DIY World Pinhole Camera Day Camera!

Corbis.com has teamed up with Brooklyn design firm Fwis to create an amazing collection of downloadable DIY pinhole cameras.

They are incredible! All made of paper.

It's all a part of a yearly event called World Pinhole Camera Day, which will next happen on April 26th, 2009.

On World Pinhole Camera Day, (or preferably the day before,) download the instructions for one of these sweet cameras, fold it together, chuck some of that old film that's been in your refrigerator in it, and head outside into the ol' sunny sun sun to celebrate your freedom by making pinhole photographs.

Get your filmed developed and scanned, and upload your pinhole pickies to the official World Pinhole Camera Day gallery.

Fun!

If you like this post, you'll probably like this one too.

EcoSystems - ION Salon NYC

The clever EcoSystems gents have done it again!

This time with the gorgeous sustainably-minded hair salon, ION, right here in NYC.

Check it out:

"At the TREE base on the lower level, the water runs along the 4 (four) back
washbasins, which are being complemented with “rocking” chairs, allowing the
clientele to sit back and relax, while looking up through interior skylights and
enjoying the sun light.

All the custom made furniture is bent wood, designed with soft rounded curves
giving ample comfort, and as well sinuosity all around the three main rooms,
poetically perceived as floating leaves coming from the tree.

Besides the nature of the line of products the salon implements (Davines), and
the clean energy resource that feeds the same (wind power), Ecosystems
material selection remarks the use of FSC certified wood, natural based coating
finishes, LED and compact fluorescent lighting, no VOC water base paints and
the optimizations of exposed existing natural materials on site.

Balancing a both sided strong effort, a strict timeline and an adjusted budget,
ION Salon was achieved under conscious and responsible guidelines to generate
what could be considered to become the first “Eco-Salon” in NYC."

-Pablo Souto

Yeah, sugar! If I had hair, I'd get it cut there!

EcoSystems is amazing.

Young, creative, and utterly dedicated to sustainability. If you need some furniture or interior design work done, and you don't mind on time and on budget, call EcoSystems, ask for SuperForester Matt, and tell 'em who sent ya!

Looky, EcoSystem dudes so cute:

Here are two more posts we've written about them: Bamba chair & Mini-Bamba.

Everywhere you look, it seems folks are getting down with sustainability. It makes for a good feeling in the wintry bones.

Love,

Jackson

(all images courtesey of Ricardo Parra. Danke Ricardo!)

EcoSystems of Brooklyn: Mini-Bamba Chair!

The clever little monkeys over at EcoSystems in Brooklyn are at it again, this time with an adorable scale model of their beautiful bamboo, natural latex, and aluminum Bamba chair.

From the EcoSystems site:

"Mini-Bamba
This fun collectible is 4.25" tall x 4.25" wide x 3.5" deep. It is a 1/6th scale of the original Bamba, and is made to mimic it in every way.

The pieces snap together magically with Rare Earth magnets to mimic the tool free assembly of the Alpha Collection. Its made from the exact same sustainable bamboo plywood. Computerized laser cutting is ultra precise. The mini-Bamba also packs into itself for shipping, minimizing both the material needed and the size of the package."

Best of all, if you decide that you don't want the little chair and its friends anymore (and I guess you don't want anyone else to have it either,) you can pry the magnets out and compost it!

Amazing. Love!

The Mini-Bamba is $125 and comes with your choice of three animal friends:

Michael Salter Styrobot Creation Video! (Updated!)

We've posted about Brooklyn artist Michael Salter before (Whoops, Michael is not from Brooklyn, but from Oregon! Thanks so much for letting us know, Michael!) and now he's back with creamy new newness!

Behold the creamy newness!


michael a. salter @ rice gallery | houston from michael a. salter on Vimeo.

Sweet Solar Panel Building in Brooklyn Found!

Hey!

SuperForester Jackson posted about this building he passed in Brooklyn covered in solar panels, but couldn't find any more info on it.

Well, I just happen to come across it on a blog called NY Eco Spaces:

 

"Located at 439 Metropolitan Avenue, this LEED-Gold building designed contains two duplex condos that have been designed and built to be healthy for the environment and for its occupants.

Green features include:

-Photo-Voltaic (PV) Arrays capture solar energy. Your electricity meter will actually run backwards when you generate more electricity than you use!
-Passive Heating and Cooling System: Large, south-facing windows naturally warm your apartment on sunny winter days. High-mass walls and floors help regulate temperature fluctuations in all seasons.
-Radiant-Floor Heating, along with an energy-recovering ventilation system, helps reduce energy bills and increase indoor comfort.
-Air filtration ensures the air you breathe is near HEPA standards and is some of the cleanest in NYC
-Green Roof
-Sustainably harvested bamboo floors
-Double-Glazed, laminated Low-E Glass Windows
-Energy Star Appliances
-Water-saving fixtures, including dual-flush toilets
-Built-in Recycling Receptacles
-Motion Detector-Controlled Light and Ventilation
-Low- and no-VOC finishes and materials

In addition, this development is located near three subway lines (L, G, and JMZ) and a block away from a Zipcar station, so you can easily decrease your transportation carbon footprint. And for all your organic dining needs, there's a 24-hour organic food store only a couple blocks away. So if you've ever considered buying a home in Williamsburg, but wanted to make sure you made the green choice, check out Metropolitan Green."

