The Lightcatcher building (opening- November 14, 2009) designed by Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects will feature multiple exhibit spaces in new climate controlled galleries. The Lightcatcher is designed to meet LEED (Leadership in Engineering and Environmental Design) Silver standard and includes a “green” roof, providing a venue for the Museum to offer programs around sustainability and conservation.





“The basic concept for this new museum is that museum turned inside out—to make the building as active on the outside as it will be on the inside. An iconic 36-foot-tall, 180-foot-long translucent wall, “the lightcatcher,” is conceived as the focal point and backdrop to a central courtyard that will become a new gathering place for the city. The exterior of the museum will be an invitation to engage in art and will allow pedestrians walking by to view the art and activity within” - Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects

October 08, 2009

Book’s Shelf. Bookshelf made from books by Bernardo Gaeiras, Rietveld Academie Sandberg Institute.

September 12, 2009

Biodegradable moss planter(organic carpet consisting of assortment of mosses) by Japan-based flower artist Makoto Azuma  

September 06, 2009

An Earthship is a type of home made of natural and recycled materials.  Earthships designed by Earthship Biotecture  and are built from 45% recycled materials - tires, bottles, cans.  Earth-filled tires utilize thermal mass construction to naturally regulate indoor temperature. Earthships also usually incorporate their own special natural ventilation system.



Earthships are built to utilize the available local resources - energy from the sun, rain. For example, windows on the sunny side admit light and heat, and the buildings are often horseshoe-shaped to maximize natural light and solar-gain during winter months. Likewise, the thick, dense outer walls provide effective insulation against summer heat.
Internal, non-load-bearing walls are often made of a honeycomb of recycled cans joined by concrete and are referred to as tin can walls. These walls are usually thickly plastered with stucco.

The Earthship costs next to nothing to operate annually and is independent of all municipal utilities.  Earthship Biotecture has a building prototype that harvests its own electricity and water; contains and treats its own sewage;  and heats and cools itself without fuel and produces a significant amount of food.

August 02, 2009

Glass house made from recycled glass windows in Freetown Christiania, neighborhood/commune in Copenhagen, Denmark created during the hippie movement. Christiania has its own flag and its own set of rules independent from the Danish government. Within Christiania itself no cars are allowed, stealing is forbidden as well as violence, guns, knives, bulletproof vests, hard drugs and bikers’ colors.

July 19, 2009

Ceramic rubber duckie by Futility l.t.d Really cool.



Ceramic milk carton bt Hanna Risgaard.

Ceramic Teacup by Jonathan Trotter

July 18, 2009

The Waterpod is a floating art project, community and living space on a barge. The structure is built from recycled wood, billboard sign material, metal and powered by a hybrid solar/wind system that also runs all on-board equipment.  The barge also incorporates a garden with vegetables (lettuce, sunflowers, corn, eggplant and e.t.c ) grown with purified water from the vertical agriculture. Four artists live on the barge and are very friendly to talk to you about their project.  There is also a chicken coop made from recycled shipping crate previously used to ship artworks. 

July 03, 2009

Above: Crocheted lampshade at Michele Varian, photo from Apartment Therapy.

The other day I was walking in Manhattan on the Lower East Side and discovered an amazing store full with all kinds of vintage, restored and designer objects.  One of my favorite is a crocheted lamp shade. The fabric is starched to maintain its form. 



Above: Michele Varian on Crosby Street, NY

June 11, 2009

Bags from re-purposed, recycled coffee sacks!  Lined with a soft unbleached cotton. by Mayamade. 

May 31, 2009

Casamento, located in Cape Town, South Africa individually hand crafts furniture using recycled frames and only natural fibers throughout: natural non-allergenic fibers: sisal, raw cotton wadding, horsehair jute webbing, hessian and flock natural fibers.

May 18, 2009

Book shelves made from old books - http://www.littlefishfurniture.com/.

May 05, 2009

May 03, 2009

Projekt Mobilivre - Bookmobile Project is primarily based in Montreal and Philadelphia. It is a trailer converted into a small mobile gallery and library that showcases handmade books and zines from all over the world.  Traveling through Canada and US, this bookmobile visits community centers, schools, colleges, libraries, festivals and artist-run centers.  I happened to run into Mobilivre-Bookmobile while I was studying at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art and was stunned by the idea of a traveling gallery/library. 






Bookmobile is a vehicle designed as a traveling library.  Slumgullion,  is a collaboration project that strives to create community, empower young voices, and promote literacy and the humanities through the book arts and zines. It is based in Missoula, Montana.  Slumgullion’s bookmobile exhibits handmade books, art zines and is just like a regular bookmobile only it is bike powered!

