Focus on Sustainability: B.C.I.T.

The British Columbia Institute of Technology has taken many initiatives to become a more sustainable place of higher education. They have made use of technology to enhance their campuses to provide a smaller footprint on many levels.

From the "smart technology" that makes the downtown campus one of the most energy efficient buildings in downtown Vancouver to the green roof at the Burnaby campus there have been many examples of sustainability in action.

From the site describing the downtown campus:

"High-tech walls of aluminum, high-performance glass, and glass shading fins let light penetrate the building to create bright interior spaces. In each room, wall “light shelves” can adjust the natural light, reducing electrical lighting loads and costs.

The building’s “envelope” balances solar heat gain and natural daylighting. The glazing is high- performance , low-E, and clear to maximize daylight in winter. Cooling requirements are reduced using photocell-dimmed lighting, which reduces the light level and heat gain according to the daylight available.

The space is heated, cooled, and ventilated by a variable-air-volume system with variable speed drives and 100% outdoor air free cooling. Individual zone-control, variable-air-volume boxes link to each room’s lighting occupancy sensors through the computerized building management system."

There seems to be some serious domotics at work in the building which is interesting to see on such a large scale project. According to the site, one of the goals of the college is to become a "net energy producer" and it seems to be well on its way to achieving this milestone.



The building was completed in 1997 and designed by Architectura.ca (which now seems to be part of Stantec.) Much information about the architecture can be found here on a University of Waterloo case study about the building. (Image Credit Terri Meyer Boake B.E.S. B.Arch. M.Arch.)



Other key phrases:
Passive solar gain, renewable energy technologies, on-site co-generation of heat and power, distributed and networked systems, energy cascading and waste heat exchange, matching supply quality to need and other energy conservation measures, regular measurement, reduction of consumption, waste and emissions.

WHOA its a scholarship!!!

So I have been reading Design Sponge for I don't know how long now. I don't go there as often as I used to back when I had more time to stalk read all the great design blogs there are out there.

I was very excited to visit for the latest and see this post with the scholarship returning this year for design students. I could use a little bit of that $10k but I am sure the competition is stiff. It's open to international students this year too so being in Canada I still could qualify. Not sure if my program qualifies but I will have to check further into it as the rules say its for those in undergraduate or graduate level programs. Crossing my fingers and sprucing up my website for my application!....

SIDIM 2011 at Place Bon Aventure

So I went to the SIDIM show here in Montreal. The design show that celebrates all things interior and then some. It really was interesting, I saw a few things that were new to me as well as some classics.


One of those newer to me things is this Bloom Chair by Kenneth Cobonpue. I find it quite a mesmerizing sculptural piece, like a fine flower. I was with a classmate and it turns out timing really is everything as we were at the booth right when the designer was coming in with another piece so we got to meet with him and chat for just a moment. Kenneth is from the Phillipines and most of his work is manufactured there as part of a family business. He studied Industrial Desin in New York at the Pratt Institute and his work has won many awards. More of his very innovative pieces can be seen at his website, Kenneth Cobonpue.

I SERIOUSLY WANT THIS!!!

How ingenius is this?


Found at the Electrolux Design Lab Photo stream on Flickr.

So Refreshing.............

I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS!!!

A Breath of Life by Fraser Ross from FRASER ROSS on Vimeo.

Pure genius.

What to do When There is a Chill in the Air

You could bundle up in your parka on the cafe terrace or you could warm up up in style if they have these cool patio lanterns on.



Are these not the super chic alternative to those ugly gas heaters that can be seen keeping the chill away on those cooler summer evenings? While the gas heater might not be the best "green" solution to keeping warm in the outside areas we frequent, they are sometimes a necessary evil. Might as well go with the best looking of the bunch and this stylish solution from Kindle Living is the way to go. Note they are available with the optional LED lamp so the base is not to be missed. The black versions are sleek and offer a less conspicuous option.

See more and get info from Kindle Living.

Such a simple solution adds so much class to an otherwise clunky appliance. This company is based in Southern California and these items are crafted in the USA.

