[ By Steph in Art & Design & Geography & Travel. ]
A visitor center is too often an afterthought, filled with brochures and educational exhibits that pertain to some other attraction, whether a national park, a landmark, a historic site or an entire town. But these 13 visitor centers are among those that stand out for their own architecture and sensitivity to their environments, from an off-grid building in the marshes of England to a brightly colored river rock structure in Tibet.
OceanScope, Incheon City, South Korea
(images via: architizer)
Eco-friendly and inexpensive, shipping containers are an increasingly popular choice as the basis for modular buildings of all sorts, but the results are not always pretty. Architecture firm AnLstudio literally thought outside the box to come up with the design for OceanScope, a visitor center in Incheon City, Korea’s largest port city. Five recycled shipping containers were transformed into observation decks and temporary exhibition space to give guests incredible views of the city’s sunsets.
Sulfur Cavern Visitor Center, Graciosa Island, Portugal
(images via: freshome)
Travelers passing through the Sulfur Cavern area in Graciosa Island, Portugal stop for information at this stunning cantilevered building overlooking the rocky landscape. Architect Nuno Ribeiro Lopes renovated an existing structure to produce this fresh modern structure, which has two walls made entirely of glass.
Cley Marshes, Norfolk, England
(images via: inhabitat)
Natural and unobtrusive, the green-roofed Cley Marshes visitor center in Norfolk, England is barely distinguishable from the landscape in which it’s found. That’s a good thing for a sustainable visitor center located in environmentally sensitive wetlands. The wind- and solar-powered building is completely off-grid and collects rainwater to flush the toilets.
Caerphilly Castle Visitor Center, Caerphilly, Wales
(images via: archidose)
The swooping stern-like shape of this modern visitor center is a sharp contrast to the weathered rock of ancient Caerphilly Castle in Wales. Davies Sutton Architecture believed it would be a mistake to try to mimic the architectural style of the original structure when building the new addition to the grounds, saying, “The aim at Caerphilly was to create a building that is sympathetic with its historic surroundings and yet is clearly a building “of its time” – not a pastiche of the past or a fake. It is a balance of modern and traditional – using traditional materials to reflect the past but put together in a way that is of its time – ‘today’.”
Craig Thomas Visitor Center, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
(images via: archdaily)
Nearly as dramatic as the national park in which it is set, the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Wyoming is warm and well-balanced with a jagged roof that echoes the craggy Grand Tetons beyond. The gleaming metal roof contrasts beautifully with the western red cedar facade, mixing modern design with the rustic look for which the area is known.
Suncheon Wetlands Visitor Center, Korea
(images via: inhabitat)
The well-visited Suncheon Wetlands in Korea will soon get a stunning visitor center that provides exhibition space, educational displays and other important facilities without putting too much stress on the sensitive, shallow salt marshes, which are home to at least 25 threatened species. Fluid as the water that surrounds them, the buildings that make up the Suncheon Wetlands Visitor Center will be partially green-roofed, raised on stilts and flooded with natural light.
Nebra Ark Visitor Center and Observation Tower, Nebra, Germany
(images via: daily tonic)
Visitors flock to Nebra, Germany from all over the world to catch a glimpse of the Nebra Sky Disc, an ancient bronze artifact that is the earliest known representation of the cosmos. They’re welcomed to the town by this striking visitor center by Holzer Kobler Architekturen which stands alongside an observation tower that provides a view of the site where the disc was found. The luminescent upper portion of the visitor center was given golden cladding to echo the “solar bark”, one of the motifs depicted on the disc.
Snæfellsstofa Visitor Center, Skriðuklaustur, Iceland
(images via: below the clouds)
On a picturesque hillside in Iceland, this X-shaped building welcomes visitors who flock to Europe’s largest glacier. The Snæfellsstofa visitor center, designed by Arkis, is an understated yet thoroughly modern addition to the quiet countryside of the area, made of concrete, steel and untreated wood. The structure is topped with a green roof and contains a cafe, exhibition areas, offices, a library, meeting spaces and a shop.
Culloden Battlefield Visitor Center, Scotland
(images via: plusmood)
A monument to the last land battle within the United Kingdom, when King George II’s troops defeated Bonnie Prince Charlie and his supporters in 1746, the Culloden Battlefield Visitor Center features a wave-form roof designed to mimic the position of the government troop line in the midst of fighting. With a low profile that resists wind chill and a design that lets in lots of natural lighting, this visitor center includes educational and conference facilities as well as a cafe, restaurant, shop and accommodations for staff.
Cardiff Bay Visitor Center, Wales
(images via: architecture linked)
Designed as a temporary structure, the Cardiff Bay Visitor Center by Alsop Architects was another brilliant example of modern buildings placed alongside historic sites in a thoughtful, complimentary way. Built at a low cost with a PVC membrane stretched across its timber frame, the ‘information pod’ was meant to be a two-year structure but stood for over a decade. It was dismantled in October 2010 to make way for a new road.
