Ad!dict #30 Ideas for greener cities

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CREATIVELAB™ SINCE 1997

AD!DICT

INSPIRATION BOOK

DEC 2010

#30

ideas for

greener cities.

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addictLab.com

Labresearch project #30

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n m a groenlab.com an addictlab.com labresearch project

///AD!DICT30WIKI_PUBLISHING_EXPERIMENT

You can edit this book.

This book is research and publishing in progress.

You can browse it online, download at a certain price and/or have it printed and delivered to you.

The downside of print-on-demand is the price per book, we know. The upside, on the other hand, is the economical and ecological model behind it.

No book will be unnecessarily printed.

And what’s more: we can change the master_pdf as we go along. So if you spot mistakes or feel we should change something, let us know.

We can do even better: you can also create your personal copy. Is our selection too expensive?

Want less pages & projects? If you mail us your preferred list of content, based on the available projects, we can have your personal copy ready for you to be ordered online.

Check the addictlab website for more info, or mail info@addictlab.com

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//EDITORIAL ADDICTLAB

LAB RESEARCHER JAN VAN MOL I must admit I have some sort of love-hate relationship with governments and politics.

In short one could say that politics - and power - are part of a top-down system, whereas creativity is a bottom up process.

Innovation is thus a tricky task, since the ones with the power to change do not always have the future vision, and vice versa. Can we meet somewhere in the middle?

To make things even worse, the creative minds might seem to come from a totally different planet. Artists living on a cloud, others with their heads in the sand, you get what I mean. Setting up brainstormings with both sides often results in severe culture shocks at the beginning of a session.

It is therefor that I need to express my sincere gratitude towards the people from ANB, Agentschap van Natuur en Bos, being a governmental body with all the power ànd restrictions that entails, to overcome this mindgap, and commission an Addictlab project to generate ideas and inspiration on how to make our cities more green.

TO CREATE AND TO SHARE, THAT’S HOW A THOUGHT BECOMES A CONCEPT THAT EVOLVES INTO IMPLEMENTED CHANGE. The groenlab.com research has different outputs: firstly a white paper with recommendations on the ANB organisation, its structure, and ideas or greener cities. Secondly, a public book - the one you are reading now.

And, thirdly, a book that will be printed and distributed to all Flemish cities and communes.

This, together with the knowledge that some of the ideas actually will be implemented, makes it one of our most rewarding labresearches ever. jan@addictlab.com

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I am convinced that facilitating creative processes enhances social, cultural, aesthetical and environmental thinking.

Addictlab is not an anonymous crowdsourcing concept, but a collaborative process using online social media methods and IRL sessions with invited individuals. These are people we know because of other Addictlab activities. Their individual strengths are important, as is their ability to work in a collaborative environment. We talk about curated crowdsourcing.

Addictlab’s Creative X-Ray is a curated crowdsourcing methodology involving clients knowhow and invited labmembers.

The labmembers are selected based on their creative skills, ability to think out of the box and to collaborate, and their personal interest in the matter at hand.

I therefor need to thank all of the following people for their amazing braincells.

Marleen Evenepoel Jeroen Nachtergaele Dirk Bogaert Filiep Cardoen Marcel Vossen Hilde Schelfaut Arnoud De Coen Tom Embo Boguslaw Witkowksi Frederic Boonen Dirk Abbeloos Nathalie Hunter Alexander Geijzendorffer Han Mannaert Thomas Valcke Linda Schailon Karim Schneider Karin De Bruyn Guido Everaert Dirk Wynants Inge Vanluyd Veerle Verbakel Mark Van den Broeck Sabine Clappaert Dieter Quaghebeur Damian O’Sullivan Anna Quentin Sander Spolsoel Saskia Videler Tim Vanheers Eric Van Den Bruel Giovanna Massoni Martine Cantillon Bjorn Gielen Koen Aerts Tim Guldentops José Priesta von Bonhorst Niki Vranken

//EDITORIAL ANB

Marleen Evenepoel

CEO Agency for Nature and Forests

The Agency for Nature and Forests is resolutely heading for the future and is ready to turn Flanders by 2020 into a green and dynamic urban region that can serve as an example for other European regions.

Therefore the Agency for Nature and Forests resolutely chooses new ways of working together.

Based on the mastery of green space management that for years already is typical for Flanders and that in the past set the tone in Europe, the Agency for Nature and Forests got on the way towards the future. The agency deploys al his innovation and creativity in order to grab all challenges and possibilities that come along.

“More, better, together. Our nature in images.” is a recent photo book published by the Agency for Nature and Forests about how working together on more and better nature in Flanders. 17 famous Flemish authors have written poems and texts illustrating in a literary way the beautiful and inspiring images of Flemish nature.

Continue reading and discover with whom the Agency for Nature and Forests does what for more and better nature in Flanders…

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The Green Town Project is convinced that an innovating approach of the theme is a key to success. That’s why the creation of a Green Lab was a small, logic and especially timeless step, because creativity will not accept any limits set by time and space. Therefore, the content of this book is a random indication of how green cities can look like. It has the ambition to encourage novel, creative and smart thinking outside the box.

This Addict Book preaches the faith in an innovating and inspiring perspective on green within cities and expresses the will of the Agency for Nature and Forests to turn Flanders into an urban region with more and better green, together with and at the service of its partners.

More.

The Agency for Nature and Forests has the ambition to convince more people about the advantages that nature, forests and green spaces offer.

As Flanders is a very urbanized and densely populated region, Flemish towns are important places to turn into green and all Flemish citizens have to be convinced that green cities are more liveable and more attractive and that the quality of life in green cities is better.

As everybody is concerned, the Agency for Nature and Forests has the important mission to inform, sensitize and titillate citizens about the possibilities to turn cities into green.

The Groenplaats (Green Place) in Antwerp awakes in a world full of bird houses announcing new life. Just like that, in the middle of the city centre.

The mood from those who noticed – and who didn’t?! – turned from gray into green.

Just for a moment because this green is not there forever.

But maybe, who knows, this instant green incites people to work on more and more structural green in cities all the other days of the year. If that’s the effect, the Day of the Park has reached its objective.

The Day of the Park is such a titillating moment. 20 years ago the campaign started as a child of its time: a day on which the government shows how it takes care of the citizens.

Today the Day of the Park has grown up and is eager to rebel in a positive way, to tease people, to incite them to dream along and to build the future.

That’s the reason why the Day of the Park got rid of his image of good and passive campaign and frankly proceeded to action and switched to a guerrilla approach.

In the most unlikely places the Day of the Park shakes up everybody: within one single hour the gray and gloomy railway station district of Brussels North turns into an oasis of green.

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INVERDE In order to reach more people, the Agency for Nature and Forests collaborates with a privileged training partner, Inverde, whose key tasks are training and educational information about forestry, nature, park and green space management and nature conservation.

The wide variety of courses involves both theoretical and practical training and are designed for municipalities, companies, associations and interested individuals. privileged training partner

AGENCY for NATURE and FORESTS

PHOTOCREDITS both pages: Š Agency for Nature and Forests

Better.

In close collaboration with prominent partners, the Agency for Nature and Forests is working hard every day to achieve better, more attractive and more diverse nature, forests and green spaces.

People-oriented measures that benefit the image quality, the recognisability and the legibility of the parks and green spaces.

A good example of such a collaboration is the work done with Stephan Schรถning, an Antwerp industrial designer who developed a recognisable identity and house style for the landscape parks Parkbos (Ghent), de Merode (at the junction of the provinces of Limburg, Antwerp and Flemish Brabant) and the Sigma plan in the Sea Scheldt basin.

The latter originated after the storm surge of 1976 and will play an important role in protecting the inhabitants against flood risk.

The three domains are very large and fragmented areas that are cut into pieces by rivers, buildings or line infrastructures.

In order to position them as one single brand, the segmented areas have to be made comprehensible for the visitor by the use of a single house style that takes inspiration from the singularity of the area, its landscape, its nature and activities. This house style has to benefit the image quality, the recognisability and the legibility of both big green areas.

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PARKBOS (PARK FOREST) In Parkbos (Park Forest) the field of tension between the classicism, the cultivated and austere character of the typical castle buildings and gardens on the one hand, and the loose, natural and free character of the forests and the nature on the other hand, indicated the design guideline for the adapted furniture (benches, picnic tables, bike sheds and information signs) and the four acces portals that will welcome the visitors.

Stefan Schรถning designed a transforming series of furniture and objects that represent the transition from culture to nature. This dual principle will also determine the design of the materials used for the cycle and walking tracks and for the cavalry facilities.

DE MERODE For the de Merode region a real brand was developed: a logo with 3 butterflies, representing the 3 provinces, and a baseline that says: “de Merode: prinsheerlijk platteland” or “de Merode: princely countryside”, words in which some authentic features of the region are captured.

De Merode is a story about nature reserves and forests, nice landscapes, exquisite abbeys, churches and castles and about people living and working in the area.

OMGEVING

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STEFAN SCHÖNING STUDIO

SIGMAPLAN In the Sea Scheldt basin stone walls refer to nature, whereas corten steel refers to shipping industry and corrosion by the abundance of water.

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Where possible the rust colour from the iron sandstone soil will be used to characterize the tracks and recreational elements. The constructions are made of soft wood (Larix) and steel and are very sustainable, strong and heavy. The multi layer structure in the de Merode region is found in the design by the horizontal layers of wood that form the elements. The design is made that all elements can easily be put together in both a horizontal (emphasizing the openness of the landscape) and vertical position (strengthening the monumental character of some places) and form a calm, consistent image.

PHOTOCREDITS Parkbos © stefan.schöning.studio and OMGEVING by order of the Agency for Nature and Forests (ANB) de Merode © stefan.schöning.studio and OMGEVING by order of the Flemish Land Agency (VLM) Sigmaplan © stefan.schöning.studio and Anteagroup by order of Waterwegen en Zeekanaal NV

Together. a

What’s in the word ‘together’? Two things as it comes to green towns.

First of all, the Agency for Nature and Forests attaches great importance to the active participation and commitment of citizens when designing new parks and green spaces.

An interactive design process guarantees that the newly conceived green space complies in the best possible way with the wishes of the target group of a project.

On the other hand, parks and public green spaces are complex environments where people, nature and the environment have to co-exist in balance, where various functions have to be combined. It is in the combination of these various functions that the second meaning of ‘together’ can be found.

