Beneath the Surface Blog

Newspapers are a staple publication for many Americans. Whether you’re reading it with your morning coffee, perusing the classifieds on the subway to work, or doing the crossword puzzle during your college lecture, newspapers are everywhere - keeping people up-to-date, informed, and entertained. With over 100 million newspapers produced each day in the United States alone (over 1 billion daily worldwide), it is clearly one popular periodical. Unfortunately, however, within 24 hours, those 100 million newspapers become obsolete, creating mounds of wasted paper daily. But one innovative designer has figured out a way to help combat this issue of paper waste by fusing sustainability, design, and nature. The solution? NewspaperWood.

Dissatisfied with the notion that once a tree becomes paper, it remains paper, Mieke Meijers, a Dutch designer, developed NewspaperWood with the help of Vij5 design. Made by layers upon layers of newspaper adhered together, compressed, and rolled into a log, NewspaperWood looks and acts very similar to its original counterpart. Just like any other type of wood, NewspaperWood can be planed, cut, nailed, and sanded. And once planed and sanded, it reveals a beautiful grain, amazingly akin to the organic earthiness of rings in actual wood. Though not meant as a structural alternative, NewspaperWood is an attractive choice for aesthetic applications (like furniture), and can even be finished, stained, and veneered.

NewspaperWood has already caught the eye of many up and coming designers. A line of furniture was produced, along with other items, including lamps and jewelry, in an effort to showcase NewspaperWood’s versatility and visual appeal. Prototypes of the pieces were showcased in Milan in April 2011, and have since gone into production.

But aside from its sustainability and naturalistic wood properties, perhaps the most interesting notion about NewspaperWood is the way in which it blurs the line between the natural and synthetic. This is certainly not the first time that man has tried to replicate nature, nor will it be the last. However, with NewspaperWood, there is something different, almost natural, about using newspaper to recreate and emphasize the beauty of its most unrefined form – the tree. With the structured columns and bold typefaces of newsprint, it is hard to imagine anything organic or fluid about it. But when manipulated into NewspaperWood, the hidden beauty of the literature is revealed through undulating grains and rings, evoking our most natural and earthy aesthetics. It is difficult to identify where nature stops and the artificial begins. While NewspaperWood, clearly, is not found in nature, it is hard to deny the truly organic essence of this material. The juxtaposition created between the manmade and the natural in the NewspaperWood really makes one think and appreciate both the beauty and ingenuity of humanity and nature alike.

While man can never exactly replicate Mother Nature, we truly appreciate the way in which NewspaperWood utilizes wasted material to recognize and recreate the beauty of natural wood in a manmade state. We appreciate this fresh take on fusing sustainability with materiality and design, and hope it will jumpstart other unique innovations in both the recycling and design world.

Image credit: Vij5

We exist as a society overwhelmed with trash. California alone spends $25 million to send plastic shopping bag to landfills and another $8.5 million just to clean them off the streets. Americans throw away an estimated seven billion pounds of plastic per year, with only about one percent of that being recycled. Start-up company PK Clean seeks to put the remaining ninety-nine percent to good use with their proprietary technology that uses discarded PVCs and converts them into petroleum and "natural" gas.

Led by MIT grad Priyanka Bakaya, PK Clean has received recognition from a wide variety of business and energy contests such as the winning the Clean Non-Renewable Track of MIT's 2011 Clean Energy Prize and the Women's Entrepreneur and Best Energy Business Plan sections of Rice University's 2011 Business Plan Competition.

The brilliance of their solution comes from a catalytic depolymerization process. This grounds up plastic and then heats it in a reaction chamber to 150°C. A specially designed catalyst amplifies the process and allows it to take place at such a low temperature, saving energy. The products of this process include 70-80% oil and 5-10% industrial-grade ash. The remaining 10% takes the form of gas which is in turn used to heat the reaction chamber. With about 90-95% of the catalyst recovered and a low release of emissions, this process pollutes very little while removing plastic blight. Using start-up funds and competition award money, PK Clean has begun operating a pilot plant in Pune, India that processes twenty tons of plastic a day. The resulting oil, eighty barrels worth, sells for about $25-30/barrel. Bayaka plans to upscale the process to one-hundred tons and day and sees a future potential of $7 billion for the industry.

