Spotted: Myanmar is facing a severe housing crisis, as conflict triggered by the military takeover in 2021 has resulted in the internal displacement of around 1.95 million people, according to the UN Refugee Agency. Social enterprise Housing NOW, founded by Myanmar-based design group Blue Temple, is working to build affordable housing using an innovative and sustainable technique.
Housing NOW uses bamboo as a construction material for building prefabricated, modular structures at a cost of around $1,000 (around €923) per unit. Using computational tools, the company generated a structure optimised to respond to forces such as earthquakes and wind loads.
Because larger-diameter bamboo is more expensive, small-diameter bamboo was used instead, and bundled together to produce a structure that’s stronger than conventional, load-bearing, large-diameter bamboo. The hybrid construction technique allowed the creation of prefabricated ‘structural frames’, which were then combined with local construction and assembly of the remaining parts of the house. The result is a large-scale and affordable housing solution.
In 2022, Housing NOW started a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, which raised enough funding to construct six modules as part of a pilot project. The company plans to continue raising funds and expanding the project.
The promise of bamboo as a renewable resource is catching on. Springwise has also spotted a platform for investing in low-impact bamboo and the development of land for sustainable bamboo growth in Jamaica.
Superposition Village Initiative Transforms Rural China
The Superposition Village Initiative, developed by IBR – Shenzhen Institute of Building Research Co. Ltd., focuses on the concept of ‘sojourning’ in rural areas of China. The project introduces a ‘concept city’ called ‘superposition village,’ facilitating the transfer of green technology and lifestyles across different rural locations. The ‘concept city’ evolves through experiences, enhancing its utility and effectiveness. The prototype modules, initially assembled in urban factories, are then transported to rural areas, benefiting from established material supply and industrial processing support, minimizing carbon emissions during production.
The Superposition Village prototype is modular, emphasizing simplicity in disassembly, transportation, and reassembly. Designed for temporary use, the modules are easily relocated to new destinations after fulfilling their specific purpose. The interior of the cabin modules optimizes space utilization, promoting module intensification and recycling to economize on materials, space, transportation, and energy consumption throughout their life cycle, aligning with low carbon objectives.
all images courtesy of IBR – Shenzhen Institute of Building Research Co. Ltd.
pods are inserted into the houses’ existing structures
The renovation strategy by IBR – Shenzhen Institute of Building Research Co. Ltd. aims to introduce a modern, low-carbon lifestyle in the village without disrupting the original residents’ habits. The cabin modules, inserted without altering the existing structures, maintain the framework and cultural elements of the houses, leaving no visual impact on the original architecture and minimizing construction waste. The cabins, composed of aluminum alloy and glass, seamlessly integrate with the original wooden structures. This integrated space serves as a retreat for living, working, and studying, preserving and incorporating local village cultures into the fabric of the project. Special efforts include inviting artists to illustrate daily activities, farming events, and local figures on village walls, creating a collaborative visual narrative between travelers and local residents.
the pod is designed to perfectly fit the old building’s frame
IBR’s Superposition Village Initiative explores ‘sojourning’ in rural China
a plant wall made of modular boxes decorates the courtyard
designed for temporary use, modules relocate easily after fulfilling specific purposes
Spotted: Organic waste makes up a huge proportion of all municipal waste, with around 17 per cent of global food production going to waste at the retail, restaurant, or household level. But what if that food wasn’t all wasted? What if some of it could be turned into renewable energy? That is the question being answered by New Zealand clean-tech startup Cetogenix.
Cetogenix has designed a modular system for breaking down organic waste to generate renewable energy and other useful by-products, such as fertilisers and biodegradable plastics. The company’s technology uses a combination of chemical and microbial processes, which can be located at source and easily scaled.
The flagship product, called CETO-Boost, is currently under development. When complete, it will allow a 40 per cent increase in the production of renewable natural gas from anaerobic digestion plants. It will also be capable of being retrofitted, and the company has identified more than 15,000 anaerobic digester plants that could benefit from this retrofitting.
Cetogenix secured $4.5 million(around €4.1 million) in a 2022 seed funding round led by deep-tech investor Pacific Channel, with support from angel investors. The investment is being used to scale up the company’s technology and enable global deployment, with an initial focus on Europe and North America.
