Category Archives: Environmental Design

Pixel Art and Post-its

office-mural-with-post-it-notesOver the past few years, there’s been a resurgence of pixel inspired art and pop culture of the 80s and 90s.  This trend has been spurred on by nostalgic Gen x-ers and first-wave millennials looking back to their youth and the joys of 8-bit gaming.

Last week, an SF based creative agency was looking for a way to spruce up their drab office walls.  After a couple of suggestions and internal discussions, designer Ben Brucker, found a cost effective solution to improve his office decor.

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With a budget of $300, Ben and his coworkers purchased nearly 9000 multi-colored post-its to create pixelated murals of Wonder woman, Superman, Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Iron Man, Spiderman and Batman.

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While it may not be a long-term solution, it’s a great exercise in creativity and team building.

Watch the entire process:

What Sparks Our Fire: Creative, cost-effective design solutions

A House That Takes On The Outdoors

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Ever feel like star gazing from your living room floor? Or sun bathing in your bath tub? Andrew Maynard Architects has, and they’ve developed a “ridiculously inside-out” extension to a suburban home in Australia that breaks conventional standards for environmental architecture to do so. The house goes by the name “Cut Paw Paw” and beautifully blurs the lines between interior and landscape design.

The space between the dining room and the owners studio, is an unclad frame surrounded by garden. According to the architects, “It is both inside and outside. It is both a new building and an old ruin. It is both garden and home.”

Kudos to them for even keeping some of the house green & sustainable. The house is highly insulated, and rainwater is directed from the roof to tanks which provide water for toilet-flushing, the washing machine, and garden irrigation.

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What Sparks our Fire: design that breaks the “rules” of traditional architecture.

Would you live in the Cut Paw Paw house?

The Reverse Commute

equs-cargo-motorcycle-winner-of-the-red-dot-design-award-2014We all know the advantages of motorcycles over cars. There are easy to park, take up less space in the garage, require less gas, and tend to be much cheaper. One major downfall is the number of passengers or belongings a bike can carry each ride. Since we are in the age of high-tech design innovation, it is no surprise someone had the excellent idea of how to tackle one of the issues…

Meet EQUS, an electric cargo motorcycle created by three designers that allows you to bring along a variety of goods on your commute, while running errands or just out for a spin. The bike’s structure was built in reverse with a remote steering designed around a convenient cargo area between the rider’s seat and the front fork. The cargo section can carry objects of different shapes, volume and weight. And you know what’s even better? It’s environment-friendly.

The team wanted to develop a vehicle that would contribute to better mobility in large cities while allowing riders to bring everything of importance with them. Get all details about the unique EQUS design, colors available for purchase and different features here.

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What Sparks Our Fire:  A bike that maximizes convenience and functionality while reducing your carbon footprint.

What do you think of EQUS and if you could add an additional function, what would it be?

Brew High Quality Coffee Without Electricity

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 Making espresso at home is a must for any legitimate coffee aficionado. But most importantly being in control of the coffee quality is the ultimate goal of a coffee lover.

Introducing the ROK, a creative award winning espresso making, non electric, with a clever hand pump system that allows you the freedom to choose any coffee you want and control how much coffee oils are released through the pressure you apply.

The ROK is beautifully packaged in a large stylish reusable tin, perfect for transporting. The kit is built with stainless steel and includes everything you need from a reusable container, milk frother, scoop/tamper, and double spout. With its timeless design, the ROK comes with a 10 year warranty certificate.

What Sparks Our Fire: A earth-friendly way to brew espresso without the use of electricity and creating less waste.

Are you ready to make the best coffee of you’ve ever had with the ROK?

Turn Your Home Into A Smart Home

Imagine you enter your home, and your apartment turns on the lights or, you wake up in the morning and your favorite music starts playing. And while you are getting ready, your coffee machine makes your favorite cup to grab before you leave home. With Airfy Beacon, you can do just that: transform your home into a smart home. The device works in conjunction with an app and is connected via Bluetooth Low Energy communication and IFTTT.

So, with Airfy Beacon, you can turn on your music, the lights, the thermostat, the TV based on your proximity, the number of people in your home, and time. One of the perks is the battery life of an Airfy Beacon is approximately 1.5 years. Watch the video to get familiar with the product.

What Sparks Our Fire: An app and gadget that cater to you and help you save energy

Are you ready to turn your home into a smart spot?