What a 44 Year-Old Toaster Can Teach Us About Sustainable Design

Posted on October 20, 2009 by Tim Hurst .

How $2 bought me one of the best appliances I own
I like my toast. I’m one of those people that believes bread simply tastes and performs a better when thoroughly warmed and a little crispy on the outside. So you can imagine my consternation when my toaster recently stopped working. It’s not that the toaster [...]

Piet Hein Eek: Reclaimed Wood Furniture

Posted on July 19, 2009 by Matt Embrey .

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There are many roots to our addiction to consumption, but in this post I am going to discuss just one of them… aesthetics. It’s funny that dispite the inherent aesthetic beauty of nature and the environemnt, our desire to make our own environments aesthetically pleasing can wreak havoc on the former. Now obviously there [...]

Soak In Nature From Your Tub

Posted on May 4, 2009 by Paula Mitchell Bentley .

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Sometimes the simplest designs are also the most brilliant. This portable hot tub couldn’t have a more simple design — the water is warmed through the spiral coil with a wood fire and then sent back into the tub. It’s called the Dutchtub and was designed by Floris Schoonderbeek as part of his thesis in the product design department during his time at art school in the Netherlands.

Seasteading: Homesteading the High Seas

Posted on April 16, 2009 by Derek Markham .

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Seasteading is a movement to begin homesteading on the high seas, building permanent dwellings on the ocean. It’s one of the most innovative ideas that I’ve seen that addresses many of the issues that arise with building on land, within a particular political system.
“We believe that current political systems are outdated and work poorly, for [...]

Mio For Target - Environmentally Responsible Outdoor Living Products

Posted on March 25, 2009 by Doug Gunzelmann .

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The Salm brothers, Isaac and Jaime, of Mio Design have become strange bedfellows with none other than corporate giant Target. Mio emphasises “environmentally and socially progressive design” and hope to promote their ideas and accomplishments through Target.

Grow Some Balls…Eco Ball Chairs That Is!

Posted on March 24, 2009 by Paula Mitchell Bentley .

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Who wouldn’t like a chair called “Let’s Grow Some Balls”? This cool design is by Doreen Westphal of Krejci. I love it’s two fold environmental aspects of being made from recycled plastic and housing plants. Another green aspect to the chair is that you don’t have to get rid of it when you tire of it’s style and design. Instead, you can just replant and give the chair an entirely different feel.

Dirt(y) Clean Energy Powered Lamp

Posted on March 11, 2009 by Matt Embrey .

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With all the focus on clean energy, I thought this clever little lamp is powered by dirt(y) clean energy was pretty interesting. Marieke Strap’s Soil lamp literally harnesses it’s energy from mud. Similar to the process of the microbial fuel cell, the metabolic reaction that is generated by mud, copper and zinc filled cells creates enough energy to power the highly efficient LED.

Newton Running Energy Efficient Recycled Packaging Concept

Posted on March 9, 2009 by Doug Gunzelmann .

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Newton Running has commissioned TDA Advertising and Design to create the new packaging for their running shoes. Packaging can be an enormous energy sink with its limited use and quick lifecycle. It is essential to minimize weight, energy input, and maximize ease of recyclability.

Greener Gadgets Highlights - Part 2

Posted on March 4, 2009 by Doug Gunzelmann .

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This past weekend Matt and I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the Greener Gadgets Design Competition. Jill Fehrenbacher and Mike Chino of Inhabitat were great hosts along with Allan Chochinov of Core77. We were thoroughly schooled on the latest in upcoming sustainability concepts, the new wave of design all over the blogosphere, and some hip [...]

Greener Gadgets: Bware Water Meter

Posted on February 26, 2009 by Doug Gunzelmann .

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The Bware water meter is a contestant in the 2009 Greener Gadgets Design competition this weekend in NYC. Bware is meant to actively provide feedback to the user keeping them visually aware of their water consumption. The gadget can be affixed to a sink, toilet, shower, or virtually any household water source as a passive [...]