Future Ecology Designed

EVs Fisked

2007-11-04T10:37:00.000+13:00

I've always wished the Tesla roadster was built with pure Elise bodywork, it somehow lost most of the original's sex appeal in translation. However, I think the new plug-in hybrid by Fisker, of Aston DB9 fame, must be one of the most slinky electric vehicles yet.

'IRVINE, Calif. Oct. 31, 2007: Quantum Technologies, a publicly traded company
(QTWW) and Fisker Coachbuild, LLC disclose continuing developments of the first
production vehicle to come from Fisker Automotive, Inc. - the green American
premium car company. The four-door plug-in hybrid premium sports sedan will
make its debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January with a starting price of $80,000.
Initial deliveries will commence in the 4th quarter of 2009 with annual production
projected to reach 15,000 cars....

Performance details for the first car are impressive achieving 50 miles (80
kilometers) on a pure electric charge. Additionally, by further utilizing a gasoline or
diesel engine offered by Fisker, one can extend the total range of their Fisker to more
than 620 miles (1000 kilometers). The first Fisker will also deliver an extraordinary
100 miles per gallon - performance figures that will ultimately help to reduce the
need for the importation of foreign oil.'

The problem remains, that the Fisker still panders to the failed model of urban sprawl- it's fundamentally a conventional, private, vehicle. The stackable cars below are a brilliant means of city mobility (if only they were half as wide, twice as long to really throw out conventional spatial wisdom), in combination with mass transit. I'd love to see a dedicated, traffic-calmed series of lanes designed for real integration of these vehicles. The Aptera would fit right in, as would the Loremo.

Carbon-free, stackable rental cars

2007-11-03T18:08:00.000+13:00

Combined with a sustainable supply of energy for recharging, the stacked-rent-a-car idea looks really appealing. Although mass public transport is superior, this could provide a stepping stone in the right direction. Especially in cities such as Auckland which have such a car-centric infrastructure already in place, it could be the key in convincing people to rid themselves of their metal beasts. I for one would find this a huge help (and most likely, very economical). I could sell my infrequently used car and save myself all the associated maintenance & running costs but still have access to such a mode of transport.

A group of researchers at MIT have been hard at work developing a solution that's kind on the planet and your scrawny legs. A team called Smart Cities have designed a small, two-seat, electric vehicle -- which they call the City Car -- that can be "stacked" in convenient locations (say, just outside a subway stop), and then taken on short trips around urban areas. The cars -- which are based around an omnidirectional "robot wheel" that encases an electric motor, suspension, and steering -- can be "folded" and attached to a group of other cars for charging. The lineups of rentable vehicles would be accessible from various points around a city, with six or eight cars occupying just a single "regular" car space

Via Engadget. See Technology review for more info.

2007-10-08T15:19:00.000+13:00

"....We have the option of letting the remaining resources of the planet be fought over viciously through militarized power or we can move rapidly to the ability to rebuild our ecosystems, share the limited resources the planet can provide us, and create good lives while doing it. But to do that, we'll have to get out of many reductionisms.

The first reductionism being the reductionism of energy. We've suddenly moved to thinking of energy as something we can consume, not as something we generate. And I think that generative concept of energy -- we call it shakti in India -- is something we have to reclaim, because the solution to pollution and wasted people is bringing people back -- deep into the equation of how we produce things, how we work the land, how we shape community, and how we exercise our democratic rights and rebuild our freedoms."

Vandana Shiva

Mitsi i EV

2007-10-08T08:46:00.000+13:00

Mitsubishi's new i Car is an excellent piece of design thought- only slightly longer than a Smart Fourtwo, but with seating for 4, and looks like something straight out of Ghost in the Shell..

An all-electric version has just been unveiled, for possible delivery next year. This seems like the most practical all-electric vehicle yet- a range of 100 miles, charge time of 7 hours, but 80% charge in half that time. A specialised quick-charge unit will provide 80% charge in half an hour, so de-centralised charging stations are a possibility. Top speed is 80 mph, the electric version actually provides twice the torque of the petrol version, and slightly more power. Overall energy costs are expected to be between a third and a ninth of the petrol engine. Price estimated to be circa UK£15,000, or at today's exchange rate, ~NZ$40,200.

Meridian Energy has discussed electric car trials, the i EV would be a superb candidate. If Mitsubishi released a lease deal here, I'd seriously consider taking it up in our single-car-household domestic arrangments (we'd need an off-street garage though)!

