everything is design

Chorong Lamps by Joongho Choi

2009-06-16T08:15:00.000-07:00

Reinterpreting the ‘chong-sa-chorong’, the korean illumination device, in terms of modern thoughts. This lighting device could be hanged onto fixed metal pole, or held by hand, but most importantly when it was hanged onto a long fixed pole called ‘deung rong deh’, it would vividly show the difference between the wall and the illumination itself, building up tensions in the atmosphere. That tension could be maximized by just hanging on to the supporting pole, and I have brought along the advantageous idea from the ‘chong-sa-chorong’ which is being able to move from place to another in various directions.

The Bears Cave by Paul Coudamy

2009-06-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

The project is located in a covered alley in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, described by Walter Benjamin. It consists in rehabilitating a shop into headquarters for a computer firm. The idea is to reflect Bearstech Company innovative and animal image in order to promote the wild and raw aspects of their approach of virtual technology and communicate a feeling of strength.

The cavernous and intimate atmosphere is organized in three different spaces : working space, leisure space and meeting space. The back space, more of a serious space, is emphasized by Parisian rock and brick walls creating a solid and mineral atmosphere.
A honeycomb cardboard bench creates a low separation between the meeting room and the working spaces. The bench customized and covered with natural felt invites to take place behind the bar, which by its vivid color and angular form activates circulation between spaces.

The meeting room wood structure intends to translate the chaotic mass power dynamited in an uncontrolled energy : a wood vortex out of a natural disaster. The cavern walls are generated day after day by wooden floors and wood waste pieces collected in dumpsters, sidewalks or wastelands. The anarchical and spontaneous organization of the wood pieces creates an organic cave providing an unique atmosphere to the meeting room.

Millennium Park Pavilions by Zaha Hadid and Ben van Berkel

2009-05-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

The designs for two temporary pavilions that will be installed this June in Chicago’s Millennium Park have been unveiled.

Both pavilions — one designed by London-based Zaha Hadid and the other by Amsterdam-based Ben van Berkel of UNStudio — emphasize the importance of boldly imagining a better future for all, as Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett did in 1909 in their Plan of Chicago.

Hadid’s curvilinear form uses state-of-the-art fabric technologies. The tent-like structure can be dismantled and re-installed elsewhere after the Centennial. Van Berkel’s floating roof offers surprising views of the Chicago skyline. This pavilion will be de-constructed and recycled.

For more information about the Pavilions, and schedule of events, visit: www.burnhamplan100.org

The Zaha Hadid Pavilion:

Marmol Radziner Win Professional Landscape Award

2009-05-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

The Vienna Way site is divided into thirds with the architecture massed at the outer edges and the garden spaces in the middle. This spatial organization maximizes the amount of physical and visual open space within a narrow, urban lot.

The exterior spaces are divided into thirds as well by the water “corridor” that literally begins with the swimming pool and is implied by the repeated, mass plantings of Chrondopetalum tectorum (Cape Rush) — a plant naturally found at water edges — which align with the pool and kitchen window in the front garden, continue to the garden roof over the sunken kitchen, and culminate at the rear garden with three California Sycamores. Flanking this riparian “corridor” are drought-tolerant plantings reminiscent of a Chaparral landscape including Quercus agrifolia (Coastal Live Oak), Quercus lobata (Valley Oak), native Muhlenbergia rigens (Deer Grass) and Rhus lancea (African Sumac)

The front garden is designed to be an adult, more mature space with simple, monochromatic, architectural plantings, while the rear garden becomes a place for children’s play. The backyard planting design, which includes a lawn of Buffalo Grass, is more colorful, varied and organically arranged than the front garden. It includes California natives Salvia apiana (White sage), Salvia clevelandii (Cleveland Sage) and Fremontodendron californica (Flannel Bush) as well as a raised vegetable planter.

