Just a quick little post on the new headquarters for Swatch Group Japan in the heart of Tokyo’s Ginza District.  The building was designed by Shigeru Ban and houses seven of Swatch’s luxury brands on each of the first seven floors.  Floors eight through thirteen are used as office space and the top floor as an event area.  You’ll notice the interior green wall, which, as Jean Snow describes it, has "so much greenery that you almost feel as if you’ve stepped into an urban oasis."  I think this represents another example of greenery permeating all aspects of design, both inside and out. 

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The Tulane School of Architecture Green Build program set about to research, develop, and construct an inventive and experimental prototypical house.  A green house.  Made in a factory.  Specifically for post-Katrina New Orleans.  Students first researched everything from construction processes to materials selection parameters.  Above all, access to materials, affordability, and sustainability ruled the day.  In the end, Tulane Green Build came up with a design for a 1,200 sf home with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. 

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Gas Design Group designed this overlay facade, "Topiade", for an already existing Louis Vuitton store.  I think the name "Topiade" comes from a combo of the terms topiary and facade, which is pretty creative, if you ask me.  The idea of taking wild greenery and applying design and creativity through topiary is something I’ve seen personally in both Japan and Taiwan.  It appears to be popular in France, as well.  So when applied to the vertical context, the environmentalists get excited.  We like green roofs, living walls, and natural buildings. 

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Whether you are looking for organic fabric for upholstery, curtains, or a headboard, it is definitely a challenge to find.  You would think that by now there would be plenty of companies to choose from with selections similar to regular fabric, but there aren’t.  Pick Hemp, founded in the early 1990′s, has one of the best collections of eco-friendly fabrics on the market.  They offer a range of materials including hemp, silk blends, organic cotton, and soybean and bamboo.  Pricing is incredibly reasonable compared to the other options on the market with a range from $4 – $14 /yard.

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This is a preview of what William McDonough (you know, Cradle to Cradle and Time’s Hero for the Planet) will be talking about this week in Abu Dhabi at the World Future Energy Summit.  Dubbed the "Tree Tower" by Building Magazine, a leading UK construction magazine, the speculative Office Building of the Future was originally just a concept for Fortune Magazine in 2006.  There is no commission for the building, but at the very least, it illustrates principles of good design for all buildings.

Blending nature and man-made construction, the Office Building of the Future will positively impact the environment.  Solar and geothermal power create energy, tree-filled terraces recycle water, and multiple skins weatherproof and insulate the inside of the building.  The building, designed with materials that can either be reused or returned safely to the earth, is made to absorb natural light, too.  In all, it’s a super showcase of principles necessary to build something that doesn’t take more than it gives.  We’ll see if McDonough makes any announcements this week.  Thoughts?

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