Project "House-sphere ARK" Description.

Using the principles of design for DNA helix homes. Priority Patent-1990 "Folding structure-frame netted a shell of rotation".

"House-sphere ARK" is a unique educational environment for students and refugees as a result of natural disasters. The manufacture of netted shell, can minimize expense the energy and material costs. Diameter house - 3-9 metres. House-quick-assembly - composed of folding steel mesh, three-layer netted insulation, cement, sheet metal, plywood, fabric, polycarbonate windows.

Target groups: children, schoolchildren, nomads, students,
refugees as a result of natural disasters. The draft provides detailed instruction for all who will be able to build a house on low prices with a maximum conservation the atmosphere and energy.

The novelty of the project-use of local materials; bags of moss, fabric, warm air veneer sheets, steel wire. Spiral DNA technology- minus welding and less drilling, without waste. Portable Folding netted a shell, elements spirals
how genes 3000-4300 mm. length (XY chromosomes), node-bolt (Nucleotide). Manufacturing shell elements netted in a special machine-similar to the ribosome living cells. For residents in the building- mobile phone and the Internet. It is necessary to synthesis of knowledge about genetics, mechanics and architecture to create fantastic architectural diversity and sustainable development. Made mini "House-sphere ARK" (puppet theatre) for children with limited abilities. Stability of the future - is to use the structure of DNA. I believe that
New technology will help solve the problems of housing and creation a stable civil society.

Snowflakes are designs, crystals are designs, music is design, and the electromagnetic spectrum of which the rainbow colors are but one millionth of its range is design; planets, stars, galaxies, and their contained behaviors such as the periodic regularities of the chemical elements are all design accomplishments. If a DNA-RNA genetic code programs the design of roses, elephants, and bees, we will have to ask what intellect designed the DNA-RNA code as well as the atoms and molecules that implement the coded programs.
-R. Buckminster Fuller

Technology spiral DNA suitable for design airship and submarine, space houses and hothouses. Thousands of people are realizing that fundamental change is within reach. Measuring up to the target issues for sustainable construction. Quantum changes and replication. "House-sphere ARK"- invention is based on the spiral of DNA and topology XY genes. Steel wire springs shell- structure(frame) similar to DNA and proteins. XY elements of a steel wire and sheet steel are linked fastening bolts.

For transportation home Biosphere-used compact containers-2200-2260-4550 mm. The prototype structure of the "House-sphere ARK" patent-Shukhov V.G. Experiments in a magnetic field with a cages Faraday and Tesla, provides the optimum size of the cell to form the structure of the envelope.
Ethical standards and social justice. This project contributes to the creation of new jobs and the transfer of skills across the local population, thus increase community capacity for decision-making to improve the quality of life. "House-sphere ARK", which can be constructed, operated, and maintained
community with minimal external support technical activities.
Everyone will be able to build his house. Environmental quality and energy conservation.

I plan to build a "House-sphere ARK" on a bog. I developed a biotoilet and electrical generator for autonomous houses.
Synthesis of sustainable livelihoods DNA technology high-hume in the region promises to significantly increase the viability of local culture and environment. The project is important to promote the transfer and awareness-raising available natural and renewable energy sources. Economic performance and compatibility.

"House-sphere ARK"- two floors -55+27 m2., with the exterior surface of -254 m2.- $ 100 000.
The envelope can be manufactured at the plant or in the workshop. Contextual and aesthetic impact; The house is able to adapt to changes in temperature and humidity. Efforts to integrate with the environment leads to aesthetically accurate
contextual response, the architectural expression of energy-saving technologies high-hume.

So, we can not cover all of our planet a great American city.
One look at the planet, to convince you of this.
When flooding Biosphere - float.

"SUN OVENS INTERNATIONAL is committed to providing an alternative to cooking with wood and charcoal in deforested developing countries that have been blessed with an abundance of sunshine."

This solar cooking device seems to provide a significant advance in terms of efficiency, materials, portability and cultural acceptance in developing countries.

A visit to their website indicates that a lot of thinking and field testing went into this device.

For more info go to http://www.sunoven.com/world.asp

Has anyone checked this out who could provide a testimonial?

Elegant looking indeed, but what will make this vertical wind turbine perform any diffferent than other vertical axis sytems that have apperared over the years, only to receed quietly into obscurity.  Common knowledge says that energy output per dollar invested cannot compare to the advanced  horizontal turbines that are spreading like wildfire.But according to Treehugger, the UK company called "Quiet revolution LTD might be offering something revolutionary -- at least in terms of simplicity of design (very few moving parts result in vibration free and virtually silent operation) and double- duty functionality by integrating LED lighting in the blades to provide decorative lighting or even messaging. The product was developed by XC02, an appropriate name for an engineering and design studio dedicated to providing low-carbon solutions in the built environment.