As from 1997 the Agency for Nature and Forests started analysing how park and green space management could be geared according to the characteristics, desired use and specific location of every park or green space and how it could anticipate the ever-changing needs of society. Moreover, a professional and socially accepted park and green space management must be dynamic enough that it can adapt along with the changing needs, desires and aspirations of its users. Public green spaces are so diverse (parks, neighbourhood parks, cemeteries,

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playgrounds and green space that channels traffic) that an all-encompassing management system cannot be defined precisely.

As a result of this analysis, the Agency for Nature and Forests published the Harmonious Park and Green Space Management Planning guide, an essential tool in contemporary park and green space planning and design management. It is a usable instrument for especially the Flemish local authorities and the major managers of public green space. Other public services and related organisations or even private park owners or garden owners can also use the 12 basics and principles to produce a management plan. The guide has been completed with a number of technical guides that offer further support.

PHOTOCREDITS Sint-Baafskouter Park © Fris in het Landschap

a SINT-BAAFSKOUTER PARK All principles of Harmonious Park and Green Space Management have been applied in a holistic and exemplary way in the design of the Sint-Baafskouter park, a 14 ha area in the city of Ghent that historically was a marshland and that in former times served as a household refuse dumping ground and allotment complex.

In the layout of the Sint-Baafskouter site special attention was paid to the preservation of the upper hand nature as one of the predominant starting points of the redesign.

By doing so a ‘happy wilderness’ was created that at the same time could efficiently be managed. The hydrographic system and a historic 13th century moat were restored and biologically valuable parcels and special trees and bushes were conserved.

The vision of the designer has been intensively discussed and worked out with the local residents, the children, the youth movements and the schools in the neighbourhood who clearly expressed the need for a landscape park offering educational possibilities.

The playground for dogs, the adventurous outer space and small squares with playing facilities optimize the perception of the park and stimulate encounters. Walking and cycle tracks in the park are both recreational and functional. A green structure in the surrounding streets connects the park with the neighbourhood and the schools. Also for the larger environment a structural sketch was made.

a MARIA HENDRIKA Between 2003 and 2006, the Maria-Hendrika Park – 37 ha in area and called ‘Little Forest’ by the residents - underwent a complete renovation. This “green lung” is in the very inner city of Oostende, in close proximity to the harbour and the suburbs, and enhances the vital connection between the park, the city and the sea.

Children and young people are the key users and target group of the Maria-Hendrika Park. The infrastructure has been extended and renovated and now offers a play area for toddlers, an adventure forest, a skate bowl in the old velodrome, graffiti walls, benches, picnic tables, lawns with lounging areas and an “events field”. In addition, there are several educational awareness modules.

Three lakes form the heart of the main areas and offer tremendous facilities for water leisure activities such as fishing, rowing and pedal boats. In one of the lakes an island has been completely redeveloped, with trees, shrubs and lakeside plants that integrate the landscaping of the island into the arboraceous environment. The wood and the grassy meadows are managed in an environmentfriendly manner and wooden barriers offer refuge to many animals and other organisms.

PARK SPOOR NOORD Spoor Noord is a 24 ha area (1,6 km long) in the north of the city of Antwerp which used to be a railyard for over a century.

The site was fracturing and splitting up the surrounding districts and has been redeveloped into a daring and exemplary green and open space.

Spoor Noord is situated on the edge of a very densely built and populated area with a mainly migrant population and a tremendous lack of green public open space.

It suffers from a very complex urban structure. A survey of the residents clearly indicated the need for light, air, open and green space. The park designers and landscape architect were commissioned to transform the area in “a garden for the neighbourhood, a park for the city”. During the whole process special attention was paid to the involvement and active participation of and negotiation with the surrounding districts and local residents.

The park covers 18 ha and is dotted with a simple and transparent structure that anticipates future needs and inspires safety and sustainability. Most historic elements, such as length, size, contours, relief, viaducts, buildings and materials were preserved and some contemporary elements were added: a hangar for culture and sports, a multifunctional exposition hall, a shelter with summer bar, a campus for children and youth and lookout kiosks.

The park now offers plenty of sport facilities, an enormous lawn with walking and cycle tracks, playgrounds, a skate and BMX bowl, a sandbox and a water garden as urban beach where children can play. The park will be surrounded by new office buildings, a new high school campus and a mixed private real estate development.

The co-existence of the various functions in the park is steered by a park coordinator and a park programmer, the first responsible for the physical management, the latter for the social programming.

PHOTOCREDITS Maria-Hendrikapark © City of Oostende Park Spoor Noord © Autonomous Municipal Company Stadsplanning Antwerpen © Vandehoek Coenegracht Kromwijk (right page)

12 BASICS AND PRINCIPLES OF HARMONIOUS PARK AND GREEN SPACE MANAGEMENT (HPGM)

1. HPGM is aimed at creating sustainability and diversity whereby people-, nature-, environment- and organisation-oriented aspects go together harmoniously.

2. HPGM is supported by permanent and structured consultations with target groups.

3. HPGM is aimed at the realisation of sustainable parks and green spaces that anticipate changing social needs in a dynamic way.

4. HPGM is aimed at the realisation of a park or green space that incorporates recognised social needs.

5. Park management systems based on zones with a central key aspect can meet needs better locally, but are less acceptable on a larger area of the park.

6. HPGM is aimed at the protection and, where possible, enhancement of species diversity.

7. HPGM is aimed at the realisation of parks with high structural diversity.

8. People-oriented measures aim for the realisation of an attractive and diverse park in which the park user finds something to his/her liking.

9. Nature-oriented measures aim for the conservation and/or enhancement of biodiversity.

10. Environment-oriented park management is aimed at complying with the general environmental protection stipulated in the environmental policy plan.

11. Organisation-oriented measures aim for the realisation of an optimal business culture.

12. All the principles set out are medium-term and long-term objectives.

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///LABRESEARCH//CONCEPT//INSPIRATION

Living with biodiversity.

SELECTED BY GIOVANNA MASSONI CONCEPT: JAMES ENNIS

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BIODIVERSITY

UNITED IN DIVERSITY, LIVING WITH BIO DIVERSITY. The gift is a window box, a micro habitation, encouraging daily interaction to promote and help the survival of diverse insects that are essential to our food production cycles.

It is a micro habitat that sits under your window. The gift contained in its packaging, provides tools to naturally attract and protect helpful insects such as ladybirds, butterflies and bees, all in danger of extinction, but are fundamental for organic foods, pollination and the natural food chain. It is to be seen as a bottom up approach to promoting biodiversity and sustainable lifestyles in any domestic environment in our everyday activity.

The “Bee-House” is a new archetype that offers a perfect breading ground for Solitary Bees. Solitary Bees are unlike other bees: Every female is fertile, they do not live in a hive, they typically inhabit a nest constructed in a variety of places such as hollow reeds, twigs, holes in wood or, most commonly, tunnels in the ground. Solitary Bees are important pollinators as they have very advanced types of pollen carrying structures on their bodies. The “Bee House” structure of cavities mimics their optimal

natural habitat, where the females lay their larva. (5 male bees and 10 female bees can be provided in European countries, under certain shipping criteria) The Flower Puppets are ornamental seed totems, they offer ornament to a flower bed while awaiting germination. The flower seeds: Zinnia, Cosmos Bipinnatus, Facelia, Marigold and wild fennel. When planted their flowers’ nectar is loved by butterflies, ladybirds and other helpful insects.

The bee house, seeds and their flowers are biologically certified and have been studied and selected by a group of entomology researchers from the University of Bologna, Italy.

The packaging, hand made from baltic birch plywood, when opened acts as two adjacent window boxes to accommodate both the bee house and flowers. The structure allows position to accommodate the bee house, and when filled with soil, the user can insert the flower puppets, and submerse the seed tape 10mm under the topsoil. Place in the sun and water occasionally.

via labpartner EESC, Design Zero Nine

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TRANSPLANT SWING IT

Quality of life and experience form the leitmotif of this project. How can art, design, creativity make the city a more enjoyable place to be?

Artists and designers from LABO, the artists’ collective, installed 42 unusual swings up the Green Boulevard of Hasselt.

Swings appeal to the imagination of both young and old alike and the aim of this SWING IT project is to encourage encounters between young and old in Hasselt.

Traditional standard swings are approached from different angles and innovative interpretations created. Some will bring a smile to lips, others a more critical appraisal. But they are each and every one of them stimulating and fun installations located around the inner ring road of Hasselt.

The participants were selected by the creative agency Mooz in consultation with the Department of Culture of the city of Hasselt.

via labpartner Mooz, Hasselt

46 artists and designers were recruited for TransPlant to produce creative interpretations in the streets and around the squares of the city of Hasselt (Belgium). Their contributions varie from very subtle to eye-catching.

All of them are a perfect fit.

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A CREATIVE PROJECT ABOUT LIVEABILITY IN THE CITY

///LABRESEARCH//EVENT//INSPIRATION

Swing it.

36. UNTITLED LUC SMEETS

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40. ROEREND <> ONROEREND (FIXTURES AND UNFIXTURES) LUC VANLESSEN Toilet installations in the past were considered as fixtures in buildings. They are bound to architecture. A swing is something that by nature is not fixed. Otherwise swinging would have no meaning. But all that has changed. You can now swing on a fixture.

A drainpipe has been attached for those for whom this new concept instils a sense of terror.

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SWINGERS JEFF RUTTEN

31. TRIO, A CRIME SCENE SARA BOMANS

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The famous work of art in which a swing plays the main role is without a doubt The Swing, by Fragonard that he painted in 1767.

A work from the rococo period that in spite of being excessively kitsch has stood the test of time. How long does a work of art need to exist in order to be called lasting?

By representing the figures of Fragonard as murdered, a crime scene with white shapes, I refer to the ‘death of art’ that was announced at the beginning of the 19th century by the philosopher Hegel. The world of contemporary art today suggests that he was wrong.

Although the original painting probably does not illustrate any intrigues, I think it’s great to fantasise about the different relationships between the characters.

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Earth Probiotic Recycling Solutions is a South African company focussed on the processing of food-waste from households and commercial enterprises. The company realised that of all human detritus medical, food and effluent waste are the most difficult - and pernicious - to manage.

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Enriching one kitche

///LABRESEARCH//POSSIBLE_SOLUTIONS

g the earth en at a time.

HOW TO TACKLE FOODWASTE

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LABMEMBER GAVIN HERON, Johannesburg

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Earth Probiotic Recycling Solutions is a South African company focussed on the processing of food-waste from households and commercial enterprises. The company realised that - of all human detritus - medical, food and effluent waste are the most difficult, and pernicious, to manage. Currently there are a large number of successful enterprises focussed on the recycling of paper, metals, plastics and glass. But no-one, currently, has a workable and simple solution for recycling food-waste.

