A dome made of rearview mirrors, seat belts and soda bottles floats on Grand River

Husband-and-wife team Amanda Schachter and Alexander Levi of New York City-based SLO Architecture recently set afloat the latest iteration in their series of Harvest Domes — massive dome-shaped installations made from locally sourced, repurposed materials. Dubbed Harvest Dome 3.0, their most recent buoyant installation can be found in the Grand River of Grand Rapids, Michigan, where it celebrates the waterway’s heritage and role in powering the city’s manufacturing legacy. Measuring 20 feet in diameter, the colorful orb was constructed from a mix of surplus seat belts, rearview mirrors and soda bottles.

Set afloat last month, Harvest Dome 3.0 was created for ArtPrize 10, a 19-day free event where artists from around the world transform three square miles of downtown Grand Rapids into an open-air gallery of art installations. SLO Architecture’s highly site-specific addition to this year’s line-up uses local materials harvested from the Grand River industry. Buoyed by a ring of 128 repurposed two-liter soda bottles, Harvest Dome 3.0 measures 20 feet in depth, 20 feet in width and 18 feet in height.

“While the river’s energy propelled Grand Rapids to become a center for logging, furniture fabrication and automotive industries, the possibility of the river also engendered changes to landscape ecology, leading to flooding and contamination,” the designers explained in a project statement. “The transcendent abstract form of Harvest Dome 3.0 emerges from a flotsam of accumulated materials, its bright blue seat belt lines and sky-and-water-reflecting rearview mirrors shimmering like a bubble coming up from the surging rapids, transfiguring the river’s power and possibility.”

Related: Beautiful Harvest Dome constructed from 450 found umbrellas wins the Dwell Vision Award

A team of workers assembled the dome next to the Grand River over a series of days in late August. It was then lifted into the river by a crane and is secured in the water with ropes. ArtPrize 10 concludes October 7, 2018.

+ SLO Architecture

Via ArchDaily

Images via Scott Rasmussen / SLO Architecture; lead image via TJ Mattieu / SLO Architecture

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Architect crafts a new work studio from an old shipping container

When it came to expanding his practice after years of working from home, Canadian architect Randy Bens knew that he didn’t want to venture too far away. Instead, the architect and his team decided that his own backyard would be perfect for a new office space and set about transforming an industrial shipping container into a contemporary and cozy 350-square-foot work studio.

Bens worked from home for over a decade for his New Westminster-based architecture firm, RB Architect. When the practice began to grow, it became obvious that the team needed more space. After looking into several building options and locations, the team decided to keep the practice close to home. More specifically, in the architect’s backyard.

Related: Beautiful, light-filled home slots into a skinny lot in Vancouver

The architect considered many ways to increase his office space, but finally decided on using a large weathered steel shipping container, previously used as a mining container. At 40 feet long, 11.5 feet wide and 9.5 feet high, the container offered the necessary space with the added benefit of the inherent durability that comes from its steel shell. Additionally, using a shipping container would allow the team to transport it to another location if they decide to relocate in the future.

The first step was to trim the container from 40 feet to 28 feet in order to easily fit it into the backyard space, where it was lowered into place by crane. The steel facade of the structure, which cantilevers over the concrete foundation by 7 feet, is clad in yellow cedar planks, which were also used on the windows and doors. The cedar will weather over time, giving the steel container a rustic, cabin-in-the-woods aesthetic.

The interior of the building was laid out to create a highly space-efficient office. There is an open studio space with a “floating” Douglas Fir desk that spans almost the entire length of the main wall, which is clad in birch plywood. There is also a kitchenette, washroom and network cabinet. The open layout allows for flexibility in creating small meeting spaces or areas for model making. The front end has a large glazed facade that floods the interior space with natural light.

+ Randy Bens Architect

Via Archdaily

Photography by Ema Peter via RB Architect

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This tiny home is afforded extra space thanks to a large deck

Barlo Smith and Shona Macpherson are putting a unique twist on the tiny house revolution. The Australian couple has spent the last 20 years in the carpentry world and recently put their expertise to the test building the first tiny home for their company, Sowelo Tiny Houses.

