A hallmark of sustainable is a system where components serve more than one purpose.  This observation, whether treated as a question or a requirement, can be built into student projects of any design discipline, either as the basis for a design brief or of a critical essay. Here are a few examples to inspire discussion.

PACKAGING

ColaLife’s Kit Yamoyo which arranges “free” transport for diarrhea medicine kits in the shipping cartons of coke bottles. Read more about developers Simon and Jane Berry.

ARCHITECTURE

Twenty eight “light eyes” in the proposed Stuttgart main station, designed by German Ingenhoven Architekten, multi-task by providing daylighting to the underground station, expelling exhaust air, and passively removing smoke in an emergency.  (Architectural Record covers this and several other projects aiming for zero carbon)

photos Ingenhoven Architekten

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE

The central staircase in Korean architect Moon Hoon’s house is “a multi-functional space which is a large staircase, bookshelves, casual reading space, home cinema, slide and much more…” (see Lloyd Alter’s Treehugger article for a view of what’s under the stairs)

An example arises in another station proposal: The Express Rail Link – West Kowloon Terminus by Aedas, which will connect Hong Kong to the National High Speed Rail Network (Thanks again Lloyd at Treehugger!)