Eco-Vlog

Moved by the stories of COVID-19 patients and medical professionals from around the world, Amsterdam-based architectural firm Studio Prototype has designed The Vital House, a conceptual, pop-up healthcare center built from sustainable, prefabricated elements. Developed with an eye on the future, the proposal explores the possibility of quick-to-assemble, temporary hospitals that could be preemptively built and packed away in warehouses until the need for them arises. “As architects we can’t cure people, but we can make a contribution to make things more pleasant in the future for these people,” Studio Protype explained. Developed for quick construction close to the epicenters of virus outbreaks, The Vital House concept is a pop-up hospital dedicated to the treatment of contagious diseases. The architects propose building these structures from prefabricated timber elements for ease of assembly, disassembly, transportation and storage. Wood was also selected as the main material for ...

London-based architectural firm ACME has created a unique home inspired by traditional oast houses used for drying hops as part of the beer brewing process. Surrounded by expansive orchards, the Bumpers Oast House features four rising conical, timber towers, all clad in locally sourced, handcrafted brick tiles. The homeowners of the Bumpers Oast House came close to buying and restoring an old structure when they first came to Kent years ago. Deciding against the idea at the time, they eventually turned to ACME years later to design a new home that would feature a fun, modern twist on the classic architectural style of the area. Related: A circular home in Germany produces biogas for self-sufficiency Placed in a natural setting of orchard trees and lush greenery, the home’s four modules rise out of the ground and become conical at the top. Traditionally, oast houses had open cowls at the very top to let the hot air escape. In the Bumpers Oast House, this idea translated into...

After nearly 20 years, Tokyo-based architecture firm APL design workshop recently returned to the Maezawa Garden House in Kurobe, Japan to update the grounds for the Theater Olympic 2019 international drama festival. In addition to updating the outdoor amphitheater that they had completed in 1989, the architects created the new White Flower Arbor, a stunning open-air pavilion, supported by 17 living oak and cedar trees, that blurs the boundaries between nature and architecture.  Located near the Japan Sea, the Maezawa Garden House was created by Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate Maki Fumihiko in 1982 for global Japanese company YKK. Surrounded by forest on all sides, the vast property stretches from northeast to the southwest with the house on the east end, an outdoor amphitheater on the west side and a long, undulating lawn with a natural garden in between. The amphitheater , also known as the Open Air Theater, comprises a circular, grassy mound and a semicircular slope with...

Project Blu is a U.K.-based startup company that is creating sustainable pet products made from recycled materials such as plastic, textiles and leather. Each Project Blu product is made using anywhere between 1 and 300 plastic bottles, and each sale comes with a company pledge to clean yet another pound of plastic from oceans and coastlines through its partnership with the nonprofit Plastic Bank. “Our oceans bear the brunt of our plastics epidemic, with up to 12.7 million tons of plastic ending up in them every year,” said Geryn Evans, founder of Project Blu. “We are working to collect and manufacture high quality pet products from the mounting number of plastic bottles and discarded fishing nets already in our oceans, rather than make more.” Related: 7 ways to be a sustainable and eco-friendly pet owner The plastic is broken down into flakes and melted into pellets before being converted into polyester yarn, while fibers are extracted from fabrics to be made into cotton yarn....

Problem solving is the process of reviewing every element of an issue so you can get to a solution or fix it. Problem solving is a series of steps that you work through, covering multiple aspects of a problem until you can find a solution. Whether that's in a group collaboratively or independently, the process remains the same, but the approach and the steps can differ. To find a problem solving approach that works for you, your team, or your company, you have to take into consideration the environment you're in and personalities around you. Knowing the characters in the room will help you decide on the best approach to try and ultimately get to the best solution. 5 Problem Solving Steps No matter what the problem is, to solve it, you nearly always have to follow these steps. Missing any of these steps can cause the problem to either resurface or the solution to not be implemented correctly. Once you know these steps, you can then get creative with the approach you take to fi...

