In Europe oil consumption peaked in 2005. There is a strong push towards renewable energy and this will also affect petrol stations. They will have to develop into charging stations for vehicles powered by gas, electricity and fuel cells and become part of an energy supply system based on smart grids.

Since 1999 the Munich based practice Haack + Höpfner Architekten und Stadtplaner BDA have been working with Allguth, a regional company running petrol stations. The project started as a competition with the brief to find an innovative way of construction which allowed for business growth in the short as well as the long term. The design had to support the brand values and avoid the aesthetic of the ubiquitous industrial shed architecture on fringes of our cities.

The architects proposed a contruction system which is open for future developments and can be adapted to different building sites and local business demands. The system should be based on standards which allow for economic and material efficiencies as well as future growth. At the same time the design should have a positive effect on the visibility of the brand and the company.

Haack + Höpfner . Architekten und Stadtplaner  BDA won the competition and their design integrates  the use of natural light and natural ventilation, modular layouts, energy efficient building automation, standardised construction elements, change of use and re-use of the building as well as recycling and sorting of (so called waste) materials. Another key aspect was the integration of the buildings into the urban environment allowing for plants and green spaces.

The modularity of the system and the high standards of design allow for appreciation by the users, low maintenance costs, easy upgrading and longevity. The introduction of renewable energies will demand more flexible and adaptable quiet design solutions like this.

 © M.HAUS 2009, all right reserved

Until recently this change of attitude would have been regarded as some romantic fancy. However at the DesignBoost conference in Sweden in October this year, Roy Antik, the Development Manager for Sustainability at Skanska announced that the company will reduce its energy and resource consumption by 50%. A key part of this strategy will be local recycling and the use of local materials. Skanska is one of the major players in the construction industry.    

Mass production, global sourcing and the availability of cheap labour has had a huge impact on the quality of our built environment, but also the traditional skills and methodologies in the construction industry.

In a separate initiative,Atelier Rang – an architectural practice based in Frankfurt – recently finished the Tower of Bhaktapur in Nepal. In this project they not only resourced the building materials directly on site, but also combined the traditional hessian building traditions with the local skills of the Newars. The team exported the forms of the Frankfurter Ziegel (brick), but used the local clay dug up on site in Nepal. The scaffolding was made from bamboo grown in a grove next to the site. The bricks were laid in a structure which reflects the Himalayan Mountains.

The architects describe the building as a brick sculpture and the project could be a prototype for local sourcing of materials. The history of architecture is full of such examples. Older brick building in London, Amsterdam or Hamburg are a reflection of the local clay and building traditions. The Tower of Bhaktapur can offer many lessons for the future.

Text by Dr. Sascha Peters, all rights reserved © 2009

Watercone consists of two elements: a black pan and a transparent cone made from thermo- formable polycarbonate. The same material is used in water dispensers. The material is light, it lasts up to five years and  is100% recyclable.

The product in use is as simple as its design: salty or brackish water is poured into the black pan, which absorbs the sunlight and heats the water. The water evaporates and condenses in the form of droplets on the inner wall of the cone. The inner base of the cone is shaped as a trough, into which the water droplets trickle. On top of the cone is cap just like on a water bottle. If you open the cap, tip the cone and turn it upside down, you can pour the condensed water directly into a drinking receptacle.

A single cone can collect between 1.0 and 1.7 litres of water per day. Its primary use is in costal areas in developing countries with no access to clean drinking water. The Watercone is becoming widely used in field and mobile hospitals, where the supply of clean water can make the difference between life and death. The product can generate business for water traders who have plied the markets in Africa, the Mid East and Asia for centuries.

Watercone has received many awards and has been shown in many prominent exhibitions such as the 11th Biennale Architecture in Venice and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

www.watercone.com

Around 25% of all bottled water is transported across borders. Whilst the transport from France into the UK might be relatively short, some waters are flown in from as far away as the South Pacific.

To get 1 litre of bottled water from the source via the factory, motorways and supermarkets onto your dining table, on average, the energy equivalent of 0.3 litres of oil is required. If you draw a litre of water from your kitchen tap the energy equivalent is 0.0003 litres of oil –  one thousandth of the bottled water energy requirement!.

In Germany 68% per cent of all households buy bottled water on a regular basis, which completely ruins their green balance sheet as well as their green reputation. In Sweden only 6% of all households buy bottled water.

