Alternative Energy;”Algae is the new source of oil for Venice”

Imagine Venice…

Powered by algae

The idea is to take two kinds of algae which are brought in attached to ships, Sargassum muticum and Undaria pinnafitida, and use it in a new 40 MW power plant. The €200 million ($264 million) plan would supply 50% of the electricity required by Venice’s city center.

This Venice ambitious plan is being developed by EcoWordly and will use the Venice canals as the source of the algae. It’s a genius idea which will turn the free growing and otherwise ‘nuisance algae’ to boats and gondolas, brought to Venice by ships from Japan into a resourceful source of energy. It’s viability as a source of bio fuel  is yet to be proven but in this case where growing it will not be artificial then there is a strong reason to be optimistic.

Other projects on this include efforts to grow the algae as explained in the CNN video below. Viability research of producing enough algae for fuel demand is  just beginning, with a variety suggestions of including using brackish or seawater , but issues then arise of what to do with the accumulated salt once the biomass is extracted.

Here is a Video of CNN explaining the idea:

Check out some few very promising claims and counter claims on the the facts of algae’s viability, productivity and its green credentials from the a recent  Algae Biofuels World Summit  in San Francisco.

Other algae bio fuels projects with potentials include:

Adiamo Alghe! Italian Biodiesel Producers Turn to Seaweed as a Feedstock
New Algae Biofuel from Sapphire Energy “Chemically Identical to Gasoline”
Algae Biodiesel Facility for Maui Announced, Operation Could Begin 2011

Hotelicopter

This massive flying machine features everything from room service and private entertainment systems to extras like yoga classes, tea garden, spa treatment, gaming and many others that someone would anticipate from a 5-star hotel.

see it here

RIBA retreats on Standard Form of Agreement

google me business card by ji lee

google me business card., designer and advertising creative director ji lee

get your here

Save Energy, Save Money, Save Your Job

On Saturday 35,000 People demonstrated ahead of the G20 summit in London. They had the common aim of:

Jobs

Justice

Climate

At the moment these are all issues that afflict Architecture. Boidus is not immune to the affects of the global meltdown. We are all affected in someway whether it is redundancy, pay cuts or graduating into the worst jobs market in our memory. What the G20 decides directly affects us. A healthy building industry creates jobs for Architects.

However it is no good pursuing the quick fix, the fiscal stimuli, as it is come to be known. The recovery needs to be holistic and comprehensive. People want jobs, people want justice, particularly they want the Bankers to hold up their dirty hands and admit their mistakes, and they also want action on the climate change. Politically the environment usually gives way to issues of unemployment in times of recession but no longer. Save energy, save money could be the mantra.

Can Architects stimulate change? The profession would be pretty defunct if it just sat back, carried on clicking CAD whilst people protested. Is it now time for us to focus on the important issues of the day. By focusing on Architecture and the urban design of climate change Architects can create opportunities for people as well as themselves. Now is the time for change.

The Politics Show London ran a report recently about the potential to create thousands of jobs in London solely based on improving the energy performance of the existing building stock. David Strong writing in Building (Energy Saving in Existing Stock: Energy Junkies) outlines how this could happen. The Heat and Energy Saving Strategy is the start point for this. Strong states, “It covers a wide range of critical points, from energy efficiency measures to de-carbonising the heat we use in our homes and businesses, to better communication with consumers”. The report also outlines district heating schemes and other community heating measures. Strong concludes, “We must make de-carbonising all of society’s energy use at least as high a priority as home efficiency measures. We must also grasp the difficult issue of behavioral change. Without a carbon-aware mindset among all of us, the risk is that all this consulting will come to now and money saved on fuel bills will simply get spent on weekends in Barcelona!”

Architects can benefit from an acquired knowledge of sustainable design and turn attention towards solving the ‘carbon habit’. Engaging with the public and beginning that dialogue is the first hurdle to overcome. There is also the issue of cost. This is why we need to develop the appropriate methodology that highlights the benefits of whole life cycle costs outweighing initial capital cost. This would aid what Strong suggests is the difficult issue of ‘behavoural change’. On the wider issue of district heating and community initiative s for energy the Architect is again in a strong position to offer consultancy and design solutions. We should approach with the sentiment of the opening paragraphs: Save energy, save money. For Architects it is save energy and save your job.

Update

This months RIBA Journal (April 2009) offers some tips to Architects on ways to survive. In his article Richard Brindley, executibe director RIBA Professional Services, offers this:

1. Focus on Expansion sectors- Government programmes for schools and healthcare, hotels and student accomodation, build to let housing development and regeneration programmes.

2. Wider World- Research new information in relevant areas, Teaching, become a planning inspector, dispute resolution, re-train for new skills.

3. Strategic Management- Seek ways to improve return for clients, renegotiate planning approvals that are no longer viable, energy assessments for existing building stock.

Brinley makes viable suggestions and I hope that they can offer areas for all to find a safe pth through these unprecedented times. Good luck!

