Now, those officials are calling for electric car companies to explain what happened, and how it can be prevented from happening again. State Fire Marshall Jimmy Patronis issued a letter to over 30 carmakers, including Tesla, Ford, and Rivian, asking them to “step up, demonstrate leadership, and partner with the State of Florida and local officials in this recovery.”

The letter also demanded that EV makers explain whether they knew this was a risk, and to identify whether EVs exposed to saltwater could reignite weeks or months after they were flooded.

“Has your company conducted any analysis on the effects of saltwater intrusion on the lithium-ion batteries in your vehicles and their risks associated with fires? Are there any fire risks associated with chargers that were submerged in the storm surge? Do you have the ability to assess whether an EV impacted by a storm surge is operational and currently being used?,” the letter reads.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration confirmed that “test results specific to saltwater submersion show that salt bridges can form within the battery pack and provide a path for short circuit and self-heating. This can lead to fire ignition. Lithium-ion vehicle battery fires have been observed both rapidly igniting and igniting several weeks after battery damage occurred.”

This happens because saltwater is extremely conductive, and when it collides with a lithium-ion battery full of energy, the results can be dramatic. Fires have the potential to be even more dangerous if they involve RVs, golf carts, or scooters inside saltwater-flooded homes, creating larger blazes.

Floridians affected by the storm were urged not to turn on their EVs, plug them in, or unplug them, instead seeking professional assistance to move their vehicles. It’s still unknown what exactly sparks a blaze in the first place, but experts believe it could be as simple as turning the wheel.

The fires put a political target on the backs of electric vehicles during a time when the Biden administration is attempting to address climate change by replacing millions of gas-powered cars with zero-emitting EVs. Industry groups worry that the fires could lead to an impression that electric vehicles are less safe overall, pointing out a recent report that found roughly 25 fires for every 100,000 EVs sold, and 1,530 gas car fires for every 100,000 internal combustion vehicles sold.

“One Tesla fire gets more news than 10,000 gasoline car fires, whether it’s because people are super interested in Tesla or because people are still fighting the battle to suggest that electric cars are not ready for prime time or not good,” says Marc Geller, spokesperson for the Electric Vehicle Association.

The post EVs Catch Fire in the Aftermath of Hurricane Ian first appeared on Dornob.

As part of the Florida Climate Crisis crusade, the CLEO Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to “building climate literacy and spurring climate action,” enlisted the help of ad agency Zubi, mixed media production company 1stAveMachine, and award-winning artist and inventor Bob Partington to create three wax constructions that would liquefy over the course of three to five days to reveal hidden messages about the Earth’s environmental emergency.

Florida experienced its fifth-hottest summer on record in 2020, in addition to an overactive hurricane season. “We are experiencing increased temperatures and increased sea level as well,” Yoca Arditi-Rocha, Executive Director of The CLEO Institute, told CNN. “For us, the climate crisis is very relevant, and it’s impacting Floridians in so many ways.”

Partington, of The History Channel’s Thingamabob fame, was tasked with finding ways to illustrate the dangerous effects those increased temperatures and sea levels would have on the state’s residents.

“Florida is such a visually enthralling state,” he said in a press release. “…The Zubi team asked us to hone-in on three icons that represent what Floridians and the world stand to lose — forever — if action is not taken now.”

The first symbol the creative team chose was a lifeguard hut. Unveiled on September 9th at the Philip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Miami, the sculpture’s buttery side rails and teal siding gradually softened into mush until a sign reading “More Heat, Less Beach” was uncovered. Zubi Executive Creative Director Ivan Calle said he hoped people would connect the dots between sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and the strength of Florida’s tourism-driven economy.

The second piece, installed on September 18th at ZooTampa, depicted a vibrant Florida panther cub and its mother. After the heat took its toll on the creatures, a buried warning read “More Heat, Less Wildlife.” “Real panthers don’t actually melt,” Calle admitted, “but we wanted to artfully show how extreme heat and other effects of the climate crisis, like rising seas, are a threat to their continued existence, and that’s something all Floridians want to prevent.”