The negative consequences of dumping food-waste is massive. Not only are the life-spans of land-fills shortened (which, no matter how much we dislike them, are a necessary evil of modern life), but the negative communal waste contribution contributes to the massive production of green-house gases (in particularly methane); provides a breeding ground for the growth of e-coli and salmonella and other biological pathogens; degrades above and below-ground water sources; and is a magnet for vermin including rats, roaches, flies, and other disease bearing insects.

One approach to this problem is to capture the methane produced from food-waste and turn it into energy. This, bio-digestion, method has huge potential and is being explored around the world. While this is not new technology - the first small-scale

bio-energy digesters were built in India in the 19th Century - the scale of this activity is massive (and expensive).

Outside of green-energy, another major crises facing our world is the impact on food-security brought about through the massive deterioration of soil quality caused by the over-use of petrochemical fertilisers. Many farmers are trapped in a spiral of declining productivity. As their petrochemical fertiliser driven yields decrease they are forced to use more. When soil quality is so degraded their next step is to obtain GM modified seed from a company such as Monsanto. The result, in order to pay back the banks, schools, fuel companies (and of course the fertiliser and seed companies), farmers are trapped in dependancy spiral of debt and yield demand.

While the soil crisis might be terrible for farmers, it’s fantastic for GM seed companies and their petrochemical fertiliser producing partners; the worse the soil the more money they both make.

Over 40 years ago a Japanese scientist, Professor Teruo Higa, managed to combine a large number of beneficial probiotic bacteria into a single application. Using this bacteria he inoculated rice bran with the probiotic bacteria and produced “bokashi” (in Japanese this is “fermented organic waste”).

Bokashi is extensively used across Asia to

gardens and for distribution to community food-security programmes.

It is estimated that one ton of food-waste produces the equivalent emissions of four medium sized passenger cars. In just three months Earth Probiotic has helped process more than 13 tons of waste. In effect contributing to the emission reduction of 3,250 cars in less than three months.

Now just imagine, if 100,000 households around the world had to process 20kg of food-waste a month. The scale of the positive impact on the environment would be staggering. And if this is extrapolated to 10,000 food-service enterprises each processing one ton per month, we’d have a revolution in reducing green-house gas emissions.

With the probability of the Cancún negotiations being as successful as Copenhagen, wouldn’t the ultimate strategy be to empower individuals and communities to, themselves, take charge of green-house gases by turning their waste into fertiliser?

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manage food-waste. In Japan, citizens ferment their waste which is then picked up by farmers to use in their fields. The Thai army uses this method to manage their waste.

And in Korea more than 700,000 households are bokashi users.

While the technology and bio-chemistry is very sophisticated, treating food-waste with bokashi is very simple. All that is needed is an air-tight “food digester” into which waste is added. Each layer of food-waste from the kitchen is covered with a handful of bokashi.

When the digester is full it is put aside and left to ferment for a further two weeks.

The fermented bokashi waste is then simply added to a compost heap or layered into a soil trench. After 4 weeks the waste turns into a rich soil full of beneficial micro-organisms (as opposed to 12 months or more for a compost heap). These micro-organisms create a rich environment for plant growth.

When scaled, using essentially the same method, to mange commercial food-waste from hotels, restaurants, hospitals, prisons and super-markets, a society’s food-waste can become a realistic - soil-enriching - alternative to petrochemical fertilisers.

In the South African coal and steel mining town of Witbank, Earth Probiotic is working with two large hotels to help them turn their waste into compost for reuse in the hotels’

BOATANIC LABMEMBER // DAMIEN O’SULLIVAN

ALL GREEN HANDS ON DECK! The Boatanic (boat + botanic) is a novel concept that combines existing know-how to create an unprecedented solution for growing food within the inner city. Its aim is to reduce the environmental impact of our food which, today, still has to travel large distances before it hits our plates.

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The concept is to simply convert discarded tourist boats into floating greenhouses as these are ideally suited due to their large glass windows. The idea dawned on Damian O’Sullivan as he was walking around Amsterdam and realised that the typical tourist boat actually resembled a greenhouse.

‘What if you replaced tourists with thyme or tomatoes?’ he asked himself…the Boatanic was born!

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The name is also a tongue-in-cheek allusion to the Titanic and can as such be seen as a veiled reference to the environmental danger we are faced with.

The Boatanic will offer fresh year-round seasonal herbs, fruit and vegetables. These will be sold directly from the quay and also delivered by bike to restaurants (wholesale) as well as in the form of monthly subscription baskets (retail).

The Boatanic also intends to engender a return to the commercial exploitation of the inner-city waterways which have all but been lost in the last century as we turned away from them in favour of road transportation.

The Boatanic is ideally suited for cities with inner-city waterways, a rich gourmet culture and a climate that is neither too hot nor too cold. We aim to have a pilot up and running in Amsterdam by 2011 and would then look toward expanding to other cities in Europe and North America.

In short, the Boatanic will reduce the foodmiles to food-at-your-feet!

///LABIDEA

FUTURE CITY GARDENING

STUDIOFROH

The design collective studiofroh from Berlin examines the linkages between science and art since 2009. The project future city gardening is an interdisciplinary project between landscape architecture /urbanism and industrial design. The project reflects thoughts about contemporary and future life in highly populated and densely built-up areas like megacities. studiofroh researches the possibilities to create beautiful, tasty, transparent and healthy food in urban contexts. Especially the question of space, consumption and accessibility are crucial, considering we are at the limits to growth. The future city gardening initiative anticipates a growing need for selfinitiated food supply by proposing growing modules based on closed hydroponic systems.

To raise awareness for the issue of urban food scarcity studiofroh develops scenarios in form of installations. One of them is a set-up called â&#x20AC;&#x17E;intensive careâ&#x20AC;&#x153;. Through drips 24 chard plants laid out on a mineral bed, are supplied with a solution containing tap water and organic nutrients. The established closed cycle system ensures a precise distribution of solution directly aiming at the roots of the plants. Thereby the chard plants get only what they need. By cultivating the plants hydroponically you save fertile soil and water. Other prototypes investigate vertical and other space- and resource-efficient growing modules. In order to turn theory into practice studiofroh creates open-source prototypes made of materials like waste and packaging.

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via labpartner DMY, Berlin

INTENSIVE CARE

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via labpartner DMY, Berlin MISCHER’TRAXLER STUDIO Katharina Mischer & Thomas Traxler

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THE IDEA OF A TREE

The goal of ‘the idea of a tree’- project was to bring the recording qualities of a tree and its dependence on natural cycles into products.

‘The idea of a tree’ is an autonomous production process which combines natural input with a mechanical process. Solely driven by solar energy, it translates the intensity of the sun into mechanical movements and produces one object a day. The outcome reflects the various sunshine conditions that occur during this day. Like a tree the object becomes a three dimensional recording of its process and time of creation.

Basic machine functions and object qualities: The machine “Recorder One” starts producing when the sun rises and stops when the sun settles down. After sunset, the finished object can be ‘harvested’.

It slowly grows the object, by pulling threads through a colouring device, a glue basin and finally winding them around a mould. The length/height of the resulting object depends on the sunhours of the day. (summer – longer , winter – shorter) The thickness of the layer and the colour is depending on the amount of sun-energy. (more sun = thicker layer and paler colour; less sun=thinner layer and darker colour) Various shapes (so far a bench, lampshade, side-board and containers) are possible.

PROSOLVE370E / AIR POLLUTION REDUCING TILES

via labpartner DMY, Berlin ALLISON DRING/DANIEL SCHWAAG - ELEGANT EMBELLISHMENTS

Prosolve370e is a decorative, architectural tile that reduces air pollution in cities when installed near traffic ways or on building facades. As a modification to existing architectural surfaces, prosolve370e â&#x20AC;&#x153;tunesâ&#x20AC;? buildings to respond better to their immediate environments. The tiles are coated with superfine titanium dioxide (TiO2), a pollution-fighting technology activated by moderate levels of natural UV light. The innovative geometry optimizes the exposure of photo-active surfaces to ambient daylight and pollution, maximizing the neutralization of oxides of nitrogen and sulfur (NOx/SOx), and volatile organic compounds (VOC), toxins that also play an important part in the formation of other airborne pollutants. By targeting these substances, prosolve370e effectively reduces the adverse health and economic effects of air pollution in its vicinity.

Distributor: elegant embellishments Ltd. Year of development: 2009 (prototype 2006) Main materials: new or recycled automotive polymers/ photo-catalytic titanium dioxide

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m DESIGNING THE ABSENCE

PIETERJAN GRANDRY

Talking about absence in an urban spot (the incomplete tower of Antwerp’s cathedral), one might think of utopia. Utopia is a nonplace (literally translated from Greek), it is a place that is not meant to become realistically possible. Utopia is the eternal absent.

Utopia has been inspired by religious, sociological, political, economical, architectural, technological, ecological factors or an interrelation of them. It is based on Plato’s Republic, where equality and a general pacifistic attitude reign. Communism is a form of economical utopia; world peace a political

A possible way to create a utopia is to generate a focus in something absent .Empty or abandoned city spots, are places where urban utopia is being born. A missing tower is a potential place to give birth to a utopia.

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On the other hand, utopia attracts thought, and thought makes things happen. It is possible to design a detailed utopia, but one can never realize it in the same way as the design, and even if this is feasible, it will not function the same. I will give an example; to create architecture, an architect makes drawings first, which are quite often ideal representations, projections of thoughts and wills of a free mind. In the building process or when the building is habituated, realistic factors interfere and destroy small or big parts of the ideal situation. In this sense, the first representation becomes a utopia.

Sounds sad, but the conclusion is that utopia isn’t just something that will never exist, it is a tool to start making things exist.

utopia; Heaven might be a form of religious utopia; artificial intelligence and cyborg culture as mean to eternal or upgraded life are some sort of technological inspired utopia.

Le Corbusier’s “Ville Radieuse” is an urban utopia that tries to purify the cities’ chaos with a clean, calm and powerful architecture.

Certain utopias belong to certain ages, but that doesn’t mean that each era has one and only utopia. Superstudio’s ideas from the ‘60s bring on the architectural scene a utopia of static megastructures, while Archigram’s Walking city of the same era describes a utopia of a whole movable city.

