Trump will give architects just five days to submit proposals for a Mexican border wall

Donald Trump is pushing ahead with his campaign promise to build a massive border wall between the US and Mexico, disregarding criticisms about the cost and physical feasibility of the project. Despite the fact that the wall will be a massive infrastructure project, the administration seems to be in a rush to begin work as soon as possible – last week, the Department of Homeland Security issued an open call for designs - but architects have just five days to submit their proposals.

There’s won’t be a lengthy period to prepare for the open call period, either – submissions open soon, starting on March 6th and closing on March 10th. The administration plans to choose a set of finalists by March 20th and to make final contract awards in mid-April. In a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference on February 24th, Trump claimed construction would begin as soon as possible, calling the project “way, way, way ahead of schedule.”

Related: Mexican designers envision Trump’s border wall in “all of its gorgeous perversity”

Architects and designers have, of course, already published numerous plans for the border wall online, although none of their suggestions are likely to please the new President. One Mexican design firm suggested a hot pink wall that would cut through cities, across rivers, and through mountain ranges. Another suggested building it out of recycled shipping containers. One other tongue-in-cheek suggestion involved an Ikea-style instruction booklet for building the 1,000-mile barrier.

Related: Trump plans to officially order Mexico border wall

Despite an estimated price tag of potentially billions of dollars, it’s still unclear exactly how the wall is going to be funded. The rush to award a contract seems a bit premature in light of the budgeting issues involved.

Via Dezeen

Images via Wikipedia and EdmondMeinfelder

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Oregon Ducks hit a home run with ber-green Jane Sanders Stadium

The Oregon Ducks hit a home run recently with the addition of the Jane Sanders Stadium, a svelte new home for the university’s softball team that’s designed to achieve LEED Gold certification. As a beautiful example of sustainable stadium design, the sports venue features materials with high recycled content, prefabricated construction, and an energy reduction of 35 percent over the Oregon Energy Code. SRG Partnership designed the sustainably minded stadium that perfectly captures the Oregon Ducks spirit.

Completed last year, the nearly 200,000-square-foot Jane Sanders Stadium was created as a gift from Robert Sanders and named in honor of his late wife. While sustainability and functionality were priorities in the design, so was brand integration. The University of Oregon’s identifying colors of green and yellow define the 1,500 fixed-seat stadium’s color palette. A canopy clad in home plate-shaped plywood pieces that sits above the prefabricated seating bowl and concourse serves as the iconic focal point, while its wing-like shape alludes to ducks in flight.

Related: Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium to be NFL’s first-ever LEED Platinum venue

The new stadium is integrated with the campus through enhanced pedestrian connections. The former ballpark’s history is also honored through the restoration of the historic Howe Gates that mark the entrance to the new public plaza from University Street. SRG Partnership designed the stadium to achieve LEED Gold certification and meet the university’s Oregon Model for Sustainable Development. In addition to a significant energy reduction over the Oregon Energy Code, the building also reduces water usage by 37 percent thanks to low-flow fixtures and smart irrigation practices.

+ SRG Partnership

Via ArchDaily

Images © Lawrence Anderson

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Rusty shovel heads transformed into delicate lace-inspired sculptures

Artist Denise Bizot has a gift for breathing new life into an unexpected medium—rusted shovel heads. The New Orleans-based artist retrieves discarded shovel heads from salvage yards and carves beautifully intricate lace-inspired designs into the rusted surfaces. She typically keeps the oxidized patina intact for the visual contrast between the weathered object and the delicate new designs.

Formerly a drafter in the petroleum industry, Bizot returned to Loyola New Orleans to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus on sculpture. Her interest in found objects, particularly metals, sparked her metalworking craft and love of transforming discarded junk and debris found in New Orleans into beautiful sculptures. In addition to her reworked shovel heads and other sculptures, Bizot also creates more functional pieces such as metal room dividers and handmade tables.

Related: Artist sculpts lifelike grizzly bear from recycled cardboard

“Like many cities undergoing gentrification, New Orleans is replete with discarded metal, miscellaneous street junk and salvage yards teeming with all sorts of debris,” writes Bizot. “For me, the idea of reclaiming, deconstructing and transforming "so-called junk" into works of sculpture is fascinating.”

+ Denise Bizot

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See how banana trees are recycled into vegan leather wallets in Micronesia

Forget plastic and leather, your next wallet could be made from a more ethical and eco-friendly alternative—banana fiber. Kosrae, Micronesia-based startup Green Banana Paper tapped into banana tree waste, upcycling the unlikely material into stylish and sturdy vegan leather wallets. Green Banana Paper launched a Kickstarter to bring these eco friendly wallets to the global market and help improve the lives of local farmers.

