In the Veneto region of northern Italy, a kindergarten rises like a small village from the earth. Its roofs are steep and terracotta-colored, its forms simple and geometric, and its courtyards open to sky and garden. The building is called Kinder Rain, designed by the Italian studio AACM – Atelier Architettura Chinello Morandi, and it feels less like a school and more like a small settlement where children can wander, gather, and grow gardens and themselves.

At a time when many educational buildings resemble efficient boxes of steel and glass, and thankfully container houses are out (read here why container houses can be a health hazard)  Kinder Rain looks backward to move forward in the way our spirits need. Its design draws inspiration from the Casone Veneto, a traditional rural house once used by farmers and fishermen in the surrounding landscape. These structures were humble but deeply rooted in place: thick clay walls, steep roofs, and forms shaped by weather, agriculture, and the rhythms of everyday life.

Kinder Rain reinterprets this vernacular architecture through a series of pyramidal classroom volumes, clustered together like houses in a tiny town. Instead of corridors and rigid classroom grids, the kindergarten is organized around open courtyards and shared spaces.

These spaces function as an architectural commons, allowing children to move fluidly between indoor learning and outdoor play.

The result feels almost like something from a Waldorf-inspired environment, where architecture becomes part of the educational philosophy. Spaces are tactile and human-scaled, encouraging exploration and imagination rather than control. A pigmented concrete bench traces the base of the building, forming a soft threshold between garden and classroom. Children can sit, climb, gather, or simply watch the world from its edge.

Materials play a central role in this atmosphere. The kindergarten is wrapped in a continuous terracotta envelope, referencing the clay tiles and earthy construction traditions of the Veneto countryside. The tones are warm and grounded, connecting the building visually to the surrounding landscape.

Inside, wooden ceilings echo the texture of traditional thatched roofs. A skylight above the central space lets sunlight pour downward through the structure, quietly marking the passage of time during the day. Morning light spills into classrooms, while afternoon shadows stretch across the courtyards.

Each classroom opens outward into a protected patio, creating semi-enclosed outdoor rooms where lessons can spill into fresh air. These patios blur the boundary between inside and outside, an important idea in early childhood education where nature and play are inseparable.

The spatial logic of Kinder Rain follows an interplay of solids and voids. Pyramidal classrooms provide shelter and focus, while courtyards provide openness and community. At the center lies a shared internal agorà, a gathering space that allows teachers and children to see one another across the building.

The architecture is simple, but its message is powerful. Kinder Rain suggests that schools do not need to dominate their landscape or overwhelm young minds with scale and complexity. Instead, they can grow organically from local traditions and materials.

The post Kinder Rain imagines vernacular architecture for early learning appeared first on Green Prophet.

Fusion energy is hard to create and it’s hard to explain. Brian gives a great background here. International design and innovation office CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati and architect Italo Rota, together with Italy’s energy company Eni, present a project dedicated to magnetic confinement fusion, one of the most innovative technologies for the decarbonization of energy systems. The project showcases the mock-up of a Tokamak reactor, built within a former gasholder in Rome, Italy, in order to inform visitors about this breakthrough technology with Italian flair.

It was released in 2022. 

The project by CRA and Italo Rota is part of Maker Faire Rome, Europe’s leading event for the community of Makers. It is situated in the site of Gazometro Ostiense, one of the foremost symbols of the Italian capital’s modern industrial heritage, located just three kilometers southwest of the Colosseum. Inside a 50-meter-high, 40-meter-wide gasholder, visitors can explore the conceptual model of a Tokamak, a fundamental component in magnetic confinement technology processes. After an ascending path, people can access inside the Tokamak. Here, within a red-lit circular corridor, a series of multimedia content narrates the technology and its ongoing scientific investigations.

 “Magnetic confinement fusion is a clean technology that has the potential to be one of tomorrow’s key decarbonization solutions,” comments Carlo Ratti, founder of CRA and Director of the MIT Senseable City Lab. “With the project, we wanted to start an open-design process to imagine how fusion power plants will be integrated in sub-urban areas – prompting makers and architects alike to join a discussion on our future energy landscape.” 

“We have the chance to explore new forms of storytelling about energy,” adds Italo Rota, co-designer of the installation. “We believe that design is a powerful tool to turn a narration into an experience, allowing visitors to sense the energy while being surrounded by a unique atmosphere.”

