Stupid Furniture Tricks

Catchy title, no? OK, there's some fun things out there that make you do a double take, aside from the inventive planter or two... A few recent ones:

The first, via Designboom is a flexible bench by Giulio Iacchetti: "Flexible bench is a special seat for urban furnishings. through the rotation of the seat/seat back it becomes a shelter, a sort of roof that protects from the summer’s blistering heat, from the bad weather and as a night shelter. A project dedicated to those who arrive in the city and don’t have a place to stay."

:: images via Designboom

Another from a post by Treehugger, the the stupid designation from a LED lit bench: "Almost an art object, the Light Bench creates the right presence in creative and communicative environments. Again thanks to its LED lighting technology it only requires about 95 watts of electric power which keeps operating costs down and protects the environment. ... Protects the environment? By sucking 95 watts to light a plastic bench?"

:: image via Treehugger

Another version of the kiosk/seat - modeled on a natural form. This one - Parasolar, from The Design Blog: "This is where biomimcry comes in and a brilliant implementation of the technology can be seen in the Parasolar green public seating concept created by industrial designer Parth Sharma. Based on the design of blossoming flowers, the Parasolar uses solar panels integrated in the design’s pivoted shades that open and close according to sunlight to power the structure and with in-built rain sensors, can also act like an automated rain shelter."

:: images via The Design Blog

From Treehugger, Vertical Patio by Seattle's Pique Architecture: "This back yard patio situated on a small urban lot in Seattle provided an opportunity to explore how a very simple and contained architecture can animate a space and continually surprise and engage its owners."

:: images via Treehugger

And finally - from the recently quiet My Urban Garden Deco Guide, a briefcase travelling fireplace... toasty.

:: image via MUGDG

Wave Cloud Tree Zoo

Not random word association, Wave Cloud Tree Zoo is one of three finalists in a competition for the NY Aquarium at Coney Island. The collaboration between WRT & Cloud 9 Architecture (along with a host of others) envisions a verdant and sinuous waterfront...

:: image via Wave Cloud Tree Zoo

Here's a project description with a bad online translation edited a bit for excessive silliness, via Cloud9: "The Aquarium exists between the people the marine environment - surrounded with haze, salt spray, the sun, and shade. The design creates a bony structure that rises from the perimeter of the Aquarium and the space forms an arch. The structure is minimal, as the structures is iconic of Coney Island. It stays lifted by pulleys of steel and is covered with a network of cables with more than 40.000 LED lights. These solar lights change color every night, according to the energy captured from the sun during the day. The network interacts with the surface of the Aquarium just as with the skin of a fish: it breathes, moves, communicates with the light and the reflexes, filters, protects and regulates the temperature. Actually, it is a series of artificial skins of tiles similar to scales; ascending green surfaces; lenticular images in movement, enormous, dynamic; sound surrounding ambience; facilities are interactive. A water system shapes waves for the whole network, creating a humid network that one likens to an Aquarium."

I assume this is the gist - as I believe I've got most of the high points - the biggest being the move to make the building skin similar to fish scales, both in texture and luminesence. Cool idea. The following is a diagram of some of the materials as applied to the 'web' - and some vertical greenery as well.








:: images via Wave Cloud Tree Zoo

Spotted: Pay Phone Planter

We've all seen them, although less and less with the popularity of cell phones - the ubitquitous phone booth. Recently on a site visit, I was walking by an adjacent property and spied some great makeshift plastic planters. I'd been looking at prefab products to use for rooftop agriculture, so did a double-take on these.

:: overall composition - image by Jason King

It took a moment or two to realize that the cryptic lettering on the side was in fact a silouhette of a telephone, and that these planters were in fact casings from exterior phones.

:: closeup - image by Jason King

The following day, I noticed this remnant of the original style along MLK Jr. Boulevard here in Portland... they do still exist...

:: image via Jason King

I can't actually remember the last time I saw one of these in action, as they've been replaced by either the more boxy variety, or removed altogether. Here's the closest photo via the web that I found (and it was a tough to track even this image down).

:: image via Payphone Depot

Although the newer models seem to work as well - plus many of them have the phones already missing. The phone shaped 'weepholes' along the side would allow for some supplemental drainage perhaps?

:: image via College Publisher

So for quick and easy planters - and adaptive reuse of materials - it's a good idea to keep your eyes open for sustainable possibilities. Another idea we were kicking around was the switch from the ubiquitous Portland yellow recycle bins to bigger multi-use bins, which will inevitably give us a surplus of these bad boys - which are ready for the garden or rooftop ag... with handles and drainage holes...

:: image via Oregonlive

And another example, predominately along NE Alberta, the form of trashcan liberation, where the old exposed aggregate clunker, mostly painted in bright colors, sometimes artfully broken as well - is transformed into a small urban garden... awwwww.

:: image via Jason King

And my favorite, from Hopworks Urban Brewery, one that celebrates one of Portland's major industry... (actually these are imported Iron City beer kegs from Pittsburg) - cheers!

:: image via Oregonlive