Mareld Visitor Center Concept, Kosterhavet National Park, Sweden
(images via: ecofriend)
Sweden’s first marine national park, the Kosterhavet, will get a sustainable visitor center designed by White Arkitekter. The self-sufficient structure will harness its energy for electricity from the sun, and heat from the water of the Koster sea. A diaphanous shell will allow natural light to illuminate the facility, and drinking water will be produced from desalinated seawater. The sparsely populated South Koster Island, where the facility and national park will be located, is a haven for sea life. The name, Mareld, is translated as “sea fire”, named for the natural marine bioluminescence of the area.
Hanil Visitor Center & Guest House, Korea
(images via: archdaily)
The front of the Hanil Visitor Center & Guest House almost looks like it’s made of soft folds of fabric – but the material is, in truth, the exact opposite. Built to educate visitors about the potential for recycling concrete in a nation where concrete is the most prevalent building material, this visitor center is an example of creative reuse. Concrete was broken down and recast in a variety of materials including, surprisingly enough, translucent tiles. It’s located adjacent to Korea’s Mt. Sobaek National Park.
Niyang River Visitor Center, Tibet
(images via: dezeen)
Modern architecture is not a common sight in Tibet, but in this case, it not only blends in with the landscape but pays tribute to local building customs. Situated on a river beach, the Niyang River visitor center is made of stacked local river rock coated in aga clay, a natural waterproofing material, with an interior that was ‘carved’ from the mass in geometric forms. The architects chose bold colors, “a crucial element of Tibetan culture”, painting mineral pigments directly on the stone surfaces; as the sun changes direction throughout the day, the colors appear to change.
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Greens on Wheels: Rolling Greenhouse Will Feed + Educate
[ By Delana in Food & Health & Home & Garden & Transit & Auto. ]
Thanks to space and time constraints, most of us buy all of our food from supermarkets rather than growing it at home. But two New York entrepreneurs want to teach urban dwellers how rewarding and positive it feels to grow fresh produce and eat it right from the garden. Nick Runkle and Justin Cutter have founded Compass Green, a mobile greenhouse and education center that will bring fresh food and educational experiences to schoolchildren all around New York.
(all images via: Inhabitat)
As part of the Compass Green initiative, the two men are transforming an 18-foot diesel box truck into a greenhouse on wheels. The greenhouse will feature Plexiglass walls to let in sunshine for the plants that grow in the truck’s cargo area.
The fully-functioning greenhouse will travel around to schools in Brooklyn and Manhattan, delivering fresh produce to kids who otherwise might not have access to it. The team will also deliver an educational message about the considerable health benefits to be gained from making fresh, whole foods a regular part of one’s diet. Eventually, they will take their truck all around the country.
But beyond simply teaching children about the benefits of fresh spinach and carrots, the duo aim to spread their message of sustainability. Their roving greenhouse will host educational workshops teaching practical skills that visitors can easily incorporate into their own daily lives. Lessons will be tailored to the age level, region and socioeconomic conditions of every stop on the team’s educational journey.
Runkle and Cutter are working on converting their old diesel truck into a vegetable oil-fueled, solar power-equipped green machine. They are currently accepting contributions to the project via their Kickstarter page.
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Message in a Bottle…Received
Over two decades ago, a German five-year-old threw a message in a bottle into the Baltic Sea from a ferry during a family holiday to Denmark. Now a 13-year-old Russian boy has found the missive, to the delight of the original letter-writer.
Thirteen-year-old Daniil Korotkikh was walking on a beach in Russia when he saw a bottle in the sand.
It turned out to be 24 years old, having been thrown by a young boy off a ship in the Baltic Sea nearly a quarter century ago, the Associated Press reported. And it had a message inside, written in German.
The letter said: “My name is Frank and I’m five years old. My dad and I are traveling on a ship to Denmark. If you find this letter, please write back to me, and I will write back to you.”
Reporters tracked down the letter-writer Frank Uesbeck, now 29, from the address in Coesfeld, Germany which was on the letter. Uesbeck’s parents still live in the town.
“At first I didn’t believe it,” Uebeck told the AP, explaining how he barely remembered the trip. “He’ll definitely get another letter from me.” The two long-distance correspondents have since met via the Internet, after Daniil wrote his own letter to Frank.
Daniil found the bottle on a beach on the Curonian Spit, on the Baltic Sea coast, part of which belongs to Russia’s Kaliningrad region and part to Lithuania. The boy said he found it hard to believe that the bottle was so old and theorized it had been buried in the sand the whole time. “It would not have survived in the water all that time,” he said.