The project follows Eni’s work on magnetic confinement, which has been unfolding in the last few years through a series of academic collaborations – most notably, with the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) – and the energy company Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS). During the process of magnetic confinement, the fusion of two hydrogen nuclei releases an enormous amount of energy, similarly to how it happens inside the sun and other stars. The most substantial advantage of this technology is that it does not emit greenhouse gases or highly polluting or highly radioactive substances. Furthermore, it is safe and virtually inexhaustible. 

In the past years, CRA has been developing several energy-related projects on different scales: from the Helsinki Hot Heart, a series of islands with the dual function of thermal energy storage – currently the largest urban decarbonization project in the world – and recreational public spaces, to the masterplan for MIND (Milan Innovation District) to CapitaSpring, a 280-meter-tall high-rise oasis in Singapore designed together with BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group.

Over the past years, CRA and Eni have been collaborating to promote new forms of circularity and sustainable energy production. Their projects have been showcased at international events such as the Maker Faire in Rome, Milan Design Week, and Expo Dubai 2020.

The post Italy’s energy company Eni adds Italian flair for design in industrial fusion reactor appeared first on Green Prophet.

I live in the Mediterranean and this past winter (which is as warm as a New York spring) I had a cricket living outside my window. Every night at dusk he would start up his legs –– at first with a squeaky creak –– and he would ratchet it up to a steady sing for us a marvelous song that would last a few hours. I’d go out and check on him sometimes, hoping to keep him safe but eventually he moved on, or died. My friends say crickets in their garden is their bedtime nightmare. I was dreaming of keeping crickets for my lullabies and the scientists and musicians from Melbourne have helped my dreams come true.

In Venice, sustainability isn’t just a theme—it’s a living, breathing force at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, opening Saturday, May 10.

Among the standout exhibits this year is “Song of the Cricket”, a groundbreaking fusion of ecological conservation and interactive sound art brought to life by researchers from the University of Melbourne.

Set in the heart of the Venice lagoon, the installation highlights the precarious status of the Adriatic Marbled Bush-Cricket, a once-common singing insect whose habitat has been reduced to a mere 0.57 square kilometers. Fewer than 5,000 adults are estimated to remain. But this project aims to change that.

Led by Professor Alex Felson and the Urban Ecology and Design Lab at Melbourne, the team will collect, breed, and relocate these critically endangered crickets in an effort to reintroduce them into the Venice lagoon. At the same time, they will explore adaptive land-use strategies and smarter conservation approaches to help safeguard the species against future climate shifts.

“This is not just a temporary installation – it’s a step toward reconstructing vital cricket populations in the Venice lagoon,” said Professor Felson.

The exhibit features floating, mobile habitats that serve both as conservation tools and interactive sculpture. Each structure is designed to house the crickets while also offering an immersive audio experience for visitors. Blending science and sound art, the project creates a multisensory call to action for ecological stewardship.

Professor Julie Willis, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, praised the initiative as a vivid example of university-led innovation.

“‘Song of the Cricket’ showcases world-leading research from across the University. Combining art and science, the exhibit helps people to reimagine this iconic place as a living, responsive, and biodiverse city,” she said.

One of the installation’s most unique features is the interactive sound garden and cricket choir, designed by Associate Professor Miriama Young. Set against the backdrop of a 16th-century Venetian shipyard, the soundscape reawakens the natural chorus that once filled the city’s wetlands.

“Antonio Vivaldi’s Venice was once alive with the sounds of nature. This project re-imagines a healthy bioacoustic environment and develops synergies in ecological art practice through architectures of sound and sustainability,” said Young.

This exhibit joins other sustainability-focused pavilions at the Biennale, such as Australia’s “HOME,” which explores Indigenous environmental knowledge, and Seoul’s call for coexistence with nature in urban planning.

“HOME,” is showcasing Indigenous knowledge systems and their relationship with environmental stewardship. The exhibition invites visitors to engage with Australia’s natural environment through Indigenous perspectives, emphasizing the importance of sustainability and cultural heritage.

Together, these works underscore a larger truth: that architecture and design are no longer just about buildings, but about reviving the ecosystems and cultural soundscapes that make cities truly alive.

Sustainability Takes Center Stage at the 2025 Venice Biennale

The 2025 Venice Biennale is placing sustainability at the forefront, with several national pavilions and exhibitions highlighting environmental themes and practices.

The post Sustainability and Crickets Sing in Venice at Venice Biennale appeared first on Green Prophet.

