Hasta La Gadget!

You’re looking at what was once the main junction for telephone connections in Stockholm. See all the wires? That’s because it was used for around 5,000 phone lines—literal lines—from 1887-1913. More »

3D printing has come a long way, and the devices have become affordable enough for people to have them in their homes. Now, a Dutch architecture studio is planning on construction a complete house using a 3D printer.

The Dutch studio Universe Architecture will use a giant D-Shape printer to output their Landscape House. The printer can print sections of 20 feet by 30 feet in a single go. It uses a mixture of sand and a binding agent to print the parts of the Möbius strip-inspired house.

The printer will create hollow sections, which will be filled with fiber-reinforced concrete for strength. While other smaller projects have been attempted, this will be the first 3D-printed full-scale residence in the world. Based on current estimates, it will take around 18 months to create.

As the technology becomes faster and more commonplace, it could allow for the production of houses at a much lower cost – and in forms not typically achievable using conventional building techniques.

[via dezeen]

Amazing, incredible toys, and space-saving stackables—these are just a few of the wonderful things we came across in the last couple of days. Take a moment to chill, and check out the most beautiful items of the week. More »

Just because you’ve grown into a responsible adult doesn’t mean you can’t occasionally enjoy the simple pleasure of building a pillow fort. But why stop at the crude one-person shacks you built as a kid? With this calculator, and plenty of disposable income, you can assemble a cushion command center on a much grander scale. More »

I recently had the opportunity to take a tour of Ford’s modern truck assembly plant in Dearborn, MI. While the plant’s robotics and just-in-time manufacturing facility are truly impressive, one of the things I had no idea about was that the factory is also home to the world’s largest living roof.

Atop Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant is a whopping 10.4 acre garden, covering the roof of the 454,000 square foot building. Tens of thousands of plants grow atop the industrial facility below, as it cranks out as many as 60 Ford F-150 trucks per hour.

The roof is planted with a tough, drought-resistant plant called sedum, which helps insulate the building beneath, reducing heating and cooling costs, as well as to help improve air quality. It also collects and filters storm water, helping to reduce storm water flow back into the adjacent Rouge River, and improving water quality.

Plants live in a four-layer mat system which keeps them nourished and healthy. While you might think that a roof covered with plants and water wouldn’t be durable, it’s actually expected to last twice as long as a regular roof.

If you’d like to see the world’s largest living roof up close and personal, visit the Ford Rouge Factory Tour. I’d suggest a visit during the spring or summer, when the plants are at their most green. After all, Michigan isn’t exactly a green haven in the middle of January.