Okay, Probably a Bad Transition, But.....

 
Speaking of old people.... there, I said it. Green hospital design! Just like the neglect of the eldery, health care designed is extremely underrated by the general public. Sure hospitals can be depressing, but designers everywhere are slowly curing the plague in people's minds that hospitals have to be depressing and boring. Think again my friends. New studies have shown the importance of green design and the incorporation of nature in health care facilities. A recent poll show that patients suffering from depression spent an average 4 days less in the hospital when they were in a hospital room that was east-facing with lots of sun exposure compared to those who were not. In fact, some doctors prescribe visits to the tanning salon for patients suffering from depression in the long Winter months. The reason is simple, sunlight = happiness! The UV Rays from the sun penetrate the skin and get the endorphins flowing. This natural process creates a natural happy feeling in one's brain. Without the sun, the world would be a terrifying place. It is funny the simple things that we take for granted, like every sunrise and sunset. The sun is the essence of life. Not only does it help plants grow and spread, or helps create natural energy, but it also allows people to function at normal or some-what normal levels. Due to these studies, hospitals everywhere are incorporating gardens and green spaces into there design, as well as plenty of sun exposure. From Zen gardens to central atriums to larger, clearer windows, the health care world relies heavily on the natural healing powers of nature and the sun.

Let's Take Care of Our Elderly!

Sure, there are foundations all across the world promoting to "save the children" and to protect "today's youth", but what about Grandma? Do we just continue to toss our elders into nursing homes and assisted living where we only visit them when it is convenient for us? Okay, so maybe that was a little harsh... but the elders of today are seriously mistreated. Fed up with this ever-growing epidemic of "ageism", artist Paul Chamberlain decided to use art as his reaction. In his new gallery show, Stigmas, Chamberlain displays sustainable wood chairs that address the issues of the deprived elderly of today. 

Each chair has an overall theme, each one is directly drawn from society's stereotypes of old people. Such as all old people walk with canes, have horrible eyesight, can't drive, and they shrink. Sure, these things happen to an extent, but not in the extreme fashion that has been painted all over the media. News flash: old people are still people. I love old people.... from a very young age my mom had me deliver Meals on Wheels with her every week to older folk and I always loved hearing their crazy stories from their youth. I realized at about age 8 that old people were merely just an older version of myself and nothing to be afraid of like most children are. Old people are awesome, they have been through everything and they have shaped the society that we live in today. Sure the youth is always changing things around, but if you think about it, the elderly provided us the society that we were born into. Chamberlain wanted to push exactly this point across to the people. Old people are still people and sure we can design these great, ground breaking items and gadgets for us, but somebody has to be looking out for them. Lets face it, we will all be old people one day. Lets embrace our past and those who have survived a life through some of the most transitional times our country has seen. Old people matter... lets let them live out their last years seeing the change that their predecessors are making for the BETTER.

Another LEEDer in Design...

Westin hotels have just opened up a ground-breaking, LEED Gold Certified hotel in Times Square in New York City. LEED Gold certification means that this hotel was not just "green" enough, or sustainable enough to be LEED certified, but it was awarded the second highest LEED certification. For those of you who don't know, LEED stands for Leaders in Energy Efficient Design. LEED certification is awarded to spaces that truly make sustainable choices by using certain materials and systems inside the space to ensure that the building creates only a small amount of waste. 

The Element Hotel by the Westin not only uses green materials, but it also uses sustainable practices such as daylighting. Daylighting is the process of using the natural sunlight to light a space compared to relying on the use of artificial lighting. There are two types of daylighting, passive and active. The Element uses both types in the space. There is a large sunroom like structure off of the building that uses the natural sunlight throughout the space in a passive manner. Also, installed on the roof of the building are some parabolic sensors that track the sunlight and harvest its energy in order to act as the electricity of the space. In addition to the public spaces, the guest rooms, which each have their own kitchenettes, have energy efficient appliances as well as plumbing fixtures. This hotel truly gives the user a luxurious, sustainable experience. Starting at around $265/night, if you are into staying at posh hotels in New York City, do not hesitate to check this one out. I will be sure to book my room for when I get back from my vacation in my ecopod in the Swiss Alps. :)

THE MOST AMAZING LIGHT BULBS....EVER!

 
Sick and tired of that ugly compact fluorescent bulb in your floor lamp? Completely depressed about the death and banishment of the incandescent light bulb? Well dry those tears and take a look at these beauties. They don't even need a lampshade! Why would you cover these works of art up? Are you crazy? These light bulbs designed by Plumen took home the top prize of "design of the Year Award" at the recent Brit Insurance Design Awards. Not only are these beautifully sculpted light bulbs changing what we see as a necessity to an unspeakable elegance, but these light bulbs, or technically "lamps", are compact fluorescent lamps. That means that yes, these are the same type of lamp that you see in the store with the ice cream swirl top and giant ballast base. Who would have thought that they could be so pretty!

