Designing for Velomobile Diversity

December 5, 2012 by kris de decker Filed Under: Pedal power, Quadricycles, Travel, Tricycles, Trikes

SoftShell-Velomobile-concept“Velomobiles currently appeal to niche, enthusiast markets through a range of both low scale production and D.I.Y processes.”

“This paper explores the current limitations in promoting velomobiles as a commuter alternative to the automobile in that it proposes velomobile diversity be approached through the application of dynamic, emotive styling, vehicular packaging variations and functional storage, together with the use of sustainable construction materials with techniques that reduce assembly and fabrication costs.”

“To this end, the paper discusses two conceptual case studies that explore applied industrial design processes, diverse construction and alternative manufacturing techniques. Both are positioned outside current fabrication processes, where one explores ‘natural’ production – specifically, the pre-harvest deformation of bamboo with shape tessellation to reduce parts complexity whilst allowing natural processes to fulfil pre-determined forms – and the other reuses post-consumer waste in an interminably variable tensegrity frame construction designed for continued open-source development.”

Designing for Velomobile Diversity: Alternative opportunities for sustainable personal mobility (PDF). Alexander Vittouris and Mark Richardson, 7th International Velomobile Seminar, september 2012. Picture: Softshell concept velomobile.

Previously: Electric velomobiles: as fast and comfortable as automobiles, but 80 times more efficient.

Bubble Wrap Window Insulation

December 3, 2012 by kris de decker Filed Under: DIY, Insulation, Random, Windows

bubble wrap window insulation

“This is a simple technique for insulating windows with bubble wrap packing material. Bubble wrap is often used to insulate greenhouse windows in the winter, but it also seems to work fine for windows in the house. The view through the bubble wrapped window is fuzzy, so don’t use it on windows where you need a clear view. But, it does let plenty of light through.”

“The bubble wrap has a short payback in cold climates. About 2 months for single glazed windows, and half a heating season for double glazed windows. For an 7000 degree day climate (northern US), and single glazed windows, the bubble wrap increases the R value from about R1 to about R2. This cuts the heat loss from the window in half.” Read more.

Last Child in the Woods

December 3, 2012 by kris de decker Filed Under: Education, Environmentalism, Nature

“The remarkable collapse of children’s engagement with nature – which is even faster than the collapse of the natural world – is recorded in Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods, and in a report published recently by the National Trust. Since the 1970s the area in which children may roam without supervision has decreased by almost 90%. In one generation the proportion of children regularly playing in wild places in the UK has fallen from over half to fewer than one in ten. In the US, in just six years (1997-2003) children with particular outdoor hobbies fell by half. Eleven to 15 year-olds in Britain now spend, on average, half their waking day in front of a screen. The young people we might have expected to lead the defence of nature have less and less to do with it.” Read more.

Pedal Powered Un-Knitting Machine

November 30, 2012 by kris de decker Filed Under: Clothes, Pedal power, Pedal powered machines, Random, Wool

pedal powered un-knitting machine

“A highly unusual bicycle, designed to help recycle unwanted woollen clothes, unravels any clothing item back into its pre-knitted form. It has been selected as one of the best student design projects of 2012 by the British National Centre for Craft and Design.”

“The un-knitting machine is based on pedal power and built around an old bicycle frame. The un-knitter sits on a chair pedalling and wool passes through steam coming out of a kettle before being collected on a spindle. The machine was designed by Imogen Hedges, a student at Kingston University.” Read more. Via Treehugger.

Related:

Brazilian Slow Shoes

November 29, 2012 by kris de decker Filed Under: Craftsmanship, Shoes

Caboclo“Juliano Lima believed in the skills of his countrymen, but he knew that few Brazilian crafters had the resources to bring their work to a larger market. He wanted to create a global brand of leather shoes that were not only handmade, but made without chemicals for dyes or tanning (i.e. chrome). He traveled over 8,000 kilometers through Brazil looking for artisans who knew how to craft and dye leather the old way.”

“In the state of Ceará he found leather-workers whose hand-made process dated from the sixteenth century. Here they were still tanning leather without using chrome. To move beyond the colors of brown and black, he pushed to find a way to color his shoes with natural dyes. To create a more sustainable sole, Lima’s team began experimenting with using old tires, eventually creating a tool to craft the tires and separate the rubber from the steel wires.”

Watch the video: “Brazilian Slow Shoes“. More about Caboclo shoes.

Retrofit Measures Can Achieve Energy Savings Comparable to New Replacement Windows

November 26, 2012 by kris de decker Filed Under: Insulation, Random, Windows

window retrofit strategies

“Growing interest in improving the energy efficiency of residential buildings inevitably raises questions about what to do with existing windows. Homeowners often assume that replacing older, leaky windows is the only way to save energy, an assumption actively promulgated and reinforced by companies selling replacement windows and by the availability of federal tax incentives for installing new, high performance windows.”

“The confusion is often compounded by a lack of easily accessible information on the range of window improvement options available and the ability of these options to provide meaningful energy savings.”

“This study examines multiple window improvement options, comparing the relative energy, carbon, and cost savings of various choices across multiple climate regions. Results of this analysis demonstrate that a number of existing window retrofit strategies come very close to the energy performance of high-performance replacement windows at a fraction of the cost.”

“Saving Windows, Saving Money: Evaluating the Energy Performance of Window Retrofit and Replacement“, Preservation Green Lab, 2012. Via Old House Web.