Design, Science and Technology

International firm Penda Architecture and Design has designed a meadow with sunken pathways for China's International Garden Expo 2015.

As part of China's International Garden Expo, Beijing– and Vienna–based firm Penda Architecture and Design has designed a temporary meadow, named "Where the River Runs," sited for Wuhan, China. The installation, which contains sunken pathways and hidden meeting places, allows visitors to walk along a winding trail through the meadow, mimicking an imaginary river. With this installation, the architects hope to highlight that clean water is not an endless resource. 

The pathways lead towards a central, sheltered plaza below the landscaped surface. As visitors wind towards the plaza, they are invited to sprinkle seeds over the grass to encourage the growth of new plants and flowers...

Ecologico ed elegante: il rubinetto riduce il consumo d'acqua trasformandola in design

Every year since 1993, the community of nations has focused on the importance of fresh water and advocated for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. Severe droughts experienced recently in places like the American West, the Horn of Africa, Russia, China, and Australia have highlighted the fact that humans are rapidly using up the world's water supplies—and when they’re gone, they’re gone. We are spending one of our most vital resources in greater volumes every day.

One Block Off The Grid recently developed an infographic to illustrate how energy production depends on water. It shows water use by four of the most common energy sources: coal, nuclear, oil and gas, and solar. Solar comes out on top big time.

The Obrenovac First Elementary School is the first established school in Belgrade, almost 200 years old. During the two centuries pupils of this school had no adequate indoor space for physical education and sports activities. 

From the very beginning the idea was to design low budget, energy efficient and sustainable building with no unnecessary details.

As Obrenovac Municipality is close to the river Sava banks, it is under the influence of the underground water. This was the crucial technical problem which had to be resolved from the first preliminary design phase. Through design process, the solution for these challenges has been successfully found by designing the waterproof concrete hull, 5 meters deep in the ground, just few centimeters over the highest underground water level. This concept provided some kind of waterproof box, as boat sink, for all premises inside.

Many scientists and experts fear that humanity is reaching the point of peak water — the point at which freshwater is being consumed faster than it is being replenished or available. In the infographic above we take a look at the amount of water use around the world. Can we cut back before we reach the point of no return?

Kylie Schultz researched, wrote and produced this infographic as a participant in the Ensia Mentor Program. Her mentor for the project was Ensia director Todd Reubold. Infographic design and layout byAmber Billings.