A new, hip restaurant in Brooklyn, New York has these Plumen lamps scattered throughout their space acting as pendant lamps over there salvaged wood dining tables. These unique lamps are the perfect addition to your trendy green space. Even if you're space isn't completely green, these lamps create an interesting focal point in a space while being stylish and saving the earth. That's what I strive to be.... Livia the stylish, elegant, earth-saving designer. Okay, new life goal... be more like the Plumen CFL's. Inspiration from a light bulb, don't judge me. Regardless of your views on the world and whether or not you feel that global warming and the ever-growing oil and energy crisis is just a ploy by the media, there is no denying the sculptural beauty of this product. This lamp is truly an art form and most definitely deserved the "Design of the Year" award. Keep up the good work Plumen!

Biodegradable Furniture? Could it be?

Don't worry, this chair won't slowly dissolve away as you are sitting on it. That's not how these things work. The young, talented, and wonderful French furniture designer, Elise Gabriel, has created a new line of furniture that is 100% biodegradable to add to her ever-growing "green" furniture collection. These pieces of furniture are made from 100% from a new, patented material called Zelfo. Zelfo is a ground-breaking material in the green world that is made from 100% cellulose fibers that are extracted from rapidly renewable plants. These plants include, hemp, miscanthus, and bamboo. Cellulose can also be extracted from cellulose rich waste..... or elephant/giraffe poop. Yes, I said poop. It's natural!

Ew, and you actually were thinking about eating on that table??? Just kidding. The cellulose is extracted from the waste and then thoroughly cleaned before being combined with the other cellulose fiber. Once the fibers are obtained, they are stretched and then pressed together to create a very tough, yet paper-like material. And there you have Zelfo. But is this patent-protected material really the way to go? Sure, the thought of having a strong, yet 100% biodegradable material is provoking, but will the company that created Zelfo soon have a green-material monopoly? I all likeliness, probably not. We must keep our thoughts positive and hopefully the prices for Zelfo won't shoot through the roof due to its exclusivity. Regardless of the price, however, these pieces of furniture have a rustic, yet modern feel to them. Let's support the "green" designers of the world and spread the word about this new, ground-breaking movement! Lets just hope that there are people out their with lots of money that are looking for sustainable products.... because I sure can't afford it!

Taking Green Design to the Next Level...

The JWT Advertising Agency, in tandem with the interior designer, Mathieu Leihanneur, and the architect, Ana Moussinet have truly created a "green" environment. Not only does this space use environmentally friendly materials, but it incorporates biomimicry and living elements as well. This a striking commercial interior that would make anyone want to hire JWT for their advertising any day. The whole concept behind the space was to create a "digital plant station". This space was designed to tie the high tech and cutting edge design world back to the roots of nature. This overall aesthetic creates a striking contrast between the rocky edged and interior grass elements with stark white materials, clear glass doors, and cement structural supports. This space truly creates a harmony between the natural and the industrial.

One of the main features in the space, besides the pod like structures that are designed to look like large rocks, is an over-sized "black tar meteorite". Okay, so this sculpture really isn't made from black tar, but it is surely making a statement in this space. This sculpture, commissioned by the interior designer, is showing the juxtaposition between the beauty of nature and the filth of pollution. The "black tar meteorite" is used as a bar or a place to set one's food while in the incredibly unconventional employee breakroom. This sculpture can be seen throughout the space and it represents the ever-growing problem of waste in the world today. This design, created equally by the architect and interior designer, is truly stunning. This space is almost a shame that it is located in a building and not in an open field or courtyard somewhere for everyone to view. Being a lover of all things that are sustainable, this space not only delivers on the end of using environmentally benign materials, but it also delivers on sending a message of the cold, hard truth about the amount of waste littering this world. Truly successful design puts an idea in your head, even if it as simple as a mere thought, without you even knowing that it got to you.

Vacation Time!

So who isn't dying to go skiing in the Swiss Alps? Well next time the opportunity arises for me I know where I am staying! There is this amazing "hotel" in Les Cerniers, Switzerland where it is only $430/night to rent your own little eco-pod! This is seriously the cutest place I have ever seen. Not only do the white, dome shaped structures blend in with the landscape so as not to detract from the natural beauty of the Swiss Alps, but they are also made partly from recycled plastics! Adorable, eco-friendly, and functional? I'm booking mine today.

If the lure of the beauty of the natural surroundings isn't enough to draw you in, just look at the inside of this place!

Each eco-pod has their own fireplace, observatory deck, and an amazing view! This $430/night is actually beginning to look like a steal! Can you imagine waking up ON the Swiss Alps every morning? Even if I can only stay for one night, I have to experience this. The views are breathtaking. I could just lay in that bed all day with the fireplace on, looking out the window. Is this what Heaven looks like? Probably. These eco-pods are a reflection of the times and they are popping up all over the world. The geometric shaped dome made from rotated triangle figures also got its shape from nature. Scientists have been studying the art of the bee hive for years and have finally unlocked the answer to why they are perfectly insulated, thriving habitats. The geometric shapes combined together not only allow the eco-pod to trap the heat inside, but the alternating triangles also give the structures an added strength if, heaven forbid, there was an avalanche on the mountain. Regardless of the risk of staying directly on the mountain in a structure that resembles a tent, I would gladly risk my life to stay here. If I die, at least I would die happy. Now I am off to book my trip to the Swiss Alps and reserve my eco-pod..... well maybe one day!