When the two met online earlier this month, Uesbeck gave his new address to Daniil. He said he would write back when he gets a letter from the youngster.
mdm — with wire reports
Beth
Nature’s Schedules: How Animals Really Spend Their Time
[ By Delana in Animals & Habitats & Art & Design & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Animals in the wild lead busy, busy lives. They have so much to do that it is frankly amazing that we see them without little day planners or digital organizers. As a public service, these are the facts that animals can’t tell you themselves: how they really spend their days.
Elephants, as we all know, find it almost impossible to forget anything. But surprisingly, they do not devote much time each day to retaining memories. Most of their days, as it turns out, are spent eating. It takes a lot of time to find enough peanuts to fill up those big tummies.
Contrary to popular belief, jellyfish do not spend all day plotting to ruin your trip to the beach. In fact, the vast majority of their days are spent just lazily floating in the water and waiting for food to come to them.
Spiders aren’t the conniving monsters some people think they are – but nor are they unpaid advertisers of the virtues of farm pigs. Their days are spent mostly resting, though the chart does not differentiate between innocent rest time and rest time used to lure unsuspecting flies into traps.
Of course, not every animal’s schedule hides a surprise. Pandas, quite predictably, spend every moment of every day being adorable. Now that is sound scientific information. (Totally accurate pie charts via Jeff Wysaski and Pleated Jeans)
Low Tech to High Concept: 3 Ideas for Water in Africa
[ By Steph in Geography & Travel & Science & Research & Technology & Gadgets. ]
Most of us don’t think much about taking a bath, washing the car or setting up a sprinkler to water the lawn. But in many parts of Africa, there’s so little safe, fresh water to drink, millions of people die from water-related disease every year. Drought, pollution, mismanagement and regional conflicts have compounded scarce availability, but ingenuity – often using renewable energy and eco-friendly materials – could make a big impact on many lives.
These three water projects, from the most basic sand filter to vapor-harvesting towers, make existing water sources cleaner and provide additional water in surprising new ways.
Using Dirt to Purify Water in Cameroon
(images via: inhabitat)
Low-tech, effective and easy to replicate, bio sand filters are already saving lives thanks to the Life and Water Development Group Cameroon (LWDGC), with the help of Engineers Without Borders USA. The team constructed and installed these filters in LWDGC founder Peter Njodzeka’s home village of Nkuv.
Based on the seemingly dubious concept that “everything that will filter the water is already in the water”, the bio sand filters consist of several layers of sand and gravel within an iron mold on a concrete base. Water is poured through these materials, and within three weeks a biolayer forms, which removes 99 percent of the bacteria from the water. When contaminated water passes through this layer of ‘good bacteria’ and then through the sand and gravel, at a rate of about one liter per minute, it is free of disease and safe to drink.
Solarball Purifies Water with the Sun
(images via: physorg)
It looks like a hamster ball or a kid’s toy, but the ‘Solarball’ by Jonathon Liow can produce three liters of clean water per day with nothing but dirty, contaminated water and sunlight. Named as a finalist in the 2011 Australian Design Awards, the Solarball uses direct sunlight to cause the dirty water to evaporate and condense, pulling the purified water into a separate compartment and leaving the dirt and contaminants behind. There spherical design captures light and heat from all 360 degrees.
While at this stage the concept only produces three liters of water, which is well below the minimum of ten liters required per day for each person, it could be the beginning of an even bigger idea with far-reaching benefits.
The Water Vapor Project: Large Scale Dew Collectors
(images via: yanko design)
More ambitious and highly conceptual than the previous two ideas, the Water Vapor Project aims to make Africa’s deserts more viable for agriculture. While 57% of the continent’s inhabitants are involved in some form of agriculture, only 10% of the land is truly suitable for such a purpose. Using the basic principles of water vapor, these towers pull in cooler air close to the surface of the earth and sends it through a ‘vortex tube’ where it is met by air that has been heated by the sun and then pumped back outside, increasing humidity levels.
While perhaps not viable for the most arid desert regions where humidity in the air is hard to come by, such an idea could extend the range of the few naturally water-rich areas that already exist.
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Marine Muse: 12 More Sea-Inspired Designs & Inventions
[ By Steph in Animals & Habitats, Art & Design, Science & Research, Technology & Gadgets. ]
Who would have thought that a fish with a rectangular body could inspire a car, that compounds in algae could help us fight drug-resistant bacteria, or that schools of fish could hold the key to designing more efficient wind farms? The sea is a source of endless inspiration for design, architecture and all kinds of inventions from robotics to biomedical breakthroughs. Here are 12 (more!) examples of oceanic biomimicry.
Mercedes-Benz Box Fish Car
(images via: treehugger)
For their 2005 Bionic Car Concept, Mercedez-Benz looked to the boxfish: a fast tropical fish that’s angular yet streamlined, aerodynamic and highly efficient. “Its rectangular anatomy is practically identical to the cross-section of a car body,” explains Daimler, which had a scientific team analyze the fish’s anatomy including its impact-resistant, armor-plated outer skin which is also the secret to its speed. Combining light weight and an aerodynamic shape with a direct-injection diesel engine, Daimler achieved an average of 70 miles per gallon.
