Design
Reversed roles: This major charity is now letting poor kids choose their donors
World Vision, a Christian charity based in Seattle, is one of the largest nonprofits working in global health and development, with more than $1 billion in annual revenues. The group raises money for children with a sponsorship model: Americans browse through folders filled with images of Read More...
This open-source home design might revolutionize the way we build
Keeping the fifth largest city in America running in a hot and arid desert climate is a difficult task, but the city of Phoenix, Arizona has pledged to do so and go carbon neutral and zero-waste. To achieve this, the city held a sustainable home design competition to come up with a single-family Read More...
How hacking the urban landscape can bolster climate resilience
Landscaping is moving away from the days of white picket fences and manicured lawns. We are quickly learning there are smarter, more beneficial, and therefore more beautiful, ways to design landscaping so it works for us, and the environment. This is especially critical in urban areas where Read More...
These sustainable tiles are made from old toilets, and they’re beautiful
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Or, in this case, one man’s toilet is another man’s bathroom tile. Kohler, a prominent manufacturer of plumbing products, is launching into the business of recycled goods by producing bathroom tiles made of discarded clay from the toilet making Read More...
The fix is in: how repairing old stuff helps in the war against planned obsolescence
It can be frustrating to repair something when it costs the same amount to replace it. But that’s how planned obsolescence works. Companies create poor quality products, so you are forced to pay to replace it. This trend has taken over the modern consumer’s life. From clothing to Read More...
How termites, beetles, and frogs are inspiring self-cooling buildings
When we need the most innovative solutions for structural issues, designers often turn to nature and its creatures for inspiration. The latest example of biomimicry comes from Mick Pearce, a Zimbabwean architect, who recently designed and constructed a self-cooling building modeled on the mounds Read More...
Meet the new (green) power couple: Solar Panels + Arid Farms
Renewable energy and sustainable food production are both in high demand as we move into a future of changing climate and growing population. But how do we allocate space for solar energy production and farmland when they both demand similar geographic conditions? Agrivoltaics, the process of Read More...
The classic VW Beetle gets a green makeover
If you’re a lover of the environment and classic cars, there is good news for you! Volkswagen debuted a new electric version of their classic Beetle at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany. Featuring the same nostalgia-inducing look of the original Beetle, the new version, which Read More...
KitKat’s new wrapper quits single use plastic… and challenges your origami skills
Getting corporations to join the fight against single-use plastics often takes more than a desire to help the environment. It also takes economic and marketing incentives. Food and drink giant Nestlé seems to have found a strategy for reducing plastic use and increase sales: paper packaging that Read More...
High tech furniture makes smaller spaces more adaptable than ever
Would you consider placing a movable bed in front of your closet to save space? What if the bed could move itself automatically when you needed to access your shoes? Ori, a customizable furniture company, is joining others, such as Alphabet and Sidewalk Labs, and embracing how robotics will play a Read More...