While most agree that our dependence on oil as an energy source needs to diminish due to its polluting factors and the amazing, yet wasted, potential of hydrocarbons for materials and medicines, the way we have massively integrated petroleum into our society means that, barring any incredible technological breakthrough, internal combustion engines and gas-fired power plants will remain viable for decades to come. We create prodigious amounts of plastic waste, choking whole forest in Mexico and forming garbage patches in oceans twice the size of America. The innovative and profitable methods PK Clean has developed will hopefully encourage others to make better use of that which we discard.

Freeways crisscross much of a modern society's landscape, connecting distant cities by allowing people the ability to travel hundreds of miles in a single day. Unfortunately, they also cleave, destroy, and pollute neighborhoods while existing as a visual blight on the landscape. Communities and citizens will often resist their construction even when the economic benefits are made clear. The architects of Denmark-based BIG, always with a talent for the grandiose, have developed the winning concept for a highway interchange in Stockholm that delivers all the benefits of freeways without many of the "necessary" evils.

Called Energy Valley, this concept seeks to actually connect neighborhoods with their natural surroundings and each other. Where most multi-highways junctions create an insurmountable vehicular barricade and vast areas of unusable grass, BIG's idea links divergent natural parks with an incorporated planned park and encourages an increased sense of community. Elevated roadways and a central traffic loop combined with meandering bicycle and pedestrian paths allow wildlife and long-separated neighborhoods the opportunity to grow together.

Builders will take excavated soil and use it to elevate the land that circles the interchange, creating the "valley" part of Energy Valley. Combined with the vegetation of this "parkway" interchange, the surrounding raised land has the benefits of removing the interchange from the view of surrounding communities, vastly reducing the noise pollution usually inherent with such features, and further increasing the park-like feel for the motorist, bicyclists, and pedestrians using the freeways and pathways to travel.

BIG has also designed an incredibly unique feature that will, for the first time, make a highway interchange a destination spot. Reminiscent of an image from a Vernor Vinge novel, the plan involves floating a gigantic mirrored sphere over the central roadway loop, reflecting the interchange's surroundings. Besides stabilizing the sphere, thin rigid trusses using wave-power technology will combine with almost 31,000 square feet of solar cells on the surface to provide enough energy for keeping the air-filled feature aloft yet still delivering power to over two-hundred homes. The inconspicuous supports will ensure the sphere doesn’t contact the roadway in case of accidental deflation and also present an airy illusion of the sphere simply floating above the interchange.

Most roadways exist outside of communities, benefiting the people passing through instead of those who share its settings. BIG has turned a three-level highway interchange into a feature for the community. "The Energy Valley is a cross-over between urbanism, landscape, architecture, art and infrastructure into a new neighborhood of Stockholm. Harnessing the momentum of the massive investment in tunnels and highways and putting the excess excavation to use as a man-made valley, we create an interdisciplinary hybrid of logistic, economic, environmental and social infrastructure," states BIG Partner and Founder, Bjarke Ingels. They have truly flipped conventional thinking, drastically reducing the negative impacts of highways, improving the lives of the surrounding populace, and still maintaining the function of providing efficient transportation.

Image credits: DesignBuzz.com, Dezeen.com, PositiveMagazine.com, Dudye.com

A simple concept, multiplied exponentially, can often have breathtaking results. We came across this great post over at DesignSponge. To decorate the HeARTbeat party presented by a non-profit group called ArtsFund which helps support over sixty art groups by coordinating donations exceeding two million dollars, event planners Matthew Parker Events utilized more than 1,000 used pieces of paper destined for the recycle bin.

Since ArtsFund is based in Seattle and receives generous donations from Boeing, the event planners' ideas went aerial, folding old newsletters originating from the non-profit's offices into paper airplanes. The aircraft hung on wire and converged towards the front stage, being illuminated by warm-colored lights that cast wonderful and striking shadows on the room and party goers during the event.

