"Years of exposure to the elements had taken their toll on Brunel's ss Great Britain -- the world's first iron hulled passenger liner." So the ss Great Britain Trust called on Arup and Alec French Architects to help repair and preserve the "wrought iron fabric of the historic vessel." Looking at the image below, they appeared to have done a splendid job.

But taking a closer look at the image below reveals something interesting: the ship appears to be floating on a glass sea! After the ship's reparations, the preservation of the hull required a dehumidified environment. This area is located under the false waterline, 50mm () of water sitting atop laminated glass plates supported by horizontal steel joists and glass beams, the latter especially helping to give the impression of the ship floating on water.

In a research study called Static, the Swedish Interactive Institute has redesigned ordinary household objects using design and energy to communicate to the user a tacit experience of energy use. By involving the senses people are invited to reflect on their energy use and behavior. The “Element” is their version of a space heater.

If your house is heated by direct electrical heating you might not be aware of the tremendous amount on energy consumed. Radiative heaters contain a heating element that reaches a high temperature. Usually packaged with a reflector inside a glass envelope, the inside of these heaters resemble a light bulb, emitting infrared radiation that travels through the air, heating you house. The Element uses traditional, incandescent light bulbs to produce the energy that would normally be produced by your heater. Emitting light as it heats, it becomes a focal point in the home. Open the window on a cold day and it needs to works harder to maintain the heat of the room; all the while glaring at you as it reaches its highest energy use.