DIRT Studio: Turning Detritus Into Regenerative Landscapes

Fri, 03 Nov 2006 12:04:42 GMT

Julie Bargmann, founding principal of DIRT Studio, knows how to turn trash into treasure. Literally. Her reclamation, decontamination, and development of urban landfill, manufacturing, and other industrial sites goes beyond superficial beautification to a transformation of these "undesirable" spaces into productive landscapes of economic, cultural, and environmental significance. A professor at the University of Virginia's Department of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Bargmann established DIRT ("Dump It Right There") with an interdisciplinary and optimistic commitment to "excavating the creative potential of disturbed landscapes." DIRT's project portfolio includes a proposal for the reclamation of New York City's High Line, a transformation of the Ford Rouge Plant in Dearborn, Michigan, a collaboration with William McDonough, and a slew of other efforts that aim to turn two centuries of industrial remnants into truly productive and healthy landscapes. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Sustainable Business Practices: Rug Designers Step Up

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 07:01:53 GMT

Now more than ever, the rug industry is making huge strides in their commitment to fair labor, sustainable materials, and ethical business practices. Pioneers such as Stephanie Odegard and Rosemary Hallgarten, and the uber-hip Barcelona-based company Nanimarquina have proven that an industry's traditional practices and all-too-frequent reliance on child labor are no match for an ethical, more responsible approach to material selection, labor practices, and the capitalization of localized skills. Stephanie Odegard, founder of Odegard Inc., has been commited to the development and preservation of traditional craft in the rug industry since the 1980's. One of the largest importers of Tibetan and Nepalese rugs, she is recognized not only for her keen sense of color and style, but more importantly for her rejection of child labor, commitment to local and regional crafts, and use of environmentally sustainable materials and dyes. Outside of her own enterprise, Odegard is also a founder and director of the Rugmark Foundation, an organization that opposes child labor and supports the construction of schools, programs and opportunities within South Asia's carpet industry.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

TreeHugger Welcomes Writer Emily Pilloton

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 13:39:42 GMT

Emily Pilloton is a furniture designer and freelance design writer based in Chicago and San Francisco. Trained in architecture with degrees from UC Berkeley and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she now designs conceptual and sustainable furniture and writes for print and online publications including Inhabitat. She has also taught interior and furniture design, and worked with Chicago-based Foresight Design Initiative, a non-profit organization that supports sustainable design and business practices.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Recent Posts by TreeHugger's Emily Pilloton, Chicago and San Francisco

DIRT Studio: Turning Detritus Into Regenerative Landscapes

Sustainable Business Practices: Rug Designers Step Up

TreeHugger Welcomes Writer Emily Pilloton