I met last week with Nancy Turner, the Director of Development and Alumnae Affairs, and was thrilled to hear first-hand about Goucher’s new library and cultural center – The Athenaeum. It’s a green building with a silver rating from LEEDs. Let’s take a little tour.

When I attended, Goucher was an all women’s college. We were fairly ticked when they started admitting men. But you have to roll with the times. I am no longer ticked, but enthused about their international approach to education. Every student must spend at least 3 weeks studying in another country. They’re the first college to dedicate themselves to the global village, so to speak.

The exterior is constructed from Butler stone, redwood and copper.

Part of the environmental design includes 2 grass-covered roofs. Grass acts as an insulator to keep heating costs low. The large windows are light sensitive and change throughout the day to make the best use of the natural energy.

The Forum is the central feature of the new Athenaeum. It’s modeled after the amphitheaters of Europe. The cool thing is that the character can change according to what happens to be oging on. The steps leading up from the stage can accommodate crowds of varying sizes.

There’s more!

The new library is housed here. They now have a proper home for Goucher’s Special Collections, such as the Burke Collection of Jane Austen first editions and letters, etc. Who knew that was there? Not me, until now. Criminal!

I don’t have a proper photo, but the stacks can be seen from the exterior as lines of color. It’s open, airy and beautiful.

I like the idea of exercising while listening to a lecture. The Athenaeum also includes a restaurant…

meeting and lecture rooms and …

lots of lounge areas with wide screen TVs.

Oh yes, and there are a couple of large, rooftop meeting spaces as well. With all this great stuff, who has time to study?

Green LEEDs Features

• High performance glass reduces heat gain int he building.
• Green roofs further reduce heat gain and alleviate storm-water runoff.
• Recycled building materials were used throughout the building, including construction materials and carpet. Fifty percent of all construction debris was recycled.
• LED and fluorescent lighting was used throughout, as well as solar water heating, light-activated window shades, and motion sensors for lighting.
• A rain garden planted with shrubs, trees and herbaceous vegetation helps control the stormwater runoff and filters pollutants.
• Existing wetlands and forests surrounding the Athenaeum were conserved. Yay! I loved those walks through the woods.

Cool building, isn’t it? Does/did your college have a building like this? Do you know someone who has battled the fierce Goucher Gophers on the playing fields? If you’re in the Baltimore area, be sure to stop by Goucher and tell them I said hello. The next time I’m in town, I’m heading straight for the Jane Austen Collection.

Moxy Crochet is part of this growing trend. The small company (only seven people) are from the Khayelietsha neighborhood of Cape Town, South Africa.

They work from home to create blankets, pillows and handbags. The team members work from home and meet every two weeks to exchange materials and news. Laura Summs, the chief designer of Moxy Crochet, pieces the elements together herself.

Moxy Crochet’s products are made from locally dyed cotton, wool and mohair. Each item is one-of-a-kind. They make their blankets in a standard size, but take custom orders.

To find out more about Moxy Crochet, or to place an order, visit their site and contact them directly.

It seems that crocheting is making a comeback. I think it’s the brighter colors that make these blankets so appealing.

Does anyone crochet? I’m thinking of learning how, since all I can knit is one long thing. This seems easier to do and to make something usable. Is it easy to learn?

1. Check out Sierra Club’s new site. Green Home is jam-packed with advice (shown above) on how to go green in a big way.

2. Switch some of your light bulbs to fluorescents. They give a green cast, so use them in closets, the basement, and your mother-in-law’s guest room. The bulbs save big on energy.

3. Buy a reusable grocery bag. Check out the colorful options at Baggu (above, $14.00)

4. Recycle. More than just newspapers! Cans, bottles, cardboard, even magazines, can be recycled. Check with your city to see what you they’ll pick up.

5. Make your own drinking glasses – from recycled wine bottles. Check out this site for the How-To. You get to drink the wine, and they make great gifts!

6. Turn off the water. A simple thing like turning off the tap while you brush your teeth can save a lot of H2O.

7. Ride your bike. Work those glutes while you save the Earth!

I was there last year, reporting on the latest styles. This year, the ‘ole hip has not recovered enough to attend. But I’ll still be reporting on what’s new.

Featured here is the Illusion Table, designed by Michael Bihain. He’s designed award-winning furniture for companies such as Swedese.

I have a feeling we won’t see many mind-bending designs this year – in terms of style. I think most designers are more interested in new materials than new looks. It will also be interesting to see if there’s added focus on sustainable design. Stay tuned.

The roof slides along tracks. In the winter, it covers the structure like a blanket. In the summer, the house’s glass structure is exposed to let in the summer sun. I particularly love the staircase, and the way the movement of the house transforms the three basic structures.

To truly appreciate the beauty of both the design and the home itself, check out Wallpaper’s video on YouTube by following this link. You can find more still photos and a detailed description over at Dezeen.

This seems to be the best of both worlds – a sun-filled house in which one could at least pretend they lived in the tropics, and a cozy warm retreat on a cold winter day. What do you think? Is this a gimmick or a gem?

Most vinyl flooring is made from petrochemicals rather than rubber – the real thing. Dalsouple harvests its rubber from Hevea trees in South America. The trees are highly efficient at extracting carbon monoxide. This off-sets the emissions created in the manufacturing process. And the end result is a natural product with the same durability as synthetic alternatives.

That’s all good. But while you can make the greenest product in the land, if it’s ugly no one will buy it. Designers won’t specify it. What I really like about this green product is the color selection. Along with the standard muted tones, DalNaturel comes in real brights that are wonderfully eye-popping.

Don’t think of this as a commercial product. These would look fantastic in a home. How about a beach house, a basement, kitchen, laundry room or bathroom? They’re easy to install, too. With some careful measuring you can do it yourself.

You can find DalNaturel via Kasthall, their US distributor. Or contact your favorite designer.

PS: Dalsouple is holding a design competition for students and designers. To find out more, click on this link.

Seed is a science magazine. However, they’re expanding their horizons to incorporate views and news from the design world. I think it makes an interesting pairing.

As Seed tells me, “Greg Lynn and Chuck Hoberman, to Matthew Ritchie and Natalie Jeremijenko, to Henry Markram, the Seed Design Series videos offer thoughts on environment design, designing the human mind, computational origami, and more.”

I hope you enjoy some interesting views on design and the environment.

The Mobile panels are 6mm thick and can be used for just about everything. Furniture, wall panels, etc. You can see examples on their site. I think one of these would look great hung from the ceiling as instant art. Or how about a headboard? File this product under A Thousand And One Uses.