Jobs, Justice, Climate and Speed Dating: The Week of the G20 Summit

This week all eyes are focused on the Excel Centre in London’s Docklands as it plays host to the first international speed dating competition. Bookies favourite Barack, the new kid on the block from Washington, will have a lot of contenders clamouring to catch his eye. In particular Barrack will need to be aware of the attentions of Gordon from Kircaldy. Gordon is known to flirt with a Banker or two, aspires to save the world, and is keen on a bit of financial stimulus. Meanwhile Wen Jiabao from China is a good prudent outside bet and a favourite of the people, if you ignore the skeletons in the closet. See the lucky lovers next week.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2009/mar/28/g20-protest-london-put-people-first?picture=345195717

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Experiencing Ireland

For Part One of my Adventure in Dublin click here…

All photographs taken by Mark Ellery

While in Dublin we saw so many sights I had to actually write them all down lest we forget what we saw on which day at what place!  On the first full day we strolled along a canal to Kilmainham Gaol.  It was a cold place, with inch thick rusting doors and flaking paint.  The guide told us stories of many a famous person hanged or shot while at the gaol.  Imagining people living there in just rags made me shiver – I was there with 3 layers on and I was cold – imagine how they must have felt!

The Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol iron door

After that we got the fattest, greasiest chips I have ever had.  Sat on a cold bench the chips filled me up and gave me energy to last half a day!  I think the greases clogged up my brain though because afterwards I could swear my thinking was slower than usual!

Then we visited the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), it was disappointing, confusing and frustrating.  I felt angry that some of the pieces were being “marketed” as art – they were not art, they were crap!

The best part of MoMA – on the way out!

A quick whistle-stop tour of the Guinness factory led us towards a tram station and after the long walk to the Gaol that morning we caught the tram to the famous Busaras.  Inspired by Le Corbusier the station was an impressive work of concrete and mosaic tiles.  To those who would argue that concrete is an unsustainable and dirty material I would ask –

* if the building stands for decades can it “pay back” its carbon footprint? (I would say most definitely!)

* if the source of the material is local can it be called “green”? (Again, I would say yes!)

* if concrete helps to regulate the temperature (storing heat in the day and storing cold in the night) can it be part of a passive heating strategy? (Again, I would say yes)….

The Guinness factory along side a church :-s

I could go on, but I won’t, but I would argue that in a long life span building concrete is the perfect material of choice!

Busaras

The next day we went to see Dublin Castle, but more importantly the Library next to it.  It was an amazing building, with a wishing well and the most impressive collection of books I have ever seen. I could say it was even more interesting than the British Library.

Wishing well

On Sunday the Jamesone Distillery was our choice of venues, with me being a lucky participant in the whiskey tasting at the end.  I can now safely say I know the difference between American (Jack Daniels – yuk!), Irish (smooooth and yummy), and Scottish (harsh and smoky – nice!) whiskeys!

Irish whiskey optics

The angels’ share

With the fire burning in our bellies we wandered off to Trinity College, a quick stroll round the grounds revealed some impressive work, but we were not to stay long, the rain was closing in on us and we had an appointment with an expensive bar!  (a £5 cocktail was the best offer we found in all our time in Ireland! The falling pound and hard hitting recession hit our wallets hard!)

Trinity College

That evening I had the best meal I have ever eaten, in the best traditional Irish pub I have ever been in, with the best company I could ever wish for.  Everything was so good and the wine chosen by my other half complimented our food beautifully.  A wonderful end, to a wonderful 5 days in Dublin J

Smart Robots: Monitoring Water Pollution With Robotic Fish

Monitoring Water Pollution With Robotic Fish

These mechanical, articulating sea creatures were designed and tested by the Robotics Department at the University of Essex. At a cost of $3.6 million, through a European Union grant, these fish will test the water for oxygen levels, detect oil slicks and other contaminants pumped into the water.

Un-TreeHugger: Botanicalls Now Allows Your Plants to Tweet For Water

image: Botanicalls

Survive the recession with planes, trains and automobiles

Plenty of infrastructure work is out there, but it’s tough to find a way in

The chances of other architects winning new Crossrail work are slim, unless they are brought in by private developers working on some of the outlying stations. But if Crossrail is not the saviour of the ailing architectural profession, there is still millions of pounds-worth of infrastructure work out there – and the sector is booming.

read full article here

A mistake is just another way how NOT to do something…

I was just thinking about accidents and mistakes made during the design process.

Quite often an accident can actually turn out to be a stroke of genius, how often have you been making a model (physical or digital) and accidently put a column in the wrong place, or glued the wall upside down… Maybe your limited knowledge of some software has made you draw something differently than you first imagined it… sometimes making hundreds of mistakes is the best way to design – you explore ALL of the different options and then you can make an informed decision about which option is best.

As Mike Kane once said -

“Real architects make models”

And here are some other quotes, just in case you dont believe me -

“Accidents exist only in our heads, in our limited perceptions.  They are the reflections of the limit of our knowledge” ~ Franz Kafka

“Accidents are accidents only to ignorance” ~ George Santayana

“There are no accidents so unfortunate from which skillful men will not draw some advantage, nor so fortunate that foolish men will not turn them to their hurt” ~ LA Rochefoucauld