Giving Back to the Grid

Finally, an incentive for me to go to the gym. I've always had reservations about going. Mainly, because I could never piece together why I needed to spend so much money at a facility that consumes so much energy just so I could burn a bit off. All that energy expended by hundreds of thousands of people at gyms just ends up being lost everyday. The most logical thing to do would be to harness this energy people are PAYING to get rid of. Capturing the energy we burn is a more sustainable way to work out, but also more economically feasible for the gyms who would save on electricity bills. In turn that should slash prices on gym fees for customers too. Personally, I think this would put back some of the fun into a grueling work out. Knowing that I could contribute back into the system would motive myself and I'm sure many health conscious environmentally conscious folks to get active at the gym. Perhaps one day we can have this technology in our homes getting everyone to participate in a bit of physical activity on a regular basis. A reduction in North American obesity and energy consumption, talk about killing two birds with one stone.

The inventor, Lucien Gambaroto also makes a few important points about individuals and their ability to contribute at all levels. We don't have to be inventors or government officials to make changes in our environment. Each and every one of us has the ability to enforce change and we have to take responsibility for the decisions we make. As consumers we can choose to support services who are finding alternative ways to fuel themselves. We can write letters to government, invent our own source of energy, and even something as simple as educating others is contributing on some level. 

Creativity is key when solving any problem and luckily its a resource that is in abundance in the human population. I have a theory that if we have enough brain power and creativity to inflict so much damage to the Earth, there is certainly enough brain power and creativity to fix it.

money money money MONEY

A lot of what we talk about on this blog are new ways to design buildings, or to re-design spaces keeping in mind ecology and sustainability. Today as I was doing my internet rounds I read a dwell blog post that talked about the tax incentive that is available in the US for individuals who make eco-conscious renovations to their home.

Being a closet economic enthusiast I recognize the need for incentives to instill change. Of course we, as educated and naïve students, wouldn’t dream of not utilizing our knowledge base to create beautiful environmentally aware structures, but for the average home owner their biggest concern is the bottom line. Tax incentives much like the one’s in the United States exist here in Manitoba through the government, as well as through Manitoba Hydro. Being educated on tax incentives such as these is important so that as designers we can push our clients (hopefully we will all one day have some…) into making the right ecological decisions that will be beneficial for the environment as well as their pocket books!

Sustainable the New Postmodern?

In conclusion to a recent class, Jae shared his vision for the future of design. He stated that while previous stages of design included modernism and postmodernism, the next phase of design would be 'sustainable'. Jae warned us that as designers we would have to negotiate, and possibly even abandon our esthetic and creative desires in favor of sustainability. To really become sustainable, Jae insisted that we must relinquished some control of our designs to sustainable materials.

These insights enlightened me and made me aware that I struggle with these issues. In particular, when I designed my garment for our last studio project my greatest challenge was to let go of my desire to create a beautiful esthetic, and to instead allow ecological fabrics and the garment's function to dictate its form. Jae's comments inspired me to remove some of my own esthetic taste and become more sustainable. Since reflecting on these ideas, I have also become more aware of how my own preferences can limit my design choices.

As we move forward into a new era of sustainable design our greatest challenge will be to rethink our notions of beauty, or the artistic whims that Jae described. However, once we negotiate the use of sustainable materials and our own vision as designers, we will be free to create exciting new esthetics.

An example of this forward thinking design comes from 5468796 who in their redesign of EQ3 have:

"identified a large surplus of glass water bottles from restaurants in [Vancouver] as a material resource that typically ends up in the landfill. Instead, the bottles will be used to clad the existing facade to create a visually engaging and environmentally friendly feature - filtering daylight and protecting interior furnishings. The project’s innovation lies in its ability to combine opportunities for branding, community involvement and a new, greener direction for EQ3." (http://www.5468796.ca/)

Here the firm has merged its creative vision with sustainability. 5468796's innovation creates an interesting, fresh, and beautiful environment, exemplifying the sustainable phase design is moving towards. -Katie

Chicago's Crystal Palace

This is an amazing example of a building that is designed around the use of natural light. It is The Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago, designed by Krueck + Sexton Architects. It just jumped out at me, and I love how it enhances the exterior light quality of the street as well as the interior atmosphere. The multifaceted facade brings the sky down in its reflections. i think this was the draw for me. When I travelled for that long time I realized one thing that I love about Winnipeg... you can see the sky anywhere, even in the middle of the city. In big cities the buildings are so tall, and there is so much light pollution that the sky just seems nonexistent. This building gives life to the concrete jungle.

