Green Can Be Quirky
I like finding quirky things that people do to be eco-friendly.
Today I feature an apartment in Brooklyn, NY. Its walls look really interesting – and then you realise they’re made of ping-pong balls. 25,000 of them, to be exact.
Well, what else do you do with old ping-pong balls that don’t bounce any more?
Architect Daniel Arsham is a partner in Snarkitecture who do cool architectural projects.  The apartment is tiny – just 90 square feet (8-and-a-bit square metres). It’s squeezed into the loft above Snarkitecture’s offices. He uses the apartment to sleep, dress and study – it’s an exercise in minimalist design.
I love how he’s creatively re-used materials that were probably destined for landfill. The apartment cost just half the normal cost-per-square-foot and took only 2 months to complete.  And he reduced his demand by using such a small space.
I see a couple of problems though.  It’s probably difficult to keep those walls clean – and wouldn’t they form perfect places for bugs? (Do I hear a sigh?).
I still think it’s gorgeous though.
“Quirky” things tend to elicit a strong response. Â Do you like it – or hate it?
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Photo – Snarkitecture
You pose two great points in this article regarding (1) keeping the bugs out and (2) cleaning the walls … However, being The Green Goddess, I bet you have some useful Green Tips on just how to accomplish those two feats ……
Stay Extraordinary, Neil
I love the architectureand green design of the ping pong apartment. Snarkitecture use of ping pong balls to make ping pong walls should make the place nearly silent, even in Brooklyn.
Very inspiring. Kind of like road signs on the walls of frat houses or something, or using a ping pong table as a combination dinner table/bed. See, frat guys can be green too!
P.S. I was not a frat guy. Just an observer…
Andrew Miner
I like it…I would like it better than plain white walls…I bet it is more sound proof, too. …and yes, it would be harder to clean, but a feather duster should do the trick. And I think you are only worrying about bugs because you are living somewhere tropical like I am! A can of Raid now and then should fix it!(Oh, not so eco is it???)
Sonya Lenzo
It is an interesting look. Not sure it is in line with my tastes but it certainly is a novel idea.
I look forward to reading more.
Dennis Perry
I love the look! But, did you say 8 square meters??? That’s nothing! The design and the idea great!
Great apartment! I read an article a few months back how they are making bricks out of landfill materials in Viet Nam.
It seems like we are seeing more and more creative uses of our waste products.
Clare, I also would think a cleaning situation would be on offer from these kinds of walls. Dust? Yet I also applaud the effort and reusing materials. Wonder where all those ping pong balls came from, as I’ve never seen an old ping pong ball that wasn’t smashed to pieces!
TKS
Clare, what a cool thing to do with old ping pong balls. I just want to know where 250,000 used balls came from? Who has a colection like that? What do you do have your friends save them from some beer pong matches?
Cool looking place though.
Scott Sylvan Bell
Hi Green Goddess,
What an interesting way to approach ReUsing and making use of items people already have! Very green and eco friendly indeed!
Happy Dating and Relationships,
April Braswell
Well I love, the unique look.
Definate creativity –
I just wonder where he would have got all the ping pong balls???
Yet, I don’t know that I could live in a room like that – I think it would be more fun to have rubber bouncy balls to lean on – maybe made from reycled tyres? 🙂