Due to the large quantity of native California plants and desired size at installation, many were “contract grown” by two local nurseries. All of the trees were field grown and craned into the site. Despite the fact that the organizing element for the garden is water, the plants by and large are drought-tolerant.

Kengo Kuma Houses for Muji

2009-05-25T09:36:00.001-07:00

The Tree House (House of Trees?) has been built many times and this page describes , in pictures, the incredible variation the Muji houses have. It is designed to harness natural light and energy. From the looks of the diagrams , the floors receiving direct sunlight absorb the energy and radiate it back into the house. The house has a open interior balcony to introduce cross breezes combined with a chimney effect. In addition, energy-efficient materials are used elsewhere.

Of course the houses look great with Muji stuff in them. But Muji seems most focused on the relationship to the Japanese Industrial Arts movement in the early 20th century. These houses are studies in combining traditional Japanese house craftsmanship with an industrialized construction industry. The kit of parts include simple wood beams with a machined connection system (worthy of being openly framed) that are also earthquake resistant. In addition the system allows for the house to be modified or expanded in the future. If you were ever going to buy a house for someone, this is a great way to do it. Kengo Kuma’s greatness with Muji’s refined simplicity

venice architecture biennale 08: UNStudio

2009-05-25T09:20:00.000-07:00

the central question behind UNStudio's installation ' the changing room' is: what are the implications for the architectural environment of the contemporary, highly unsettled and unpredictable configurations of living and working? the installation gradually instills this question by moving the visitor through different layers of meaning and sensation.the scenario of the changing room is clear and simple. individual enters changing room; puts product to test; considers transformed self; comes to a decision and exits. during this brief interlude, the transformative potential of the material world is explored.conclusions that may be drawn from the selection of references, what does it say about architecture that we are tempted to make analogies with magazine culture and couture decisions. ultimately this installation is therefore about architecture itself. the venice biennale is one of the last places where architecture returns to its core identity as a spatial art form, where architecture itself can be at home in the modern world.

time out of scale' by UNstudio

2009-05-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

motorola recently launched a premium handset named ‘aura’. to celebrate the launch, motorola commissioned UNstudio to create a special installation called ‘time out of scale’. the special installation is located at st. martins lane hotel in london. the design is inspired by the ‘aura’ which UNstudio principal ben van berkel used as a starting point to explore concepts of time and craftsmanship. in the design, time is represented by rhythmic changes in sound and imagery within the borderless space.

http://www.unstudio.com
http://www.motorola.com

Living Underground in Style

2009-05-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

Living Underground in Style

Plot #35 of the Ordos Project is not your typical villa. You won’t find it in Spain, France, or Italy. This one is in Inner Mongolia. The flat landscape is known for some of the most amazing blue skies on Earth but living there is harsh with high winds and extreme temperature grades.

Architect Juan Pablo Maza created a large underground home to take advantage of the ground’s natural insulation but the most striking feature is the suspended living area above ground surrounded by a forest of beams. A single stairway twists its way up making even the Apple Cube store in NYC seem complacent. Absolutely gorgeous.

Designer: Juan Pablo Maza

Abu Dhabi Performing Arts Centre by Zaha Hadid

2009-05-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

Zaha Hadid Architects announce the design of the Abu Dhabi Performing Arts Centre a new cultural institution for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation on behalf of the Tourism Development and Investment Company of Abu Dhabi (TDIC). Zaha Hadid unveiled the design of the new Performing Arts Centre at a press conference in Abu Dhabi, UAE today.

Hadid’s Performing Arts Centre concept, a 62 metre high building is proposing to house five theatres a music hall, concert hall, opera house, drama theatre and a flexible theatre with a combined seating capacity for 6,300. The Centre may also house an Academy of Performing Arts.

The Abu Dhabi Performing Arts Centre will be one of five major cultural institutions on the new 270-hectacre cultural district of Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi - developed by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation on behalf of the Tourism Development and Investment Company of Abu Dhabi (TDIC).

