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ecological wooden cabin nestles in rural finland’s lakeside setting
CategoriesArchitecture

ecological wooden cabin nestles in rural finland’s lakeside setting

By Zarkon Group,

Villa K by Saukkonen+Partners stands on a remote Finnish island

Architectural firm Saukkonen + Partners designs an escape retreat located on a remote island in lakeside Finland, surrounded by nature. Dedicated to a couple’s occasional stay in the rural site, the hideaway cabin is a thought-through entity that adapts to the changing seasons and landscapes. The main cottage and a separate sauna building are carefully positioned on the island. The two separated volumes are connected by their overlapping roof structures. A bridge leading to the island is also a part of the designed whole. The beautiful views of the lake are generally westwards where the sun sets in the evening. The building’s main living spaces and generated views are developed following the sun’s patterns.

ecological wooden cabin nestles in rural finland's lakeside setting
all images by Timo Pyykönen

material selection and color scheme reflect the natural setting

The design is based on respect for the surrounding nature, aiming to place the buildings on the terrain as naturally as possible, without overpowering the environment. Thereby, the villa aims to become one with the lake scenery. The design team opts for the effective maximizing of all available building permits to allow for a practical and desired program for leisure purposes. The intention is to create a design that would be as maintenance-free as possible while bringing the surrounding nature into the atmosphere of the spaces. From a technical point of view, the buildings are formed to be ecological and low-energy-consuming. The material selection and color scheme of the building merge the architecture with its natural environment. The villa is made to be as long-lasting and durable as possible.

ecological wooden cabin nestles in rural finland's lakeside setting
the hideaway cabin is a thought-through entity that adapts to its landscape

ecological wooden cabin nestles in rural finland's lakeside setting
the main cottage and a separate sauna building are carefully positioned on the island

ecological wooden cabin nestles in rural finland's lakeside setting
the villa aims to become one with the lake scenery

ecological wooden cabin nestles in rural finland's lakeside setting
the buildings are placed on the terrain as naturally as possible, without overpowering the environment

Reference

wasp’s 3D printed itaca ensures off-grid living & ecological balance
CategoriesArchitecture

wasp’s 3D printed itaca ensures off-grid living & ecological balance

By Zarkon Group,

Itaca: the self-sufficient and eco-sustainable 3D printed house

 

Italian 3D printing company WASP introduces Itaca, a self-sufficient and environmentally sustainable 3D printed housing model. The project is based on the thesis that on Earth, a space of 33 meters in diameter can provide sufficient living environment for up to four people, if specific knowledge and technology are applied. The endeavor aims to make a core of four people (two adults and two children) independent and enable them to live off-grid, without electricity, water, gas, and sewer connections. The inventors hope that Itaca will also lead to innovations in the colonization of the Moon.

 

‘Getting a place as harsh as the moon to be inhabited is hard to imagine, but science says it can be done. Why don’t we apply the same technologies here on Earth, to get even the most extreme environments to be hospitable?’, says
Massimo Moretti, CEO of WASP.

itaca eco-sustainable 3D printed house ensures off-grid living in a 33-meter diameter
Itaca is a self-sufficient and environmentally sustainable 3D printed housing model | all images courtesy of WASP

 

 

food, water, energy, and economic self-sufficiency

 

The Itaca model is 3D printed by Crane WASP using natural zero-kilometer materials. The concept is to apply the knowledge and digital fabrication necessary to create a space that improves the quality of life in areas where water, food and industrial facilities are scarce. The applied technological solutions lead to an optimized circular microeconomy that allows independent, off-grid living while maintaining ecological balance. The team at WASP has already acquired a plot of land near Bologna where the first Itaca will be built over the next year. Itaca is an educational project, an open-source laboratory in which anyone can participate.

 

‘For us at WASP, Itaca represents a path towards food, water, energy, and economic self-sufficiency. A proposal for a solution to the social, energy, climate, and mass migration crisis. For us, digitization and 3D printing are a response to the needs of humanity.’ Massimo Moretti mentions.

itaca eco-sustainable 3D printed house ensures off-grid living in a 33-meter diameter
Itaca proves that a 33-meters diameter space can provide a sufficient living environment for up to four people

itaca eco-sustainable 3D printed house ensures off-grid living in a 33-meter diameter
the Itaca model is made of natural zero-kilometer materials

itaca eco-sustainable 3D printed house ensures off-grid living in a 33-meter diameter
the applied technological solutions lead to a circular microeconomy maintaining the ecological balance

itaca eco-sustainable 3D printed house ensures off-grid living in a 33-meter diameter
the Itaca model will be 3D printed by Crane WASP

project info: 