This technology aims to tackle both organic waste and natural gas issues at the same time. In the archive, Springwise has spotted other methods for tackling these issues, including turning organic waste into bio-plastic and using methane pyrolysis to generate green hydrogen.
Spotted: With short-term renting, homeworking, and growing families: living is more dynamic now than it ever has been before. Although DIY (Do It Yourself) has been a fair solution to modern life so far, its time-consuming and inflexible nature lets it down. Noticing a gap in the market for a way to build structures at home with easy modularity and flexibility, a father and daughter decided to take matters into their own hands. And so, they founded Portugal-based Corkbrick to help to reinvent the spaces we live in.
Inspired by Lego, Corkbrick is a real-size modular system with interlocking cork blocks, or brocks, that are the company’s trademark. There are seven of these brocks, two that are foundational, four that are directional, and one that is a filler to create dynamic furniture, furnishings, and structures. These eco-friendly, sturdy, heat-resistant, and soundproof blocks can be assembled and disassembled easily, without the need for tools, screws, or glue.
For the founders, cork was a natural choice for their product. It has a minimal impact on the environment because the harvesting of cork does not require the harming or cutting down of trees. Once the bark is extracted, a new layer of cork regrows, making it a renewable resource – and each cork tree typically lives more than 250 years.
Corkbrick is a fully operational enterprise, providing solutions and products from home decor, workspace furniture, and even kid’s play.
Springwise has previously spotted other architectural innovations that resemble Lego, from stackable homes to help solve the housing crisis to building bricks made from volcanic glass that don’t need mortar or insulation.
Spotted: Less than 45 per cent of original global reefs remain, and scientists predict that by 2070, they could disappear altogether. Reefs are declining at twice the pace of rainforests and stopping the damage requires swift, focused actions at sites around the world. One company, Swiss-based Rrreefs, creates bespoke coral reef replacements that provide multiple environmental benefits. The company’s goal is to revive one per cent of coastal coral reefs by 2033.
Using pure clay, the company 3D prints reef bricks that are customised to best suit the nearest shoreline and local environment. By understanding water flows and marine topography, the company builds structures that provide microenvironments for thousands of animals and plants to thrive. Protecting shores from erosion improves the growing environments for underwater forests of mangroves and seagrass, both of which are crucial to the capture of carbon dioxide. And a single cubic metre of the reef blocks provides a new home to more than 20,000 tiny animals, 20 corals, 60 fish, and more.
The surface of the bricks is designed specifically to support a variety of coral larvae contributing to the genetic diversity of the new reef. The natural clay material contains no artificial ingredients or chemicals, making it a healthy choice that contributes no new pollution to the world’s oceans.
Using 3D printing allows for modular production and complete customisation of height, width, and length of the overall reef structure. The process also allows for local manufacturing, which further reduces the carbon footprint of each reef.
The innovations seeking to help stop the irreversible destruction of the world’s coral reefs are many and varied. Recent ones spotted by Springwise include a global cat food brand supporting new reefs and a company making leather out of an invasive fish that threatens reef health.
Spotted: Almost all industrial facilities emit CO2, and while there are options for capturing the carbon emitted by large plants, there are few options for small- and medium-sized facilities. Now, Danish startup Algiecel has developed a modular photobioreactor (PBR) that can capture CO2 and transform it into algae-based derivative products.
Algiecel’s PBR’s are highly compact and fit into standard 40-foot shipping containers. The PBRs capture CO2 from industrial point emissions using algae, with energy for photosynthesis coming from LED lighting, and the only waste streams being oxygen and process heat – which can be reused. The containers can also be easily scaled for use by almost any facility.
The microalgae grown in the PBR are rich in protein, omega-3, vitamins, and carotenoids and can be split into biomass and bio-oil. This makes it especially useful in products such as aquaculture feed and as a human food supplement. So, not only do the bioreactors prevent CO2 from reaching the atmosphere – they are also a source of new products.
Algiecel adds: “We can thus achieve constantly efficient production with increasing scale compared with competing solutions. The container-based plug and play structure also means a more flexible capex solution for clients.”
In 2022, Algiecel successfully operated a pilot plant and has recently raised kr.10 million (about €1.3 million) in funding to further optimise the technology and create its first full-scale demonstration unit.