I'm happiest outside when I'm actually inside.

I am simply amazed by all of the interesting designs that have been put forth at the Venice Biennale of Architecture. The latest that caught my eye is the Japanese Pavilion

“The Japanese Pavilion itself is made to appear as an artificial environment or an element of topography. The original outdoor space overlaps with the space that emerges between the ephemeral steel structures covered with glass, causing the appearance of a doubled, ambiguous space. The condition of space produced here makes us aware that everything in it - the plants inside and outside, the furniture, the architecture, the topography, and the environment - exists simultaneously.” Stolen quote.

Blending and blurring the exterior and interior elements allow the individual to experience space much more organically. During Urban Media Lab, our first few weeks together as a class, we were told to photograph spaces that incorporated elements of the interior into the exterior and elements of the exterior into the interior. This pavilion goes the extra distance to completely blur the distinctions between the two and introduces the notion that distinctions need not exist.  

Living in Winnipeg where frigid temperatures hold our exterior environment hostage, structures much like the KAIT Studio, also designed by Ishigami, limit the separation between the interior and exterior environment and allow for a space that can be temperature controlled. This would allow individuals much like myself, who are reluctant to go outside and experience the environment full force, an opportunity to do just that in the comfort of our own classrooms.

Another perk to designing spaces that work with the existing natural environment, as opposed to against it, is that people are then able to appreciate the environment around them. The idea is that this appreciation will lead them to make more thoughtful choices when it comes to sustainability.

A New Sound

After the lecture on lighting, I wondered about other electromagnetic waves our bodies are constantly submerged in that we can readily detect. The first one that came to mind was sound. Similar to light, sound is another type of radiation that our senses are able to pick up. It is also a natural by product of when we talk, when two objects come into contact with one another, basically whenever air is disturbed (which is almost all the time). There are very few occasions where I find myself in complete silence, even when I sleep I can still hear the wind and cars passing by. Although sound waves contain much less energy than light waves, we shouldn't ignore the fact that it is still a form of energy that constantly surrounds us. A source of energy that we can potentially harness on a smaller scale. This article from Science Daily explains how turning excess heat into electricity by using sound is an efficient way to recycle waste heat.

To see article, please click Sound 

Energy is all around us and in vast amounts, the only problem is tapping into these sources. Opening our eyes and ears to new solutions often found in the most obvious places is necessary to move forward in our search for usable energy. Diversifying and expanding our energy resources will also result in more stable and resilient energy supplies for future generations to come.

Are you afraid of the dark?

During last week's lecture on light I was most interested, and most disturbed, by what Dr. Mallory-Hill described as light pollution or light trespass. I have been reflecting a lot about this issue as I have recently moved into a new condo which does not yet have blinds! The past weeks lecture enlightened me (excuse the pun!) to how intrusive light can be, and I now realize that my sleepless nights are likely the result of the blaring lights of Osborne Village trespassing into my bedroom. Light emitted during the night serves many different purposes. The light flooding my unprotected windows comes from the advertisements of businesses, but also from the street lamps that help drivers navigate the winding street. On one hand night lighting seems necessary for security, on the other it is harming the circadian rhythms of animals. Birds are chirping throughout the night in the anticipation of the dawn that artificial lighting makes them believe is on its way, and I can't sleep. Suburban flood lamps and downtown eatery signs are drowning out the milky way. Rome is one city that has taken the initiative to dim its lights in an attempt to reduce light pollution, and to save energy. In a new era of sustainability we have to consider the issues around everything that effects human and natural systems, which I am beginning to learn is EVERYTHING. The necessity of night lighting is something I cannot deny, but I would like to continue to investigate this issue in the hopes of learning about solutions that can bridge the gap between the security night lights provide, and the harm that they cause.

Read this article by Sarah Rich, it examines the issues and debates around light pollution, and includes photos by photographer David Allee who is trying to make the most of light tresspass by turning the suburban night-scape into art. However cool these photos I am still not convinced they replace the stars they are over-shining.