Tag Archives: Sustainability

This lillypad-inspired floating sustainable city was designed to support emission free transportation

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Bjarke Ingels has always pushed the boundaries and turned ambitious concepts into a reality. What I love about his work that he always incorporates sustainability into his architectural structures while moving ahead with the times – Ingels shows us time and again that the future is green. BiodiverCity is one of his most recent projects, it is a city of three islands connected by autonomous vehicles for land, water, and air to make this a transport emission-free habitat off the coast of Malaysia.

Three islands will be built in Penang and will serve as cultural, business, and residential hubs. The most striking thing about the development is that all the transportation on the 4,500 acres will consist of autonomous boats, vehicles, and air travel, making the islands car-free and pedestrian-friendly. Construction is one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions, in fact, even more than the aviation industry. So to reduce the impact on the environment, most buildings will be prefabricated or 3D printed on-site and others will use a combination of bamboo, Malaysian timber, and “green concrete” which is made from recycled materials like aggregate.

The commercial build is still in progress, but will eventually consist of three islands — the Channels, Mangroves, and Laguna. These will include about 2.86 miles of beaches, 600 acres of parks, and 15.53 miles of waterfront. Previous land developments in Penang have disturbed the local habitats and coastal areas, so to make amends and solve this looming issue, BiodiverCity will be designed as connected “urban lilypads” and all islands will be able to harness resources locally. The Mangroves honor the wetlands (and of course, the mangroves) and will be made for business and events with a special space called Bamboo Beacon to host conferences or concerts. Lastly, the Laguna will be a cluster of eight small islands built around a marina and this is where people can live in houses that float, are stilted, or terraced. The three islands will be made up of different “districts” that will altogether house 15,000 to 16,000 people on 50 to 500 acres of land.

BiodiverCity will be planned to be a sustainable city where people and nature not only co-exist but thrive. There will be “buffers” between 50 to 100 meters that will surround each district in order to form a harmonious relationship between the people, the land, and the wildlife – think of these buffers as architectural glues for the new ecosystem. To keep native animals safe in spots that are being inhabited by humans, the builders will also include canopies, waterways, and boardwalks. In line with this strong green approach, there will also be green roofs and open spaces to create a symbiotic relationship between people and nature. “We are literally embarking on a journey to create more of Malaysia for future generations. We have decided to set the bar as high as humanly possible by imagining a new archipelago that aims to be both more culturally and biologically diverse than previous developments.” said firm founder Bjarke Ingels. The islands will be built in collaboration with other private companies like Hijjas, Knight Frank, and Ernst and Young.

Designer: Bjarke Ingels Group

BiodiverCity is a part of the Penang2030 initiative that focuses on sustainable living while improving the state’s quality of life, level of income, and participation from citizens.

The islands will be integrated with a SMART grid that provides residents with live data detailing waste and energy consumption – this will help the community to make informed sustainability-related decisions.

The Channels will have a 500-acre digital park for researchers, educators, families, and businesspeople with virtual reality and robotics that will be the new norm in future cities.

“Our masterplan proposal, BiodiverCity, supports the Penang2030 vision with a clear focus on livability, on stimulating a socially and economically inclusive development, and on environmental sustainability for future generations,” said BIG.

“If Penang is defined by its rich cultural diversity and its abundant biodiversity, we would like to envision the Penang South islands as an archipelago where the two can coexist in a human-made ecosystem, expanding and enhancing one another,” said BIG founder Bjarke Ingels.

JAMES DYSON award-winning window uses crop waste to capture UV light for renewable energy

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Sustainability is the next big movement when it comes to design, it is something every industry will have to apply and one of the most interesting parts of it is material exploration – what substitutes can we use or tweaks can we make to optimize our resources for the betterment of the climate? Fossil fuels continue to account for over 81% of global energy production according to the International Energy Agency and if we continue to burn fossil fuels at the current rate, global supplies of gas and oil will deplete by 2060.

To make sure we are prepared for change, we need to focus on accessible and effective renewable alternatives (like Quantum Dots). This year’s James Dyson Award winner in the sustainability category attempts to answer their question with an innovative solar energy-harvesting window made of recycled materials. The AuREUS system uses technology created from upcycled crop waste that helps walls/windows absorb stray UV light from sunlight and convert it to clean renewable electricity – absolute genius!

Designed by Carvey Ehren Maigue of Mapua University, these panels can be crafted into windows or walls which will harvest solar energy and convert it into electricity. Three things that made me instantly fall in love with this design are 1) clean renewable energy 2) using crop waste and 3) lower electricity bills. AuRUES was inspired by the phenomenon of the aurora lights which is a whimsical natural process that occurs when luminescent particles in the upper atmosphere absorb energy from UV and gamma radiation and emit it as visible light. The panels mimic this process by embedding similar luminescent particles in resin so that when the sunlight hits the panel it absorbs the UV and produces visible light. The light is then directed towards the edges of the panel where regular photovoltaic cells collect the energy to turn it into electricity. The colors of the luminescent particles come from dyes that were made from waste crops which makes this a closed-loop system.