The project “designing absence” is seeking for the contemporary utopia. The basis seems to be architectural. However, the requirement of one single image gave the participants the freedom to project their most bizarre thoughts. There is a reason why it was decided to realize this concept as an international brainstorm and not as individual project. The fragmented result composes the pattern of today’s expectations and wills. The construction of an archive of 455 representations about the missing tower gives a more complete image on the contemporary utopia, rather than one single design.

Every single project added an input to the character of the contemporary utopia. We cannot name 455 characteristics, but we could name some. Today’s utopia is sustainable and green, sci-fi, illusionary, conceptual, romantic, insulting, symbolic, never the same or not continuously present, it is digital, it is a game or it is playful, a view to the future, miniature but also mega scale, mirrored or inverted, mysterious, formalistic, monumental or usual, intangible.

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///LABCOMPETITION

1ST PRICE CHRIS IDEMA TIM HOBBELMAN Name: Chris + Tim Last name: Idema + Hobbelman City: ‘s Hertohenbosch Country: netherlands

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In deciding exactly how we would fill the absence of a tower, we investigated an extensive choice of materials and shapes that could be used. As architects in training, our dream is to create a friendlier and smarter world and therefore we chose to fill the ‘absence’ in a self-sufficient and eco-friendly way. The tower’s framework follows the shape of the original tower and holds water supplying panels with low-growing vegetation that follows the shape of the tower. Rainwater falls down onto the tower and is collected at different stages. From these levels, the water will rise through ‘capillary action’.

The energy required for the water supply to the vegetation and the running of the clock will be won by the use of ‘amorphous silicon’, in the form of a semi-transparent solar cell placed on the location of the window spaces. The purposefully placed spaces within the tower will be a breeding place for birds and the green of the tower will introduce a sense of ‘nature’ in the grey of Antwerp.

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2ND PRICE SERGIY PROKOFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;YEV

Name: Sergiy Last name: Prokof`yev City: Dnepropetrovsk Country: Ukrain MIRAGE TOWER For many years has the cathedral no second tower. One tower stands lonely, without its lost or not born brother. I am not aware of the reasons of its disappearance and it probably has already no importance. For such a long time people got accustomed to this picture. Suppose there will appear the illusion of nonexistent tower... Or it will appear from time to time.

How will it influence on city? What reaction of the viewers will it cause? The missing element, and more precisely one of the towers, probably draws in the imagination of the city dwellers and tourists the symmetrical tower.

According to this decision, we propose to complicate the result and to make the composition unsymmetrical. The new mirage tower will be slightly higher and notwithstanding the same style, it will not be the precise copy of its present brother. It will be realized through graphic hologram in the place of the nonexistent construction. The time and reasons of illusion tower emergence may be various. It may emerge when it rains or when there is a mist or sunset. Like mysterious natural phenomenon, it may suddenly appear and likewise suddenly disappear. However, it should be always an unpredictable event.

Such a theatrical act will always amaze the public, give birth to new rumours and legends, and attract enormous interest.

3TH PRICE DANIJEL ZEZELJ

Name: Danijel Last name: Zezelj City: Brooklyn Country: USA The drawing is based on idea of emulating Gothic architecture for the 21st century, with a degree of exaggeration.

DESIGN A TRAM FOR GENEVA

VICTORIA MARCHAND COMINMAG, GENEVA Concours événement

GRAND PRIX DE LA CRÉATION SUR TRAM

Des idées qui bougent !

Créatifs,

habillez notre nouveau tram Tango et participez au concours !

Pour le vainqueur du trophée, un tram Tango décoré à ses couleurs circulera pendant deux mois sur tout le réseau TPG.

Remise des projets jusqu’au 9 janvier 2010.

Rendez-vous sur www.tpgpub.ch En partenariat avec

« TRAME POUR TRAM »

morde à l’hameçon… On imagine aisément que l’objectif d’un son habillage circulant pendant deux mois sur une ligne genevoise avait de quoi flatter les egos, encore fallait-il réussir à ne pas se noyer avec cette double thématique.

Lors de la délibération du jury (lire liste ci-dessous), quatre lignes créatives sont clairement apparues : l’écologie en tant que source d’énergie (éoliennes, prises, panneaux solaires, etc..), la nature, la faune et la ville.

Sur les 110 projets, 54 ont été retenus dans la première shortlist. Le premier vote a permis de procéder au top-10. Le choix du trio gagnants a ensuite donné lieu à un grand débat.

Quel message était le plus pertinent pour les TPG ? Trois projets étaient en lice pour l’habillage : « Quelle ville pour demain ? » « Tram, trame pour l’avenir », « Forest and the City ». Soit trois messages différent : le futur, l’évocation de l’enfance et la nature onrique.

De quoi former trois clans parmi les jurés,

Suite à la livraison de 45 véhiculesnTango, la régie publicitaire des transports publics genevois (TPG) a soumis l’habillage intégral d’un de ces nouveaux trams à concours. Le thème du développement durable a inspiré 110 personnes. Réalisation fin 2010.

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L’an dernier Jean-Claude Schmalz, directeur de TPG Pub, avait ouvert la porte à la créativité à l’occasion du lancement d’un nouveau format d’affiches « Moving Star » sur les véhicules des TPG. Le succès de ce concours l’a poussé à réitérer cette opération fin 2010 en vue de marquer le renouvellement de la flotte des TPG. Cette fois-ci, la proposition était de concevoir un habillage intégral sur les thèmes très corporate « d’urbanités 2020 et de développement durable ». Roland Bonzon, directeur des TPG : « des valeurs essentielles pour les TGP dont les principes de mobilité douce et d’énergies renouvelables sont au cœur de notre positionnement. » Ne restait plus qu’à attendre que la créative

///LABCOMPETITION

(Membres du jury : Josée Bélanger (Toutmorrow), MC Casal (websdesigner indépendante), Victoria Marchand (Cominmag), Elodie Pernici (The Creative Factory), Pascal Bosquet (Blackswan), Roland Bonzon (TPG), Thierry Clauson (Atelier Clauson), Gérald Le Meur (Zenithmedia), Alain Pezzoni (KLM-Air France), Jan VanMol (Addictlab) VM www.tpgpub.ch

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chacun défendant becs et ongles son favori.

In fine, c’est le projet de Stéphanie Brusick sur la ville qui a réussi à obtenir une majorité des votes, son concept très esthétique a séduit à plusieurs titres. Premièrement, il est le plus global puisqu’il tient compte de toutes les problématiques demandées, deuxièmement, il intégre la ville de Genève et troisièmement il évoque la modernité sous-entendue dans le calendrier 2020.

Une parfaite interprétation du brief et une exécution de qualité devait être du ressort d’une DA. Le concours étant ouvert à tous (professionnels comme amateurs), sa vision délicate et amusante –ici la ville ressemble à un monde manga – a remporté l’adhésion.

Rendez-vous est donné fin 2010 pour l’inauguration de ce tram. L’équipe de TPG Pub cogite une opération sur les médias sociaux afin de poursuivre le dialogue avec le public.

1er Prix : « Quelle ville pour demain ? » STÉPHANIE BRUSICK

1er Prix : « Quelle ville pour demain ? » Stéphanie Brusick 2e Prix : « Tram, trame pour l’avenir » par Gisèle Richardet 3e Prix : « Forest and the City », par Rea Christ

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TRAM ARBRE CLAIRE-PASCALE GENTIZON

VERSVERT BORIS MARCHAND

3e Prix : « Forest and the City » REA CHRIST

VERTICAL GARDEN

DIDIER HOLEMANS

Greening of the City Hall front-side of SaintJosse-ten-Noode commune in Brussels. The City Hall is situated along the ‘little ring’, an urban ring around the heart of Brusels with heavy traffic. The project aims to demonstrate city greening by occupying vertical surfaces.

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RAIN CATCHER

LABMEMBER THOMAS VALCKE The raincatcher is a very special kind of umbrella. It has a second function/purpose.

When it rains the raincatcher will unfold itself like a flower and catch the rain - hence the name ;) The caught water can be used to water your lawn and plants or to fill up the kiddy-pool of the little one.

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RUFUS

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LABMEMBER THOMAS VALCKE Rufus is a water-boiler system incorporated in rooftiles. This modular solution lets you construct a whole piping system in which water can flow and thus be heated by the radiation-heat of the sun. This (free) hot water can be used to shower, do the dishes or heat the house.

TRAFFIC CAMERA LABMEMBER THOMAS VALCKE This traffic camera blends in with its suroundings. It shape offers it camouflage in plain sight. A speeding driver will not pay attention to a simple bird. A funny side effect would be that drivers who are aware of these cameraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s will slow down whenever they see a bird on a wire ;)

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HARMONICA CAR LABMEMBER THOMAS VALCKE Cars are fun but they do have some downsides. They need a lot of (carbon) fuel and they are big an bulky while most of the time it is just you in the car. Therefore: The Harmonicar. At first it looks like your average city car with an attitude. Not much room inside but enough. If you need more , the Harmonicar will extend itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s length over a full meter which is most of the time just enough to fit those things you couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fit before.

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LABMEMBER // JAN VAN MOL

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TREE WEAR : THE FUNKY.FUNGHI

Emphasiz urban gree

///LABRESEARCH//USING EXISTING CITY GREEN

ze on existing en.

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The ‘Alder Bracket (‘Inonotus radiatus’) grows on trees. Jan Van Mol’s designed by nature concept recreates the Alder Bracket without the negative effect for the tree (the Alder bracket enters the tree through trunk/ branches injuries and decomposes heartwood) Tables and lights are shaped as funghi, and can be strapped on trees.

According to Jan Van Mol, The FunkyFunghi is not designed by him, but by nature. Just as his ‘Pinecone Light’ concept, the objects function is to show respect for nature.

As an art object, it emphasize on the delicacy and ingenuity of nature. As a contemporary design object, the Funkyfunghi wants to attract people to city forests, enhancing the green experience by added functionalities such as table, lights, chairs.

The treewear collection has to be strapped on a tree. Without a tree present, the objects become useless. When strapped to light poles and urban furniture, the objects generate clear natural references even in an urban environment.

FUNKYFUNGHI 1.0 cardboard version - strap around a trunk FUNKYFUNGHI 2.0: TREE TABLE/SEAT Strap around a tree to get a urban nature picnic experience. A table can be produced in solid wood, mahonia or recycled PE. FUNKYFUNGHI 3.0: TREE LIGHT LED lights. You will be able to select & emit your own ambient light colours.

FUNKYFUNGHI 4.0: TREE SOLAR Strap around a tree or pole to capture solar energy. Power your tree lights.