Zaha Hadid describes the design of the Performing Arts Centre as a sculptural form that emerges from a linear intersection of pedestrian paths within the cultural district, gradually developing into a growing organism that sprouts a network of successive branc

‘Design colour factory’ by dan brill architects

2009-05-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

dan brill architects is a recently established studio winchester, UK. the firm recently completed its first building, an artist’s workshop known as the ‘colour factory’. the single story building has a small footprint, but loads of tiny architectural details that add interest. working in a small budget, the studio worked with simple materials and construction methods. the interior walls are structural plywood, while the outside is clad in coloured polycarbonate rodeca. the plywood is perforated allowing light to enter in, while the outside remains water-proofed all around thanks to the polycarbonate. this innovative combination cut costs tremendously by eliminating the need for window fixtures. the building hosts workshops for community children and adults in a range of artistic mediums. ‘colour factory ‘has been shortlisted for the architect’s journal’s small projects exhibition that runs february 5-27 at new london architecture, london.

http://www.danbrillarchitects.com

k:fem department store by wingårdh architecture

2009-05-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

the k:fem department store by wingårdh architecture is located in the vällingby development, just outside of stockholm. the store was conceived as a new beacon for the community serving to inject new life into the area. the exterior is covered in a milky glass which get increasingly see through toward the top, merging into the red overhang above. the list of stores inside are displayed on the overhang, all in white on red. a pedestrian street cuts-through the department store, dividing it from the adjoining solo retailer. inside the store, the semitransparent theme continues. the most unique features is the light filled central core which is open to the sky.

http://www.wingardhs.se

“Puzzling” Modern Design – Next Generation House is the Cottage of the Future

2009-05-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Sou Fujimoto Architects have this “puzzling” vision for the home of the future. Next Generation House is a small, cottage-style design discreetly tucked in a forest overlooking the picturesque River Kuma in Kumakura, Japan. This four-by-four-meter box is assembled from Japanese cedar blocks, thoughtfully fitted together to create a unique interior terrain. Blocks jut out from walls to create built-in shelves, tables, seating, windows and skylights. Sou Fujimoto Architects
via Cool Boom

Children's furniture series by RAFASCHIERI DESIGN STUDIO

2009-05-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

Children’s furniture is intended for being used in child-related everyday activities and manipulations: meals, hygiene and games. The furniture’s design principle contributes to adapting more adequately the height of the seat to the growing child thus lowering the risk and the gravity of a possible fall. An additional asset of the unit is the durability of its components, which can be used either en bloc or separately to safely contain and entertain the child.

The underlying concept takes account of and integrates the child’s ability to progressively find both independence and security in his movements and is conducive to the behaviour of minimum risk, which for the child starts with learning

Ann Demeulemeester shop by Mass Studies

2009-05-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

Ann Demeulemeester shop by Mass Studies
The site is located in an alley, at a block’s distance from Dosandae-ro – a busy thoroughfare in Seoul’s Gangnam district – in close proximity to Dosan Park. Primarily residential in the past, the neighborhood is undergoing a rapid transformation into an upscale commercial district full of shops and restaurants.

The building is comprised of one subterranean level and three floors above. The Ann Demeulemeester Shop is located on the first floor, with a restaurant above and a Multi-Shop in the basement.

WINNER ANNOUNCED FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE

2009-05-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

This landmark building by Snøhetta, who also designed the new Library of Alexandria (2002), is the largest cultural centre built in Norway in 700 years. It sloping stone roof - made up of 36,000 fitted pieces – rises up from the fjord; allowing members of the public, residents and opera goers alike, to walk over the building, developing a relationship with the public structure. Integral to the 1,000-room interior, which is largely lined with crafted woodwork (using the traditions of Norwegian boat builders), are a number of art commissions interwoven into the structural fabric, including a cloakroom, a collaboration with their 2007 Serpentine Pavilion collaborator Olafur Eliasson. There will be a press visit to the winning building on 7 May 2009 and a special granting ceremony at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona on 28 May 2009.

