Energy | Urban Planning

One (1) Was inspired by Architect Francis Kéré, recently in Toronto speaking at the Goethe Institute's Ecology.Design.Synergy lecture series. Kere brought his architectural education back to his village in Burkina Faso where he began to build sustainable buildings from local materials and labour. Kere's 'Bricks for the Gando School' foundation continues to develop buildings that meet the demands of both rainy season and a hot climate.

Two (2) A colleague referenced Partners in Project Green the other day, a partnership initiative between the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). The Eco-Business Zone project focuses on energy and waste management issues and green space improvements, employee health and productivity, and the creation of green jobs in Canada’s largest employment area. Image Source.

Three (3) Also inspired by John Paul Morgan at TreeHouse Talks this June. JP founded Toronto based Morgan Solar to find a solution to making solar energy significantly less expensive. He’s on the brink of bringing his teams' innovation to market.

Four (4) Videosphere: A New Generation at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery to October 9, 2011

Photo Credit: SB C+D

Five (5) Suzy Lake: Political Poetics, at CONTACT 2011

Photo Credit: SB C+D

February: Crowdsourcing Love

Three thought provoking approaches to crowdsourcing crossed my path this week. #GreatCaseStudies

One (1) Crowdsourcing Fun

If you haven't already heard of The Awesome Foundation’s Toronto launch - a truly awesome concept! “ The Foundation distributes a series of monthly $1,000 grants to projects and their creators. The money is given upfront in a paper bag full of cash by a group of ten self-organizing “micro-trustees,” who form autonomous chapters around geographic areas or topics of interest. The Awesome Foundation

Two (2) Crowdsourcing Differentiation

Mashable Headline: How HSN’s New Crowdsourcing Project Could Shake Up Online Retail Of note: HSN’s recent gamble on consumer product entrepreneurs and experimentation with crowdsourcing.

Three (3) Crowdsourcing Expertise

The International Wildlife Crossing Infrastructure Design Competition "engaged the best and most innovative international, interdisciplinary design teams—comprised of landscape architects, architects, engineers, ecologists, and other experts..." to create wildlife crossing structures. arc-competition.com

From Lisa Rochon's G&M article: A safe passage across treacherous roadways. A great contrast to the human centred design focus of last week. Toronto's Janet Rosenberg & Associates entry shown here.