CultureWaves® Blog » Green Echo™

Bringing The Outdoors, Indoors

sally — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:10:06 +0000

I’m one of those people that “runs cold”… perhaps you know someone who has cold extremities. Especially in the winter, my hands and feet can be used as icy weapons against my warm blooded friends. So as lovely as wooden floor boards look and as trendy as polished concrete floors are, I just prefer the warmth and feeling of carpet. So if I was in the market for a new carpet, I would be checking out EgeCarpets. They have launched “Out of Nature” -a digital print carpet collection.

“Out of Nature is an innovative carpet collection that emerged from a desire to bring the rustic beauty of nature inside as part of a building’s interior design. The collection’s expressive, photographic design adds character to a room, as well as providing good acoustics and comfort underfoot. Out of Nature is available both as a wall-to-wall concept and as customized carpet. The collection consists of 14 different designs and is manufactured from 100% polyamide in ege’s HL 910 quality, a very high-quality and hard-wearing carpet.”

Ok so, we have photo-realistic carpets inspired by stones, wood and natural textures. This is a simplistic example of Green Echo™ design. Green Echo™ is about imitating nature, and we often see many high concept examples of biomimicry in this wave.

However, it’s not always about science and technology. Sometimes, this wave just encourages us to simply draw inspiration from the beauty of Mother Nature. After all, she is a spectacular muse.

What Is Biophilia?

sally — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 06:56:30 +0000

Green Echo™ is such an interesting wave to me, but at first glance, one could dismiss it as fancy art or science projects. Well, I came a cross a fine example of Green Echo™, that shows you specifically how nature has influenced the building of One Bryant Park.

“Richard Cook of Cook+Fox Architects recently took the time to highlight some of their design decisions for the first LEED Platinum certified commercial skyscraper in the world. As the second tallest building in New York City, The Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park was completed in 2009 and stands out not only against the skyline of the city, but as an example of biophilia, a term coined by the biologist E.O. Wilson to suggest that people subconsciously seek out connections with nature and natural systems. With a focus on health, well-being and the interconnectedness of people and nature, the Bank of America Tower creates 4.7 megawatts of onsite power with almost 3x the efficiency of the grid. Follow along as Cook explains material choices considered when designing the building.”

CLICK HERE for the video that explains BIOPHILIA. Take in the floors filled with fossils, the warm wooden handles the touchable leather walls.

Ok, I get that Bank of America can afford to have pretty high-end examples of biophilia. However, the concept can be adjusted to anything from packaging ideas, retail space window dressing… and I can think of many ways this would enhance a restaurant experience.

The Human Truth™ of Green Echo™ is: “If it has a basis in nature, it just makes sense.” As it says in the clip, sometimes our attraction to these ideas are completely subconscious – as is often the case, when things “just make sense.”

Nano Bugs – You Know, For Kids!

sally — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:35:58 +0000

Enterprising geeks turn their passion for robotics and bugs into successful and educational toy.
HEXBUG is a fun example of how Green Echo™ doesn’t always have to be about high concept biomimicry science experiments. Like this crazy bullet proof skin idea.

“Children can design and build habitats for their Nano bugs and register them online (where there are more learning resources).”

Acting just like real bugs, HEXBUG feels its way around sensing objects in its path and avoiding them…And they can hear! You control where they scurry through a hand clap, loud noise or table slap.

Their site says: “People are drawn to the HEXBUG brand for our products’ fascinating behavior, intelligent bug-like attributes and eye-catching packaging. Some of the products are so animated, they even fool cats, dogs and some humans into thinking they are alive!”

Green Echo™ is about mimicking the natural world. It’s a Design, Technology, Entertainment or Well Being idea that has been inspired by something in nature. Mother Nature is a supremely intelligent lady…we really should be looking to her more for advice & inspiration.

Natural Tech

sally — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:42:40 +0000

Here are two examples of bringing a bit of nature into your tech filled life. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of iPod, iPhone and iPad docking stations offering all kinds of features. I’ve seen all kinds of cool stuff, from huge sound systems, to flashing lights and all kinds of slick fashionable designs.

But here we have docks that fit into the Green Echo™ wave. The Human Truth™ is “If it has a basis in nature, it just makes sense.”

This bamboo dock is made of one of the most eco-friendly materials out there. “It’s a piece of bamboo. And that’s it. Just a piece of bamboo…but it works wonderfully. The bamboo speaker is essentially a 1-foot length of bamboo with a slot carved out of the top for the iPhone to snuggle into. The sound reverberates through the pipe and amplifies the tunes you’re listening to. And that’s about all there is to this simple speaker.”

In the same vein, check out the iLog. “It has been made from exquisite re-claimed London wood. It’s not only a stand, but also a convenient charging station. It easily turns your Apple gizmo into a TV, a slide show, even a photo frame and I’m sure you can think of other uses. The stand is a marriage of high tech living and traditional wooden beauty.”

That’s often what we find with Green Echo™ examples: cool new technology that embraces simple nature-based design.

Arborsmithing has given way to ‘Biotecture’

adam — Thu, 20 May 2010 17:00:08 +0000

For those who haven’t ever stumbled across arborsmithing (or ‘tree shaping‘), it’s essentially “the craft of cultivating and training perennial woody plants to grow into ornamental shapes and useful implements.” That means you shape trees naturally, over time, into things like chairs, ornaments and bridges. This obscure yet traditional method of taming nature has slowly given way to things like vertical gardens, embedded plants within architecture and the amalgamation of interior design and botany. This is both a reflection of the greening movement and the desire to be more natural within ones life – getting back in touch with the world around us rather than superimposing a virtual one.

