IKEA, the multinational furnishing brand, is spotlighting the importance of limiting furniture waste by opening its first second-hand store in Eskilstuna, Sweden, on Nov. 2. Located in ReTuna Återbruksgalleria—an innovative mall for recycled and upcycled goods—the 74-square-meter store will open for six months as part of a pilot run as IKEA aims to become "a fully circular and climate positive business by 2030."
Set Sail With A Mission
Meet Oceanbird, a cargo ship powered by giant wings meant to reduce carbon emissions typically released into the air by traditional engines.
Manufacturers Take Recycling Efforts into Own Hands with Innovative Programs
While wellness remains top of mind given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, some flooring manufacturers also are combatting another health concern—the mounting consequences of our warming planet. Action to reduce carpet waste, four billion pounds of which end up in landfills each year, is imperative as product demand rises, especially on the heels of the Carpet & Rug Institute’s recent announcement to suspend a $4 million voluntary product stewardship program.
In the Czech Republic, an artist 3D-printed a house in two days. It is expected to last 100 years and can be positioned on land or float on water.
Fly Away Without The Lines
As airport design shifts, replacing contact points with smart technology, experts predict this could be the beginning of the end of long security lines and maze-like gridlock.
Australia’s Underwater Museum to Open Soon
Sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor has created a collection of underwater sculptures installed in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The collection includes a sculpture rising out of the water that changes color according to the ocean’s temperature.
Lyft recently announced its daring plan to use only electric vehicles by 2030. The company also committed to increasing equity in transportation for vulnerable communities. Other leading companies may be inspired to follow suit.
edg Reveals 3D Printed Cast Concrete Collection
When technology and design collide, there are often amazing outcomes. For the architecture and engineering firm edg, one such result of technology-driven design is the Synthesis 3D collection. This portfolio of cast-concrete furniture and wall paneling was developed with, and named after, edg’s own 3D printing software, which has vast design and customization capabilities, as the new collection makes abundantly evident.
Scientists Eye Squids For Clues to Human Genetics
Scientists discovered a way to enable human cells to go into an active camouflage state, morphing into transparent forms. How did they do it? They got the idea from a squid protein. This could be a new key to understanding genetics.
Apple is developing technology that will be able to generate group selfies, a lost pastime in the age of social distancing, by combining individual selfies into one photo.
Stackable Homes are Here
Startup company Module has developed affordable modular homes that can expand by stacking additional floors. What’s more? They’re energy efficient too.
Next Level Energy Efficient Office Design
Design firm LPA created a California office space that consumes an estimated 70 percent less energy than one of comparable size, type, and location. How? A mix of smart lighting and space planning for starters.
Afghanistan's all-girls robotics team, the Afghan Dreamers, found a way to build emergency ventilators out of car parts, arming healthcare workers with much needed equipment during the pandemic.
Trailblazing Rovers on Mars
Even NASA's technology experiences glitches now and then. About a decade ago, its Spirit rover got stuck in a sand trap on Mars, unable to wriggle free. But engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology developed a series of motions that could help future rovers blaze ahead, even in challenging terrain.
Can We Zap Away Coronavirus Pathogens?
Some scientists are turning to ultraviolent germicidal irradiation, similar to bringing the power of sunlight indoors, to zap pathogens out of the air in public spaces in hopes of curbing the spread of coronavirus infections.
