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The Clever Psychology of a Health Center in Mallorca

Imagine you have just walked through this lively and bold shot of color. How do you feel? Invigorated? Like you have just stepped forth into a whole new part of your life, where things are going to be much better? More optimistic?

This doorway is almost Art.

That sensation created is appropriate for this kind of building, because this is the exit for the Centro de Salud, a health care clinic. Hopefully you should feel better when you come out than when you went in.

Designed by MACA estudio de arquitectura, this Centro de Salud is situated in Porreres, in Spain’s brilliant sunbelt island of Mallorca. Read the rest of this entry »

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A Sustainable Jungle House on the Sea Coast of Brazil

Architects Vidal & Sant’Anna have created a breathable and airy treehouse from light and noble materials on Brazil’s jungle coastline at Praia do Felix – photographed here by Fran Parente.

The owners were committed to the conservation and the preservation of the area, by integrating the house sensitively into the dense forest.

Overlooking the sea below, the minimal house is perched high up on the slopes of the Serra do Mar.

The house itself has been built as narrow as possible for human habitation, in order to preserve and protect the surrounding jungle.

Made of minimal amounts of wood and glass, the rooms are small, to achieve a sustainably minimal use of materials and energy.

Instead of energy intensive air conditioning; well-placed cross-ventilation and air vents in the roof are enough to provide interior comfort.

Although the rooms are tiny, they open on each side to decks that blend seamlessly into the jungle, expanding the space by blending in with their surroundings.

All the stairs are on the outside. Thus all the circulation from the service areas below which connects up with the bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs can be on the exterior, requiring no roof in the mild and temperate climate. Read the rest of this entry »

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Egypt’s First Entry in Solar Decathlon Based on Matchbox

The first ever submission from Egypt in next year’s solar decathlon is remarkable in its ingenuity.

Temperatures in Egypt’s deserts can range from 114 F in summer to 32 F in winter. This is a passive solar house that can be adjusted to work as a passive solar house in both the heat of summer and the extreme cold of winter.

The house is based on the slide out design of the humble matchbox. The double-layered screen also uses an ancient desert cooling technique, the Mashrabiya screen, a core element of traditional Arab-Islamic architecture – allowing for privacy and controling how much light and heat enters the building. Read the rest of this entry »

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Design Dilemma: Turning Old Rugs into Art

How do you salvage an old damaged rug and turn it into something special? Numerous carpet companies have hit on an idea.  We’ve seen it up close and think they’ve got something.

ABC Carpet and Home, for one, has overdyed vintage rugs and called them “Aquasilk” as part of the store’s Color Reform Collection. They’ve taken faded and worn vintage Turkish and Oriental rugs that have definitely seen better days. They’ve bleached out all the color and then infused a pop of electric color over what’s left. These are the results:

This would seem to fit neatly into the reclaimed and recycled furniture trend that we’ve been seeing in recent years. Having examined these rugs in person, we think they can fall into one of two categories: either they work brillliantly, or they miss terribly. The dye pattern on some of these rugs looks just a wee bit too runny (hence the aqua name) like a rug that’s suffered water damage. This is particularly true of the rugs that don’t boast much of a contrasting pattern underneath the overdye. But on the right rug, this technique looks really cool and could be the perfect modern interpretation of a tradition. Plus, pink, turquoise, purple and royal blue rugs are always fun.

Problem is, these rugs don’t come cheap. A rug of about 7 x 8 feet runs between $8-$10,000 at ABC Carpet and Home. Check out their collection here. Also, will these rugs stand the test of time, or just seem like a really bad trend a year or two from now? If you’ve plunked out $10,000 for a rug, you better hope it has staying power! Even so, we were wondering if there’s something in this idea that might work for the craft-minded at home. Why not take an old sunbleached, faded rug and try overdying in a pop of bright color? If you’re lucky, you might get these results:

We did a little research and discovered, alas, that the bleaching and dyeing process takes a lot more work than most of us could handle at home (hence the $10,000 price tag on these rugs). The bleaching process requires harsh chemicals that demand good ventilation and special breathing equipment for anyone near by. You will need an acid dye for the overdying and also a stainless steel vat big enough for the carpet and the appropriate amount of hot water which must maintain a temperature of at least 140 degrees farenheit. You will need a carpet steamer to set the dye after overdying. Few of us have the kind of set up at home required to dye an 8 x 5 foot carpet, and the bathtub just won’t work. However, that being said, there are those who have tried it at home, with spectacular results. Check out CentrSource and find great deals for your home design and decoration. Good luck!

Images: ABC Carpet and Home; designholeonline.com; dgpublications.com.

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Another Eco Hotel in Sustainable Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s Hotel Punta Islita earns rave reviews from Miss Ecoglam – a jaded professional reviewer of eco hotels – who abandons the resort she should be writing about to enthuse about this one, a spread-out series of small villas comprising a luxury eco resort in Guanacaste.

Raves Miss Ecoglam:“I actually should be blogging about the Peace Lodge right now, which was where I was for the last few days but I am now at Punta Islita and had to write about this place straight away! Oh my god!  This place is incredible!  Hands down wins ‘Best Beach Resort’ from me!

Miss Ecoglam especially loved the cool water Jacuzzi that offers a refreshing dip in the tropical climate, the free mangoes fallen from the trees and looking so pretty on the sandy ground, the yoga class in the treetops… Read the rest of this entry »