We’ve thankfully become more aware of the quality of our waters, especially with the increase of pollution or drastic changes in the chemical composition of rivers, lakes, and seas. We now have sophisticated equipment and software to monitor such properties, but it might come as a surprise that Mother Nature has her own way of detecting abnormalities in water. Clams, known as nature’s filter feeders, immediately react to sudden changes in water quality, sometimes even faster than scientific equipment.
Taking inspiration from one of nature’s wonder workers, this art installation turns water quality from an incorporeal idea into a tangible representation. Rather than just clamming up, these kinetic sculptures create an eerie melody, as if giving voice to the pain and woes of the water. It creates a surreal yet beautiful manifestation of water quality in a way that you can see and hear beyond just figures and graphs.
Clams aren’t able to filter out toxins (which they turn into pearls), so they would immediately shut close when they detect pollution in the water. Their reaction is sometimes faster than sensors and computers that still have to analyze the data from water samples, though, of course, they won’t be as accurate or specific. This interesting behavior, however, became the inspiration for this kinetic sculpture that, rather than just detecting water quality, translates the data into something just as interesting.
“Clams” is a collection of, well, translucent clam-like objects that have speakers inside. The clams are connected to a sensor that tests the quality of the water in the only way that humans can. Changes in the water quality are translated into sounds that shift over time, creating the semblance of eerie music. The vibrations from the speaker also cause the clamshell to go up and down, making it look like the clams are singing.
The shells themselves are made from recycled waste plastic, adding to the sustainability message of the sculptures. Although the shape of these man-made clams is quite simple, the otherworldly soundscape it produces is quite unique and memorable. It also creates an interesting bridge between media art, data sonification, and environmental awareness, translating intangible concepts and figures into something humans can better appreciate and understand.
Recent UN reports indicate that 55% of the global urban population lives in cities, and this is expected to rise to 68% by 2030. While cities drive 80% of the world’s GDP, they also significantly contribute to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions. Key challenges include climate change impacts, high carbon footprints, waste management, depleting water tables, and air and water pollution, all requiring urgent action.
Cities are combating climate change, largely driven by fossil fuels, by promoting public transport, electric cars, and cycling. Efforts also include designing green urban spaces and creating urban forests to cool cities and act as carbon sinks. Recent flooding in desert cities like Dubai and Saudi Arabia highlights the need for resilient infrastructure. Solutions involve robust infrastructure, effective drainage, sustainable stormwater management, and green urban planning to reduce flooding risks.
Paris Agreement: In 2015, nearly 200 countries signed the Paris Agreement at COP21, aiming to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It calls for localizing climate initiatives in cities and improving local climate governance.
Casa Jardin, designed by architect Rodolfo Tinoco near Costa Rica’s Tamarindo Beach, is a fully self-sustaining, off-grid home showcasing modern sustainability. Featuring lush gardens, solar panels, and a recycled water system, it offers privacy and environmental efficiency with a vertical garden that regulates temperature and grows edible greens. Elevated on V-shaped stilts to address rising sea levels, it includes a leaf-shaped photovoltaic roof for solar energy and integrates rainwater harvesting and sewage treatment for irrigation. Inside, a neutral palette and teak wood accents create a naturally lit, beach-inspired space, emphasizing luxury and sustainability in tropical living.
Global warming has been ongoing for years, with its most pronounced effects felt in the Arctic, where rapid ice melting disrupts climate patterns worldwide. Project ARCSTAR proposes a biocomposite structure made from biowaste materials to cool Arctic waters and support ice formation. This initiative aims to mitigate ice loss by lowering water temperatures and using sustainable materials like sulfur-free lignin and calcium carbonate. While promising as a short-term measure, ARCSTAR highlights the need for broader, systemic shifts toward sustainability to address the root causes of climate change effectively.
Coastal communities are on the front lines of climate change, facing rising sea levels. In response, architects are pioneering solutions like the Maldives Floating City (MFC), a sustainable urban project planned near Male. Designed by Dutch Docklands, MFC features a modular, floating layout inspired by Brain coral, anchored to barrier islands to mitigate sea-level rise impacts. This innovative city aims to blend green technology with residential and commercial spaces, setting a precedent for future climate-resilient urban development worldwide.
2. Greenhouse Emissions
Strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions include promoting renewable energy, low-carbon fuels, and LEED-certified green buildings that save 20-30% more energy than conventional ones. Oslo a leading green city in Norway, leads in recycling, public transport, clean air, and renewable energy. Singapore uses smart planning to harness solar energy for housing and integrates artificial wetlands to maintain ecological balance.
