A debate over a planned Zaha Hadid civic center in Elk Grove, California has foregrounded pre- and post-Recession views on the value of experimental design. Read about the controversy here.
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Not a bad design!
Too bad it sounds like it’s not happening…
Have computers made architects less disciplined? - By Witold Rybczynski - Slate Magazine /
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The Holy Monastery of St Nicholas Anapausasby
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R&Sie(n) - Hybrid Muscle, Chang Mai 2003.
An open air performance space and shelter located completely off the power grid in rural Thailand. The project showcases an interesting transference of energy; up to ten light bulbs, laptop computers, and cellphones can be plugged into generator, which is in turn powered by a mechanism that is attached to a two-ton counterweight that slowly falls throughout the day to generate the electricity needed. When the weight has completely fallen, it is strapped to a local albino ox, which while grazing, raises the weight again to repeat the process the next day. Animal to mechanical to electrical.
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Last year the ARC wildlife crossing competition got a lot of pixels; it was won byMichael Van Valkenburgh & Associates and there is talk of building it, although it was more of an ideas competition. But they are actually building a wildlife bridge this summer in Ontario, just south of Sudbury. It is not nearly as fancy as the ARC competition entries, but the $ 58.3 million “eco-passage” will save the lives of both animals and the humans who tend to hit them.
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Illinois-based Sloan Valve Company won all sorts of awards for AQUS Water Reuse System (model HMA6000). That award-winning system has been updated, and the new HMA7000 model is now available. The upgraded small-scale water reuse system has a redesigned look and feel, installs in less than one hour, and is compatible with most dual-flush and one-piece toilets on the market. AQUS works on the premise that it makes no sense to use fresh, clean, potable water for toilet flushing. Rather, the system enables the use of sink water that’s been filtered and disinfected. It works a lot like Roca’s W+W system but AQUS can be retrofitted without necessarily replacing the sink or toilet. The system doesn’t mix used and fresh water and requires chlorine tablets to control bacteria and other contaminants. After passing through a screen and chlorine, a 5.5-gallon tank holds the collected water. In turn, the fill valve of the toilet is restricted so a new flush will use about 65% reclaimed water and 35% fresh water. AQUS could save up to 6,000 gallons of water per year assuming usage by two persons. Sloan Valve lists the AQUS HMA7000 system for $398.00, although prices will vary depending on where you purchase it.
Green School, Bali, Indonesia /
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Walkover Lighting