According to Treehugger: Trials were carried out at the end of last year and with the results XCO2 say that the Quiet Revolution will be capable of producing 10,000 kWh per year based on an average wind speed of 5.8 m/s. “If you had two of them that would satisfy the 10% renewable energy requirement for a 1200 square-metre office building,” says their marketing director Julia Grove.

• Physical dimensions: 5m high x 3.1m in diameter
• Generator: Direct drive, mechanically integrated, weather sealed 6kW permanent magnet generator
• Power control: Peak power tracking constantly optimises turbine output for all sites and windspeeds
• Operation mode: Max wind speed: 16m/s; Min wind speed: 4.5m/s
• Design life: 25 years (annual inspections recommended)
• Rotor construction: Carbon fibre & epoxy resin blades and connection arms
• Brake & shutdown: Over-speed breaking above 14m/s wind speed, auto shutdown in high wind speeds (above 16m/s)
• Remote monitoring: Event log can be accessed via GSM Dial up. Remote monitoring stores operation and kW hours of electricity generated
• Warranty: Two years on components

» Click here to visit Treehugger.com for more information

From: WorldChanging | Dec. 20, 2005 | by Jamais Cascio



Universal access to clean water is one of the fundamental Millennium Development Goals, and inventors have come up with a variety of solutions for making non-potable water clean and drinkable. Some are shiny and high-tech, and others are terrifically simple. One of the easiest tools for making brackish or sea water usable requires little more than sunlight and time -- the Watercone.

Made of a rugged, transparent plastic, the Watercone is incredibly easy to use: fill up the base plate with salt water, place the cone over the plate, and wait. 24 hours later, a trough around the edge of the cone will contain 1-1.5 liters of fresh water, produced by evaporation/condensation. Pour the water out, and start again. Individual units are expected to cost around $50 apiece, although that will depend in large part on who manufactures them.

And that's the big problem. The inventor of the Watercone, industrial designer Stephan Augustin, is having trouble finding someone to make it. This is a bit surprising, as the Watercone has won numerous design awards over the past three years, has passed preliminary tests by CARE Germany, and is currently featured in the SAFE: Design Takes On Risk exhibit at the NY Museum of Modern Art. Apparently, previous licensing agreements have fallen through, and Augustin is once again looking for a manufacturer to bring the Watercone to the people who need it.

Read the interesting dialogue on WorldChanging about costs and feasibility of bringing this innovation to commercial scale.

from gizmag.com



The circular kitchen is a new approach to kitchen design based on the changing needs of apartment dwellers and modern lifestyle. After centuries of conventional kitchen design, the self-contained circular kitchen challenges many of the notions of a normal kitchen, treating it more as an appliance than a dedicated, inflexible room. It can be easily added or relocated to any space, be it apartment, office, holiday home or factory and comes complete with all the facilities and storage space of a conventional kitchen. There are no conventional cupboard doors, so access to the kitchen’s various components is by rotating the central unit through 180 degrees, or the top unit which rotates through 360 degrees.

The concept of the circular kitchen came to master joiner and furniture designer Alfred Averbeck whilst practicing his trade in Germany during the mid-nineties.



Averbeck was witnessing the rapid evolution of apartment dwelling, and the quite different needs of a new generation of professionals who wanted more space for living and less of their apartment's space devoted to the traditional kitchen.

"I asked myself, why should a single person, whose career requires travel and long hours devote so much of their small apartment to a kitchen," said Averbeck.

"From what I was seeing, there was a growing segment of the population who were career focussed. These people don't cook at home much, are often interstate or overseas, and they are using 10-15 square metres of a small apartment at relatively high cost, when they would rather have more space for a small office or a bigger living area." So Averbeck began work on designing a very compact kitchen using the latest technology to reduce the size, and enable the kitchen to be moved and relocated easily, and did not need to have a dedicated room, or indeed, even be anchored to a wall.

The concept of an independent unit came early and many designs followed as the idea of a decorative unit that could be closed off and locked evolved.



What's more, it's completely lockable via the slatted sliding door and with such a small footprint (1.8 square metres), it is suitable for spaces that conventional kitchens are not. The circular kitchen consists of an outer circular wall with fixed rear wall and a sliding slatted, lockable doors.

The inner core rotates 180 degrees and is equipped with all the conveniences of a conventional kitchen, including a stainless steel sink with chrome single lever mixer, a waste bin and drawers. The upper circular shelf rotates through 360 degrees to house crockery, glasses, etc. Inside it has its own lighting, electrical sockets, electronics, water and waste disposal.

By utilising the volume of the circular kitchen fully, it has been possible to offer a storage capacity equivalent to that of a large conventional kitchen. "It contains the equivalent of 12 cupboards from a conventional kitchen", says designer Alfred Averbeck.

There's also the facility to specify the Circular Kitchen with all the appliances necessary - refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, fully integrated coffee machine, ceramic cook top with 2 or 4 cook zones, a built-in microwave/oven-combination and a Range hood.