Nice. Go Brooklyn!

Niki 

Sweet Solar Panel Building in Williamsburgh!

I was walking around Williamsburgh last weekend and came across this brand new building on Metropolitain.

It appears that some delightfully clever architect has clad the southern face of the building in a gorgeous set of solar panels! How clever.

I wish I knew more. (If anyone lives near there, would you be so kind as to snap a pic and send it in?)

I think it looks great, and I'm very curious how much power it will generate.

Must investigate further!

In the meantime, I checked on Google maps and found that we can do a tasty little before-and-after.

Before.

After!

Double-sweet. If you are near, why not go check this place out? Please tell us who the builder and architect are.

Here is map, go find.

EcoSystems - Furniture for Environmental Harmony (Right in Brooklyn!)

Hello All!

I was recently lucky enough to make the acquaintance of SuperForester Matt Tyson. Matt happens to run and co-own a very cool company out in Brooklyn called EcoSystems.

I checked out their site, and EcoSystems has it going on.

Looky:

"Bamba's seat, back and arms are cut from the sides that support the chair. This nearly eliminates production waste for the structure of the chair. Utilizing the same Alpha collection hardware, it is a snap to put together, no tools required. It also packs into itself for shipping, minimizing both the material needed and the size of the package."

Their Bamba chairs are made out of bamboo, with easily recycled aluminum hardware and natural latex cushions. Triple smart!

EcoSystems is a smart young company. If you need some furniture, or an entire room scheme, get in touch with these cats and tell 'em that SuperForest sent ya!

You'll be doing everyone a world of good.

Out and about in beautiful Brooklyn? Stop by EcoSystems.

EcoSystems
33 Flatbush Avenue
7th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11217

718.383.6404

Industrial Revolution, in Brooklyn!

Hey!

There was a great article in Time Out NY last week about 2 companies that are focusing on producing their products as close to home, as possible.

One, we've mentioned before on SF, is Mast Brothers Chocolate. They are a great, small chocolate company, started by 2 brothers in Brooklyn that has gone from making 300 bars a week in their Williamsburg apartment to making 1,000 bars a week in their new Greenpoint factory.

“We could have opened somewhere cheaper,” Rick says, “but that would be doing what everybody else has been doing. We want to be connecting to the community.”

If you live in NY, they are opening what they refer to as a “chocolaterie and laboratory” in October in Greenpoint. It is the only bean to chocolate bar making factory in NYC. Check it out.

The other company mentioned is one in Red Hook. Mark Snyder is opening Snyders Winery in Red Hook which will be made using only grapes from Long Island. They will crush, ferment, and age the grapes on-site. Red Hook is an amazing industrial neighborhood that has slowly become the home to larger chain stores like Ikea and Fairway. It is great that it can retain some of it's history.

Thanks to TimeOut for the great article and enthusiasm for local industries. Hopefully, other companies will be inspired to produce their products locally.

Support local manufacturing!

Niki

Michael Salter's Styrobots!!!

Few times have we seen such a good re-use of styrofoam packaging as Michael Salter's Styrobots.

4th Annual Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn This Weekend!

The Renegade Craft Fair will be shaking its booty in the McCarren Park Pool this Saturday and Sunday!



Get your sweet selves out there and support your local artists and makers!
Don't forget the sunblock.

Love to all and have a great weekend.

-Team SuperForest

P.S. Here's a map for those that need mapping.

Willie Mae Rock Camp For Girls!

"Founded in 2004, Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls is a non-profit summer day camp serving girls aged 8-18 in New York City. The program offers girls the chance to learn how to play musical instruments, write songs, perform, learn about different types of music, and generally "rock out" in a supportive environment that fosters self-confidence, self-esteem, creativity, tolerance, and collaboration."

We love it! Collaboration? Non-profit? Rocking?



Amazing.

Wanna go rock?: Willie Mae Summer Rock Camp For Girls

Solar Beach Tote!

Hey!

Just saw this over at 3R Living (the local brooklyn "future friendly" shop!).



Charge your phone, camera or Ipod while basking in the sun! It's pretty pricey, but having unlimited music time at the beach: priceless!
Enjoy the sun!
Niki

Mast Brothers Chocolate

Rick and Michael Mast are two lovely NY hipster-types who happen to produce really scrummy chocolate from their factory in Brooklyn. Believe me when I say, it's really good chocolate. Take a look:




I know pictures can only go so far in conveying a sense of deliciousness, but I've had a taste, and I want more.




Here's their website: Mast Brothers Chocolate

And their Myspace profile.



So, if you happen to find yourself in Brooklyn, treat your sweet self to a few bars of delicious Mast Brothers chocolate.

Scrum-tums.


Love to all,

Team SF

p.s. And just for fun, here's Willy Wonka in 5 seconds.