The current renewable energy solutions can only generate electricity in the right environmental conditions. For example, solar panels can only capture and convert visible light into renewable energy and must be facing the sun to do so. Even solar farms need to be built horizontally which takes up space that could actually be used for cultivation or other resources. By using AuREUS, it eliminates the need to have certain conditions to harness solar energy which makes it more efficient and accommodating to various spaces.

“As a farmer, I see great potential in this technology to generate clean renewable energy. AuREUS System Technology conserves space using pre-existing structures, utilizes current resources and waste streams, and supports local agricultural communities,” says James Dyson. By harvesting UV radiation AuREUS opens a gateway to increase the potential of solar energy as conventional solar cells miss that part of the spectrum.

Apart from lowering costs, mitigating climate change, and supporting local agricultural communities, these panels will also reduce people’s exposure to radiation that can cause serious diseases and help in reducing the urban carbon footprint with sustainable architecture. “I want to create a better form of renewable energy that uses the world’s natural resources, is close to people’s lives, forging achievable paths and rallying towards a sustainable and regenerative future,” says Maigue. His invention is both future-looking and problem-solving for the present.

Designer: Carvey Ehren Maigue

This toolless, sustainable hangboard lets you train for rock climbing while staying fit from home!

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This pandemic has got us all feeling like we are stuck between a rock and a hard place but we can turn that metaphor around into a fun stay-at-home activity with the Manuva board – climb those rocks and lift yourself up out of a hard place! Staying indoors for our safety is important but it also has been challenging because we are now working and living in the same place – there is no outlet for our energy or a change of scenery to give ourselves a break. While gyms have opened up, they still aren’t the safest place compared to working out outdoors. Some of us may be lucky enough to live in places where hiking trails or rock climbing is accessible, but everyone doesn’t have that option but the Manuva board brings it to them – why should you have to sacrifice the joy of outdoor activity because of where you live?

The best part about the Manuva board is that it doesn’t need any fixtures and hangs freely, so you can use it in your rental apartments too without losing that security deposit. The hangboard brings rock climbing and training to the comfort of your home without any renovations or permanent changes to your interiors. It was designed to make rock climbing accessible to everyone and to facilitate daily training at home because it is expensive to always pay for your sessions in recreational sports arenas. “We aimed to deliver a product that was simply designed, reliable, durable, and most importantly something we loved using,” says the team.

When you aren’t able to get to real rocks, hangboarding is one of the best ways to maintain and increase your grip strength and upper body power. Every athlete knows that daily training is how you reach your full potential and also keep it at that level. Its range of holds goes from 15 mm to 60 mm with two 20-degree slopers at the top that let you take your training up a notch with incremental progression. Even if you are not an athlete, the Manuva board is a great way to release stress and switch up your exercise routine with something challenging and different. It is extremely easy to install with no drilling, screwing, or permanent fixturing so you can take it along with you anywhere you even on extended trips. It is fully adjustable and has been made to fit a variety of door widths (so it doesn’t matter if you ever move from America to Japan, it will work!), all you have to do is use the quick release clamp to set the desired width and tighten the rear screw to lock it in place.

It has a modular frame crafted from anodized aluminum (an eco-friendly metal that can be 100% recycled!) which can be separated to make it portable as well as easy to store. The rest of the Manuva board is made from Poplar wood which keeps it lightweight and strong. Poplar also makes it visually appealing because it has a consistent grain texture throughout and a warm, minimal aesthetic. It is also a fast-growing tree that needs significantly less water which makes it a sustainable choice for wood-based product designs. In fact, Poplar trees are known to be a carbon sink because they can absorb up to 140 liters of carbon dioxide from the air – the effects are carried on even in a finished Poplar wood product. Overall the hangboard has a natural and organic finish which is also gentle on your skin to reduce the chances of hand blisters. It also has eco-friendly cork pads installed on the back to protect your walls

To wrap it up – literally – the Manuva board comes in a sustainable packaging design made from recycled cardboard and molded paper pulp. We love a design that is mindful about your home, your body, and the environmental impact.

Designers: Robert Moore, Jacob Griffiths & Hugo Martin of WMP Creative

Click Here To Buy Now: $130 $160 ($30 off). Hurry, less than 24 hours left! Raised over $115,000.

Manuva Board

The Manuva Board is a first of its kind, fixture free hangboard that makes training for rock climbing easier than ever before.

Easy Installation

The patent-pending design is quick and easy to install and just as simple to take down, requiring no drilling, screwing or permanent fixturing.