Bananas may be easy to eat, but the trees they grow on need a surprising amount of work. There are approximately 200,000 banana trees spread across the island and after harvesting, local farmers must cut down the plant every year to promote fruit production. The mass amounts of banana fiber waste are typically left on the ground to biodegrade, but Green Banana Paper saw an entrepreneurial opportunity with environmental and social benefits. Founded by New England native Matt Simpson, the social enterprise produces strong and water-resistant wallets with designs inspired by the coconut palms, ocean life, and people of Micronesia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSM_TYaT5Kg

Related: Thai Building Facade Handmade From Natural Banana Fiber

“Green Banana Paper wallets are not only ecofriendly; they are helping to provide a living wage to Kosraean families,” says the company. “Matt hopes to continue to scale up production, and get even more people on the island involved in this truly community-oriented business.” Green Banana Paper has launched a Kickstarter to raise funds for hiring more people and improving the quality of their products. Supporters of the project can also receive their own banana fiber wallet, which can be shipped around the world.

+ Green Banana Paper Kickstarter

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Rios $800 million Olympic Park sits nearly abandoned after 2016 games

Last year, during the 2016 Summer Games, it would have been hard to imagine the Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro sitting empty in the hot Brazilian sun. Sadly, this is what has become of the space today. Despite having been officially reopened in January as a public recreation area, the park is treated to only a few visitors and a longstanding bad reputation.

The $800 million Olympic Park was constructed in the months prior to last year’s Summer Games in a process that displaced residents and enraged others. Clare Richardson of Vice visited residents of the old Vila Autódromo favela, a community that was forced to move, later granted new public housing in the area. The city’s promises have fallen short of the agreed upon vision of building playgrounds, a court for sports, and a community center, leaving people with plain housing in an asphalt jungle. Residents have even resorted to creating their own speed bumps out of stones and trash cans to keep nearby roads safe.

Related: Japan wants to make 2020 Olympic medals from recycled smartphones

Visitors to the area feel shortchanged, as well. Vital services that were available during the park’s grand opening event, such as running water and electricity, are no longer available. The typical two-hour journey from the center of the city greets commuters with a sad skatepark, playground, and the ghostly spectacles of towering arenas. Bigger events, like the Rock in Rio music festival, are planned, but the park has become an inconvenient eyesore for the rest of the year. “I’ve seen about 12 people here since I arrived five hours ago,” Vinicius Martini, a beer vendor at the park, told Vice. “And I haven’t sold any beer.”

Via Vice

Images via Clare Robinson

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Inhabitat is giving away an organic Avocado Green Mattress

We spend one third of our lives sleeping, but how many of us have taken the time to learn what's inside our mattresses? Studies have found that conventional mattresses contain toxic levels of volatile organic compounds that could be the source of many ailments, including chronic allergies, asthma, sleep problems, endocrine problems and even cancer. And once traditional mattresses bite the dust, their synthetic materials resist degradation, resulting in an enduring toxic legacy that would give anyone insomnia. If you're looking for a new mattress and really want to rest assured, here's your chance to win the best sleep of your life. We're giving away your choice of an Avocado Green Mattress made from 100 percent natural latex harvested from tree-­tapped and sustainable sources, 100 percent natural Joma® New Zealand Wool, and certified organic cotton. This completely non­toxic, luxurious mattress, made with chemical-free, biodegradable, and compostable materials, is far better for both you and the planet.

ENTER HERE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

Win your choice of an Avocado Green Mattress, Standard or Pillow-Top, in your preferred size: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, or California King.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest open only to residents of the continental U.S.

Handmade in sunny California, the Avocado Green Mattress is all about luxury and transparency. Using 100 percent natural hydrated silica as a fire barrier, the Avocado isn't filled with the dangerous flame retardants or petroleum­-based foams that traditional mattresses contain. Each mattress is made to order and hand-tufted without chemical adhesives, formaldehyde, heavy metals, or other toxic substances.

Made with natural and organic materials, the Avocado's eco-INSTITUT®-certified, chemical­-free design is surprisingly more durable than synthetic materials, nor does it come with that unpleasant, chemical odor most new mattresses carry. And the natural latex, natural Joma® New Zealand Wool and GOTS-­certified (Global Organic Textile Standard) organic and pesticide-free cotton make this mattress a healthy and sustainable choice. Wool and cotton also naturally regulate temperature and moisture wicking, giving the Avocado mattress superior insulating and cooling properties.