Edit: I've never been a strong proponent of modern hybrid cars, they appear to be a clever marketing halo for their respective brands rather than a hugely positive step forwards. Substituting visible, operational energy efficiency (in a narrow window of use, furthermore) for truly reductionist thinking. Here is the most recent list of overall, cradle-to-grave energy use by cars on the UK market.

'Conventionally engined superminis dominate the top ranks. The scientists gave half their score based on each cars' emissions of CO2, NOx and other pollutants; the other half of the score was calculated from vehicles' construction, energy costs, recyclability and size. The higher the score, the cleaner the car:

• 1st Smart Roadster - 66.2 points

• 2nd Smart Fortwo Cabriolet - 59.8

• 3rd Citroen C1 1.0 - 40.1

• 4th Peugeot 107 1.0 - 38.6

• 5th Citroen C1 1.4 HDI - 31.3

• 6th Fiat Panda 1.2 Dualogic - 28.4

• 7th Ford Ka 1.3 - 27.5

• 8th Toyota Yaris 1.0 - 27.2

• 9th Fiat Panda 100hp - 23.6

• 10th Pegueot 206 1.4 - 23.5

• 11th Mini Cooper D - 23.3

• 12th Toyota Prius 1.5 - 23.2'

By far the most interesting, avant-garde approach to small cars recently is the 83 MPG Citroen C-Cactus.

Photos courtesy of CAR

Wall House

2007-07-20T08:10:00.000+12:00

I've always really loved buildings which incorporate textiles into their construction. The Wall House, by Frohn & Rojas, is described as a 'design investigation into how the qualitative aspects of the wall, as a complex membrane, structure our social interactions and climatic relationships and enable specific ecologies to develop. The project breaks down the “traditional” walls of a house into a series of four delaminated layers ( concrete cave, stacked shelving, milky shell, soft skin ) in between which the different spaces of the house slip.'

The outer layer of the house consists of a skin derived from greenhouse technology, which climatically controls the interior and provides diffused light. There's a lovely balance between the skin, the slightly more permanent wood, and the concrete base underlying the project. It's quite a nice thought that eventually the skins might be modified to contain photovoltaic porphyrin dyes....

Foster + Partner's Siberian Tower

2007-07-19T08:02:00.000+12:00

From Norman Foster + Partners- in Khanty Mansyisk, Siberia, a 280m tall mixed-use tower. The overall scheme entails twin podiums containing residential, retail, office and hotel space. The tower itself refracts and directs natural sunlight in the winter months, via the beautfiul crystalline faceting. Truly inspiring.

I'm practically breathing microscale wind turbines at present, so I'm slightly disappointed the tower has none. Nonetheless, there are some aesthetic imperatives shared by the concept I'm working on and the structure above.

From Foster + Partners

Tank Farm revisited

2007-06-29T23:03:00.000+12:00

Over a year ago we posted on the initial design proposal for Auckland's Tank Farm.
After public consultation and some tweaking, a revised plan is now up and apparently has the go-ahead.

Extensive public feedback and ongoing discussions with key stakeholders have led to the following key changes:

the location and extent of public space
the potential for an iconic building site at the northern point
the nature and extent of Daldy Street Linear Park
the capacity to enable the city to host marine events
increased land for the established marine industries.

For a comprehensive rundown of the design check out www.tankfarm.co.nz
Looks like 2008 onwards will be busy years of construction for Auckland. I still quite like the overall design proposal, and the addition of more public space and potential for a iconic building is very promising. Lets hope they get it right.

A ‘Green Powerhouse' in Dubai

2007-05-24T16:26:00.000+12:00

A little bit marketing splurlg and still to be tested in actual practical use, but interesting concept:

"The Dynamic Architecture building, which will be constantly in motion changing its shape, will be able to generate electric energy for itself as well as for other buildings. Forty-eight wind turbines fitted between each rotating floors as well as the solar panels positioned on the roof of the building will produce energy from wind and the sunlight, with no pollution. The total energy produced by this inbuilt ‘powerhouse' every year will be worth approximately seven million dollars."

"Each turbine can produce 0.3 megawatt of electricity, compared to 1-1.5 megawatt generated by a normal vertical turbine (windmill). Considering that Dubai gets 4,000 wind hours annually, the turbines incorporated into the building can generate 1,200,000 kilowatt-hour of energy."

"The horizontal turbines of the Dynamic Architecture building are simply inserted between the floors, practically invisible. They neither need a pole nor a concrete foundation. In addition, they are at zero distance from the consumer, making also the maintenance much easier. The particular design of the building and the carbon fiber special shape of the wings take care of the acoustics issues. Producing that much electric energy without any implication on the aesthetic aspect of the building is a revolutionary step in tapping alternative energy sources. This production of green energy will have a positive impact on the environment and economy."

http://www.dynamicarchitecture.net

Related to this, a novel idea for eliminating floor-envy in businesses. Reminds me, as also mentioned in the post of the Stairway I visited in a Loire Castle in France. It is strange how you never realise, once inside the spiral that there are two levels to it.

