Therapy in a Chair

Have you ever wanted to create your own chair, but didn't know how? Do you want to release your built-up anger in a productive way? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then let me introduce you to the Do Hit Chair. Designed by Marijn van der Poll, this chair comes to you as a stainless steel block with a hammer included. In a matter of minutes (or hours depending on what you want your chair to look like), you can create a unique piece of furniture that will be an individual as you are.

To see how it's done, visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnN-wK5_7Mw

For more information about the Do Hit Chair, visit:

http://www.droog.com/store/furniture/do-hit-chair/

Green Roofs at Work

Here is a great example of a green roof being used in Indianapolis, IN at the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly. The green roof spans 20,600 sq. ft. and is not only aesthetically pleasing to their employees, but saves the company money in terms of heating and cooling as well as saving the Indianapolis area money by diverting 446,000 gallons of water per year.

To read the blog about Lilly's green roof as well as an informational video about the project, visit:

http://lillypad.lilly.com/life-at-lilly/green-roofs-good-stuff

To see what other projects Lilly is doing to become environmentally friendly, visit:

http://www.lilly.com/responsibility/environment/whatwedo/facilities/

The New 3-Form

For many of us, 3-form is the ultimate design product. It's lightweight, has an enormous selection, and is readily available. Although it is a great product, I for one am getting kind of tired of using this product for every project. I present to you a new product called Livinglass. What is so awesome about this product, besides being counted for LEED points, is that it is a glass product with unique fillers. For example, you can choose from a cork, bamboo, uniquely colored foils, starfish, pearls, geodes, sand dollars, flora and fauna, etc. This is such a fun product because you can bring the exteriors in and really transform a space.

It comes in 3 options:

• Luxe – The original patented luxury line of Livinglass panels captures 3 dimensional materials between sheets of clear luminous glass.
• Light – The beauty of Livinglass, now thinner, lighter and more budget friendly. Protect the environment and earn LEEDS credits with our 100% recycled resin and recycled glass.
• Curves – Livinglass offers new design freedom with our luxurious Curves.

It comes in either recycled glass or resin. What's also unique about this product is that it's anti-microbial, fire resistant, moisture, UV, and chemical resistant, and can be used for anything, from flooring, to suspended ceilings, lighting, and even furniture. So the next time you are picking materials for a project, put down the 3-form and try Livinglass. You'll be glad you did!

Help Enhance Creative Thinking

I was looking up sustainable projects for my studio project, when I came across this product. It's called Idea Paint. What is so amazing on this product is that it is a water-based paint that is painted directly to the wall. For a commercial space, it's actually ASTM E-84 compliant and lasts around 3 years, which is actually longer than a standard dry erase board. It can even restore old dry-erase boards so you don't have to throw them out. What I am most impressed about is that they researched how their product was shipped and found out that it is better for the environment because it uses less materials to ship it (meaning less materials to recycle or throw in a landfill) and it uses less fuel because their product is light and small. They also state that "Many dry-erase surfaces contain formaldehyde, which slowly releases gas and diminishes indoor air quality for the life of the product. Idea Paint is formaldehyde-free, conforms to all U.S. EPA regulations (including California) and does not produce any harmful gas once it’s dry." I recommend going to their website as there are case studies as well as a CSI Guide Spec on their PRO paint, which is beneficial when selecting materials/finishes for a project. In the long run, this will help cut down the use of paper products because your clients will no longer have to rely on post-its and scrap paper. What's not to love about this product?

For more information about Idea Paint, visit http://www.ideapaint.com/home/ideapaint/

Oh Tom Hanks!

Today I was told about a website that is absolutely hilarious. If you are a fan of Tom Hanks like I am, you will truly enjoy this site. It's called Tom Hanks is a Lot of Animals. What does this have to do with design? Absolutely nothing! I am just starting to get cabin fever from all the snow and ice that hit the area, so I thought this would lighten the mood and make everyone's day just a bit more cheerful. Enjoy.

Website: http://tomhanksimals.tumblr.com/