Policy

Become Your Own Meteorologist with BloomSky, A Crowdsourced Weather Information System
August 28, 2014

Become Your Own Meteorologist with BloomSky, A Crowdsourced Weather Information System

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While we love a good one-liner by Al Roker or staring at Sam Champion's perfectly coifed hair, we admit to getting a little frustrated when we get stuck in the rain with no forewarning. But a new product called BloomSky lets you control your own meteorology destiny through a crowdsourced, hyperlocal weather information system. The personal station comes with an outdoor module and an app, and its nifty functions include: a rain sensor that can tell exactly when it starts and stop raining; weather pattern push notifications (never be caught without an umbrella again!); a wide-angle HD camera that captures weather scenes; an auto-generated timelapse video of every sunset; and subscriptions to worldwide BloomSky stations.
More on the weather device here
Take a Load Off Anywhere, Anytime with the Chairless Chair
August 25, 2014

Take a Load Off Anywhere, Anytime with the Chairless Chair

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You know those instances when your feet are killing you, your back is sore, and all you want to do is sit down, but, of course, there's not a seat in sight? Well, these uncomfortable dilemmas can now be a thing of the past. In a bid to keep factory line workers more alert and comfortable during long, tedious shifts, Zurich-based startup noonee created the Chairless Chair, a locking leg support device that allows you take a load off regardless of where you are.
READ MORE
August 22, 2014

Could JPods’ Solar-Power Commuter Pods Make Their Way to Manhattan?

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Every day the NYC subway carries more than 1.3 million riders to all corners of our fair city. A feat yes, but if you're a rush hour commuter, you know the hellish conditions that can arise when trying to pack several hundred (though it can feel like thousands) of people into a line of sardine cans. If you're one of the many who constantly curse the MTA, try not to get too green-eyed as you read on. As it turns out, our neighbors in grid-locked Secaucus, New Jersey are gearing up to test a out new form of solar-powered public transit called JPods. This innovative new system uses a combination of light rail and self-driving car suspended above roads, and unlike the NYC subway, you can leave your running shoes at home. This rail network is designed to get you as close to your final destination as possible.
More on the new venture here
With New Transparent Solar Concentrators, Glass Towers Can Generate Solar Energy
August 20, 2014

With New Transparent Solar Concentrators, Glass Towers Can Generate Solar Energy

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It's no secret that super tall, glassy towers are the go-to architectural style for many of today's leading starchitects. But environmentalists worry that the huge expanses of curtain wall windows are not very eco-friendly. A new product, though, just might satisfy those on both ends of this debate. Researchers at Michigan State University have developed a new transparent luminescent solar concentrator that creates solar energy when placed over a window. The exciting part is that the product is totally translucent, so people can still see through the window while the green technology is working. The concentrators can also be placed on cell phones or any device with a flat, clear surface.
Learn more about the solar cells here
Forget the Crayon Box: Scribble Pen Draws in 16 Million Colors
August 20, 2014

Forget the Crayon Box: Scribble Pen Draws in 16 Million Colors

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It's hard to even imagine 16 million colors, let alone draw in them, but the Scribble pen does just that. The first-of-its-kind creation, developed by the San Francisco-based startup Scribble Technology, scans colors and transfers them either to paper or a mobile device. See a paint hue you just love or want to capture the shade of a dress in a store window? Just tap your pen on the wall or object and, voila, you can draw in that color.
More about the new technology
Morpholio’s Innovative Mood Board App Lets You Design Your Entire Apartment on an iPad
August 18, 2014

Morpholio’s Innovative Mood Board App Lets You Design Your Entire Apartment on an iPad

