh visual imaginations for the skyline discarding preconceived notions, competition saw over 300 entries giving a tough competition to one another. The National Winner of the competition Anto Gloren and Sayali Athale from Pune, India visualized socially connected, self-reliant future cities.

Dubbed the “City and the Skyline”, this proposal includes 100sqm units for four occupants that are arranged in a unique fashion to create sustainable cities. The units are horizontally connected at different levels to promote mixed usage and adding public pathways, while the vertical connection acts as a duct for services like water, sewage, elevators, circulation etc. the units are independent of each other, so adding or removing gets lot more simpler.

The farms are the central components of the structure and allow growing of organic food products. The agricultural biomass and other waste will be automatically decomposed. The designers have also incorporated energy generation using natural sources. The City and the Skyline is a cultural and ecologically sustainable future visual delight.

Via: Bustler

Eco Factor: Wooden houseboat to provide permanent residences on water.

The very thought of living in a houseboat leaves me enthralled. The whole experience of being surrounded by clean water, while enjoying magnificent view, comfort and luxury is just larger than life. Offering you the same experience in the lap of nature, Rost Niderehe Architects have designed a houseboat on the Eilbekkanal in Hamburg, Germany.

Combining the comfort of a traditional family home with the character of a boat, the stunning houseboat features great woodwork and steel work that enhances the aesthetics. It follows both the naval architecture as well as normal building design. Floating over the cool water of the Eilbek-canal, the contemporary houseboat features rooms for public use on the outside (kitchen, dining room) and private use on the inside (bedroom, bathroom).

This project is a new beginning for offering permanent residences on water. The architects claim that it is Germany’s first settlement on water. This new generation of houseboat has recently been completed and is all set to welcome the inhabitants to live amidst the serene beauty.

Via: Contemporist

Eco Factor: High-speed filter purify water using electrified nanostructures.

Our developing world is facing some serious diseases like cholera, typhoid and hepatitis, thanks to the dirty, unsafe water. In an attempt to provide a solution, researchers at Stanford University have developed a new high-speed, low-cost filter by simply dipping plain cotton cloth in a high-tech broth full of silver nanowires and carbon nanotubes, which could easily be implemented to purify water.

Unlike conventional filters that physically trap bacteria, this new filter lets them flow on through with the water, but kills them using an electrical field that runs through the highly conductive nano-coated cotton. For their experiment, the team exposed Escherichia coli bacteria to 20 volts of electricity in the filter for several seconds. The result was astonishing, over 98 percent of the bacteria were killed during the process.

The scientists claim that the new filter is about 80,000 times faster than the conventional bacteria trapping. In order to offer a cheaper solution to the world, the team used very little amount of silver for the nanowires, making the cost nearly negligible. The electrical current required to do the killing is only a few milliamperes strong, which can easily be supplied by a small solar panel or a couple 12-volt car batteries.

Via: Physorg

Eco Factor: Lighting system makes use of soy-based candles.

Industrial designer Simon Enever is aiming to encourage a younger, broader audience to use candles by providing a system that includes a push button lighter and extinguisher in a retro/modern package. The system, dubbed CANDELA, the device provides a safe and enclosed flame from a soy-based candle.

The candle can be ignited using a piezoelectric lighter, which activates when the “On” button is pressed. Pressing the “Of” button rotates the sniffer to instantly extinguish the flame. Replacing the candle is just as clean as the product itself. Once burnt-out, the top of the lamp screws off a flap covering the candle, which can then be replaced.

Designer: Simon Enever

Eco Factor: iPhone case made from toxic-free bioplastic.

If you wish to pamper your iPhone with a protection that is not only stylish, but also green, then iPhone cases from Bioserie is something that your eyes will rest on. The new iPhone cases released recently are made from bioplastic, which is an organic material that contains no toxic ingredients and releases fewer carbon emissions during production.

Claimed to be the world’s only bioplastic covers made from plants, they are classy, clean and innovative. The screen protection in the front lets you keep your iPhone anywhere without worrying about it being scratched. Bioserie give you different colors like black, white, orange, two shades of green, and red, to choose from. Weighing just 12 grams, this bioplastic case would set you back by just $35.

