yii at milan design week 2011

sofa made of hand woven bamboo balls by kevin chou
all images courtesy of yii


introduced to the public and press last year, yii a design brand initiated by the taiwan craft research institute,
with creative director gijs bakker, co-founder of droog, presents a new collection at milan design week 2011.

the exhibition entitled 'street life' shows at the triennale di milano bringing out new concepts by both
taiwanese and international designers who are exploring the synergy between crafts and design,
with a focus on the culture of taiwan through everyday life. they investigate the daily street rituals
of the east asian country, translating them into design objects utilizing skilled craft techniques.

front view


taiwainese designers reflect on their ideas of daily life through objects like porcelain crockery shaped
like disposable fast-food plates, a mirror frame made from motorcycles, a sofa that consists of
999 hand-woven bamboo balls and a lantern that can be used both indoors and outdoors.

in contrast, yii has invited several international designers who will demonstrate their interpretations
of taiwanese culture through the context of their own distinctive style.
on the occasion of milan design week 2011 the '43 chair' by munich-based designer konstantin grcic
and a new chair by japanese studio nendo are shown, in which the technique of bamboo weaving
is been applied to the material of steel.


'loop chair' by idee liu


'the shape of scent' by tong ho



'lantern' by tong ho

source:http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/13559/yii-at-milan-design-week-2011.html 

Underwater Skyscrapers Recycle Waste From Great Pacific Garbage Patch by Bridgette Meinhold, 03/10/11 filed under: Architecture,Recycling initiatives,Sustainable Building

 

 

We know that the plastic waste in our oceans is heinous. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a monstrosity and we're even finding signs of toxic plastic remnants even in the most pristine places, like in southern Chile, where our own Brit Ligget is sailing in search of pollution. First of course we need to stop polluting our waters, and secondly, we need a way to clean up our ugly mess. As part of the eVolo Skyscraper competition, Milorad Vidojević, Jelena Pucarević and Milica Pihler of Serbia have proposed a giant underwater skyscraper that would collect and recycle the waste into a source of energy.

 

The underwater skyscraper was inspired by the Eiffel Tower and flipped upside down in the water. The lower portion of the tower collects and stores plastic waste until it can be recycled in the middle section of the tower. Above the recycling facilities are office space and then residential that sticks out above the water.

Ballasts take in or release water to control the buoyancy of the tower depending on how much waste has been collected. Meanwhile the recycled trash is processed to create fuel for use to run the facility or elsewhere. The waste will be heated in the recycling chamber and converted into a gas that will be stored in massive battery like structures.

Lady Landfill Skyscraper took home an honorable mention in the 2011 architectural competition. We love the combination of recycling and futuristic architecture all located under the sea. We’re especially fond of the lush vegetation draping off the part that sticks out of the water, like they were moss covered icebergs.

+ Lady Landfill Skyscraper

+ eVolo Skyscraper Competition

source:http://agreenliving.org/underwater-skyscrapers-recycle-waste-from-great-pacific-garbage-patch/

Read more: Lady Landfill Skyscraper for the 2011 eVolo Skyscraper Competition | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World 

Australia’s Polli Uses Recycled Metals to Create Intricate Laser-Cut Jewelry

If you’re after a piece of jewelry that makes a statement in a wholly sustainable way, Australian-made Polli has what you’re looking for. Its delicate-but-sturdy stainless-steel collection is made from 75 percent recycled metal, while the kohl-gold series is fashioned almost entirely from brass offcuts. Crafted by industrial designers Maja Rose and Tess Lloyd, Polli’s pendants, earrings,brooches, and cufflinks are not only stunning, but they’re also built to last.

HOI POLLI

Polli includes a whimsical range of artistic and intricate cutouts, all influenced by Japanese and Danish paper designs. Stainless-steel butterflies and leaves dance among colorful salvaged leathers; bright cotton threads weave from flower petal to petal; and silhouettes of bicycles, prams, and typewriters spring to life in laser-cut kohl gold.

Polli was recently rated a low-carbon company for its eco-friendly business operations.

Not only are the materials used by Polli admirable, but its business practices are, too. Australia’sCarbon Reduction Institute recently rated Polli a low-carbon company for its offset purchases, extensive workplace recycling, use of daylighting and energy-efficient bulbs, and self-powered modes of transport (i.e., walking and cycling).
Looking to snag something for yourself? Ecouterre readers get 25 percent off their order with the code KW0111kbo until May 30, 2011.
+ Polli

source:http://www.ecouterre.com/australias-polli-uses-recycled-metals-to-create-laser-cut-jewelry/

Tempest In A Foam Cup: Lawmakers Spar Over Plastic by Ted Robbins

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For the last four years, Capitol restaurants used eco-friendly plates, cups and utensils. Now, the Republicans in charge of the House have switched to plastic and foam.

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March 5, 2011

On Capitol Hill, it's goodbye biodegradable, hello plastic foam.

For the last four years, Capitol restaurants used eco-friendly plates, cups and utensils — all part of former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's "Green the Capitol" campaign.

Republicans, who are now in charge of the House, have gone after the tableware — and maybe more.

Quality Concerns

You can get a good lunch for less than $10 in the cafeteria at the Capitol's Rayburn House Office Building. And you can recycle the plastic water bottles — for now.

But Democratic congressional staffers Devon Kerns and Emily Cardon are upset about using plastic foam plates and cups. They say the touch and feel is so '90s.

"It's gross to eat out of. When ... you're actually scraping your spoon across it and it pulls up Styrofoam, god only knows what you're eating," Cardon says.