renovation of the showroom YESHOP IN HOUSE

2009-05-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

Concept - Milles feuilles – a thousand leaves | Concept of the approach was the design of site-specific constructions that would emphasize and intensify the continuity of space and its homely feel while at the same time they would homogenize in a mental and formal way the varying events that happen in the “house” (shop – exhibition space, lounge area, party space, small scale fashion shows). The ephemeral character of the refurbishment was a wish of the client.
Existing furniture were rearranged in order to bring into forth the two, new, constructions that were handmade, using eco -friendly corrugated packaging carton. The sense of packing (as a reference to refurbishment, moving and the ephemeral) is spatially expressed, while the cheap material used in a derivational manner, structures space.

Toy Factory Loft by Zellnerplus

2009-05-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

Glacier Loft by Gus Wüstemann. Interior Design did a piece on this way back when, and every time that image of the stair pops up I fall in love with it again.

Hoe Hoe Hoe at Container Ground, Tokyo

2009-05-16T07:15:00.001-07:00

We should have run this over Christmas, on account of its punny name. Hoe Hoe Hoe! was an installation at Container Ground during Tokyo Designers Week in November. Students of Tama Art University in Tokyo filled their shipping container with a papier mache structure lined with shredded newspaper.

credit Tokyo Designers Week

Roll Charger – Chinese health toy-inspired ecofriendly battery charger

2009-05-16T06:43:00.000-07:00

Eco Factor: Charger converts mechanical energy into electricity.

In Chinese tradition balls have been used as health and fitness toys for centuries. Rolling two balls in one’s hand stimulates acupuncture points and loosens bones and muscles making you feel relaxed and fresh. Keeping conventions aside, product designer Jiang Qian has developed a concept charger that utilizes the mechanical energy generated in the balls and converts it into electricity.

Roll Charger, as Jiang calls his concept, harnesses energy as the balls are rolled in the palm. The device then converts this rotating motion into electricity, which is then fed into a single AA or AAA battery that fits neatly inside the ball. Since two balls are used to stimulate the acupuncture points, you can charge two batteries at once which can then be used in a remote or other devices powered by them. A LED is integrated into the device, which tells you that the charger is functioning and also alerts the user when the batteries are completely charged.

A house for Art / Luca Selva Architects

2009-05-16T06:32:00.000-07:00

There are houses that become houses devoted to art over time by the gradual addition of artwork. Others, like the house in Binningen, were built to be a house for art from the beginning. This is reflected in the traffic pattern as well as in the sequence and size of the main rooms, the position and finish of the windows and the conservative and unitary materialization. The ground floor flooring gives the impression that it has existed since the beginning of time. It consists of a stomped clay floor, made by Martin Rauch. It is the colour of honey and it has countless crazes and a velvety touch despite its hardness. The floor leads the visitors from the entrée through the corridor to the entrance hall, which are squired by large-sized photographs by contemporary artists and include rare and aged cactuses and various delicate antique physiques. This archaic floor contrasts strongly with the slender and precise aluminium frames of the sliding glass doors which constrict the passage from the hall to the living room, opening it up towards the garden and the covered seating area. This is where the interpenetration of indoors and outdoors is strongest. The angular floorplan repeatedly allows simultaneous views of interior and exterior surfaces which are both kept in the same bright white to enhance the visual continuity of ceiling and walls.

credit www.archdaily.com

Triangle facade

2009-05-16T06:21:00.000-07:00

The poetics of metaphor in architecture is what comes to mind when one investigates this house in a row. Monolab discarded the formalism of traditional dutch houses that derive their setup from social logic: a façade hiding and garding the bourgeois interior as a shrine , while lace curtains allow to monitor the street in low profile. The Body House draws more from a Roman layout - organised around the emptiness of the atrium - and the premodern houses that lack context but intensify their introverted way of looking into the interior by hallowing the centre of the house, around a defining domestic element (stairs, terrace, fireplace, …) that symbolises the most important function of the house.

