Why Design Now
Why Design Now?: Z-20 Concentrated Solar-Power SystemWhy? This solar technology is distinguished by its use of mirrors to capture light and focus it onto a small generator to produce electricity and thermal energy. The parabolic optical dish follows the sun from dawn until dusk, harnessing seventy percent of the solar energy that hits it, making it much more efficient than conventional flat photovoltaic panels. z-20 Concentrated Solar power System, mirror, parabolic optical dish, Why Design Now, Exhibition |
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Why Design Now?: FurumaiWhy? Water, the medium of life, has myriad manifestations. Furumai, meaning behavior or dance in Japanese, was an installation created for the Water exhibition at 21_21 Design Sight in Tokyo in 2007. The project consisted of paper plates treated selectively with an invisible water-repellent coating. As visitors interacted with the plates, beads of water danced about the surface, creating surprising visual effects. In one, drops gathered in a babys eye, while others formed abstract, three-dimensional patterns. Furumai, water, Japan, Tokyo, 21_21 Design Sight, interact, Why Design Now, Exhibition, interactive design, interaction |
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Why Design Now?: Medellín, ColombiaWhy? A team of architects and urban planners, social workers and citizens has transformed Medellín, Colombia, from the most violent city in the world into a community whose architecture carries a powerful message of social inclusion. Public buildings, parks, libraries, schools, and museums were inserted in the most desperate neighborhoods to provide crucial public services. The Orquideorama, an orchid canopy in the Botanical Gardens, exemplifies the citys renaissance. Medellin, Colombia, collaboration, transformation, social inclusion, Orquideorama, Why Design Now, Exhibition |
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Why Design Now?: IF Mode Folding BicycleWhy? Most folding bicycles are heavy and difficult to collapse. Conceived as portable luggage, the IF Mode is made of lightweight materials and eliminates oily chains, complex tubes, hidden dirt traps, and much of the clutter of conventional bicycles. As mobility systems become more interconnected, portable, folding designs like this will facilitate transfers between different modes of transportation. IF Mode folding bicycle, portable, lightweight, materials, Why Design Now, Exhibition |
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Why Design Now?: Solar rechargeable battery lanternsWhy? In most rural areas of the developing world, people rely on fuels such as kerosene that are dangerous and pose serious health problems. The Solar-Rechargeable lamp is both a safe, electrical lighting alternative and it reduces greenhouse gases. It is also a service-oriented solution for rural electrification: villagers rent these portable, rechargeable lanterns from central solar charging stations. sunlabob, solar, rechargeable, battery, lanterns, portable, developing world, Why Design Now, Exhibition |
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Why Design Now?: Cabbage ChairWhy? Made from reclaimed materials, the Cabbage chair is a compact roll of paper that the user opens up and peels back, layer by layer, to create a soft enclosure for the body, requiring no finishing, assembly, or hardware. Resins added to the paper during the production process give it strength and memory, while the pleats make the paper springy and elastic. Cabbage Chair, reclaimed materials, paper, no assembly, Why Design Now, Exhibition |
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Why Design Now?: Mapungubwe National Park Interpretive CenterWhy? Preindustrial construction methods can provide fundamental lessons about sustainable design and environmental impact today. In this site-specific installation, thin tile vaults stretching across large spaces without formwork is part of a 700-year-old construction method that is energy-efficient, utilizes local materials, and achieves high structural strength. All of these factors have important applications in the developing world, where low-cost construction and durability are model standards for any building project. Mapungubwe National Park Interpretive Center, low cost, construction, durability, developing world, application, Why Design Now, Exhibition |
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Why Design Now?: E/S Orcelle cargo carrierWhy? Oceangoing ships present significant health, pollution, and efficiency challenges. The concept vessel E/S Orcelle is designed to be propelled without oil. Made of lightweight materials, it relies on energy sources obtained at sea—solar energy collected through photovoltaic panels in the sails, wind energy obtained through propulsion sails, and wave energy from fins, which can be transformed into hydrogen, electricity, or mechanical energy. E/S Orcelle, cargo, carrier, ship, shipping, lightweight, materials, renewable energy, energy sources, carbon, emissions, reduction, Why Design Now, Triennial, Exhibition |
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Why Design Now?: Contour CraftingWhy? Contour Crafting is a construction technology that potentially reduces energy use and emissions by using a rapid-prototype or 3-D printing process to fabricate large components. Comprised of robotic arms and extrusion nozzles, a computer-controlled gantry system moves the nozzle back and forth, squeezing out layers of concrete or other material to fabricate a form. The ultimate goal is to print a house in a day while drastically reducing material and energy consumption. Contour Crafting, Center for Rapid Automated Fabrication Technologies, construction, consumption, materials, energy, Why Design Now, Exhibition |
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Why Design Now?: Issey Miyake Spring/Summer 2009 collection, Color HuntingFeatured in Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt National Design Triennial. 09SS, Color, Hunting, Issey Miyake, Why Design Now |
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