William McDonough and Partners is teaming up this year with a list of other local and international architecture, engineering, and design firms to form Greenbridge Developments LLC, a new company focused on implementing and designing sustainable mixed-use development. The group was actually founded in 2006 by six local families with strong connections in the area whom were all influenced by sustainable development. This years first project will be in the defined “opportunity zone” of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The two-tower construction will achieve LEED Gold Certification, and serve as a national model of sustainable design and green building.

The initial plans for this retail/office/housing complex include two nine-story buildings that will be connected by a pedestrian bridge, rooftop gardens, solar panels, wheatgrass countertops, a Zipcar fleet, and a sustainable educational learning center. The developers will encourage fair-trade businesses to open shop on the ground floor’s designated retail space.

Based on the declared premise that “all sustainability is local”, the new development seeks to meet the goals of environmental sensitivity, social equity, and economic vitality. The possibility of influencing local economys and social environments through large-scale projects such as housing developments is, and always has been, present. Yet when sustainability can be the underlining theme and motivation, the project will undoubtedly have a positive “smart growth” influence. Instead of consuming new land, “green development” Greenbridge Developments LLC seeks to revitalize urban and civic centers though considering the impact of each decision made in the design process.

The most interesting aspect of this project is that, in addition to expecting LEED Gold certification, the project is largely influenced by the “Cradle-to-Cradle” design paradigm articulated in the 2002 book by William McDonough (whose architecture firm headlines the project) and Michael Braungart.

“Contrary to the cradle-to-grave patterns that make, take, and waste- cradle-to-cradle harnesses the earth’s interdependent systems to nourish one process with the ‘waste’ from another, and rely on an eternally renewing flow of resources.”

The duo now runs a practice (MBDC: McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry) in Charlottesville, Virginia that awards cradle-to-cradle certification to materials and products, and consults with businesses on strategies. Simultaneously, McDonough runs his own architecture practice focused on superior sustainable quality. With his experience alone, I would trust that any building he works on would be of the greatest, smartest eco-effective quality.

By utilizing available technology in the most complex and collaborative way, Greenbridge Developments could potentially be a nationwide and worldwide model of sustainable development, economic and urban revitalization, and progressive green design.

Remember the logic word puzzle from middle school: “Which is heavier, a ton of feathers, or a ton of lead?” Some of us answered with the obvious response: they are of the same mass. Others of us got stuck on the materials under reference. For those of you who relate to the latter, I’m here to tell you it’s ok, and there is help.

Many factoids that we hear throughout the day are hard to process and comprehend. These numbers are originally relative to the individual. Yet when multiplied by the masses, they result in dramatically long numbers that are supposed to represent our collective actions on a daily basis. We commonly hear them on the radio, on TV, and in conversation, are we really expected to have the capacity to visualize 6+ digit numbers in our head on the fly?

Photographer Chris Jordan is working hard to help us comprehend these numerical conundrums. “Running the Numbers” is his new photographic series presented to rescue us more visually-oriented folks. These “digitally stitched” images effectively depict these number problems based on our collective consumption. Since our individual experiences are incomparable to these numbers-of-the-masses, it is hard to create a mental picture of massive amounts. For example, 426,000 cell phones are disposed of in the US every day. When the majority of us dispose of one every one to two years, it becomes difficult to understand the collective numerical value. Well, if you agree with me and really love to visually understand what these numbers look like, then Chris has already decided to help you.

In this image are 426,000 cell phones, the number disposed of every year by US residents.

This image is made of 106,000 aluminum cans, the number of cans used in the US every 30 seconds.

This is what 60,000 plastic bags looks like, the number used in the US every 5 seconds.

Now grab this last image, drag it to your desktop 30 times, and open up each one next to another. This is equal to the number of plastic bags we consume in the US every minute! (For you number people, that is 1,800,000.) With this image, it is easier to imagine what this amount looks like taking up space in our designated drop spots (aka landfills), and how they might be affecting our congested ecosystem.

“If we can more deeply feel the meaning behind numbers like these,” says Jordan, “maybe that will enable us to make more conscious choices about the behaviors that lead to them.”

Chris Jordan: Photographic Arts

Prefabrication and Modularity are new eco buzzwords on the menu this year. From homes to furniture, designers are beginning to employ new methods of construction and transportation to cut waste and energy consumption, ensure safety, and achieve greater overall methods of sustainability. When we hear the term “modular prefabricated homes,” we probably think of a little trailer down by the river. This is hardly the case with the modern rise of Steve Glenn’s LivingHomes. When you think of modular furniture, it doesn’t seem very sturdy, huh? But in fact, many of us have all used it- you buy a put-it-together-yourself desk, bring it home in a flat box, and construct it in the intended room. Just think about how many more desks can be shipped in one truckload in their deconstructed, flat form. Lots more! This cuts shipping costs, emissions, total embodied energy…

Prefab homes are constructed in a similar way, just on a larger scale. LivingHomes is a new cutting edge modern ecolicious house in Santa Monica, CA. The first model is Platinum LEED certified by the USGBC. Exquisitely designed by two renowned architects (Ray Kappe and David Hertz), LivingHomes has a portfolio of designs that their customers can choose from. The premise of the prefab/modular home is quite similar to that of a Rubik’s cube. In other words, as long it maintains a similar shape and structure, the rooms within a design can be shuffled around. The home is first constructed in a factory, then carted off to the construction site and put together in modules. The modules were completed in less than 6 months. On site construction of the first LivingHomes took under 12 hours.

