Crisp Green » Architecture

Wood-like Material Created From Old Newspapers

Krystal Persaud — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:56:33 +0000

Instead of using wood to make paper, NewspaperWood upcycles newspapers to make an innovative wood-like material.

NewspaperWood products are created by Dutch design group Vij5. The concept originated from Mieke Meijer’s project at the Design Academy Eindhoven, who decided it was time to create something useful from old newspapers that no one wanted.

Once wood is turned into paper, it can continue to be recycled, but will always remain in paper form. Meijer explains, “I thought it would be nice to turn the process around and turn paper into wood again. With a roller I glued the paper and rolled it as tightly as possible. Every day I spent two hours gluing the newspaper until the first paper “tree log” originated.”

When a NewspaperWood log is cut, the layers of paper appear like lines of a wood grain or the rings of a tree. The material is dense enough that it can be cut, milled, sanded and treated like any other type of wood.

Vij5 knows and acknowledges that NewspaperWood cannot logistically serve as a large scale alternative to wood. The goal of the project is to upcycle and change a surplus of discarded material into something more valuable. Vij5 has transformed newspaper into a more robust, versatile building material that can be use for countless applications.

Nowadays printing techniques for newspapers are very efficient and keep scrap material to a minimum. However, yesterday’s newspapers are always available, which is what makes them a great source of local material.

Vij5 uses water based glue that is free of solvents and plasticizers to layer the newspapers. Their decision to use an eco-friendly glue makes NewspaperWood 100% recyclable. So, should one of their products become damaged or unusable, consumers can discard them with the rest of their recycling.

Below is a cabinet designed by Vij5 and made from NewspaperWood that was exhibited last April at part of Salone de Mobile, or international design week, in Milan. Want to see more? Visit Vij5’s website.

Sources: Design Milk & Vij5

Old Shipping Pallets Create A Safe Haven For Refugees

Karen MacKay — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:42:31 +0000

A Brooklyn-based design firm has built a low-cost shelter, using 100 discarded shipping pallets, ideal for refugee camps.

Live Oak has brought you news about the many possibilities for discarded wood pallets over the past year, from adirondack chairs to vertical gardens.

Now, Brooklyn-based firm I-Beam is taking the concept of reuse a bit further. Made from repurposed shipping pallets, these 250-square-foot shelters are a superb solution for emergency or aid situations. Supplies, including food and medicine, can be shipped to locations using wood pallets which can then be repurposed into homes.

Assembly of the shelters takes less than a week with a five-person team and requires only basic hand tools. Various materials, such as tarps or corrugated roofing can be used as temporary barriers until more permanent and locally sourced options are available to thoroughly cover the walls. According to I-Beam, 84 percent of the world's refugees could be housed with just a year's worth of recycled pallets from the United States.

In addition to an aesthetic appeal, more importantly these shelters are much sturdier and more permanent than the tent and tarp structures most commonly used in refugee camps. On average displaced individuals will live at a refugee camp for seven years, so long term living solutions are much needed.

I-Beam has built prototypes across the US and Europe. They are currently working on housing for camps in Haiti and Pakistan. These homes are also a great solution for anyone looking to downsize to a "tiny house" or possibly as a long-term solution for Occupy Wall Street camps.

Source: FastCo.Design

High-Tech Greenhouse Planned For Vancouver Parking Garage

Karen MacKay — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:34:57 +0000

Valcent Products will build a super efficient 6,000 square-foot greenhouse in downtown Vancouver.

Valcent has revolutionized vertical farming with their hydroponic VertiCrop growing system. VertiCrop is a series of four-meter-high stacks of growing trays assembled on motorized conveyors. The conveyors move the plants through commercial greenhouses for maximum sun exposure.

The system also makes it easy to harvest. Like other hydroponic systems, VertiCrop is incredibly efficient, providing up to 20 times the yield of field agriculture and using less than a tenth of the water.

The upcoming Vancouver greenhouse will produce hydroponically the equivalent of about 16 acres of California field agriculture and can grow up to 20 different varieties of lettuces. Construction is planned to launch in January 2012 with the first crop harvest projected for April 2012.

Vancouver is striving to become the greenest city in the world by 2020. Utilizing an underused space in the city and growing food locally are important steps to creating a more sustainable city. A bicycle-based food delivery company is being discussed as a market option for the upcoming greenhouse product.

Source: Vancouver Sun
Image Credits: marketwise

Turning The Eiffel Tower Into A Vertical Forest

Karen MacKay — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:17:50 +0000

A French Consultancy envisions a greener Paris by transforming the Eiffel Tower into a living structure.

Although not the most feasible of concepts, the Ginger Group's proposal to cover the Eiffel Tower in 600,000 plants provides an inspirational starting point to encourage sustainable solutions for Paris. Increasing levels of air pollution in the city was the impetus for this imaginative proposal.

The Ginger Group proposes attaching to the structure thousands of soil-filled hemp or cloth bags, creating a 300 meter tall, multi-faced living wall. In theory this expansive vertical garden could provide urban habitats for many insects and birds and improve air quality.

