DuctSox is an innovative product designed as an easily installed, cost effective and attractive alternative to metal ductwork. The ducts are constructed of fabric shaped into shapes including cylindrical tubes, half-rounds or quarter panels. The DuctSox is used to distribute and diffuse heated, cooled, refrigerated and make-up air into a space. A variety of product [...]
Clivus Multrum Composting Toilets
Recently, I had the good fortune to take a tour of the sustainable design holy site that is the Philip Joseph Merrill Center in Annapolis MD. It is a great example of the successful implementation of sustainable design and besides it is on a strikingly beautiful piece of land on the edge of the Chesapeake [...]
Jean Nouvel’s New York Tower: A Question of Structure
A recent NYTimes story by Nicolai Ouroussoff discusses the appearance of a dramatic new tower design on the skyline of New York City. The new 75-story tower, designed by world renowned architect Jean Nouvel for the developer Hines, will house an extension of MoMA (adjacent to the site), a hotel, and luxury condominiums. The [...]
Sun Tracking Umbrella
Architen Landrell Associates Ltd. was presented with a unique design challenge when asked to “combat the glare from sunshine and heat which built up within the…” glass dome atrium in the Jardine Insurance building in Oval, London. The designers immediately recognized the benefit of solar shading for the space, but also realized the difficulty inherent [...]
LV Series - Rocio Romero (Prefab)
The LV Series home is designed and produced by Rocio Romero LLC. The design seeks to maximize livable space and minimize clutter. The homes are factory-built as a kit of parts by Branstrator Inc. that is delivered to site as a flat pack by trucks. Rocio Romero states that the homes employ the principles of [...]
BMW Welt - Automotive Showroom/Museums Compete for Supremacy
An elegance of dynamics drives the design of the new BMW Welt - a stunning solar-powered shrine to German auto engineering. Crafted by world renowned architect Wolf Prix of COOP HIMMELB(L)AU, this sculptural, high-performance structure opened in October to serve as BMW’s center for refinement of brand experience and vehicle delivery in Munich.
The architecture is [...]
High Point Neighborhood in Seattle
High Point is a new “green” neighborhood redevelopment project managed by the Seattle Housing Authority. This national award-winning design focuses on community and environmental sustainability, creating a safe, high quality and healthy residential environment. The completed project will contain a wide range of housing types each built to Green standards. The plan is designed to [...]
Glidehouse by Michelle Kaufman Designs (Prefab)
General Description: The Glide House is a factory-built modular home designed by Michelle Kaufman Designs. The house is an example of clean simple modern living with an emphasis on both the internal and exterior environment. The design is available in several different configurations which are all based on common dimensions to facilitate factory-construction, easy transportation, [...]
Bo Klok by IKEA (Prefab)
Bo Klok, which translates to “clever living”, is a factory-built modular house design by IKEA which is currently sold in Sweden, Great Britain, Finland, Denmark, and Norway. The house is desined to be extremely affordable to allow low-income families the ability live in a clean contemporary environment similar to the lifestyle marketed through IKEA furniture. [...]