We applaud Matthew Parker Events for utilizing materials one more time before their date with the recycling center but wonder how long it took to fold over 1,000 paper airplanes without the help of local school children!  The project illustrates that a simple surface with deliberate lighting effects and a delicate suspension system can create dramatic spatial impact.

Image credit: Design Sponge

While in London last week, our Director Thomas Lawrence was entranced by this inventive community garden nestled next to the Charles Dickens Free House pub/restaurant. The Urban Physics Garden brings neighbors and researchers together to use this previously neglected space for growing medicinal plants alongside the herbs and spices that one finds in traditional gardens. A collaboration between a nearby hospital and pharmacy with the designers from Wayward Plants, this garden was constructed using volunteer labor, discarded materials, and donated plants. Organizers have planned events such as workshops and seminars alongside artistic shows and exhibits to turn this into a true community showcase. After being turned into a kitchen by Rambling Restaurant, a reconfigured ambulance on site will provide a delicious locally grown menu. Located on Union Street and open to the public between June and August, the garden is sure to reinvigorate the London streetscape.

The Urban Physics Garden demonstrates the way researchers continually comb nature for medicine and remedies that improve the human condition. Trees can help prevent heart attacks and combat cancer, fungus fights human infections, and animal venoms provide powerful pain relievers. Scientists have barely begun to crack the codes that plants and animals possess and continued stewardship of our flora and fauna promises irreplaceable cures for present and future afflictions.

Video: GPI Director Thomas Lawrence speaks with one of the volunteers

This endeavor also highlights an increasing trend one finds in cities today that emphasizes locally sourced foods. Many of the menu items we eat today trek thousands of miles before they end up on our dinner plate, burning more fossil fuels than any other economic sector besides autos. Besides drastically increasing the carbon footprint of the items we eat, this travel often demands the use of chemicals, excessive handling, and shipping techniques that minimize spoilage and profit loss at the cost of taste and health benefits. Like the garden Tom found, urban gardeners seek to use the empty spaces that proliferate throughout cities and put them to great use. This concept isn't new; it had just been neglected. During World Wars I and II, with massive amounts of the labor force involved in the war efforts, governments promoted small lot farming. These Victory Gardens at one point accounted for forty percent of the veggies the nation consumed, being responsible for increased sense of community morale and contribution to the war effort.

Large population centers can each spend billions on food and with the drastic increase of fuel prices, the cost of our dinner promises to only grow. By increasing the ratio of urban grown food we eat by just a few percentage points, communities can save millions. Many of the poverty stricken areas in cities oftentimes find themselves riddled with urban blight. These areas, perfectly primed for urban gardens, can affect their communities in a cornucopia of positive ways. With raising their own food, neighbors can cut their food bill and have increased access to items, like organic foods, that are normally outside of the low-income price range. The increasing trend in for-profit urban farming points to another economic benefit with some estimates of a $60,000-90,000 per acre profit possible depending on crops. By promoting the local cohesion that our modern age seems to disdain, these gardens can nurture neighborhood empowerment and an increased sense of communal responsibility.

Besides all that, digging in the dirt is fun and recent studies hint that regular contact with soil actually improves one's mood. Providing an interaction with nature that many in the concrete-covered environment wouldn't normally experience, these urban gardens also connect individuals to a natural world which we depend on much more than it often seems.

Over the past several months, GPI Design has enjoyed the process of working with the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) to sponsor this year's student design competition. Students from accredited interior design schools in Ohio and Kentucky were invited to submit design proposals for the renovation of our office lobby (a drab space which was failing to live up to the building's namesake, "The Atrium").

Our sincere thanks to each group or individual that submitted, it was an absolute pleasure reviewing all of the fresh ideas for our LED backlighting system! It was a tough decision, but these winners really stood out:

Winner of Best Overall Design - "Diffuse" (Kent State University)

This design embraced the existing spatial elements while updating the space with a few bold moves that communicate playfully with the existing architecture. This design considered the scale of the tall atrium space and the fact that its main viewing points are from above and on the elevator. The materiality and form of the curved staircase is translated in a new, but related, manner in the tall central feature. The existing floor is retained, along with the basic color scheme. Seating areas are created simply with basic forms. While striking a balance between high design and budget, the owner was drawn to the holistic treatment of the space.

