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Though much of the architectural world focused on massive undertakings at the Summer Olympics, Beijing didn't have a monopoly on the creative buildings of 2008. Of the many structures that graced Cool Hunting's bandwidth this year, a handful stood out from the pack.

Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center
Recently opened at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, the EMPAC fuses the best aspects of the arts, science and technology. The building—which features a theater, concert hall and audio/video production studios—is meant to foster creative pursuits among artists, visiting scholars, researchers, engineers and designers. Designed by the British firm, Grimshaw, the EMPAC's eye-catching exterior and curved-cedar core are a sight to behold.

East Beach Cafe
British designer Thomas Heatherwick took a site-specific approach with this beachside eatery. Looking more like oversized flotsam than a business, the East Beach Cafe has made a a serious tourist destination out of the sleepy English town of Littlehampton.

Kraanspoor
Taking the concept of adaptive reuse to new heights, Dutch architect Trude Hooykaas used an old dock to create a modern office building. The cantilevered glass exterior both allow occupants to regulate temperatures and reduces heating and cooling costs.

Portland's Clinton Condominiums
Situated in a tony corner of Southeast Portland, the Clinton Condominiums take the place of a former industrial building. The building's minimal interiors combine attractive design with eco-consciousness in a way that's right at home in the Pacific Northwest.

Abilmo Pop-Up Hotel Rooms
Though they measure a paltry 130 square feet, these mobile hotel rooms include everything necessary for a night's stay, from bed to bathroom facilities. Heavily insulated for both temperature and noise, the Abilmo rooms can make almost any environment habitable.

Another new year without Dick Clark, and the question returns: Who is this Ryan Seacrest? Well, as the Bible says, he is known by many names.

Chad sends this on how John Sweeney survived the recent bad patch of weather in the Northeast by using his hybrid car to power many devices in his house.

During an ice storm last week Sweeney, of Harvard, Mass., powered his house by hooking it up to his Toyota Prius. The Prius, a hybrid vehicle, starts the gasoline-burning mode of its engine every 30 minutes to recharge the battery with an internal generator. In turn, Sweeney ran his refrigerator and freezer, wood stove fan, lights and television off the car's battery.

So if you have a hybrid, do you need a generator? People have talked about hydrogen fuel cell cars being used in a similar manner to power houses, but does it come in a full size version yet? How do you use your hybrid or electric car for uses other than getting groceries? Are you still waiting for your mass produced plug in hybrid electric vehicle? How about a street legal battery electric vehicle? What are you doing to release yourself and others from the carbon bonds of foreign oil?

Join the discussion in the comments and add photos and video to the Make Flickr pool!

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We never knew that cameras could be constipated, nor that excrement could be framed, but apparently Takara Tomy knows better than us.

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Misc. Gadgets

Takara Tomy Xiao printer-camera excretes prints originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 15:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An interesting combination of old and new - an Apple Remote modded into an Atari 2600 cartridge for Christmas!

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