Reference Page

Independent Thinking
While 3XN collaborates with Ecovative to develop building applications for Greensulate, others in the field are taking a more appetizing approach to designing zero-waste products. Having already invented a “breathable” chocolate called Le Whif (www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124087403), the biomedical scientist David Edwards turned his attention to edible packaging. Edwards and his team at Harvard’s Wyss Institute created Wikicells, edible membranes made of biodegradable polymer and food particles that mimic natural “bottles,” such as fruit skins. According to the Guardian (www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/apr/16/edible-packaging-fancy-a-wrap), the team has created an orange membrane filled with orange juice, a grape membrane that holds wine, and a chocolate membrane containing hot chocolate.

Channeling Albert Barnes
Although the new Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia is easy to reach, visitors still need to book tickets days in advance in order to catch a glimpse of the eccentric chemist’s collection (www.nytimes.com/2012/05/18/arts/design/the-barnes-foundation-from-suburb-to-city.html). Historically, his galleries were far more difficult to access. During his lifetime, he was likely to open his door to factory workers, while ignoring the requests of the rich and famous. According to Philanthropy Roundtable (www.philanthropyroundtable.org/topic/donor_intent/outsmarting_albert_barnes), Barnes often turned down requests with letters signed by Fidèle-de-Port-Manech, his pet dog, and denied the poet T. S. Eliot’s appeal with a one-word response: “Nuts.”

Dual Mode
We all know that the late Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451, but it may come as a surprise that the sci-fi mastermind took a keen interest in architecture and urban planning. Yestermorrow: Obvious Answers to Impossible Futures, Bradbury’s 1993 collection of essays, includes half a dozen features on redesigning American cities (www.amazon.com/Yestermorrow-Obvious-Answers-Impossible-Futures/dp/1877741086). In a 1990 interview with Rob Couteau (www.tygersofwrath.com/bradbury.htm), the author confessed that his love of science fiction is tied to an affection for architecture: “We love science fiction because it’s architectural. All the big science-fiction films of the last twenty years are architectural. 2001, when you see the rocket ship flying through the air, it’s a city; it’s a big city up there.”