As with any kitchen fit-out, there's an infinite choice of decor, colours, fittings, benchtop finishes and depending on the selection of equipment the Circular Kitchen will cost between EUR5,000 and 12,000 (US$6500 to US$15,000).

» Click here to read the full article

Mass Deployment Refugee Housing by Alice B. Phillips and Jeffrey Warren of vestaldesign.com

from Vestal Design:

The SHRIMP (Sustainable Housing for Refugees via Mass Production) is an attempt to bring housing and other relief to large displaced or homeless populations, especially those who have suffered in a natural disaster. Providing shelter to a family of four, it folds up into 1/4 of a shipping container for efficient deployment.



Massive Deployment
Taking cues from IKEA's flat-packing furniture, this shelter starts its life as a 10' x 9.5' x 8' box, or exactly 1/4 of a "hi-cube" shipping container. Because of this standard size and self-contained design, the SHRIMP can be dispatched in extreme quantity; Maersk container ships, for example, can hold 6,400 containers. That equates to housing for roughly 100,000 people, on a single ship. Need medical or administrative centers, or even schools? Every 100th or 1000th SHRIMP can be a specialized unit, creating a complete mobile community. And using the solar distillery on the SHRIMP's roof, fresh water needs are significantly reduced.




Pack It Up

The SHRIMP has pontoons which automatically inflate, using compressed air canisters - assembly takes minutes, not hours. Because many container ships have cranes, this eliminates the need for docking infrastructure - units can be unloaded anywhere there's water. As standard-sized shipping containers, the SHRIMP can also easily be trucked across land. In addition, the simple wooden interior is modifiable with tools available in most places, allowing units to be customized or even converted into more permanent homes.




Sustainable Living
SHRIMP units can be refitted for reuse, and use sustainably farmed wood (see Forest Stewardship Council). They can also be retrofitted out of shipping containers, which are piling up in the US: "It costs $2,000 to ship an empty container back to its source, he said, but China can build new ones for $1,200," writes the Virginian Pilot. The SHRIMP draws upon that waste stream, providing both humanitarian aid and waste management.



» Click here to visit Vestal Design

LifeStraw is winner of the INDEX: people's choice award

Designed in: Netherlands, Denmark, Israel

Problem: Getting clean water to people in developing countries.
The world's greatest killer is diarrhoeal diseases from bacteria like typhoid, cholera, E. coli, salmonella etc.



Solution: With LifeStraw™ which lasts for one person's annual needs of clean water, nobody needs to die from these diseases. This design is made with special emphasis on avoiding any moving parts, to disregard spare parts, and to avoid the use of electricity, which does not exist in many areas in the Third World.

But as force is needed to implement the filtering, LifeStraw™ uses the natural source of suckling that even babies are able to perform.

The LifeStraw™ is produced at a price that people in the business find hard to believe, but it is essential to be able to present an affordable price to the consumer in the Third World. So far the product is not marketed yet, but after intensive laboratory tests we are now conducting field tests to observe where the filter could be improved for users. When fully used in the Third World this will indeed be a lifesaver.

» Click here to read the interview with the lead designer

INDEX: is a world event for design and innovation set to take place every four years in Copenhagen. It will be launched in September 2005.


The 2005 event features:

• INDEX: Award, the world's largest design and innovation awards
• Two major international design exhibitions
• A summit for the world's creative leaders.

INDEX: is also an international network of designers, corporations, organizations and design institutions that collaborate in disseminating and applying the latest knowledge within the field of design embraced by the INDEX: event.



2005 INDEX Award Nominee
How did this design improve life?:
The Simple Toilet, pissoir, bidet, washbasin, sink and bin are household sanitation devices for poor conditions where no water is available. They can be hand-made in minutes from common or waste materials and need only a cup of water for operation. They are also odour-free, portable and can re-use water and waste. Their construction involves survival skills that enable people in need to immediately improve their living conditions without depending on any external aid. People can learn them in hours and even develop their own technique for assembly and use. It is a short-term solution for emergency situations and a long-term solution for the poorest worldwide.

INDEX: is a world event for design and innovation set to take place every four years in Copenhagen. It will be launched in September 2005. Events will be featured every fourth year from 2005. The network seeks to ensure that the recommendations set up by the world's creative leaders during the 2005 Views summit will be put to the test before the second INDEX: event in 2009. INDEX: Award is just one of several events focusing on Design to Improve Life. In 2005, INDEX: will stage the following events:

• INDEX: Award, with focus on what Design to Improve Life is. The best international examples of Design to Improve Life will be exhibited and a select few will be awarded.
• Views — Charter for Improved Life, a summit for the world's leading creative minds who are set to formulate how designers can work with Design to Improve Life and thus address important global issues.
• Future Scenarios, which illustrates the importance of working with Design to Improve Life.

» Click here to find out more