Read the post on the a 1D skyscraper with a single corridor here

Eco Auckland - The cold, hard facts

2007-05-21T22:52:00.000+12:00

Pollution from vehicles alone accounts for an estimated 250 premature deaths in Auckland every year.
Every month the Auckland region creates enough rubbish to fill a rugby field to over the height of a 10-storey building.
Each year over 85,000 tonnes of sediment enters our streams, lakes, estuaries and harbours. In Auckland, sediment is the biggest cause of shellfish die-off in estuarine environments.
Auckland is the weediest city in the Southern Hemisphere.
Only 12% of our total land area in the Auckland region is native forest. (this isn't that bad I think)
The Auckland region has 56 threatened animal species and 105 threatened plant species.
80% of peak hour cars only have the one driver in them. (Count me in..)
It is estimated that over 45,000 cigarette butts enter out harbour every day. Each year 25 million cigarette butts are washed into the sea. (people trowing their butts out the window while driving. grrrr)
Every year over 1000 native fish are killed as a result of storm water pollution.
New Zealanders use over 22 million plastic bags each week and about 800 million plastic bags a year, most of which end up in the landfill. Plastic bags will take 500 years to break down.

- Taken from citymix magazine, September 2006

Wind turbines & hair dryers

2007-05-20T12:46:00.000+12:00

Would a move to renewable energy incite a change of lifestyle or a change of lifestyle lead a move to renewable?

Should we reconsider & redesign the process and products used for drying hair? It might allow for a large uptake in sustainable, micro-generation schemes.

Political myth-busting and making over at Daily Mail

From Expedition's blog, who comment:

Now I pose the question, do I a) be please that the online readership of the Daily Mail are discussing such issues, or b) scream at the simplistic understanding of these people?

On the Aesthetics of Wind Farms

2007-05-17T10:09:00.000+12:00

An interesting discussion over at Design Observer on the Aesthetics of Wind Farms.

"What is beauty and how does it relate to ecology? A look at contrasting aesthetic intuitions about wind farms reveals a paradigm shift in how we understand beauty. Our sense of the nature of beauty cannot be separated from our sense of the beauty of nature."

"In nature, there is no distinction between function and ornamentation. The opposite of wholeness is not ornamentation but fragmentation. Ugliness is the perception of fragmentation. Alienation is a form of fragmentation."

Read the full article here

City of Sprawl

2007-05-14T13:32:00.000+12:00

Electrified rail provides passenger movements equivalent to 7 lanes of traffic, with 10 times the peak capacity of current motorway systems!

It's frustrating most of the line is already in place, with electrification being of the essence for an effective modern system. While Wellington isn't quite as linear as Auckland, it's looking increasingly unlikely we'll soon see urban rail either.

Thanks for posting the videos, really worthwhile.

Here's an interesting debate between Tom Beard, and some local Rand-droids

Auckland : City of Cars - Episode 3

2007-05-13T11:12:00.001+12:00

Auckland : City of Cars - Episode 2

2007-05-13T11:10:00.000+12:00

Wind Kinetics

2007-03-07T15:26:00.000+13:00

I've started an R&D blog for my kinetic wind-sculpture. I'll use it as a more detailed journal of the process, so comments and critique would be much appreciated. Relevant updates will be posted here simultaneously.

Auckland : City of Cars - Episode 1

2007-02-16T23:18:00.000+13:00

"A documentary series on Auckland's transport problems, and exposes a number of "urban myths" about why it cannot be changed."

Architecture 2030

2007-01-31T15:57:00.000+13:00

Over at the ever-essential BLDGBLOG, Geoff Manaugh interviews Ed Mazria of Architecture 2030. Required reading....

Also related, G. Monbiot has published an essay, The New Friends of The Earth?, a nice antidote to earnest attempts to convince us that continued consumption, if green enough, will save the world:

"But there is a bigger contradiction than this, which has been overlooked by both the supermarkets and many of their critics. “The green movement,” Terry Leahy tells us, “must become a mass movement in green consumption.” But what about consuming less? Less is the one thing the superstores cannot sell us. As further efficiencies become harder to extract, their growth will eventually outstrip all their reductions in the use of energy. This is not Tesco’s problem alone: the green movement’s economic alternatives still lack force.

The big retailers are competing to convince us that they are greener than their rivals, and this should make us glad. But we still need governments, and we still need campaigners."

