Along with apples, bananas are the most popular fruits in the world. More than 100 billion bananas are eaten every year, and that same amount is turned into waste. Depending on environmental factors, discarded banana peels can take up to two years to decompose, which poses a serious environmental problem contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and thus to global climate change. Product designers use different parts of banana plants to create biodegradable and renewable materials that can be further utilized to produce sustainable everyday objects.

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Originating from Asian countries, a teahouse, or tearoom, is a building where primarily teas and other light refreshments are served. Informed by the ancient art of the tea ceremony, contemporary tea houses with their pared back minimal architecture and connection to the surrounding environment generate spaces for sharing and reflection.

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Digitalization has permeated all spheres of our life. No wonder that 3D printing in architecture has evolved from building concepts models to building entire structures. This approach has proved to be sustainable and saving time and money, but furthermore, it responds to global societal issues such as exponential population increase and a lack of affordable accommodation, offering an eco-friendly and affordable alternative to traditional construction methods.

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Made from the same non-biodegradable plastics that is used to build car tires, chewing gum is the second most common form of roadside litter, after cigarette butts. Taking 50 years for one single piece to even begin decomposition, it poses a serious ecological problem. In the meantime, synthetic rubbers bubblegum is composed of, like polyethylene and polyvinyl acetate, can be molded, pressed, and hardened into different shapes, creating a material that is relatively durable and easy to work with. Noticing the wasted potential of chewing gum and the harmful effects it poses on the environment, product designers recycle the confectionary into an array of amazing objects.

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Сontrasting with a network of city streets that are often shaded due to their narrow width, plazas bring light and air into the urban landscape. Today, designers and architects adapt the plaza typology to such spaces as the roofs of underground parking garages and urban sites that emerged from the demolition of urban renewal. The result is always the same: a multipurpose spatial volume that serves the community offering the citizens a space for social interaction, significantly enriching the cityscape.

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Although in a well-known children’s story a big bad wolf was quite quick to bring down a house made of straw, numerous studies and experiments show that straw buildings can be solid and resistant. This agricultural waste, a leftover remnant from grain production, can boast good thermal, acoustic, and even structural characteristics. Below, we have selected several eye-catching designs that use the characteristics of this renewable sustainable material to the full.

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The shift from print to digital demands a rethinking of the library both as an institution and a building typology. To sustain their relevance in the information age, modern libraries must not only provide the spatial programming of traditional library buildings, but also generate alternative spaces and uses to attract new audiences. The featured projects depart from the conventional idea of the library turning traditional spaces into modern cultural hubs.

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Architects have long been informed by shapes and forms found in nature. It looks as if pinecones, mushrooms and hop cones have been an inspiration to these roundels aiming to recreate complex organic structures for those who enjoy idiosyncrasies of living in circular spaces.

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Airline meal is an integral part of the in-flight experience, yet often neglected. Many airlines serve their meals with much the same setup and the whole system appears to be outdated remaining unchanged since 1970s. Product designers explore the in-flight dining experience, offering a contemporary reinterpretation of this important part of any air travel.

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During the baroque period, back in the 17-18 centuries, both men and women wore elaborate headdresses that contained an array of embellishments such as sculpted fruits, flowers, and birds to symbolize wealth and status. Having no practical sense, they were beautiful works of art rather utilitarian objects. Today, inspired by these whimsical pieces, hair artists create intricate headdresses and hairstyles that are both futuristic and nostalgic at the same time.

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