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The brilliant minds over at The Morpholio Project are at again, and this time they've introduced a real doozy to their already impressive suite of design apps. Devised for interior design professionals and design enthusiasts alike, this ground-breaking new application is pretty much like Pinterest on steroids, but made for the tech savvy who never stop creating. Featuring an incredible cloud library of over 1,000 top-notch curated design products and a highly refined suite of editing tools, this powerful app allows you to pull images of everything from furniture to materials to complete backdrops, onto a digital board that can be manipulated and transformed into a one of a kind vision: your own. The app was launched today and is now available at the Apple store for free!
More on this game-changing design app here
90% of NYC Buildings Fail to Meet Energy Codes
August 18, 2014

90% of NYC Buildings Fail to Meet Energy Codes

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In early 2014, the Department of Buildings (DOB) set up a permanent audit unit and started reviewing the architectural plans for thousands of new and renovated buildings. What they've found is alarming; nine out of every ten office and/or residential buildings failed to meet the New York City Energy Conservation Code (NYCECC). The energy standards were implemented over 30 years ago, but are just now being enforced. And while environmentalists welcome the stricter monitoring, some building owners and construction companies are nervous about the potential increased costs of compliance, both in terms of money and time.
More on the city's energy codes and how they're being updated
Let the Sunlight In and Save Up to 70% on Energy Costs with the Lightcatcher Solar Dome
August 18, 2014

Let the Sunlight In and Save Up to 70% on Energy Costs with the Lightcatcher Solar Dome

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In theory, it seems silly to pay for light bulbs and electricity when natural sunlight is free, and now this eco-fantasy is becoming a real possibility. Developed by EcoNation and installed on the roof, Lightcatcher is a sun-tracking solar dome that uses a mirror and technology-based system to generate green energy, bring light indoors, and mitigate temperature fluctuations. The sensors and motorized mirror and lenses harvest sunlight, reducing energy costs and environmental impact eight times more than solar panels, according to EcoNation. The company also claims that Lightcatcher can provide sufficient light for up to ten hours per day, using only 1-3% of roof surface area.
More details on the new technology
Technicon Design’s IXION Windowless Jet Offers Panoramic Views of What’s Outside
August 15, 2014

Technicon Design’s IXION Windowless Jet Offers Panoramic Views of What’s Outside

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Admit it--you've perfected your selfie pose. And now that you've got the duck face and skinny arm down pat, why not explore the art of the skyline selfie? We're not talking an upward-gazing shot of the Empire State Building or semi-panoramic view of Manhattan; we mean full-on aerial photos taken from 40,000 feet up in the air. That's exactly what the IXION windowless jet from Technicon Design is doing. The firm's groundbreaking new design has removed windows from the cabin and, using near-future technology, displays the surrounding environment on interior cabin surfaces via external cameras. Not only does this provide incredible views, but greens the aircraft by reducing weight (thereby requiring less fuel and maintenance), simplifying construction, and opening doors for a variety of design possibilities. To boot, expansive solar panels would power the on-board, low-voltage systems, creating a one-of-a-kind visual for the jet's exterior body.
More on the sky-high design here
Sunbreak Shades Could Control Skyscraper Temperatures Right From an iPhone
August 12, 2014

Sunbreak Shades Could Control Skyscraper Temperatures Right From an iPhone

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You know the drill, wear a wool sweater to work in the summer and layer with a thin t-shirt in the winter. It's the curse of working in a tall, glassy, climate-controlled building. But a new shading prototype called Sunbreak, created by the architects at NBBJ, acts as a skyscraper skin that adjusts on a window-by-window basis depending on the angle of the sun, conserving energy and allowing workers to control office temperatures. Sounds like just what we've been waiting for, huh?
More about the proposed product
Sabin Design Lab’s 3D-Printed, Ceramic PolyBricks Eliminate Construction Waste
August 11, 2014

Sabin Design Lab’s 3D-Printed, Ceramic PolyBricks Eliminate Construction Waste

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3D printing has been making the design rounds lately, popping up as the construction method of choice for many new furniture pieces. Now, though, a team of researchers has created a 3D-printed product that can be used to construct entire buildings. Developed by the Sabin Design Lab in collaboration with Cornell and Jenny Sabin Studio, the ceramic bricks are interlocking and require no mortar, the first of their kind. Additionally, the technology eliminates construction waste completely.
More about the one-of-a-kind product here
A Subjective Map of New York City: Dutch Graphic Artist Takes Virtual Check-Ins to a New Level
August 7, 2014

