Designs
and Architecture
The Doodad
This is my design for a universal furniture I created because I needed
one on which to do to do crafts in 1974.
It is posturally correct when you sit with your knees under you and use
the desk. It is also a park bench, lectern, bookshelf, and coffee
table.
It hangs on the wall out of the way when not in use.
A Danish furniture company's designers loved it and did market
research on it in the mid 80's
and while they liked the design, the market study showed that not
enough people live
on the floor to make it worth mass production.
It weights 12 pounds out of solid oak made with no
screws with dowel and pin construction.
I still love this design .
I made about 5 copies of it which I know of the current existence
of possibly 2.
Original graphic Art by Mark Yurman
Sketchup Designs
My page of Designs at the Sketchup warehouse
Aloha and welcome to my Sketchup models page. My father was an
architect and builder, so some of my earliest memories are of designing
and building models of houses. I went on to help build a few myself,
but it is the design process which has been my first love. Since I
began using Sketchup, in 2007, I have spent many hours creating these
virtual models of ideas which have been floating around in my
head all these years. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I have
enjoyed making them.
Here are a few of my favorite screenshots below. Enjoy!
To view them in 3-d, You must first get a free trial download of
Sketchup. Then you may add your own ideas/design improvements, or whatever you wish.
ShaveIce ©
This is a simple design
for a laptop cooling device
fill it with water and freeze it or just put ice shavings or ice water
inside.
Metal plate conducts heat away from laptop bottom
Eco-Laundry/Well/Windmill/Playground
Overview showing Savonius, laundry, pump/generator merry-go-round,
storage tank
Closer view
This is a result of viewing this
Ted talk which proves the need for such a device. Whenever the wind is blowing, the children are playing or the sun is shining (if solar panels are affordable) this facility pumps/purifies water, provides a laundromat, and thus frees millions of (mostly) women from hours of mindless work.
Power
Tower

This is the design I conceived in 1974 after I spent the night in a tipi and the wind blew 125+ mph.
(+
Because the University of Colorado anemometer 1/4 of a mile away ripped
out of its concrete moorings after going off the scale at that
windspeed.)
Combining the Buckminster Fuller Aerodynamic windmill
design with the tipi gave me the power tower. If the outer skin of the
tower is transparent, then it also becomes a greenhouse. Therefore, any
time the wind blows from any direction, anytime the sun shines,
Electrical Power will be generated by the rising hot air turning the
blades at the top , accelerated by the Venturi effect. Not included in
this model would be a wasp waist around the fan blades similar to a jet
aircraft engine (to further speed the wind), as well as internal vanes
which would block the air inside the structure from blowing around the
conical structure inside the outer skin. These possibly could be
spiraled for greater effect, and reverse Dyson-fan-type external air
intakes may also be an option.(Needs mathematical modeling + testing.)
(Look for V2.o of this model coming someday.) Collaboration is welcome.
A similar design was proposed, budgeted, disposed of, re-budgeted and
is possibly some day being built in Australia by this company
http://www.enviromission.com.au/ (without wind scoop effect however)In
windier areas, the scoops could be larger, In sunny areas, the
circumference of ground level could be increased.(Needs mathematical
modeling + testing.)
Mahalos to Simpsonizer for the fan blades and jjjasper123 for the
curved conical structure.

Detail of generator and blades blades on top.(For visual info only, needs mathematical modeling + testing.)

If one this size (Eiffel tower included for scale)a small town could be
built underneath the central cone,with warmed. protected, climate
control farms encircling it

The recent reefing of the cruise ship Costa Concordia has dramatized the need for a device such as this to be deployable on large ships . It is a simple modification of the system used on large passenger aircraft.

This is a house which could be built like a Nautilus shell, able to expand by opening up a larger chamber.
Cliff house
Cliffhouse showing stairs to elevator and the single steel beam inset
into the cliff from which the house is suspended.
Vertical property is cheap!
Waterfall bathub

Waterfall bathtub (in Roundhouse bedroom)
Roundhouse

View of roundhouse from outside

Roundhouse kitchen from outside showing island,
half-round refrigerator, sink, stove, glass cabinets and part of living
room
Greeley kitchen

Planter, still working 1958 GE washer, dryer, 70's avocado green stove,
microwave with garage roof visible thru open roof drawing of Greeley
house.
This is an idea to generate
hydropower without all of the negative effects of dams on fisheries,
erosion, silting, etc.
This would be one of many anchored in
the center of a stream or river,
(scale up for the Amazon, down for the creek behind your house,).
Generators
would be housed in the rods which also connect the line
to the anchors/powerout points. Slow rotation geared up would not hurt a minnow. Could also be anchored underwater with neutral buoyancy in areas of constant ocean current (Moloka'i channel)
This is my design for a tube the thickness of two lighters which would house a roll-up
and stiffen screen and keyboard. Could be used as a pad and/or as a notebook device.
Use as a relay baton invalidates Applecare
iTube SketchUp page
Folding iTube SketchUp page

Could also function as a phone/cam
when folded