Bazsux

2017. május 7., vasárnap

Giant Wine Barrel Room Overlooks the Black Forest in Germany

Germany, The Black Forest, Schlafen im Weinfass, wine barrel rooms, wine barrel hotel, vineyards, wine-making, Sasbachwalden, Air BnB, funky hotel, recycled wine barrels, recycled materials, green design, sustainable design, eco-design, eco-tourism, sustainable tourism

With so many hotels and Air BnB rooms to choose from, it’s not easy to find an unusual sleeping experience – except perhaps in Germany. In the past we have featured a cozy room built into a giant beer barrel, and now we’ve stumbled upon Schlafen im Weinfass – a wonderful cluster of giant wine barrel rooms overlooking vineyards and sections of the verdant Black Forest.

There are five “squares” or rooms on a farm in Sasbachwalden village – a tiny community known for its wine-making and wood processing. Named after the kind of wine that was stored in each of the enormous oak barrels, which are so lovingly restored it will break your heart, the rooms are accompanied by a small rocky garden, flowers, a bench, and even a bathroom. Oh, and don’t worry about winter time. These cozy rooms are heated.

There is a double bed in each barrel, though it can be separated into two singles upon request, and a basket of yummy German goodies await your arrival. The owners offer deals too. Here’s one: one night, two people, breakfast, a basket full of cheese and sausage, and wine. And what do you think that might cost? Your right arm, perhaps? Oh no, they are only charging 156 Euros – for two people. That’s a steal! Comprised of 70 percent forest, Sasbachwalden boasts lush green hills and spectacular sunsets. We can hardly think of a better place to spend the night.

+ Schlafen im Weinfass

Via Tiny House Swoon

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via Inhabitat

2017. május 6., szombat

Rusty tin shed transformed into beautiful two-story studio in Sydney

Tin sheds are a part of Australia’s building vernacular – which is why a dilapidated shed in Sydney was revamped and renewed instead of being torn down. Designed by Raffaello Rosselli, Tinshed is a two-story studio, office and apartment at the back of a residential lot in the Redfern area. The original shed was clad in a mix-match of rusty corrugated metal panels. The new shed reuses all the metal, but remakes the interior with modern finishes, a sunny disposition and a bright interior.

Tinshed, Raffaello Rosselli, sydney, tin shed, recycled materials, studio apartment, studio,

The goal of the project was to re-purpose the existing tin shed at the rear of a residential lot. Rather than just tearing the shed down and getting rid of it, Raffaello Rosselli recycled the original materials while paying respect to the shed’s structure. The shed was carefully deconstructed, and the exterior metal cladding was retained while the new two-story studio office and apartment were constructed. On the ground floor is a studio/garage along with storage and a bathroom. The upstairs offers a studio apartment and office complete with a kitchenette and full bath.

To complete the project, the original cladding was reinstalled on the facade in a puzzling array of color. New box windows framed with coreten steel fill the space with light and provide a bit of sun shading with overhangs. Inside, the interior is raw and honest with a clean finish, white walls and plywood floors. Light bounces throughout the space.

+ Raffaello Rosselli

Via Dezeen

Images ©Mark Syke and Richard Carr

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2017. május 5., péntek

The prefab house of the future is made from recycled, reusable, and sustainable materials

This prefab home by Arup Associates is made from recycled, reusable and sustainably sourced materials. The Circular Economy Building was designed as a prototype for this year’s London Design Festival and built in only two weeks. The project revisits the archetypal house and reinvents it with refined prefab construction techniques and sustainable materials.

The prefab clearly show its Circular Economy elements by revealing them visually– visitors can observe the layers of the envelope – including the demountable SIPS panels and the structural steel frame, which creates enables extension and future adaptation. The design aims to demonstrate that flexible, sustainable architecture can be highly compatible with a comfortable modern lifestyle.

The architects worked closely with Arup’s engineers to marry pleasant spatial solutions with sustainable building techniques. This informed the choice of finishes and fittings throughout the interior. Even the carpets, supplied by Desso on a take-back scheme, can be replaced when worn out and sustainably refurbished and reused.

The building’s superior acoustic performance is ensured by using an acoustic wall system built entirely from recycled plastic bottles. A high-tech automation system uses sensors to monitor the interior environment and adjust the skylights, blinds and lights. The building’s flat-pack construction utilizes custom-made panels standardized through several computational iterations.

+ Arup Associates

Via v2com

Photos by Simon Kennedy

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Beer made from recycled bread is coming to the U.S.