Why choose prefab? Here is the skinny on the prefab eco accomplishments. Since the modules are constructed in a factory, a higher quality construction can be ensured than on site stick-built homes. The fasteners are accurately applied, materials are cut with more exactness, and since they have to withstand transport, everything is tighter and more secure. This extends the lifespan and cuts the upkeep. Modular prefabrication also saves significant amounts on their waste. While 30-40% of the material from a standard home construction site is carted off to the dump, modular homes generate only about 2% waste. That is a pretty large gap. Additionally, since the duration of construction is shorter, the cost is lower!

In terms of furniture, the complete cycle of Ecosystems Furniture resembles a quite responsible cradle to cradle method. The deconstructed components are intended to be flat and standard; therefore, the design can be sent to a computer and cut in masses at regional locations, packed flat, and shipped to more local distribution areas. The pieces are then purchased and assembled on site.

New trends on the horizon: Constructing a home in a warm climate is different from home construction in the variant climate of Michigan. Some are figuring out how to prefabricate well-insulated, secure, efficient, sustainable, and beautiful homes, even in the northern states. Challenging conventional construction techniques, a young architecture group called HueProjects in the greater Detroit area just completed a beautiful prefab home for five in the a Detroit Suburb. As the trend grows, progressive universities and community colleges are developing programs in prefabrication. Up north, prefab allows builders to construct homes year round, even in the blustery months of January and February. This concept improves efficiency and ability, meanwhile achieving all of the modular prefabrication benefits.

As an extension of last weeks post, Vote on Sustainable Design for the Future, there are simply too many design competitions out there: we must alert you to more. Many of these design competitions are open to people of all disciplines with good ideas. So maybe you should take a pen and paper and enter a keen green idea of your own if you want to see the world change.

Here is my deeper perception on additional “call for entries” situations:

What I have found is that when a corporate product manufacturing company has a call for entries, they are seeking new ideas. Sometimes ideas perpetuate in a work situation, and it becomes difficult to think as far out of the box as some younger creatives do. Electrolux is an international home appliances and equipment company. Each year their Design lab runs a competition for industrial design students working towards their undergraduate or graduate degrees (so this one isn’t for everyone but its still interesting). While “innovative ideas for household appliances of the future” is the mainstay, sustainability is this year’s theme. Students are asked to create eco-friendly, sustainable household appliances and solutions for 2020. If you are a student, check it out. The deadline is July 31. For the rest of you, finalists will be announced October 1.

When a foundation posts a call-for-entries, it is often based on a desire to generate the inspiration of the organization’s namesake in a new generation, and to allow the his/her spirit to live on. Each year, the distinguished jury of the Buckminster Fuller Challenge awards a large sum to “support the development and implementation of a solution that has significant potential to solve humanity’s most pressing problems in the shortest possible time while enhancing the Earth’s ecological integrity.” This year’s competition honors Fuller’s a"nticipatory design science method": the idea of doing more with less. The Challenge seeks “design science solutions within a broad range of human endeavor that exemplify the trim tab principle. Trim tabs demonstrate how small amounts of energy and resources precisely applied at the right time and place can produce maximum advantageous change.” The entry period is September 4 – October 30, so you have a little time to think about this one. On the other hand, a sustainable solution cannot be left until the last moment to be completed. So get to work.

My third example is similar to one of last week, but this one is still open for entries. RE:VISION is a complete competition network that seeks to highlight great ideas about to explode, but that don’t yet have a venue to do so. Stacey Frost, founder of RE:VISION, wanted to create a place where these “ideas are put into action, supported and encouraged by a diverse group of people dedicated to making WHAT IF, WHAT IS.” Stacey believes that with each individual’s unique perspective combined with ideas, energy, and resources we can really generate change.

The current competition RE:ROUTE is a call for new urban transportation systems thinking. “We need to enhance and revitalize our areas, changing them from a bunch of buildings into a community. How can we move people cars, services, or goods through a neighborhood.” The competition seeks to generate new and creative ideas for urban transportation that start 4 steps back from the base and stop for a breath of fresh air 100 steps ahead of where we are in 2007. The competitions closes August 15 but the requirements are minimal. If you have an idea, get on the “wagon” and redesign it.

For more information these are the sites I consult for new competition posts:
Core77

American Society of Interior Designers

In the design world, often times young architecture/design firms and even individual designers will apply to competitions during the young part of their career to get public recognition, build credentials, and experience the social circuits around design.

