One thing I appreciate about NYC's boiling-hot summers is that I don't have to run my electricity-hogging clothes dryer; a hanging rack does does the job fine. And now Levi Strauss & Co. is running a design competition to promote air-drying as a means of environmental preservation, asking entrants to design modern updates and alternatives to the clothesline.

All of the entries to date are available for viewing (and voting on) online. Some of our faves:

The far-fetched but fun Windmill Dryer is essentially an electricity-generating turbine with blades you can dry clothes on.

The Palm is a deceptively simple-looking coat rack with fronds that can deploy from the center, creating multiple hanging points.

The rain-proof, wind-catching Breezeway is a communal dryer designed for apartment building roofs and has the capacity of six dryers. Individual, lockable drawers separate your undies from the Jones'.

Check the rest out here.

via makezine