SAVE OUR SPECIES / LACOSTE

To help fight for world's wildlife conservation, Lacoste partnered up with IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and created a limited-edition “Save Our Species” collection of polo shirts.

In a simple but powerful gesture, Lacoste replaced it's iconic crocodile logo with a line of emblems featuring 10 of the most threatened species in the world. Each polo shirt, rendered in white, is produced in a limited number of copies corresponding to the remaining population size of the respective species in the wild.
Featured animals are:  Those animals consist of the Vaquita dolphin, Burmese roofed turtle, Northern sportive lemur, Javan rhino, Cao vit gibbon, Kakapo parrot, California condor, the Saola, Sumatran tiger, and the Anegada ground iguana.

// SOS ensures the long-term survival of threatened species, their habitat and the people who depends on them. SOS - Save Our Species channels funds from donors to existing frontline conservation actors working to protect from extinction some of the world's most threatened species of plants and animals. //

[Sources: NotCot; Lacoste; SaveOurSpecies; HighSnobiety]

BLOODROOT BLADES / VAN WYK & SNYDER

//Unlike knifemakers who start by grinding down stock pieces of metal, these highly sought-after blacksmiths go to junkyards and auto yards to find recyclable metals they can manipulate, whether old springs from a 1954 Chevrolet or discarded brass from a shipwreck. They transform selected scrap metals into one-of-a-kind knives so stunning that customers are willing to order the blades more than two years in advance.//

//The word cleave can mean two different things: The word cleave can mean to bring apart as in cleaver" but the word cleave can also mean bring together. And the knife does both of those things at the same time, which I think is an incredible thing. It is cleaving food from itself to cleave people together. And that's a really neat characteristic of how knives work with people.//

[ Bloomberg, MADE, Bloodroot Blades ]

HOUSE PROTOTYPE / LUIS ROLDAN VELASCO + ANGEL HEVIA ANTUNA

//This project aims to build a prototype house with minimal ecological footprint through the use of locally sourced natural materials and the drastic reduction in energy demand; energy efficiency is achieved by using natural thermal insulation throughout the external envelope and by developing strategies adapted to equatorial latitudes for solar energy capture through greenhouse effect.//

Located in Sangolqui, Ecuador, this house prototype has a layout of only 50 m². To provide more useful data for research, it has been designed to be dismantled so that it can be transported and tested in other climatic regions of Ecuador. After its useful life it will be possible to reuse or recycle it's parts.

[ ArchDaily ]

  

SEA VILLAGE / BARBERIO COLELLA ARC

Sea Village is a conceptual project proposing sustainable design of temporary housing for surfers. A living unit, tetrahedron-shaped hut, is made mostly of bamboo, salvaged wood, and thrashed surfboards. The master plan of the village is an aggregation of 100 modules connected together by a promenade that extends in a straight line from the shore outwards. Alternatively, modules can be combined into clusters or exist as stand-alone units. //Life in the village system is organized across two levels: a lower floor, four meters above sea level, contains walkways and stairs that run the length of the development; above the promenade are the actual residences. Each has an area of about 100 square feet (30 square meters) and includes a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom located above the staircase. To allow the units to function off-grid, Colella and Barberio conceived a system of mini-turbines and rooftop solar panels. This hybrid system of locally sourced materials, non-invasive energy acquisition, and communally adaptive infrastructure makes the Lanterns Sea Village an insightful perspective into the adaptive possibilities of oceanfront architecture and design.//

 [ ArchDaily, Barberio Colella ARC ]

 

PAPER BRIDGE / STEVE MESSAM

// PaperBridge is an outdoor art installation created by artist Steve Messam, open to the public until May 18. It comprises 22,000 sheets of paper, made at Cumbria's Burneside Mill and carefully packed together over a wooden frame which was subsequently removed. It will be sent back to the mill for recycling once the installation is complete. The bridge was inspired by other temporary constructions, including Tokyo architect Siguru Ban's cardboard bridge in France. However, Messam's structure doesn't rely on fixings and instead rests on "vernacular architectural principles as used in drystone walls and the original pack-horse bridges that dot the Lake District," he says. // 

[ Steve Messam, Mashable, Dezeen ]

WALLPAPERING / DEAR HUMAN

Wallpapering are hexagonal wall tiles, hand-made from recycled paper. Except from their decorative potential the they also have great sound absorbing qualities and are easy to install. The tiles are available in a gradation of colours from natural browns to bleached whites and have endless printing options. Paper used for production is 100% post-consumer paper collected from local businesses. Combining different paper types creates all sorts of variations. After shredding and pulping the paper, the production process involves air-release dies and then follows a long drying process. Once dry, tiles are screen-printed.

The tile collection has been created by Dear Human, creative studio founded by Jasna Sokolovic and Noel O’Connell in 2011. // Since then, the studio has developed a coherent body of work in various domains that include public space projects, product design and the applied arts. Their projects offer an alternative perception to overlooked everyday landscapes by revealing the hidden potential of places and objects. After meeting at a residency in Denmark, Jasna and Noel immediately began working on ideas together and haven’t stopped since. The collaboration is rooted in their common interests in craft traditions, sustainable making, and unconventional material (re)use. Noel’s material expertise and attention to detail and Jasna’s improvisational sensibility and exploratory nature have led to a diverse portfolio. //

[ Crowdy House, Dear Human ]

UNIVERSAL TOWEL FOR YOGA, BEACH, TRAVEL, LIFE / THE NOMADIX TEAM

An eco-friendly universal towel, crafted to fit a variety of activities. It is super absorbent, quick drying, slip resistant, anti-microbial, durable, lightweight, packable, perfect size for yoga... Aside the fact so many great features are joined together in just one product, what caught my attention and remained imprinted on my memory is the motto: Own less. Do more. Not only NOMADIX created a product I would buy, they sparked a change of attitude.

[Sources: KICKSTARTER, NOMADIX]