Stanford University researchers have developed innovative, eco-friendly paints that regulate indoor temperatures by reflecting sunlight and infrared radiation. These paints, including colors like orange, yellow, blue, and white, reduce the need for air conditioning by managing heat absorption and retention. Their dual-layer design utilizes infrared-reflective aluminum flakes and infrared-transparent nanoparticles to achieve significant energy savings—36% less heating in cold conditions and 21% less cooling in warm conditions—compared to traditional methods. This breakthrough addresses the substantial energy consumption and environmental impact of heating and cooling systems, offering a sustainable solution for buildings and urban environments worldwide.
3. Air and Water Pollution
Increased vehicles and traffic cause air pollution, while untreated factory sewage leads to water contamination. Beijing combats air pollution with strict vehicle quotas and reduced coal use to lower harmful PM2.5 levels. In the UK, the Broads Waterways face phosphorus pollution, damaging water plants. Cleanup methods like phosphate stripping and suction dredging are being explored.
Pure Bubble offers an innovative solution to urban air pollution with its outdoor air purification concept, resembling dandelion-inspired bubbles equipped to detect, analyze, and clean polluted air. Each bubble features three layers: a helium-filled outer layer for mobility, a reusable filtering layer using patented TPA technology, and a wind-powered recharging motor. These self-illuminating bubbles purify air as they float, extracting minerals from pollutants and contributing to improved air and water quality in urban environments. Positioned strategically, Pure Bubble aims to mitigate the health impacts of air pollution and support global efforts in environmental sustainability.
Designers Lucy Zakharova and Ted Lu propose ‘En·cap·su·lat·ing’, a revolutionary project aimed at addressing ocean pollution. This initiative involves deploying a network of five dynamic capsules made from plastic waste sourced from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, spanning 1.6 million square kilometers. Each capsule operates at different ocean depths, moving cyclically with floating plastic islands to evenly distribute their cleaning efforts. Beyond pollution mitigation, these capsules serve as research hubs, monitoring deep-sea conditions and biodiversity impacts, emphasizing the urgent need for sustainable environmental solutions to safeguard marine ecosystems.
4. Depleting Water Table
Rapid urbanization strains city infrastructure and depletes water tables. Cities respond with alternative water sourcing, rainwater harvesting, and vertical farming, alongside public education to change water usage habits. Comprehensive water management integrates fresh water, rain, storm, and wastewater. China’s Sponge Cities use permeable surfaces and green spaces to capture, filter, and store water, reducing floods and promoting reuse, enhancing climate resilience.
Hydraloop is a compact water recycling system that fits seamlessly into any home or building and its technology recycles up to 95% of shower and bath water, reducing reliance on fresh water and lowering sewage emissions. Designed for ease of installation and operation, Hydraloop systems clean and disinfect water using a six-step process without chemicals, making it safe for non-potable uses like toilet flushing and irrigation. By conserving water and lowering energy costs, Hydraloop supports sustainable living and contributes to global efforts in water conservation and climate action.
5. Plastic and Waste Disposal
Cities combatting plastic pollution emphasize waste reduction through recycling and composting. Urban areas contribute significantly to marine plastic debris, threatening ecosystems and human health. Quezon City, Philippines, innovates with a “cash for trash” program exchanging recyclables for environmental credits. The Maldives transitions to a circular economy, enhancing waste management with sustainable infrastructure and optimized collection systems to create valuable products from recycled plastics.
The Soft Plastic Compactor (SPC) is designed for homes and small buildings to address the accumulation of plastic bags and other soft plastics. Resembling a kitchen appliance, it compresses these plastics into bricks for easy transportation to recycling centers. Simple to use, it turns plastic waste into solid cubes bound by melted plastic, facilitating their handling and recycling. Clear Drop, the manufacturer, ensures collaboration with recycling facilities to safely break down these bricks without emitting harmful fumes, making the SPC a practical solution for sustainable waste management at home.
Cities tackling global challenges require cooperation among governments, businesses, civil society, and residents for sustainable development. Effective climate change adaptation includes increasing tree cover and preserving green spaces to enhance the quality of life, absorb carbon emissions, mitigate urban heat islands, and provide natural flood protection.
We are all probably aware of how polluted our waters have become, but that fact doesn’t always sink in until we’re faced with images or videos of disgusting examples. While unsettling imagery relies on the shock factor to give us a wake-up call, it starts to lose its effectiveness once the images are gone. We could always have these visuals within view, but always seeing these unpleasant things can also have negative effects on our psyches. If one needs a constant reminder of the sad state of our planet’s waters, it might be better if it came in a way that’s less unnerving but just as attention-grabbing. That’s what this elegant desk is attempting to accomplish, and it uses our tendency to keep messy desks to get that message across.
