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.Category Archives: basic principles
light-bulb flashlights, chair-helmuts—multifunctional products
In this post we return to the theme of multi-functionality as a technique for sustainable design. I’ve looked at this idea of doing more with less before in terms of products that behave as structures (and vice versa) and in terms of other approaches to getting more function out of our designs. Today we’ve got… Continue Reading
Upcycling
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a big new competition to help develop the circular economy and, on the same theme, a new film called Trashed. This time I want to mention a couple of examples of upcycling. Upcycling, as you may know, is the process of recycling a material into something… Continue Reading
Lofts in the gaps between buildings
One tenet of sustainability is to use space and material efficiently, an idea exemplified by entries in a design competition sponsored by Poland-based global skylight/roof window manufacturer FAKRO (possibly another opportunity for student design competitions). The competition, called New Vision of the Loft 2, asked entrants to “design a functional space full of natural light, using… Continue Reading
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