We interviewed Earthship Biotecture founder, Mike Reynolds aka The Garbage Warrior for the film back in March and have watched as he along with his dedicated team continue their amazing post-disaster work around the globe. Here is a recent email I received from the fine folks over at Earthship Biotecture about their work in Haiti:
“Earthship Team produces earthquake-resistant structure made from tires and bottles in Port Au Prince, Haiti in 4 and a half days.
Earthship Biotecture of Taos, NM completed a Tsunami Relief project in the Andaman Islands in 2005.
Now we are working in Port au Prince, Haiti to teach the local people displaced by the earthquake how to build self-sufficient, earthquake-resistant structures made from recycled materials and from rubble created by the earthquake. (See photos above.) These homes collect their own water, treat their own sewage, maintain a comfortable temperature without air conditioning and produce their own electric power.”
Our buddies over at SOFTlab are gearing up to install and open their latest piece at the bridgegallery in the LES on August 26th. They cleverly used a Kickstarter pledge drive to raise the final $5,000 necessary for completion. We’ll be sure to be there opening night and hope you are to. By the way you can still get your name on one of the panels with a $5 donation!
Check this video for some of SOFTlab’s other work.
Recently came upon Joachim’s work on Popsci which we posted last week under “This Is Already Possible, Sci-Fi Architecture.” Very intriguing thought process between the marriage of Biology and Architecture rather than the standard greening of what is already bad mentality currently the rage in the profession. Seems like he could offer a very interesting perspective compared to those of William McDonough and Michael Reynolds for our sustainability sub-plot in the film… maybe an interview is in line.
This is a great article on Popsci about Michell Joachim’s work
Architect Mitchell Joachim points out, frequently and without prompting, that his futuristic proposals are always based on existing technologies. No wonder he feels the need to say it. Consider some of his ideas: jetpacks tethered together in swarms, houses grown from living trees, low-altitude blimps prowling New York City with chairs hanging below them for pedestrians to hop on and off (24/7 ski lifts on Broadway!), and WALL-E-like machines that erect buildings and bridges from recycled waste…
The structures would be pressed or melted into shape or wrapped with metal bands, which is what recycling plants do now. All that would change is the shape—like switching the mold on a Play-Doh press, but on an industrial scale. “We could do it yesterday,” Joachim insists.
“The idea of sharp metal boxes is just done,” Joachim says. “We design cars with the principle that no one would ever die in a car accident again.”
Joachim’s willingness to forgo lucrative commercial projects in favor of running a nonprofit dedicated to the reimagining of a future he won’t even be around for is, say his colleagues, exactly what makes him so vital. Traditionally, “cities are built incrementally by real-estate interests,” says Richard Sommer, the dean of architecture at the University of Toronto. “What’s important about Mitchell’s work is that he [takes] a visionary approach.”
Just yesterday, Bidoun opened up a storefront location on Orchard Street in Chinatown. The non-profit collective, mostly known for it’s publication on Middle Eastern art and Culture, now has a physical location. I imagine they will be hosting a few lectures and exhibitions so keep it on your radar.
As I sit here and watch two random people install windows in our studio, I can help but question the security of our valuables. I recall some of my childhood friends having safety boxes installed into their suburban homes, but what about the office, or your studio? That is where YiTing Cheng’s Secret Stash comes into play.
While doing research for a Waterfront Park design summer camp (spots still available) that I’m leading in late July with Junior High students at the Center for Architecture, I came across all these great videos for the Rising Currents exhibition. I’ve seen this exhibition in person and went on a private boat tour a month back which had each design team present their concepts at their sites around the harbor. Some very inspiring ideas to engage the inevitable sea level rise and use it as a benefit for human and natural health. Definitely well worth the time to check out these videos in your leisure at home, work, or across the globe. Be sure to watch all five team videos.
I occasionally see furniture like this and always wonder how functional it is, or how hard it is to maintain. Regardless, it’s very cool in concept. This Grass Ottomon was design by GH Design out of Woodside CA.
The winning design for the “ideas competition” to rework the Pearl Street Triangle in DUMBO adjacent to the Manhattan Bridge was announced last night. Local team Coburn Architecture won and their submission can be viewed on the Gothamist. A seemingly safe, cheap and adequate design solution however the design titled “Anchoring Dumbo” above caught my eye. This inspiring design imagines connecting the foot and bike paths on the bridge down into the neighborhood through clever material connections:
“What a thrill to descend from the Belvedere of the Manhattan Bridge, 90 feet above Dumbo on your bicycle and arrive in the newly conceived Dumbo Anchorage Square. Or walking from the pedestrian path of the Manhattan Bridge from Chinatown, and descending wide stairs with landings, similar to SOHO fire escapes, that allow visitors to linger and take in the waterfront vistas of Dumbo and the Manhattan skyline beyond. Below the street, visitors can partake in the spontaneous and organized events in the Square, travel to the water’s edge at the Empire Fulton Ferry Park, or visit the various cafes, shops and stores in Dumbo.” - via Dumbo NYC
The slow but steady progression in the quality of public space in New York is something I have been able to watch over the past 8 years. Proposals such as Anchoring Dumbo remind us of how truly dynamic and inspiring public spaces in this city could be.
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