Jul 22
Jul 22
An unimpressive rendering, but an incredibly impressive building: The Sustainable Living Center
Posted in: Uncategorizedpimg alt=”0slcmum.jpg” src=”http://s3files.core77.com/blog/images/0slcmum.jpg” width=”468″ height=”285″ class=”mt-image-none” style=”” //p
pThat rendering above doesn’t look much better than what you’d see in IThe Sims/I, but at the very least that means they used less electricity to produce it; which is fitting, as it’s a rendering of the A HREF=”http://www.mum.edu/slc.html” Sustainable Living Center/A./p
pThe currently-under-construction SLC, referred to in the press as the ultimate green building, is part of the Maharishi School of Management’s A HREF=”http://www.mum.edu/sustainable_living/welcome.html” Sustainable Living degree program/A. The outside structure of the building is complete, and sometime today the mayor of Fairfield (Iowa, where the school is located) will flip a switch on a nearby solar-powered Utility Cottage; at that point, all remaining construction on the SLC will be done using renewable power./p
pSo what’s the building actually for? It contains classrooms, research labs, recycling centers, offices, a greenhouse, and workshops for students. It will be completely off-the-grid, generating all of its own juice and taking care of its own utilities; no water will be piped in or out, as captured rainwater will be filtered to drinking quality and wastewater will be processed on-site. And it was built using non-toxic, locally available materials. But most of all, /p
blockquoteIt has been designed as a building that teaches. In addition to embodying sustainability, it will allow students to monitor performance and energy efficiency and make adjustments.
p”The Sustainable Living Center will be a living, evolving building,” said David Fisher, head of the MUM Sustainable Living Department, who helped plan the building. “The building itself is an educational tool, not just a passive one like most classroom buildings. It will provide participatory education where students will be continually adding to, or altering, the building and grounds as well as systematically checking its effectiveness.” /blockquote/p
pBest of all, there are no wild, experimental technologies in use here; everything in the SLC is off-the-shelf and available today, which will hopefully prove inspiring to more people than the students lucky enough to study inside of it./p
pvia A HREF=”http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/press/renewable-energy-system,1393534.html” earth times/Abr /
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Jul 22
CR August issue: Summer Bumper Book O’ Fun
Posted in: Uncategorized
I-spy, join the dots, spot the difference and things to do and make: our August issue will help you while away the summer days. Plus we’ve got Will Self on advertising, Stefan G Bucher and more
Our front cover features a monster surf-off courtesy of Stefan G Bucher. Cut out the monsters and watch them ride those waves (while avoiding a craftily-placed BP-style oil slick).
Inside, for our Bumper Summer Fun Issue (yes, OK, before people start complaining, it’s not that ‘bumper’ but use of the word is, we believe, traditional in the circs) we have enlisted the help of some top illustrators to help you amuse yourselves over the holidays. You can play i-spy in the studio (with illustrations by Christine Berrie)
Indulge in a spot of join-the-dots, or find the (very) cheeky monkeys hidden in Johanna Basford‘s tree
For the fashion-minded, Elliot Thoburn has created this creative couple for you to dress up
And, for the more ambitious, we have plans to make your very own pinhole camera courtesy of new book Build Your Own Paper Cameras
If that all looks like a bit too much work, why not cut out and make the Peskimo mask on the back cover
modelled here by our very own Gavin Lucas
No, you don’t have to butcher your copy of CR in order to make this stuff – it’s all available to download in PDF form via a URL printed in the issue. Once you’ve had a go, please send in your pictures to gavin.lucas@centaur.co.uk and we will feature them on the blog (we’ll be especially impressed by anyone who takes a photo using the Pinolta paper camera)
We also have an online treasure hunt to find five of Stefan G Bucher’s monsters that are secreted about this site, as well as a fiendishly difficult competition devised by Bucher himself on page 3 to win a personalised prize.
Bucher is profiled from page 24
If that all sounds a bit too lighthearted for you, we have a Case Study on johnson banks’ controversial Science Museum identity
and a fantastic interview with novelist Will Self in which he reveals his family connections to advertising and the reasons behind his abiding fascination with the industry
Plus more in Crit, including a review of the Photo España festival
and new contributor and ace photography blogger Jörg M Colberg on a seminal survey of the American Midwest
Enjoy.
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Jul 22
Transformations by Tjep.
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Jul 22
CR on Flipboard
Posted in: Uncategorized
Flipboard is a new iPad app that is being billed as a “personalised social magazine”. So far, most iPad apps have been relatively underwhelming (we’re looking at you, Wired) but Flipboard looks to have real potential.
As our regular columnist, Jeremy Leslie, explains over on his magCulture blog “Flipboard sucks in pictures and text from your Twitter, Facebook and other networks and uses a set of well-designed elements to present the material. Basic Tweets appear as text, but Tweets containing links pull in words and images from those links to provide immediate access to the content being shared.”
Thanks to Mills from ustwo for this video showing CR’s Twitter feed on the app
Here’s more about how it all works:
The app looks to have fallen victim to its own success, however. Our repeated attempts to get it working have been met with an overcapacity warning. Apparently a new version has been submitted to the app store but is awaiting approval – as Troy from Flipboard explains here.