The final composition began its run in the sun on September 24th in front of Orlando’s City Hall, featuring a grandfather and his granddaughter sitting on a park bench, enjoying a day of leisure in the Sunshine State. As the brilliant colors faded and the figure’s wax ice cream cone dissolved, passersby could see the words “More Heat, Less Health.”

“The climate crisis is a threat to our health. From respiratory and cardiovascular disease, to mental health and infectious diseases, we must do more to lower our global warming pollution,” Yoca Arditi-Rocha emphasizes.

Even the fact that the original beauty of the sculptures can now only be remembered in photographs points to the fleeting nature of Florida’s beach culture, thriving (pre-COVID-19) tourism industry, and diverse wildlife. The CLEO Institute and the collaborating designers hope the dramatic artworks will motivate residents to join in their environmental battle cry.

“Our passion to save our way of living here in Florida is widely shared among so many of us,” Arditi-Rocha notes. “We know this is a topic that has been tremendously politicized, but everyone wants to protect our beautiful beaches, our biodiversity, and our way of living.”

The post These Melting Florida Sculptures Unearth Ominous Climate Change Warnings first appeared on Dornob.

Paul Rudolph is best known for designing the daring and divisive Yale Art and Architecture Building, a brutalist concrete wonder in New Haven, Connecticut, along with many other landmark structures. Now, a 1961 Florida residence that exemplifies his style could be yours for a cool $4.4 million USD.

The Milam Residence, located at 1033 Ponte Vedra Boulevard in Ponte Vedra Beach along Florida’s northeastern coast, was custom-designed for attorney and arts patron Arthur Milam. Named “House of the Year” by Architectural Record in 1963, the structure certainly stands out among the more conventional beachfront homes of the area. Most significantly, its facade consists of a mesh of oversized geometric concrete frames that outline views from key locations inside.

Considered to be Rudolph’s most successful residential work, the 6,800-square-foot Milam House is built for entertaining guests who will be dazzled by both the coastal location and the house itself. It includes five bedrooms, five bathrooms, and an attached three-car garage.

This sale represents the first time the home has been available since it was built, since it remained in the family well after Milam’s death. Original photos of the 1960s interiors were made public by the Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation, but a new video gives us a glimpse at the inside as it looks today.

Here’s the description from the foundation:

“Its distinctive three-dimensional, window-filled east profile is a landmark for pilots, boaters, and beach walkers. Rudolph designed intersecting conversational areas perfect for entertaining. He placed his windows to capture the grand ocean views. Set on 200 feet fronting the ocean, rising over 28 feet above the sea, with secluded entry from Ponte Vedra Bouvlevard, the main house (4/4/2) and guest house (1/1) open to a spacious courtyard. This home is known all over the world. It is the only Rudolph design in northeast Florida. Live in style in the way Florida was meant to be enjoyed!”

In Rudolph’s own words, the house features floors and walls “extended in elaborated forms toward the views, thereby making of the facade a reflection of the interior space. The brises-soleil also serve as mullions for the glass, turning the exterior wall into a series of deep openings filled only with glass. The exceptional wild Florida site 60 feet above the Atlantic Ocean is a counterfoil to the geometry of the structure.”

It’s easy for concrete structures, particularly those of the brutalist persuasion, to look dated to contemporary eyes. But somehow the Milam House looks as fresh as ever, a testament both to the clean, unfussy lines of the design and society’s enduring love for 20th-century modernism.

When Paul Rudolph died, he gave us all a gift that extends beyond the structures he created, donating all of his intellectual property rights to the American people. That gift helped establish the Center for Architecture, Design, and Engineering at the Library of Congress, where you can also view Rudolph’s entire archive.

The post Classic Geometric House by Paul Rudolph On the Market for $4.45M first appeared on Dornob.

