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Metropolis Designing Worlds (DW) is a Web-based series of contests sponsored by Autodesk, Inc., exploring the theme of environmentally sustainable design. This May we announced the winners of the DW professional competition at the Metropolis Conference at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York. Competitors submitted a recent example of their work--building, interior, or product--that represents great sustainable design. Judges this year were Susan S. Szenasy, editor in chief of Metropolis; Richard Pollack of Richard Pollack Architects, San Francisco; Lorry Dudley of Vitra; Shashi Caan of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; and industrial designer Tucker Viemeister. This year's three winners, listed below, will receive Autodesk software and a week of design instruction at the Vitra Design Museum Summer Workshops in France, sponsored by Vitra.
Marc L'Italien, AIA, EHDD Architecture
Factor 10 House, Chicago, Illinois
The environmental impact of this house decreases by a factor of 10 that of an average home. The solar chimney brings in light through a south-facing window. Warm air travels up and out of the house in summer, down into the house in winter. A wall of recycled water bottles forms a heat sink. Materials are selected for long life spans, initial production impact, and recycled materials are incorporated. Other features include permeable site surfaces and a sod roof to minimize water runoff.
Pat Rodden, FIORI
Northwest Power Residential Fuel Cell
Northwest Power's mission is to develop and manufacture small-scale fuel-cell systems that are reliable, flexible, and environmentally friendly. The residential Fuel Cell system combines the clean efficiency of fuel cell technology with the renewable qualities of methanol fuel, converting methanol to electrical energy, heat, oxygen, and water.
Manuel Saez, Fireball ID LLC
SuperBin USA
Garbage bags do not biodegrade, and are manufactured using oil. SuperBin is made out of recycled paper, and waste from saw mills and construction sites. The interior of the bin is sprayed with a water-resistant agent which biodegrades. There are two different wall thicknesses: Strong (for office use) and Superstrong (for household use). When it is full, two sides of its rim are folded down and locked together as a lid. The remaining sides are the handles.


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