The design duo explain that their larger concept is to create entire cemeteries full of trees instead of tombstones. Low maintenance swaths of land that require minimal irrigation (if any at all) will – when mature – provide new and protected wildlife habitat, and serve as carbon sinks and natural ‘air-fresheners’ to nearby urban areas.

They anticipate advance purchasing of their burial capsules, stating that each client will be able to choose their favorite tree.The project’s site already has a number of trees to choose from.

As with other green burials such as Bios Urna (shrub pots pre-planted with soil, seeds, and human remains) and Poetree Burial Planter (human ashes in a biodegradable cork pot, planted with a boxwood sapling and ringed with the deceased’s inscription in ceramic), families and friends could visit the future flora, care for it and rest in its shade.

Presumably, if we chose a fruit tree, they could harvest some fruit and make jam. If it was a maple, they could tap it for pancake syrup. Unique ways to remember deceased and continue the “circle of life”, indeed.

The designers point out on their website that the process circumvents the need for coffins, saving valuable resources.  Bodies would be left in a natural state, with no embalming chemicals to poison the soil and groundwater. It’s certainly sustainable, so why does this scheme give me the creeps?

I attribute my unease to the burial process. Unlike the schemes in our past post, the Capsula Mundi uses whole bodies, not cremated remains. Stretchable fabric encapsulates bodies bent into fetal position and shaped up in an egg-like orb, with a sapling atop the planted human bulb.

It’s that fetal pose part, so adorable in a newborn, but for others? The idea makes me ache.  And don’t get me started on their story-board (above). The only thing pulls my gaze from the curled-up cute dead guy is the ant.

No zen-like picnics in the lovely forest for me, I’d be obsessed with all those shrinking sacks of below-ground people tucked tightly into tree-feeding balls. Call me claustrophobic, but it’s like being trapped in an economy airplane seat for eternity.

The project is now only a concept because Italian law forbids such burials. But rest assured I’ll think of it every time I fly on the cheap.

Update 2025: you can buy a Capsula Mundi urn

The Capsula Mundi urn is a biodegradable urn. The ashes are put in through a hole, closed with a cone shaped screw top. After the burial, a tree, chosen in life by the deceased, in consideration of the local ecosystem, will be planted in top of it. Capsula Mundi biodegradable urn turns the ashes into a tree. Capsula Mundi urns are made in Italy. Each urn is unique, thanks to handcrafted interventions during production. And it comes in two versions: Sand and White.

“Capsula Mundi for the body is still in a start-up phase,” write the designers. “This kind of burial is legal in many countries but not everywhere. In Italy, where this project was born, only the Capsula Mundi urn is permitted. However, “green cemeteries” are popular in many other countries, especially in the English speaking countries.

Since 2003, when Capsula Mundi was exhibited for the first time at the “Salone del Mobile” (an international furniture exhibition in Milan, Italy) our team has been working to raise awareness and to promote the idea, fully convinced that before changing laws, we need to challenge the way people think.

Capsula Mundi was likely inspired by Ran Morin and his Jaffa hanging tree installation Oranger Suspendu.

The post Capsula Mundi burial pods grow live trees from dead people appeared first on Green Prophet.

Many tourists presume that Italy is expensive and think that living in Italy is pretty much unrealistic. And if you happen to be at St. Mark’s Square in Italy, the decision to live in Italy might be even more unnerving. But that’s not the case at all! If you move outside the famous tourist places, you’ll find that you don’t have to spend a fortune to lead a good life in Italy. 

Now that we already know how great a country it is, foreign investors are taking a keen interest in expanding their base in Italy. Moreover, the country’s economic policies are making it an attractive option— both in terms of living standards and international investments. To put it simply, the government initiatives facilitate and simplify internal regulations to streamline bureaucratic systems for those who wish to start or expand their business. 

This is how the “Golden Visa” program came to the limelight. This article will shed some light on the maxims of getting a permanent residency through investment and why you should opt for those who are still new to this concept.

Golden Visa- The Investor Visa Program

The primary program enables foreign citizens to obtain a permanent residency through investment. Experts and professionals also call it “The Italian Golden Visa” or “The Investor Visa.” This program targets individuals with high worth and those who can contribute significantly to the Italian economy. 

Having said that, there are other ways that you can consider investing in Italy. To give you an example, you can go for the StartUp program (that further bifurcates into Italia Startup Hub and Italia Startup Visa). Using this scheme will allow foreign nationals to obtain citizenship by setting up a company in Italy. 