credit www.archdaily.com

Flipt Living Room Chairs Like You've Never Seen Before

2009-05-16T06:08:00.000-07:00

It is always fun to find great concepts in design that make living easier. Flipt living room chairs fall into this category. First off, this is great looking modern furniture that adds elegance to any room. I am always drawn to this sleek design and its minimal roots as it tends not to over power the decorating balance in a room. The great feature of Flipt is that it is two chairs in one. You can have it extended out as a lounge chair or fold it back onto itself so it is just a regular chair. This clever design was created by Jeff Miller. I do like the yellow and white colors and how they play when the chair is folded back or in its extended position. With space being so limited in many big cities, living room chairs that can be multi-functional like Flipt are great ideas. More information: here.

Brauner Wegner Priehn centre for dentistry

2009-05-16T05:51:00.000-07:00

Berlin office J Mayer H Architects have completed the interior of the Brauner Wegner Priehn dental practice in Hamburg, Germany.

credit www.dezeen.com

Contemporary Crochet

2009-05-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

Just when I was beginning to get over my phobia of display plates, it appears that all things knitted, weaved and crocheted are making a resurgence too. Not that it hasn't been a long time coming, celebrities have been flashing around their knitting needles for quite a while, and even your grandma was in on the craze before you were.

So it's no surprise that earlier this month at the Stockholm Furniture Fair, it was the unlikely union of tubular steel and weaved textiles (clothed polyurethane foam to be precise) that grabbed the attention of many. The design of new architecture/design trio Imaginary Office, the Pleats-Pleats Sofa is an unexpected combination of precision steel and squishy handicrafts.

credit http://blog.2modern.com/garden/

Robotic taxi runs without driver

2009-05-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

Hailed as the Robot Taxi, the futuristic car by Kubik Petr is essentially intended for big cities to transport a maximum of two passengers with regular hand-held baggage. The taxi is composed of two main parts – an undercarriage and a cabin. The car is driven by two electric motors, which are integrated, into the rear wheels. To ensure maximum mileage, the car will be built from lightweight materials. Kubik believes that the car can do 90kmh and can operate for 20 hours without a recharge. Whenever a person needs a ride, he/she will have to call the Robo Taxi operator who will then scan the system for the nearest taxi and direct it to your location. The users can then set their destination by using the in-built touch panel for a safe and comfortable journey.

Revolving buildings: the new shape of things

2009-05-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

This artist rendering released by Dynamic Architecture shows a rotating skyscraper that is to be built in Dubai, in various stages of movement. Photograph: AP

Darmstadt and Dubai present the extreme possibilities of contemporary living. In the first, a small town south of Frankfurt, you find the Passivhaus Institut. Since 1996, it has been experimenting with the ultimate in environmentally intelligent building design.

credit Stephen Bayley

Ando’s Miyake foundation nears completion

2009-05-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

Sneak preview: the Issey Miyake Foundation has sent us photos of the nearly-completed 21_21 Design Sight building in Tokyo, designed by Tadao Ando Architect and Associates and Nikken Sekkei.

The facility, located in the Tokyo Midtown development zone near Roppongi in the Japanese capital, will host exhibitions and seminars exploring the meaning of design.

Issey Miyake Foundation describes 21_21 Design Sight as “a research center for design, a place for thinking about design, and a place where things are actually made.”

The facility is the brainchild of clothing designer Issey Miyake, who has appointed graphic designer Taku Satoh and industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa as co-directors of the centre. FormerAXIS magazine editor Noriko Kawakami is associate director.

credit dezeen

Small firms will design 2012 legacy buildings, insist masterplanners

2009-05-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

Small firms will design 2012 legacy buildings, insist masterplanners

Small practices will get the chance to design parts of the 2012 Olympic legacy masterplan, directors from the three firms leading the masterplanning have insisted.

