Shipping Container Homes Weburbanist has a great article all about Shipping Container Homes - it's almost an "how to guide". Something interesting from the article: ... most containers are made of metal which makes them sturdy even when stacked - not to mention resistant to weather, fires, and other natural (and unnatural) elements.
Solar Cooling with a solar fridge & freezer 1:07 Entertainment & the Arts | One man's treasure-from-trash is a Centralia tourist attraction CENTRALIA — Wheels spin. Steel spikes stab the sky, and bright plastic balls float above Richard Tracy's sprawling outdoor art gallery, where sculptures shaped like monsters, dogs and humans have been crafted from the most unlikely objects — tomato cages, Styrofoam blocks and roller skates. Although many in this conservative blue-collar community consider Tracy's Flash Gordon-meets-Vincent Price style of art as an eyesore spread over three full lots, it's through his 20-year project that the former schoolteacher who prefers to be known as "Richart" is earning his city of 15,000 national recognition. Over the past few years, his unrestrained collection has been added to Web sites about quirky roadside attractions, included in books on a similar theme and compared to Los Angeles' Watts Tower — once considered junk, now priceless folk art. Ask most anyone in the city and they'll know exactly the place you mean — the corner lot on Harrison Avenue and M Street. Richart turned that down.
Shipping Container Homes - Cargo Container Houses Want your own container house? There's a six-month waiting list for the Quik House by architect Adam Kalkin, who is based in New Jersey. The distinctive Quik House comes in a prefabricated kit, based on recycled shipping containers (in fact a completed house is about 75% recycled materials by weight). The standard Quik House offers 2,000 square feet, three bedrooms and two and one-half baths, though larger options are also available. The Quik House comes in two colors (orange or natural rust bloom), and the estimated total cost, including shipping and assembly, is $184,000.
Free Watermaker Project 1:07 Extraordinary Art from Ordinary Objects Extraordinary Art from Ordinary Objects Using ordinary materials to create art has its advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, limiting ones palette means having to work around problems that may arise as well as relying on variable quality of the materials available. On the other hand, there is an implicit element of novelty and there are inherent opportunities for imbuing works with multiple meanings. These artists and materials may be unusual but the results range from conventional to extraordinary. Creative Carvings from Ordinary Objects: What do egg shells, books and pencils have in common? Portraits and Sculptures from Ordinary Objects: Who would have thought toothpicks could be turned into incredibly intricate sculptures, that nails could be used to hammer out a gigantic portrait or that packing tape could be transformed into compelling layered portraits? Creative Art Cars and Art Car Designs: Nothing is more ubiquitous than the automobile in modern culture.
Cargo Container House Plans Continue to Expand With the recession in full force, many people are saving money any way they can – producing more and more demand for designing, buying and building shipping container architecture. More and more people are planning and building their very own cargo container residence – either themselves or with the help of architects and builders – inspired, in part, by pictures and drawings that are circling the world about already-built shipping container structures. There are many plans available for you to create your own container home and architects who specialize in residential reuse of cargo containers, but few home shipping container structures to date rival the creativity and functionality of Container City – which makes it an excellent case study for anyone considering creating their own container home. Some architects claim that containers are here to stay as a basic architectural building block of the future.