Dr. Eugene Tsui

"You are the builder of your dreams. You are the master of your destiny".
One of my new favourite quotes. More can be seen at www.eugenetsui.com


I cannot sum up the life and ways of Dr Eugene Tsui in a blog post. All I can say is that his works and philosophies about life and other issues are unconventional and amazing at the same time.

His architecture is sometimes referred to as Biomimetic or immitating nature but he himself refers to it as Evolutionary. He is a biologist and mathematician. He lived briefly in Montreal and attended McGill Engineering school. His life is both interesting and diverse.

Other fun facts:
He only eats every other day! This apparently saves him 1100 hours per year. He is fully ambidextrous! He is a gymnast, boxer and also fences. He even designs his own clothes. I think the man is probably good at everything he does!

An Interesting Project

This project is a contest by Design By Many to design a house for the Katrina ravaged area of New Orleans. A bit much for an interior design student to attempt but I will be watching this one to see what the outcome is. Found at Inhabitat.

This is HOT!

I just found these hot new items that are getting a lot of internet attention. It's a new product that is actually on Kickstarter as the inventors (two guys named Dave from New Jersey) were looking for start-up money. Looks like this project is a go because there was so much interest in their product that their website crashed! Check out their Kickstarter page- $100k and climbing in pledges.

The beans are called Joulies and the website (still down) is joulies.com. The beans are some kind of metal that is safe to drop into your coffee and it will supposedly keep your java warm for hours. What a great idea and they look so sleek and cool too. Now that is literally a HOT product coming to market in May.

All Kinds of Etsy Goodness

I have been an Etsy-addict for a while now....OK so I guess 5 years is more than just a while and maybe I have a problem. I take long breaks from it sometimes but every once in a while I just feel the urge to virtually window shop. Its cheap entertainment for those on a limited budget and there are no pushy sales people. A bit of retail therapy never hurt anyone. But I digress.

What I really love the most about Etsy is the diversity of items you can find there. Above are some really nicely executed vases. A new-ish take on an old item, the wall hung aspect is quite beautiful and the forms are clean and uncomplicated. At $21 US they are reasonably priced also. Based in the UK, you can find Wendy Jung's Etsy shop here.


This item on the other hand is an aptly named piece and just goes to show the level of "?" that can go on in a free market such as the internet. Kudos to this designer for putting the "Thing" out there! It is a well executed thing afterall. If I was a billionaire and money were no object I would actually consider buying this item but for now $100,000 US is a bit steep for me. More interesting items in the Polish designer's shop here.

Muvbox in Old Montreal

I like this concept. I am definitely going to take a look in the warmer weather and see this up close and personal.

I also found a review of the place from Mocoloco which shows the place in summer.

A Day Made of Glass... Made possible by Corning.

WOW this is pretty cool stuff! Yes it is all the ideal and probably won't be the norm for some time but some really innovative possibilities. Maybe I should buy stock in Windex just to be safe?

Kartell

Kartell is an amazing producer of some really fabulous industrial design products. They are based in Italy and have been around for almost 60 years! Designs continue to be cutting edge yet always classic in form and function. Somehow they manage to meld timelessness with the contemporary in their pieces. Plastic is the name of the game for Kartell, and they do it well!

Above is one of my favourite pieces they produce, designed by Ron Arad. So sculptural yet functional. Love it! Available in Canada at Gabriel Ross.

Interesting and Out of the Ordinary

Interesting lighting from Aqua Creations. This is some really innovative and very imaginitve work. The sculptural element to these pieces is predominant as evidence from these few photos. Check the website here for more fabulous works of design meets art.

The design duo behind this hails from Tel Aviv in Isreal but items are available world wide.

Cool Stuff from Europe

Firstly from Muurbloem, a dutch company. As well as some rad wallcoverings, they also have some really amazing furniture which is not really what you would expect when you think furnishings.


This is Budri, another innovative Italian company that is putting out some fabulous flooring. Lasercut inlay marble flooring in very intricate designs really makes a statement.

3Form - What Can I Say?

3Form almost needs no introduction. Their innovative products continue to evolve. They even have Ecoresin which is a 40% post consumer recycled product. The application possibilities are very impressive as you can see from the website.

once upon a rainbow there was this really BIG project to do...