Adjustable Fit

Designed to be fully adjustable, the Manuva Board can fit a wide range of door widths. Set it to your desired width using the quick release clamp and tighten the screw at the rear to lock in place.

A range of holds from 15mm through to 60mm, plus two 20º slopers up top, allows for incremental progression in your training.

Thoughtfully Designed

Made from Poplar wood, the Manuva Board is lightweight and strong, as well as having a consistent grain throughout, allowing for a hand-sanded finish that delivers a natural feel whilst also being gentle on your skin.

Eco-friendly cork pads installed on the rear help protect your walls from any marks. And the durable frame is made from aluminum, designed to stand the test of time as well as deliver an incredible strength to weight ratio.

Click Here To Buy Now: $130 $160 ($30 off). Hurry, less than 24 hours left! Raised over $115,000.

This self-sustaining compost system turns your food scraps into a thriving indoor garden!

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The world as we once knew it is changing. While the list of changes seems too long to share – gardening would be considered one of them. The environment and sustainable living have been hot topics for some time now, but in 2020, they’ve turned into personal commitments for people across the globe. Composting is one way to promote sustainability in your own living space, as proved by AQUA, a sustainable, contained gardening system. AQUA was created by OG Design so that environmentally conscious people can curate their very own self-sustaining indoor garden no matter where they live.

AQUA’s system is comprised of three main working parts: a container for food waste, an elevated light structure, and three soil pots. The food waste container is located on one side of the indoor planter and turns your leftover food scraps into compost for fertilizer. Composting is a method used to decompose organic solid waste and fertilize the soil for gardening. The slim, attractive light fixture is situated directly above AQUA’s garden pots and provides the mini garden with nourishing light-energy. The indoor, gardening system is completely self-sustaining and conveniently sized in order to fit into any kitchen or living space. The system itself works after food waste is dumped into the container on the left-hand side, fertilizing the soil contained in the trio of modestly sized pots, each of which provides energy for plants to then grow and thrive.

OG Design conceptualized AQUA in order to “[keep] food from entering landfills” and for users “to cultivate their own small vegetable garden,” because food accounts for 46.2% of combustible waste. The interest in gardening, especially indoor gardening, and sustainable living is rising with younger generations as city living becomes more popular. In urban spaces, ecologically conscious living is tricky as there’s less yard space and community gardens can be hard to come by. AQUA makes sustainable living possible for any city home, from the small efficiency studio to the three-story townhouse. As long as you’ve got a kitchen counter or windowsill, your personal vegetable garden awaits.

Designer: OG Design

This award-winning eco-friendly floss was designed to make flossing cost-effective, efficient and effortless!

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Sometimes we don’t realize but small parts of our routine tend to have a big environmental impact, for instance, floss is good for our teeth but it is terrible for the ocean and turns it into a plastic minefield. Most floss is made up of nylon which is biodegradable but another thing that makes it dangerous is that it is designed to not tear causing serious harm to ocean life. There are millions of miles of floss strings in the ocean and we need to switch to eco-friendly alternatives – there are a couple in the market but there is a demand for more innovative designs like the Phloss here.

Phloss is a refillable flossing aid that has a string suspended between two prongs. These prongs not only maintain the tension of the string but also reduce the effort required by your arms which makes flossing more effortless, efficient, and quick. Phloss was created to speed up the cleaning process without compromising on quality after the reduced dexterity. Since it is refillable, there is a waste management system designed for the compostable floss strings. “These refills are delivered to people using a subscription service, the used floss refills can be sent back to the manufacturer for industrial composting, utilizing waste material and following a circular economy,” elaborates Boyle. Flossing removes 80% of plaque from the teeth and is vital to our personal hygiene so it is essential to find a sustainable alternative instead of giving up this good habit. Dental products often have a short life span and Phloss aims to close one of its most notorious loops.

Boyle conducted research, where he dived into factors like user experience, sustainability, cost, and effectiveness of existing floss alternatives like Quip’s refillable floss, oral irrigator, dental floss, interdental brush, and floss pick. After addressing the pain points, he took the best parts of all these existing alternatives to craft Phloss and was mindful of making it an inclusive design. He then created several prototypes before landing on a final version which had an ergonomic build, smooth curves, good grip, and clean aesthetics that didn’t distract from its purpose. The same aesthetic mood board was also applied to the packaging of the refills because it is an important part of the overall product-service, the success of the product depends on every detail of the user experience and interaction.

Phloss’ aim was to make the flossing accessible and desirable while being eco-conscious. Boyle’s ‘take back’ system gives the manufacturers valuable compost for a range of agricultural applications. It is designed for mass manufacturing which makes it easier for people to quickly switch to eco-friendly options. The packaging will also reflect its goal to be eco-friendly and the product will come in a fully recyclable cardboard tube while refills will arrive in compostable envelopes. There are so many little changes we can make that go beyond the bamboo toothbrushes or reusable cups to truly be a step closer to living sustainably. Understanding this, Phloss also won the Joseph Joseph Brilliantly Useful Design Award at New Designers Awards 2020!

