Blossom Gate: the portico modeled on Chinese calligraphy

The design collective Penda created the Blossom Gate, an entrance portico with dramatic architecture to a flower garden in the Chinese city of Xiangyang. Inspired by the traditional Chinese calligraphy, the conceptual portico is formed by overlapping layers of dry bamboo and bent in the form of strokes.

Winner of a design competition in 2013, the Blossom Gate defies the traditional notion of portico as a Physics Division and reinvents the concept as something and link social junction.  Like many other works of the atelier, this portico celebrates the use of bamboo as a building material, using the internal frame and on the facade, referred to Inhabitat.

The Blossom Gate is located at the entrance of the greater Myrtle flower garden of the city of Xiangyang. Underneath the portico there are benches and stairs, creating a new social space. Seen as a major architectural landmark of the city, the architects have proposed a variety of recreational activities that Blossom Gate can accommodate markets such as weekend, film sessions and outdoor concert.

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Around the clock, the courier company in grande Porto bike

A little over a year ago, the portuense Renato Guedes decided to Exchange spreadsheets by bicycle pedals and created around the clock, a courier company that refers to two wheels to deliver orders through the streets of Porto.

Currently, the Clock has a team of four runners who perform daily deliveries, under any temperature or weather conditions, ensuring a fast service, sustainable, effective and low cost prices.

Before progressing to the creation of around the clock, Renato Guedes contacted and studied other companies similar to the Brazil, Holland, Denmark, England, Spain, Australia and United States. "This company appears to be an attempt to combine the best of both worlds. From an early age tried to figure out how to work this business and it looked as if developed in other countries, "indicates Renato Guedes,

The mentor of the Clock goes on to explain that the "ecological factor was one of the most important to move forward with the project, trying to bring people together so quickly, economically and environmentally". "In our country we are faced with a growing ecological awareness and we noticed that more and more companies are looking for green alternatives to which you want to associate with," he adds.

The pits of the bikes goes a little bit of everything. Since documents dossiers, product samples, medical exams and medicines and even food. Customers of Against private individuals, ranging from Clock that require last-minute deliveries, to companies that require deliveries on a daily basis. Orders are distributed by the municipalities of Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, Matosinhos, Maia and Gondomar.

In August, the love of cycling

"Love will bike" is the campaign that the Clock has released during the summer, the aim of which is to bring people together with simple gestures and memorable.

"We want to promote the happiness of the inhabitants of the major port through an unusual action. Everyone likes to be surprised, especially when it's for the best reasons. It's always nice to receive something you're not telling, "says Rento Guedes.

So, if you want to send a special gift to the better half just contact the around the clock, they want rain or shine, will ensure the delivery of your order.

The initiative runs until the end of the summer in five municipalities of Porto and offers a discount of 20% on delivery of items.

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20 paths and tracks taken from fairy tales

The highways and byways permeate our literature, art, cinema, music and language expressions. Even the photographers can't take my eyes-in this case the lenses â€" of them.

That's why â€" and also to showcase some of the most magnificent specimens of trees â€" that we have assembled a series of photographs of the most beautiful and magical paths and trails might in the world.

Rails between United States us or Ireland rhododendrons or among bamboos in Japan are some of the most beautiful roads built by the human being among nature.

See some of these beautiful trails and paths.

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As Alfred Heineken invented the upcycling in 1963

The term upcycling was coined in 2002 by the authors William McDonough and Michael Braungart, Cradle to Cradle in the book â€" despite having already been used at least by two other authors, in the years 90. However, forty years earlier, in 1963, as the Dutch Brewer Alfred Heineken, grandson of the founder of the namesake beer, had developed a futuristic project that basically created this need to transform useless or disposable waste in new materials.

The product in question, as it should be, was a bottle of beer â€" the Heineken WOBO. Designed by Alfred in collaboration with the Dutch architect John Habraken, this bottle was also known as "brick with beer".

The idea of Heineken had as a backdrop for a visit to the Caribbean, where he immediately realized two problems: a huge amount of garbage on the beach and lack of construction materials. The result of this double vision was the Heineken WOBO, a bottle that unia to another bottle, forming a glass brick.

The final design of the WOBO was produced in two sizes-350 and 500 mm â€" but both versions aimed at a horizontal placement, uniting the two bottles (as you can see in the photos).

