Last night at a loft space in the West Village LVHRD opened the doors and windows to a beautiful spring evening and hosted Bi-Fold III: GRN. We invited our friends and associates to join us in hearing Russell Robertson, founder of Hybrid Product Design + Dev, and Marci Zaroff, founder of EcoFashion label Under the Canopy, speak on what they’re doing to reduce our negative environmental footprint, and how we can all work towards building a sustainable future.

Colin Beavan, the No Impact Man, hosted the event and spoke on his family’s year-long endeavor to have no net harm to the environment. That means no public transportation, no packaged products, no disposable razors, and starting in a few weeks (Colin gulped audibly on stage) no electricity.

Russell Robertson took the stage first and presented his designs for hybrid, mini-module taxis that he’d like to see maneuvering the streets of Manhattan within the next five years. The mini-module cabs place an increased importance on handicap accessibility, driver safety, and panoramic views of the city. By replacing the gas-guzzling Crown Vics with Russell’s mini-module cabs, the Taxi and Limousine Commission could significantly reduce the crushing impact of automotive pollution in NYC.

During the intermission, guests mingled and explored the two-story space, enjoying Brooklyn Brewery’s wind-powered Lager and Beauregard H. Montgomery’s organic wines, grown from the mineral-rich soil leftover from the robotic de-mining of Israeli minefields. All of the beverages served at the bar downstairs were chosen for their eco-friendly attributes, including NYC local guy, Fred.

For Under the Canopy’s fashion show models strutted across the stage and through the crowd to tunes provided by DJ Egg Foo from the Turntable Lab. After taking a bow with her models, UTC founder Marci Zaroff spoke about her career in the organic products industry and discussed the inspiration for her EcoFashion clothing lines. She emphasized the need to move away from traditional cotton fabrics, and that organic clothing is no longer just granola and hemp for hippies.

The success of Bi-Fold III: GRN didn’t stem solely from the wisdom of the presenter’s words on the necessity for change, but also from LVHRD’s pre-event preparations. We used hybrid Zipcars to take materials to and from the venue, turned cardboard into reusable chalkboards for the signage at the event, and handed out giftbags to departing guests repurposed from Semi-Permanent 05.

We’d like to thank Colin, Russell, Marci, as well as all of our sponsors for their commitment to sustainable habitation on the planet, and for making Bi-Fold III: GRN possible. Look for VDO from the event to be up soon on LVHRD.ORG as well as interviews with Russell Robertson and Marci Zaroff.