NYC's Think Tank -The Collab- adds Structured Green to it's list of collaborators.

As a recent addition to the Structured Green team, I discover new things about design and sustainability everyday. Today I learned about Collab: an idea lab in Lower Manhattan created for an amalgam of artists, scientists and thinkers to expand, exchange and teach concepts in design, technology and sustainability.
This year Structured Green will join forces with Collab providing interactive design workshops. We're excited for the opportunity to impart our knowledge on sustainable furniture from material selection to construction and finish to people who, in large part, have not had the opportunity to get hands-on experience with it.
Unless we took shop class in school, most of us don’t know the full extent of furniture design, let alone have a clue on where to start adding an environmentally friendly factor into a piece. In architecture school I learned about Sustainable Design, cross-ventilation, indoor air quality, wind and sun power, and other methods for incorporating renewable energy or choosing sustainable building materials in my design methods. But I didn't learn about putting furniture with eco-standards INSIDE the spaces we were designing.
The Structured Green class will be a primer in furniture building, making basic but beautiful pieces. Along the way we intend to educate attendees on Forest Stewardship, rapidly renewable materials, the importance of VOC and formaldehyde free adhesives and finishes and lots more!
Stay tuned!
To learn more about Collab visit: www.collab-orators.com

Post by Ana
ana@structuredgreen.com

Take your New Year's resolutions one pedal-stroke further!

New year, new goals, the majority of us wish for improvements in our lives, some basic changes to help make us the best we can be. I hear a lot of the same things: “I’m going to stop smoking”; “I’m going to start going to the gym”; but since we're Structured GREEN, I'm thinking something like: “I am going to reduce my carbon footprint?” Huh? Did I just say carbon footprint?
I've been thinking about this a lot and here’s the idea, if you really want to achieve your new goals for a “better you”, you might be surprised to reaise tha mst of these manage to incorporate a “green method” into the mix. You could be a step closer to losing that holiday weight or finally stop smoking, and actually similtaneously be doing something good for the environment. What do I mean by a “green method”? Well for starters, the easiest, cheapest and oft discussed is: ride your bike more than you drive your car.
Step 1: buy a bicycle, any bicycle, get them used at a thrift store for as little as $30. You can even make it part of your fashion statement get a vintage cruiser bike, or a fancy Brompton, or a classic Dutch Cargo bike, or a concept piece like the A-bike.

Step 2: start by using your bike for short errands, just to get used to it. You need to go to the drugstore, ride your bike. You need to go get milk, easy install a cool stainless steel basket and you are on your way to a quick trip to the grocery store. My co-worker Camilla has the Madsen (see picture above) which accommodates a full week's worth of groceries.
Step 3: involve your friends and family, make it part of your weekends. Whether you are going to church, brunch or just out and about, if the weather allows it, get on your bike!!! You will not only have a healthy and fun time but you are one pedal at a time closer to achieving your goals. For those wanting to stop smoking (and from one ex-smoker to a future one) leave the cigs at home, buy a pack of sugar free gum, fill your reusable water bottle and ride-away -nothing encourages healthier lungs than trying to lug a bike up stairs or riding up a hill!

Blog by: Ana Egloff
ana@structuredgreen.com

picture thanks to http://bicycledesign.blogspot.com/