Robot Squid
(image via: roboster.org)
When it’s necessary to perform dangerous tasks underwater – like searching for mines – robots are an ideal option. And when designing them for optimal efficiency, biomimicry is the way to go, giving them more precise movements and greater speed using less fuel. Osaka University’s Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering created this ‘Robot Squid‘ using physical properties of both squid and other marine animals like stingrays using rubber panels on the sides to ‘fly’ through the water. This design enables the robot to stay in control even in unstable currents.
The Nautilus, Sacred Geometry and Spiral Staircases
(images via: arksim, 2muchfun)
Certain numbers and patterns seem to dominate the geometry of the universe, including the shape of the nautilus shell which is known as the Golden Mean Spiral. Found countless times in nature, this spiral follows the Golden Ratio (Phi) or Fibonacci Sequence in its rate of expansion, a ratio that not only provides visual harmony but structural strength as well. Look up into any spiral staircase, and you’ll see an echo of that seashell shape – it’s no accident!
Coral Village by Vincent Callebaut
(image via: evolo)
Architect Vincent Callebaut, creator of a number of other concepts that mimic the biology of plants and animals like dragonflies and lily pads, found inspiration in the sea for his Coral Reef Village. This modular housing proposal, designed to improve housing conditions in crisis-stricken Haiti, stacks living units on top of one another in a formation that follows the organic form of a coral reef. Two inhabited ‘waves’ of housing undulate on an artificial pier built on seismic piles in the Caribbean Sea.
Structural Applications of the Skeletons of Marine Mammals
(image via: biomimetic-architecture.com)
How can algorithms derived from the skeletons of marine mammals assist in the design of architectural structures? The Radiolara Project at the University of Kassel set out to examine this question, studying the structural stability and aesthetics of these skeletons as a basis for 3D modeling software. The designers applied what they learned to an actual mesh installation that utilizes strong hexagonal cells.
Calatrava’s Seashell Inspiration for the Chicago Spire
(images via: biomimetic-architecture.com)
A victim of the economy, the Chicago Spire will now never become a part of the Windy City’s iconic skyline. But the idea behind the design is interesting, taking the spiral form for the tower from – naturally – a sea shell. In this video, architect Santiago Calatrava explains how the structure of shells applies to his swirling design.
Resisting Bacteria with Algae
(images via: unsw.edu)
Could a whole new type of antibiotic medicine emerge from chemicals discovered in seaweed? Researchers at the University of New South Wales say yes after finding that compounds known as furanones found in the seaweed Delisea pulchra can prevent the bacteria that cause cholera from ‘switching on’ their disease-causing mechanisms. The scientists say that these compounds don’t kill the bacteria, but simply keep them from communicating. The discovery is currently undergoing laboratory tests to see if it could apply to other forms of bacteria as well, possibly opening the door to a new way to fight drug-resistant bacteria like staph.
Volkswagen Concept Car Inspired by Ocean Waves
(images via: thedesignblog)
Spanish designer Josep Ferriol watched translucent waves hitting the rocks on a beach and saw flowing glass meeting a slick black car body, leading to this futuristic car concept called the Volkswagen Kai-Nalu. Created for a thesis project, the design features an entirely transparent curving roof that calls to mind the surface of the sea.
Mussel Adhesive Inspires Self-Healing Sticky Gel
(image via: wikimedia commons)
How do mussels stay attached to rocks along the shoreline despite the incredible forces of the sea? They manufacture their own self-healing sticky adhesive, which repairs itself when torn by pounding waves and abrasive sand. Scientists have figured out how to mimic this substance with a synthetic version that could be used for a number of applications including coating for underwater machinery or surgical adhesive. While scientists still don’t entirely understand how the natural mussel glue works, their own version uses metals and polymers to create stable bonds.
Perpetually Sharp Tools Inspired by Sea Urchin Spines
(image via: wikimedia commons)
The needle-sharp spines of a sea urchin are used to cut through stone, carving out protective nooks where the creatures can seek safety from the harsh underwater environment. Amazingly, these spines never seem to wear down. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison may have finally found out why: a self-sharpening mechanism facilitated by organic materials that are layered with the strong calcite crystals in the spines. The structure of these elements provides pre-determined breaking points that provide a new sharp edge when over-stressed. This trick, say the scientists, could be used to make tools that never need to be honed.
Sharkskin-Inspired Paint Makes Planes More Aerodynamic
(image via: discovery)
The shape and texture of sharp scales has already been used to create extremely aerodynamic swimsuits for Olympic teams, and now it could be incorporated into a paint to reduce drag on airplanes, ships and wind turbines. The ridges of a shark’s scales are spaced in such a way that they prevent barnacles and other sea life from accumulating. Researchers at Fraunhofer created a paint that, when applied with a special stencil, mimics this effect, potentially saving a whole lot of fuel.