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lab/files #008

Grow a tree before you can use this furniture

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design: Jan Van Mol engineering: Frederic Boonen initial 3D rendering: Michaella Janse van Vuuren Collaborate? Fashion designers wanting to collaborate to design the belt around the tree, please get in contact with Jan. Follow the production & next steps of the Funkyfunghi via the addictlab site.

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USING THE FORCE OF COLLABORATION

LABMEMBER // JAN VAN MOL

LABMEMBER // FREDERIC BOONEN LABMEMBER // MICHAELLA JANSE VAN VUUREN YOU?

OUTDOOR BENCH

LABMEMBER BART BACCARNE Outdoor table, made of recycled plastics (PE en PP). High longevity, hygienic, easy to clean, no maintenance, canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rot nor rust.

The surface has kind of a marmer-look (without pretending to be it) and has two usable sides. Dim: 100 x 100 x 75 cm.

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SUPPORT PARTNERS PROTOTYPE COMMERCIALISATION

DRY AND NOT SWEATY AT WORK. The Rain Bike offers a convenient solution for pleasant commuting traffic. Due to its versatility the rain bike can be set at every track. The remarkable canopy offers resistance to wind and rain, and it has a great visibility. Because of its dual front wheel it has a high The target groups are ahead of public services, private and civil protection purposes. This is a solution for short distance traffic in great cities and even in small regions. The bike has a radius of 60km and can be charged in two hours. Possibility to transport loads up to 2 x 30 kg.

This rainbike is the answer on the vision of electric bikes and closes the gap between bike and car.

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///LABRESEARCH//POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

rethink urban mobility

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LABMEMBER JEAN L’OLIVIER

OLIVIER KOSTA

Olivier Kosta-Théfaine Jardin à la française (detail) broken bottles Torino - Italy 2010

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JARDIN À LA FRANÇAISE

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IDEA VIA CURATED BRAINSTORMING PHOTOS BY LABMEMBER MARTIJN OOSTRA

Large posters with nature and green related topics can be printed on urban grey structures. It’s no real green, of course. But don’t underestimate the power of green.

This trompe l’oeil event will create and instant green experience, that will only enhance with the superiority of the printed quality.

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INSTANT GREEN

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PARKING DAY

PARK(ing) Day est un événement mondial d’un jour ouvert à tous, durant lequel citoyens, artistes et activistes collaborent pour transformer temporairement des places de parking payantes en espaces verts et en jardins publics.

Les origines de l’événement Partant du constat qu’une grande partie de l’espace urbain est allouée aux véhicules aux dépens des piétons, le collectif artistique Rebar Group décide en 2005 de convertir des places de parking en parcs temporaires.

Motivé par le désir de transformer ces places en sites pour l’expérimentation créative, l’expression politique et culturelle, et des interactions sociales inédites, Rebar lance PARK(ing) Day, comme un prototype de design urbain ouvert et accessible à tous.

En réponse à cette action, des milliers de personnes dans le monde entier, guidés par les mêmes principes, ont créé des centaines d’installations sur des places de parking, générant ainsi un événement annuel international. Depuis le lancement de l’événement, le collectif a fédéré un réseau de participants dans plus de 140 villes et de 21 pays.

Pourquoi PARK(ing) Day? Les espaces bétonnés deviennent des lieux d’initiatives engagées, originales et créatives.

Par le biais de ces parenthèses poétiques et

ludiques, PARK(ing) Day est une réflexion globale sur l’espace urbain, sur la place qui y est faite à la nature, et sur la qualité de vie en centre-ville. PARK(ing) Day, en révélant temporairement les possibilités offertes par de tels espaces, aide à changer la façon dont les rues sont perçues et utilisées, générant des effets plus durables.

PARK(ing) Day encourage ainsi les citoyens à se réapproprier leur environnement, en promouvant la créativité, l’engagement critique, des interactions sociales inédites, la générosité et le jeu, autant d’éléments pour construire la ville durable.

Cette année, Dédale saisit l’opportunité de l’Année de la Biodiversité et de la Semaine de la mobilité et se fait le relais de l’événement PARK(ing) Day en lançant un large appel à mobilisation dans le cadre du projet SmartCity | Nouvelles formes artistiques et nouveaux enjeux urbains.

///LABRESEARCH//USE PARTICIPATIVE MODELS

Use the power of the people 81

FIRE UP CAMPFIRE

EVELIEN STAMHUIS

experience

the urban outdoor

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This cozy challenge is a do-it-yourself-kit. In no time you can make a romantic campfire with it. The easy portable packaging is especially chosen to optimze the starting of the fire. Together with te wooden bricks, you use everyting for your own campfire. So don’t worry; it’s all in the bag!

///LABRESEARCH//PRODUCTIDEA

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LABMEMBER MERIT KARA, ISTANBUL We like to bring nature to our homes.

We put fish in bowls, birds in cages, still-life paintings on walls. We hang down plants from balconies so that they wrap and hide the buildings. We try to give them back the space we’ve stolen from them.

Some designs took shape out of need, some from nature and some from the search for innovation. Some fancied to be a like a painting on a wall and some were just no longer able to keep their naïve aspirations inside…

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We know that plants blossom in cotton, on grass men and sometimes on the whole surface of a building. They crack through concrete or if you talk sweetly, they grow faster and happier. “A Domestic Schizophrenic Project” focuses on domestic plants in this context. The idea derived from the will to transfer the relation of greenery with water and the features and habits of plants into interior spaces, forming a series of “pots” with multiple personalities.

///LABRESEARCH//DESIGNREFLECTION

The block crack is inspired by a daily observation. A plant which cracks the cement to met the air and sun. Block crack is a flower pot which is maybe more natural than the other pots, it comes right from todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban nature. And it cracks the expectation of flower pots. The block crack is part of the b-side series which is a personal project of Meric Kara for Fabrica in 2005.

Spell your grass: Like a stencil, the pot allows some grass to pass throuh the cut letters.

These pots are inspired by the the words written by flowers in parks. It hopes to have more greener parks in Istanbul but at the same time all the pieces are individual.

PHOTOGRAPHER: ZAK SWENSON, FABRICA 2005 90

CACTI when i grow up: being part of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;cactiâ&#x20AC;? series, this cactus wants to be like the sculpture one when it grows up. It makes us think that plants also have feelings. It also makes us think of ourselves.

STILL LIFE-HILL still ife is a series of pots invading the walls and is inspired by naturemorte paintings.

In â&#x20AC;&#x153;hillsâ&#x20AC;? the painting becomes live, hills are created by the grass.

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LABMEMBER BOGUSLAW WITKOWSKI In our Brussels Hills on the Beach Project we have proposed the principles of the far eastern gardens, where the natural landscape, surrounded by traditional squared architectural forms, recreate the nature in miniature version.

build a m in a city

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///LABRESEARCH//IMAGINE THE IMPOSSIBLE

mountain

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brussels hills on the beach / residental facilities complex uia / celebration of cities 2 / an idea for the city resident facility complex north-west view interiors

interiors

project parameters

communication scheme

functional section of the complex

healthy building scheme of the complex

brussels tour & taxi station area

living facilities section and plan

brussels hills on the beach / residental facilities complex uia / celebration of cities 2 / an idea for the city resident facility complex north-east view

1.1 AIMS ON IMAGE OF THE SOFT LINED AND SUBTLE FORMS OF A JAPANESE GARDEN, WE HAVE PROPOSED TO REALIZE AN URBAN ORGANISM BASED ON OPTIMAL PARAMETERS, INDISPENSABLES FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, THROUGH: A - REALIZATION OF A HIGH POPULATION DENSITY WITHOUT TURNING TO THE TYPICAL BOX-LIKE SKY SCRAPERS OF THE LAST XX CENTURY, BY APPLICATION OF THE MOUNTAIN LIKE TERRACED SUPERSTRUCTURE. B - CREATION OF AN ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT CAR TRAFFIC NOISES AND AIR POLLUTION. C - THE AUTONOMY OF THE PROPOSED ENSEMBLE BASED ON THE SOLAR, WIND AND COMBUSTION OF TRASH ENERGY.

targeted area

1.2 HUMANIZATION OF THE SITE RECREATION OF A NATURAL LANDSCAPE RESPECTING EXISTING URBAN FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE, THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF THE ANCIENT TECHNIQUES OF 'FOU SUI' AND THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH, IN SHORT, THROUGH APPLICATION OF WHOLE ACCESSIBLE AND CONVENIENT TECHNOLOGIES RESPECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND FOLLOWING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES. THE TERRACES OF THE SLOPED ELEVATIONS FORMING THE DOMINANT CHARACTERISTICS OF URBAN COMPOSITION ARE PLANTED WITH MOUNTAIN GREENERY, AIMING THE BIRDS AND ALL KINDS OF BUTTERFLIES WILL BECOME A FUTURE REALITY, WHERE THE USE OF NATURAL LIGHT AND MORE FLUID SPACES WILL RESULT IN SPACES THAT ARE BOTH TECHNICALLY MORE EFFICIENT AND ALSO PLEASANT TO REST, STUDY AND WORK.

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1.4 URBAN ENVIRONMENT AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN THE EXISTING SURROUNDING ARCHITECTURE, TESTIMONY OF ARCHITECTURAL THINKING OF THE PAST XIX AND XX CENTURY, WILL FACE GENTLE FORMS OF THIS KIND OF TOWN GARDEN, CREATED THROUGH THE NEW, SOFT AND HARMONIOUS MORPHOLOGY OF HILLS. THROUGH THIS PRINCIPLE THE SURROUNDING EXISTING CONSTRUCTIONS AND URBAN EQUIPMENTS HAS BEEN INTEGRATED IN THIS ORGANIC VOLUMETRIC. BUT THE TRUE INTEGRATION IS CREATED BY THE COMPOSITION OF THE PROGRAM FOR THE NEW CREATED FUNCTION AND THROUGH THE COMMUNICATION SOLUTIONS IN CONNECTION WITH UNDERGROUND WAYS NETWORK, CAR ROAD NETWORK AND WATER WAY OF THE EXISTING CANAL.

