In recent years, environmental issues have become much more prevalent in design fields than they were in the past. It is the role of contemporary designers to develop products, places, and services that serve not only the individual, but the environment as well. Form and function are no longer enough and ecological concerns are of much higher importance now than they have ever been. Below are 5 examples of environment oriented design.
Square Coke Bottles
Andrew Kim's new design for coke bottles has the potential to make a significant impact on the beverage industry. Utilizing a square shape, rather than the traditional round bottle, allows for more bottles to fit into each shipping container (meaning less need for fossil-fueled shipping) and the ease with which the empty bottles crumple up makes them take up less space in a recycling container.
square coke bottle
Scioto Mile
Right in our own back yard (downtown that is), the new Scioto Mile park sets a great precedent for eco-friendly landscape design. Replacing the old floodwall with a massive bioswale allows for 10 city blocks worth of stormwater runoff to be filtered before entering the river. Stormwater causes a great deal of pollution to enter the river, but slowing it and filtering it through plants significantly cuts down on the damage done.
scioto mile
Clever Little Bag
Like the coke bottle, this design illustrates how making a rather small change to a design can have a big impact. Replacing the typical cardboard box with a part cardboard and part bag package means less cardboard is used, as well as less plastic. Also, like the coke bottles, these take up less space when shipping.
clever little bag
Wind Power
Wind power is nothing new. Atelier DNA's design, however, puts a spin on the traditional windmill. The "windstalks" are less noisy and (perhaps) more aesthetically pleasing. They work as efficiently per square foot as windmills and provide an interesting addition to the landscape.
wind power
Rain Filtering Umbrella
Argentine design firm Synopsis's new umbrella design is one of the strangest examples of green design I've seen. It's an umbrella that collects and filters rainwater, making it potable. I am not sure how many people would actually use it, but it's an interesting idea nonetheless.
umbrella