Other than this, you can also look for options like an entrepreneur visa or self-employment resident permit. Irrespective of all the options available, if you want to enter Italy for business purposes, the Golden Visa program still holds the top spot. 

But before we move ahead with all the legalities, you might want to know the reasons as to why you should go for dual citizenship through investment in the first place. Right?

Top Reasons to Opt for Italian’s Golden Visa 

Besides the high standards of living and incredible investment opportunities, there are a plethora of reasons that make the Golden visa program such a good option for new-age entrepreneurs and investors. 

First things first, you get to be a part of the EU union. So, technically you get the freedom of moving across Europe without any restrictions. Thus, it accounts for the most significant and most vital pros if you list down why you should opt for this Italian investor visa.

For more than 30 years, everyone knows this country as the second-largest manufacturer across Europe. In fact, it is home to a large manufacturing trade surplus and outranks many leaders for a plethora of products. 

The country is also home to 20 different universities that rank among the top 500 institutions for quality education worldwide. So, you get access to a skilled workforce within the country itself. 

The country values investors, whether new or old. The authorities make sure to form a good relationship with investors. And for that, it offers its investors a variety of information regarding investments and other services to help them at every stage. 

If you don’t know where to begin, the following information might help you get started in the right direction. 

Since you are eyeing investing in Italy, you must dwell on the necessary knowledge to find the best option. Having said that, experts suggest that if you wish to invest in Italy, you must go for options like telecommunications, renewable energy, life sciences, travel/ tourism, or related sectors. 

And if you opt for sectors like capital goods, fashion, robotics, or biotechnology, you will benefit from their high-growth potential. In short, you have a wide array of options to choose from. 

Besides this, if you think about settling in Italy, you will benefit from flat tax rates. Not only this, it gives you access to the marketplace with more than 500 million consumers. You can learn more by visiting the website of Bersani Law Firm you will find how the Golden Visa Program is beneficial in the long run. 

Also, since the entire process is so streamlined and online, it is quite an easy option to expand your business. Now that you have some motivation as a catalyst for settling in Italy, the experts suggest noting down some things to get going. 

Prerequisites For Obtaining an Italian Citizenship by Investment 

If you are looking to immigrate to Italy via investment, the following are the minimum requirements that you must fulfill. 

• The investor must be around 18 years of age to start with the application procedure. 
• The state of health must be well-documented and excellent. 
• There must be no criminal record.

Besides, if you go by the September amendments to this investment program, here are some nitty-gritty details about the amount you need to invest in applying for this program. 

• For a novel startup idea– €250,000
• For companies that are working in Italy- €500,000
• Government Bonds – €2 million
• Philanthropic donations for culture, education, research, and so on- €1 million (minimum). 

Note- Since the processing time of the application is around 30 days, the only thing you require is to declare how you will use these funds at the time of application. In other words, you don’t need to invest until you get the final status of your application. 

How to Get Started With This Program?

Firstly, you need to file for Nulla Osta/ no impediment certificate. You can even register online and apply for the same. Once you are through with that, you must visit the Italian embassy in your country and apply for a 2-year visa. You can extend it for more and include your family members as well.  

Documents Required

If you don’t have all your documents, this procedure might seem a bit complicated or lengthy. Other than Nulla Osta, you must have a valid passport, documents of investment (with the help of a bank statement), and proof of money procurement (In simple terms, the sources from where you got your money.)

Now that you are pretty familiar with the legalities and the process, you will have an idea that you can’t use all your time in filing and procuring documents with so much going around on the ideation or setting up of your business. 

 This is why you require assistance from lawyers who have experience in the Golden visa investment program. Keep reading, and you will find out more reasons!

Why Should You Hire an Attorney to Apply For The Golden Visa Program?

If everything goes according to the plan and you are starting your journey to obtaining Dual Italian citizenship, you need the support of the lawyers that will take you to the finish line with ease and comfort. 

Is that all? Not really! Let’s dive a little deeper and find out more about this. 

• For starters, if you hire experienced attorneys, they will help you understand both the physical and legal aspects of investing in Italy. 
• As every situation is unique, the lawyers will provide you with tailored recommendations to smoothly get through the complicated process.
• Since you will require several documents to get started, the lawyers will help speed things up to obtain all the necessary documents on time. 