On a purely linguistic note, why must writers insist on using 'green' as a verb? so gauche..

World Wetlands Day

2007-01-29T11:23:00.000+13:00

February the 2nd is World Wetlands Day, and an exhibition is being held at Waitangi Park. The artificial wetlands there are a beautiful model for how our own landscaping might progress, so I anticipate the talks should be very interesting.

2007-01-26T22:44:00.000+13:00

Some quick updates from Sustainable Future.

Greenpeace has released their 2007 Global Energy Report. It's a great source of research data on the decentralisation of energy supply resources. Wonderful to see substantial projections of our possibilities.

"But now, four and a half billion years after the formation of the planet, nearly four billion years since the emergence of life on Earth, after five major extinction events, a single species is responsible for much of planet’s destiny. A species that through the power of its technology, the sheer size of its biomass, its ever-expanding energy and resource requirements, has changed the course of our planet’s history forever. And that species is, of course, us. The choices that we make now and in the future will have an effect on life on Earth just as great as that asteroid 65 million years ago. "

"Some of the measures needed to combat climate change may be incompatible with the WTO. For example the European Union is currently looking at introducing a border tax against energy intensive goods coming from countries that have not made commitments to reduce their greenhouse emissions. After all why should European companies internalise the cost of greenhouse emissions while American companies continue to pollute for free? If American companies can get away with polluting the planet for free then what’s to stop European companies moving to the US and simply exporting their products into Europe? Hence they need a climate protecting border tax to even up the playing field. But such a climate border tax may be against the rules of the WTO, as a restriction on trade. "

Excerpts from Courage and Climate Change by Russel Norman, Green Party Co-Leader. Third Annual State of the Planet Speech

Habitation

2007-01-26T21:48:00.000+13:00

A few links further to my intended course of study this year. I’ll concentrate on the idea of modular housing (or rather the power supply thereof, more on that later), viewing small low-impact habitation from the perspective of an industrial designer.

Some interesting ideas involve structural walls which could be built from either rammed earth or straw bale (with timber framing). I really love the idea of manufacturing rammed earth surfaces on site, but using a set variety of jigs which could be reused indefinitely. With steel reinforcement, earthquake resistance is possible. I can’t find anyone that has tried carting rammed earth pieces around, reinforced or not, but if they are hard enough, sealed, and protected I can’t see any immediate issue. This is where consultation comes in!

Perhaps a hybrid of rammed earth and earth blocks (the same material, but dealing with the compression of earth into blocks rather than entire walls on site) would work? A series of interlocking panels extending from ground to stud, but perhaps 2m or so wide. They would need not support the roof completely, as the thermal mass they provide is a principal benefit in this context. All the power points and fixtures could be positioned between panels, leaving the rammed earth itself fairly low-tech. Wiring would need to be dealt with, but could again just run through panel gaps. Floors and ceilings would also suffice for plumbing etc- exposed copper piping would be a beautiful touch next to the patina of rammed earth. A spaceframe from timber or steel could support and lock into the earth panels, relieving them of a proportion of the structural stresses.

The beauty is that rammed earth is built ‘from’ the surroundings, so will revert to its natural state eventually. Adding concrete to the mix actually destabilises the structure, and prevents this cycle. You are faithful to the inherent nature of the surrounding material, and avoid shipping most of the eventual mass as you would a prefab. A prefabricated timber frame would support this construction where necessary. See also, Pise.

Some inspirational Examples:

Kapelle-Versoehnung, Berlin

Red Hill Residence, Mornington Peninsula, Australia

Loco Architects, AR Awards for Emerging Architecture 2006, Tsukuba, Japan (photograph above)

Some links [by Nikolai]

2007-01-21T23:59:00.000+13:00

Here are some links that have really changed some of my recent thinking....

Vertical gardens. Beautiful. Surely this would work with any undulating impermeable sheet as a base? how about moulding parts of the sheet outwards through the foliage and concealing lamps within?

Paul Gipe interview.

Parlimentary Commission for the Environment on local energy systems: Of particular interest is this report on microgeneration potential in NZ, a parallel to my own literature review. It suggests that standalone small wind is not feasible where grid connection is assured (I postulated comparative costs, but moral superiority). However, the report finds favour in roof-mounted wind turbines of 1 - 1.5kw capacity, as a private relief on grid reliance. Most of my scepticism is founded on the structural stresses applied to buildings as well as inherent site turbulence, while the report cites noise as a primary liability. Some sort of cantilevered pole using the building as support would channel stresses, and I have some ideas for both turbulence (think splitter-plates in front of jet intakes on aircraft- I always knew a childhood obsession with aerodynamics would prove useful) and noise (wait and see, just remember most noise is caused by blade tip turbulence). In any event, if focusing on 1 - 1.5kw turbines, it would be vastly more practical to actually manufacture some sort of working prototype.