Schools of Fish Make Wind Farms More Efficient
(image via: wikimedia commons)
“I became inspired by observations of schooling fish, and the suggestion that there is constructive hydrodynamic interference between the wakes of neighboring fish,” says fluid-dynamics expert John Dabiri of the California Institute of Technology. “It turns out that many of the same physical principles can be applied to the interaction of vertical-axis wind turbines.”
Mimicking the way that fish interact in schools could change the design of wind turbines altogether, switching from tall vertical styles to vertical-axis turbines with propellers placed in a “staircase” pattern that could allow for much more compact wind farms. Dabiri believes that his design could help wind farms produce up to 10 times more energy.
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Belly of the Beast: Serpentine Residential Eco-Building
[ By Delana in Art & Design, Home & Garden, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
When faced with a difficult parcel of land on which to build, owners and architects are often moved to develop innovative solutions. But few are as strange, as eye-catching and as wonderfully in tune with the land as this one, known as Quetzalcoatl’s Nest. This may look like one of those dazzling-but-impossible architectural renders which will never be constructed – but this is an actual housing estate in Naucalpan, Mexico.
The owners of this plot of land had an exceptionally difficult series of problems to work around: the land was .5 hectares (about 1.2 acres), covered in slopes and pitted with collapsed caves left over from previous mining on the property. The very small flat, treeless portion of the land had to be used for parking. But maybe most challenging of all was that the existing plant life had to be left untouched. In the end, about 97% of the land was unsuitable for building on.
That is where architect Javier Senosiain stepped in. Presented with these restrictions, most architects would have simply thrown up their hands and walked away from the project, but Senosiain is known around the world as a master of organic architecture. He works with the shape of the land to create distinctly natural forms in buildings which would normally look like out-of-place boxes plopped in a natural setting.
As he took into account all of the requirements for the project, Senosiain began to think of the way a snake’s body curves and undulates. It was in this way that the impressive Quetzalcoatl’s Nest took shape. Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec god considered to be the mediator between heaven and earth, embodied the compromises and partnerships taking place in this unique building project.
The main building is Quetzalcoatl’s body; it contains all of the condominiums of the development. Domed windows look out over the lush grounds. The homes are accessed via the walkway that runs along the serpent’s back. At one end of the Great Serpent’s body is its rattle, a three-story structure that houses the water deposit, guard’s post and machine room. The interior of each condo reflects the soft, curving, organic shapes of the exterior.
The head of Quetzalcoatl emerges near the parking area through the one preserved cave on the property, providing a platform on which one can stand and take in the breathtaking view of the surrounding canyon. One of the collapsed caves has formed a crater on the land, which the architect turned into a small pool which collects rainwater and is part of the self-contained sewage treatment system for the property. Stone walls also in the shapes of serpents wind through the land.
(all images via: Urbarama)
This astonishing property is unlike anything else in the world and it is truly a work of art. Coming home to an apartment that is in the belly of a mythical snake must be like stepping into a different world at the end of the day. The fact that the architect used natural, eco-friendly building techniques and relied on the natural contours of the land makes an already-beautiful project all the more impressive.
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Booze it Up! 13 Rad Recycled Bottle Crafts & Projects
[ By Steph in Art & Design, Home & Garden, Tricks & Hacks. ]
Got a recycling bin full of glass bottles? Why waste them when you could have a new table lamp, candle holder, shelving unit, hummingbird feeder – even a house? Reuse beer, wine and liquor bottles for these 13 fun and creative crafts and projects for the home and garden.
Wine Bottle Table Lamp
(images via: wit and whistle)
Turning any wine bottle into a table lamp is as simple as drilling a hole and inserting a strand of lights. The color of the bottle enhances the glow of the light, adding ambiance to a room. The only special tool needed is a glass drill bit.
Wine Bottle Candle Holder
(image via: design sponge)
How simple and elegant are these DIY wine bottle candle holders? In shades of brown and green, they’re an earthy addition to a wooden table. This tutorial by Design Sponge uses a simple glass cutting kit and some sandpaper to snap the bottles in half.
Wine Bottle Shelves
(images via: renest)
Would you ever have thought of using wine bottles and slabs of wood to create a shelving unit? DIY recycled furniture is rarely easier than this. Made by Zero Waste Design, the shelves are created by drilling holes into the wood for the necks of the bottles, with hook and eye strainers adding a bit of stability. The Glasgow-based furniture maker also offers a how-to on Instructables.
Bottle Trees
(images via: recyclart, metaefficient, examiner)
Turn your holiday tree into an ode to beer (or perhaps just a sparkling green alternative to a living tree) using reclaimed empty bottles. This design uses circular platforms to support each tier of bottles, and as you can see, the result is as big as you want it to be, from a standard living room-sized tree to the monster 1,000-Heineken-bottle tree set up in Shanghai in 2009. Bottle trees are also popular year-round as garden art and easy to create.
