eco-chic design

eco-design in action at the LOHAS Insight Tour

Last night I returned from my very first LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) Forum and it was beyond awe-inspiring. Of course you can’t beat the setting in Boulder but I’ve never seen such an amazing bunch of entrepreneurs, scientists, and marketers trying to do the right thing. During my first day I attended the LOHAS Insight Tour that took me behind the scenes of several sustainable businesses such as Eco-Cycle, Celestial Seasonings, Gaiam, Ellie’s and the new Tesla Motors showroom. It was great to see “single-stream recycling” at Eco-Cycle up close. The visit reinforced to cut back on paper and plastic consumption to begin with or to recycle responsibly. Andy from ChicoBag was on the tour as well sporting one of his reusable messenger-style bags. His bags are the perfect example how to upcycle waste into useful everyday items that also look cool. The Sling rePETe is made of recycled PET mostly found in plastic drinking bottles and contains other recycled materials like a carabiner made of 97% recycled aluminum. Other styles within the rePETe collection are ultra-lightweight backpacks or produce bags.

My personal highlight of the LOHAS Insight Tour was a Tesla Roadster test drive that was quite exhilarating. I had always admired the sleek design of the electric car and was happy to learn that the company will release the new Tesla S in 2012. It’ll be more affordable and seat 7 people. Sustainable design is definitely more fun when shared. Stay tuned for more LOHAS updates.

contemporary green designs in motion at ICFF

One of my favorite companies at ICFF yesterday was the booth by MIO introducing their new 2010 collection “Design on the Go”. The first thing I noticed were their colorful Pop-Up Baskets in white, red, and aqua and the Pop-Up Bicycle baskets in white, black, and green. Both contemporary designs are laser-cut made with powder-coated steel and ship flat to cut down on unnecessary energy consumption. The Pop-Up Bicycle baskets are a fun way to encourage drivers to ride their bike more often for running errands instead of taking their car. Other accessories for a mobile green lifestyle that made their debut at ICFF were the super-cool Bubble Dot Computer Sleeves made of 100% wool felt. They were developed in collaboration with a local milliner. What makes them so playful is that they are molded with steam to create the bubble-effect and then hardened to protect iPads, Netbooks and laptop computers.

MIO has been designing eco-modern products for the home and office such as their Beehive SoftBowls, the Organixe Magazine Filing System or their Origami Side Table since 2001. The Philadelphia-based company was founded by the Salm brothers and has successfully combined fun, modern design with sustainability. I’m glad they ventured out into the mobile green lifestyle area as well with their “Design on the Go” collection since I’m ready for summer.

saves space and the planet

A few weeks ago I had to visualize a future commute as sustainable as possible without petroleum or other fossil fuels being burned in my class for sustainable design at MCAD. The exercise was quite simple because 82% of Manhattanites like myself go to work by public transportation, by bike, or on foot as per “The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook”. Since I love great modern eco-design I chose to commute on the very cool Strida 5.0 folding bike.

What I love about the Strida 5.0 as a space deprived New Yorker is that it’s perfect to be stored in small apartments. Its triangular frame of lightweight, rustproof aluminum lets you fold it in 5 seconds. You can’t beat that. If you go to Strida’s homepage there’s a cute little animation that quickly shows you how it works. The Strida 5.0 weighs only 22 pounds and can be rolled once folded. You can easily carry it inside an office or take it on a train since it’s about the size of a stroller. I really love the idea that I could take it anywhere, since I had my bike stolen once before here in the city. And best of all it would help me stay in shape with green style.

future-forward hot rods

No doubt the Roddler designed by Kid Kustoms is expensive, but even eco-chic moms and dads are allowed to dream. Joe Iacono and Jamie Coblentz founded the company with the goal to reinvent juvenile products like the traditional stroller. Their background is in the automotive and apparel industry.

The design and name of the Roddler is inspired by classic hot rods and looks incredibly cool with its retro inspired fenders. But that’s not all. What makes the Roddler eco-smart is that you can expand the life-cycle of a stroller by converting it into a tricycle once your kid outgrows it with the trike conversion kit. I love any type of multifunctional product especially if it looks this chic while saving material and space. In addition Kid Kustoms donates 1% to the planet.

cool and carbon-free driving

I’m excited, since soon (well early next year) I’ll be able to spot the new Electric Mini in my area thanks to BMW’s test run of 500 vehicles in New York, Los Angeles and New Jersey. I've always been a huge fan of minimization and test drove the smart fortwo in April this year and loved it. 