Designer: Charlie Boyle

Problem Solving

Design Process

The Ocean Cleanup Project’s collected plastic gets and grows a new life with this urban planter

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Since 2013, the Ocean Cleanup initiative has encouraged designers to envision products that could be made using plastic waste from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Designed to meet the guidelines set out by this initiative, designer Troy Dunn created this urban garden planter to achieve two environmental missions: recycling plastic materials and fostering green environments in urban settings!

The Ocean Cleanup initiative called for products that were durable, easy to use, able to retain their value (after all, what is the point of rescuing plastic from the ocean only to have it dumped into the garbage again), related to social activities, and finally, be a product that people actually wanted and would keep for their whole lives. To fit these requirements, the urban planter was made to be weatherproof, ergonomic, and stackable. Floor space is limited in urban areas, so it was important to design a product that wouldn’t take up too much room — as the owner may end up throwing it away to make room for their other possessions. The reason this planter works is because there is an emotional attachment between humans and anything they create/produce. Plants, though don’t speak, still react to our love and care, and watching them grow and bloom is a highly fulfilling endeavor. Any plant parent will tell you once you start growing plants, its impossible to back out!

The Ocean Cleanup garden planter is made up with three different parts- a synthetic cork base, to protect against wear and tear, a water reservoir made of clear plastic, which allows users to see the water levels inside and prevent overwatering, and a “soil vessel,” which holds the plant. The water reservoir sets this product apart from other gardening products. Most planters are designed with the assumption that the water that drains out the bottom will simply be absorbed by the ground underneath it. City dwellers rarely have a backyard where they can set their pots on the actual dirt, which means that water will simply leak onto a brick patio or some other man-made surface. The water reservoir is just one of the many thoughtful alterations that make this product perfect for urban life while reducing chances of overwatering the plants.

Designer: Troy Dunn

Europe’s first electric cargo bus is made from renewable biodegradable resins + flax fibers!

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The green revolution is slowly but surely picking up the pace! Meet Volta Zero – Europe’s first all-electric commercial cargo bus. Volta Trucks is the genius startup behind the creation of the Zero and you might also recognize them as Europe’s first commercial vehicle manufacturer to have a proprietary e-Axle electric drivetrain.

So what makes the Zero different from other electric vehicles? Well, for starters Zero’s e-Axle drivetrain comprises the electric motor, transmission, and axle in a single lightweight unit unlike the existing electric vehicles in the market. Another structural difference is that Zero’s modular lithium-ion phosphate battery pack is placed between the chassis rails which is the design blueprint that enables Volta to build custom trucks for any commercial purposes. “Commercial vehicles form the lifeblood of commerce and livelihoods in cities, but today’s large trucks dangerously impose themselves on our streets and dominate their surroundings. With the launch of Volta Zero, we are changing the face of road transport,” says Rob Fowler, CEO of Volta Trucks

For context, the Volta Zero is actually bigger than Rivian’s Amazon electric delivery van as it is almost 10-meters long and 3.5-meters in width. Zero’s body panels are crafted from renewable biodegradable resins and flax fibers to make it sustainable right from the manufacturing process to have a bigger impact. Swiss company Bcomp developed the body panels in collaboration with the European Space Agency and they are supposed to be as strong and light as carbon-fiber but uses 75% less CO2 to produce. The unique weave of the panels is processed using canola oil by British company Bamd. To make production sustainable is a breakthrough in itself! The Zero also features standard ADAS driving technology that includes active steering, reversing assistant, lane change assist, lane departure warning, and an A.I.-based vehicle monitoring system.

Volta Zero weighs close to 16 tons and has a unique driving position that gives the driver an edge when navigating a cargo bus in narrow streets. It has a swiveling driver’s chair is situated in the middle of the cabin which means having a 220-degree view of the outside environment – similar to what you see in a McLaren F1 or GMA T.50. The driver seat is also positioned to be 1.8-meters lower to the ground for better inter-city visibility. Zero’s large windows and 360-degree camera allow for easier maneuverability while eliminating blind spots around the truck for the driver. It has a top speed of 56 mph and comes equipped with a 160 to 200 kWh battery pack. Volta Zero has a 125 miles range with up to 37.3 cubic meters (1,317 cubic feet) of cargo space, the maximum payload capacity is 9.6 tons.

The prototype testing begins later next year and the first production units are expected to arrive in early or mid-2022 depending on how the pandemic progresses. This could be a game-changer for shipments worldwide since online shopping has only increased and will continue to do so in the future – this could be a solution that doesn’t hamper the economic demand while also making sure to minimize the impact on our planet.

Designer: Volta Trucks