Smith and Macpherson’s new tiny house, called Sowelo, accommodates six people and features dual loft rooms (complete with skylights), a downstairs lounge and 26 square feet of outdoor deck space. According to New Atlas, the structure meets every legal housing standard in Australia. The tiny home is only 26 feet long, 8 feet wide and 14 feet high, but it feels quite spacious.

Related: This gorgeous tiny home is perfect for entertaining guests

For the couple, maximizing the amount of space and keeping everything environmentally friendly was the top goal in the design. The Sowelo tiny home is powered by solar energy and is made from FSC-certified plywood. The insulation is made out of recycled polyester, and the house is completely free of any volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in building materials such as glues and paints.

The couple tested the model in a range of climates in Australia, including the sweltering heat and bitter cold. So far, the home has stood up to whatever Mother Nature can throw its way. It also features an outdoor deck that substantially increases the size of the home. Not only does the deck provide more space for entertaining guests, but it also boasts a grow-wall feature complete with its own watering setup.

Inside, the Sowelo house includes a living room, two sleeping lofts, a kitchen and a sweet little reading nook. The kitchen has a stainless steel oven, gas stove, fridge and sink. The home also features a pull-out dining table and plenty of storage space.

Following the success of this first model, the couple are selling the Sowelo units for about $87,000. If you need a little more space, additional modules are available starting at $22,000 apiece.

+ Sowelo Tiny Houses

Images via Sowelo Tiny Houses

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UK's Co-op to ditch single-use plastic bags for biodegradable bags

A popular supermarket chain in the U.K. is taking a step toward bettering the environment by putting a stop to plastic waste. Co-op recently announced plans to use compostable shopping bags, which double as biodegradable bags for food waste, in all of its stores. The new bags will replace the old single-use plastic bags.

Co-op is introducing the eco-friendly bags over the next few weeks. Stores in England, Wales and Scotland will receive the bags first, followed by outlets across the rest of the U.K.

Related: Kroger plans plastic bag phase-out by 2025

The chain has tested other versions of the bags since 2014 and is rolling them out in locations where local food waste companies can accept them. The company estimates that the new bags will save around 60 million plastic bags from ending up in landfills.

The biodegradable bags are part of Co-op’s larger strategy to lessen its impact on the environment. This includes launching initiatives to tackle healthy eating, food waste and energy savings.

The company plans to completely phase out plastic bags over the next five years and stop selling black plastic — which is difficult to recycle — altogether. Co-op hopes to be plastic free by 2023 and plans on using at least 50 percent recycled plastic in other products, such as pots, trays and bottles.

Co-op is not the only supermarket in the U.K. that is removing plastic from its stores. This past week, Lidl U.K. announced plans to stop using plastic trays for fruit and vegetables by the end of September. The company also pledged to ditch plastic from its meat sections by Summer 2019. Asda also announced that it is halfway through with its plastic reduction goal for the year, while Waitrose has vowed to stop using plastic for loose veggies and fruit by Spring 2019.

+ Co-op

Via The Guardian

Image via Co-op

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A quirky bar in Shanghai is built from colorful recycled materials

A playful piece of Brazil has popped up on the streets of Shanghai in the form of Barraco, a Brazilian-themed bar designed by local practice Quarta & Armando Architecture Design Research (Q&A) and built with reclaimed materials sourced from demolition sites across the city. With ceilings constructed of colorful recycled doors and hanging swings used for bar seating, this whimsical hangout exudes a beach house feel with tropical drinks to match. The use of recycled and found materials also helps capture the “informal, messy and colorful atmosphere of tropical cities,” according to the architects.

Slotted into a narrow rectangular site with a total area of 915 square feet, Barraco consists of an indoor bar and an outdoor bar protected beneath a large canopy. To keep the bars from descending into a confusing assortment of colors and textures, the designers grounded the project with a neutral background of bare concrete, timber and white gravel. Against this muted palette the firm then layered a “controlled chaos” of hanging plants, multicolored furnishings, corrugated tin surfaces and driftwood-like swings that hang from the ceiling.

