Future home for homeless people = BILLBOARDS !

Phenomenon of homelessness has became a global question during these years. It seems like there are no solutions at all…..BUT what about transforming billboards into mini homes that can be used as shelters for homeless people?

A new initiative called The Gregory Project by Slovakian architectural design firm came up with a great sustainable idea! Roadside billboards that seemed just to ruin the surrounding landscape will be able to house people without roof. These very tiny apartments would require a minimal upkeep and the ad space itself would help fund the project.

A bedroom

These two-rooms apartment  would be built around the triangular shape of the billboard. It would have a kitchen, an office space, a bed with some storage underneath, even a bathroom! These apartments look surprisingly cozy and they are well-decorated.

The team behind this project explains their idea : “The Gregory project brings optimization to the construction of billboards. This object would need just a minimal maintenance cost which could be partially paid through the rental of its advert space.”

A bathroom

Although the pictures that you can see are only digital visualizations of what finished home would look like but the whole idea is promising. Despite the fact that The Gregory project is based toward Slovakia  but with some adjustments it can possibly be applied anywhere.

Modern billboards are supported by steel poles and here Shanghai Metal Corporation is coming. We offer wide range of high-quality metal and steel products. For more details visit our website or send us inquiry. English speaking staff will guide you further. You could also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LindkedIn. Download our new application by scanning QR code below.

Silvia M.//SMC Editor

You can read more articles written by this author here.

Credits : boredpanda.com, businessinsider.com, sobadsogood.com, madehow.com, googleimages

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Unlimited Possibilities With a Limited Negative Impact

More than ever we faced limited resources on the earth. We can think about foods, fresh water and gas reserve. Growing every year is now more and more difficult to do, especially in the raw mineral and non-renewable energy sectors. In fact we need to use a lot non-renewable energy to extract limited raw minerals at the end the cost for the planet is high and irreversible.

Some metal industries are now aware about this problem and they start to find a way to limit their negative impact on the planet. Studies already proved that we can recycle carbon steel scarp without any limit of time. Even if this resource is limited on the earth we can recast infinitely without reducing the quality of the product. Therefore, this product becoming more and more attractive in a long term views in our economy because it can be connected with several projects. So now the challenge is to rethink about how to use each scrap metal resource.

In another perspective, recycle iron significantly reduced our consumption of non-renewable energy, and our CO2 emissions. Indeed, the CO2 emission is limited by the carbon steel scrap transportation to the recycling shop, the overall impact is nothing compare to the extraction process.

Shanghai Metal Corporation is a leader in the carbon steel material and equipment on the market with the highest quality standard and an affordable pricing. More information on our carbon steel products, visit our website here. Be sure to join the conversation in our LinkedIn group, Facebook, Twitter and instagram. You can also scan the QR code below to connect with us.

You can also find more articles by our team at SMC right below.

The new pipe line way for the gas industry.

A potential solution about the body car impasse

The best steel for the best dish!

Source: Epa.gov , stlpipesupply

Pictures sources: dmaeuropa,metro,franklinmetaltrading

JonathanT.//SMC editor

 

 

Galactic Prefab Offers Vacations in Space

Space tourism is an extreme form of travelling that has been experienced by only a few people. Due to the high prices of such service providers as Richard Branson‘s Virgin Galactic, only the wealthiest can spend a vacation in space. A Russian space pod design company Orbital Technologies is trying to take space tourism more mainstream.

An article on Wikipedia has gathered a list of all of the world’s eight space tourists. The lists also showed that in order to get to space, those people spent US 20 to 40 million. Orbital Technologies’ service is much more cheaper.

A Soyuz rocket will take you to a two day voyage in space with about $US 826,000. Five nights weight in $US 165,000. With that price passengers can stay in a comfortable solar-powered Commercial Space Station (CSS) orbiting the Earth within a 217 mile radius. The passengers can view the cosmos through portholes.

The price includes luxury gourmet meals that are prepared on Earth. Unfortunately alcohol is not allowed in the space flight. The passengers can use an air-flush toilet and take shower in a fully sealed water cubicle. They sleep vertically or horizontally in zippered sleeping bags that prevent them flying around in zero gravity.

The galactic prefab is also used as pod for scientific research during off-seasons. It is also used as an emergency stations for space crafts that get into trouble in space.

One interesting fact about space tourism is that it slows down aging but just a little bit. According to a theory of time dilation, say, a six month trip to space slows down aging by 0.007 seconds. Thereby arithmetically speaking, a five day voyage in a space hub would slow down aging by 0.002 seconds.

Space pod is a futuristic application of prefabricated building. For many years people have built prefab homes, hotels and hospitals etc. Shanghai Metal Corporation is also a provider of prefabricated building projects. To learn more about our projects, please visit our website. Please also look at our Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram profiles. If you liked this blog, please feel free to share it.

 

#BuildingValueAcrossTheGlobe

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: Inhabitat, Designboom, How Stuff Works?, Wikipedia, Tuvie.com

Artistic Copper Refurbishment Reinvigorates Maine’s State House Dome

Workers at the Maine’s State House Dome are currently part way through a $1.3 million process of having its old, leaking, green, oxidized Copper dome replaced with a shiny brand new one. As work continues to replace the 7,000 square feet worth of Copper atop the State House which is more than 100 years old, lawmakers on the Legislative Council have accepted a plan to sell much of the metal to artists and craftsmen as a way to preserve and maintain the metal’s iconic and cultural value. Originally plans were to sell the old Copper roof as scrap metal to help fund the refurbishment, approximately $12,000 was expected to be raised upon recycling depending on the ebb and flow of Copper spot market prices.

However, a more thoughtful proposal of re-purposing the oxidized Copper as raw materials for local artists to turn in to sculptures, jewelry and other art pieces was made and the Legislative Council have given their nod of approval. “Any time you can incorporate Maine artists into a historically significant project, and potentially employ Maine artists, that’s a good thing,” said Julie Richard, the Maine Arts Commission’s executive director.

This new repurposing proposal has five core elements that will help determine where the old copper will end up.

Firstly, some of it will be melted down and recast into commemorative collectables and keepsakes such as coins and medallions which will be sold or distributed to the public. Small workable sheets will be sold to local jewelers and artisans to be remade into various jewelries, Current market value for oxidized green copper is about $400 for a 1 meter-squared sheet but it will likely be sold for cheaper than that. A portion of the material would be given or sold well below market value to Maine sculptors or educational institutions for use in creating 3-D works that may be sold or used for educational purposes. Some is hoped to turned into new public art commission for the State Capitol Complex in Maine. Finally, pieces that are not intact enough to be repurposed into anything will be recycled as scrap and the proceeds used to help fund future projects of the Maine Arts Commission.

The restoration project is expected to be finished by October this year.

Shanghai Metal Corporation stocks a wide selection of Copper-related products and raw materials for all your construction or manufacturing needs. Please take the time to browse our online catalog at: http://www.shanghaimetal.com/Copper–tpl3.html.

Zenn B.//SMC Editor