The PlayPump is a water pump powered by children at play. The PlayPump looks much like a standard circular platform merry-go-round, however it is connected to a pump and pipe measuring up to 100 m below ground. As the children spin the merry-go-round, water can be pumped to the surface and into a tank suspended above Read More …
The furniture series ‘Harvest’ by Asif Khan consists of furniture made from freeze-dried plants and flowers. The London designer used local flowers in his installation on display as part of the Designers in Residence program at the Design Museum London. Khan used the extraordinary structure of plants that interweave during their growing process and therefore form Read More …
The Pig City project by architecture and urban design firm MVRDV is a direct response to the Dutch people’s love of pork. Pig City is a proposal to build a skyscraper for vertical farming Đ for pig farming. With a population of 15.5 million people and 15.2 million pigs in 2000, the Netherlands has a pig problem. Read More …
Phytoremediation is a specific kind of bioremediation that uses plants to remove contaminants from the air, water, or soil. The plants used in phytoremediation can be harvested and the absorbed toxins can therefore be completely disposed of in a responsible manner. This method of remediation is suitable for applications where other kinds of remediation strategies Read More …
A phase change material is a material that melts and solidifies at certain temperatures that make it interesting for energy storage in architecture and other applications. As the material changes from a solid to a liquid state and back again, heat is absorbed or released. The energy present in liquid water is latent heat, and Read More …
Pet architecture is a term for architecture that exists in small and unusual spaces. Introduced by Japanese architecture firm Atelier Bow Wow through a book of the same name, pet architecture redefines the architectural site by occupying spaces commonly thought to be unusable for architecture. These buildings inhabit interstitial spaces in the urban environment. As Read More …
Pervious paving materials produce smooth and durable mobility surfaces without creating an impermeable barrier. Impermeable surfaces are widespread in most settled areas, leading to large areasof sealed ground. This lack of permeability can result in washouts, location-specific erosion, standing water, runoff and a host of other environmental problems. A new generation of porous paving materials Read More …
Permaculture is an ecological approach to designing human systems, broadly consisting of sustainable and efficient practices based on natural processes and biological principles. A portmanteau of permanent agriculture and permanent culture, permaculture aims for a harmonious and productive relationship between humans and their environment that can be sustained indefinitely. In permaculture design thinking, waste from Read More …
Peak oil is the time when the maximum rate of petroleum extraction is reached globally. After this point, oil extraction enters into a terminal decline. There is much debate about whether peak oil has already occurred, and if it has not already occurred, when it will occur in future. Because a complex method of calculation Read More …
Peak oil per capita is the point in time when the maximum amount of oil is available per person globally, after which peak oil per capita enters a terminal decline because of population growth and the eventual (or possibly already occurred) point when peak oil production happens. Peak oil per capita, according to many sources, Read More …
whatwow collects unconventional examples of construction techniques, material use, typologies, programs etc. invented today or centuries ago that expand your possibilities beyond the building-as-usual. whatwow is a project initiated by Ruby Press, curated by Something Fantastic and supported by the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction. Read more
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Re-Inventing Construction Eds. Ilka & Andreas Ruby, Ruby Press, Berlin, 2010 ISBN 978-3-9813436-2-5 48 EUR |