Live@ICFF 2011
Metropolis + Norway | Sustainably Smart
By Kadie Yale
Sustainability has long been embraced as a lifestyle choice in Norway. Since the 1970s, when the government began actively promoting thermal energy, recycling, and biofuels, many designers have approached their projects in holistic, eco-forward ways. “Most Norwegians, even in the major cities, have a close relationship to nature,” explains Leif Verdu-Isachsen, head of operations at Norway’s Foundation for Design and Architecture.
Today the push for environmentally benign architecture and socially conscious products is everywhere in the country. The four innovative new projects here are from established and emerging designers championing
the practicalities—and delights—of living sustainably.
Handle Me
Øyvind Wyller, Simen Aarseth, Christoffer Angell
www.awaa.no
The elegant Handle Me cookware line was developed to oppose what its designers dub “fast-food products”—technological devices that turn the experience of cooking into a passive job rather than a social activity. The Handle Me prototypes won a spot in New York City’s 2011 International Contemporary Furniture Fair. The durable cast-iron tools, with their grip-friendly wooden-dowel handles, promote cooking together for years to come.
JovaBox 1-Serie
Solar Phone Charger
Waleed Ahmed and Flemming S. Bordoy
www.jovabox.co.uk
“We were in Dubai, sitting on a beach,” recounts Waleed Ahmed, “when the idea popped up: Why not make a mobile-phone cover with an integrated solar panel?” With that, he and his JovaBox co-founder Flemming S. Bordoy began drawing up specifications for the solar-powered charger. Their slim phone case is made of recyclable plastic, and the solar panel on the back of it charges the phone’s battery in six hours. The product is now available in ten countries, with plans to launch it soon in the United States.
P 2 Urinal
Per Selvaag and Andrew Smith
selvaag_smith@me.com
Per Selvaag and his partner Andrew Smith believe in “the necessity for all things material to be environmentally friendly,” right down to the basics of public restrooms. Their new design—which has two variations, both now in prototype—repurposes the sink water that would normally be lost down the drain after hand washing, and uses it to flush the adjacent urinal. Both models promote water-saving technology and hygiene, and are compact enough to get rid of half the space normally set aside for restrooms in a building’s layout.
Flock
Hive
www.hivespace.com
Taking inspiration from architectural cladding and flock wallpapers, the London-based company Hive, lead by Norwegian designer Monika Piatkowski, has produced modular wall panels that allow consumers to get creative when decorating their spaces. The 100-percent wool-felt panels, which come in a myriad of colors, can be adhered in patterns to any flat surface. The adhesive is a non-toxic acrylic that separates from the felt for disposal.
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