LUMI rainwater tank
Rainwater tanks are here to stay. Not only is the general populace turning to them as the realization sinks in that water is a scarce resource, but they are also being legislated by government at all levels. The unfortunate problem is that the vast majority are not the most attractive additions to the built environment, particularly the latest round of polypropylene models, which are mostly big beige blobs.
Full Tank, grown as an adjunct to a Melbourne based architectural firm, has spotted this need in the market and in response has presented the LUMI water tanks. Using Plexiglass in a variety of saturated colours, these tanks have been designed to fit into urban environments as an alternative to a naked normal water tank. The material used has a satin finish, which glows in the sunlight and illuminates by night with internal LEDs. LUMI is fully recyclable and compatible with greywater recycling systems and rainwater diverters. The outer casing can be retro-fitted to most domestic sized rainwater tanks.
Tagged: environmentalism
- 12
- 2
RELATED
Switchgrass derived bioplastics
With the growing recognition that petroleum-based plastics are killing the planet and giving us cancer comes an increasing interest in biodegradable bioplastics that come from more sustainable sources. Environmental tech company Metabolix recently announced that they have discovered a way to derive large amounts of bioplastic by growing it in switchgrass. The company uses the plant to create its own line of plastic, Mirel, which it hopes will supplant traditional plastics in the years to come.
British sculptor Andy Goldsworthy uses found materials to make his site-specific pieces. A devout environmentalist, his work aims to draw out the impermanent yet ethereal character of the spaces in which they are placed. Read more
Michael Pollan on the beef recall
Seriously, not to be preachy, but why are you still eating fast food? Eating habits are not matters of personal choice anymore. Most environmentalists, not to mention nutritionists and even economists, are increasingly in agreement that partaking of the cheap food produced by the industrialized food chain is akin to, if not worse than, driving a gas-guzzling SUV. Read more
Also by SNELL
This house has many facets that make it an intriguing example. First of all, it is a very aesthetically pleasing project with the use of light horizontal timbers and a clean pitched roof. Designed by MOS, an interesting design collective based in America, the secret to the Floating House is that it floats on a structure of steel pontoons. The house rises and falls with the changing waters and is frozen in place depending on the season. The steel pontoons were constructed first and towed to the lake outside the contractor’s factory and then the house was built atop of it. When finished it was towed to its position, anchored and enjoyed in its unique position. Finally, it forms a bridge between the land and an island. Wonderful!
Dutch uber-firm OMA, headed by Rem Koolhaas, has created this concept in Mexico City to symbolize the coming two hundred years of Mexico’s independence. There are many layers of symbolism in this building, from Mayan pyramids to which part of the building controls the park and which part controls the city, to the fact that the bulge of the building is below the centre height, and that it all happens on a relatively small footprint. Most of all, in this building there is a barely contained energy that seems near to release and it may be that this is what Torre Bicentenario represents.
The Danes are renowned for their considered and subtle design. However, in these times of change, they must feel they need something with this selection of a bridge building as the winner of a recent architectural competition in Denmark. The American architect Steven Holl designed this building with a pedestrian bridge that links two sides of the harbour in the distinctly low-rise Copenhagen. Read more
YOU'RE SAYING (2)
Uncle B said | 10 October, 2008
Love the tanks, am looking forward to instructions on aquaculture and GMO’ed super veggies that grow bug free and faster in my garden. I need these to provide additional protein and fiber for my family as we work our way through the “Great Depression” We will need self-sustaining solar lighting systems and solar cell phones as well as a cheap home heating system like geo thermal/solar. I appologize for even looking at the current market overload of McMansions, and will now be looking for super insulated, rainwater conserving, solar oriented smaller survival units with gardens, composting and maybe even room for a few chickens. McMansions were a harmful, evil extravagance we could not afford, and now we must pay the price, and re-build using the best of science and technology to attain “zero running cost, zero maintenance sensible survival oriented country strengthening homes – it is our patriotic duty!