Honoree for Best Use of Natural Elements -  "Oasis" (University of Kentucky)

Scale, pattern, texture and light were layered to create a garden setting that provides a soothing atmosphere to tenants of the Atrium building. An intimate setting broke down the scale of the large space with sophisticated design strategies. The strong central water feature anchors the space, while natural stone and greenery add natural texture.

Honoree for Most Creative Use of LED Backlighting: "EBA Designs" (The Ohio State University)

The strong focal pull of GPI’s backlit stone panels was utilized in conjunction with the natural visual impact of the tall elevator. The staggered arrangement of the backlit stone panels creates a sense of movement and takes advantage of the verticality of the central atrium space. The design layout and surrounding finishes at the backlit panels make the features integral to the architecture (as opposed to mere decoration).

A special thank you to Dr. Terrence Uber for his assistance in orchestrating the competition!

Check out our Flickr album for some of the creative materials and technology that inspired the student designs >

In the overview blog post, The 10 Benefits of Lighting Control for Greener, Smarter Building Design, Bill Trammel of the Lighting Control Pros blog outlines the main benefits of implementing lighting control into architectural design.  This blog post provided a great overview of points that can both enlighten designers AND provide relevant data to assist them in convincing their clients (building owners and developers).

Architects and designers probably understand this from multiple angles, many of which Bill Trammel touched upon, but the perceived benefits of lighting control really depends on who's listening, right? Here's GPI's case for implementing controllable lighting systems, in plain language that building owners might connect with:

You wouldn't buy a Mercedes Benz without purchasing the automatic window upgrade, would you?

High-end lighting systems are implemented through an intense detailed process that involve collaboration and engineering. The upgrade, offering real convenience, is a natural extension of the baseline system.  Additional cost, yes, but you will probably never regret the upgrade.

(Notice we are using the Benz as an example for the owner? If we were talking to you, Ms./Mr. Designer, we would have said "1999 Volvo". Yep, we know you're overworked and underpaid.)

Let's make sure that everyone is satisfied with these lighting levels on-site after all is said and done.

You can quantify this LED fixture with test data all day long, but lighting levels are subjective. Avoid the costly mistake of implementing non-controllable lighting, which results in tearing down finishes to modify or remove fixtures. (Headaches, schedule extension, added cost)

Dimming control provides the opportunity for lighting designers and building owners to "tune" the brightness of fixtures based on many variables: desired brightness levels, ambient lighting conditions, subjective perception. 

During the building walk-through and commissioning process, dimming control will prove to be a crucial tool in fine tuning all of the systems into a harmonious composition.

You like to see your huge building investment pay off over the years, don't you?

As Bill Trammel succinctly put it: "from a purely bottom-line standpoint, dimming reduces monthly overhead costs".  Dimming control reduces energy costs, increases occupant comfort, and can contribute to employee productivity.  Building owners see every project as an investment; quantifying this can help to justify the increased upfront costs.

And last but not least... controllable lighting systems can contribute to LEED certification, and let's face it - LEED is a great marketing/publicity tool for building owners.

--> The bottom line: when your lighting fixture manufacturers have dimming capability available and the budget allows, take them.  Just like when you're caught driving that new Benz (ehh, 1999 Volvo) in a rainstorm, you won't regret purchasing the automatic roll-up window option.

If walls could talk, then our newest installation at Masdar City's Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) Station would have a lot to say. The LED backlit glass feature walls (below) frame the entrances into the city's futuristic transportation hub, soon to house the latest cutting edge trend in sustainable transportation.

The PRT Station is implementing the transit "podcars" to provide sustainable transport to the city's projected 50,000 residents. These compact on-demand travel pods are fully automated and powered by magnetic tracks.   Cars are eliminated, street level green space is preserved, and  places are closely linked via smooth user interface and programmable destinations.




More about Masdar City's transportation system:
Treehugger.com
Natural Environment

Acronyms galore.  The letters "L", "E", and "D" on my keyboard are going to be worn out after this blog post!

