Sleep while you drive
September 12th, 2018
In our weekly news filter ‘What We’re Clicking On’, we share our thoughts on the most interesting articles relating to the future of cities, buildings and interiors.
Volvo’s car of the future
What would you do in your car, when it drives all by itself? Sleeping, reading a book, having a romantic dinner for two? This week, Volvo presented its vision on the future of its fully autonomous car. In a comment, online tech magazine The Verge explains that Volvo’s vision is interesting to look at because it fits into the broader scheme of city infrastructure, short-haul flights, working commutes, and environmental concerns. The Verge cites Volvo’s product strategy chief Marten Levenstam who says this car is “a conversation starter, with more ideas and answers to come as we learn more.”
Read more on the usage scenarios for the car of the future on theverge.com, or check out Volvo’s presentation video on YouTube
(Image: Volvo Cars)
Breathing walls
This post on Eco-business.com points on a few innovative technologies presented at the Singapore Green Building Week, which are responding to a sprawling built environment in a future shaped by climate change. One of the solutions particularly drew our attention: the Graviplant. Designed by Visioverdis, this tree is planted in a pot and clamped to the side of a building facade. Because the pots are constantly rotating, the sideways trees are exposed to more sunlight than regular trees, which doubles the biomass of regular trees. This means that they can filter more pollutants from the air, fix more carbon and produce more oxygen. On top of this, eco-business explains, they also have a cooling effect. A building facade with greenery on is about twice as cool as a concrete surface.
Read about other tech solutions presented at the Singapore Green Building Week on eco-business.com
Have also a look at our solution for sustainable facades: http://unsense.com/solution/solar-visuals/
(Image: Visioverdis)
Improving mental health
This week, The Guardian is paying attention to the way Derry, the city with the highest rate of suicide in the UK, is trying to influence mental health of its inhabitants. The city uses interactive installations produced with artists, musicians and students along the riverfront and over the Peace Bridge to improve how people engaged with the space. The Guardian connects the Derry project to research by the Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health which has shown that “mental health is closely associated with strong social connections” and that changing the feel of a place plays a role. The newspaper cites Dr. Layla McCay, the centre director, who says research into this relationship – and how it could be practically applied to improve mental health outcomes in cities – is ongoing. “One theory is that installations that evoke nature can make people feel less anxious; another is that investing in places that have meaning to communities can evoke pride in a neighbourhood. The Foyle Reeds project has elements of both of these theories.”
Read the full story on theguardian.com
(Image: Vizrage)