According to Inhabitat, the first production placed on the market 100 thousand bottles, many of them used subsequently to construct a hut of Heineken in Noordwijk, Netherlands. "One of the greatest challenges was realizing how you construct the corners," explained so Heineken.

In spite of the initial success of the project, the truth is that Heineken was eventually cancel â€" or rather, suspend-the project. In 1975, due to the sudden interest of Martin Pawley, author of Garbage Housing, project leader, Heineken teamed up with designer Rinus van der Berg to designing a building with columns made from oil drums, bits of Volkswagen buses as ceiling and bottles WOBO as walls. However, the structure never left the paper.

Today, the cabin of Heineken and a wall made of WOBO on Heineken Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, are two of the only structures made of beer bottles Heineken WOBO. Four decades ago, the idea was futuristic and yet has been fulfilled. The most incomprehensible of all this history, however, is to realize that, forty years later, no one picked up on the concept.

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How to value a property in €2,8 million?

An 18th-century mansion, purchased in ruins for 30 years by €1,25, is on the market again, this time by €2,8 million. The House, which is listed as a place of public interest English, was about to be torn down twice, by real estate interests, until it came into the hands of Save Britain Heritage, who purchased and renewed.

With eight rooms, five meeting rooms and bathrooms and a plot of 1.8 acres, the historic building has been used by the Bank of England during World War II and is again for sale, after an intense recovery work.

According to British media, the work of restoration of Barlaston Hall-so called property â€" is one of the most impressive success stories of English Heritage. Built in 1756 by Thomas Mills, the House was passing from generation to generation until it was acquired by the company Wedgwoo Pottery, in 1937.

During World War II, the House was used by the Bank of England and, later, as Academy for Wedgwoo Pottery. Over the years, however, the wood started to rot and security conditions were reduced dramatically â€" so, the building was abandoned and was at the mercy of vandals.

Twice the Wedgwoo Pottery tried to demolish the building, but its historical classification never allowed. In 1981, the House has been bought by Save Britain's Heritage, restored and subsequently sold to the current owners, James and Carol Hall in 1992. By €375 thousand.

So, the House was again restored, as well as other neighboring buildings. Now, you're in the market for €2,8 million. Not bad for a property that was about to be demolished.

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Switzerland rejects factory village to protect couple of bearded vultures-

I would sacrifice a couple of bearded vultures-to reduce the electric bill? This was the dilemma of 138 inhabitants of paradise village of La Punt, Switzerland in Chamuesch, which were called by the local Government to make a decision is not always easy: biodiversity or the wallet.

According to the Dodo, the town urgently needs to renew its energy infrastructure, and a new power plant on the table. However, the site chosen for the new building hit a bump with the habitat of a couple of vultures-bearded, in a remote Valley.

Actually, these are not vultures-bearded normal. The inhabitants of La Punt Chamuesch believe they are the most prolific of all bearded vultures-the Swiss Alps, a romantic couple that could forever be without your love getaway.

The construction of the factory, according to some environmentalists, would put at risk the very lives of the couple of vultures, so the decision was decided through a referendum.

According to the Dodo, the inhabitants of La Punt Chamuesch were the votes and the decision has not been easy â€" however, the plant was rejected by 64 votes against 74. In La Punt Chamuesch will continue to pay a high price for electricity consumed, but the couple of bearded vultures-at the top of thank your innocence, the jury's decision.

Foto: Noel Reynolds / Arjan Haverkamp /A.Davey / jayhem /  Creative Commons

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Nicaragua's army will protect nesting turtles

Nicaragua's Government sent the army to the beaches in the country so that the nests of tortoises, which by this time start coming ashore to lay their eggs, are protected from hunters.

According to the local press, more than 2,500 olive turtles â€" otherwise known as small turtles â€" reached already the beaches of Chacocente Wildlife Refuge to lay their eggs. This is one of the few places in the Western Pacific where the species breeds every year.

The theft of turtle eggs for sale later in the coastal towns of Nicaragua has been a threat to the species, which is already threatened. However, in recent years the number of turtles that hatch has increased, much in part due to the efforts of conservation and protection of the eggs, but also the education of local communities, referred to the Dodo.

Still, the Government of Nicaragua decided to send this year the army to patrol the beaches and make sure the eggs are not stolen or destroyed.

Foto: nicholaspix / Creative Commons

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