Springwise has spotted other flexible carbon capture and storage solutions, such as a novel way to remove carbon from the air and reuse it, and a process that can retrofit HVAC units to remove CO2.
Design duo Eneris Collective has collaborated with Barcelona-based biomaterials company NaifactoryLAB to produce a playful stool for children made from waste olive pits.
The Nontalo stool is constructed from six modules – three P-shaped pieces that can be combined and positioned in different ways and three straight rods that hold them together, forming a variety of shapes from a three-legged stool to a bench seat and many alternatives in between.
The Nontalo kids’ stool can be assembled in various ways
All of the modules are made entirely of Reolivar, a smooth cork-like material that NaifactoryLAB created by mixing olive pits with bio-based binders and other natural ingredients.
Spanish designers Irene Segarra and Irene Martínez, who came together under the name Eneris Collective for this project, describe Nontalo as a seating design “where play, spontaneity and sustainability are in harmony”.
The stool is made of Reolivar, a biomaterial made from olive pits
The duo created the stool after NaifactoryLAB invited them to experiment with Reolivar and develop new applications for the biocomposite.
“For four months, we worked with this new material,” Martínez told Dezeen. “We got to know the possibilities it has, the pros and cons, and what its limits are.”
“The idea was to generate a structure that doesn’t have the obvious shape of a stool with a seat and legs, but maintains the same function,” she continued.
Three rods hold the stool together
The designers began by deciding on a series of words and concepts to define their intention of the project before sketching proposals and interweaving these different ideas.
“Our inspiration throughout this design stage was children’s construction sets,” said Martínez.
The duo initially created a right-angled design for the P-shaped modules but ended up turning the legs out by five degrees after realising it created better weight distribution as well as bringing a sense of harmony.
To lock the pieces together, users simply have to slot the straight rods through their central opening.
Eneris Collective shaped the Reolivar pieces in custom moulds, which Martínez says has the benefit of limiting waste as there are no offcuts.
The material can be composted at the end of its life or returned to NaifactoryLAB for recycling. The stool’s mono-material design makes this particularly straightforward, as there are no other materials or components to separate.
The design is meant to invite play and spontaneity
Over the course of its life, the material will age according to its environmental conditions and will last longer in dry, indoor environments away from humidity and rain, according to NaifactoryLAB.
The biomaterials company first developed Reolivar in 2020 using a bunch of olive pits grabbed from a dish at the end of a meal. Since then, it has been turned into a range of products including lamps, bowls, mirrors and trophies.
Eneris Collective is now working to develop a wider Nontalo Kids seating collection, building on the same shapes and ideas.
A number of other designers are experimenting with biomaterials in an attempt to produce more sustainable furniture. Some recent examples include mycelium lampshades from Estonian company Myceen and a stool and side table by Carolina Härdh, made from food waste for Gothenburg restaurant Vrå.
Spotted: An incredibly densely populated country, India’s struggles to access and maintain clean waterways and sanitation infrastructure is well documented. UNESCO says that lack of sanitation is part of the global water quality challenge and “one of the most significant forms of water pollution.”
Israeli company Huliot has a solution specifically for densely populated communities. A modular sewage treatment plant called ClearBlack can clean water for up to 800 people per day per unit. The plants are available in three sizes, ranging from 25 to 100 cubic metres of water cleaned per day. Based on a compact design centred around a Membrane Bio Reactor (MBR) rather than activated charcoal or sand filters, the mobile treatment plants are quiet to run, do not produce a smell, and are automatically and remotely managed.
The system requires only electricity to run, no additional piping, and costs around 15 cents per day. With almost 100 per cent of the water that is cleaned able to be used again, the system is incredibly efficient and could cut local water costs and volume of use by up to 40 per cent.
As water scarcity continues to grow globally, solutions such as Huliot’s have the potential to significantly improve urban living conditions. Springwise has previously spotted innovations taking inspiration from nature, with apples being used to remove nanoplastics and algae providing a chemical-free cleaning process.
Spotted: Having experienced life in a bike seat as a bicycle messenger in Vienna, the founder of GLEAM e-bikes put his on-the-road experience into creating a multi-use vehicle that easily handles the complexities of urban cycling. To create something that can easily compete with the carrying capacity of a car, yet with the freedom that biking provides, GLEAM uses a three-wheeled base to carry a multitude of types of cargo.