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Jul 22
The beautiful and creative designs of Pavel Sidorenko
Posted in: UncategorizedpSeveral projects of the immensely talented Estonia-based designer A HREF=”http://www.pavel-sidorenko.com/page/profile” Pavel Sidorenko/A recently caught our eye./p
pThe first was his A HREF=”http://www.pavel-sidorenko.com/page/products/revinyl” RE VINYL/A series of clocks, all beautifully cut from vinyl records and A HREF=”http://www.beautifullife.info/industrial-design/re-vinyl-new-life-of-old-records/” currently making the blog rounds/A:/p
div style=”align: right;”img src=”http://s3files.core77.com/blog/images/2010/07/0sidorenko001.jpg” width=”468″ height=”1227″ alt=”0sidorenko001.jpg”//div
pThe second was a student project of his simply titled “A HREF=”http://www.pavel-sidorenko.com/page/portfolio/fitness” Fitness Project/A.” As Sidorenko describes it,/p
blockquoteOne way people have chosen to fight [modern] stress is to [do] some exercises at home. Fitness culture has became part of our everyday life, making us healthier, more beautiful,self-reliable and happier…. Fitness equipment is part of our living space. These are tool-like objects we hide under the bed after using them. I want to combine Function and Decoration and through such feminization make the experience of exercising as aesthetic as the results of it./blockquote
div style=”align: right;”img src=”http://s3files.core77.com/blog/images/2010/07/0sidorenko002.jpg” width=”468″ height=”479″ alt=”0sidorenko002.jpg”//div
pThe third was his clever A HREF=”http://www.pavel-sidorenko.com/page/furniture/smartkid” SMART KID Conversion Kit/A furniture set. Unlike a crib that you throw away after the baby’s outgrown it, the SMART KID is designed to keep transforming into useful pieces of furniture that grow with the child until they are 10 years of age, giving you plenty of bang for your parenting buck./p
div style=”align: right;”img src=”http://s3files.core77.com/blog/images/2010/07/0sidorenko003.jpg” width=”468″ height=”638″ alt=”0sidorenko003.jpg”//div
pCheck out the rest of Sidorenko’s book A HREF=”http://www.pavel-sidorenko.com/index.php” here./Abr /
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Jul 22
Ask CIS Sailing Jacket
Posted in: UncategorizedFrom water to shore, Helly Hansen’s new seafaring jacket keeps you dry
After spending a rainy day on a boat watching the rigorous Volvo Ocean Race with team outfitter Helly Hansen, it was clear to me that the nautical clothiers know a thing or two about sailing. While they make highly-technical gear like their Ocean Survival Suit for the kind of extreme conditions most landlubbers only experience in the movies, the new Ask CIS Sailing jacket makes the perfect choice to shield yourself from water at both port and sea.
Its herringbone twill (coated in polyurethane) lends the waterproof jacket an aesthetic that closely matches the feel of their original 1877 fabrics, enhanced by antiqued metal fasteners that resemble Captain Helly Juell Hansen’s first outerwear pieces. Sealed seams, a high collar and a removable quilted vest for extra insulation and protection from the wind (or layering on its own), ensure the shell is fully functional and completely waterproof.
The Ask CIS sailing jacket comes in white or navy men’s and women’s styles, selling online from Helly Hansen for $450.
Jul 22
Uncluttering and trade-offs
Posted in: UncategorizedI tend to view the world through the eyes of an economist. When I make a decision — small or large — I typically do a cost-benefit analysis first. I know that the world isn’t dichotomous, and that there are unlimited shades of gray, but I still tend to weigh all my decisions as trade-offs. I have to give up X (or a part of X) to get Y.
To buy a car, I have to save money each month for a few years until I have enough in a bank account to buy a car that best suits my needs. Each month when I put money into savings, I’m choosing not to spend that money on something else. I’ve decided that Y (a car) is more valuable to me in the future than X (whatever else I could have spent the money on) is now, and I eagerly make the trade-off.
When uncluttering, these trade-offs are sometimes less obvious, but they’re still trade-offs. If I want Y (a clutter-free life focused on what matters most to me) I have to give up X (clutter). Except, it can be difficult to see how an old t-shirt or dusty sports equipment is keeping me from achieving a remarkable life. It’s not until the clutter is gone that the benefits of removing it are so obvious.
In my line of work, I hear a lot of reasons about why someone can’t live clutter free. These are really statements about trade-offs. When someone says, “I can’t unclutter because …” whatever comes after the “because” is what matters more to the person than uncluttering. “I can’t unclutter because I have to cart my kids back and forth to piano lessons, soccer practices, and swim team,” is a statement that the person values her children participating in extra curricular activities more than getting rid of clutter at home. In my opinion, this might be a decent trade-off. Having a clutter-free house might not be a priority for the person. What is important, though, is being honest with yourself about your priorities. If a clutter-free home is what you want (Y), then know you will have to give up clutter (X) to get it and you’ll have to spend your time uncluttering (Y) instead of relaxing (X) to make it happen.
Compare the benefits of an uncluttered life to the life you’re currently living and decide which you value more. Is an uncluttered life your Y? Are you willing to give up X to get Y? Only you can make this decision.
Like this site? Buy Erin Rooney Doland’s Unclutter Your Life in One Week from Amazon.com today.
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