Finally, I implore you to purchase a copy of Endgame, by Derrick Jensen. I haven't read enough to write an analysis yet, but first impressions are of a similar approach to my own ranting vis the inherently destructive nature of our current productive-consumptive world order. Review Amazon page with reviews

Thought for Christmas

2006-12-13T12:37:00.001+13:00

Rev. Richard Randerson, in the most recent Listener (Dec. 16-22 2006), speaks about a thoughtful, intelligent, and non-literal reading of Genesis 1. Instead of a "pseudo scientific account of how the world came into being", he reads it as an allegorical "message of how we understand the world we live in. And for me, the key thing is that we live with a sense of interdependence. So all the parts of creation -the earth, the sea, the sky, the animals, the plants, the human species, live as a family and with a sense of mutuality and interdependence. The role of the human species is to act as stewards... it leads us to the concept of sustainability."

I think that is a really wonderful statement. It makes me profoundly proud to be an Atheist-Anglican who goes to the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Auckland every Christmas, the church where he is assistant Vicar. I'll think about Maui Dolphins and Kokako next time I listen to Berlioz's L'Adieu des Bergers sung by candlelight.

4-Seater Redux

2006-12-05T16:34:00.000+13:00

I spent last night re-engineering the 4-seater vehicle. For a number of reasons, I have decided to return to four thinner wheels rather than three wider. Various countries classify any 3-wheeled vehicle as a motorcycle, and thus require helmets; there is a degree of stability inherent in extra wheels, both longitudinally and in terms of cornering grip; the perception of enhanced safety etc.

Total width will remain at circa 1 metre, to take advantage of lane splitting and aerodynamics, with seating for 4. Construction, weight, and various other functional details remain similar.

The drivetrain consists of two units, almost like locomotive boogies. At low speeds, the units twist as a whole, both front and rear, to give a very tight turning circle. Either unit can rotate 90 degrees to allow parallel parking to become very simple- a specialised control would be required to switch into this mode.

At higher speeds, the units would continue to rotate on the horizontal plane, however a degree of tilt would be progressively applied via hydraulics. The tilt ratio would be determined in relation to speed, braking etc. by computer. Note also that the correct turning track for each wheel is provided by the differential built into the tilting mechanism- almost like giant skateboard trucks. Each wheel would have an electric motor positioned near the hub. I have avoided true hub-mounted motors as I believe unsprung weight is a real problem here, and they are actually quite impractical. Rather, these motors and their casings would function as the tilting arm attachment points, as well as the mounting point for suspension.

The resulting vehicle would have aerodynamics vastly superior to conventional cars, be just as safe, much, much lighter, more practical in urban areas, and hopefully even more exciting to drive. Efficiency would be excellent if using Li-ion cells.

A quick collection of links

2006-12-05T08:32:00.000+13:00

There have been some excellent papers published by the Parlimentary Commissioner for the Environment. 'Future currents sketches two scenarios of New Zealand in 2015, 2030 and 2050 depending on today's energy choices. These scenarios are presented through the eyes of two fictional characters.'

Sustainable Future is an excellent New Zealand-based resource library, covering a wide array of sustainable news and articles. Very concise, and a valuable source of current information, laid out in specific topic areas.

Sustainable Energy Forum has some interesting links and papers, but most valuable are the PDF EnergyWatch magazines.

Transport.Org.NZ is a website dealing with NZ transport futures, mainly through well-chosen links.

Design Led Futures

2006-12-04T12:16:00.000+13:00

Design Led Futures is an undergrad programme over at Victoria University. Energising water was the 2005 theme, and a number of presentations are available for viewing. There are some very clever ideas, beautifully presented. Of particular note:

Group Tidal: Go Osaki designed a grey water system with 'bubble pumps' which naturally pump water betwen filters, using human movement. The most ingenious idea.

Group Pulse: Daniel Emery's Pixel sink adapts to various tasks to save water. Jason Wright StClair's Kott is a bathtub which also adapts volume to the user.

Group Ka'pil: Jo Lewis' shower is wonderfully elegant, water flow following the occupant around the bathroom by way of pressure sensitive floor tiles.

Group Miyaki: Karen Chang's Glow, a vanity/sink which creates a face-cleansing mist. Lovely semantics.

Fantastic resolution and aesthetics, as well as really innovative design thinking. Inspiring work.