Public art electric vehicle charging stations merge design and function

Architecture, art and functional elements fill the urban atmosphere, usually as separate entities in the same environment. Art may be located in public spaces for citizens to enjoy. Architecture serves a purpose, yet can also be visually appealing. Technology is seen throughout the city, yet often is nothing special to look at. The Public Art Electric Charging Stations set out to meld all these elements together, combining design, art and innovation for the function and viewing pleasure of the community.

A red car entering a charging station with wavy black strips.

The Public Art Electric Vehicle Charging Stations are a series of concept pieces that provide more than just a place to charge up electric vehicles. These structures aim to engage users at a multi-sensory level. While the charging station is a functional necessity, designers hope to increase awareness and inspire consumers to convert from petroleum-based vehicles to electric cars.

A solar panel atop a rectangular metal charging station.

Each of the five proposed charging stations has been assigned a descriptive name and unique design. The Silver Solar Charging Station features large sheets of corrugated steel for the sides of a structure that supports a large photovoltaic panel. One of the criticisms of EVs is that charging stations still draw energy off the grid, which is often produced by the same fossil fuels EV owners hope to reduce. This solution charges the station via solar power and streams it into the connections inside the structure or stores power in batteries until needed. The roof also offers shelter from the weather while the vehicle charges.

A car entering a red tube charging station.

The Black Waves Solar Charging Station also relies on steel and supports a series of solar panels on the top of the structure, with a distinctive black wave pattern. The Red Solar Charging Station is painted for an eye-catching look and offers the same protection and charging capabilities as the others. Another design, the Yellow Solar Charging Station, is composed of a different material, with a notable yellow dome built from an eco-friendly concrete composite. Also solar-powered, the structure operates via a series of round solar panels webbed across the dome’s roof.

A yellow dome with solar panels protruding from the top.

The final concept is called The Solar Wind Charging Station. This is the only design that is open rather than covered. EV owners can drive up beside it while observing the steel wind turbine and solar panel mounted to the charging station overhang. This is the only design with wind-power capabilities in addition to solar.

+ Michael Jantzen

Images via Michael Jantzen

from INHABITAT https://ift.tt/32yHJnk
via IFTTT

Comentarios

imagenes del medio ambiente para dibujar

5 Benefits of Drip Irrigation Systems

If you want a stunning yard and a low water bill, a drip irrigation system could be for you. Image: Jacky Parker Photography/Getty Images If you live in one of the parts of the country that’s been struggling with drought (or you just don’t want to spend a fortune on your water bill), you’ve probably felt that you face a choice with your outdoor areas. You can either be water conscious or have a beautiful, lush yard, right? When you’ve opted for traditional irrigation systems like sprinkler heads, that’s often true. But, good news, that’s not your only option as far as types of irrigation systems go. If you want a beautiful yard without the high water usage — and resulting bill! — a drip irrigation system could be just what you need. What is a drip irrigation system? This way to water your plants uses dripped water. A drip irrigation system runs either a perforated hose or drip emitters (connected by a hose) under the soil throughout your planting bed. Water drips through sma...

New riverside development in China will be an urban renewal

Architects VenhoevenCS have won a major riverside redevelopment in Shenzhen, China . They hope to protect large areas of land from flooding while also creating a vibrant new urban identity for the Bao’an district. The Pailao River Blueway Project constitutes a new biodiverse landscape along the central Pailoa River, an area under rapid urban development where rainfall intensity is increasing. Architects are using this project to design with the water instead of against it. It includes elements such as ponds, green roofs, urban farming plots, wetlands and soft banks, contributing to a natural sponge effect to absorb excess water from the river . Related: 100-year-old railway yard turned into a green space VenhoevenCS also has their sights set on integrating urban regeneration in the area. They have planned cultural and social spaces, including pavilions and parks for cyclists and pedestrians. The design illustrates their nature-inclusive approach, reshaping how human...

Say hello to the new Toyota electric vehicle, the bZ4X

Toyota is trying to win the electric vehicle game with a stylish new SUV loaded with techy features. The all-electric bZ4X will be rolling onto the lots of U.S. auto dealers this spring. If the name doesn’t immediately strike you as catchy, it might help to understand that “bZ” stands for “beyond zero.” The bZ4X is the first of seven in Toyota’s new line of bZ vehicles. That’s seven out of 15 BEVs, to throw another acronym at you. BEVs are battery electric vehicles, as opposed to HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles) or PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles). Related: Consider these factors before buying an electric vehicle All these Vs will help speed Toyota toward its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Already, Toyota has more than 20 million models on the world’s roads. The company has pledged to invest another $70+ billion in EVs over the next nine years. So, back to the bZ4X. According to Toyota, the new “BEV-dedicated platform, a first for Toyota, was developed wi...

NASA to test the world's first electric airplane

NASA has shared details of its new all-electric plane that is set to take off to the sky this fall. The plane is designed to run fully on electric batteries , departing from the tradition of fuel-powered planes. If all goes well, this will be the first step toward achieving a cleaner, cheaper, and quieter future for aviation. Known as the X-57, the plane is lightweight compared to traditional planes . Its weight helps it use less power over the same distance compared to its equal fuel-powered planes. Further, the plane produces less noise as compared to fuel-powered options. According to NASA, the plane is currently being prepared for initial tests, which will be conducted in the desert east of Los Angeles. Related: Rolls-Royce unveils prototype for world’s fastest electric plane The plane borrows its design from a four-seater plane constructed by the Italian Tecnam corporation. The main reason for this is to help in comparison of the two models of the design. The experts at NA...

