Natural disasters are physically, socially, and psychologically devastating to a town. It can be extremely difficult to rebuild civic infrastructures and restore the lives of residents. Where do
In Northern Japan, where the rugged coast meets pristine beaches, the town of Ishinomaki has long enjoyed the beauty and bounty of the surrounding sea. But benefit rarely comes without hazard and
This week Cyberdyne unveiled a robotic exoskeleton called HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) that allows its wearer to carry superhuman loads while shielding them from radiation. With the Fukushima nuclear
In 2010, TYIN Tegnestue was approached by a French businessman who told them all about cinnamon production in Sumatra, where 85% of globally-consumed cinnamon is produced. As you might expect there is
Harunatsu Archi's Villa921 is situated four hours away from Tokyo in a breathtaking natural park that looks like an exotic paradise - complete with rainforest and swamp areas. Since the region is subject
The Fukushima disaster following the tsunami that hit Japan in 2011 was an eye-opening event that caused many to wonder just how safe nuclear power is. Thanks to a new study commissioned as a result of
Reconstruction of the Indluvo Centre began in 2009 when Architects Without Frontiers went to assess the community's needs. They worked with Zvi Belling and Lani Fender to design the project pro-bono to
A simple square of glass may hold the key to the vexing problem of storing data indefinitely. Developed by Hitachi, the technology prints a binary series of dots upon a sliver of quartz glass which can
Australian shipbuilder Matt Duncan was so affected by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami that he put his engineering skills to use and designed a Tsunami Survival Pod capable of withstanding six tons of
Many experts suggest that the safest way to ride out an earthquake is to stand in a doorway or hide under a table to protect yourself from falling debris. However a Japanese company, Shinko Industries has
For homebuilders, constructing a house that can withstand hurricane winds can be tricky, because the only way to run a test is to wait for a major storm to develop. Florida International University just
Human-Powered Refrigerator Case A human-powered refrigeration system designed to help in the distribution of vaccines in developing nations has been named the US Winner of the James Dyson Award. The
A team of researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a technique to remotely control and steer cockroaches via an electronic interface. While at first glance it may seem
A team from the University of Southern Mississippi has developed a form of camouflage face makeup that not only prevents soldiers from being seen by the enemy, but also shields their faces from the
Photo: Fire department response via Shutterstock Responding to an emergency is a challenge without the added hurdle of doing it without mobile technology, but that is often the reality
Seal Rocks House 4 is organized as a basic square shape on a single level with a large open courtyard in the middle. The home has an area of 219 sq m (2,357 sq ft) with 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, a laundry area,
Kingston University graduate design student Younghwa Lee has created an innovative indoor shelter for use during an earthquake—a folding door that not only stands in the safest place in a home, but also
Located near Coromandel, the simple bach for the Crosson Family was designed as a simple rectangular container. Built from unadorned natural timber, the home is a to reinterpretation of New Zealand wood
Morphosis respected the cultural vernacular of the common New Orleans shotgun house by first raising the structure off the ground level to protect the building from flooding. The outstanding part of this
The nPower PEG (Personal Energy Generator) has been described as the “world’s first passive kinetic energy charger.” It harvests kinetic energy from walking, running, or biking and uses it to charge
With this summer seeing record scorching temperatures and blackouts in India, the Courtyard House seems prepared to deal with the high temperatures. Designed by Mumbai-based Sanjay Puri Architects, the
The Tokyo University of Technology have created the Swumanoid, a human-like swimming robot that they believe could one day be used to patrol beaches and save swimmers in distress (think of it as part
We first reported on Huibers' Ark last year when the massive structure (it's so big, it's classed as a building not a boat!) was nearing completion. Now that the Ark is officially open to the public, more
In what has to be one of the strangest collaborations ever, military scientists from the UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) have been working with global paint and coating company
The Bergen Safe House was built in just 4 days as part of the Bergen International Wood Festival in Norway. Created by Dutch architects Max Rink and Simon de Jong and designer Rachel Griffin, the
© Chad Chenier Photography / Make It Right In 2007, Brad Pitt founded the Make it Right Foundation with an ambitious plan to construct 150 new, green homes for returning residents in New Orleans'
The geniuses at DARPA are at it again - in the past they have created the internet, designed super fast cheetah robots and next-generation flight systems, and now they've developed a new system that is
Tentsile is a portable habitation unit that can be suspended amidst trees to provide accommodation for three people. With three anchor points and the use of tension instead of poles, the Tentsile is part
Green Horizons' Central Service Unit 40 mobile infrastructure trailer is the emergency housing version of the Swiss Army knife. Developed for rapid emergency response after a calamity, the trailer
A team from Oxford University has modified technology that was originally developed to track badgers underground so that it can be used to locate people in an emergency situations, such as a natural