Recycled Plastic Block Houses Plastic block press showing all parts and measurements. Final plastic block under 3,400 pounds per front wheel weight. The block compressed about three quarters of an inch with the weight on it. The block returned to its original shape when the weight was removed. December 15, 2010, was a big day for Harvey Lacey, the maker of a hand-operated press that turns plastic trash into building blocks. That was the day Harvey made his first plastic block. Harvey says, “I see a solution to two problems facing us today. Harvey goes on to explain, “One of the things I’m trying to do with the block press is make it like someone would under more difficult circumstances. Basic facts: The inside width of the press is eight inches, which is also the standard width for a building block made of concrete. Half blocks are used at corners and at window and door openings. Harvey believes this block can be produced in developing regions under the worst circumstances. Photos courtesy Harvey Lacey
1:06 Adaptive Reuse: 20 Brilliant Recycled Buildings Adaptive Reuse: 20 Brilliant Recycled Buildings Article by Urbanist, filed under Offices & Commercial in the Architecture category. Recycling discarded materials into new buildings and adapting disused structures to new uses is not just about sustainability – it is also about savvy innovation and stylish adaptation. Spiral island (shown above) is just one such example: an incredible mobile private island floating on 250,000 recycled plastic bottles off the coast of Mexico. Like it or not – Shipping Container Homes are coming to a lot near you! « The Life and Times of a "Renaissance Ronin" My family is building a home using shipping containers as structure. When I started this project, I thought I’d just throw up a picture from time to time, interspersed with whatever rant I was currently on, to demonstrate “what a nut-case that idiot “Ronin” is.” But… Not Ronin, but speaking of “Nuts…” Editor’s note – July 19, 2010: Since this was originally published, waaaay back at the beginnings of the blog, I’ve written a new ISBU book. Introduction to Container Homes and Buildings Okay, back to the post; Over the past four months or so, we’ve attracted over 5,600 views, from people in almost 100 (96) countries eager to see what we’re doing. Here in coastal Mississippi, we’ve been hit by storm after storm lately, almost like the hurricanes were lined up on rail cars and headed right for us. And I thought I’d take a break from writing about the house, to write about other things we’re seeing, that impressed us. And “Energy” is gonna be a big piece of that puzzle. Enter the Chinese.
Is Your Cell Phone a Health Hazard? | Care2 Healthy & Green Living By the Editors of Prevention Collectively, Americans spend more than 6 billion minutes a day glued to their cell phones. But new science suggests a link between heavy cell phone use (30 minutes or more a day) and an increased risk of a type of brain cancer. And now a brand-new study from the National Institutes of Health reports that the electromagnetic radiation that’s given off by a cell phone antenna triggers an increase of brain glucose in the area of the head that’s closest to where the cell phone is held. The health effects, if any, remain unknown. But if you want to minimize your exposure until all the evidence is in, follow these proven safety tips from Devra Lee Davis, PhD, an epidemiologist and author of the book Disconnect: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation. Are your electronics making you sick? 1. 2. 11 Ways to protect yourself from dirty electricity. 3. 4. The truth about 22 common health myths and misperceptions.
1:06 Green Art, Design and Technology Green Art, Design and Technology Going green has gone mainstream and with its newfound popularity has come a surge of interest followed by some amazing innovations. From strange green vehicles to creative green roofs, there is no shortage of sustainable design in contemporary society. Beyond the practical green, however, there is some whimsy as well to be found in so-called ‘green art’ as well as amazing tree houses and twisted arbosculptures. 7 Wonders of Modern Green Design (and 15 More Future Wonders of Green Technology) It seems like every week there is a new avante garde green technological innovation or a cutting edge design in the works. Urban Skyscraper Farms: A far-out concept or soon to be reality, no one is quite sure what will happen with skyscraper farms in the near future but everyone seems interested in designing one. Great Green Roofs: How would you like to have a goat feeding on your roof?
1:05 Creative Recycled Art, Architecture, and Design Many people associate environmentalism with gloom-and-doom predictions about the planet. While climate change is a serious issue, many artists, architects and other designers are also working on smaller scale green projects that both effect the environment and cause change by sparking discussion and reflection. While the actual direct impact of any given artwork or design may be small the cumulative result of their efforts is palpable and grows bigger with each creative and sustainable design or art project. Trash and Garbage Art (and Part Two ): Have you ever been to the art store to buy materials? They don’t come cheap. Recycled Material Used in Furniture Design and Construction : While some of these works could be considered kitsch a number of these are not only functional but also aesthetically compelling. Shipping Container Buildings (and Part Two ): Once a cargo container is too old or damaged to be used for its intended purpose where does it go?