Biomimicry house hints at a solution to the climate crisis

Houses separate us from nature. At least, that’s the idea we’ve had until now. Architecture that uses biomimicry , permaculture and related practices to keep nature in our building spaces offers a green alternative. B+H Architects Director of Biomimicry Jamie Miller is an advocate of sustainable building practices like biomimicry to help with the climate crisis. Biomimicry creates an architectural option that keeps us connected to nature, without removing the biodiversity from the spaces where we live and work. Now the B+H Architects’ newest residential project shows us how a home can blend right into nature itself. Related: It looks like a shark fin and helps urban river flooding A house that disappears into the landscape “Imagine stepping inside a house that disappears into a forest all without ever leaving the city,” B+H said. A landowner in Bengaluru, India wanted to achieve just that, connecting his home to nature within a dense urban area. He didn’t ju...

What are stellar earthquakes that make stars move?

What are stellar earthquakes that make stars move? The Gaia mission of the European Space Agency revealed the earthquakes that occur thousands of light years away. Argentine astronomers explain the scope of this space telescope and its discoveries. In 2013 the European Space Agency (ESA), launched a unique space mission: the Gaia space observatory, a spacecraft designed specifically for astrometry: the science that measures the positions, distances and motions of stars with a precision never seen before. Scientists say the mission aims to build the largest and most accurate 3D space catalog ever made of the observable universe, with a total of approximately two billion astronomical objects, mainly stars, but also planets, comets, asteroids and quasars, among other fascinating objects in the vastness of space. This week, ESA released a new update of data collected by Gaia in the last three years, after having observed 10 million stars and space objects, which led to the publication of s...

New biofabricated clothing made from algae goes through photosynthesis just like plants

There are a products that completely revolutionize the fashion industry for their eco-friendly approach and innovative vision. Although the fashion industry has made strides over the past few years in terms of sustainable clothing production, there is still a long ways to go. Thankfully, a handful of designers are coming up with incredibly innovative solutions to really change the concept of eco-fashion . One such visionary is Canadian-Iranian designer Roya Aghighi , whose new line of clothing, Biogarmentry, is made from algae that turns carbon dioxide into oxygen via photosynthesis. Made in collaboration with University of British Colombia (UBC) and Emily Carr Univeristy, the Biogarmentry line is a revolutionary design within the world of eco-fashion . While most sustainable designers are searching for fabrics that don’t harm the environment, Aghighi went straight to the environment for her unique fabric, using living, photosynthetic cells in its design. Related: SAOLA offers su...

This DIY algae kit is an easy science experiment for kids

BioBombola is a DIY algae kit specially designed to teach kids how to grow their own domestic garden of spirulina – a sustainable source of plant-based proteins. The project is the brainchild of ecoLogicStudio’s Claudia Pasquero and Marco Poletto, who wanted to create a fun and educational way to keep their children occupied during the shutdown in London. In addition to cultivating the nutritious blue-green algae, the kit also helps to absorb the same amount of carbon dioxide as two young trees and provides the home with the same amount of oxygen as seven common indoor plants. Perhaps best of all, BioBombola allows children and adults alike to interact with nature from the comfort of their own homes. Related: Eos Bioreactor uses AI and algae to combat climate change The two researchers got the idea after creating an algae-growing and air pollution data collection project with their children, who were already participating in a home-school program. After their experiment has fin...

This popular amphitheater is made with recycled materials

The Al Dana Amphitheater is an open-air performance space built in the Sakhir Desert, Bahrain, that hosts live events under the stars. Designed by S/L Architects, the project seeks to connect with nature through its context-specific design and minimal environmental footprint. S/L Architects’ design of the project maximizes the site’s natural characteristics and environmental features to amplify visitors’ experiences. This includes taking into consideration the natural terrain, sun path and prevailing winds to create the architects’ desired atmosphere. Related: This breezy bamboo amphitheater pops up in just 25 days The amphitheater’s fan-shaped form is carved into a limestone quarry and is oriented to feature the nearby mountain , Jebel al-Dukhan, as a scenic backdrop. The sun rises above the mountain in the east and sets behind the audience in the west. Additionally, the prevailing wind from the northwest carries sounds from the performers onstage toward the audience. This maxi...

Eco Vlog News

Welcome to my Vlog about the environment and general news related to it. The advancement of technology and the expansion of the human being are inevitable and an essential mark left by progress as a race, but it is important in the process not to lose respect for the environment and the world in which we live. Become aware of its deterioration as an initial measure to begin to become aware of how to take care of it. For these reasons, our little grain of sand as a contribution to an ecological blog in which we offer you the latest Internet news as a reference so that you can inform yourself and become aware of it. In the articles you can find the respective news sources and most current magazines on which the subject in question is being addressed.

Eco-Vlog

Buscar este blog