Vizualized:
Information organized and visualized, processes made coherent, buildings made transparent. It's fun, if you define "fun" as burrowing through 50-page PDFs about obsolete nuclear plants, lumber production, or smoking-related illnesses, which... I do! That means infographics of course — but puzzles, maps, and games can also deliver potentially dense or dry content in engaging ways. Most of the work below is from FastCo, but a few GreenSource favorites are sprinkled in as well.
(splash image by Bryan Christie)
Shanghai Tower
The 2,073 ft Shanghai Tower is divided into seven stacked units: Five have offices and two have luxury hotels; all have their own stores and restaurants. The space between the core and the exterior glass allows for indoor parks at the base of each unit. It uses 25% less structural steel than a conventional design of similar height, and the twisting façade reduces wind loads on the building. Double-layered insulating glass reduces the need for air conditioning, heating and cooling systems use geothermal energy sources, and rain & waste water are recycled for toilets and irrigation of the tower’s green spaces. Illustration by Bryan Christie Design
Your Perfect Productive Day
According to this moment-by moment guide, alcohol, chocolate, and caffeine are all... great! As long as they are slotted into the correct 30-minute window. (Click right to see the full graphic) Illustrations by Francesco Muzzi
Bloomberg Philanthropies
One of the largest charitable foundations in the U.S., Bloomberg Philanthropies utilizes data-driven solutions for every step of its process. Here, we highlighted their finding that of the top ten global causes of death, 60 percent could be addressed by focusing on tobacco control—and their methods used to increase worldwide awareness of the issue. Illustration by Carolin Wanitzek
The Uber Game
It wasn't so long ago when Uber's (and former CEO Travis Kalanick's) main notoriety was for being aggressive and obnoxious—but also a corrective to monopolistic or unreliable city transit services. Oh for the good old days, when there was no hint of the personnel scandals or shady business practices soon to emerge, and playing The Game of Disruption seemed like "fun". (Click right to see the full graphic) Illustration by Rod Hunt
Lumber By The Numbers
GreenSource flashback: A crucial aspect of the McGraw-Hill Construction Group's mission was delivering education opportunities for industry professionals to achieve or maintain accreditation in their fields. Here, a breakdown of lumber usages and their varying degrees of sustainable production. (Click right to see the full graphic) Illustration by Bryan Christie Design
What KickStarter Has Kickstarted
A bigger distributor of funds to artists and creators than the NEA, the phrase "Like KickStarter for [fill in the blank]" was a universal reference long before Uber. Here, key snapshots of what's popular on KickStarter versus what's profitable, which projects were banned and which were backed, and where it's all being created. (Click right to see the full graphic) Illustration by CatalogTree
Evernote Makes Its Users Smarter
How much information is too much? With Evernote, there's never too much, and this jam-packed graphic describes the immense capacity of the productivity app designed to be "your external brain." Illustrations by Francesco Muzzi
Some Like It Radiant
More GreenSource continuing education: This one features a detailed overview of radiant heating & cooling system functionality and a comparison of radiation to more traditional convection-based systems. {Click right to see the full graphic) Illustration by Peter Grundy
Dismantling a Nuclear Reactor
When an aging nuclear plant is deactivated, it can cost tens of millions of dollars per year to maintain in a "mothballed" state. But that's often been preferable to dismantling, given the uncertainties about disposal of even less-radioactive building materials. Here, a look at one company's holistic strategy for breaking down and safely storing all plant site elements. (Click right to see the full graphic) Illustration by Bryan Christie Design