The Guest House in a Container

Shipping containers are not one of the first places you would normally call homey. Yet, award winning Poteet Architects is best known for their creative reuse of existing building facilities, with a fresh touch of modern interior design. A client wished to experiment with shipping containers and the built project now lives just south of downtown San Antonio, Texas. We at the Think Tank find the result charming - the finished project is adapted to a guesthouse and is fitted with services as shower/WC and a stainless sink. The very broad steel and glass lift/slide together with the end wall-window open the whole interior to the landscape.
In the perspective of re-using unwanted materials, the emphasis was on sustainable strategies. The shipping container itself was originally "one-way" and has been adapted to a permanent use. Held off the container top, is a planted roof, which provides shade and air-flow to reduce heat gain. The roof is irrigated using the captured grey water from sink and bathroom. Surprisingly, the whole structure "floats" on a foundation of recycled telephone poles. Charming... and fascinating. Great to make an original guest house at the other side of the garden.
To read smart features of this guest house and see more images click here.

Image © Chris Cooper

Groundbreaking business launched into Oil and Gas sector

The Think Tank was approached by Permasense to propose how we would launch this start-up company into the Oil and Gas Sector with a new, innovative and unique product. Permasense is an offshoot of Imperial Collage London and following several years of research, on behalf of BP, they developed inhospitable wireless monitoring technologies for accurately measuring corrosion of pipes in the Oil and Gas sector. This technology is unique and presented the opportunity for use on a global scale to improve monitoring and safety.
The Think Tank proposed the development of a suite of marketing tools and a PR campaign to launch this groundbreaking business.
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Refreshing the Capital Capture Brand

The Think Tank was asked to review the Capital Capture brand image and propose a refresh of all collateral, both on and off-line, for this leading document management business. We carried out an audit of collateral and other marketing materials and proposed the redevelopment of these to reflect Capital Capture as the leading business in its field.
Read more here

Solar Powered Teaching Hospital in Haiti

Sustainable does not only mean supportive for the environment, sometimes it supports an entire population. It is the case of the Mirebalais Hospital in Haiti, a state of the art 320 bed teaching facility powered by solar panels. After the devastating earthquake of January 2010, this ecofriendly jewel has been redesigned and donated by Nicholas Clark Architects. The structure's energy supply will be supplemented by the solar panels on the roof, ensuring that the facility is never without power - especially during the frequent outages. Natural ventilation is used for the cooling as well as to prevent the trasmission of airborne diseases, like tuberculosis, and is encouraged through the design of the integrated garden and courtyards. Lighting will engage with the hot tropical sun, with natural daylighting used to spare energy for hospital equipment.
All of these features maximise the efficiency of the hospital, providing a fundamental service without digging into the area's energy supplies. What is even more amazing is that all of the funds for the hospital have come from direct donations from individuals and firms through Partners In Health.
Construction is expected to be complete in January 2012. Click here to read more.

LOFT 2011 - London's Vertical Farming Competition

As citizens of a metropolis, Londoners feel everyday what population growth and urban centralisation mean. Two problems are the increased demand for real estate and for food. Looking for a possible solution, AWR organizes LOFT - an international architecture competition for the design of a new skyscraper on the Thames waterfront, a vertical farm. This means cultivating agriculture products in a vertical, energy self-sufficient structured inside our metropolitan. The concept was developed in 2000 by Dickson Despommier, in collaboration with various architecture firms.
LOFT requires the design of a vertical farm with residential use. As advanced as it sounds, the benefits of such a structure range from the continuous supply of agricultural products to the reduction of cultivated land,  generating its own energy and contributing to the ecosystem's balance. The new tower would be inserted in the City's skyline, an extremely strategic site for public transportation and a strong demand for housing. The competition represents a chance to build a real vertical city, which may well include a plaza, shopping areas, and restaurants. Early registration begins in May 2011 and the winners will be announced in September, after the summer.
Click here to read more.

The Heat That Gives You Energy

When ecological means multiple advanced technologies and elegant design, the result is uber cool. Young French designer Vincent Gobin did this with TESLA, the ecological radiator that charges your mobile phones, iPods, music players, etc. With incorporated thermo-electrical batteries that convert heat into electricity, it will energize your gadgets through elecromagnetic induction while heating your room.
No more more ugly black coloured entagled wires. Just a sleek black design that irons out all your charging whoes.

Click here to read more.