Currently, the Paris City Hall has not officially endorsed the project and there are no specific plans for the project to move forward. But we can dream, right?

Sources: The Atlantic Cities and Reuters

London Bridge Will Soon Be All Lit Up With LEDs!

Beth Buczynski — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:57:15 +0000

London Bridge hasn't fallen down--yet. But any 117-year old bridge is bound to need a few updates here and there. The latest round of improvements will help cut the amount of energy required to light the landmark by 40 percent.

There's no denying that London Bridge is an icon--a song praising its usefulness in times of conflict is sung to children before they can walk. But in recent iterations, the bridge has incorporated inefficient technologies that mar its noble history.

It was over 25 years ago that the London Bridge lighting system, used to illuminate the landmark at night, was last upgraded. But GE and its UK partner EDF Energy recently received a formal approval to retrofit the 800-foot bridge with new energy efficient LED technology and a cabling system that will bring it into the 21st century with style.

The new system is designed to enhance the architectural features of the 117-year old bridge. GE’s multi-color LEDs with variable intensity will illuminate the bridge’s Victorian gothic turrets, granite and stone towers as well as an aerial walkway and suspension chains. Kinga Kalocsai of GE Lighting says that the new lighting will “emphasize the lines of force” of the bridge. “The light will reveal the tonalities in harmony with the architecture of the structure,” says Kalocsai.

Look for the new LED lighting to be on display during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to be held in the British capital next summer.

Image Credit: Flickr - cara b anderson

Facebook’s New HQ Will Be Solar-Powered

Beth Buczynski — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:32:15 +0000

The world's largest social networking site recently announced plans to utilize more renewable energy to power it's new Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters.

Last year, Facebook was scrutinized by its users for using coal to supply the energy for its massive data centers. The company responded by reminding the public that power for its newest data center would come from multiple sources, including renewables, and would be one of the most energy efficient in the world.

But it's clear that some of that negative attention made an impact on Facebook decision makers.

The company recently announced that its newly acquired headquarters would utilize solar power for both electricity and hot water generation. The 24-module system to be built by Cogenra Solar will sit on the roof of Facebook’s 10,000 square foot fitness center, powering exercise machines and heating water for showers. SF Gate has more on how it will work:

"Cogenra's technology is designed to use energy that other solar set-ups waste. Photovoltaic panels absorb a small fraction of the energy the sun throws at them, typically 15 to 20 percent. The rest is wasted as heat. Cogenra arrays, however, run fluid-filled tubes behind the solar cells, with the fluid absorbing some of the heat cast off by the cells. The fluid - a chemical compound kept in a sealed loop - then transfers the heat to water. Curved troughs of mirrors concentrate sunlight on the cells, while motors keep the troughs pointed at the sun as it arcs across the sky."

The solar system will only be able to generate about 10 kw of electricity and 50 kw of thermal energy, which makes it fairly small as far as commercial arrays are concerned. But Facebook director of global facilities John Tenanes said the company could later expand the system, perhaps using the hot water in on-campus cafes. He described the Cogenra system as Facebook’s initial investment in solar power.

Since Facebook shows no signs of slowing down any time soon, we applaud them for this small but significant first step. We only wish more mega-corps viewed renewable energy as an investment instead of a burden.

Image Credit: Flickr - Robert S. Donovan
Source: EL Daily

Frito-Lay Opens First “Near Net Zero” Plant In Arizona

Beth Buczynski — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:21:29 +0000

Lays, Tostitos, Sunchips, Cheetos and other snacks will soon be produced with almost no net impact on the planet. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about their impact on your waistline.

When fighting for corporate sustainability and social responsibility, it's important to celebrate the milestones. While few companies have or will achieved perfection, just the fact that they're constantly striving for improvement is a victory in itself.

That's why we're impressed with the latest announcement from snack giant Frito-Lay: On Wednesday, the company will unveil its most ambitious sustainability project to date by announcing that its Casa Grande, Ariz. facility has reached 75 percent net zero waste.

Dubbed "Near Net Zero," this is an important achievement in the company's mission to achieve a truly "off-grid" facility. Using innovative technologies, the Casa Grande facility has reached significant reductions, including:

50% reduction of greenhouse gases
75% of water is recycled
80% reduction in the use of natural gas
50% reduction in annual electricity load

Pretty impressive for a 25 year old building, huh?

Making over 150 million of America’s favorite snacks a year, the company chose the Casa Grande for “Near Net Zero” status because of its location, where sunlight is plentiful and water conservation is vital, and for its size – big enough to be impactful yet small enough to be manageable.

“As a company, Frito-Lay’s main goal has always been sustainable growth over the long term. Yet we are faced with the reality that the very resources we depend on to make America’s favorite snacks may be scarce or prohibitively expensive in the future,” explains Al Carey, past president and CEO, Frito-Lay North America. “While that may be years away, the best way to ensure sustainable growth for our business and be responsible to our stakeholders, is to invest in and investigate solutions for tomorrow’s problems today.”

View more images from the "Near Net Zero" plant by clicking on the thumbnails below: