The Toaster Project: Or a Heroic Attempt to Build a Simple Electric Appliance from Scratch

Where do our things really come from? China is the most common answer, but Thomas Thwaites decided he wanted to know more. In The Toaster Project, Thwaites asks what lies behind the smooth buttons on a mobile phone or the cushioned soles of running sneakers. What is involved in extracting and processing materials? To answer these questions, Thwaites set out to construct, from scratch, one of the most commonplace appliances in our kitchens today: a toaster. The Toaster Project takes the reader on Thwaites's journey from dismantling the cheapest toaster he can find in London to researching how to smelt metal in a fifteenth-century treatise.

His incisive restrictions all parts of the toaster must be made from scratch and Thwaites had to make the toaster himself made his task difficult, but not impossible. It took nine months and cost 250 times more than the toaster he bought at the store. In the end, Thwaites reveals the true ingredients in the products we use every day. Most interesting is not the final creation but the lesson learned.

The Toaster Project helps us reflect on the costs and perils of our cheap consumer culture and the ridiculousness of churning out millions of toasters and other products at the expense of the environment. If products were designed more efficiently, with fewer parts that are easier to recycle, we would end up with objects that last longer and we would generate less waste altogether. Foreword by David Crowley, head of critical writing at the Royal College of Art and curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

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Home Improvement Trends from Design Build Pros

In honor of National Home Improvement Month this May, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) reveals that homeowners are personalizing their space during a remodel as the tough housing market forces more people to stay, rather than move. According to a poll on NARI.org, 26 percent of respondents are planning to stay an additional 16 to 20 years in their homes because their home values have decreased during the recession. Twenty-three percent reported they are going to stay an additional six to 10 years in their homes.

This in turn, has sparked a new remodeling trend that centers on making homes better reflect individual lifestyles and tastes as people decide to live in them longer. “Homeowners are less concerned today with the impact on re-sale value and more focused on making their home useful, enjoyable, and personalized for the needs and desires of their own family for years to come,” Neil Parsons stated.

And this trend stretches far beyond flashy paint colors and finishes. Homeowners are opting for spas, home gyms, game rooms, gourmet kitchens, outdoor kitchens, art rooms, home theaters, wine cellars, and wet bars. Jason Parsons commented, “Our pre-production project designs are anything but cookie-cutter. They reflect the personality of the individual family. Our development process is highly interactive and is a valuable tool, but also quite enjoyable for all.”

The Design Build Pros staff cautions homeowners, though, that it’s important the customizations make sense to their lifestyle. “Homeowners should never over extend themselves financially. They should have a long-term plan and consider the renovations in stages or phased remodeling.” Long-term plans for staying in home also evoke considerations of aging-in-pace and universal designs when planning projects.

The entire poll results are as follows: 13 percent responded they had not planned to stay longer in their homes, 28 percent planned to stay one to five years longer, 23 percent planned to stay six to 10 years, 10 percent planned to stay 11 to 15 years longer and 26 percent planned to stay 16 to 20 years longer. NARI is the source for homeowners seeking to hire a professional remodeling contractor because members are full-time, dedicated remodelers who follow a strict code of ethics that observes high standards of honesty, integrity and responsibility.

NARI members represent a select group from the approximately 800,000 companies and individuals in the U.S. identifying themselves as professional remodelers. Design Build Pros is a proud, national member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. To contact Jason or Neil Parsons, view the Design Build Pros design and development projects, and to follow the team through social media simply visit the website and access all. www.DesignBuildPros.com

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Remodeling preferred company, building a professional Remodelers network Announces ProSkill construction acceptance of New Brunswick, New Jersey. This strategic alliance also helps homeowners in houses across New Jersey to offer premium service and pleasant remodeling experience for both companies available.

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A project planning consultation for consideration of design with design build professional free budget kick-off celebration for a short period as New Jersey homeowners build remodeling projects by ProSkill construction.

There are lots at various stages of the whole being developed by major home renovations New Jersey design and design build professionals currently proprietary process and proprietary system. Can be found on the company website design build professionals, processes, systems, extensive Project Gallery, beneficial remodeling industry blog for more information: www.DesignBuildPros.com

Homeowners and remodelers can schedule phone consulting design build professional members 15 minutes free remodeling projects and industry topics quickly and easily through the website. Inquiries can be to e-mailed info@DesignBuildPros.com another option is.

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Provide homeowners and Remodelers with valuable remodeling information design build strengths.

It has launched a new Web site design build professional, Toms River, NJ official: remodelers as well as to experience possible is dedicated to homeowners who create a www.DesignBuildPros.com design and construction of professional staff in the professional and provide comfort mods. Products and services, design-build professional, not locally only via the Internet, e-mail, and web conferencing are available throughout the country is. To assist those considering design build remodeling information, design ideas, finished project pictures and video project information in a robust website with more pages and features of education it offers.

Remodelers and homeowners both informative pretty, valuable downloads, free e-booklet ", estimate remodeling improvement" has found. Special report is design-build professional remodeler residential parties of the initial terms beneficial and productive experience to cross describes the ideal Conference to help the process. This opens the way to save time and money designing construction professional's own process.

Design build professional also offers free online seminars. And where current weekly sales training Forum qualified professional remodelers and is available for the company. This fall will be for the homeowner about the seminar project design ideas and tips. A lively blog-related information, develop or provide inspired whose community mods designed construction projects currently under construction. Pro design building is also on the bright side. They provide various personal topics such as wine and "regular guy" idea of movie reviews plus food and drink recipes website.

And trying to improve their homes professionally from information and project portfolio through design build professional priority Remodelers network, and remodelers in the country / region for the homeowner. http://www.designbuildpros.com/preferred-Remodeler/

Profile analysis of the unique construction projects, budget, design, and development process provides design-build professional highly qualified remodelers and homeowners directly. Any size or type of project can debate, discuss, and be fully analyzed. This system provides important information for all parties to save project time and money, early in the process ago a final decision and the innovative.

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Currently developed by their own systems and processes designed a major home renovation plans and there are a number of different stages, proprietary design build professional construction. Project level, add, master bed room suite, kitchen, bathroom, basement, exterior and interior design, patio and deck. You can see in these projects more extensive Project Gallery: http://www.designbuildpros.com/gallery/

Homeowners and remodelers can schedule phone consultation free 15 minutes along with members of the United States project or remodeling industry topics design build professional, anywhere quickly and easily through the website http://www.designbuildpros.com/. Another option to info@DesignBuildPros.com to send your inquiry via email.

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