Part of Avocado's hybrid design includes a support layer filled with up to 1,303 ergonomic, individually ­pocketed support coils. This allows for cooler, more durable support than standard foam mattresses. Made from recycled steel, this support system is tuned to three strategically positioned comfort zones that provide incredible support to the hips, back and shoulders. There's never any need to flip an Avocado mattress - just rotate it.

The Standard Avocado Green Mattress is ideal for back and stomach sleepers, characterized by a gentle, yet perfectly firm feel. Its 11-inch-thick base delivers a balanced level of firmness, comfort and support to create a natural sleeping environment. If you want even more luxury, you can instantly upgrade to a plush European-­style feel when the mattress is topped with the optional Pillow­-Top. Its extra 2­-inch layer of 100 percent natural Dunlop latex rubber foam is perfect for side and back sleepers, athletes, and those in need of intense pressure relief.

If you aren't the lucky winner in this giveaway, don't fret. The Avocado is relatively affordable for a luxury mattress, starting at $959. Each one comes with a risk-free 100-night sleep trial, 10-year warranty, free shipping and returns, and financing with rates as low as 0% APR. For an extra $99, the company will send someone over to set up your new bed for you.

Enter above for your chance to win, and dream of sleep in the lap of luxury.

+ Avocado Green Mattress

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Futuristic canopy made of knitted textile solar panels wins 2017 Young Architects Program at MoMA

Since 2000, New York City’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) PS1 art gallery brings to life experimental outdoor installations every summer—and this year’s winning design is shaping up to be its most innovative project yet. Ithaca-based design practice Jenny Sabin Studio won the 2017 MoMA PS1’s Young Architecture Program competition with their proposal of a futuristic shelter made from robotically knitted textile solar panels. The project, called Lumen, is a “knitted light” structure that will immerse visitors in a cooling microclimate during the day and in an ethereal immersive environment at night that glows using energy collected from the sun.

Now in its 18th edition, the Young Architects Program gives emerging architects and designers the chance to build a temporary outdoor installation in the MoMA PS1 courtyard in Long Island City. Proposals were required to provide shelter, seating, and water, while also addressing environmental issues that include sustainability and recycling. Jenny Sabin Studio’s winning Lumen will feature a robotically woven canopy made of recycled photoluminescent textiles that collect solar energy to produce light. Misting systems built into tubular structures called “fabric stalactites” will keep visitors cool during hot days.

Related: First Ever Mushroom Tower Sprouts at MoMA PS1 in New York

Initially developed for Nike, Lumen’s high-tech fabric canopy is a cross-disciplinary experiment that merges elements of architecture with biology, materials science, mathematics, and engineering. Jenny Sabin Studio writes: “The project is mathematically generated through form-finding simulations informed by the sun, site, materials, program, and the structural morphology of knitted cellular components. Resisting a biomimetic approach, Lumen employs an analogic design process where complex material behavior and processes are integrated with personal engagement and diverse programs. Lumen undertakes rigorous interdisciplinary experimentation to produce a multisensory environment that is full of delight, inspiring collective levity, play, and interaction as the structure and materials transform throughout the day and night.”

Lumen will be open to the public at the MoMA PS1 courtyard on June 29, 2017 and will serve as the backdrop for Warm Up, the art gallery’s annual outdoor music series.

+ Jenny Sabin Studio

Via Architectural Record

Images via Jenny Sabin Studio

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North Korea's 'Hotel of Doom' is the world's largest abandoned building

This pyramid-shaped building in North Korea was once a contender for the tallest hotel in the world - but construction was interrupted in 1989 and it became the world's largest abandoned building instead. The notorious 105-story Ryugyong Hotel - frequently referred to as the "Hotel of Doom" - could come to life after all, as Egyptian company Orascom fired the project back up again in 2008.

The structure, designed by Baikdoosan Architects & Engineers, first broke ground in 1987 in Pyongyang, North Korea. It was supposed to open in 1989, two years later after the frame was finished. Work stopped in 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union (an ally and backer), and the hotel remained unfinished, looming over the North Korean capital.

Related: Abandoned Floating McDonalds to Be Given New Life As a Marina in Canada

In 2008, an Egyptian company took over the hotel and began adding exterior glass in the hope of finishing the project. Reports say that the interior has no plumbing or electricity, and it could require another $2 billion to finish. As of late construction on thehotel has stopped again, leaving the fate of the hotel unresolved.

Photos via Wikimedia Commons

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