Beer Bottle Drinking Glasses
(images via: bottlehood)
Got half of a wine bottle left over from your candle holder project (above)? Use it as a drinking glass! This tutorial from Instructables explains how to cut and finish the edges of your favorite beer or wine bottles to create custom drinking glasses – or you could just buy a set from Etsy seller Bottlehood.
Tiki Lamps
(images via: design sponge)
Bamboo tiki torches not your style? These DIY recycled wine bottle torches are modern and minimalist, but the best part is, they cost next to nothing. Design Sponge has the details on how to use $5 in hardware to create simple copper-colored tiki lamps that can be mounted to a wall or fence.
Beer Bottle Chandelier
(images via: coolmaterial.com)
Unless you’re handy with welding tools, this project is not so DIY-friendly, but it’s still an amazing use of beer bottles. Maybe you could even come up with your own cheap and easy solution for creating a custom beer bottle chandelier.
Chalkboard Vases & Pantry Organization
(image via: curbly, berm design)
Chalkboard paint transforms any old bottle into a cool customizable vase – or just use a swipe of it as a label that can be erased and re-written again and again.
Wine Bottle Bell Chimes
(image via: my vintage décor)
These wine bottle bell chimes were made using a hemp string, a wooden ball and a piece of hammered copper, but you could improvise any number of materials to come up with a similar result on your own. Just use the glass cutting kit from the beer bottle drinking glasses tutorial to slice off the bottom of the bottle. A wood or metal ring inside the bottle neck holds the string in place.
Hummingbird Feeders
(images via: deelux designs)
Etsy shop Deelux Designs uses liquor bottles to make these backyard feeders, filled with colored food that looks disturbingly like the real thing – but you could also use wine or beer bottles in a simple wire holder, as illustrated at Crafting a Green World. The feeder tubes are sold on Amazon.com for less than a dollar each, so plan on making some to sell or give away as gifts.
Beer Bottle Solar Hot Water Heater
(image via: neatorama)
Chinese farmer Ma Yanjun came up with a novel, inexpensive way to provide hot water for members of his family: laying 66 bottles, connected by hose pipes, on a board covered with aluminum foil. Placed on a rooftop and pointed north to collect the maximum amount of sunlight, this incredible DIY solution really does work. Instructions don’t seem to be available, but anyone good with DIY projects could probably come up with design based on Ma’s prototype.
Bottle House
(images via: bottlehouses.com)
Got skills that go beyond vases and bird feeders? You could make an entire house out of glass bottles. The collection of glass buildings at Prince Edward Island – including a chapel, a tavern, a gift shop and a six-gabled home – are just a few examples of how surprisingly beautiful this sort of eco-friendly construction can be. The bottles are used much like bricks, with mortar in between.
Buddhist Temple Made from Bottles
(images via: treehugger)
It’s the ultimate reclaimed glass bottle project: not a solar hot water heater, not even a house but an entire Buddhist temple. Monks in Thailand’s Sisaket province collected over a million green Heineken bottles and brown bottles of local Chang beer to create a complex of 20 buildings including the main temple, halls, prayer rooms, water tower, sleeping quarters and even a crematorium. Even the roofs are made from bottles. And if you’re wondering, no, the caps weren’t wasted – the monks used them to make mosaic murals.
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Luxurious Eco Travel: 12 Elegant Green Destinations
[ By Steph in Animals & Habitats, Geography & Travel, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Staycations and ultra-rustic nature-centric accommodations may be the greenest way to spend your vacation time, but sometimes, special occasions call for a luxurious getaway. The good news is, elegant eco-resorts do exist, and while some have more green cred than others, they offer experiences that rival those of traditional pampering luxury resorts but in a more environmentally sensitive manner.
EcoCamp Patagonia, Chile
(images via: ecocamp.travel)
There are rustic eco resorts and there are luxury resorts with dubious green claims, but EcoCamp Patagonia in Chile is the best of both worlds – a luxurious getaway that is 100% carbon-free. You’ll sleep in a geodesic dome inspired by the huts built by the native Kawesqar people but enjoy modern comfort and convenience, right in the wilderness of the Torres del Paine National Park.
Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, Blue Mountains, Australia
(images via: wolganvalley.com)
The first hotel in the world to be certified carbon-neutral through carboNZero is nestled in the Blue Mountains of Australia and definitely emphasizes guilt-free luxury. Winner of numerous awards, the Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa is made from recycled materials and renewable resources, runs on solar power and is located on a private conservation and nature reserve. Each free-standing luxury suite has its own private terrace and swimming pool, and guests can indulge in massages and skin treatments in between outdoor adventures.