“The double nature of materials and textures reflects a double nature of use: the more quiet, dimly lit indoor bar sets provides a quiet retreat for an afternoon coffee, while the outdoor bar with projecting canopy becomes a part of Shanghai’s active streets at night,” Q&A said in a project statement.

Related: Enchanting vertical garden is really a flora-filled bar in disguise

“Seating areas are organized according to the same principle,” the architects continued, “with a set of movable low stools and beach chairs outside being the only furniture, besides the hanging wooden swings surrounding the bar, matched indoors by a set of comfortable armchairs and high-stools [that surround] a hanging table/door, which can be operated and pulled toward the ceiling to provide more space during a bigger party or event.”

+ Q&A

Via ArchDaily

Images by Dirk Weiblen

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Go glamping Wild West-style in these Conestoga covered wagons

We’ve seen a lot of unique glamping options, but one resort in Northern California is taking guests back to the Wild West. Guests at the Yosemite Pines RV Resort, just 22 miles from Yosemite National Park, can enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience by sleeping in large Conestoga wagons. Not only do the wagons include luxurious interiors, but they also come with private picnic areas to fully enjoy the natural surroundings.

The Yosemite Pines Resort in Northern California is just a 30-minute drive to Yosemite Park. The resort has a number of lodging options, including tents and a cool, retro trailer, but its the six new Conestoga wagons that are becoming the resort’s most popular attraction.

Related: Sheep wagons converted into rustic (and adorable) mobile living spaces

The large covered wagons, each furnished with a king-sized bed and bunk beds, can accommodate up to six people. Each glamping wagon is equipped with heating and air conditioning, as well as a small kitchenette with a refrigerator, microwave and coffee pot.

The wagons are set up to provide guests with plenty of options to fully immerse themselves in nature. Guests can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner on their own picnic tables just outside the wagons. Additionally, visitors can take a dip in the swimming pool before enjoying an evening making s’mores and small talk around the central fire pit.

When guests are not exploring Yosemite Park, the glamping resort offers nature walks and hayrides, as well as fun events such as outdoor movie nights. There are also plenty of local excursions offered daily, including mountain climbing and white water rafting in the summer or snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter months. While there are a lot of activities on offer, there’s a strict ban on gunslinging of any sort.

+ Yosemite Pines RV Resort

Via Apartment Therapy

Images via Yosemite Pines RV Resort

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A sustainable campus is built from 22 recycled shipping containers

The International Sustainable Development Studies Institute in Thailand is taking its own teachings to heart with the an eco-friendly campus crafted from 22 recycled shipping containers. Now, the institute has a clear example when teaching students about the importance of upcycling and sustainability, plus plenty of space for educating on tree conservation, urban farming, waste management and more.

As an institution aimed at teaching others about sustainability, the ISDSI made every effort to minimize any impact throughout the building process. Starting with a bare lot full of trees, the final design saved all but two of the acacia wood grove by using a skilled crane operator to maneuver the shipping containers into place around the existing landscape. They also scrutinized the amount of concrete that was necessary and took steps to avoid greenhouse gas emissions.

Related: 13 shipping containers are reborn as a new restaurant on Treasure Island

The shipping containers were hand-selected with the end design in mind, so when each showed up on site, it had a specific purpose. Once the containers were properly stacked, builders began to cut out portions of the massive metal boxes in order to create windows, doors, decks and connecting open-air walkways. To take the sustainable design one step further, none of the cut metal went to waste, as it was turned into interior walls, doors, sinks, bathroom stalls and a kiosk and welcome counter in the cafe and gym. The complex also includes classrooms, conference rooms, a kitchen and plenty of outdoor spaces. The entire project took about nine months to complete.

In addition to reusing containers slotted for melt-down recycling on the front end of the project, careful thought went into long-term energy savings from daily operations. For example, the entire campus uses low-energy LED lighting for areas not already lit through copious natural lighting. Proper insulation keeps the campus temperate, but when air conditioning is necessary, each pod has its own unit for efficiency, and most of the units were recycled from old buildings.

Outside areas also received a sustainability upgrade with the use of composting, an on-campus garden, plants and green spaces, all intended to help support the soil and provide fresh air.

+ The International Sustainable Development Studies Institute

Images via ISDSI

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