As a young aspiring designer myself, I have made a keen observation of the design industry this year. Many of the call-for-entries and competitions this year have been for solutions related to sustainable development, energy, climate, biodiversity, environmental degradation, etc. Naturally we would expect these type of call-for-entries to come through the EPA grant programs, the NRDC, and other governmental organizations for the environment. Instead the call for action is coming from design firms, architecture magazines and other NGOs alike.

Allow me to take this opportunity to highlight some of the forthcoming competitions and competitions past that have sparked interest in publications of all sorts. The entries to these competitions not only alert us to solutions most of us have never thought of, but through the venue of these competitions many will have the opportunity to be realized! The following are just a few examples of the aforementioned. Look out world, great solutions are coming!!!

Design 21: the Social Design Network, is a mainly internet based collaborative project between the global design and merchandise company- Felissimo; and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (known as UNESCO). They seek to inspire social activism through design- design for the greater good. “We connect people who want to explore ways design can positively impact our many worlds, and who want to create change here, now.” Design 21 has been hosting international competitions since 1995 mostly based around social themes.

This year, one competition called Heated Issue, was a call for an environmental campaign; another was for an educational “Childs Play” toy that encourages children to cultivate their own imagination; and the third, Shelter Me, is for a new design of a natural disaster temporary relief shelter. The competition award recipients were voted on by the public, and the winners were just announced! So go ahead, view the future!

Metropolis Magazine: an architecture, design, interiors magazine has strongly directed its focus towards sustainable development in design over the last few years. Annually, they host a design competition called the Next Generation Design Competition that awards $10,000 to the winner and they choose a list of runner-up proposals that get published as well. This year the competition focused on solutions for ENERGY reduction, consumption, efficiencies and alternatives. The award recipients this year designed a city streetlight that conserves urban energy based on the lunar cycle. Check it out. Metropolis also just announced next year’s theme: WATER.

Droog Design: an international design collective based in Amsterdam, seeks to “create innovative concepts that change perspectives." This past month they had a call for entries for concepts based on Climate Change. As a result of picking a winner, they hope to develop a product that pushes boundaries, changes perspectives of environmental issues, and invent new experiences, interactions, and participations… How exciting. Droog will select the top 10 designs, and the public will be able vote online to pick the winner. Public voting begins in September, so look it up and get your vote on.

Aside from the competitions calling specifically for sustainability conscious and socially responsible entries, many award recipients of internationally acclaimed annual design competitions are being recognized for their environmental awareness. Competitions such as the ID Annual Review, the Red Dot Design Award and the Spark Awards. This interesting progression is to be noted among the design circuits as a landmark in sustainable development. Lets hope that this is not the trend of the year but an annual progression towards more socially and sustainability conscious design and cradle-to-cradle conscious products.

turtle, NO!: Image courtesy of The AgeWhat would it take for you to revolt against every accepting a plastic bag from a store again? A sea animal choking on one? A landfill in 2500 filled with decomposed matter, and plastic? A a shortage of oil? Having to choose between the deodorant container or the bag to take it home in…? Well, two women in Colorado desire to make this choice obvious and easy for you.

Green Endeavors is a Boulder, Colorado-based non-profit run by two women, Doreen Molk and Carly Gralak, who hope to make an impact on environmental awareness. The co-founders are working free of commission to provide a reusable bag to as many shoppers as possible. Their goal is to remove the requirement of making the choice between paper or plastic. To them the third option, neither, needs to be an obvious and widespread option. Doreen explains, “Every time a shopper chooses paper or plastic they have to make the wrong choice, but are not even offered the right one. We just want so make sure that people know of the third option!"

If we all changed the habitual declaration of our paper or plastic preference to cloth or “I brought my own," we would collectively save 4 billion dollars and 14 million trees from the industry of shopping bag production. The cofounders of Green Endeavors are not out to make a profit from this practice; they simply want to give every household the opportunity to make responsible choices. The way their organization works at the present: send an email with your order for cloth bags to greenendeavors@gmail.com. Each bag costs a wee $2.50. (That is a pretty darn good deal compared to the $800 fashion shopping bag.) You can also check out their site for upcoming events where the two of them will personally (and happily) sell you a bag.

Scientists debate over how long a single plastic bag will take to decompose but let's just put it this way- if you swallowed a supermarket plastic bag at birth, it would still be the most solid material remaining in your coffin after your body breaks down. That doesn’t seem right…or fair. Polyethylene, the most common shopping bag material, is a man-made polymer that microorganisms simply don’t recognize as food; therefore, nothing wants to break it down, so it sits in our landfill (or body) indefinitely. Paper bags will break down, but they are still disposable. The responsible option is to opt for the cloth bag that can be used over and over and over and over…

So on this date of 7 ELEVEN, when you go into that convenience store, don’t let your soda get packaged in a small polyethylene bag that will outlive the complex composition known as your body. Stuff it in your purse, in your pocket, or your Green Endeavors shopping tote (and recycle the bottle, too!).

Green Endeavors
Slate: Will My Plastic Bag Still Be Here in 2057?
Kicking the Habit: Plastic Bags
Tip o' the Day: Paper or Plastic? Bring Your Own!