Six Senses Hideaway, Thailand
(images via: sixsenses.com)
The Six Senses Hua Hin on the Gulf of Siam set out to prove that luxury and minimal environmental impact are compatible with its SLOW LIFE philosophy (S-Sustainable, L-Local, O-Organic, W-Wholesome, L-Learning, I-Inspiring, F-Fun, E-Experience). The resort, which features 55 pool villas and a holistic spa, has committed to green operations including energy efficiency, waste minimization and water conservation.
Gayana Luxury Eco Resort, Borneo
(images via: gayana-eco-resort.com)
Experience a lush jungle on a coral reef island off the coast of Borneo at the Gayana Luxury Eco Resort, which not only offers accommodations on the water with stunning views of the ocean and Mt. Kinabalu, but also operates its own Marine Ecology Research Center which propagates endangered giant clams and engages in other conservation and restoration activities. Guests can dive, kayak, trek through the jungles or lay back for a relaxing day in the luxury spa.
Miraval, Tucson
(images via: miravalresorts.com)
Not interested in venturing beyond the U.S. borders? America has a few eco resorts of its own, including Miraval in Tucson, a luxury spa and wellness retreat on 400 acres populated with rammed earth buildings and plenty of cacti. The rammed earth (clay adobe brick) construction makes the structures energy-efficient; water is heated with solar energy; the guest rooms feature green materials like non-toxic paints and the landscaping is all native. Miraval specializes in wellness and stress relief, with yoga, meditation, nutrition instruction, fitness activities and much more.
Gaia Luxury Hotel & Nature Reserve, Costa Rica
(images via: gaiahr.com)
High on a hill in the pristine wilderness of Costa Rica is the Gaia Hotel, a modern resort on 12.1 acres of nature reserve populated with local wildlife like squirrel monkeys and three-toed sloths. The 5-star, 20-room boutique hotel in the Manuel Antonio area has been named Central America’s top green hotel for its efforts to minimize the effects of tourism on the surrounding ecosystem.
CESiaK, Mexico
(images via: cesiak.org)
Often named among the world’s best green getaways, the Centro Ecologico Sian Ka’an (CESiak) is located adjacent to ancient Mayan ruins in Tulum. All proceeds from the surprisingly affordable yet comfy and exotic resort fund education and conservation programs at the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Dar-Hi, Tunisia
(images via: dar-hi.net)
Made almost entirely from local materials and labor, the Dar-Hi eco hotel in Tunisia is architecturally stunning and environmentally sensitive. The Dar-Hi is located on the edge of the Sahara Desert and features 17 rooms in four ‘styles’ that have different ways of interacting with the environment and the hotel: elevated ‘pill houses’ with beautiful views, ‘troglodyte houses’ built into the ground, ‘the dunes’ at ground level with a design inspired by wind-sculpted sand and the ‘dar malika’, a traditional house within the village. Accessible only on foot, the Dar-Hi offers secluded luxury just three hours from Paris.
Sanctuary Chief’s Camp, Botswana
(images via: sanctuaryretreats.com)
Twelve luxury bush pavilions in the Mombo Concession, an area of the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana known as the ‘predator capital of Africa’, offer a beautiful and comfortable place to stay while experiencing Africa up close and personal. Included in a stay at the Sanctuary Chief’s Camp are ‘Mokoro’ dugout canoe excursions in the Okavango Delta and game drives on 4
Eco Resorts: 13 Rustic Retreats for True Nature Lovers
[ By Steph in Art & Design, Geography & Travel, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
When you travel to exotic destinations, do you like to stay in fancy, well-appointed hotel rooms or immerse yourself in the local landscape? These 13 rustic resorts are for the latter type of eco-tourist (though some offer luxurious amenities and services as well), putting guests right on the water, in the jungle or up in the trees in curious pod-hotels, huts on stilts or floating lodges.
Semi-Aquatic Submersible SeaShelter
(images via: dornob)
The SeaShelter is a cabin on dry land or a partially submersed houseboat-like getaway, depending on the tide. A concept designed specifically for the coast of Denmark, SeaShelter is entered through a hatch in the roof and has port holes in the walls to provide views of semi-aquatic sea life like seals.
Whitepod Eco Resort, Swiss Alps
(images via: inhabitat)
Simple, sustainable and stylish, the 15 geodesic dome pods at the Whitepod Eco Resort in Les Cerniers, Switzerland are rustic on the outside but surprisingly beautiful and cozy on the inside. The only motorized systems at the entire resort are the ski lifts – otherwise, guests get around on snowboards, skis, snowshoes, dog sleds or on foot. Mountain chalets are also available as more traditional lodging.
Soneva Kiri Eco Resort, Thailand
(images via: sixsenses.com)
You’ll feel like a bird in a treetop nest at the Soneva Kiri Eco Resort in Thailand, where guests have the option of dining in a woven Tree Pod located 16 feet off the ground, with incredible views of the water. Guests get to and from the structure via an elevator, but how cool is this: waiters arrive with your food and drinks on a zip-line! The Tree Pod is attached using a cabling system. Located on 150 acres of tropical rainforest, Soneva Kiri has 42 resort villas packed with green features.
