Greenhouse gases rise by record amount
It seems that new figures from the US Dept of Energy indicate that we are outpacing even the ‘worst case’ scenarios for greenhouse gas emissions… see the story in the Guardian today: Greenhouse gases rise by record amount http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/… Levels of greenhouse gases are higher than the worst case scenario outlined by climate experts just...
Urban Prototypes – AA Research Cluster Launch
We were asked to participate in the panel discussion and launch of ‘Urban Prototypes’, the new Research Cluster at the AA. Jeroen and I (Darrick) presented our work to-date, discussed the role of the ‘prototype’ in the context of urban design and answered questions as to how our work serves a model for an urban prototype. The...
Congratulations…
..to one of our team. Nikoletta has been awarded her Master’s with Distinction for her work on Edible Infrastructures. Congratulations Nikoletta! (Sooooo, see you back in studio on Monday?)
You Now Live In A World of 7 BIllion
The world’s population is expected to have hit a milestone today reaching 7 billion people. If there’s something a bit alarming to you about this number it may be that you remember us reaching 6 billion just 12 years ago back in 1999. National Geographic has been doing a year long series about a planet...
Strategizing China’s Urbanization
China becomes an urban nation at breakneck speed http://www.guardian.co.uk/world… With the government seeking to increase domestic demand, places like Guiyang are at the heart of its urbanisation strategy
Edible Infrastructures Places Second in International Design Competition
We are pleased to announce that Edible Infrastructures has won 2nd prize in the international design competition for a Center for Urban Farming in Brooklyn, New York. See the announcement and other winning entries at the Suckerpunch website. Thanks again to our mentors, friends & colleagues who helped make it happen.
Settlement Simulation in the Brooklyn Navy Yard
Click the movie above to watch a test run of the Settlement Simulation, a cellular automata based generative algorithm for distributing dwellings and farms. The Settlement Sim generates neighborhood-scale aggregations of dwellings and the productive surfaces required to feed the them. Shades of green represent production intensity (# of people fed / 100m2, lightest green...
Chicago Paves Way for Commercial Scale Urban Farms
Chicago Urban Farming: City Council Approves New Ordinance http://www.huffingtonpost.com The Chicago City Council approved a zoning code amendment allowing for more widespread urban agriculture Thursday. As WBEZ reports, the zoning code has expanded the size of community gardens to 25,000 feet, thus accommodating commercial farms within city limits.
Geoffrey West: The surprising math of cities and corporations | Video on TED.com
Geoffrey West: The surprising math of cities and corporations | Video on TED.com http://www.ted.com/talks/geoffrey_west_t… TED Talks Physicist Geoffrey West has found that simple, mathematical laws govern the properties of cities — that wealth, crime rate, walking speed and many other aspects of a city can be deduced from a single number: the city’s population. In...
Case Study: Gotham Greens
Gotham Greens is a New York City based company dedicated to growing the highest quality vegetables and culinary herbs for local restaurants and retailers. Gotham Greens’ premium quality, pesticide-free vegetables and herbs are grown in sterile rooftop greenhouses using clean, renewable energy. Gotham Greens products can be found in local retail and dining establishments that...
A Fresh look at Hydroponics
The NY Times has an interesting article on Hydroponics today which challenges the old notion that hydroponics-grown veggies are inferior to their earthly cousins.
Rethink NYC at the new BMW Guggenheim Lab
Interesting new traveling exhibition in the LES. Designed by Atelier Bow-Wow http://bmwguggenheimlab.org/
Carolyn Steel: How food shapes our cities | Video on TED.com
Carolyn Steel: How food shapes our cities | Video on TED.com http://www.ted.com/talks/carolyn_steel_h… TED Talks Every day, in a city the size of London, 30 million meals are served. But where does all the food come from? Architect Carolyn Steel discusses the daily miracle of feeding a city, and shows how ancient food routes shaped...