Leisure users can carry up to two children as well as bags and other goods. Businesses can choose from two sizes of cargo boxes, as well as an insulated option, and all versions are customisable for branding and advertising. The cargo containers lock, and for other transport needs, there is a further three sizes of covered trailer to choose from.
Dynamic Tilting Technology ensures that passengers and cargo stay level when travelling over uneven surfaces, and the base can be resized as needed depending on what is being carried. The motor is quiet and reaches top speeds of more than 25 kilometres per hour. The company provides a range of manuals and video guides for setting up and using the bike and offers a variety of custom design options. Each order takes four to six weeks to fulfill, and customers only need to mount the front wheel when the bike arrives.
The need to make cycling more accessible in order to combat air pollution is leading to innovations such as zip-on tyre treads for cold weather biking and e-rickshaws that reuse old EV batteries.
London-based toothbrush company Suri has created Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush, an electric toothbrush with an aluminium body and brush heads made from plant-based materials that can be recycled after use.
Suri founders Mark Rushmore and Gyve Safavi designed the Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush after learning that nearly every plastic toothbrush ever owned still exists in the world. They believe it could replace plastic toothbrushes – four million of which they say are disposed of each year around the world.
Suri has released an electric toothbrush that has a recyclable head
“Over the last few decades, electric brushes haven’t meaningfully changed; only novelty features, such as Bluetooth-enabled apps, have emerged on the market under the guise of innovation,” Rushmore told Dezeen.
“While most are bulky composites of plastic that can’t be recycled because they’re welded shut, it’s no surprise that every year over four billion brushes – including electric ones – are thrown away and end up either in landfill or in our oceans,” he added.
“We wanted to create a brush that champions design, performance and sustainability without compromise.”
The bristles are made from corn starch and castor oil
The Sustainable Sonic Toothbrush heads, which come with medium to soft bristles are made from corn starch and castor oil.
Traditional toothbrushes usually have bristles made from nylon, which end up as landfill waste or marine waste for decades.
By contrast, Suri claims that they are 100 per cent recyclable. Users can send their used brush heads back to the brand in the post in compostable paper bags provided by the company.
The toothbrush body is made from aluminium
By using a pre-paid compostable return service, Suri hopes to make the process of changing heads as easy as possible and discourage its customers from switching back to disposable brushes out of convenience.
The company recommends changing the brush head every three to four months as you would traditional electronic toothbrush heads.
It comes in three muted colours
Alternatively, the brush heads can be recycled at home by removing the bristles and disposing of them in a home waste bin where the brand says they will eventually break down in a couple of years.
According to the toothbrush manual, the metal clips that connect the bristles to the head and the inner core of the head can also be recycled at home in the same way as aluminium foil. The remaining cornstarch shell can be sent to a local industrial composter.
Meanwhile, the aluminium body can be sent back to Suri to be repaired or have its rechargeable Li-ion batteries replaced once they run out. The batteries are designed to last for up to 30 days without being charged.
“Once a customer’s battery dies, they can send back the brush to us to replace the battery or complete any other repairs, if necessary,” Safavi explained.
“Whilst we’re refurbishing the brush, we will send that customer a replacement brush so they can still brush their teeth.”
Users can send the body back to the company to be repaired
Despite Suri’s sustainability claims, the brand sources the materials and manufactures its toothbrushes in China. As a result, the product’s carbon footprint is much larger than it would be if the product was manufactured locally.
“All components are sourced in China but we found that we could reduce our scope three emissions by not shipping parts to the region to assemble and then ship on once again,” Rushmore said.
“We are looking to make production more local, but this was the most optimal way to launch with sustainability in mind.”
Cutting down on virgin plastic in toiletries is one way that designers are trying to make their products more sustainable.
New York toiletries company By Humankind created refillable deodorants and dehydrated mouthwash that come in paper pods made of biodegradable paper while design studio Visibility developed a re-fillable container for plant-based deodorant brand Myro that uses 50 per cent less plastic than a regular disposable toiletry.
Suri’s Sonic Toothbrush has been shortlisted in the product design category of the Dezeen Awards. Other products shortlisted for design awards include Tenuto 2, a wearable vibrator by MysteryVibe that is designed for those who experience erectile dysfunction.