Speaking at the unveiling of the 102ha masterplan on Tuesday, KCAP director Markus Appenzeller joined colleagues from Edaw and Allies & Morrison in insisting that McDowell & Benedetti, Caruso St John, Haworth Tompkins, Maccreanor Lavington, Panter Hudspith and S333 would work on six “character areas” within the site in 2010.

This follows fears reported in BD a year ago that up-and-coming talent could be squeezed out by the larger firms.

“They’re going to get involved,” Appenzeller said. “One scenario is you give those [character areas] to a number of those offices. It’s good to have someone test your ideas.”

The highly ambitious masterplan, which was unveiled by London mayor Boris Johnson, Olympics minister Tessa Jowell and communities secretary Hazel Blears includes 10-12,000 new homes, of which 35% will be affordable.

It also comprises three new primary schools, a secondary school at the main stadium, and a new university replacing the International Broadcast Centre, which will be demolished in stages after the games.

Credit: ODA

The Olympic legacy site at Canary Whar

Tea Sets by Christine Misiak

2009-05-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

New Designers 07: Northumbria University design graduateChristine Misiak takes old tea sets she finds at car boot sales and brings them back to life

credit dezeen

National Grand Theatre in Beijing by Paul Andreu

2009-05-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

The website of The Guardian newspaper presents a slideshow of the new National Grand Theatre in Beijing, designed by Paul Andreu. Andreu’s website has many renderings of the project, which opens on Tuesday. Photo: China Daily/Reuters

credit dezeen

Crossover Design Book (Contributing In)

2009-05-09T03:24:00.000-07:00

“‘Crossover’ is not only a trendy expression in the international fashion community but has also conquered the design world with its incomparable magnetism. Designers have crossed over from their customary field of expertise to a new design field, and created a sparkling and magnetic feeling by blending elements that either had nothing to do with one another, or at odds and, even completely opposed at times. “Crossover” as it is portrayed in this book, cannot be merely viewed as a fashion concept. Indeed, through the display of hundreds of “blended” pieces, a profound depiction of designers’ attitude vis-à-vis design and their new lifestyle is offered to readers.”

Crossover Design book by NewWebPick and Cypi Press was just announced. I’ve received message that some of my pieces were published as samples so I’m more than happy to hear that! Stay tuned for more news.

credit by blog.valpnow.com/

'pack chair' by françois azambourg

2009-05-09T03:16:00.000-07:00

'pack chair' by françois azambourg

designed with the intention of selling it via mail order, the chair is fabricated with an internal airtight polyester cloth pouch and a double lining that contains a two-part liquid polyurethane foam. activating a switch on the side of the flat chair, the user can start the release of the material, causing it to combust and fill the inside. the 'pack chair'
will get its ultimate shape when the double-walled textile fibers harden on the contact with the emulsion of these two chemical products. perhaps you’ve seen a demonstration of polyurethane ingredients being mixed together, causing a very rapid and almost violent foaming reaction...within a few seconds the form is rigid.

credit by designboom

decidedly low-tech

2009-05-09T02:59:00.000-07:00

as technology evolves, new innovations are constantly replacing old ones. this cycle is repeated over and over until old technologies are almost completely forgotten. whether this is good or bad is really in the  eyes of the beholder, but the pace of technological innovation is unavoidable. in the past this technology turnaround was slow and measured, but it has been steadily increasing to a rapid clip today. so fast in fact, that many of us have trouble keeping up.

in spite of these hurried times, some of choose to stick with what we know or look back in history. rather than listening to music on an mp3 player, some choose to listen to lp records and rather than design  a poster using the latest computer software, some choose to use an antique letterpress. this burgeoning trend of anti-digital activity can perhaps be attributed to a form of technology nostalgia but there is clearly
something more. for starters, many of the people turning to retro-tech weren’t even born when these original products were around. there is something else at work, perhaps something is missing from the future-forward disposable technology of today? with each new generation of technology we lose  something from the past, the comforting sound of the needle on vinyl or just getting our hands dirty
instead of messing around with a mouse.

