Swedish firm Belatchew Arkitekter plans to turn the existing Söder Torn building into the Strawscraper, a new way to gather energy in an urban environment. By adding 14 floors and covering the exterior with plastic straws, even relatively small movements will generate wind power. If the technique proves viable, old and new buildings can be converted to be more energy efficient.

In other news, check out Nate Berkus' Chicago office, and the London Tube celebrates 150 years through art posters. See the headlines after the jump.

Like this Small Cool 2013 contest entry? Favorite it below!

Name:

Leah

Location:

San Francisco, CA

Square Feet:

400

Division:

Teeny-Tiny

What I Love About My Small Home:

I have never before loved a place I've lived in like I love this apartment. I wanted to create a space that was delightful, organized, and expressive of who I am. I draw comics, and designed my home to feel like i was in my own strip. The bedroom designed to be a Night scene, with a light up moon, and the living room a day scene, with sky, green-grass carpet, and cloud lamps. I wanted to to use almost exclusively reused items/material in my home instead of buying new mass produced items. I asked designer and furniture builder Aaron Kllc to help me furnish and decorate. The bed, hutch, and dining table were all made out of reclaimed wood. The dining table was made out of an old drafting table and a vintage piece of burl wood.

Summertime is just around the bend, and my first thought is thank the heavens above! Then, my second thought: what are we doing with our summer? As my daughter grows older - she's the ripe old age of 4 now - I'm realizing we have to think more serously about summer camps and programs. Swim classes? Soccer? Day camp?

This sort of rustic project isn't for every taste. But if pallets suit your design palette, you just might love this ridiculously easy DIY project that turns a utilitarian wood shipping accessory into a compact fold-down desk perfect for a hallway or bedroom.

Like this Small Cool 2013 contest entry? Favorite it below!

Name:

Laura

Location:

New York, NY

Square Feet:

450

Division:

Tiny

What I Love About My Small Home:

It’s efficient! We’ve squeezed two adults and a small dog into our tiny apartment. The separation of space with the upstairs and downstairs is what makes the space work for us. The two separate floors (and two 3-piece bathrooms!) make our apartment “live” like it’s much larger than 450 square feet; they give us a nice level of privacy when we’re there together as well as when we have overnight guests from time to time. Even though our space is small, we can host cocktail parties for eight downstairs in the living area or dinner parties for five upstairs in the kitchen/dining room. Fortunately, most of our favorite used pieces of furniture from Washington, D.C. and Chicago were small and able to fit. We’ve been able to add a few select pieces from New York, too, such as the small cabinet in the kitchen that Nick found on the curb shortly after we moved in.

There is simply no garden show greater than Chelsea. The Chelsea Flower Show takes place annually on the grounds of the Royal Hospital in London, and it features the finest garden designers, builders, and products in the garden industry.  If you are looking for inspiration, there's no better place to find it. 

Like this Small Cool 2013 contest entry? Favorite it below!

Name:

Jessica

Location:

Los Angeles, CA

Square Feet:

410

Division:

Tiny

What I Love About My Small Home:

It encourages me to think about what I truly value, to craft a space that serves my needs and to constantly reevaluate what is necessary and useful and what is getting in the way. Also, the small rooms are quicker to paint, so I get to experiment a lot with color.