LA CHANH NGUYEN'S MOSS CARPET

I stumbled on La Chanh Nguyen's clever moss bath-mat, and while it may not be the most feasible for some homes, it is certainly an interesting commentary on our personal landscapes, and the cleanliness of nature. We've seen green roofs, touted the power of plants clean out air, indoors and out, so why not bring a bit of flora into your bathroom? 

wall hand done!

These girls are amazing love their work check out their site and see how they painted this wall!
http://domestic-construction.com/index.shtml

Green Architecture in Los Angeles

Tracey A. Stone is on my list of top 10 favorite architects not does she produce beautiful modern design, but she does it GREEN.

The architect's live/work space is located in the Frogtown area of Los Angeles, and lies within a strip of industrially zoned land bounded by the Los Angeles River and a dense residential neighborhood. This zone, created after the disastrous Los Angeles River flood of 1938, is unusual in its proximity to the residences, and has in recent years taken on a new identity as an informal art district, with many architects, fabricators and designers renovating and transforming spaces.

The project is an adaptive re-use of an industrial textile manufacturing facility as a residence and architect's office. The entire existing structure was retains (including the steel frame of an illegal metal building inserted between the two concrete block warehouses,) and a new "box" was added to the interior containing a bathroom, closet and storage with a storage/guest area above.

Inside, the former warehouse was gutted, and a new box housing closets, storage and a bathroom was embedded into the middle of the space, creating rooms without walls. Two new glass facades add light and ventilation, and allow the space, to spill out into the coutyard. A skylight punctures through the roof and will eventually create access to a rooftop garden.

http://www.tracystonearchitect.com/

Alexander Girard Print on Plywood

Alexander "Sandro" Girard was one of the most innovative modern designers of the 20th century. From 1952 to 1973, the Girard - led textile division brought color and life to the furniture creations of George Nelson, and Charles & Ray Eames. Widely considered the greatest colorist, and textile designer of modern time, Girard used traditional folk art to infuse color, whimsy, and humor into vibrant modern design.

In collaboration with the estate of Alexander Girard, and Pfeiffer lab, Columbia Forest Products reissues select artwork, by Alexander Girard, first used as part of the 1970's Herman Miller Environment Enrichment Panel program. For the first time since 1972, these graphics are now available as wall art.

The PLYprints program draws on Alexander Girard's history of printing directly on wood. Plyprint panels are printed using water - based inks on Colombia Forest Products US made, formaldehyde-free plywood panels. The purity of Girard's iconic graphics printed on often overlook, and humble material, plywood perfectly captures Girard's history of mixing modern materials and folk art forms to create accessible art.

UM Carry Bag

The UM bags were developed from two creative challenges: The first, to make the use of the unique properties of pressed wool felt - its density, texture, pliability, and strength. And the second, to transform a flat surface using only the simplest of operations. When unzipped, UMs lay completely  flat for dry cleaning, storage, or travel.

The Josh Jakus UM Carry Bag is available in grey felt with choice of 5 different zipper tape colors.

Buy them here: 

Shepard Fairey: Supply & Demand

Haven't written in too long! We went to Boston, MA to check out Shepard's opening at the ICA. 

First of all the building alone is amazing!!

The ICA designed by architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro

http://www.icaboston.org/about/news/fairey-obama/

http://obeygiant.com/events/ica-boston-20-year-retrospective

$19,000 Electric Car Coming to US in May 2009: Introducing the Wheego Whip

by Matthew McDermott, Brooklyn, NY on 11.24.08
Cars & Transportation

photo: Cleantech
It looks surprisingly like a Smart Car and frankly has one of the dumbest names I’ve ever come across, but the $19,000 all-electric RTEV (Ruff & Tuff Electric Vehicles) Wheego Whip will be available in the United States in May 2009.
The Wheego Whip can reach a maximum speed of about 70 mph, but until it passes crash tests by the US DoT, expected sometime in 2010, it will be released initially as a Low Speed Vehicle (25 mph maximum speed) or a Medium Speed Vehicle (35 mph max). RTEV says that the Whip can travel 50 miles on single 8-hour charge, from any standard household 110 or 220v outlet.
Sounds like your ideal ride? Read on:

Based Off Chinese Car’s PlatformTo manufacture the two-seat Wheego Whip RTEV has partnered with Shuanghuan Automobile Company. Based off Shuanghuan’s existing gasoline-powered Noble, RTEV has designed the car’s drive system, which uses plug-in dry cell sealed (AGM) batteries. The international version of the car—known, far more sensibly, as the E-Noble—will be manufactured in China, while the Wheego Whip will undergo final assembly in the United States.
Adapting Vehicle, Rather Than Designing New, Gave Head StartRTEV’s CEO Mike McQuary had this to say on why the company chose to partner with Shuanghuan:
What has really impressed us with Shuanghuan is their attention to detail in providing a high-quality fit and finish and smooth ride to the car. Once we locked down the systems and components for a high quality electric drive system, we undertook a global search for a car manufacturer that would meet our expectations of a driving experience that was seamless when compared to its gasoline counterparts. While several car companies that we talked to had solid mechanical systems, it was Shuanghuan that emerged with a commitment to meet the quality standards that American drivers have come to expect in an automobile. Their production of the gas powered Noble gave them a great head start, in that it was more a matter of adaptation of a vehicle, rather than trying to develop something from scratch. They share our vision and see the important potential for the emergence of an electric car as an everyday part of consumer transportation.
More on the Wheego Whip from: RTEV and Cleantech
Electric Cars17 Electric Cars You Must Know AboutWorld’s First Plug-In Electric Car Goes On Sale Next Month -- In ChinaSF Bay Area Will Be Electric Vehicle Capital of US: Better Place, Coulomb Technologies Expanding EV Infrastructure
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