Translucent building concept for Nanoco energy company, Ho Chi Minh, by Vo Trong Nghia architects. The design is intended to help combat the city’s pollution problems, and provide a healthy environment for the people inside. By night, the building’s translucent walls can also help illuminate the surrounding area instead of street lights.
I honestly always find the term ‘spinster’ as referring to an elderly, never-married woman as funny because you know what?
Wool was a huge industry in Europe in the middle ages. It was hugely in demand, particularly broadcloth, and was a valuable trade good. A great deal of wool was owned by monasteries and landed gentry who owned the land.
And, well, the only way to spin wool into yarn to make broadcloth was by hand.
This was viewed as a feminine occupation, and below the dignity of the monks and male gentry that largely ran the trade.
So what did they do?
They hired women to spin it. And, turns out, this was a stable job that paid very well. Well enough that it was one of the few viable economic options considered ‘respectable’ outside of marriage for a woman. A spinster could earn quite a tidy salary for her art, and maintain full control over her own money, no husband required.
So, naturally, women who had little interest in marriage or men? Grabbed this opportunity with both hands and ran with it. Of course, most people didn’t get this, because All Women Want Is Husbands, Right?
So when people say ‘spinster’ as in ‘spinster aunt’, they are TRYING to conjure up an image of a little old lady who is lonely and bitter.
But what I HEAR are the smiles and laughter of a million women as they earned their own money in their own homes and controlled their own fortunes and lived life on their own terms, and damn what society expected of them.
I hope this a shit post cause that’s not even close to being true.
Designed by Rolf Disch and constructed in Freiburg, Germany, the house uses sunlight for both electricity and water heating. It collects rainwater and recycles domestic wastewater, and also uses a composting toilet.
Disch’s design is so effective that it actually generates 5 times more energy than it uses on average, making it the world’s first energy positive solar home!
mosellegreenblog 