Source: Design Boom

Vincent Callebaut’s Stunning ‘Eco-Vision’ In China

Source: Design Boom

Talk about a return to nature. Confronted by the environmental implications of mass Chinese urbanization and soaring rates of consumption, Belgium-based architect Vincent Callebaut has crafted his own ‘green’ solution: Asian cairns. Callebaut dubs his cairns, which historically are residual neolithic markers that consist of several stacked stones, ‘farmscrapers’ as they will produce more energy than they will consume while remaining as aesthetically pleasing as the more traditional sky-kissing buildings. By injecting biodiversity, vertical food production, wind harnessing and solar power into each of these mixed-use buildings, Callebaut’s cairns will converge nature and infrastructure to form a visionary city-as-ecosystem; one whose blocks mimic forests and whose buildings mirror the efficiency of trees. To learn more, visit Design Boom.

Source: Design Boom

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Constructed some time in 2011, the circular pedestrian bridge in Lujiazui, Pudong District of Shanghai blends an aesthetically pleasing design with environmental necessity. Essentially saving many Shanghaians the toil of traffic and turnabouts, the infrastructure literally bridges the gap between work and play, as it connects users easily with office buildings, cafes and restaurants. This design comes as part of China’s latest wave of environmentally-charged innovation, market-based adaptation and CO2 emission reduction, some of which has been rewarded by the World Wildlife Federation as some of the best efforts to combat climate change.

As Kindles, Nooks, and other tablets flood the market, traditional bookstores and reading methods are on the decline. But after browsing this list of some of the world’s most beautiful, unique, and impressive libraries, you may be inspired to put the eBook reader down and make a trip to your own public library. From richly decorated baroque spaces to minimalist cubes, there’s something for everyone.

Source: Hydrotech USA

Vancouver Public Library

Source: Jon O’Cane’s Travels

With more than two million items in its collection, Vancouver Public Library is the second largest public library in all of Canada. The library’s main branch, the Center Branch, covers an entire city block in downtown Vancouver, called the Library Square. The Center Branch is an incredible nine stories tall and is surrounded by free-standing walls that contain reading and studying rooms.

Source: Dahong Pilipino

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