May 02, 2009

*Above: Patchwork Harmony - http://www.patchworkharmony.co.uk

April 25, 2009

The wall of a beautiful housewares store Vessel in Boston is made with…...shipping pallets. Nice way to reuse old shipping pallets.

April 24, 2009

I love these beautiful nature inspired wallpaper designs by William Morris.  William Morris was an English architect, furniture and textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement.  The Arts and Crafts Movement was a British, Canadian, and American aesthetic movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries that influenced arts, crafts and architecture. The Arts and Crafts Movement was inspired by the writings of John Ruskin and a romantic idealization of a craftsperson taking pride in their personal handiwork. The movement was a reaction to the eclectic revival of historic styles of the Victorian era and to “soulless” machine-made production aided by the Industrial Revolution.

March 29, 2009

I love Charley Harper’s print, The Desert. 

March 15, 2009

Wow. Handmade floor mat from old vintage leather belts.  Design by Inghua Ting.

March 11, 2009

I went to NYU open studios today and this is what I found.  Very talented artist and designer - Hana Tanimura.

http://www.hanatanimura.com/

March 08, 2009

Beautiful ceramic plates inspired by Ernst Haeckel’s biological drawings (book named Art Forms in Nature) by Megha Patel.



*above:  Ernst Haeckel’s book “Art Forms in Nature”

March 07, 2009

Siesta stiffened crocheted doily by Stanley Ruiz . This is really nice.  I even was thinking of making it myself - taking old lace, stiffening it with starch…  but it probably would not be as nice as the one above.

March 06, 2009

Apparently, the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art now has The Institute for Sustainable Design. It was created in 2008, with support from philanthropist Jack Rudin, as a resource for education, research and public understanding of the principles and methods of sustainability in all design disciplines. “:Central to the mission of the Institute is the development of innovative pedagogies in architecture, art and engineering that will be models for the transformation of learning and practice for a sustainable future” The inagural lecture of Institute for Sustainable Design NEARLY TRAPPED:  DESIGN IN THE AGE OF CLIMATE CONSEQUENCES was held at Cooper a few days ago by Paul Sears, distinguished professor of environmental studies and politics. 

Also, now Cooper Union has a new logo and soon will have a new building with green features.  The building is designed for sustainability, energy efficiency and air quality:

1. Innovative heating and cooling technology
2. An outer layer of semi-transparent mesh screen will create coolness in the summer and warmth in the winter.
3. Carbon dioxide detectors throughout the building will automatically dim power and ventilation when rooms are unoccupied.
4.  A co-generation system will produce some power for both the new building and the Foundation building, reducing the need to tap into the outside electrical grid.
5. The deck surface of the green roof will be covered by a layer of low-maintenance plantings.
6. The low-flow plumbing devices and the green roof will save more than 600,000 gallons of water annually.

March 03, 2009

MANILLA MADE is a blog about all things ethical organized by Helen Cuthbert, a textile designer in UK.  All things ethical are all things handmade, recycled, bright and colorful! I love this blog.
My favorite pieces on this blog are:  vintage glass salt and pepper shakers, handmade shadow lanterns made out of recycled metal food cans, and soy teacup candles!!!

February 07, 2009

I just found this interview with Graham Hill, the founder of Treehugger.com about Planet Green! Elephant journal says: “Years ago, back in the dark days of pre-Green Fad-dom (2004)<—:):), our smoggy future looked black. Four years later, Green is the new Black. (!!!!!) ”

I just found this amazing online store called Three Potato Four.  Three Potato Four is started by Janet Morales & Stu Eli because of their love of collections. The store features old and vintage home decor objects, tableware and toys.

January 30, 2009

Marlies Spaan and Jolanda Muilenburg silkscreened patterns on beech wood cabinets and wardrobes.
I was also thinking, if you are tired of your old furniture and if your furniture is simply very boring and ugly, it is possible to achieve similar effect by adding some pattern to your furniture through using stencils or wallpaper. I do not know though if it is going to look as beautiful as the wardrobe on the picture above.

January 26, 2009

Simple and natural hooks from tree branches by Live Wire Farm. Is there a more universal hook? I beleive it is even possible to make one yourself from fallen tree branches. 

Reform School is a store, web shop and collective based in Los Angeles, CA. 
Billie and Tootie write about their store:  “We definitely wanted to talk about how sustainable design is a huge focus for us, and that green living is important to us, not only in business but in our personal lives as well. We wanted to be eco-friendly without being too in-your-face about it. The last thing we wanted was to be another shop selling all things hemp & bamboo ( not that we don’t love hemp & bamboo)”
To visit: Reform School.

December 30, 2008

Chest of drawers by Wis Design made out of discarded drawers rescued from flea markets.

December 23, 2008