Alcoa’s smog-eating panels.
The giant multinational of aluminum production Alcoa announced last week that its new “smog-eating” architectural panels can remove pollutants from the surrounding air. The aluminum panels, branded Reynobond with EcoClean technology, have a titanium dioxide coating which breaks down pollutants in direct sunlight.
Continue reading… “Alcoa’s smog-eating architectural panels”
Snoozebox
We have seen tough, stackable, easy-to-transport steel shipping containers used for everything from a traveling restaurant to a mobile classroom to an off-grid house. But now , the British company Snoozebox has come up with yet another clever use for them – a modular, scalable portable hotel system made up of multiple tiered containers, that can be set up anywhere within 48 hours. (Video and pics)
Continue reading… “Snoozebox – portable hotel made from shipping containers”
Vietnamese architect Dang Viet Nga wanted to create a house like no other on earth, and she did it. The Hang Nga Guest House in Da Lat, Vietnam, is more often called the Crazy House. No single picture can do justice to even just the exterior, so you should go see more of them at Kuriositas…
Continue reading… “Welcome to the Crazy House”
Bosco Verticale
A forest will soon be planted in the sky in Milan, Italy. Construction is underway for a pair of skyscrapers that will become home to the world’s first vertical forest. (Pics)
Continue reading… “Bosco Verticale – world’s first vertical forest”
Upside-down house in Malaysia.
Did you ever wonder when you were a child what it would be like to walk on the ceiling? If you did, you are probably among the millions who, even as adults, continue to be enchanted by the idea of an upside-down house. (Pics)
Continue reading… “Crazy upside-down house in Malaysia”
An impossible object?
At first glance Igor Lobanov’s Wormhole chair looks like an impossible object that could only exist as a computer physics simulation. But once you wrap your head around its zip-together design, it not only seems plausible, but also pretty genius.
Each chair is composed of two flat, but rounded, frame pieces that each fold into a C-shape and completely zip together…
Continue reading… “Does this zip-together chair bend the Laws Of Physics?”
Baca Architects ‘amphibious’ home
An “amphibious” home has been granted full planning permission and is set to be built on the banks of the River Thames in Buckinghamshire. The residential home designed by Baca Architects is an architectural feat that overcomes the threat of flooding by becoming a “free-floating pontoon” during a flood situation. “In an extreme flood, a 1 in 100 year event, the house can rise over 2.5 meters [8.2 feet],” Richard Coutts, director of Baca Architects. (Pics)
Continue reading… “Amphibious house floats above floods”
The elevator at the AquaDom in Berlin travels up the middle of the 82-foot tall aquarium.
To ride an elevator it usually just involves pushing a button and zoning out until the ding for your floor. Pay attention on these elevators or risk missing out on one of the most thrilling rides of your life (even if it only lasts 30 seconds). From climbing to a scenic overlook in rural China to an ascent up an American icon, these vertical feats of engineering are about way more than getting from point A to point B. (Pics)
Continue reading… “8 amazing elevator rides you need to see to believe”
Standing tall in with award winning architectural innovation.
Interface Studio Architects won TreeHugger’s Best of Green prize in 2010 for their gritty urban work. They demonstrated a paradigm-busting playfulness with their frenetic Granary project. They write: “We believe that creativity and innovation are triggered by limitations.”
But clearly, when there are no limitations, they go a bit wild and crazy, as they appear to have while competing to design a parking garage in Hong Kong. They describe the project…
Continue reading… “Wild parking garage design from Interface Studio Architects”
Telefonplan School, in Stockholm
Sweden has new school system that is eliminating all of its classrooms in favor of an environment that fosters children’s “curiosity and creativity.” (Pics)
Continue reading… “New school system in Sweden is eliminating classrooms entirely”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hf_XJHtMgY[/youtube]
Broad Group, a Chinese construction company, is known for putting up buildings with record speed. How fast? According to Gizmodo, the company owned by Xian Min Zhang, most recently, constructed a 30 story, 183,000-square-foot hotel in 15 days — 360 hours.
Continue reading… “Amazing time-lapse video of a 30 story hotel built in 15 days in China”
Staircase slide and bookcase staircase
Circular stairs were commonplace in castle towers during medieval times. Staircases were designed to go the same direction all the way around, ascending clockwise, to suit right-handed swordsmen for ease in hindering the attacker. Fast forward to the late 1800s and stair design changes dramatically when steel and reinforced concrete are introduced, and the use of dramatic curves and fantastic sweeps become important elements in staircase workmanship. Even today, stair-crafting ingenuity continues, with many staircases doubling for incredible feats of gravity and eye-popping works of art. (Pics)
Continue reading… “5 homes with amazing staircases”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.
