It all started three years ago with a funky felt lounger featuring a cushion made from rolled felt that Brooklyn-based design studio Lamacek unveiled at BLKYN Designs 2010. Then, last year, Lamacek founder Connie Lam expanded her line of felt furnishings to include small table pads that can be used as trivets and larger wall clusters. Lamacek is back at BKLYN Designs again this year with a wide range of products made from bundled pieces of rolled-up felt, and word on the street is that she also takes custom orders.

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A 408-foot silver spire was installed on top of One World Trade Center in downtown Manhattan on Friday, bringing its official height to 1,776 feet and making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Since the tower was first announced, a debate has raged over whether or not it truly is the tallest. According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat — the authority on such matters — because the WTC’s spire is ornamental and not functional, it was counted in the building’s official height, edging out Chicago’s Willis Tower.

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Calls to boycott western fashion companies mounted following the tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza Building that killed more than 800 people in Bangladesh, but labor activists caution that this is not the most effective solution to the problem. Instead, they businesses and the government to step up their standards so that locals can still benefit from the work without the hazards. Here are nine brands that are leading the way.

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Communist leaders of the former Soviet Union had some wacky plans that trickled into all spheres of life – including fashion. So New York based artists Joanna Malinowka and Christian Tomaszewski from Poland designed a giant inflatable Russian space suit modeled after the garment worn by the first woman in space, Valentina Tershkova, and are currently holding a fashion show in its belly – right now – at the Zacheta Gallery in Warsaw, Poland.

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Photo by Andrew Biraj for Reuters

We’ve been closely following the Rana Plaza tragedy in Bangladesh, where over 700 people have lost their lives when an eight-story garment factory collapsed on April 24th. Rescue workers are still pulling victims from the wreckage and the death toll continues to rise. “Fast Fashion” and lack of corporate social responsibility certainly contributed to the disaster, but there’s also another issue at hand that is even more important – building practices. Bad buildings kill people. Without proper building codes, appropriate architecture & engineering, safe building practices and government oversight, inadequate building practices put people at risk. This incident makes it plainly obvious that the construction industry in Bangladesh is broken – and everyone involved, from the owners to the architects, engineers, planning commission, inspectors and even the municipality is to blame.

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Hybrids are always a compromise, right? Not anymore. Plenty of hybrids sacrifice power or performance in order to give us excellent efficiency, but they're getting better all the time. Case in point: the new Lexus GS450h hybrid, which has Sport, Normal, and Eco modes that actually work. The GS450h is a bruiser on sport mode, with sports car acceleration of 0-60 in under 6 seconds and decent performance, while still pulling off 32 mpg no matter how ridiculously we drove it (it's officially rated at 34 mpg). Eco Mode offered us more moderate but adequate performance with a sweet 46 mpg on offer. What did we think of the car? Come along with us on our week-long test drive and hear all the details. We're happy to report they're mostly positive.

 

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One of the most interesting designs on display at BKLYN Designs this week is Bower‘s Polaris lamp, and yesterday Inhabitat’s New York correspondents were able to view it in person. According to Bower, the lamp is made from solid pieces of scrap wood. Magnets have been embedded in several faces on the geodesic lamp,  allowing users to attach it to any magnetic surface. Because of the magnets, the lamp can also be slid and adjusted. Head over to Inhabitat NYC to learn more about the Polaris Lamp.

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This week, Inhabitat’s New York editors have been reporting from BKLYN Designs, a showcase of home furnishings designed and made in Brooklyn. The show is a feast for the eyes, with lots of sustainable furniture, lighting and other decorative wares to choose from. Now is your chance to vote for your favorite Brooklyn designs. We’ll be tallying up all the votes tomorrow and awarding the winners our coveted Inhabitat Green Design Awards on Sunday, so take a minute to check out all the designs and vote!

VOTE HERE! >

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As the death toll Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh surpasses 1,100, people around the world are calling on the fashion industry to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring  More than 1 million people have signed petitions calling for brands and retailers sourcing from Bangladesh to commit to the legally binding, first-of-its-kind Bangladesh Building and Fire Safety Agreement, according to the Clean Clothes Campaign, an alliance of organizations in 15 European countries dedicated to improving working conditions in the global garment and sportswear industries.

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We caught up with Adam Frank at BKLYN Designs this week, and we had a chance to check out his latest design, the LUCID Mirror. The mirror functions just like a typical reflective sheet of glass, but it also has a 3D image of illuminated clouds floating at the top. The LUCID mirror features a dimmer on the frame that allows users to control the brightness of an LED bulb that illuminates a projection of floating clouds. Vote for Frank and his LUCID Mirror in the BKLYN Designs Editor’s Choice Awards.

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With summertime adventures often come scratches, bites, stings and other minor wounds from interactions with nature. While such things certainly shouldn’t deter kids—and parents—from playing outdoors, it’s often preferable to steer away from the medicine cabinet when looking for a cure. And luckily there’s a lot hanging out in your fridge that can help—from bananas for mosquito bites to honey for cuts and scrapes, read on to learn more surprising summer remedies you may well already have at home.

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BKLYN Designs kicked off yesterday morning with over 30 Brooklyn-based designers showcasing their latest work at St. Ann’s Warehouse in DUMBO. Inhabitat was on the scene checking out some amazing designs, including rustic tables made from recycled aluminum, chairs made from reclaimed wood and adjustable, magnetic lights. Read on to check out some of our picks from the show, and don’t forget to vote for your favorites in the Inhabitat Green Design Awards

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MVRDV & Space Group have jointly submitted a masterplan proposal for the growing Norwegian city of Stavenger. The urban masterplan includes housing, commercial and office space plus a large swath of green space and recreation opportunities. Carefully balanced to provide amenities and necessities for the booming town, the Madla-Revheim masterplan will help the define the city and help it grow in a sustainable way.

 

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To say that it’s been a good week for Tesla would be quite an understatement. First, the Tesla Model S earned Consumer Reports’ highest-ever rating with a score of 99 out of 100. Then, after 10 years in business, the electric car maker announced its first quarterly profit in Q1 of 2013 with a net income of $11.2 million. In the wake of the news, Tesla stock prices surged 24 percent, and shares of the company’s stock reached $69.40 when markets closed in New York on Thursday.

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The Wilkinson Residence by Oshatz Architects is a wonderful wooden home that stands on a steep slope within the forests of Portland, Oregon. The home's unusual organic shape is designed to minimize disturbance to the surrounding forest while creating perfect interior acoustics from its audiophile resident.

 

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