Lova Lava Land, Hawaii
(images via: lova lava land facebook)
Experience the beauty of Hawaii’s beaches in a laid-back, budget-friendly and super-green resort called Lova Lava Land, which offers accommodation in a yurt or in one of several renovated Volkswagen camper buses. This eco-resort is 100% off-grid, powered with solar energy. In addition to the unique rustic sleeping quarters there are communal outdoor areas with a full kitchen, lava rock grill, outdoor shower and flushing composting toilet.
Reflective Tree Hotel, Sweden
(images via: dezeen)
Barely visible between the trees, the mirrored Tree Hotel literally reflects its environment and sits as lightly on the land as possible. The inside is quite spacious for a 12-by-12-foot box, managing to contain not only a full-sized bed for two but a table with two chairs and a basic bathroom. This treehouse eco-retreat was designed to bring ecotourism to the beautiful and largely untouched Harads area in the northern part of the country, and certainly makes visitors feel as if they’re a part of the ecosystem.
Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa, Australia
(images via: daintree-ecolodge.com.au)
Rustic yet luxurious at the same time, the Daintree Eco Lodge is by far the coolest way to experience the world’s oldest living rainforest on the northwestern coast of Australia. 15 treehouse villas and a number of open-air common areas put guests right into the thick of the forest while also offering modern amenities like wi-fi, jacuzzis, an award-winning green spa and a restaurant.
Shergarh Tented Camp at Kanha Tiger Reserve, India
(images via: shergarh.com)
Can you imagine camping in a 100-acre tiger reserve? Okay, so it’s not like you’re going to pitch a tent and hope it doesn’t get shredded to bits overnight. The Shergarh Tented Camp in India’s Kanha Tiger Reserve features ‘tents’ that are really more like cabins with canvas roofs – it’s not exactly roughing it, but when you stay here, you’re unquestionably immersed in the natural environment, enjoying the 25% of the reserve that’s accessible to tourists.
Mandina River Lodge, The Gambia, Africa
(images via: makasutu.com)
Sleep in a solar-powered floating lodge in a hidden corner of the Makasutu Culture Forest in The Gambia, Africa. The Mandina River Lodge is an award-winning eco resort with four floating lodges accessed by elevated walkways or canoes, offering 180-degree views of the Mandina Bolong river. The lodges are handcrafted and feature large, comfy-looking four-poster beds.
Loola Adventure Resort, Bintan, Indonesia
(images via: loola.net)
One of Indoneisa’s most rustic eco-retreats is the Loola Adventure Resort, a series of bungalows built on stilts over the sea. Located on the island of Bintan, Loola definitely isn’t one of those high-dollar, fancy-pants eco resorts with massage rooms and a full-service front desk. There’s no electricity during the day, but both the simple wooden structures themselves and the activities available at the resort more than make up for it.
Kapawi Ecolodge & Reserve, Ecuador
(images via: kapawi.com)
Talk about isolated – the Kapawi Ecolodge and Reserve can only be reached by air; it takes ten days to walk to the nearest road. Located on the border between Peru and Ecuador, Kapawi is fully owned by the local Achuar people, who have lived in the Amazon Basin for thousands of years. The resort itself is twenty thatched-roof huts on stilts at the edge of a lagoon, open to the air. A raised boardwalk connects the guest cabins, which were built by Achuar craftsmen and feature private balconies equipped with hammocks.
Ultima Thule Lodge, Alaska
(images via: ultimathulelodge.com)
Want to experience the deepest reaches of Alaska? Hopping on an airplane is the only way you can reach the Ultima Thule Lodge, a series of rustic cabins located “100 miles from nowhere” in the 13-million-acre Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Perched on the edge of the Chitina River with views of the 16,000-foot-tall Wrangell Mountains, the Ultima Thule Lodge is definitely for adventurous outdoorsmen eager to spend Alaska’s 20-hour-long summer days hiking, climbing, kayaking or fishing.
Primitive Grassy Huts at Kolarbyn, Sweden
(images via: kolarbyn.se)
Unless you’re just unrolling a sleeping bag in the woods, eco-tourism doesn’t get much more rustic than this. Sweden’s most primitive hotel, Kolarbyn, offers grass-covered huts with the most basic of amenities – a wood stove and cots. There’s no electricity, but there are outhouses and a nearby sauna for bathing. If you’re lucky (or not), you’ll get up close and personal with Swedish wildlife, including brown bears and wolves.
Footprint-Free Treehouse Resort Idea
(images via: dornob)
They’re super green, with biomass heating, harvested rainwater for the showers, solar power and dry toilets – and they’re also about as immersed in nature as you can be within an enclosed structure. EcoCocoons, a concept by Mathier Collos, clamp onto trees without damaging them and contain multiple stories with many angled roof surfaces to disperse load requirements.
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