Sunday 17 July 2010
As a designer, working towards sustainable environments is always at the forefront of every design decision. Using recycled materials is just one method that many companies are using to create truly sustainable products.
Photographer: SERENA RICCARDI
ForDesignFor is a company devoted to the war on wastefulness.
FordesignFor was born in Milan in May 2007 , thanks to the ideas of young designer Luca Gnizio, who proposes a personal vision of design through his projects. FordesignFor appeared on the international design scene, focusing resources and ideas in favour of an eco-sustainable project.
Thanks to the constant search for captivating shapes and innovative materials inspired by a contemporary vision of lifestyles, FordesignFor presents creative combinations where ingredients and contaminations from both the natural world and the urban scene come together in a representation of contemporary society and its constant mutations.
Thanks to the constant search for captivating shapes and innovative materials inspired by a contemporary vision of lifestyles, FordesignFor presents creative combinations where ingredients and contaminations from both the natural world and the urban scene come together in a representation of contemporary society and its constant mutations.
Photographer: SERENA RICCARDI
FordesignFor seeks to use recycled materials from various industrial sectors and employs energy from renewable sources, the idea being that of transforming what are commonly viewed as waste products into useful objects of beauty, giving them their rightful place in daily life and showing that using recycled materials by no means implies products of a lower quality, but rather winning, quality products which carry with them principles of responsibility for the protection of the environment.
Photographer: SERENA RICCARDI
FordesignFor works in close cooperation with a number of industries for the supply of waste materials and is actively involved with social cooperatives for the production of some parts of its projects. In this wayFordesignFor aims to achieve a modus operandi where contributions on social and environmental levels come together to create a team of players in the creative process. In the eyes of FordesignFor, sustainable development is only possible by following the principles of cooperating and sharing, thus arriving at an approach which is a completely different way in which to relate to the market and the consumer.
FordesignFor sprang from the creative mind and determination of Luca Gnizio.
Photographer: SERENA RICCARDI
Photographer: SERENA RICCARDI
There are more than 300-million scrap tyres in the US alone. The ForDesignFor company is speaking out against wastefulness and negative global change, namely the widespread desertification that is wringing out our world of its water supplies. Their ForDesert Chaise Longue is made using post-consumer recycled materials such as nylon tyre cord fabric and strips of iron salvaged from construction sites. This tangled creation mimics the colour and movement of desert sands.
This is an incredibly unique and sculptural piece that has given back to the environment. Please take a look at ForDesignFor websites as there are many other products they have developed using 100% recycled content.
Welcome to the first instalment of the 'Little Yellow Sticky Note turns GREEN'. This section is devoted to sustainable design. Now not just 'sustainable design' as a buzz word but true sustainable consideration that is leading the way for future generations...prepare to be inspired...
Concept sketch
The Surry Hills Community Centre by Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp architects is located in Sydney, Australia. This building sets the benchmark for sustainable design in public buildings.
This building has been designed to support its local community by providing multifunctional services such as community services, a library and a childcare centre. The Neighbourhood centre plays a key role in the community with it's particular focus in providing support systems for marginalised groups of people, multicultural services, advocacy and advise involving the government, local councils and organisations.
Exterior View
The Centre has been designed to achieve excellence in sustainable design and set new high standards in environmental performance for multi-purpose public buildings. [It] will be a starting point for the development of a green rating system for public buildings… [and] an innovative example of design and sustainable design possibilities.
— Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP
Exterior View
Childcare Centre
Library
Establishing a new Australian standard of excellence for environmentally sustainable design in civic buildings, the building includes: use of planting together with a thermal labyrinth for passive filtering and tempering of air; incorporation of extensive natural light; solar-tracking timber louvre systems; automated fabric shading; mixed mode ventilation; extensive photovoltaic array; geothermal cooling bores; green roof; rainwater collection and recycling; and sustainable material selection. That is one impressive list of environmental initiatives!
The project has been rapidly embraced by the community and well received by industry being awarded UDIA Excellence in Sustainable Design award and the Australian Timber Design Awards Public Building high commendation.
Solar tracking louvre system
Use of planting together with a thermal labyrinth for passive filtering and tempering of air.
The environmental atrium’s series of triangular, tapering airshafts draw in clean outside air and passively cool it. Experimental use of plants to bio-filter pollutants is integrated in the gardens of specially selected plants within these glass enclosures. Natural daylight is filtered through these layers of glass and garden and flow deep into the interiors. Source: http://www.archdaily.com/
Internal stair case
The foyer space is a lower transitional form that mediates the scale of the building against the adjacent shops while creating a welcoming, transparent entry. Suspended cloud-like roof profiles bring daylight into this space and extend out above the street to mark the entrance. Source: http://www.archdaily.com/
Interior view of plantation and labyrinth
Exterior view
Interior / Exterior view
This is one of those projects that, for me, takes my breath away. There are so many elements to this building that are fascinating. I have included a four minute video on the environmental story about the Surry Hills Community Centre, check it out as it sums up exactly how this building works with it's surrounding environment, not against it.
FJMT have supplied and own the project information and photographs displayed in this blog.
I would like to give a big thank you to FJMT for allowing me the opportunity to blog about this project. Please check out their website to view all of the other amazing work they are involved in.
Architects: Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp
Location: Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia
Project Team: Richard Francis-Jones, Simon Barr, Lance White, Alison Jones, Misha De Moyer, James Perry, Josephine Turner, Peter Wise
Landscape Architects: Matthew Todd, Mark Brandon
Structural & Façade Engineering: Taylor Thomson Whitting
Contract Administrator: Altus Page Kirkland
Builder: WBHO Pro Build
Project Area: 2,497 sqm + 770 sqm of landscape
Project Year: 2007-2009
Photographs: John Gollings & Andrew Chung
Please feel free to leave comments as I always enjoy hearing from you!
Have a great week and stay tuned for the next instalment of
'little yellow sticky note turns GREEN'.