 

name: Itaca
designers: WASP

myrto katsikopoulou I designboom

nov 17, 2022

Reference

Ginza Ecological Map by Hakuten presents the “hidden story of Ginza”
CategoriesInterior Design

Ginza Ecological Map by Hakuten presents the “hidden story of Ginza”

By Zarkon Group,

Design studio Hakuten has created a three-dimensional map of Ginza, Tokyo, that presents the ecology that exists in the district.

The Ginza Ecological Map, which was featured in the Japanese makeup brand Shiseido‘s Hakuten’s window, was designed to “carefully express the impression of the location and the history of the city, with a hidden story of Ginza”.

A photograph of someone looking at the Ginza Ecological Map
The map showcased the local ecology in the area

It spotlighted the natural elements found throughout the district, including samples of trees, plants, insects and earth, with the intention of enhancing the local community’s knowledge of its district’s ecology. Each item was presented in one of 72 windows – similarly to how scientific specimens are exhibited in museums.

The exhibition ran throughout 2021 and across two themes: Organisms, which presented insects and cuttings from plants, and Earth – showcasing the diversity of soils found throughout the district.

The Glothistle arranged in a clock-like motif
Parts of the glothistle plant were arranged in a clock-like motif to represent the district’s Wako clock tower

“We care­fully displayed this ecology in the window as if they were scientific specimens,” said Hakuten.

“The exhibition ran throughout the year across two different ecological themes – Organisms and Earth – and brought to light a new and beautiful Ginza that had not been seen before in the form of the Ginza Ecology Map.”

Ginkgo biloba trees printed with images of the district
Ginkgo biloba trees were planted in Ginza in 1906

The materials were collected during a number of fieldwork studies in addition to the knowledge gained from speaking to people local to Ginza. Once collected, the items were exhibited in creative ways with the aim of becoming a tool to communicate the connection between Ginza’s natural world and society.

For example, the plant named glothistle was collected from under the city’s Wako clock tower, and as part of the exhibition was displayed in a clock-like motif to represent it.

In addition, the district’s ginkgo biloba trees were planted in 1906, and according to the designers, they represent a “turning point for modernisation in the city”.

As a nod to the tree’s heritage in the district, images of Ginza’s buildings were printed onto the collected ginkgo tree leaves as part of the exhibition.

A number of specimens curated in 72 windows
The exhibition showcased a number of plants and insects

“Unlike most window displays that show objects and installations that only suit its occasion, not only did Ginza Ecological Map provide a new perspective of Ginza city, but through research from local residents it also expanded into a communication tool between the city and the people,” said Hakuten.

“By looking at the usually unseen ecology that exists in a metropolis, we were able to rethink the relationship between the city, people, and nature in an attempt to approach a more sustainable society.”

Samples of earth displayed one of the windows
Earth was collected as part of the exhibition

As part of the Earth theme, the colour of the soil across the district was documented, including samples collected from sidewalk ditches and from around various plants such as dogwood and camellia.

The exhibition also shed light on creating a number of creative resources from the city’s soil – including pottery and crayons – and clothing dyed using local plant’s pigments.

Shiseido's Hakuten's window displaying the map
The map featured in the Japanese brand Shiseido’s window

According to the studio, the pandemic provided the opportunity to reflect on the human-nature relationship as Ginza was “emptied” because of the pandemic.

The project was conceived of this change, and aimed to rethink the district’s approach towards creating a society more mindful of enhancing and protecting its nature.

Samples of materials dyed from local plant pigments
The exhibition also presented the ways in which local plant pigments can be used as textile dye

“In Covid-19 where we were provided with more opportunities to deeply reflect upon the global environment, this project allowed us to rethink the relationship between the city, people, and nature in an attempt to approach a more sustainable society,” said Hakuten.

Ginza Ecological Map has been shortlisted in the exhibition design category at this year’s Dezeen Awards alongside, Weird Sensation Feels Good – The World of ASMR, Greenwood Rising: Black Wall Street History Center exhibition and Journey of the Pioneers.

