Good morning everyone! I'm very pleased to finally be at a point where I feel like I can announce my new startup: Alive and Modern
The quick version: I'm creating a startup to bring my own aquarium and living wall designs to your desktop. Everything is hand crafted, I do all of my own laser cutting and construction. Each structure will come with everything you need (LED grow light, pump if necessary, etc); all you have to do is add water and plants (and fish).
Website: Alive and Modern (still in beta)
Facebook page - "Liking" me on Facebook really does help me out, any likes and shares are incredibly appreciated!
Backstory: I studied computer science in college with the goal of getting into the video game industry to make awesome games. Long story short I left school early to take a job working on Guild Wars 2. It was a blast but I realized the thing that I was actually interested in is the interaction between people and technology. I took a job a Microsoft to try out a different company and a different position (program manager) only to find that I couldn't stand being in a slow moving environment constantly running into red tape. Not to say that Microsoft isn't a great company to work for; the group I was with just didn't fit what I wanted.
I wound up leaving Microsoft at the end of June to pursue my own endeavors. I tried my hand a few different apps and websites, nothing really stuck. I was working with a group in California (getting an inside look at Hollywood advertising was pretty cool ) for a while but it didn't pan out. The only thing that hadn't changed over the past two years was my appreciation of the Living Building Challenge and my rapidly increasing fascination with green technology. I finally decided to act on this and abandon my mobile/web app crusade to do something I really care about, thus Alive and Modern was born!
What is Alive and Modern? Alive and Modern is a new company that combines the best elements of nature and modern design to create stunning visuals for any room or office. Each structure is constructed with laser-cut acrylic and bonded together instead of sealed with silicone. This results in an extremely strong, lightweight living structure able to support aquatic and plant life.
Getting things rolling: I'll have a Kickstarter campaign up soon. I have all of the dimensions of the structures finalized and will be getting the laser cutting started in the very near future. I've got a source for all of the materials that I can't make myself and will be ready to release pricing when I start my Kickstarter.
Interested in helping? Thank you! I'm looking for constructive criticism for my designs and website layout. I also need to figure out the best way to ship the final product... The tanks are structures are bonded together (the same way the guys on "Tanked" build their aquariums) which makes them incredibly strong. I did this to increase the aesthetic and make shipping easier. I'm also looking for someone interested in being a source I can send people to for live plants. If anyone has connections to a plant supplier or runs a plant company (that has aquatic and terrestrial plants suitable for these kinds of structures) please contact me; I'd love to send business your way and be able to provide my customers with a discount on their first plant purchases.
Without further ado... some pictures:
Building my first prototype "The Steps" aquarium:
Constructing my first prototype for "The Steps"
Testing water-tightness and pump flow rate:
Comparative 3D concept, I removed the top box (initially designed to house lighting):
3D Concept for the "Floating Boxes" aquarium:
The "Standard" Drip Wall 3D concept:
The "Standard" Living Wall 3D concept:
Thanks for reading! I'm very excited to be chasing my dream, I hope to be selling these by the holiday season .
-Everett
The quick version: I'm creating a startup to bring my own aquarium and living wall designs to your desktop. Everything is hand crafted, I do all of my own laser cutting and construction. Each structure will come with everything you need (LED grow light, pump if necessary, etc); all you have to do is add water and plants (and fish).
Website: Alive and Modern (still in beta)
Facebook page - "Liking" me on Facebook really does help me out, any likes and shares are incredibly appreciated!
Backstory: I studied computer science in college with the goal of getting into the video game industry to make awesome games. Long story short I left school early to take a job working on Guild Wars 2. It was a blast but I realized the thing that I was actually interested in is the interaction between people and technology. I took a job a Microsoft to try out a different company and a different position (program manager) only to find that I couldn't stand being in a slow moving environment constantly running into red tape. Not to say that Microsoft isn't a great company to work for; the group I was with just didn't fit what I wanted.
I wound up leaving Microsoft at the end of June to pursue my own endeavors. I tried my hand a few different apps and websites, nothing really stuck. I was working with a group in California (getting an inside look at Hollywood advertising was pretty cool ) for a while but it didn't pan out. The only thing that hadn't changed over the past two years was my appreciation of the Living Building Challenge and my rapidly increasing fascination with green technology. I finally decided to act on this and abandon my mobile/web app crusade to do something I really care about, thus Alive and Modern was born!
What is Alive and Modern? Alive and Modern is a new company that combines the best elements of nature and modern design to create stunning visuals for any room or office. Each structure is constructed with laser-cut acrylic and bonded together instead of sealed with silicone. This results in an extremely strong, lightweight living structure able to support aquatic and plant life.
Getting things rolling: I'll have a Kickstarter campaign up soon. I have all of the dimensions of the structures finalized and will be getting the laser cutting started in the very near future. I've got a source for all of the materials that I can't make myself and will be ready to release pricing when I start my Kickstarter.
Interested in helping? Thank you! I'm looking for constructive criticism for my designs and website layout. I also need to figure out the best way to ship the final product... The tanks are structures are bonded together (the same way the guys on "Tanked" build their aquariums) which makes them incredibly strong. I did this to increase the aesthetic and make shipping easier. I'm also looking for someone interested in being a source I can send people to for live plants. If anyone has connections to a plant supplier or runs a plant company (that has aquatic and terrestrial plants suitable for these kinds of structures) please contact me; I'd love to send business your way and be able to provide my customers with a discount on their first plant purchases.
Without further ado... some pictures:
Building my first prototype "The Steps" aquarium:
Constructing my first prototype for "The Steps"
Testing water-tightness and pump flow rate:
Comparative 3D concept, I removed the top box (initially designed to house lighting):
3D Concept for the "Floating Boxes" aquarium:
The "Standard" Drip Wall 3D concept:
The "Standard" Living Wall 3D concept:
Thanks for reading! I'm very excited to be chasing my dream, I hope to be selling these by the holiday season .
-Everett