To Sum it All

Italy is a country known for its fantastic culture. But that’s not the only reason its popularity is growing in the market. This country is quite open to innovation, which is why it spends around 20 billion euros on R&D. This reason makes it a pretty promising country for investors who wish to invest in diverse markets. 

Also, it has more than three universities among the top 10 institutions across the world with around eight significant economies. And if you take into account the “impact factor” of research articles, Italy ranks fifth among the lot. Thus, making this country one of the best options for investments. 

Besides these, the country has an excellent infrastructure and gives you access to a skilled workforce with technical knowledge. Also, the government is readily making economic repositioning changes that make it possible for investors to achieve results as anticipated. 

In short, if you opt for the Golden visa program, you have everything to gain. But you must have all the documents and investment money to gain entry into this region successfully. For instance, 

• You must have a Nulla Osta issued before applying for the visa. But make sure the time between Nulla Osta and application is not more than six months. 
• If you wish to stay, you must inform the authorities to get the permit. You can renew the timeline if you can maintain the investment amount for those number of years.

Hoping that all the information mentioned above will help you make a decision that’s beneficial for you. So, are you ready to expand your business? 

The post Grow Your Business With Italy’s Golden Visa Program appeared first on Green Prophet.

The La Spezia Arsenale 2062 competition was open to architects and designers around the world; they were asked to conceive a more peaceful reality for the host of destructive weapons and reintegrate the area to become a vibrant part of the city. La Spezia lies between Genoa and Pisa in the north.

Günay Erdem and Sunay Erdem took an unusual approach to their design – starting with playful hand drawn renders (versus computer-generated images.) These, which I love for being so human and natural, unsurprisingly have a softening affect on the master plan for the three peace islands.

Like water colors, the diagrams clearly outline the duo’s sweet vision for La Spezia, the diagrams evoke a sense of peacefulness – which is exactly what the brief called for. They trust that the locals will evolve away from the spirit of war and combat, the very antithesis of peace, in search of something more gentle.

Each of their islands has a different theme. Peace Island #1 is a place for socializing – an airy, pedestrian-friendly space for indoor and outdoor eats – that will resonate with vestiges of cultural and historical heritage – without the arsenal part! This is 2062 – remember? Anything is possible.

Related: Gorgeous green-roofed Ostim Park is an incubator for clean tech in Turkey

And perhaps that is what I like most about this design – the sense that anything is possible. My least favorite part is the second island, which is supposed to be for a zoo.

This is an honest thing that probably wouldn’t even transpire. There won’t be enough animals alive to go in zoos by 2062, unless – tragically – we won’t find them anywhere else thanks to climate change and rampant habitat destruction (I shudder at the thought.)

Here’s the important thing: the sentiment is there – the idea that animals are peace-loving and therefore being around them makes our life better comes with good intentions, but in my opinion, as an environmentalist and supporter of wild rights for all creatures, the zoo is not a great idea.

Peace Island #3, on the other hand, is going to be spectacular if this plan comes to pass! This is where a smorgasbord of flowers and other plants will be raised to create a densely vegetated, beautiful space in the heart of the city.

“The arsenal harbor gets a new lease of life after being transformed into three peace islands: The first island is a place of agoras, cafes, restaurants, cinemas, pubs and bookstores where people socialize, not make war,” “Günay Erdem tells World Architecture.

“The second island is a zoo island with animals representing peace. And the third island is a place where plants, the most representative of a peaceful life, grow.”

While other projects captured this essence as well, the judges favored Erdem’s design for its “compliance to program, original details and design creativity, long view and possibilities on the gulf landscape development, composition and look.”

:: Erdem Architects

The post Turkish architects design peace islands to replace La Spezia war arsenal appeared first on Green Prophet.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) says that the Mediterranean’s biggest eco-debtor is Italy, meaning that nation uses more resources than it generates.  Does that mean Middle Eastern nations bordering the sea are environmentally savvy consumers? Mama Mia, no! The medium is the message, said Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan. And the message is skewed by the words. Calling our region the “Middle East” chops off connectivity to the other club we belong to: the Mediterranean Basin region.

According to data released by the Global Footprint Network, based on a 47-year-long study, Italy is the Mediterranean Basin country with the highest environmental debt. The Middle East doesn’t appear until fourth and fifth place rankings:  Turkey (10%) and Egypt (9%).

”This study examined country footprints from 1961-2008,” explained WWF Italy’s Scientific Director Gianfranco Bologna in a  report by ANSAMed. ”Italy had the highest ecological deficit in the region. Overall, energy and services demand in the region rose 197% in 47 years, tripling the ecological deficit (+230%). In the last four years, difference between local supply and demand rose by 150%.”