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1.3 REVITALIZING FUNCTIONS FOR THE SITE OUR PROPOSAL BRINGS A NEW AND ATTRACTIVE WORK AND LIVE ENVIRONMENT CREATED ABOVE THE FORMER TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE. THE INTERCONNECTION OF EDUCATIONAL, INDUSTRIAL AND OFFICE FUNCTIONS ARE DONE WITHOUT LOOSING THE NECESSARY LINKS WITH THE COMMERCE AND SERVICES, STRATIFIED WITH LEISURE, SPORT AND CULTURAL FACILITIES. THE WHOLE IS SUPERPOSED BY THE RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES. SEE THE FUNCTIONAL SECTION

brussel canal

targeted area

1.5 ELIMINATION OF THE POLLUTING FACTORS A - NOISES COMING FROM UNDERGROUND TRAFFIC AND CAR CIRCULATION WILL BE REDUCED THROUGH COVERING THEM, CREATION OF NOISE PROTECTING BELT AND THROUGH THE SOFT TEXTURE OF THE GREENERY TERRACES AS BIO-FILTERS. B - ELIMINATION OF THE POLLUTING INSTALLATIONS FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION. MAXIMAL USE OF THE NATURAL LIGHT EVEN FOR THE INTERNAL GALLERIES SPACES, BY THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SUN LIGHT THROUGH THE “SUN-LIGHT DUCTS”.

2. STRUCTURE LIGHT TIMBER STRUCTURE ABOVE A CHANNELLED RC MEDIA DISTRIBUTION SLAB. 2.1 THE USE OF THE WOOD, CONTRARY TO THE OTHER CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, IS CONSUMING AND NOT PRODUCING CARBON DIOXIDE DURING ITS ”PRODUCTION” PROCESS, THUS CONTRIBUTING TO THE REDUCTION OF THE AIR POLLUTION. 2.2 THE RC SLAB IS DONE BY THE RE-USE OF THE REINFORCED CONCRETE FROM DEMOLISHED CONSTRUCTIONS. 3. THE ENERGY 3.1 THERMAL INERTIA WILL BE DONE THROUGH THE USE OF THIS RECOVERED CONCRETE FILLING IN THE MEDIA DISTRIBUTION SLAB AND SOME CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS SUCH AS FLOORS AND EXTERNAL PARTITIONS. 3.2 THE HEALTHY BUILDING CONCEPT WILL BE ENSURED THROUGH: A- THE NIGHT COOLING B- THE GREEN TERRACES AND ROOFS ACTING AS BIO-FILTERS. C- THE WIND ENERGY PRODUCED BY THE WIND MILLS, FOR EXAMPLE THE WARP-WIND MILLS. D- THE SOLAR ENERGY COLLECTORS (HEAT AND PHOTOVOLTAIC) E- THE HEAT PUMPS BRINGING THE CALORIES FROM THE CANAL WATERS AND FROM THE SEWAGE SYSTEM F- THE WASTE TREATMENT AND COMBUSTION FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION G- REDUCE THE USE OF PERSONAL CAR TRANSPORT BY CONCENTRATION OF THE SERVICES AND VARIOUS FUNCTIONS ON THIS AREA. H- ENABLE THE SKIN OF THE CREATED HILLS TO THE “GREEN” ENERGY PRODUCTION, BIO-FILTRATING AND PROTECTING ROLE. I- THROUGH THE ATTRACTIVE ASPECTS OF THE PROPOSED ACTIVITIES CREATE AN ENSEMBLE OF THE LIVING BODY ON THE IMAGE OF A BEE HIVE OR ANT HILL BUT WITH WHOLE THE RESPECT OF THE HUMAN VALUES.

targeted area

proposed revitalisation of the former tour & taxi area

resident facility complex - south view

former train station

integrated former train station as subway station

master plan of the proposed residential facilities complex

4. FLEXIBILITY OF CREATED SPACES MODULATED LIVING FACILITIES HAVE BEEN CREATED IN AIM TO CREATE THE ADAPTABLE MODULES ACCORDING TO THE INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE EVOLUTION THE FAMILY GROWING PROCESS AND IT'S DECREASING DURING THE LIFE PERIOD. FOR THE OTHER URBAN-GENERATING FUNCTIONS SEE THE FUNCTIONAL SECTION. 5. NEW CONCEPT FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS I OUR PROJECT OF “THE HILLS ON THE BRUSSELS BEACH” THE LANDSCAPED “BUILDINGS” AS SUSPENDED GARDENS HAVE BEEN CREATED IN THE FORM OF INHABITED HILLS AND APPLIED THE PRINCIPLE OF RECREATION OF THE PREVIOUS INTEGRITY AND HARMONY OF THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE. THROUGH THIS APPROACH WE WOULD LIKE TO REACTIVATE THE COEXISTENCE OF THE INHABITANTS WITH THE NATURAL WORLD. THE FIRST “ECOLOGISTS”, THE BUILDERS OF THE FAR EASTERN CITIES SINCE MILLENARY WERE CREATING IN HARMONY AND RESPECT OF THE NATURE. EVERY NEW ENVIRONMENTAL INTERVENTION WAS DONE WITH AN EXTREME CARE TOWARDS THE NATURE WITH HELP OF THE 'FOU SUI' MASTERS. THROUGH THIS PROJECT WE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE FOLLOW THE WESTERN BUILDERS TO FOLLOW THIS WAY.

targeted area - view from the east side of the brussels canal

brussels tour & taxi station area

1 INTRODUCTION IN OUR BRUSSELS HILLS ON THE BEACH PROJECT WE HAVE PROPOSED THE PRINCIPLES OF THE FAR EASTERN GARDENS, WHERE THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE SURROUNDED, BY TRADITIONAL SQUARED ARCHITECTURAL FORMS, RECREATE THE NATURE IN MINIATURE VERSION.

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1.1 On image of the soft lined and subtle forms of a Japanese garden, we have proposed to realize an urban organism based on optimal parameters indispensable for the sustainable development, through: A - Realization of a high population density without turning to the typical box-like skyscrapers of the last XXth century, by application of a mountain like terraced superstructure.

B - Creation of an environment without car traffic noises and air pollution.

C - The autonomy of the proposed ensemble based on solar, wind and combustion of trash energy.

will result in spaces that are both technically more efficient and also pleasant to rest, study and work.

1.2 HUMANIZATION OF THE SITE Recreation of a natural landscape respecting existing urban facilities and infrastructure, through the application of the ancient techniques of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fou suiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and through the environmental approach, in short, through application of whole accessible and convenient technologies respecting the environment and following the sustainable development principles.

The terraces of the sloped elevations forming the dominant characteristics of urban composition are planted with mountain greenery, aiming the birds and all kinds of butterflies will become a future reality, where the use of natural light and more fluid spaces

1.4 URBAN ENVIRONMENT AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN The existing surrounding architecture, testimony of architectural thinking of the past XIX and XX century, will face gentle forms of this kind of town garden, created through the new, soft and harmonious morphology of hills. Through this principle the surrounding existing constructions and urban equipments has been integrated in this organic volumetric. But the true integration is created by the composition of the program for the new created function and through the communication solutions in connection with the underground network, car road network and water way of the existing canal.

1.3 REVITALIZING FUNCTIONS FOR THE SITE Our proposal brings a new and attractive work and live environment created above the former transport and communication infrastructure. The interconnection of educational, industrial and office functions are done without loosing the necessary links with commerce and services, stratified with leisure, sport and cultural facilities. The whole is superposed by the residential facilities. See the Functional Section.

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2. STRUCTURE: Light timber structure above a channelled RC media - distribution slab. 2.1 The use of the wood, contrary to the other construction materials, is consuming and not producing carbon dioxide during its ”production” process, thus contributing to the reduction of the air pollution. 2.2 The RC slab is done by the re-use of the reinforced concrete from demolished constructions.

3. THE ENERGY 3.1 Thermal inertia will be done through the use of this recovered concrete filling in the media distribution slab and some construction elements such as floors and external partitions.

3.2 The healthy Building Concept will be ensured through: a- The night cooling b- The green terraces and roofs acting as bio-filters. c- The wind energy produced by the wind

mills, for example the WARP-wind mills. d- The solar energy collectors (heat and photovoltaic) e- The heat pumps bringing the calories from the canal waters and from the sewage system f- The waste treatment and combustion for energy production g- Reduce the use of personal car transport by concentration of the services and various functions on this area. h- Enable the skin of the created hills to the “green” energy production, bio-filtrating and protecting role. i- Through the attractive aspects of the proposed activities create an ensemble of the living body on the image of a bee hive or ant hill but with whole the respect of the human values.

4. FLEXIBILITY OF CREATED SPACES: Modulated living facilities have been created in aim to create the adaptable modules according to the individual and collective evolution – the family growing process and it’s decreasing during the life period. For the other urban-generating functions see the Functional Section.

5. NEW CONCEPT FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS: In our project of “The Hills on the Brussels Beach” the landscaped “buildings” as suspended gardens have been created in the form of inhabited hills and applied the principle of re-creation of

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1.5 ELIMINATION OF THE POLLUTING FACTORS: A - Noises coming from underground traffic and car circulation will be reduced through covering them, creation of noise protecting belt and through the soft texture of the greenery terraces as bio-filters.

B - Elimination of the polluting installations for energy production. Maximal use of the natural light even for the internal galleries spaces, by the introduction of the sun light through the “sun-light ducts”.

the previous integrity and harmony of the natural landscape. Through this approach we would like to reactivate the coexistence of the inhabitants with the natural world.

The first “ecologists”, the builders of the far eastern cities since millenary were created in harmony and respect of the nature. Every new environmental intervention was done with an extreme care towards nature with help of the ‘fou sui’ masters. Through this project we would like the western builders to follow this way.

PICNIC IN A BOX

BOXSAL.COM

Boxsal is a pretty, fun, picnic in a box. www.boxsal.com

Each Boxsal is completely recyclable and biodegradable right down to the knives, forks and spoons included in the Boxsal Eatin’ Tool kit. Utensils and cups are made of compostable corn starch. The trays and bowls are created from sugar cane fiber.

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It’s an eco-friendly, modern picnic box dressed head to toe in a design style that allows you to tailor your picnic to your personal style. Whether it’s the romantic taste of Today’s Date, the inner-city style of Urban Picnic or casual coolness of Office Escape — Boxsal is a place to pack your creativity along with some tasty treats.

Each kit also contains recycled napkins and a compostable trash bag for your picnic left-overs. And while the Eatin’ Tool kit is disposable, the picnic box can be used over and over and over. It can even double as storage box, luggage or portfolio case in the winter months.

The fact that each picnic box is fully sustainable was kind of a given for the project. We figured that was really just the entry-fee associated with fabricating a new product these days. The real magic lies in the creativity that each Boxsal can bring to a picnic. You no longer need a 100-year old oak tree to serve as the corner stone of your afternoon getaway. Instead you can find the nearest rooftop or inner-city park and toss down a blanket and some imagination.