Designer: Nicola Morelli
Although they don’t need to be immaculately clean, we do need a certain amount of free space on our desks in order to be productive. Clutter blocks the flow of our work, and the mess only piles up over time unless they’re cleaned up. As it turns out, this is the exact same situation with the pollution in our rivers, seas, and oceans, and the in.water concept design ties to associate these two different but related ideas in a subtle yet captivating way.
On its own, the desk is already striking in its minimalist beauty. The piece of furniture is flat-packed and easily assembled, composed of nothing more than two pairs of aluminum legs and a plexiglass tabletop. The table has a translucent gradient that goes from blue to frost white, creating an interesting visual even when it’s devoid of anything on top.
That choice of color is, of course, intentional, and it is meant to convey the image of a clear body of water partially reflecting the blue sky. Once you start piling things on top of it, however, that pristine beauty is immediately shattered. You can no longer enjoy the clarity of the table’s surface, and the translucency of the material only serves to highlight the role of these objects as “clutter.” For even better emphasis, you could try slipping pieces of paper between the top and the metal legs, indicating “trash” that is so deep that they’re not easily removed.
The in.water concept, however, isn’t just a visual metaphor of sustainability that loses its message at the factory. It can be made from 100% recycled plexiglass and aluminum, and its flat-pack design produces less carbon footprint during transportation. With its simple beauty and meaningful design cues, this table design concept sends a more impactful message of how water pollution can be reflected in our daily lives.
If you live in the area where wildfires are a constant problem and threat, things like pollution and a toxic environment are things you have to deal with in the aftermath (aside from the obvious dangers of the fire of course). And with global warming continuing to wreak havoc, it’s also become dangerous for places not normally affected by things like this, like when we saw the rising heat levels in parts of Europe this summer. There are product designers out there thinking of solutions to somehow help make life better for those who are affected by wildfires.
Designer: Suzie McMurtry
The Living with Wildfire system is a yet untested prototype for a mycelium pod that cant withstand fire and has water and dormant oyster mushroom spores inside. The idea is that when a wildfire happens, the water will evaporate and bring pressure inside the steel vessel that is sealed with a cork. When the cork finally launches into the air, the spores will be spread out into the area and then take root in spots when the fire is finally over and reduce toxicity in the soil and air. The system uses an experimental method called mycoremediation which uses fungi to remove pollutants from a toxic environment.
The system looks like a lamp on a stand and multiple ones need to be set up in areas where there’s a likelihood of wildfires occurring. The pod itself or the spore canon is like an upside-down water or perfume bottle with the cork facing the ground. It is made of mycelium, the vegetative part of the fungus which has fire retardant properties. The prototype has oyster mushroom spores and the pod uses a minimalist, naturalist design. The system is actually modeled after the fireproof seedpods of trees like the lodgepole pine and Australian banksia.
The pod has tags with the Latin name of the mushroom spores inside and it is made from quick-melting pewter. Once fire hits it, it will melt into the steel rim of the frame that holds it. People can also pile branchs and brush under the pod to hasten the process of the spores being released once fire hits it. And even when there’s no fire, the Living with Wildfire system can serve as a reminder to people who see it that there’s always the danger of wildfire in that area.
Microplastics are the most common source of plastic pollution wreaking havoc on planet earth. The nature of microplastics is such that they are hard to detect for the naked eye, and have tormented marine life beyond belief. The toxic nature of this material has disrupted the food chain, and is also suspected to trigger a number of ailments in humans and other land animals and birds. So, common logic suggests, we should do anything and everything possible to suppress this nemesis.
A recent study found that airborne microplastic pollution is turning into a major contributor, and vehicle tires are to blame for that majorly. Andreas Stohl, from the Norwegian Institute for Air Research, said that an average tire loses 4kg during its lifetime. To top it off, the electric vehicle revolution is making things worse. Such vehicles are much heavier than their internal combustion engine counterparts, leading to more tire and brake pad wear. The solution is to design a tire in such a way that it doesn’t emit any microplastics into the environment. Unless tires are made out of some other revolutionary material, the only other way to prevent the dire situation is by collecting the microplastics in the tire itself.