And there's the environmental issue, they say — the plastic foam is not being recycled.

Republican Rep. Dan Lungren of California, the chairman of the House Administration Committee, is the one who dropped the biodegradables. He says the new products are higher quality than the biodegradable stuff — some of which fell apart.

"I mean, I got more complaints from members of Congress and staff — particularly staff — about forks that would bend, knives that wouldn't cut," he says. "And I got complaints about the cups — that you'd have to put two or three of them together so that you could hold it with a hot beverage."

Along with that, Lungren says, the old stuff cost more than the plastic and foam. It's fiscal responsibility, a statement of who's in charge now.

Oregon Democrat Earl Blumenauer worries this is just the first step toward dismantling the whole Green the Capitol program.

"You wonder what's next," he says. "Lead paint? Asbestos? I mean, there's lots of things that are less expensive as long as you don't care about health and other considerations."

Under the Pelosi plan, the Capitol has been phasing out incandescent light bulbs in favor of more energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs. A Republican bill has been introduced to repeal that mandate.

"It's silly, it's unfortunate and it's not where America is going," Blumenauer says.

Could Washable Utensils Be Next?

Paper, plastic or foam, Jarrett Torres has to lift it. He's a busboy who empties trash in the Rayburn cafeteria. He used to take green bags filled with trash to the recycling room. Now, they're black bags.

"You have to take this black garbage to the Dumpster," he says.

But he says it doesn't really matter: It's all garbage to him.

Of course, this is Congress and there could be compromise. A pilot study is scheduled to start next week in the Rayburn cafeteria to study the feasibility of washable, reusable utensils

source:http://www.npr.org/2011/03/05/134278442/tempest-in-a-foam-cup-lawmakers-spar-over-plastic

haiti prototype by cal earth institute

haiti prototype shelters near completion - apprentices applying mud over the sandbags
all images courtesy of the california institute of earth art and architecture


to provide relief of the recent devastation in haiti members of the california institute of
earth art and architecture (cal earth) visited the county in march to discuss the role they could
have in the reconstruction effort.



the domes complete with sandbags


the importance of building the semi‐permanent/permanent structure was to calculate the time
needed for training unskilled workers, the amount of materials necessary, and the overall cost
of a structure. the structure, consists of a 10 ft. main dome surrounded by 3 apses (a 7 ft.
sleeping apse, a 5 ft. fire cooking apse with storage below, and a 5 ft. apse that can be used for
storage or as a sleeping area for small children) was designed to house six people comfortably.
special considerations were made for the heavy rainfall and high winds during the hurricane season,
and the issue of securing the structure from outside intruders.



the domes complete with sandbags

the construction which started at the beginning of april, was completed by spanish apprentices
under the supervision of two long term apprentices of the institue. with no prior training as
well as a language barrier, the spaniards trained for 3 days upon arrival, and then began working
on the structure. from laying the footprint to applying the plaster, they worked a total of 15 days.
 


the beginning stages of construction


the cost of the structure, including superadobe rolls, barbed wire, cement, waterproofing
materials, basic building tools, windows, and a door with a lock, came to under 3000 USD.
there will be a few additional costs including the installation of the chimney as well as some
paint for interior finish, but the most important thing was to determine the cost of the actual
shelter.



sketch of the domes



sketch of the floor plan



cal earth is a non profit foundation at the cutting edge of earth and ceramic architecture
technologies today. founded in 1986 by its director, nader khalili (1936-2008), its scope
spans technical innovations published by nasa for lunar and martian construction, to housing
design and development for the world's homeless for the united nations.


source:http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/10845/haiti-prototype-by-cal-earth-institute.html

bamboo fences

curved komayose
author: isao yoshikawa
publisher: princeton architectural press
year: 2009
size: 160 pages, 20.3 x 22.9 cm
isbn: 978-1-56898-834-4
http://www.papress.com
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designboom rating:     
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bamboo has emerged as the building material of choice for the twenty-first century.
five times stronger than concrete and flexible enough to be woven like a silk,
bamboo has for millennia been an indispensable resource for cultures around
the world.

content
bamboo's abundance and extreme durability has made it a natural choice as a raw material
for fences and partitions. 'bamboo fences' provides a detailed survey of the art of
fence design in japan, from those used in your garden to larger scale wall structures.
the history of bamboo and its use is supported by 250 images which showcase the versatility
and material aesthetics of the wood. more than twenty different fence designs described,
all classified by type, from the common 'four-eyed fence' (yotsume-gaki) to the expensive
'spicebush fence' (kuromoji-gake), giving a good overview of the craft. there is also a glossary
which has explanations of japanese fence names and structural terms, as well as technical drawings
of the designs to better understand their complexity.

is it for me?
this book is for those who have a strong appreciation for well crafted design and construction.
beautifully illustrated, it provides a good overview of bamboo as a structural material and its
technical fence applications.

five-tiered komayose


standard four-tiered komayose


torch fence (taimatsu-gaki) is a broadly speaking, a piece of bamboo fence with vertical pieces made of bush clover or spicebush branches
bundled in the shape of a torch.


namazu fence


rectangular sprials provide a graphic aesthetic to the natural material


top: an agesudo suspended from a large shiorido
bottom: the same agesude, raised with a bamboo polea to let guests in



somewhat small but refined, katsura wing fence and shiorido (rakushisha, kyoto)

source:http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/9253/earth-architecture-handmade-school-bangladesh.html