///LABRESEARCH//PARADIGMSHIFTING

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ANIMATION VEGETATION

via labpartner Mooz, Hasselt LABMEMBER BEN HAGENAARS

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Inspired by the graffiti movement, Hagenaars has created POA, an “ecological doll” that, with the support of the city’s residents, will sprout across the city, creating seemingly spontaneous green spaces.

Animation Vegetation is an interactive design project to generate more urban green spaces. Cities are often criticised for their lack of green space, which is important for the overall liveability of a city but also to filter air and generate oxygen.

Hagenaars’ inspiration for resolving this problem in Hasselt stems from both the spontaneity and the limitlessness of graffiti artists, who work on any available wall or clean surface.The Animation Vegetation project applies the same guerrilla tactics to spread green. Hagenaars, with a Master in Product Design with the Media & Design Academy in Genk (2009), designed POA, a 3D character, out of jute, a vegetable fibre.

This character can be filled with a mixture of soil and plant seeds, watered, then allowed to flourish over time. The POA character serves as an ecological equivalent to a graffiti tag that thrives best in a public environment.

The website www.animation-vegetation.be provides a tutorial to assemble your own POA to “green up” your nearby environment. All you need is some jute, some seeds and soil to start your own personal animation vegetation project. After planting the

character in your neighbourhood, you can take a photo and email it to info@animationvegetation.be. The pictures will be displayed on the website and hopefully inspire others to do the same, so that not only Hasselt, but many cities can become a bit greener.

For more information about Animation Vegetation, visit www.TransPlantHasselt.be

///LABEVENT//INSPIRATION

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///LABRESEARCH//KIDSLABIDEAS

Start young(er).

URBAN NATURE EXPERIENCE

via Labpartner LIFT CONFERENCE The ant apparatus allows you to feel like an ant by magnifying your vision 50x through microscope antennas in your hand. You can perceive all the tiny cracks and details of a surface through this. It allows you to ‘see’ through your hands and to dive into a secret and hidden world.

The bird device, which uses a GPS system and vibrates when you’re oriented in a certain direction, say towards an ice cream shop, home, or your pet. It approximates birds’ detection of geomagnetic fields to find their way south in the winter and north in the spring.

The giraffe device is really simple and has a very direct effect. It acts as a child to adult converter by changing your voice to lower octaves and raising your perspective by 30cm. Kids can suddenly see on the same level as adults, allowing kids to experience a new perspective.

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WASTE IN THE CITY

MARIE O’MAHONEY

Marcus has a few designer t-shirts that are a bit ugly now. So he’s going to get rid of those and buy some news ones from a designer store that is selling great European and Australian menswear labels.

Alex has a small apartment so he needs to throw out some old books and magazines because they are taking up too much space.

Jennifer wants to get rid of her old plastic coat hangers and replace them with smart eco-friendly wooden ones. This will be better for the planet and her clothes.

In cities such as Sydney the material waste that we generate on a daily basis is either incinerated or dumped into landfill. While 99% of Australian households engage in recycling and reuse practices the amount of waste generated has also increased (National Waste Report, 2010). But how is our material waste managed, what happens to it when we have thrown it in the bin, and how can we reduce the waste that we generate? Professor Marie O’Mahony and Alison Gwilt at the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building (DAB) at UTS have developed a multidisciplinary module for year three

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students titled Waste in the City. The design project aims to inspire creative thinking in the development of ideas and solutions for products, services and systems that can assist in the reduction of our city’s waste for a better, future Sydney. The first module ran August – November 2010, culminating in an exhibition at Fraser Studios, Sydney. There are plans for a second module to be run in 2011 with a wiki site http://wasteinthecity. wikispaces.com/ recording the process an acting, disseminating the outcomes and continuing as a live and regularly updated resource on the subject.

The module attracted interest and input in the form of lectures, a seminar and site visit from industry and local government. Students heard from Arup’s Emma Synnott on some of the strategies that global cities are adopting to deal with waste while naval architect Andy Dovell showed students around the Plastiki boat in Darling Harbour that he worked on as designer. Stephen Ormandy, Director and Co-Founder of Dinosaur Designs was concerned that he might have little to speak to students about as they generate so little waste – precisely the point! Philip Delamore from London College of Fashion discussed his work on mass customization while a visit to The Smith Family showed how there is really no such thing as waste as

even single shoes can be used by landmine victims in Africa.

Students worked in groups to map waste in different regions of the city and show how it is currently being dealt with. They developed final products and services to focus on specific problems that ranged from polystyrene fish boxes to disposable coffee cups and food. Solutions included a ‘Herb Your Enthusiasm’ coffee cup that transforms into a potted herb to be planted in a public space to be taken and used by the public as needed.

This came complete with prototype and video to explain how it would work. Another group proposed a system for cleaning, painting and reusing polystyrene fish boxes using a clip system to create shelving units that could be as large or small as needed.

Damaged boxes would go to The ‘Hungry Giant’ polystyrene recycling machine at UTS where they are compressed for reuse in products such as disposable cameras.

More information is available at http:// wasteinthecity.wikispaces.com/ or by contacting Marie O’Mahony at marie.omahony@uts.edu.au

ROOF GARDEN POLITICS

A green roof is not a surface painted green, it is a living surface of plants growing in a soil layer on top of the roof.

A thinner or thicker soil layer (or another substrate than soil) is spread over the roof membrane itself, sometimes with a protective root barrier, often with a drainage layer underneath. On the substrate, draught-tolerant species of plants are grown, usually Sedums on the extensive roof vegetations.

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This forms an attractive mat that flowers, and changes its appearance with the seasons.

Roof vegetation like this one does not at all damage the waterprofing membrane of the roof, in fact it protects it from the uv-light which does damage the membrane over time.

In some cultures a no-brainer, in Flanders there is a serious job to do in view of changing the mindset of people to create their own green roof or terrace.

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///LABRESEARCH//

roof garden reflex.

BRICK CARPET

Depending on era, culture and social class, carpets, rugs and tapestry have, for many centuries, not only been an expression of the home-making urge, decoration and prestige, but also of identity and creativity. Although people literally wipe their feet on the carpet and it has served as a contextual basis for critical expressions in many languages, the fascination for and appreciation of this phenomenon is evident in practically all parts of the world.

In some regions, carpet knotting became a true art form, and elsewhere nothing less that a large-scale form of industry.

Since 2009, the designersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; trio We Make Carpets, consisting of Bob Waardenburg (1983), Marcia Nolte (1982) and Stijn van der Vleuten (1985), began working under the name We Make Carpets, making carpets, or rather, temporary carpets.

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Their first example, Forest Carpet, was made out of materials found in the woods.

Then followed, among others, Pasta Carpet and Clean Carpet, and a carpet that consisted entirely of strips of sticking plaster.

The nature and form of the all but endless range of usable materials determines the pattern of these carpets. Historical patterns are an inspiration, but the carpets usually emerge from a live creation process, without

the use of a predefined model.

During Flux/S, they have opted to use bricks; they will go outside and carpet an area of some 32 x 24 metres, and this time will give it height. Seen from various perspectives, Brick Carpet is no longer just a carpet, an ornament, but is now equally a skyline, an obstacle course and, despite the weight of the bricks, it is atypically mobile. It forecasts a residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; culture that has yet to materialize, but certainly will not be entirely devoid of personal and collective history. (text: Miryam van Lier)

Brick Carpet was commissioned by Flux/S Arts Festival and MU, Eindhoven wemakecarpets.wordpress.com ww.flux-s.nl www.mu.nl

///LABRESEARCH//

Art questions.

EMMANUEL GARDIN

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CHEWING GUM STILETTO

“CHEWING-GUM” 2009 Leather & rubber The design was created by freezing a moment in a sneaker “every-day life”.

This high heel shoe is a combination of a flat shoe stretching a gum up to become its stiletto.

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KOBI LEVI

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Barbecues are good because they feed our experience of preparing food in a primitive way. Scavenging through the wild outdoors to catch and devour. Relive the primal joy without a forest. Create your own BBQ anywhere from the sidewalk and dumpster dive your dinner. All zรถi_design products are made from reclaimed materials as much as possible. This creates unique products and delivery times.

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LABMEMBER ALEXANDER GEIJZENDORFFER

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Fertile cities.

IRMA FIRMA

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HOW TO SURVIVE IN A CITY

Very often, many taboos are so deeply entrenched that they prevent us from seeing the beauty in amongst all the ugliness. We discover that a city has far more to offer than one would realise at first. This project provides an instruction manual on how to survive eating tasty and nutritious food in a major city, with ingredients to be found in the city itself. What can be picked from the Brussels ‘environment’? What grows and lives between the paving stones and what is edible, tasty and good for you? How do these products (plants, herbs, insects, …) get there and how do you turn them into a delicious meal? And what does this ultimately say about the city, man, our culture?

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We went through various cities (Amsterdam, Brussels, Louvain, Courtrai, Antwerp, ...) with a fine toothcomb and collected and analysed many species. This research unexpectedly unearthed the city’s poetry. When you wonder how the plants, animals and herbs got there, the answer is in adventurous and historical accounts. Thanks to this research, an anthropological or social picture can be created. On guided tours, we penetrate the city like modern hunter-gatherers. We point out all these ingredients and places to the participants and tell the stories. We finish off with a tasting session or prepare a delicious meal with the ingredients we found.

HOW TO SURVIVE IN A CITY is an artistic project by Irma Firma vzw.

Irma Firma is active in Brussels, Flanders and beyond. Although the organisation has a clearly defined field of activity with specific views, its end product is always a mix of different artistic disciplines. Projects it has accomplished to date include performances in the public arena, exhibitions, theatre productions, publications, lectures and workshops in schools, community centres, universities and colleges.

“The pavements that you walk will vary greatly in dimension, finish and material.

They should be, each and everyone of them in turn, the walker’s best friend, partner, and lover. Get to know and understand the surfaces on which you walk and you will be repaid greatly. Secrets will be retold and great truths revealed.”’ Simon Pope in London Walking, 2002.

Artistic vision and working method The projects are socially relevant and aim to change the viewer’s mentality. Things are not always what they seem. Ann Van de Vyvere does not believe in creating new spaces and ideas; instead, she redefines them, shedding a different light onto our everyday reality.

“The only true voyage of discovery would be not to visit new landscapes, but to possess other eyes.”

Marcel Proust, A la recherche du temps perdu Ann Van de Vyvere has developed a specific working method, which results in a well thought-through and lived-through view. Each project is preceded by thorough research. Walking lies at the very essence of man.

