Bridget Borgobello

German architectural studio Slawik has created a portable home that fits into the size of a standard shipping container. Dubbed HomeBox, the multi-purpose home has been designed so it can be easily transported to various locations for temporary or permanent use. Due to its compact size and transportability the home can also double as emergency housing.  Read More

Thirty-five year old Chris Todd has attempted to “walk” across 106 kilometers (66 miles) of open sea in a giant hamster wheel-like raft dubbed Tredalo. Unfortunately, the plan to cross the Irish Sea – leaving from Wales and arriving on the east coast of Ireland in the South of Dublin – didn’t quite go to plan. Harsh weather conditions forced Todd to abort the mission after approximately eight and a half hours and 42 kilometers (26 miles) into the journey, when he encountered rudder problems.  Read More

The French Rhone Alpes team has won this year’s European Solar Decathlon with its ecological modular home concept. Dubbed Canopea, the prefabricated prototype home has been designed so that a series of Canopea modules can be stacked on top of one another, creating a “nanotower” which could house up to ten families. The concept is hoped to foster the development of sustainable community living in urban areas, while also taking advantage of the sun’s energy through an integrated system of rooftop photovoltaic panels.  Read More

The winners of the 18th international BraunPrize were announced on Wednesday in Frankfurt, Germany and Gizmag was lucky enough to meet the young contenders and play a part in the final judging process. The prestigious industrial design awards attracted a total of 2,399 entries from 73 different nations, with six finalists making it to the final round. The award sought outstanding design ideas for better everyday living, and judging merit was given to submissions that demonstrated the use of innovative design, new technology and sustainability.  Read More

London based Sanitov Studio launched its stylish and sustainable floating home during the London Design Festival, which opened earlier this month. Named after the Greek mythical river god, “Inachus” is a two story house boat that more appropriately resembles a hi-tech floating mansion. Spread over two levels, the home comes complete with designer furnishings, botanical garden wall, wooden floorboards, floor to ceiling windows, a rooftop deck, intelligent lighting system and photovoltaic panels for off-the-grid energy supply.  Read More

The Romanian Solar Decathlon team has presented its innovative solar-powered prefab home ... and it looks good enough to move into. Dubbed Prispa, it blends comfortable living zones with an abundance of natural light. The prototype uses wood as its primary material, while clay has been used to finish the interior walls, and the photovoltaic system has been mounted onto the roof’s metallic boarding.  Read More

Danish design studio N55, in collaboration with German designer Till Wolfer, has created a series of open-source human-powered vehicle designs that can be built at home using basic tools and materials. Dubbed XYZ Spaceframe Vehicles, the models incorporate weather-resistant and lightweight frames that are made using standard aluminum tubes. Those tubes are assembled together using simple stainless steel bolts, washers and nuts. “Unlike the singular load-bearing tube seen in traditional bike structures, the main structure is an orthogonal spaceframe of standard aluminum tubes,” says N55.  Read More