In New York, one can find relaxation in the middle of Central Park, since its size and countless trees provide a nice buffer from the commotion happening all over Manhattan. But not so much in the much smaller Union Square Park, where a car horn blown on the eastern side could be heard quite well from the western side. Nonetheless, people continue to frequent the latter precisely because they’re so desperate to unwind.

In Tampa, “Form of Wander” is set on a concrete pier above the Hillsborough River, right by Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park. In 2018, it opened as a place of quiet reflection for the surrounding communities. From a distance, its aluminum structure and green hues give off an otherworldly appearance, but it’s actually meant to resemble a group of inverted Floridian mangroves. Commissioned by Hillsborough County Public Art and designed by THEVERYMANY, the public art piece is made from 3,123 individual parts that have been riveted together. Given a look of perpetual swirling despite the fact that it’s standing still, From of Wander has already proven its sturdiness by withstanding the brutal category-four winds of Hurricane Michael.

Rising from the pier are seven trunks, each dividing the waterfront pathway into three distinct sections. Each trunk connects to the others high up in the air, going around and through gaps to form a net of glistening green metal. During the day, shadows move below and around the piece with total unpredictability. At night, Form of Wander glows under the recessed lights that line the surrounding area. It works as both a canopy and a signal to all those looking to gather and (most importantly) relax.

“A destination for your Sunday stroll, a meeting point for your morning runs, [and] an obstacle course for games of tag,” reads the website of THEVERYMANY. In a way, it’s kind of like placing several trees smack dab in the middle of the river. It’s an added layer of peace in a spot that was already tranquil, and it gives the wanderer a reason to venture out above the water and experience a unique part of the city’s pier network.

Cities know how to develop busy destinations, but they don’t always know how to do it successfully. When this happens, the result is most commonly visual pollution in the form of electronic advertising, flashing notices, and bright brand names. Creating a place that promotes relaxation, especially in a space of nothingness like the middle of a river, requires more a more nuanced solution. In Tampa, Florida, that solution took the form of public art.

The post Is Tampa’s “Form of Wander” Really a Place for Relaxation? first appeared on Dornob.

Beaches can be beautiful … but floods are far from fun (and all too frequent). This Florida home, however, seems to welcome (or challenge) oncoming waves with a huge sweeping arc of its own.

This impressive mid-sized vacation-and-guest residence is situated on a thin barrier island, straddling a forested strip of Casey Key turf sandwiched in surf on both sides.

Designed by Totems Inc to mimic canoe and ship hulls, glue-laminated pine beams bring wooden warmth to the inside (and reference surrounding oaks) while allowing curves that would be impossible with traditional lumber.

Sometimes the best home property insurance for a flood lies in the architecture rather than a contract. Lofting the main living quarters a story above the ground provides built-in management, as damage is much harder to clean up in occupied interior zones (and mold is a serious issue).

The simple main-floor plan consists of a single bedroom, bathroom, living area and kitchenette – a cozy bedroom is lofted above. Below, steel pilings sunk directly into the ground prevent root-system damage and provide support if the lower level is flooded.

More info from the architects

“The design of the interior space is directly influenced by the unique landscape with windows framing breathtaking views in every direction. The palette of materials is inspired by the colors and textures of the gulf, sky, sand and native vegetation. Each element is careful not to disrupt the overall balance of the space. The bedrooms, living rooms, and office spaces reflect the lifestyle of a multigenerational and extended family with evolving needs.”

“Versatile and inviting spaces allow for intimate family gatherings as well as formal entertaining, and equally foster privacy and personal retreat. The house is designed to be comfortable whether it’s for two people or ten people. The goal of the client and design team was to ‘respect the people and the land and the rest will follow.’ Considerable attention was paid to preserving the natural beauty and delicate ecosystems on the site. The goal of the main house was to create living spaces that responded to the unique location and met the needs of a multigenerational family. The bay house, constructed first on the site, was designed as a relaxed retreat for guests.”

The post Wave-Shaped Florida Home Lofted in a FEMA Flood Zone first appeared on Dornob.