Italy’s ecological deficit is 23%, according to the report. Next are Spain (17%), and France (13%).

The southern shore of the Mediterranean is positioned to climb in the rankings because the richer a country becomes, the greater its demand for resources.  Its carbon footprint will also grow exponentially.

Civil war and political upheaval have dampened economic growth in our region, but as nations emerge stronger and with improved stability, commerce and tourism will resume with ravenous consumption of natural resources.

”Between 1961-2008, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Syria went from being eco-creditors to debtors, with Algeria making the biggest jump,” Bologna explained. Portugal was the only country that reduced its eco-debt over the study period, by 18% from 1998-2008.

The Middle East dodged a bullet in this “name and shame” analysis, but the data can be viewed as a warning.  Middle Eastern development is inevitable: it’s imperative to plan now for smart growth or face catastrophic ecological deficits.

Image of Mediterranean map by Shutterstock

The post Mediterranean’s Worst Eco-Debtor Not in the Middle East (Yet) appeared first on Green Prophet.

When tourists visit Pisa, Italy they discover not only that the tower really does lean but also that there is a considerable number of immigrants and refugees speaking perfect Italian waiting for them.  The Arab spring has created a considerable  influx of refugees  seeking stability in Italy, but it is hard to understand how these people can easily integrate. One way is for refugees and immigrants to directly engage with the Italian public on issues relating to their own country.

For three days in Pisa, local arab-italian NGOs , arab students and workers,  in collaboration with the municipality of Pisa have decided to dedicate a space to represent and deliberate on the arab spring and immigration in Italy.

Here Green Prophet shares a selection of the posters used during the “Jasmine Revolution” in Tunisia, that were exposed in Pisa.

Amongst other events, an interesting initiative called “interactive library on the Arab world” was successfully carried out. Here Arab immigrants, resident in Tuscany, become “living books” from their own country. The public is then invited to consult the library’s catalogue, select a “book” and converse with the selected individual about his/ her country of origin .

On this occasion the Italian public was bought directly in touch with Arab immigrants and  refugees, to talk about deep , personal or political issues creating better understanding and eventually creating better prospects for integration.

Direct interaction is sometimes more valuable than relying on interlocutors, such as the media, for information.

The post Pisa Italians and Arab Immigrants Lean Closer Through Public Art appeared first on Green Prophet.

Just as IKEA stops selling incandescent bulbs in Israel, a new study that illuminates some unknown health effects of newer environmentally friendly LED lights – effects that might help us know more about lighting and cancer.

Exposure to the light of white LED bulbs, it turns out, suppresses melatonin five times more than exposure to the outdoor lights filled with high pressure sodium bulbs that give off an orange-yellow light. “Just as there are regulations and standards for ‘classic’ pollutants, there should also be regulations and rules for the pollution stemming from artificial light at night,” says Prof. Abraham Haim of the University of Haifa who is following the effects of cancer and artificial lights at night.

A 2021 study found that lights at night doesn’t only mess with us but it’s probably ravaging the entire animal world that lives near us. Crickets have lost their sense of timing, and ability to mate, beetles can’t find the Milky Way, and sea turtles

Melatonin is a compound that adjusts our biological clock and is known for its anti-oxidant and anti-cancerous properties. The study investigated the influence of different types of bulbs on “light pollution” and the suppression of melatonin, with the researchers recommending several steps that should be taken to balance the need to save energy and protecting public health.

The fact that “white” artificial light (which is actually blue light on the spectrum, emitted at wavelengths of between 440-500 nanometers) suppresses the production of melatonin in the brain’s pineal gland is already known.

Also known is the fact that suppressing the production of melatonin, which is responsible, among other things, for the regulation of our biological clock, causes behavior disruptions and health problems.

In this study, conducted by astronomers, physicists and biologists from ISTIL- Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute in Italy, the National Geophysical Data Center in Boulder, Colorado, and the University of Haifa, researchers for the first time examined the differences in melatonin suppression in a various types of light bulbs, primarily those used for outdoor illumination, such as streetlights, road lighting, mall lighting and the like.

In the first, analytical part of the study, the researchers, relying on various data, calculated the wavelength and energy output of bulbs that are generally used for outdoor lighting. Next, they compared that information with existing research regarding melatonin suppression to determine the melatonin suppression level of each bulb type.

