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
2.13.2011
2.07.2011
week 5
While Monday's lecture was pretty much a review for me (I took Color Theory last quarter), I really liked the environment lecture on Wednesday. As I mentioned in my response to the weekend's reading, I was raised in a family of environmentalists, so environmental issues have always been deeply important to me. Of the videos we watched, I found the one about biomimicry the most interesting. Benyus made some very good points about how nature solves problems compared to how people do. I also liked William McDonough's lecture. He seems more level-headed and realistic than a lot of environmentalists who just expect people to completely change their lives. It seems like he understands not only what the problems are and how to solve them, but also why it is that some solutions wouldn't work.
2.06.2011
fifty things...
... about a walk in my neighborhood
1. it is way too cold to be walking around out here
2. also way too slippery to be walking around out here
3. there's a section of sidewalk that never drains properly and it really bothers me for some reason
4. that house on Northwood almost burned down a few days ago
5. i think the trees around here are older than most of the street trees in Columbus
6. Patterson turns into "Turpie St" on the west side of Neil, but the street sign says Patterson
7. it's hard to tell that the river is so nearby
8. a lot of houses around here are on built-up mounds
9. or maybe the street was dug into its surroundings
10. the hill from Patterson to Maynard is mellow, but it still sucks to walk up
11. Ramlow Alley; sounds kinda dirty
12. it's hard to tell that Neil and High aren't parallel
13. i wonder how ling it'll be until OSU owns this whole area
14. this neighborhood is officially "Old North Columbus"
15. they used to call it "Washington Beach"
16. a Washington Beach is also a drink; PBR in a fancy glass with a lime on the side
17. they have to keep water in Tuttle pool year round or else it'll collapse
18. the sign says "Tuttle Poo" cause someone went over the l with marker
19. there's a totally unnecessary bridge by the pool
20. off the bike trail near Dodridge, there's a BMX course
21. it's also a hobo camp
22. last year we played a made-up game there that involved a broom and a kickball
23. there are an ungodly amount of fireflies by the river in summertime
24. the river is almost frozen enough to walk on, but not quite
25. Chemical Abstracts is not a company I trust, based solely on their name
26. also, not a big fan of the huge turf field
27. from our backyard, we can see the fireworks from Picnic with the Pops
28. i've never seen anyone playing baseball on the diamond at Tuttle
29. we saw a moth the size of a sparrow there last year
30. the new Damon Day mural is sick
31. i have no excuse for not having gone to Damon Day for the last two years; it's practically in my backyard
32. we went to a DIY show at the little shelter thing a while back
33. we also used to skate there in the winter, but not any more
34. if they took the dams out of the Olentangy, the park would be a lot bigger and the river would be better
35. but that'll never happen
36. there should really be a skatepark at Tuttle
37. i wonder when the buildings on High St were built
38. i wonder if there's ever not a cover at Dick's Den
39. why did they change "Oldfield's on High" to "Kobo"? what about it is asian?
40. someone spray-painted a shitty tag over the Vinchen piece on the side of ShiSha
41. Alanna's is probably the only restaurant around here that i'll never be able to afford a meal at
42. i can't wait for dumpster-diving season
43. why aren't there ever block parties around here?
44. (most) people (really) suck at graffiti
45. it's weird to think that i live so close to a funeral home
46. they sell the strangest products at Faye's
47. my boss tried to climb the dry cleaner's by Maynard when he was my age, and he fell off and broke both of his hands
48. the ravine by the blood-bowl should really be a public park
49. i hope they replace the White Castle with something good, not another Turkey Hill type place
50. Blue Nile is closed from 3pm to 5pm every day
1. it is way too cold to be walking around out here
2. also way too slippery to be walking around out here
3. there's a section of sidewalk that never drains properly and it really bothers me for some reason
4. that house on Northwood almost burned down a few days ago
5. i think the trees around here are older than most of the street trees in Columbus
6. Patterson turns into "Turpie St" on the west side of Neil, but the street sign says Patterson
7. it's hard to tell that the river is so nearby
8. a lot of houses around here are on built-up mounds
9. or maybe the street was dug into its surroundings
10. the hill from Patterson to Maynard is mellow, but it still sucks to walk up
11. Ramlow Alley; sounds kinda dirty
12. it's hard to tell that Neil and High aren't parallel
13. i wonder how ling it'll be until OSU owns this whole area
14. this neighborhood is officially "Old North Columbus"
15. they used to call it "Washington Beach"
16. a Washington Beach is also a drink; PBR in a fancy glass with a lime on the side
17. they have to keep water in Tuttle pool year round or else it'll collapse
18. the sign says "Tuttle Poo" cause someone went over the l with marker
19. there's a totally unnecessary bridge by the pool
20. off the bike trail near Dodridge, there's a BMX course
21. it's also a hobo camp
22. last year we played a made-up game there that involved a broom and a kickball
23. there are an ungodly amount of fireflies by the river in summertime
24. the river is almost frozen enough to walk on, but not quite
25. Chemical Abstracts is not a company I trust, based solely on their name
26. also, not a big fan of the huge turf field
27. from our backyard, we can see the fireworks from Picnic with the Pops
28. i've never seen anyone playing baseball on the diamond at Tuttle
29. we saw a moth the size of a sparrow there last year
30. the new Damon Day mural is sick
31. i have no excuse for not having gone to Damon Day for the last two years; it's practically in my backyard
32. we went to a DIY show at the little shelter thing a while back
33. we also used to skate there in the winter, but not any more
34. if they took the dams out of the Olentangy, the park would be a lot bigger and the river would be better
35. but that'll never happen
36. there should really be a skatepark at Tuttle
37. i wonder when the buildings on High St were built
38. i wonder if there's ever not a cover at Dick's Den
39. why did they change "Oldfield's on High" to "Kobo"? what about it is asian?