Reference

The Future of Architecture: Stylish Home Furnishings With Lighter Ecological Footprints
CategoriesArchitecture

The Future of Architecture: Stylish Home Furnishings With Lighter Ecological Footprints

By Zarkon Group,

 The A+Product Awards is open for entries, with a Main Entry Deadline of June 24th. Get started on your submission today! 

Environmental ethics has been increasingly the concern of the built environment industry. When constructing buildings and styling interiors, more and more attention is paid to sustainably sourcing and recycling materials. Eco-friendly design does not limit products to just a few looks, nor does it compromise their functionality. These four beautiful A+Awards winning products will add tasteful texture to your designs while lessening the environmental impact of your project.

The Embossed Acoustic Panel Series from Woven Image, distributed in the USA by Kirei
Winner, 2021 A+Product Awards, Acoustics

Acoustic panels are useful not only for workplaces and auditoriums but in domestic scenarios as well. Whether in a home office or a family theater, acoustic panels make sounds and voices sharper by reducing undesirable reflections on hard surfaces. They also insulate your room from external noises.

The Embossed Acoustic Panel Series by Woven Image offers high-quality acoustics together with a range of choices for styling. There are three types of patterns to choose from: the linear, simplistic ZEN, the rhythmic GEM, and the origami-inspired ION, each comes in 12 colors.

The panels are made from over 60% recycled PET and fiber while manufactured in a carbon-neutral production facility that utilized solar energy. The product has a low VOC emission rate of 0.023mg/m²/hr and a good Noise Reduction Coefficient of 0.75. It is also easy to trim that a utility knife can cut it through. The subtle light and shadow created by the 3D patterns make the panels an addition to interior styling.

Silestone® Sunlit Days by Cosentino Group
Winner, 2021 A+Product Awards, Hard Surfacing, Tiles and Stone

Quartz surfaces are popular in home designs for their stone-like appearance, high versatility, durability and accessibility, especially when compared to natural stones like granite and marble. They are cast from a mixture including small pieces of quartz, resins, pigments, etc. Bonded by resins, the finished surface comes sealed and flat, making them easy to clean. The mixture is made in a way that allows it to be colored as needed, ensuring that owners will not have to make compromises on home styling. AT present, Quartz surfaces from the Silestone® Sunlit Days series are available in white, light grey and red, blue, and green in low saturation. The soothing colors and clean shapes give interiors a modern looking.

Quartz surfaces have the appearance of stones but are more eco-friendly than natural stones. The Sunlit Days series provide carbon-neutral quartz surfaces that incorporate extra strategies to cut the material’s carbon footprint. The production uses 99% reused water, 100% renewable electric energy and a minimum of 20% recycled raw materials in its composition. Furthermore, the brand has committed to offsetting GHG emissions through the Voluntary Carbon Market. Being environmentally aware does not limit our choice of furnishing and surface texturing to synthetic materials that comprise recycled resources. Instead, natural materials can also be consumed sustainably.

Brace by Davis Furniture
Winner, 2021 A+Product Awards, Contract Furniture

Brace from Davis Furniture is one of this kind. Each Brace table is made from a tree at the end of its lifecycle, leaving plenty of time for the material to store carbon during its growth. Furthermore, the brand has committed to planting two saplings for each tree they harvest. In this way, the sourcing is sustainable and the European forest is never overly exploited by the product’s production.

The solid wood table comes in various sizes and shapes to accommodate a range of events. For example, a long, rectangular table can be perfect as a home office desk while a small, round one can serve an intimate meal for two people, etc. The sleek table top is supported by the iconic legs. Each leg splits into two as it goes up, creating a slim triangular space within itself. More than 50 types of selectable coatings on each Brace table allow the table different colors and textures that best suit the home design. The design celebrates the uniqueness of the natural material with the technological precision of modern design.

Koroi Side Table by MAJA
Winner, 2021 A+Product Awards, Residential Furniture

The Koroi Side Table also embraces the characteristics of natural materials. Each Koroi Side Table is handcrafted from solid wood by artisans in Bangladesh with a resource-efficient approach. Burls, deep cracks and other features of the tree remain visible from the smoothened surfaces. Comprising two geometric forms, the design of Koroi sets a subtle balance between fragile and sturdy. Althought the connection between the two parts looks delicate — precarious, perhaps — the piece’s solidity is guaranteed by the thick wood. The two parts are cut at opposing grains, giving them contrasting textures and different reflectiveness.

 The A+Product Awards is open for entries, with a Main Entry Deadline of June 24th. Get started on your submission today! 

Reference