In David Owen’s Green Metropolis, he makes a good argument for cities as system of choice for a sustainable future. Using Manhattan as a case in point, Owen explains that the closeness of businesses and homes, coupled with gridlocked traffic makes NYC an attractive place for cycling and walking. The book has a lot of […]
Opinion
(PARK)ing Day 2012 roundup
This past Friday, September 21, 2012, was National PARK(ing) Day. For the past three years, moss has hosted a PARK(ing) Day installation, reclaiming a metered parking space by turning it into a temporary public park. With the help of a steady stream of quarters, live music and delicious goods from Southport Grocery, we joined in […]
How To Work Outside
The past few weeks have been evenly divided between time spent in the lovely moss studio and time spent on the lovely moss patio. As the weather has warmed, I’ve found the latter more difficult to resist. Outdoor offices are kind of an oxymoron, right? Computers, buzzing phones and suits don’t belong on a grassy […]
Tyus and The Amazing Technicolor Dream Court
Despite this year’s lack of buzzer beaters, I’m a sucker for the NCAA basketball tournament. Cinderellas, upsets, March Madness, Capital One, all that. I don’t think my Mom ever realized I would always have to stay home sick from school around the third Thursday of March (sorry, Mom). During the three weeks of the tournament […]
Friday Favorites: The Natural, Eco-friendly Fridge, Einstein and Wet Sand
The refrigerator present in most Western kitchens today wasn’t invented all that long ago. Carl Van Linde developed the technology in the 1870’s, but his ammonia-based fridges still required separate motors, and inhaling the toxic gases within led to a few deaths—not ideal. The first freestanding, commercially available fridge hit shelves (well, floors) in 1913, and wasn’t really perfected […]
Friday Favorites: Changers, Carbonrally, Econofy Inspire Sustainable Living via Social Media
The web may not be climate change-combat’s poster child, but it may be its knight in shining armor. On the one hand we know that outlet usage has increased a lot since the internet and its buddies (smartphones, bluetooth keyboards, ipods) burst onto the scene; on the other, it has saved trees, and more to […]
Friday Favorites: creative reminders to conserve
We’re posting things we like every friday. They’ll range from amazing dishes to jars of pickles to cleaning products to eye-catching graphics. One thing you can be sure of is that they’ll all relate to our principal passions: food, beer/wine, and all things green, sustainable and design-y. This week we’re highlighting creative ways to encourage […]
Reclaimed Book + Wine Shelf
The enlightened man’s entertainment center can hold your treasured classics and cherished vintages. Designed and fabricated by moss, our new wine and book storage shelf is constructed of materials sourced from within 100 miles of Chicago. The wood is reclaimed Walnut (framing members and siding) from a demolished barn in Northern Indiana. The mortise and […]
Water Hazard: Out On The Fringe
Water Hazard is an ongoing architectural research project by moss. We are studying water related issues to become better stewards of this most precious resource. Below is the latest dispatch. If you have been airborne over our country’s midsection, or just looked at a Google aerial you probably noticed the green circles that dot the […]
PARK(ing) Day in 30 Days
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/27730232] Our third annual PARK(ing) Day installation at Southport and Addison is on Friday, September 16, 2011, 9a-5p (video above is a mashup from our 2009 park-ification). This is totally going to be the best year yet! On site bicycle repair, in-park dining tables, live music, and food. Be sure to be there to […]
The Tangled Web That Is The Chicago Department of Buildings
Mayor Emanuel announced today he is planning to streamline the Department of Building’s permitting process. Hoooray! He says the changes announced would reduce the permit wait time from submittal to issuance down to 35 days. (He also mentioned setting up a website for homeowners to track the status of the permit. He’s new to this, […]
2 Sparrows in Eater Chicago
Publicity machine: Activate! Our 2 Sparrows project was featured in Eater Chicago. Check out the progress here.