40. someone spray-painted a shitty tag over the Vinchen piece on the side of ShiSha
41. Alanna's is probably the only restaurant around here that i'll never be able to afford a meal at
42. i can't wait for dumpster-diving season
43. why aren't there ever block parties around here?
44. (most) people (really) suck at graffiti
45. it's weird to think that i live so close to a funeral home
46. they sell the strangest products at Faye's
47. my boss tried to climb the dry cleaner's by Maynard when he was my age, and he fell off and broke both of his hands
48. the ravine by the blood-bowl should really be a public park
49. i hope they replace the White Castle with something good, not another Turkey Hill type place
50. Blue Nile is closed from 3pm to 5pm every day
2.03.2011
cradle to cradle
I have to say, I'm very excited about this book. It's been recommended to me numerous times, and while I've meant to read it before, I never have. I was already familiar with the basic subject matter of the book, but it immediately surprised me just how in-depth it is. Both of my parents are dedicated environmentalists (i.e. they both have the word "sustainability" in their job titles) and have been since, as they put it, "before it was cool." As such, I was raised in a house where we turned the lights out when leaving the room, recycled everything (even had to get an extra Rumpke bin to fit it all), and walked, bused, or biked just about everywhere. Suffice to say, I feel that I am a bit more aware of my impact on the environment than most Americans. Nonetheless, some of information in the introduction of this book surprised me. I never considered the tiny little particles that come off of my furniture and into my nose, or the fact that my shoes will never serve another purpose. I love the idea of finding environmental solutions that don't limit people's lives. This year, I made a New Year's resolution to never use new plastic bags when I buy things. So far, I've slipped up once, and overall, not using the bags provided for free has made me feel a bit self-conscious. It's not normal to buy groceries and then load them up in a big messenger bag. I don't really care if other people find it strange, but I can see why most people prefer to just use the bags provided. I've not bought a single beverage that came in a plastic container since the beginning of the year either. My beverage choice is now down to water, coffee, milk (from a cardboard container of course), tea, and (occasionally) alcohol. It's not a big deal, but it does kind of suck to be unable to partake in the variety of options offered. I think that's what I find most exciting about reading this book; the idea that there are solutions (or at least could be solutions) to help both the environment and the individual, rather than limiting one or the other.
1.31.2011
found it
 |
| Clue 01 The Barcelona Chair was originally designed by Mies van der Rohe. The trademark rights are currently owned by a company called Knoll, but there are many knock-offs of the chair which have caused them considerable legal trouble over the years. |
 |
| Clue 02 This is the Coconut Chair, designed in 1956 by George Nelson. Nelson's intent was to design a chair that could accommodate any possible seating position. Here I'm reading L'Arca Magazine. |
Clue 03
Controversial Design: Eisenman has been critiqued for his design due to the fact that after just 10 years the Wexner Center required a 10 million dollar renovation.
Clue 04
Philip Johnson's design of the Science and Engineering Library is about as boring as... well science and engineering. I do kinda like the big arches though.
Clue 05
Fun Fact: Thompson Library's latest addition was designed by Acock and Associates, but they chose to restore the original East facade (designed in 1910) rather than designing a new one.
How we did it:
Our method was pretty simple; I already knew the first three due to the fact that I spend so much time in Knowlton and had to take an architecture history course my first year, and we just googled the other two. Carl provided the computer, while Telina organized the info and, as the person who's spent the most time on campus, I helped us get around as efficiently as possible. We took turns taking photos and ended up doing the research individually.
Week 4
The first thing that I absolutely must say about this week is this; landscape architects (NOT architects) figure out curb cuts. Also, landscape archs design the ramps that get you to the building. Sometimes architects do, but usually not well (see: example in the lecture). Aside from that, I thought the ADA lecture was pretty interesting. We deal with ADA restrictions all the time in landscape arch, but until now, I was unaware of how ADA plays a part in other design fields. I think that universal design is a really great concept. I hate seeing places and things that were clearly not designed to be universal that were later adapted to fit the needs of disabled individuals. It seems a bit irresponsible to be a designer without thinking about the needs of every possible user and figuring out how to accommodate them. Granted, this is rarely easy and sometimes impossible. For example, no one will ever design a bicycle for paraplegics. As far as the scavenger hunt, it was interesting to learn about some of the buildings on campus. I grew up in Clintonville and spent a lot of time on campus in high school, so I'm already familiar with how to get around, which definitely made things easier. Also, I spend a lot of time in Knowlton, which made a couple of the clues really easy.
Five Faces
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