Taking into account the necessity for artificial lighting in cities, as well as the importance of energy-saving bulbs, the research team took as a reference point the level of melatonin suppression by a high-pressure sodium (HPS) bulb, a bulb that gives off orange-yellow light and is often used for street and road lighting, and compared the data from the other bulbs to that one.

From this comparison it emerged that the metal halide bulb, which gives off a white light and is used for stadium lighting, among other uses, suppresses melatonin at a rate more than 3 times greater than the HPS bulb, while the light-emitting diode (LED) bulb, which also gives off a white light, suppresses melatonin at a rate more than 5 times higher than the HPS bulb.

“The current migration from the now widely used sodium lamps to white lamps will increase melatonin suppression in humans and animals,” the researchers say.

The researchers make some concrete suggestions that could alter the situation without throwing our world into total darkness, but first and foremost, they assert that it is necessary to understand that artificial light creates “light pollution” that ought to be addressed in the realms of regulation and legislation.

White light limits

Their first suggestion of course, is to limit the use of “white” light to those instances where it is absolutely necessary. Another suggestion is to adjust lampposts so that their light is not directed beyond the horizon, which would significantly reduce light pollution.

They also advise against “over-lighting”, using only the amount of light needed for a task, and, of course, to simply turn off lighting when not in use – “Just like we all turn off the light when we leave the room. This is the first and primary way to save energy,” the researchers say.

“Most Italian regions have legislations to lower the impact of light pollution, but they still lack a regulation on the spectrum emitted by lamps. Unless legislation is updated soon, with the current trend toward sources as white LEDs, which emit a huge amount of blue light, we will enter a period of elevated negative effects of light at night on human health and environment. Lamp manufacturers cannot claim that they don’t know about the consequences of artificial light at night,” says Dr. Fabio Falchi of ISTIL.

“As a first step in Israel, for example, the Standards Institution of Israel should obligate bulb importers to state clearly on their packaging what wavelengths are produced by each bulb. If wavelength indeed influences melatonin production, this is information that needs to be brought to the public’s attention, so consumers can decide whether to buy this lighting or not,” Prof. Haim says.

The post What do LED lights do to our biological clocks? appeared first on Green Prophet.

Want to get rid of the clutter from your home office? Cozy up in the Rewrite desk.

Even when I had a large two room open-concept flat in a Templar’s house in Tel Aviv, I still craved the intimacy of small spaces. Those were the days when I was writing for newspapers, and found my thinking cap worked best when I was tucked into my home office under the stairs. Living alone, I didn’t need to create my own little study bubble to keep out the noise and distraction, but there, I felt safe and protected. As more of us migrate from the traditional setting of office to home, we can expect to see more of these products like the Rewrite desk created by an Italian-Danish couple. WAN calls it “a little jewel of modernity and softness.”

Covered in sound absorbing woolen material, the desk designed by GamFratesi is also a sound barrier for those who might be in shared office spaces or sharing the home with kids and other work-from-home people.

Above image via designboom

Made from walnut and Kvadrat Divina wool, the materials writes the architecture magazine “reinforce the overall feeling of softness and security.”

Put your Rewrite desk in the center of your loft, the center of your porch, living room, bedroom or as an efficient use of space under the hallway.

I might just get my own and install it under the stairs! It also reminds me of the cubicles that the grad students got in university – ones that inspired me to want to continue post-graduate education.

No news on availability in the Middle East, but the Rewrite desk which lovingly hides cords, and cleans the “clutter” of an office in your kitchen, has already been on display at the Danish Museum of Art and Design, Copenhagen.

The designers write that it’s been in production since Jan 2011 with Ligne Roset:

“The idea behind Rewrite began as a study of the desktop and especially an atmosphere and feeling we believe is needed even in the middle of an accelerating communication and technology. Rewrite is thought of as a kind of isolating working-bubble, that can work as a satellite-desk anywhere one can feel the need of concentration and shielding – in open space offices, public spaces or at home.

With its rounded shape it can be placed freely as dots in a room. A private base in the group without being a denial of it, but an addition to it causing an alternative.

It has a cave-like shape and creates a secure and intimate sphere, which partially closes out disturbing light and sounds. It has a doublesided acoustic function that protects against noise from the outside as well as from the inside.

::World Architecture News

The post Rewrite’s Soft and Cozy Study Bubble by GamFratesi appeared first on Green Prophet.