A Subjective Map of New York City: Dutch Graphic Artist Takes Virtual Check-Ins to a New Level

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Social media has certainly made it easier to take a nostalgic look back in time; a quick perusal of one’s past Facebook statuses or Twitter feeds is all it takes to remind us of what we were doing last week, month, or even last year. (Yes, we know some of those photos are cringe-worthy; we have them too.) Consider all of the different places those statuses and tweets were generated from, and imagine what it might look like if you tracked all of those locations on a map of the city – a literal "walk" down memory lane, if you will. That’s exactly what Dutch graphic designer Vincent Meertens and his girlfriend did between March 2012 and January 2013, using an application called OpenPaths. The result? An intricate series of dots and lines (10,760 data points in all) representing all of their movements through New York City.
More details ahead
AquaFence Flood Barriers Pop Up at NYC Waterfront Buildings
August 6, 2014

AquaFence Flood Barriers Pop Up at NYC Waterfront Buildings

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Nearing the two-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, developers, architects, and building owners are still wrestling with how to keep their waterfront properties safe from any future storms that may wash up on New York's shores. Some have moved mechanical systems above ground, white others have installed heavy duty generators and emergency lighting and elevator systems. But a popular preventative mechanism among the posh residences of the West Village and Lower Manhattan is AquaFence, a portable, temporary flood barrier system that can defend structures from flood heights of up to eight feet.
See how this product is constructed and installed
Spray-Painted Solar Cells Get One Step Closer to Reality
August 5, 2014

Spray-Painted Solar Cells Get One Step Closer to Reality

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You may have heard last year that scientists began exploring the idea of spray-paintable solar cells, and now researchers at Sheffield University in England have made a breakthrough that could bring this green energy dream one step closer to reality. The advance comes from the use of organometal halide perkovskite, a mineral/crystal, organic/metal hydra, which offers the potential to combine high-performing, mature solar cell technologies with organic photovoltaics that have a low embedded energy cost.
More on the technology ahead
CB4 Housing Plan Calls for 11,000 Units of Affordable Housing
August 5, 2014

CB4 Housing Plan Calls for 11,000 Units of Affordable Housing

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Mayor de Blasio called for all 59 New York City community boards to propose ways to increase the number of affordable housing units within their district, and CB4, which covers Chelsea, Clinton, and Hell's Kitchen, is the first to respond. The Manhattan District Board 4 Affordable Housing Plan was voted on internally by the board on July 23, but is expected to be officially presented to the city on August 8th. The 81-page plan, which could influence affordable housing policy throughout the city, focuses on six major themes that will outline how the west side neighborhoods tackle the addition of 11,000 units of affordable housing.
We break down the themes
Preservationists Publish Report Asking City to Better Protect Soon-To-Be-Landmarked Buildings
July 24, 2014

Preservationists Publish Report Asking City to Better Protect Soon-To-Be-Landmarked Buildings

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It's not always as easy as one might think to successfully advocate for the landmark designation of an historic building in New York, especially when that building's owner is not on board with preservation efforts. According to the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), more than 20 historically significant buildings (including those designed by renowned architects like Frank Lloyd Wright and Morris Lapidus) have been heavily altered or altogether demolished over the past 12 years after city officials gave word to owners that their buildings were under consideration for landmarking. This comes from a new report that GVSHP commissioned, which examines the Bloomberg administration's actions regarding the notification given to developers and owners that the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) was looking at their properties, allowing alteration and demolition permits to slip through before any historic protections were granted.
We take a closer look at this preservation predicament
Landmarks Deems S.L. Green’s One Vanderbilt Tower ‘Appropriate’ for Its Grand Central Site, Others Not Happy
July 22, 2014