Lighting systems typically constitute the highest energy use in commercial buildings. The USGBC (United States Green Building Council) has recognized the energy savings potential in general lighting systems, and LED lighting systems can be a significant contributor to obtaining Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for a new building. LED lighting systems can contribute to LEED certification in at least three areas: Energy and Atmosphere, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Innovation and Design Process.

Energy and Atmosphere (EA) 35 possible points

Prerequisite 1: Fundamental Conditioning of Building Energy Systems

Prerequisite 2: Minimum Energy Performance

Credit 1: Optimization of Energy Performance (worth 1 to 19 points) is the primary area where LED lighting can have an impact. The proposed building design must demonstrate improved performance as compared to baseline criteria.   The greater the performance from baseline, the more points are awarded.

-Reduced carbon emissions (as compared to incandescent lighting)
-Low operating temperatures reduce heat dissipation into spaces, cutting the strain on the HVAC system and ultimately saving air conditioning costs
-Compatibility with photovoltaics
-Minimize energy usage by integrating LED lighting systems into Lutron or other building management system

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)

Credit 6.1: Controllability of Systems- Lighting
Control of the lighting system by individual occupants or specific groups in multi-occupant spaces can potentially earn 1 point toward LEED certification. LED luminaires provide the opportunity to work as part of a lighting control plan/central building management system. They provide light instantaneously once power is applied, requiring no warm up time. LED lighting systems can also be dimmed to provide variable light output depending upon the needs of the occupant. The efficacy of LEDs efficacy actually increases when they are dimmed due to lower junction temperatures. Continuous, non-stepped dimming provides occupant comfort and increases efficiency.

Innovation and Design Process (ID) worth from 1 to 5 points

Credit 1: The utilization of innovative products and processes may earn between 1 and 4 points toward LEED certification. As LED lighting systems for general lighting represent new, innovative technology, they may qualify for LEED certification credit. LEED does not award this credit if a product is already obtaining points in another category, so design teams must choose where the most impact can be made and pursue credit(s) accordingly.

Other benefits of LED lighting:  
LED (light emitting diode) lighting systems are not only environmentally sustainable, but can be cost efficient as well. Even if your building isn’t striving for LEED certification, there are numerous benefits that are attractive to designers and building owners. While the upfront costs of LED lighting systems and dimming capability are often greater than traditional lighting methods, the life cycle and can even add value to the property in the long run. 

-Fewer building materials required
-Reduced operational costs for electricity and maintenance
-No hazardous materials or wastes (lead and mercury free)
-Longer lifespan= less waste for landfills
-Simpler installation
-Possible commercial building tax deductions 

More information on GPI's FLAT-Lite™ LED lighting system complete with commercial capacity power supplies and dimming options.

The above summary is based on LEED v3 which was released by the USGBC in April 2009 for LEED New Construction and Major Renovations (NC).  This summary does not include the potential of LED lighting to earn points for exterior applications and light pollution reduction.

Video Tours of 2000 Tower Oaks Blvd.

The 2000 Tower Oaks Blvd. Office building is the first LEED© Platinum new construction office building in the Washington, D.C. region.  In the design and construction of Tower Oaks, the developer (The Tower Companies) took sustainability to a whole new level.  Not only is the building physically healthy, but the interior design and architecture possess intangible spatial qualities that inspire occupants.  Built according to the principles of Vedic architecture ("the architecture of nature"), the building was considered in an emotional and spiritual manner with regards to harmony, proportion, and orientation.  The user experience was paramount, with spaces designed to nourish creativity and intelligence.  Check out the backlit honey onyx feature wall that GPI engineered and installed in the Tower Oaks lobby.

Jeffrey Abramson and Marnie Abramson of The Tower Companies, a development company with strong focus on green building, discuss the challenges undertaken in the Tower Oaks project.



NBC interview with Jeffrey Abramson discussing Vedic architecture as it applies to the Tower Oaks project.

Do you use Vedic architecture principles in your building designs?  What is the relationship between the sustainability of a building/space and the emotional and physical health of its occupants? What design elements are necessary in order to push a building from being environmentally sustainable to emotionally sustainable?