Category Archives: green roots

Craftworm, cycle back, Funtoosh

recycled beauties

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Designer-Craftisans:@ Kunye African Trends

Do you think these products are beautiful!?

Then let me tell you these are made from ughs…waste plastic – recycled plastic!

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kunye kube

And I think these are one of the most beautiful recycled plastic products I have ever seen!

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computer bag

These are not just fun and funky products, these are functional too.

How else I would say the bed cover, plastic rugs for swimming pool, computer bag  and screens; some real recycled innovation!!

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These handmade products are from Kunye – brilliant brainchild of Alison Coutras (and her local team of craftisans – a cooperative to combat unemployment) in South Africa.

Kunye is the Xhosa word for ‘forward together’.

Kunye has won a number of awards.

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cycle back, design screw, green roots

two green, too funky

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These are 2 green and 2 funky products @ Brastilo

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banana leaf hanging lamp

This colourful ceiling lamp is actually made from banana leaves!

Made by Brazilian artisans, using recycled or sustainable products.

Brastilo, the Brazilian firm is into eco friendly and renewable initiatives.

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lizard porcelain plates 

Put a smile on your face and call it the Brazilian zest for life! These ceramic plates are handmade by craftsman in Bahia.

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green roots, nano numbers

designer solar panels

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Designer screen printed solar cells are possible now with the new technique developed by researches at Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE.

Instead of mounting the solar module on the roof, it could be integrated in the glass façade of a building. It is possible to produce it in desired colours, print images or text on the module.

These design options open up an entirely new range of possible applications. It can be used as shade, window or even as company’s logo while generating electricity.

The key component of the new module is an organic dye which in combination with nanoparticles converts sunlight into electricity.

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architecture, green roots

green turfed roofscape

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School of Art, Design & Media, Nanyang, Singapore

Designers : CPG Consultants Pte Ltd

This is a 5-storey School of Art, Design & Media at Nanyang Technological University campus, Singapore. This stunning piece of award-winning architecture is situated in a wooded valley. Before you read on, answer this : is this a landscape or a building?

The embracing arms of this unique building have a most spectacular verdant turfed roof which blends with ground contour as if emerges from it. It has glass curtain wall and raw concrete minus the painting.

Apart from its visual impact, the turfed roofscape helps to lower the roof temperature and surrounding areas. It works as a functional space, as a scenic outdoor community space via easily accessible sidesteps along the roof edge.

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Lighting plays an important aspect to the building. The full glass curtain wall allows generous doses of daylight into the studios and galleries while cutting off the tropical heat. At night, the building glows like a lantern.

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The exterior glass facade of the building allows full views to the outside, again providing visual connectivity with the surrounding lush landscape.

Three blocks of the school building are organically interwoven to enclose a sunken courtyard and a unique interconnectivity and flow.

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design screw, go to another level, green roots

reshaped tradition

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unblossom

Kathi Stertzig and Albio Nascimento @ The Home Project

I am going to ask few questions first.

Why few young designers just do not design beautiful luxurious products, follow market trends and be happy with fame and fortune!

Why research for endless hours?

Why rummage through the tradition and think new designs?

Why insist on sustainable life style?

Why develop new material culture?

And why ask disturbing questions through designs?

Hats off to those young designers who do all these and much more and bring beautiful things to make our life easy!

Kathi Stertzig and Albio Nascimento @ The Home Project are two such designers whose designs, I am unable to ignore.

I already did a post on their postcard-which evokes a succinct remark on our life and times!

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Here is their stunningly beautiful and eco -sensitive ‘unblossom’-salt crystal bowl .

Traditional hand-crafted crochet -work doilies are given new shape and function by crystallizing salt which raises them into bowls.

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egg-holder

Egg-holder is a natural useful object to expose, serve and eat boiled eggs.

An old Portuguese tradition sells boiled eggs out of a plate which is filled with salt. The salt conserves the egg for a longer period and avoids strong smell. The crochet technique builds a structure for salt to crystallize. The outcome is a standard egg holder made of pure white salt crystals. A natural useful object to expose, serve and eat boiled eggs.

Few more of The Home Projects’ designs…..

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