Insider: Building a Smarter Coffee Cup

A couple of years ago, Peter Herman, the principal of Boston-based architecture firm Studio 625, got tired of his wasteful morning coffee routine ? all those non-renewable plastic lids were ending up at the dump. So he decided to create a better coffee cup. After two and a half years of work with designer Daren Bascome, Herman’s ready to release the origami-esque Compleat paper cup, which is 100 percent biodegradable and features a fold-down closure ? no lid! ? to keep your latte from your lap. ? Ashley Wood

(Illustration by Liz Noftle.)