Toast Ale, food waste, beer, recycled bread, London, New York City

A brewery in London is taking a bite out of food waste. Launched last year, Toast makes its beers from surplus fresh bread, including the heel ends of loaves, that would otherwise feed the landfill. Toast combines the bread with malted barley, hops, yeast, and water to craft its lagers, which are sold to raise money for charity. A full 100 percent of its profits, in fact, goes to Feedback, a nonprofit working to end wasted food across the globe.

Toast Ale, food waste, beer, recycled bread, London, New York City

It is the rare bakery that doesn’t have a ton of leftover bread at the end of the day—more, perhaps, than any food bank can distribute. In fact, as much as one-third of loaves likely head directly from the oven to the landfill.

Although food waste is somewhat of a modern concern, brewing tipple from bread isn’t. Toast uses a recipe based on a formula that hails from 4,000 B.C., when people in Mesopotamia and Egypt made a “divine drink” from bread baked from emmer wheat.

Toast Ale, food waste, beer, recycled bread, London, New York City

Now, Toast wants to take its show on the road, specifically to New York City, where it hopes to produce an American pale ale by the Fourth of July.

“NYC bakeries are already knocking down our door to bring surplus loaves directly from their ovens to the brewery,” it wrote on its crowdfunding page. “This campaign will guarantee our ability to produce 100 [barrels] of beer in NYC—with that, we’ve got a social business on our hands!”

Cheers to that!

+ Toast on Indiegogo

+ Toast

Via Treehugger

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2017. május 3., szerda

Tesla executives start mysterious new recycling company

Tesla, Tesla Motors, Redwood Materials, Jeffrey Straubel, Andrew Stevenson, recycle, recycled, recycling, recycling company, recycling startup, materials recycling, recycled materials, startup, company

You’d think with battery production commencing at the new Gigafactory and Tesla being the most valuable car company in America, the company’s executives would have their hands full. But it appears Tesla’s Chief Technology Officer Jeffrey Straubel and head of special products Andrew Stevenson have quietly filed documents for a new company aiming to “unlock the value of your materials.”

CB Insights found a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, with Straubel and Stevenson listed as executives on a new company called Redwood Materials. They already have a $2 million investment from an undisclosed investor. Their office is in Redwood City, California, fairly close to Tesla headquarters in Palo Alto.

Could Tesla be behind the company? According to its scant website, Redwood Materials offers “advanced technology and process development for materials recycling, remanufacturing, and reuse” – and that’s about all we know. A Tesla spokesperson didn’t answer The Verge’s request for clarification. But the publication said it’s quite possible Tesla isn’t involved with Redwood Materials at all.

In the past Straubel has invested in companies that aren’t connected to Tesla, like a 2016 investment in energy storage company Axiom Energy. He’s also mentioned an interest in mineral recycling. Last year he said Tesla would recycle electric vehicle batteries and reuse those materials. In a recent March 2017 keynote address, Stevenson mentioned “re-thinking the materials supply chain” as an area of innovation for the car company.

Battery production requires materials like nickel, manganese, cobalt, graphite, copper, and lithium, and it makes sense Tesla would want to obtain reused materials for their batteries as much as possible as they ramp up production from 80,000 cars in 2016 to one million in 2020.

The Redwood Materials website offers no other details, although you can enter an email address for updates.

Via CB Insights, The Verge and Electrek

Images via cchana on Flickr and Lwp Kommunikáció on Flickr

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The Grandview Barrel Sauna is a backyard oasis for the entire family

Saunas at resorts are great – but having a personal one in your own backyard is even better! This barrel-shaped wooden sauna by Almost Heaven Saunas is easy to assemble with just a few hand tools, and it can hold up to eight people. That makes it perfect for families to enjoy in the privacy of their own garden or backyard.

The Grandview Barrel Sauna is crafted from western red cedar, hemlock fir, or Nordic spruce, depending on your own choice, and it can include a front canopy. Its spacious interior features an electric heater–with an option to upgrade to a wood-burning stove–a bucket, a ladle, and a thermometer/hygrometer. Because it’s larger than the firm’s other classic barrel saunas, the Grandview Barrel allows for wider benches and a flat duckboard flooring section.

The timber used to build the sauna is naturally resistant to the effects of the elements and is combined with thick tempered glass and stainless steel hardware and fasteners. Soft LED lighting and opposite-facing benches create a relaxing atmosphere.

+ Almost Heaven Sauna

Via Uncrate