Designer: Cheolhee Lee, Seongjong Kang and Lee JH96
Pureback Nexen Tire is a concept envisioning the prevention of air pollution primarily caused by tire wear. The eco-friendly tire separates and discharges the microplastics while driving. The harmful airborne plastic not visible to the naked eye is pushed through the inlet between the tire treads where the hazardous material is stored in the central capsule. The sides of the tire are made out of steel to create safe housing for the collected material. Designers suggest that the collected microplastics will be compressed and deposited at hydrogen charging stations by connecting to the hydrogenation system. The users will consequently be eligible for corresponding rewards and benefits. Logically, this radically designed tire is good in functionality, solving a serious problem for us all, while also being aesthetically pleasing to look at.
The grooves of the Pureback tire and the wheel cover housing have a connected LED lighting system on the side walls. When the tire is collecting microplastics it illuminates in blue color, and as soon as the collection capsule is reaching the full limit, it turns red. This indicates the time to deposit the toxic material at the next hydrogen filling station.
The pandemic has led to a huge lifestyle shift and in the bid to stay safe, the environment is suffering from the excessive use of plastic to wrap items, chemicals to sanitize, and the millions (or billions) of single-use PPE that eventually contribute to pollution. There are photographs of medical masks floating in the ocean with the animals and washing up on beaches is a heartbreaking sight. To bring this issue to light, designers Tobia Zambotti and Aleksi Saastamoinen created Coat-19, an icy blue puffer jacket made of discarded single-use masks, organic wool, and transparent recycled laminate.
The designers are based in Iceland that still has a mask mandate. Icelandic winds can be very strong so masks that aren’t carefully discarded blow from the streets into the otherwise pristine environment. To prevent this from happening they collected around 1500 light-blue masks from the streets of Reykjavík, thoroughly disinfected them with ozone gas, and shipped them to Helsinki where they became an unusual filling for “Coat-19” – a modern puffer jacket that highlights this absurd pandemic-related environmental issue.
Most of the disposable masks available in the market are made with a thermoplastic called polypropylene which is also used to produce poly-fill, the most common acrylic stuffing for cheap down jackets – same material, same function, different look. Some of the light-blue masks were partly filled with organic cotton wool in order to create the puffy silhouette of the trendy oversized jacket.
The outer layer is a semi-transparent breathable and waterproof laminate based made from bio-sources that let the disposable masks be visible. There are about 1500 masks that make the filling along with organic cotton wool. While the sight is jarring, it is a reminder we all need to practice safety sustainably. We may come out of this pandemic or learn to live with it, but the climate crisis is not something we can solve with a shot. This is a plea to use alternatives if possible so that your safety in the present doesn’t compromise on the future of the planet.
Those blue and white face masks have become the unofficial icon of the pandemic era for all the wrong reasons. Seeing the disposable face mask worn by people has become just as common as seeing them on littered city sidewalks and street corners. Caught up in tangles of twigs and plastic waste, disposable face masks end up as floating marine debris since they cannot be recycled due to the potential risk of indirect infection and viral transmission within the recycling system. UK-based designer Joe Slatter noticed the blue and white litter all over the streets of London and decided to do something about it, weaving disinfected masks from the streets into what he calls the Veil Stool.
After collecting close to 4,000 masks from the streets of London, Slatter disinfected them by coating them in ozone spray and leaving them out in direct sunlight for four weeks. Once they were sanitized and prepared for the next step, an experimental period followed that led to Slatter discovering that 3-ply face masks, the blue and white disposable ones, could be spun into a soft yarn or melted down into a dense polypropylene structure. The stool’s final form finds a threaded, cushioned seat made from facemasks spun into a yarn mounted on top of three short stool legs hardened from melted face masks. Slatter’s recycled stool highlights not only the soft, cottony and dense, supportive nature of face masks but also the beauty that can come from confronting such a destructive issue as pollution.
For Slatter, this project goes beyond a simple recycled design, noting both the environmental and cultural significance of spinning disposable face masks into a stool, “The name ‘Veil’ comes from the notion of a veil being a fine material used to conceal the face, similar to that of a face mask. Veils are generally considered beautiful and therefore the name implies that it can be possible to see beauty in an object that is often disregarded, such as a face mask.”
Designer: Joe Slatter
By melting some of the face masks, Slatter created a three-leg base for the soft cushion, made from hand-spun face masks, to mount.
Following a period of experimentation, Slatter found out three-ply face masks could be spun into soft yarn.
4,000 masks were taken from the streets of London to create one stool.
The blue and white gradient is reminiscent of the iconic face masks but can stand alone just as well.
The yarn looks and feels familiar, but its hand-spun from three-ply face masks.
Materials used to build Veil Stool all derive from blue and white face masks.
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