Britain to get first floating amphibious home February 13, 2012 at 5:46 PM Lawrence Hall This is a legacy post from the findaproperty.com blog which is now maintained as an archive within the Zoopla blog. Links have been preserved. It sounds more science fiction than bricks and mortar, but Britain is to get its first ever floating home after planning permission was granted to a house that rises with flood waters. The amphibious home – to be set just 10m from the water’s edge – is to be built on an island on the banks of the Thames close to Marlow in Buckinghamshire. Diagram showing the amphibious house when the Thames is at a regular height … The modern 225 sq ft home, designed by London-based Baca Architects, will rest on fixed foundations but whenever a flood occurs the entire building will rise up in its dock and float, buoyed by the floodwater. Diagram showing the amphibious house if flood waters rise How the amphibious home will look on the Thames And it looks good from the inside too Like this: Like Loading...
Barbara Hepworth: Sculptures All images and texts included on this website are protected by copyright. They may be reproduced for personal or educational use only. Doves (Group), Parian marble, 1927 (BH 3), Manchester City Art Gallery / next Image © Manchester City Galleries An Amazing Perspective I Spy With My Little Eye Amazing Perspective In A Sequence of Drawings* *These images are from the book Zoom by Istvan Banyai The story begins here and ends below. Scroll downward slowly and enjoy... high resolution photos "It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. Next: The Amazing Age Guage Want more features that will make you feel better about being alive? Sign up for our free newsletter. SonnyRadio.com Feel better about being alive! 2011 SonnyRadio.com
Driving Tips to Save Gas - Save Gas This Summer Tactic No. 1: Coast to a Stop Brakes are necessary (duh!), but they're inherently wasteful: They take the kinetic energy of a moving car—energy it took pricey gasoline to generate—and turn it into heat that's lost to the air. Tactic No. 2: Avoid Slowly Crawling Up to Speed Conventional wisdom says that jackrabbit starts consume more fuel. Tactic No. 3: Close Windows and Use a/c at High Speeds It's a fierce efficiency debate: Open the windows in summer to avoid running your energy-intensive air conditioner, or keep the windows closed and the a/c on to preserve your car's aerodynamic profile. Fuel-Sipping Basics Monitor Tire Pressure Keep your tires properly inflated, because low pressure increases rolling resistance. Plan Errands Carefully Reduce the miles you drive by running all your errands in one trip. Warm Up the Engine Cars get better fuel economy when the engine is warm.
D-Shape 3D printer can print full-sized houses The growing popularity of 3D printers, such as the Printbot or MakerBot's Thing-o-Matic, testify to the fact that additive manufacturing is slowly entering the mainstream. The devices are now small enough to fit on a desk and they can make all sorts of stuff, such as toys, chess figures, or spare door knobs. But what if you want to make something slightly bigger - say, a house? View all The D-Shape is potentially capable of printing a two story building - complete with stairs, partition walls, columns, domes, and piping cavities - using only ordinary sand and an inorganic binder. The building process is very close to what we'd expect of a huge 3D printer. The desired structure is erected in a single work session, starting from the bottom up. The time gap widens in the case of structures with custom shapes. This all sounds very promising. Once it's ready, be sure to watch the documentary by Marc Webb and Jack Wake Walker titled The Man Who Prints Houses. Source: Monolite UK via The Verge
The Dovecote Studio by Haworth Tompkins London architects Haworth Tompkins have inserted a Corten steel artist's studio into a ruined Victorian dovecote in Suffolk, UK. Called The Dovecote Studio, the structure has a pitched rood and occupies the same space as the original building's interior. A skylight in the north side of the roof illuminates the plywood interior, which includes a mezzanine with a desk and corner window overlooking marshes towards the sea. The steel was welded together to form a watertight box, constructed on-site and lifted into the brick shell by a crane. Here is some more information from the architects: The Dovecote Studio The Dovecote Studio forms part of the internationally renowned music campus at Snape Maltings, founded by Benjamin Britten in derelict industrial buildings on the Suffolk coast. Above: the ruined dovecote before the project began The building is fully welded in a single piece, like the hull of a ship, to achieve weather tightness, and then fitted with a simple plywood inner lining.
Image of the Day: Aquarium Phonebooth - Food - GOOD - StumbleUpon Lighting designer Benoit Deseille and artist Benedetto Bufalino transformed this phone booth in Lyon, France, into an aquarium, as part of the city's annual Festival of Light. In an accompanying statement, the artists explain the inspiration behind the piece: With the advent of the mobile telephone, telephone booths lie unused. It's a creative way to transform disused infrastructure into an everyday source of wonder and beauty—or, if you're of a more pessimistic frame of mind, a vision of our climate-changed future. On top of that, there's something whimsically compelling about seeing tropical fish interacting with a phone: cross-species communication, anyone? Story and images via PopTech, via the Institute for Augmented Ecology.
Death by Caffeine - StumbleUpon We’ve used the very latest research to determine what’s appropriate for your body weight. See more about your daily caffeine limits. Recommendations for caffeine levels are different for aged 18 and under. Sure are. On the result, click on the item for more detailed caffeine information. Yes. A lethal dose is based on the amount of the caffeine in your system at one time. By using this calculator you agree to our terms of use. Apple to build largest end user-owned, onsite solar array in the U.S. Apple's Maiden data center already boasts a white cool-roof and is set to add the largest end user-owned, onsite solar array in the U.S. Following widespread criticism of its environmental record from groups including Greenpeace, Apple has made efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its products and facilities in recent years. As part of these ongoing efforts, the company has revealed plans to build the United States' largest end user-owned, onsite solar array at its Maiden, North Carolina iDataCenter. The news comes from a newly released report outlining the environmental impact of Apple's worldwide facilities, including its retail stores, R&D facilities, and operations and data centers. Being completed in 2011, the Maiden facility already boasted a green design and received LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council - a feat that Apple points out hasn't been achieved by any other comparably sized data center. Source: Apple Facilities Report (PDF) via 9to5Mac
A Studio for a Danish Artist by Svendborg Architects Copenhagen firm Svendborg Architects have built this artist's studio inside an existing stable building in Denmark. The studio comprises the existing structural walls that have been preserved, and an anodised aluminium structure inside with a roof extending up above the previous roofline. One side of the gabled interior has been finished entirely in mirrors to reflect views into the studio from skylights in the opposite side of the pitched roof. Photographs are by Ole Hein and Poul Høilund D. Here's some more from the architects: The new element is one homogeneous element in contrast to the white plastered facades of the old house. The project is both contextual and innovative. In its shape and colour blends in with the existing farmhouses. At the same time the studio offers new spatial feeling and qualities due to its small innovative solutions. As the client says: “walking into this space makes me feel more free and think better.” Click above for larger image. See also: