Did you know that almost 30% of the worlds population is currently suffering from asthma? Since the 1970s, the number of people with asthma has steadily increased, and it is estimated that by 2019 a striking 400 million people worldwide will be living with this chronic disease. The cause for asthma is traced back to the environment we live in, genetic factors, and lifestyle. But not many people know that an active lifestyle could actually lead to less asthma symptoms and potentially even reduce the amount of asthma medication needed. Cenk Aytekin, a Turkish born designer and recent MA graduate from Umeå Institute of Design in Sweden, recently presented his ‘Asthma Wellness Kit’; a concept showing how holistic thinking and wellness can be incorporated into asthma care today.

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Post tags: asthma, asthma and exercise, asthma devices for exercise, asthma kit, asthma wellness, cenk aytekin, Design for Health, healthcare, heat exchanger, medical, medical devices for asthma, naci cenk aytekin, Philips, wellness

Power Pipe is a brilliant, easy-to-install heat exchanger that can save a bundle on home energy costs by using hot drain water to heat incoming cold water. Statistics from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency show that 20%-30% of all household energy goes toward heating water, so lessening this energy draw can have a large effect on homeowner utility bills. The system works by wrapping your bathtub drain pipe with layers of highly conductive copper coils, which effectively transfer heat from the waste water draining down the pipe.

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Post tags: Eco, energy recovery, green, green power, greenbuild 2011, heat exchanger, power pipe, renewability energy, shower water, Sustainable, Technology

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Post tags: Austria, eco design, golf club, green design, green roof, heat exchanger, natural landscaping, pesticide free, St. Oswald Clubhouse, sustainable design, X Architekten, Zero energy

Humans are pretty temperature-sensitive creatures, which means we use a ton of power every year through heating and air-conditioning systems. But imagine if there were a way to save the summer’s hot air and use it to heat buildings throughout the winter. Sounds like science fiction, right? Well one Swiss University has a plan to make that dream a reality with their campus, Science City.

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Post tags: anergy, cooling systems, eco design, Gehrard Schmitt, green design, heat exchanger, heating systems, Honggerberg Campus, Science City, sustainable design