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VELOCIPEDES (FINAL) from Jonathan Fegan on Vimeo.
The bicycle is a very simple machine. A frame, two wheels, and a drivetrain. There is a freedom of form induced by the elementary function that makes the device an ideal medium for creative experimentation. We most often see the motorized version as luxed-out, souped-up, retro-fitted choppers, yet the artist Neal Fegan, of the Montana Transit Authority, has been redesigning the classic pedal-bike in ways that would excite any Harley-head. He calls them “velocipedes,” as they often employ more than two wheels,and builds each custom model by hand. They are one-of-a-kind, elegant yet edgy, with pedals and chains knit amongst bodies of woven steel: pieces of art that you can ride–and ride well, due to Fegan's intricate steering systems and desire for his bikes to perform on all sorts of terrain. Trained as a sculptor, with an engineer and artist for parents, such mechanical and creative expertise comes as little surprise.
The original velocipedes hit the market roughly a hundred and fifty years ago. The bicycle proved the most popular style and has thereafter been developed into something quite incredible; full-suspension beasts and feather-weight speed machines. Neal Fegan's creations prove that there is still room for an age-old design to grow... in stunning style.
Recycled Energy in Kinetic Art
In 1986, SEIKO unveiled the first kinetic wrist watch, abandoning the classic battery for the power of movement. A simple yet ingenious idea. Just last month, at the third annual Greener Gadgets conference and design competition in NYC, Adele Peter's “Corky,” incorporated the same technology into the wireless computer mouse. Using piezoelectric elements to generate power from the slightest hand movements (clicking, scrolling, navigating the screen) and built of one-hundred percent recycled plastic and biodegradable cork, this gizmo leaves an absolutely minimal eco-footprint.
The science of kinetics has been incorporated into progressive design since it's discovery. It has also had major impacts on art and sculpture throughout the 20th century. From Leonardo Da Vinci's self-propelled “car” of 1495, to Jean Tinguely's self-destructing “Homage to New York” (1960), and now, “Corky,” the idea has a diverse history of creative application.
One of today's most innovative sculptors, the Dutch artist Theo Jansen, has been testing the limits of kinetic-constructions on a large scale, with impressive results. Using the wind and a vast knowledge of physics, Jansen creates ornate mechanisms that walk and transform on their own–amazing in both their massive size and effortless movement. They are visually stunning. Spectacles. Masterpieces of engineering. It's no wonder he's a spokesman for BMW.
Where else can this kinetic power be creatively applied? From the minute we wake, we're in constant motion: Let us recycle this energy.
The “Green” Street Light
Sustainable City Lights. Just the name sounds good. Designed by Philips, these innovative street lights resemble futuristic flowers more than standard lampposts. During the day, the lights solar-cell equipped “pedals” open for charging, then close as evening sets. They emit only a soft glow until motion sensors detect nearby movement, at which point the LED lights shine at full power.
As Philips states on their website; “The sustainable city light concept transforms the personality of any community from industrial to ecological, harmonizing forces of nature and working with the planet, not against it.” This idea of a “personality” change is central if we are to successfully integrate eco-conscious practices into our daily lives, and surpass the detrimental tendencies which we have grown so comfortable with. Something as commonplace as a street light is just a point of take off, showing each passer-by the possibility of sustainably illuminating the urban world.
Drinking The Mist
The world is running out of fresh water. It is a finite resource, necessary for all living things, yet we continually pollute and over-draft our limited supply. Millions die from thirst each year as a result, and the United Nations predicts that two-thirds of the worlds population will be suffering from water shortages by the year 2025.
For her thesis at Germany's Muthesius Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Imke Hoehler created the “DropNet” fog collector as a possible solution to the water challenge. The unit quite literally captures water from the air using sheets of mesh as surfaces on which moisture may condense and thereafter be contained. Portable and versatile in design, the DropNet is made to be assembled easily and to function in all terrains; making it a very accessible means of utilizing local resources.
Although Hoehler has construed a new type of fog collector, similar water harvesting mechanisms have been in use since the mid-1980's. From Mexico, to Nepal, South Africa, and Chile, the ingenious simplicity of fog collection has proven successful in some of the most arid regions, where accumulation and conservation of fresh water is particularly difficult. Interestingly, the concept originates in nature; airborne moisture coalesces on the leaves and needles of trees, eventually draining to the ground and hydrating the soil. What better way to sustainably nourish ourselves than by mimicking the techniques of our natural world.
Fog collectors are pragmatic in form, with little attention to aesthetic detail; understandable considering their immediate purpose. However, one may assume that a greater focus on the mechanisms visual relationship to the landscape would only increase it's acceptance and application. As the water crisis grows, we must further invest in such relief-based endeavors–can design spur success?
Your “New” Home
Somewhere along the line of history a pensive person said, “one man's trash is another man's treasure.”
Perhaps it was a philosopher, maybe a poet, or just as a likely, an environmentalist, economist, or dumpster diver. Above all, it was a creative mind who saw amazing potential for something new in the remnants. It could have been anarchitect.
Recycled architecture is a fascinating area of building design. On one side, there is the renovation and reapplication of abandoned spaces; a decrepit factory turned into art museum, a church restored as luxury housing. An alternative approach is the retrofitting of objects; a salvaged and stripped Boeing 747 (quite roomy for two), or the overabundant shipping container. Although the first example is rare yet ingenious, the later is a very practical building block. Shipping containers, invented some odd fifty years ago, are weather-proof, cheap, and modifiable. They are quick to install and require minimal construction materials, making them particularly well suited as emergency housing– as seen in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Beyond temporary relief, they have become the most popular recycled housing unit worldwide. They are being chopped, stacked, and luxed-out in every which way, from lavish Redondo beach homes, to large-scale student housing, and portable wilderness cabins for off-the-grid living.
In some circumstances, it is not about providing residence. In the harbor of Songdo New City in Incheon, South Korea, the building company AnL Studio has used shipping containers to construct a sunset observatory. Each of the five units is installed at a specific angle along the waterfront and provides a different view. As a whole, the
arrangement resembles a sort of modern sculpture while acting as an interactive retreat and demonstration of successful recycled design. Hopefully more follow in step. We have an awfully large amount of waste to make art of.
