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Growing a house

Ecovative, a Long Island eco-tech company is growing a house in New York. The structures of the Mushroom Tiny House will actually be timber as usual but the insulation and roof panels are grown. Ecovative uses mycelium that normally forms mushroom “roots” to bond together agricultural byproducts like corn stalks into a material that can replace plastic foam. The mushroom foam can also be used as packaging materials, replacing plastic. And what’s best, the mushroom foam is 100% compostable. You can see some impressive packaging examples at mushroompackaging.com. In this age of growing e-commerce, finding ecological alternatives for plastic foam seems like a very important step forward. Way to go Ecovative! Watch an introduction into the technology in the TED video above. Follow the progress of the house project in the Mushroom Tiny House blog.

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The Wind Turns to the East by Heli Ryhänen

The Tammerlampi pond in Tampere has received its annual artwork. This year a work by sculptor Heli Ryhänen was selected to be displayed on the pond through the summer. The installation “Tuuli kääntyy itään”  – “The Wind Turns to East” consists of 3 boats with 6 passengers floating on the pond. A larger version of the installation was displayed Retretti art center in 2011, the work in Tammerlampi has been scaled down to fit the site better. The setting in a public park is totally different from Retretti where the installation was placed in a giant, dimly lit cave. The installation with its haunting faux leather people has an eerie atmosphere. At the same time it looks beautifully silent with the boats gently swaying in the water. It is certainly a bold choice for an artwork in a public park. The installation will be in place at Tammerlampi until the 1st […]

Tunne tianoos bike tour, Sat 25th of May, Tampere

This saturday Hukkatila Ry will organize an urban bike tour “Tunne tianoos”  at Tampere as a part of their Mitä Jos..?  project. “Is Nekala as dangerous as they say? What does the eco-district Vuores look like? And what about the multicultural suburbs of Hervanta and Kaukajärvi? What’s the everyday life like in Pappila, Ruotula and other residential areas of Eastern Tampere?” The ride is about 30 km in length. On the way there are stops at Hervanta scenic tower, Kaukajärvi mall and a coffee break at the old fields of Ruotula. The tour is guided by Antti Tietäväinen (sociology) and Mikko Kyrönviita (regional sciences), who will tell about the history and the future of the suburbs of Eastern Tampere. They’ll also reveal which political party is voted in which area. Also other interesting things related to suburban life can be expected. Tour starts on Saturday the 25th of May at 12:oo from Lampipuisto in […]

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Ihmepuutarha – The Wonder Garden

This summer the visitors at Helsinki Central railway station will be greeted by a lush garden installation. The brilliant Ihmepuutarha (wonder garden) is built for the second time and opened on May 21st. The garden is a collaborative project between HAMK University of Applied Sciences, VR, GreenCare, Puutarha Tahvoset Oy and Clear Channel. The garden consists of various decorative and useful plants.  The aim of the garden project is not only to provide visual pleasure, but also encourage people to try out urban gardening on their yards or balconies. – From the Wonder Garden people can pick up a lot of little ideas on how use and enjoyment can be combined on their yard or balcony, tell the Wonder Garden designers Kati Jukarainen and Mervi Kokkila. The garden will be constantly tended and fertilized. – We have selected plants whose blooming seasons overlap. The visitors will notice that the appearance of the garden changes through the summer, says the Gardener […]

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Pecha Kucha Night 29.5. @ Klubi

Join us for another Pecha Kucha Night at Klubi, on May 29th at 19:00-21:00. Pecha Kucha Tampere #8 will be a multidisciplinary night of thrilling stories. The stage is set for interesting speakers and surprising topics, enjoyment guaranteed. FREE ADMISSION! More information: www.pechakucha.org/cities/tampere/

Himona – TAMK graduation exhibition at Mältinranta and TR1

Spring is here and with it comes again a good chance to take a look at the contemporary visual arts scene in Tampere. The graduates of Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TUAS/TAMK) Fine Arts program have their yearly graduation exhibition at Mältinranta and TR1. It’s really refreshing to see such a range of interesting ideas and pieces of art, all from Tampere. At the same time there’s bitterness in the air since there will not be many of these brilliant shows left. TUAS board has decided to shut down the fine arts program starting next year. They are planning to focus on “more essential” programs such as media production. If the visual arts program really dies, a strong part of the vibrant cultural scene in Tampere will go with it. It’s a shame that creative people are more or less forced to move to Helsinki if they want to get […]