NOW LIVE: OSWall "Design Your Own App" Competition

We have just launched a new section of our website called "Design Your Own App." This page outlines a competition we are holding for students, designers, or any other curious, creative people to design a smart wall panel, or "app" (short for "application") for our latest wall prototype project, OSWall (Open Source Wall). Can you come up with an app that collects and recycles rainwater, passively cools an interior, generates electricity from wind, grows plants, insulates, or provides natural light for a residential wall? What other hair brained ideas do you have? Winners will have their design schemes prototyped for an upcoming exhibition at the Pratt Manhattan Gallery called "Envelop{e}s" curated by Christopher Height, Associate Professor at Rice University's School of Architecture. Money and fame awaits the winners, so head over to the "Design Your Own App" competition page for details.

DUE DATE: 01 DECEMBER 2009 

Welcome Hometta Boston - Opens October 16th, 2009

Welcome Hometta Boston launched Friday, October 16th with a great opening party at the Pinkcomma Gallery in Boston. The event was a hit. Special thanks go to Ann Chou, Quyen Ma, and Tzu-yu Chen of Hometta for their continued work on the show. Welcome Hometta - Boston will run through November 9th. The Gallery is located at 81B Wareham St in Boston. Photography by Ann Chou.

The First OSWall Prototype

HouMinn installed the first OSWall prototype over Labor Day weekend. The half scale mock-up will be on display in the UHGBC show at the University of Houston School of Architecture Sept 10-18, 2009. The images above show the assembly of the frame (Kevin Lin, Jon Siani, and Jessy Yang are doing some heavy lifting) and of vacuum formed blank "apps" (Jeff Montague is fitting the vacuum formed pieces to the frame). Thanks also to Dave Hultman, Mike Hara, Marcus Martinez, and Chad Loucks for their help in the design, fabrication, and assembly of the prototype. 

OSWall Featured in UHGBC Video

The University of Houston Green Building Components initiative (UHGBC) focuses on the design, development, and market production of sustainable green building components. Dean Joe Mashburn established the initiative to nurture the research and development of projects with the potential to positively affect the built environment. The projects all have specific focus on sustainability and improved performance. The aim is to develop a range of products and systems that will have a broad impact across the architecture, engineering, and construction industries.

Watch Blair diss FLW and talk about barn swallows in this two part video produced by Tweak: UHGBC Part 1, Part 2

Welcome Hometta Houston - July 16 - Aug 2

Welcome Hometta Houston kicked off with a bang Thursday, July 16th with a great opening party at the New World Museum. The event was very well attended. Special thanks go to Ann Chou, Quyen Ma, and Tzu-yu Chen of Hometta for their consistant and tireless work on the show. Welcome Hometta will run through August 2nd. Our next stop is the Pinkcomma Gallery (Boston) this fall. Photography by Tzu-Yu Chen.