Landmarks Deems S.L. Green’s One Vanderbilt Tower ‘Appropriate’ for Its Grand Central Site, Others Not Happy

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The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission held a hearing today on a proposal by S.L. Green to build a huge tower on the northwest corner of Vanderbilt Avenue and 42nd Street directly across from Grand Central Terminal. The proposal before the commission was an application for a “certificate of appropriateness” for a transfer of air rights from the former Bowery Savings Bank Building at 110 East 42nd Street between Park and Lexington Avenues. The developers of S.L. Green made their moves by wooing Landmarks with renderings of Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed tower which would be 1,350 feet tall not counting a 100-foot-high spire—this is significantly higher than the Chrysler Building on the northeast corner of Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street and higher than all the supertalls in construction or planned for 57th Street.
Reactions from the hearing this way
NYC’s Threat of Earthquakes on the Rise, But Tall Towers Have a Lower Risk of Being Affected
July 18, 2014

NYC’s Threat of Earthquakes on the Rise, But Tall Towers Have a Lower Risk of Being Affected

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You read it right, tall towers in New York City actually have a lower risk of being affected by an earthquake. The U.S. Geological Survey, the federal agency responsible for reporting and recording earthquake activity, recently updated their National Seismic Hazard Maps, which "reflect the best and most current understanding of where future earthquakes will occur, how often they will occur, and how hard the ground will likely shake as a result." One change to the maps since they was last updated in 2008 is that the east coast has the potential for larger quakes than previously outlined, but residents of NYC high rises are in a slightly lower risk bracket.
Learn why straight ahead
Glass Towers to Go Green? Environmentalists Are Calling for Stricter Regulations for Supertalls
July 14, 2014

Glass Towers to Go Green? Environmentalists Are Calling for Stricter Regulations for Supertalls

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Two of the biggest trends in the current NYC real estate market are tall, glass towers and eco-friendly design. Oftentimes, though, these two architectural movements don't meet, and now environmentalists are calling for stricter regulations that would make this marriage a requirement, by way of decreasing the huge expanses of curtain wall windows that the towers have adopted as their hallmark.
More of the debate this way
Landmarks Greenlights BKSK Architects’ Glass Topper for the Pastis Building – Locals Not Happy
June 25, 2014

Landmarks Greenlights BKSK Architects’ Glass Topper for the Pastis Building – Locals Not Happy

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What's a little more glass and metal in a town overrun by supertalls, right? After getting shot down by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) for their design of a two-story, mixed-use glass crown to top the Pastis Building in the Meatpacking District, BKSK Architects went back to the drawing board only to emerge with a new idea that's won the LPC's blessing. Set to top the low-rise brick building at 9–19 9th Avenue, the redesign is a somewhat more subdued iteration that uses the same materials and form, but with much less glass.
See the before and after here
PENSA’s DIWire Machine Lets You Bend Wires Into Sculptural Decor for the Home
June 17, 2014

PENSA’s DIWire Machine Lets You Bend Wires Into Sculptural Decor for the Home

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In a day and age when printers give us the ability to create 3D models, we're surprised that it's taken so long for a machine like the DIWire to hit the market. Developed by the creative tinkerers of PENSA, this sleek gadget's seemingly simple job — to bend wires with a click of a button — is an absolute game-changer for DIY enthusiasts.
See how the DIWire works
Lighting Designer David D’Imperio Captures Mother Nature in His Hanging Lamps
June 3, 2014

Lighting Designer David D’Imperio Captures Mother Nature in His Hanging Lamps

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A lighting artist who typically helps spruce up the homes we live in is looking to Mother Nature for inspiration. From his studio in rural Pennsylvania, award-winning designer David D'Imperio creates one-of-a-kind fixtures that pull from natural structures. Among the wild objects you may spot in his works? Moth wings, orchids and bluebirds.
There's a light for every style
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