HAVE YOUR SAY
I had the pleasure of meeting painter Maria Calderon a few years back through some mutual friends. Even then her work was stunning. It seemed as though you could stand back and take in everything you thought you could, and if you moved up to a piece, you were pulled in to all the different stories, different landscapes, within a single painting. The vibrant colors and never ending spacial trickery really does it for me.
New Mexico group, Alaska in Winter’s The Homeless And The Hummingbirds is a stunningly beautiful, slowburning song, featuring Beirut’s Zach Condon on trumpet.
Though artistic genres from the last couple centuries inform Marc Burckhardt’s style, he is not a period fetishist. The playful way in which he incorporates visual jokes and modern themes has a simplicity to it, making each of his images self-contained and elegant. Read more
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, or ‘Le Corbusier’ is considered by many to be the most influential architect of the twentieth century. His designs are responsible for urban structures around the world, from the grid-city of Chandigarh in India to London’s Barbican Centre, which is currently hosting an exhibition of his work. But to peg him as an architect overlooks an awe-inspiring body of work that also takes in art, literature and even a new system of measurement. With this display, the first serious UK solo exhibition of his work for twenty years, we can finally appreciate the scale of his contributions.
Oh man! If I was twenty again, a jumble of nerves and a well of electric energy, I’d be in the front row for every damn MGMT gig. Read more
These small but innovative in-ear headphones from Audio-Technica are part of a new wave of noise canceling buds that claim to block up to 85 to 90 percent of outside sound. Read more
Ok, so maybe it’s the extra-strong Brooklyn coffee I’m drinking or perhaps its that the pine coated goodness of Christmas is well and truly in the air, but I’m kinda excited this morning as my wife has just launched her website, Feature Shoot, which is a resource for photo editors, art directors, industry professionals, and pretty much anyone who appreciates good photography. It’s a great way to discover new photographic talent and the website is already bursting with interviews with up-and-coming American photographers alongside that of established photographers who have completed a project or whose work has taken on a new direction.
WE'RE RESPECTING
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
Hong Kong-based illustrator Man-Tsun draws dark and beautiful painterly images that look like they are straight off a high-end Japanese animated film. Read more
With the recession still biting, it may be time to whip out the glue and the cardboard and make your next pair of cool kicks. Don’t know how they’d manage in the rain though? Read more
Richmond-based graffiti artist Chip7 has a style that is at once urban and also vaguely tribal with their crude lines and rich patterns. Read more
Yum, yum, cupcakes are fun. These creations are so clever, so arty, so damn bizarre that it would almost be a shame to eat them. Almost! Read more
Check out Mike Stimpson’s Lego reinterpretations of classic photographs. Stimpson’s version of Malcolm Browne’s iconic 1963 photograph of the self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc is particularly twisted. Read more
Wolfmother. Rock n roll. Mystical lyrics. Heavy riffs. They have a new album out, Cosmic Egg, and we have five copies to giveaway, along with their debut album. To enter, tell us your favorite Wolfmother song and the city you live in. Yo! Two fingered salute. Read more
New York-based artist Suzuki Mariko has made this handmade felt doll set of a mom and happy baby bear sitting on a sofa. At just three inches wide and two inches high, it’s perfect for your side table. It can even watch TV with you. Aw! We have it for sale in the Lost At E Minor store. Read more
FOLLOW US
DISCOVER MORE
SO...
SEARCH: Can't find what you're looking for? Do a search..
IS IT GOOD FOR YOU TOO?
We hope you're enjoying your time on Lost At E Minor, but it’s not over yet. Got something to share? Tell us about it and we'll look to publish it. If you want to have your work featured on the site, we'd love to hear from you. Pssst, we also have an online store stocking some of the goodies we feature on the site.
If you're a media agency and want to use this platform to connect with our readership, then drop us a line and tell us about it. Oh yeah, and we do digital consulting for cool brands that want to reach the sort of demographic that visits this site.
Nick said | 8 September, 2008
Almost worth getting one for the looks alone… Shame our tank is behind the garage where no one can see it…