Walking triggers all kinds of things. Man is incapable of staying still in a room, for that is where all the trouble starts. Each project is situated in the context of how you get from A to B and what you encounter en route.

After all, walking heightens the experience.

Perspectives multiply because we look at all the familiar things in a different light and because we enter into dialogue about the sensory input. From this position, Van de Vyvere moves into the public space, the city and the countryside. That is where she bumps into scientists, artists, housewives, the homeless, accidental passers-by,... with whom she enters into dialogue. These chats lead to small ‘interventions’ and recorded interviews that form the basis of her work material, something which the artists who become involved in the project at a later stage also draw on. The period of research starts here, in which the material is given

shape. A performance in the public arena is always important, because it is the ideal location to reach a wide audience, and to enhance the involvement of the accidental passer-by. During these events, not only artists and the audience are involved, but also selected organisations that add value to their content.

Irma Firma also seeks to participate with other members of society. Many projects are realised with the help of other artists, illegal immigrants, children, scientists, locals…..

These projects are more artistic-social than socio-artistic.

The target audience is everyone, both children and adults, accidental passers-by, public or cultural and commercial establishments and social organisations, museums, university students,… The audience is not limited, the projects mainly take place in the public arena. This is how Irma Firma can reach a very diverse and wide audience.

COMMENT MONTER LE BACSQUARE Ouvrir et déplier votre bacsquare, le placer dans un endroit ensoleillé et à l’abri du vent. Fixer les sangles. Le remplir de terre végétale. Régler les sangles pour ajuster les bords à la verticale. Les sangles délimitent vos carrés de culture. Planter 1 à 16 plants par carré de culture selon le développement de la plante.

Commencez quand vous voulez - s’installe sur tous les sols - convient même aux petits espaces - accessible pour les grands et les petits Pratiquez la rotation des cultures - consomme moins d’eau qu’un potager classique - limite l’usage d’engrais, d’insecticide et de désherbant - une production maîtrisée, au plus près de vos besoins Cultivez votre potager toute l’année - un entretien minime rapidement récompensé - un rendement cinq fois plus important qu’un potager classique - des légumes frais et sains tout au long de l’année

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MOVABLE GARDENS

Redécouvrez la tradition de la culture en sac - une toile résistante au gel et traité anti-UV - un feutre qui protège les racines - un complexe géotextile perméable, laissant respirer la terre tout en limitant l’évaporation www.bacsac.fr

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CARMEN DE VOS

LABMEMBER LINDA SCHAILON

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PINE CONE LIGHT

OUT OF RESPECT FOR NATURE’S INGENUITY. Shaped as a pine cone, this object blends into nature, thus respecting the natural environment, yet adding a functional and/or atmospheric light to it.

On the pine cone shape: Up until now, this unique natural shape could only be reproduced by nature. Now, using new 3D techniques and rapid prototyping, human beings can copy it and add value & functions where needed.

The Pine Cone light is not just an object, it’s a message: a quest for all, to look for a perfect symbiosis of human intellect and nature.

The light should have a number of characteristics. * Light could be ‘dropped’ in a garden, as if fallen from a tree, like normal pine cones. * Light should be powered by solar panels, taking energy during day time, emitting light at night. * Light could be hanging from trees in garden * Material used by 3D printing to be biodegradable.

LABRESEARCHER JAN VAN MOL

///LABPROTOTYPE

more ideas.

GREEN CUTS CRIME

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Vegetation May Cut Crime in the Inner City In a 2001 study in one Chicago public housing development, there were dramatically fewer occurrences of crime against both people and property in apartment buildings surrounded by trees and greenery than in nearby identical apartments that were surrounded by barren land. In fact, compared with buildings that had little or no vegetation, buildings with high levels of greenery had 48 percent fewer property crimes and 56 percent fewer violent crimes. Even modest amounts of greenery were associated with lower crime rates. The greener the surroundings, the fewer the number of crimes that occurred.

Greenery lowers crime through several mechanisms. First, greenery helps people to relax and renew, reducing aggression.

Second, green spaces bring people together outdoors, increasing surveillance and discouraging criminals. Relatedly, the green and groomed appearance of an apartment building is a cue to criminals that owners and residents care about a property and watch over it and each other.

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http://lhhl.illinois.edu/crime.htm

GREEN MAINTENANCE

The city of Dendermonde has found an interesting way of maintaining its urban green surfaces.

For its cemetery, they arranged with the cities organisations (eg sport teams) to take care of the job.

The advantages are clear: the organisation doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to organise a waffle raffle to get some money in, the city gets the job done, and most important, the members have become clear green ambassadors, as they have taken on responsability and ownership.

BLUE ARTERIES

The focus for more green in cities, should change colour. We want more blue.

It’s simple: don’t start by planting a tree on the city’s central market place.

Start with where you can find water, and bring it - back - into the city.

With the water comes the green.

>>

///LABRESEARCH//YOUR IDEAS WANTED

Work on the winkel.* 138

* Addctlabâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way of saying there is work to be done. (Dutch expression)

Your ideas wanted.

research: #30//Urbangreen

Have ideas? Sketch out, upload, send. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not stopping here. New ideas will make it into a following book, exhibition or, why not, commercial project. [Possible commercial and confidential ideas can be mailed to jan@addictlab.com] LABMEMBER / WHO ARE YOU?

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labfiles:

yes / no (work registered on addictlab.com)

ISSUE YOU WANT TO SOLVE

CONCEPT / IDEA / POSSIBLE SOLUTION

SKETCH

RESEARCH THEMES mobility community biodiversity architecture entertainment education culture

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branding design parks terraces roofs (or add your own)

YOUR SELECTED RESEARCH AREA

WHERE ARE YOU?

research: #30//Urbangreen

Your ideas wanted.

LABMEMBER / WHO ARE YOU?

WHERE ARE YOU?

Name:

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BRIEFING / INFO

HELP CREATE THE PARK SCAN CONCEPT In order to evaluate a park in a city, the idea of a ‘parkscan’ came up in one of Addictlab’s brainstorming sessions. The parkscan should become a research method, that will show in a very user friendly diagram, the park’s users, cultures and activities during a day, week, season.

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This methodogy should help to find the gaps and opportunities to change or add up to the parks functions. > Can you send us a park scan of your park? > Any idea how we can make this scan a concrete working tool?

SKETCH

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research: #30//Urbangreen

Your ideas wanted.

LABMEMBER / WHO ARE YOU? Name:

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email:

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yes / no (work registered on addictlab.com)

BRIEFING / INFO

BECOME A GUERILLA GARDENER Seed bombs can be a stealthy tool for guerrilla gardening. Rather than surreptitiously putting in plantings late at night, folks can just toss this palm-sized mixture of dirt, clay, and seeds into a vacant lot and let nature do its thing!

If you’re in the L.A. area, you can check out their very first seed bomb dispenser over in Chinatown! The plan now is to approach local parks and botanical gardens, selling the bombs as souvenirs for visitors.

The big concern with seed bombs is about spreading invasive species, and Greenaid has that covered. They’ll develop custom seed mixes suited to the area where the machine’s going to live!

About the Project

http://thecommonstudio.com/index.php?/ project/greenaid/

Designers Kim Karlsrud and Daniel Phillips teamed up with urban planner David Fletcher to create the Greenaid project when Karlsrud inherited a batch of old candy machines.

Karlsrud and Phillips wanted to do something more interesting than fill them with candy, and they were both involved with a guerrilla gardening group in Los Angeles. Fletcher got in on the project and helped them choose indigenous species for the bombs.

WHERE ARE YOU?

research: #30//Urbangreen

Your ideas wanted.

LABMEMBER / WHO ARE YOU? Name:

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City:

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Country:

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Discipine:

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email:

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labfiles:

yes / no (work registered on addictlab.com)

BRIEFING / INFO

SEND US YOUR GREEN CITY GARDENS Proud of your own urban green? Your mini roof top garden, or balcony fruit? Upload your pics on the Addictlab website, and share your experiences.

MARINA NATANOVA

WHERE ARE YOU?

research: #30//Urbangreen

Your ideas wanted.

LABMEMBER / WHO ARE YOU?

WHERE ARE YOU?

Name:

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City:

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Country:

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Discipine:

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email:

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labfiles:

yes / no (work registered on addictlab.com)

BRIEFING / INFO

AD CAMPAIGNS WANTED Help us creating ads & posters to raise awareness.

Send in your contributions via the Addictlab site.

BRIEFING Pimp your garden

CONCEPT Change your existing garden into a - bird garden - butterfly garden - flower garden

Pimp your garden.

10 steps to turn your garden into a butterfly paradise.

RESEARCH PARTNERS

Agentschap Natuur en Bos

addictlab.com global creative think tank

LIFT CONFERENCE GENEVA

BERLIN

TM

JOHANNESBURG

20

WAste in the CITY SYDNEY

MOOZ HASSELT

Your ideas wanted.

research: #30//Urbangreen

Addictlab is doing research on how to make our cities more green. The project is commissioned by the Flemish govt, dept ANB. Ideas will be filtered for the governmental organisation as a consultancy project, but can also be selected for publication in the #30 Ad!dict inspiration book, as awareness and inspirational content. [Possible commercial and confidential ideas can be mailed to jan@addictlab.com] LABMEMBER / WHO ARE YOU?

* * *

Name:

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City:

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Country:

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Discipine:

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email:

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labfiles:

yes / no (work registered on addictlab.com)

ISSUE YOU WANT TO SOLVE

CONCEPT / IDEA / POSSIBLE SOLUTION

SKETCH

RESEARCH THEMES mobility community biodiversity architecture entertainment education culture

*

WHERE ARE YOU? branding design parks terraces roofs (or add your own)

YOUR SELECTED RESEARCH AREA

SAV

E SE X

addictlab.com global creative think tank

TM

This campaign was created by Addictlab.com to support the opening of the International HIV/AIDS AwarenessEducation Center (IHAEC).

The training center in Antwerp, Belgium will host students from all over the world and teach them how to set up successful HIV prevention and

DAA w w w . de s ignersagainstaids.com

awareness programs, using the same pop culture based methods as used by DesignersAgainstAids. The students will be taking this knowledge home, to build up equally successful campaigns in their countries of origin. More info: www.ihaec.org

AD!DICT #30 This research was supported by

addictlab.com global creative think tank

TM

(1) to discover and accelerate creative talent (2) to offer innovation and out-of-the-box thinking (3) to implement sustainable changes for companies, organisations and society register / upload ideas / become a Labmember

ISBN 978-0-557-97197-8

90000

9 780557 971978