We’ve seen plans for rooftop parks smack dab in the middle of San Francisco, vertical gardens brightening drab architecture, and now a brand new step in the world of biotecture; Lifewall

Lifewall essentially breaks down like this: It’s a modular tile system that can outfitted with any type of plant that will fit onto it. This allows for easy application and customization. When used in conjunction with another product called ‘Bionictile,’ made by the same company, the Lifewall tiles are able to suck pollution out of the air. Tests show that if just 200 buildings were coated with the Lifewall system, within a year, the equivalent amount of air 400,000 people breathe would be free of pollution from vehicles and industries.

The i:wing Fan

locke — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:51:48 +0000

Green Echo™ is one of those Waves that doesn’t get talked about much, its sort of an unsung hero in Belonging, because it truly is an important one to talk about. Several recent advancements in technology and design have come out of things based on nature, from glue based on how ivy hangs to bullet trains based on the precision of a bird. Sure, most of these aren’t on the market yet, but eventually you’ll see them show up.

However, one that’s recently been announced and is planned for production in October is the i:wing fan. The fan uses “bionic air circulation” and is made by a company called Bionic Motion. The fan operates much like a pair of wings, offering air circulation in a silent and smooth package.

Surface Heal Thyself

august — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:17:19 +0000

Wouldn’t it be amazing if our machines and gadgets had the same ability to heal themselves that we do?

Research funded by Volkswagon may scratch the surface of such technologies.

Utilizing nano-sized capsules, researchers are on the path to creating a coating that would be able to repair itself when scratched . The material would be applied through electroplating and contains fluid filled capsules that measure only a few hundred nanometers across and will burst when enough pressure is applied to the surface of the coated material.

This would mean that little scratch you found upon returning to your car would simply disappear before your before you even noticed it was there. Just like the jerk who left it did!

Don’t worry a self healing “Terminator” is still a few miles down the road. Research is continuing, but scientists estimate it will be 18 to 24 months before they will be able to coat full sized panels.

A Metal Coating That Repairs Itself (technologyreview.com)

Getting Back to Nature

cari — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:49:35 +0000

Are you stressed? Anxious? Disconnected? Depressed? Do you really want to go sit on a couch in a dark office and talk about your problems? Whah whah….psychologists are beginning to recognize that some of this issues could be relieved by simply getting back to nature. More than half of the world’s population lives in cities and are completely alienated from nature, so rather than the stereotypical couch to solve internal problems, psychotherapists are eagerly embracing “eco-therapy”. “It’s psychotherapy — as if nature really mattered,” says Linda Buzzell-Saltzman, a psychologist and the founder of the International Association for Ecotherapy, which currently lists slightly more than 100 official members. Studies show that simply walking outdoors can relieve mild to moderate depression. As an outdoor lover myself, I know that by the end of the day, I want nothing more than to be outside, away from the computer and into the fresh air, I would call this movement perfectly fitting for the Green Echo wave, “If it has a basis in nature, it just makes sense” . Let’s go back to nature, “People were embedded in nature once,” says Buzzell-Saltzman. “We’ve lost that, and we’re paying the price.” I couldn’t agree more, cause nothing is better that digging in the dirt or taking a walk and listening to nature.

Regrowth of Human Limbs

sofia — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:00:44 +0000

Sounds like something from some sci fi program doesn’t it?
Its not all sci-fi hocus pocus though as scientists are looking to replicate the same regenerative process found in the Mexican salamander—in humans. Nothing like going to nature for natural solutions, as Reuters reports:

The U.S. Department of Defense has given a $6.25 million research grant to scientists studying the little creature with the aim of eventually helping the more than 1,000 soldiers who have come back from Iraq and Afghanistan with missing extremities.

The nearly extinct salamander, unlike other species that have the regenerative talent, is the only one able to regrow body parts over and over again throughout their lives. Some of these parts include jaws, skin, brain, and spinal cord. Impressive.

Scientist in Mexico are working to figure out what allows the salamander to regrow limbs and how that differs from the human healing process.

Humans already have the ability to regrow missing fingertips if they are cut off above the joint. If the wound is cleaned and dressed properly, a finger can regain its shape, fingerprint and feeling on its own. “Now, as we watch a salamander grow back an arm, we are no longer quite as mystified by how it happens. Soon humans might be able to harness this truly awesome ability ourselves,” experts Ken Muneoka, Manjong Han and David Gardiner wrote in a recent article.

Such experts give it a decade before humans are able to regrow limbs a la salamander style. Talk about embracing nature, guess you can’t go wrong the natural way.

From Cow Dung to Solid Bricks

sofia — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:42:52 +0000

Green echo is particularly a favorite wave of ours, if not for its simplicity then always for its ingenuity. The products and life evidence we find in this wave are constantly those that imitate a natural design or truly incorporate real nature as the design itself.

In this case, we have cow dung in the design of bricks. Lighter but stronger than clay and processed in a much more eco-friendly way with lower production costs; EcofaeBrick is functional, sustainable, and profitable. Coming from the Prasetiya Mulya Business School in Indonesia, the clay dung bricks won first place at the Global Social venture competition held at UC Berkeley. The bricks have the added benefit of using up an abundant resource that has caused health problems to community members, while also preserving farmland rather than excavating it for clay.

Manufacturing bricks out of cow dung is still an emerging idea as it’s only being done in Indonesia for now. Perhaps it success will widen it’s influence in the upcoming year and push it towards our growing section. I do hope farmers and investors consider implementing the same process here; we have about 757,000 independent beef cattle producers remaining in the U.S. –that’s a lot of crap!