SAN DIEGO.- Global climate change has mande green-solutions to almost everything we do in our daily lives a priority for many local governments around the world, so it shouldn't be surprising that café owners in Paris, France, were looking for a sustainable solution to the increasing problem of smoking-bans inside their establishments, and laws curbing the use of outside heaters. A cross-border company rose up to the challenge, designed their "environmentally friendly parasols" and won.

The San Diego and Tijuana based design and engineering company, Amorphica, responded to a bid launched by Deputy Mayor of Paris, Jean-Louis Missika, in conjunction with a networking organization called Citymart, who were looking to find a solution to the increased pollution caused by outside smoking in the city. Paris now has 10,000 cafés with designated smoking areas thanks to a new anti-tabacco law that prohibits smoking indoors.

Another problem also arose now that more people have to be outside also. During the winter, heaters have to be installed in order to accommodate customers outside in their streets, but these too have been now heavily regulated and discouraged by city officials. So, what are the cafés to do?

Amorphica came up with a winning solution. They invented "solar parasols" that provide both energy and heating to outdoor areas, plus they help trap tobacco smoke, cleaning for their immediate surroundings and helping the overall environment.

Amorphica's objective is to create solutions so that cities offer comfortable and interactive spaces all year long, something that can be achieved by "intervening" in common spaces like bus stops, or in this case, cafés. That is why these parasols can be easily be adapted for other urban uses.

Founded by Aaron Gutiérrez Cortes, Amorphica is based both in San Diego and Tijuana, already with a track record of innovation, compromised of a group of people that call themselves "urban provocateurs", since their work is about intervening in public spaces to make them functional.

And just like the company itself, Cortes also has a binational life, commuting between San Diego, Tijuana, and Massachusetts while he attends Harvard University. He and his company have also worked on projects for Mexican high-schools, as well as other solutions in Brazil.

Learn more about Amorphica at su página oficial or visit their Facebook page.

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jorge.guevara@sandiegored.com

jose.sanchez@sandiegored.com