Design Like You Give a Damn – Yves Behar designs objects that tell stories

Giraffen krijgen cradle-to-cradle Savannehuis

Het Savannehuis in Diergaaarde Blijdorp is volgens LAM Architects het duurzaamste dierenverblijf van het land. Het dierenverblijf is volledig volgens het cradle-to-cradle-principe ontworpen.

Klimaatneutrale ambities
Duurzaamheid speelde aldus de hoofdrol in de opdracht die LAM kreeg van de dierentuin. “Het dwong ons de spanning tussen de klimaatneutrale ambities enerzijds en de klimaateisen van de Afrikaanse dieren anderzijds, te verenigen. Het eindresultaat geeft een bijzondere voldoening”, zegt Menno Lam van het Wageningse architectenbureau.

330.000 Liter regenwater
Lam verwijst naar de integrale energiehuishouding en architectuur van het gebouw, waarbij aan alles is gedacht. Het gebouw is zeer onderhoudsarm en kan voor het overgrote deel eenvoudig gerecycled worden. De 330.000 liter regenwater die het gebouw jaarlijks opvangt, wordt gebruikt voor de planten in een naastgelegen biotoop.

‘Knuffelmuren’
Voor de verwarming worden, in plaats van fossiele brandstoffen te gebruiken, houtsnippers gestookt. Op koude dagen zoeken de dieren zelf de warmte op; speciale ‘knuffelmuren’ (stalen elementen met laag temperatuur verwarming) maken het verwarmen van het, gehele 4500 kubieke meter tellende gebouw, overbodig. Er is zoveel mogelijk gekozen voor materialen met een zeer lage (natuurlijke) milieulast.

Holistische benadering
Het verblijf is milieuvriendelijk, maar de giraffen noch de bezoekers en verzorgers hoeven ergens onder te lijden. De holistische ontwerpbenadering van de architect levert een hoge mate van comfort op. De zorg voor het dierenwelzijn is terug te zien in de hoogte van het verblijf, het gebruik van niet-giftige materialen en de ronde vorm. Door dit laatste kunnen de dieren elkaar niet klem zetten.

Gemodelleerd naar Afrikaanse kraal
De Afrikaanse kraal stond model voor het ontwerp. De kraal is dusdanig georiënteerd en vormgegeven dat de stand van de zon en daarmee de daglichttoetreding en zonnewarmte zowel in de winter als in de zomer optimaal benut worden. Het Savannehuis functioneert als een ’shelter’. Het is een gebouw vol zonnewarmte, schaduw en daglicht. Natuurlijke ventilatie draagt bij aan een gezond binnenklimaat.

Speciale aandacht voor giraffen
Hoewel het Savannehuis geschikt is voor gebruik door verschillende savannedieren, is er bij het ontwerp vooral veel aandacht besteed aan de afmeting en de leefwijze van de giraffen. Afgelopen weekend hebben zij dan ook een eerste voet over de drempel gezet. Op woensdag 8 juli opent de Rotterdamse burgemeester Ahmed Aboutaleb het dierenverblijf officieel.

Rock Garden Chandigarh India

The Rock Garden of Chandigarh is synonymous to the City Beautiful, as Chandigarh is known popularly in the region. It’s a unique creation by Padamshri Nek Chand and has become well known in the world. You will be surprised to know that this unique creation, which inspires environmentalists/ conservationists, was under threat by some of our `brain-dead bureaucrats’ to be erased from the map of Chandigarh. Imagine, on one occasion, government bulldozers got marching orders to demolish the Garden. Once they proposed to cut across a road right through the garden. What a shame! People of Chandigarh got the whiff of it right at the nick of the time and they surrounded it by making a human chain, hand in hand. God bless the souls who moved these people and saved the Garden, the most visited place by tourists today. All the famous and mighty must visit the Garden on their first visit to the City Beautiful.

Padamshri Nek Chand has been invited by many in India and abroad, to make mini rock gardens, which he did happily. He has left his footprints at many places on the globe. Also, he has been invited to hold exhibitions of his work at famous international venues world over. I find him a genius, has no parallel, to my knowledge. A gentleman always adored by everyone, anyone can meet him while visiting the Rock Garden.

His creation has emerged out of waste of glass, electrical goods/ fittings, broken ceramics, bangles, crockery, pitchers, broken sanitary ware, etc; all these he has collected on his bicycle personally, in the beginning. At many times, people thought he has lost his sanity. He had hidden his creations in bushes, which he used to work on after office hours, till one day labourers stumbled over the treasure by accident. The discovery reached the officers of his department and the wise and visionary officers of that generation of bureaucrats, encouraged him to pursue. They could admire it as a peace of art and unique creation, which they knew will be revered by all who will see it in an organized place, thus this Rock Garden came into being. There were great legendary officers like Mr MS Randhawa, who patronised the Rock Garden. Later, it survived the `holocaust’ of few who were jealous of Nek Chand’s growing international fame and nothing else. Once, when Nke Chand was away to the US, the Rock Garden was vandalised, which was an organised attempt to ruin it, by those whose jealousy was steaming out of their pots.

Mr Nekchand inspires those who love life. Trust me, this is the best formula to live a happy meaningful life; simply do what you like doing, with full zeal, not having pre-crafted expectations. He never did it to earn his national title of Padamshri, he never did it to get famous. Probably, he knew which path to tread on, the least taken by the rest, for he was working as Road Inspector with the government department of PWD (Public Works Department).

The best way to be on top is to follow only one formula `whatever you do, give it hundred percent of your concentration’. Rest is your destiny…

Salvation Mountain – Into the wild

Salvation Mountain is made from adobe, straw, and thousands of gallons of paint. It was created by Leonard Knight to convey the message that “God Loves Everyone”. Salvation Mountain is the second most visited tourist attraction in Imperial County. (That tells you a lot about Imperial County, doesn’t it!)

Knight lives full-time at the site in a small cabin mounted on the rear of a 1930s-vintage Chevrolet two-ton truck. Like Salvation Mountain, Knight’s Salvation Truck and a collection of other vehicles and machinery are entirely covered with paint and Biblical quotes as well. He estimates that more than 100,000 gallons of paint have gone into the creation of the mountain and that every California-based paint manufacturer has donated paint to the project.

Salvation Mountain was once labeled an environmental hazard. The hill was threatened with removal by Imperial County. In recent years, the furor seems to have died down and the project has been likened to an epic work of folk art comparable to the Watts Towers. Although the project is an unauthorized one on state land, Salvation Mountain was placed under protection in 2002 when Senator Barbara Boxer entered it into the Congressional Record as a national treasure.

Salvation Mountain and nearby Slab City were featured in the 2007 film Into the Wild.

Salvation Mountain, near Slab City, a few miles east of Niland, California