Via: Gizmodo

Eco Factor: LEED Platinum certified prefab modules made from green materials.

The V100 Mod Box has everything in it to be termed as the next-generation prefabricated living module. The 1000-cubic-foot structure is made with green materials and includes state-of-the-art energy saving appliances. To top it all, the Mod Box requires no maintenance of any kind. The structure can be assembled by anyone, without any tools or previous knowledge.

Despite having a tiny footprint, each of the boxes carries two rooms, which can either be a kitchen and a living room, or a bathroom and a bedroom. Amenities inside include walnut cabinets, induction cook top, refrigeration and water saving sinks and showers.

The box can be used for larger applications, such as hotels and multifamily projects. The boxes can also be configured in anyway and connected to each other without any nails, screws and no paint at all. The low-maintenance structure can be built anywhere in the world and with a LEED Platinum certification, it ensures that you’re living in a green way.

Via: Jetson Green

Eco Factor: Artwork created from eco-friendly materials.

We’ve frequently written about artwork created from environmentally friendly materials by eco-conscious artists, and from what we have already seen, cardboard seems to be the ideal material for most artists. American artist Kiel Johnson, who has already received numerous awards for his unique pieces of art, has now come up with cameras that are made from cardboard.

The designer, whose works normally represent near-obsolete machines, has beautifully crafted a range of cameras from cardboard. The collection includes SLRs, Polaroid cameras, point and shoot cameras, twin lens cameras and the retro 8mm cameras.

Via: The Design Inspiration

Eco Factor: San Ysidro U.S. Land Port of entry uses sustainable design to reduce energy usage.

Award winning architectural firm, The Miller Hull Partnership would be constructing the San Ysidro U.S. Land Port of Entry as a high performance building with sustainable features enabling it to achieve LEED Platinum certification. One of the largest land port entries on US soil the project integrates energy efficient design features along with water conservation strategies.

The redevelopment project is designed to improve operational efficiency, security and safety for cross-border travelers and federal agencies at the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry. The construction would be completed in three different phases. In the first phase, the northbound primary inspection lanes and booths, the northbound secondary inspection facilities, and associated canopies that cover these facilities would be integrated with sustainable features. These include Ethylene Tetra fluoroethylene canopies to allow penetration of maximum daylight thereby reducing the need for artificial lighting. This combined with use of photovoltaic panels and geo exchange system can help offset the port energy use.

The primary inspection booths would be using radiant heating and cooling panels as part of the booth’s HVAC system. The sustainable water management strategies include a 700,000 gallon rainwater reclamation system along with planting of flora species that require low water use and maintenance.

Via: ArchDaily

Eco Factor: Pedal-assist bike for short distance commutes.

The G-Bike City is a short distance commute vehicle that runs on electricity and has pedals that can be used when the battery runs out. The pedal-assist electric bike, which avoids costly insurance and registration, costs just $1099.99, and features a powerful 500W brushless hub motor.

The designers claim that the G-Bike City can be recharged in just 4-8 hours, after which it can operate for 42 miles with a top speed of 20mph. The range can be extended if you don’t hesitate in pedaling back home after a longer trip.

Thanks for the tip: [Lex Houser]

Eco Factor: Zero-emission concept car powered by electricity.

The Toyota MOB concept is the brainchild of Spanish designer Jorge Marti Vidal and features a striking look that incorporates unusual bodywork. The concept vehicle, which has been inspired by the idea of the Mobius strip, carries two continuous panels, which weave their way back and forth to create the bodywork and the chassis.

The designer claims that the vehicle will be made from an organic material called “liquid wood,” which is formed using the waste product of lignin, left after the manufacture of paper. This lignin is combined with wood fibers to create a composite material, which is durable and recyclable. Propelled by electric motors, with each wheel getting its own engine, the MOB would act as an environmentally responsible racing car.

Via: Diseno-Art