The new Mini Cooper E plug-in comes with an electric socket and each charge should last for 150 miles. Its 204 horsepower electric motor propels the car from zero to 62 mph in 8.5 seconds, but the top speed will be limited to about 95 mph to save energy. The only drawback I can see is that it’s a two-seater since the lithium-ion battery pack takes up all the space of the backseat. Otherwise the cool, little EV looks incredibly stylish and sports a big yellow logo in the shape of a power plug making a bold statement. Please let me know once you see one here in New York City.

guilt-free vacation

Most of all I really adore the name Bio-Beetle. The two owners Shaun Stenshol and his partner Pamela Miedtke-Wolf cooked up a really great concept in 2003. First you take used frying oil from restaurants on Maui or vegetable oil from sustainable sources and turn them into biodiesel.

Then you take a really cute car like the beetle and turn it into the eco-conscious rental alternative in Hawai. This way tourists like myself can enjoy French fries without the double guilt trip.

In addition Bio-Beetle uses earth friendly coolants, synthetic engine oil and non-toxic cleaners. The company might even ask you to clean off sand and dirt before getting into the cars to preserve electricity instead of vacuuming. It’s just another way to give the planet a little break as well.

sexy and sustainable

Who says you can’t have it all? The energy efficient Tesla Roadster is a very high performance sports car with amazing looks to match and finally on the road for people who can actually afford it.

This battery powered roadster is more than a car, it’s a statement about the environment in the sleekest way imaginable. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in under four seconds, drives up to 220 miles before the next charge and costs less than 2¢ per mile. Its battery pack based on lithium ion battery technology will last up to 100,000 miles and is recyclable. It represents the roadster’s biggest innovation and is one of the largest and most advanced battery packs in the world. This supercar is obviously out of most people’s reach, but I applaud Tesla Motors for developing an electric car that’s fun, cool and fast and probably the hottest eco-friendly car alive.

a smart alternative

Last sunday I spotted my first smart fortwo in Manhattan on the Upper West Side while watching two doormen ask the owner about its fuel consumption. Since I go back to Germany on a regular basis I’ve been familiar with the innovative and cute design for years, but I still took a double take to see it here in New York City.

I’ve always loved the Swatch inspired look, but now I was curious to see how energy efficient this tiny vehicle really is. I learned through smartusa that the smart fortwo is only 8.8 feet long and 5.1 feet wide and has a low fuel consumption with 33 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway. This is not surprising due to its small size. As the name suggests the smart fortwo is a two-seater and perfect for driving in a space-starved city like Manhattan. It is available in three different models, including this adorable little convertible.

fat-free design

My favorite designer these days is Ross Lovegrove who blends his love of high tech with the belief that nature had the right idea all along.

I’m a huge admirer of his plant-like solar trees that had their first test run in Vienna and Milan last year. The solar streetlights are a collaboration between Ross Lovegrove, solar cell producers Sharp Solar and lighting specialist Artemide. They absorb solar energy during the day and emit light in the nighttime. But not only are these solar trees environmentally friendly and economical but even visually they explore a new way of bringing nature into an urban environment.

And then there’s the designer’s more recent concept for a solar powered bubble-shaped car on a stick. The car on a stick can be stored atop telescopic poles at night – where it then acts as a streetlight and keeps the ground free of parked vehicles.

I mean who wouldn’t like the idea that a parked car could turn into a streetlight at night? It sounds crazy now, but might be a reality sooner than we think.

scooting around in green style

Vespa is the quintessential symbol of stylish, eco-driven transportation. It has been a design icon for over 50 years with its elegant lines, that’s charming and endearing at the same time. But not only can you scoot around in style, but you can also feel good about yourself while doing it.

The company introduces the expression “Vespanomics” on their website that promotes embracing motor scooters as an alternative form of transportation to reduce oil consumption, pollution and traffic congestion. It states that if Americans switched only 10% of their total driving to scooters, ever day we could cut consumption of gas by 14 million gallons and cut carbon emissions by 324 pounds.