The cost of 1 litre of bottled water in a UK supermarket is somewhere between 50 pence and £1. Expensive and exclusive designer brands with a price ticket up £50 per litre are available. The cost for a litre of tap water in London is £0.001 – again, one thousandth of the price.

In addition to the energy waste, most water is sold in plastic bottles. In 2006 only 17% of plastic bottles in the UK were recycled.

Tap water is clean, safe, cheap and it cuts resource and energy use to a minimum. If you want add some sparkle and taste to your drinking water, companies like Soda-Club provide well designed solutions.

www.sodaclub.com

In environmental terms the collective number of miles travelled to achieve this process really does not stack up.  A typical UK research programme might comprise 6 focus groups in 3 different locations, and assuming up to 8 respondents, 3 clients and the moderator attend each one, the mileage (by whatever form of transport) quickly adds up to high hundreds if not more.  Even more extreme, international studies involve people travelling thousands of miles, sometimes just for a single interview, which really is not responsible or sustainable.

Fortunately nowadays there are some excellent online alternatives to face-to-face research, ranging from ‘thinking space’ forums where people post their opinions in writing to ‘talkie’ online focus groups run through web conferencing software.

The software is slick, results are just as robust as face-to-face interviewing, the process is much more time and resource efficient and, crucially, nobody needs to go anywhere.  The carbon expenditure of the research project is thus reduced simply to people powering their PC, which as well as all the obvious environmental benefits represents significant plus points not only in terms of ethical CSR policy, but also travel costs.

At Mindspace we are extremely committed to online as a responsible method of research and achieving really good results as well as significant travel cost savings and CO2 reductions.  

©2009 Clare Wade, Market Research Consultant, Mindspace

To discuss the opportunities for online research in design contact Clare Wade, Mindspace, 01337 810494, 07715 60880, info@q-mindspace.co.uk,   www.q-mindspace.co.uk   www.onlinefocusgroups.co.uk

Besides the standard low energy bulbs, LED is emerging as an innovative and highly energy efficient technology. LED’s are very durable and can last up to 100,000 hours and what is more, 80% of the energy they use is turned into light. In an incandescent light 80% of the energy used is turned into heat.

The Japanese designer Chicako Ibaraki works with LED’s and in her Line light she combines the purity and tranquillity of natural light with a simple form and the need to be careful with resources:

I saw a line of light shine in, through a small window

It was simple, clear and sharp. The room’s stillness was created by the light.

I wanted to capture the line of the light.

Chicako Ibaraki

Line/floor light/2008, Material: acrylic diffuser, metal base, Size: W400xD400xH1400, Photo: Satoshi Asakawa

M.HAUS 2009

Sustainable, slow, low impact or Eco tourism is still marginal, but over the last years some new trends and destinations have been emerging. The Vigilius Mountain Resort in Lana, South Tyrol is one of them.

The resort is located at 1,500 metres and can only be reached by cable car or on foot. The property has the shape of a fallen tree and the philosophy of the enterprise is based on a genuine and deep-felt respect for the environment and the surrounding nature.

This philosophy is realized in all areas – from the nature-based construction methods to the sustainable use of local resources. The resort builds on old local traditions, but also integrates the latest technologies. Everything revolves around the local landscape and nature.

The principle of organic architecture not only manifests itself in the shape of the buildings, but also in the use of green grass covered roofs and the use of locally grown larch wood throughout. A large part of the property is timber structure. The shell of the building is highly insulated to avoid heat loss especially in the cold winter months.

Wood is also key for the biomass heating system, which is not only clean burning but also gives local farmers a second income and ensures that the forests are managed and cultivated. Water comes from a local spring and is carefully managed in the bathrooms and spa areas.       

Architect Matteo Thun created this luxury mountain hideaway where awareness co-exists with aesthetics, and everything revolves around nature and landscape. The hotel was opened in 2003 and has received a large number of design as well as environmental awards.

However, remember, the biggest environmental impact of tourism is transport. Tourism is one of the main drivers of increased demand for transport, particularly the most environmentally damaging modes: private cars and, more critically, air transport. In Europe, in 2005, about 59 % of the tourists reached their destination by road and 34 % by air. Air traffic is expected to double over the next 20 years.

Next time you book a hotel, ask what their CO2 emissions per m² are – 50kg/m² or less would be a good benchmark. Energy efficient hotels are the new design hotels!

www.designhotels.com/vigilius

M.HAUS © 2009