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.
Take a look at how educators, architects, and designers throughout the industry are making strides to reduce their carbon footprints in the rise of "come-to-carbon" moments.
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.
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.
The Role of 3D Printing In the Coronavirus Crisis
Two Italian engineers—founders of a company that makes items such as earthquake sensors and silicone bandages—take their country's ventilator valve shortage into their own hands.
As the tech scene booms in Manhattan, The Company Building at 335 Madison, designed by SHoP Architects, is hoping to reap the benefits by appealing to creative workers with its coffee shop vibe.
House Of Dots
LEGO invited artist Camille Walala to create a whimsical public art installation in London, which incorporates the brand's new 2D tiles: LEGO DOTs.
3D Printing Is Revolutionizing Healthcare
As 3D printing gains momentum across sectors, it's proving to be a game-changer in healthcare. The technology is making costly prosthetics more accessible and improving neonatal care with 3D-printed holders for syringes used to feed premature babies.
The next wave of nuclear reactors won't look like this! One energy startup created a compact prototype reactor, which uses hardly any nuclear fuel and is small enough to ship to any location.
Calculating Carbon Emissions is Key to Improving Health
In medicine, diagnostic tools are essential, arguably as important as advancements in treatments. Take the thermometer. In the early 1700s, physicist Gabriel Fahrenheit discovered that adding a bulb of mercury to a narrow glass tube created a more precise and efficient measure of temperature, forever changing the course of medicine. While the mercury thermometer was hardly the first means to document temperature shifts—Galileo created a device to do this in the late 1500s—its minimalist design and precise readings made for a widely accessible innovation. When it comes to the human body, an infection or abnormality only can be cured, or treated, when its presence is known, which means advancements in diagnostic devices are constantly in demand. The same goes for our planet, and instruments that help measure, maintain, and restore its balance are as vital as ever.
An Architect Introduces a Fresh Take on the Classic To-Go Cup
In the quest to create a sustainable alternative to the disposable paper cups used by most coffee shops, award-winning architect, Safia Qureshi, launched a new business called CupClub. CupClub creates plastic cups that can be used 132 times before being recycled. The business establishes designated cup drop-off points (often at coffee shops) throughout London, where tossed cups are then collected and expertly cleaned for reuse.