The fashion industry and sustainability are often at odds, but more and more earth-conscious products are hitting the market. One company, Olli Ella, is solely focused on creating long-lasting, versatile and ethically made clothing, with a capsule wardrobe for every body type. Olli Ella is embracing the slow fashion trend with only four collections a year. The first collection came as part of the initial 2019 release of the WARES line and sold out within 48 hours, proving that consumers understand the importance of conscientious clothing purchases. Earlier this month, Olli Ella followed that success with the launch of ARROYO, its third apparel collection, with every piece made from 100% organic cotton in a Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) factory in India. Related: Good Clothing releases capsule collection made from hemp and organic cotton The newest collection features 10 items, including dresses, bloomers, a jumpsuit and a top. Material off-cuts are used for headbands a...

Many of us work hard to achieve a successful career. We spend years in school, and then get a good paying job that we think will bring us a comfortable life. Then one day we realize that all we seem to do is work and have forgotten how to relax. There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious and trying to attain a comfortable living. The problem that many of us have is that we don’t maintain a good work-life balance. We know how to work, but we don’t know how to unwind and enjoy life when we're not. “Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.” ~ Mark Black In this article, I’m going to show you how to relax with some simple and enjoyable activities, so you can find more peace and balance in your life. Why Should You Relax? Some of the reasons for relaxing may be obvious. You will feel more calm and at ease, and less stressed out. Some of the less obvious reasons are improvements in your health. Relaxation can have a significant impact on your health. Some of the benefits...

Time management has become something of a cultural obsession, and like any cultural phenomenon, it’s surrounded by some myths — including around the term’s true meaning. What we really mean by time management is our ability to plan and control the time we have in order to efficiently accomplish our goals. It’s about balancing our tasks with the amount of time we have to get them done. The last thing time management means is productivity for the sake of productivity. Unfortunately, the endless number of apps that promise to boost our productivity only reinforce that notion. However, that only scratches the surface of time management myths. If you buy into them, you could develop habits that actually decrease your productivity. To overcome some of these misleading ideas, it’s important to understand why everyone — not just business professionals — needs to manage their time well. Time Management Goes Beyond Business We tend to think about time management in terms of how office workers b...

“The mind is the place the soul goes to hide from the heart.” ~Michael Singer “You think you’re so much better than me!!” As this phrase—laced with contempt—exited my mouth, I recognized the familiar words. I had grown up hearing this phrase often. The “rich people,” the girl who won the competition, the inconsiderate neighbors, the rude supervisor… “They think they’re so much better than us.” So, I diligently spent my childhood trying to prove them all wrong. I wore myself out trying to be the smartest, the best, the prettiest… you name it. I wasn’t going to let all those losers be better than me, or my family. No way! But who was I really fighting against? The answer is no one. In truth, I was fighting against my parents’ belief system, which came from their own childhoods. I was fighting their ghosts from the past. But I didn’t know that at the time. I had no idea I had carried this belief system into my own adult life. After exhausting myself trying to prove I was worthy a...

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that, in accordance with the wishes of the Trump administration, it will suspend enforcing environmental laws for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses will not face any repercussions for polluting American air, land or water, as long as they can claim their practices are related to COVID-19. “This temporary policy is designed to provide enforcement discretion under the current, extraordinary conditions, while ensuring facility operations continue to protect human health and the environment,” said Andrew Wheeler, administrator of the EPA. Related: Air pollution could make COVID-19 more dangerous The memo explains that staff shortages and social distancing restrictions may constrain laboratories’ abilities to analyze samples and companies’ abilities to meet reporting obligations. The new policy applies retroactively, beginning on March 13, with no end in sight. “The EPA will apply this policy to actions or to mission...

Los Angeles-based EYRC Architects has tucked an undeniably chic home into a remote corner of the Californian desert. The Ridge Mountain House is a concrete and weathered steel dwelling specifically designed to sit in harmony with its breathtaking setting. In addition to running on solar power, the project also uses several passive features to reduce the home’s energy use. Located on a hillside with the protected Agua Caliente Indian lands to the west and the Coachella valley to the east, the Ridge Mountain House provides the homeowners with a seamless connection to the stunning wilderness that surrounds the lot. Related: Oregon couple spends years building their net-zero ‘extreme green dream home’ Although the building site was perfect for what the family had in mind, the rough terrain presented its fair share of challenges for the architects. The craggy topography meant that the two-story home had to be embedded deep into the hill using two large cast-in-place concrete volume...