Vault Design Using Hand-Pressed Bricks
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CO2-Gr abbing Foam, Recycled Bottle Buildings Vie for Earth Awards By GreenerDesign Staff Published August 23, 2010 Email | Print | Single Page View Tags: Biomimicry, Design & Innovation LONDON, United Kingdom — Foam that captures carbon dioxide, bamboo sunglasses made by artisans and a building covering made of recycled bottles are among the finalists of the Earth Awards. The awards seek to help designers enter the worldwide marketplace. The finalists from the six categories each received $10,000, and the winner will get $50,000. The finalists will present their ideas at the Financial Times' Investing in Innovative Design and Technology summit in London in September. Two of the entries are building-related, but with vastly different purposes. The Sustainable Shells process, the finalist in the built environment category, was created to provide a low-cost, low-energy and easy-to-teach method for building homes, schools, clinics and other medium-sized buildings. Born out of the need to use local materials and local workers in poor areas of the world, Sustainable Shells is a way to construct building domes by using thin bricks made of pressed soil and a 600-year-old technique called tile vaulting. The bricks can be formed using hand presses, a process that is less energy intensive than firing clay bricks, and the tile vaulting process can be easily taught to local workers. Sustainable Sites was developed by architect Michael Ramage of Cambridge University, Peter Rich Architects of Johannesburg and John Ochsendorf of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and it has already been used during the building of the Mapungubwe Interpretive Center (above) in South Africa's Mapungubwe National Park. The other building-related finalist, Polli-Bricks, comes from the product category. Developed by Taiwan's MiniWIZ Sustainable Energy Development Ltd., Polli-Bricks are completely made of recycled plastic bottles and interlock with one another to form walls, screens, skylights and fences. Each "brick" has an opening, so they can be used as containers, or LEDs can be placed in them to provide lighting. The Polli-Bricks cost $27 per square foot while glass alternatives costs $150-$250 per square foot. AskNature, the online directory of nature's solutions, is the systems finalist. Launched in late 2008 by the Biomimicry Institute, the website catalogs how plants, animals and other parts of nature solve problems and function in day-to- day life, and showcases ways in which companies, products and others are already using lessons learned from nature. Another finalist inspired by nature is the winner of the future category, artificial photosynthetic foam successfully implemented for the first time by University of Cincinnati professor David Wendell and his research team. The foam absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) and produces sugar, mimicking the foam nests created by the subtropical Tungara frog. The frog's foam protects fertilized eggs and is able to convert all of the sunlight it absorbs into sugar since it does not have to support other living activities like plants do when they absorb light. The foam uses enzymes from plants, bacteria, frogs and fungi to turn sunlight and CO2 into sugar, which can them be converted into other substances, like biofuels. The fashion finalist is Jamie Lim's Kayu sunglasses, which are handcrafted from bamboo by local artisans in Asia using traditional techniques. One of the driving forces behind the creation of the sunglasses is to protect and promote indigenous culture and crafts. In addition, Kayu donates $20 from each pair sold to fund eye surgery to restore sight in people in developing countries. Lastly, the Butterfly Houses project is the finalist from the social justice category. Created by Norwegian non- profit TYIN Tegnestue, the houses are a series of six building in Thailand near the Burmese border, and they act as a
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CO2-Grabbing Foam, Recycled Bottle Buildings Vie for EarthAwardsBy GreenerDesign Staff Published August 23, 2010Email | Print | Single Page ViewTags: Biomimicry, Design & Innovation
LONDON, United Kingdom — Foam that captures carbon dioxide, bamboo sunglasses made by artisans and abuilding covering made of recycled bottles are among the finalists of the Earth Awards.The awards seek to help designers enter the worldwide marketplace. The finalists from the six categories eachreceived $10,000, and the winner will get $50,000. The finalists will present their ideas at the FinancialTimes' Investing in Innovative Design and Technology summit in London in September.Two of the entries are building-related, but with vastly different purposes. The Sustainable Shells process, the finalistin the built environment category, was created to provide a low-cost, low-energy and easy-to-teach method for building homes, schools, clinics and other medium-sized buildings.Born out of the need to use local materials and local workers in poor areas of the world, Sustainable Shells is a wayto construct building domes by using thin bricks made of pressed soil and a 600-year-old technique called tilevaulting. The bricks can be formed using hand presses, a process that is less energy intensive than firing clay bricks,and the tile vaulting process can be easily taught to local workers.Sustainable Sites was developed by architect Michael Ramage of Cambridge University, Peter Rich Architects of
Johannesburg and John Ochsendorf of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and it has already been usedduring the building of the Mapungubwe Interpretive Center (above) in South Africa's Mapungubwe National Park.The other building-related finalist, Polli-Bricks, comes from the product category. Developed by Taiwan's MiniWIZSustainable Energy Development Ltd., Polli-Bricks are completely made of recycled plastic bottles and interlock withone another to form walls, screens, skylights and fences. Each "brick" has an opening, so they can be used ascontainers, or LEDs can be placed in them to provide lighting. The Polli-Bricks cost $27 per square foot while glassalternatives costs $150-$250 per square foot.AskNature, the online directory of nature's solutions, is the systems finalist. Launched in late 2008 by the BiomimicryInstitute, the website catalogs how plants, animals and other parts of nature solve problems and function in day-to-day life, and showcases ways in which companies, products and others are already using lessons learned fromnature.Another finalist inspired by nature is the winner of the future category, artificial photosynthetic foam successfullyimplemented for the first time by University of Cincinnati professor David Wendell and his research team. The foamabsorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) and produces sugar, mimicking the foam nests created by the subtropical Tungarafrog. The frog's foam protects fertilized eggs and is able to convert all of the sunlight it absorbs into sugar since itdoes not have to support other living activities like plants do when they absorb light.The foam uses enzymes from plants, bacteria, frogs and fungi to turn sunlight and CO2 into sugar, which can thembe converted into other substances, like biofuels.The fashion finalist is Jamie Lim's Kayu sunglasses, which are handcrafted from bamboo by local artisans in Asiausing traditional techniques. One of the driving forces behind the creation of the sunglasses is to protect and promoteindigenous culture and crafts. In addition, Kayu donates $20 from each pair sold to fund eye surgery to restore sightin people in developing countries.Lastly, the Butterfly Houses project is the finalist from the social justice category. Created by Norwegian non-profit TYIN Tegnestue, the houses are a series of six building in Thailand near the Burmese border, and they act as a
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village for refugee orphans. Each child is provided a living space, home and neighborhood, with the purpose of replicating village life for displaced children.
Read more: http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2010/08/23/co2-grabbing-foam-recycled-bottle-buildings-vie-earth-
awards#ixzz13QM49nLX
