Design
This carbon-negatives raincoat is made entirely from algae bioplastic
A New York designer, by the name of Charlotte McCurdy, has created a water-resistant jacket made from a bioplastic material derived entirely from large-celled algae. Because the jacket is made of algae, which is the single biggest capturer of CO2 from the atmosphere, it’s technically Read More...
New modular units could restore dignity to transitional homeless shelters
Inside a typical transitional homeless shelter, where people stay while waiting to get a spot in permanent housing, 20 or 30 beds might be clustered together in a single room. Privacy doesn’t exist. But a new, modular design (not shown in photo) for shelter furniture, called Dome—a little like Read More...
A Mexican student has made pavement that self-repairs with rain using old tires
Wouldn’t it be amazing if rain repaired roads rather than damage them? Well, that could soon become a reality thanks to a student by the name Israel Antonio Briseño Carmona. Using recycled tires combined with additives, the student has created a sort-of rubber pavement that turns rain into a Read More...
This wound-healing sticky tape was inspired by spiders in the rain
When it comes to design, there’s no better source of inspiration than nature. Recently, scientists at MIT took inspiration from spiders to create a double-sided tape that sticks body issues together after surgery. When it rains, spiders exude a special type of “glue” that allows them to Read More...
Circular cotton: A Swedish brand is making new shirts from old cotton clothes
The vast majority of unwanted or worn-out clothing ends up in the landfill or at incineration plants. That’s a huge problem, one that Swedish company, Re:newcell, is on a mission to tackle. To do this, Re:newcell has developed a new material called Circulose that is made from recycled cotton Read More...
A Dutch design studio is turning storm-felled trees into beautiful benches
When a powerful storm ran through the Dutch city of Eindhoven last year, nearly 1,000 trees fell victim to heavy winds and found themselves uprooted from the ground. Typically those felled trees would be thrown into a wood chipper and disposed of, but a Dutch design studio thought of a clever way Read More...
This gorgeous 3D-printed home could be the future of sustainable living
In recent years, architects have become fascinated with 3D-printing. Often heralded as affordable and sustainable, 3D-printed homes are beginning to spring up everywhere from the Netherlands to Austin, Texas. It seems the technology is finally catching up with the construction industry’s Read More...
This hotel in London is made out of 25 recycled shipping containers
Shipping containers have been used for a wide range of projects, from tiny houses to apartment buildings, and, despite their limitations, continue to spark the imaginations of architects. The latest example of this comes from UK design studio, Doone Silver Kerr, which used the metal boxes to create Read More...
Your next pair of sneakers may be made of foam from algae blooms
Last week we wrote about a new pair of sneakers from the brand Cariuma made from bamboo, sugarcane, and natural cork. This time around, we present another new sustainable option from the brand Native Shoes that makes use of algae foam from the algae blooms that have been occurring across the Read More...
This slick carry-on suitcase is made out of plastic waste
As efforts grow to find new uses for discarded plastic before it gets into the environment, it’s amazing to see startups continuously coming up with neat ideas of how to upscale this waste. The latest of such ideas come from Phoenx, a London-based company that focuses on the eco-conscious Read More...