high technology may be the zeitgeist of today, but every trend has its adversary. today this adversary takes the form of vinyl records, film cameras, typewriters and other relics form the past. perhaps we seek comfort in the familiar or just need a break from our digital lifestyles. no matter what the reason, there is a clear movement at work that can be seen throughout contemporary culture. looking into the future, the products and tools we use today may soon be added to this list of antiquated technology, awaiting a resurgence of
there own

cassette tapes

like records, cassette tapes have made their own resurgence. while it is no longer used for new releases, the popularity of the classic mixtape remains. designboom featured an depth look at the cassette tape resurgence in our article, ‘cassette tape culture’

screen-printing

in an era where its seems that everyone has a copy of photoshop and a colour printer, screen printing has made an unlikely resurgence. this production method never truly went away, as it is a common process in manufacturing, but a new generation of printers and designers are using it more and more. from t-shirts to posters and flyers, the simplicity and reproducibility of screen-printing is find a niche in today’s design toolbox.

letterpress election posters by yeehaw industries

credit by designboom

Constructive Lives by Multistorey

2009-05-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

Graphic designers Multistorey have designed the interior, exterior and branding for a homeware shop on Portobello road in London.

The designers decided to cover the exterior with brightly-coloured tiles, which informed the graphic products, branding and website for the store.

The project was completed in September last year.

Here are some more details from the designers:
We have designed the first in a new chain of shops in London that will sell furniture and accessories for the home. Initially approached to design just the branding element, we proposed to the owners that we take on the entire art direction of the shop including the interior design and fit-out, the external cladding and all the printed and screen based requirements [carrier bags, website, stationery etc].

Our concept was led very much by the shop’s location on Portobello road – an area with a diverse cultural community and strong and vibrant visual identity, the shop premises which had a large external wall, and the owners mixed African, Irish and West Indian heritage.

We wanted to make the exterior of the shop very high impact so that it would stand out yet feel at home on what is a visually busy street. Whilst researching African and West Indian patterns and decorative arts, we discovered the geometric wall murals of the Ndebele community of South Africa which were simple, striking and painted in the most beautiful colours.

We liked the cultural origins of these murals being hand painted by the womenfolk of the tribe to assert their individuality in a strictly patriarchal society. Taking these as a starting point we created our own version in a contemporary ceramic tiled permutation for the large exterior wall of the shop.

In breaking up the shapes to a bitmapped tile version, they began to take on a whole new life of their own, even resembling and playing off the large zebra crossing and street lighting directly outside the shop.

With the pattern itself being so striking, the typographic element of the branding needed to be quite simple and utilitarian so as not to clash. We applied the typographic sign to the windows of the shop — giving them space to breathe, away from the pattern.

For the interior of the shop space, we felt that a pared down palette would be more functional for the display of products, but continued the tiled element inside with a black ceramic tiled floor. Four built-in units of window display plinths, cash desk and shelves were constructed from wood or white painted MDF, and each piece finished with a black frame giving a structured, geometric yet warm feel to the space. The sun casts shadows of the shop’s name into the shop, which create ever changing typography on the units.

For the carrier bags, stationery and website, we have used the tiled pattern as a decorative device, with the aim of the tiled pattern becoming a key part of the brand recognition.

Habitat 2020, The Eco-Architecture

2009-05-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

As you probably realize, eco-architecture is not a new element, and it consists of carefully designed projects, using green materials and an eco-friendly look. The latest project based on such techniques is Habitat 2020, an urban megalopolis concept that aims to develop a sustainable housing system.

The China-based construction will blend biochemical functionalities and electronics with the materials, that are supposed to act as a membrane and harness energy. The membrane will separate the habitat from the exterio, and will absorb vital factors such as air, light and water and transit them to the interior.

The skin will move in the best position to get as much sunlight as possible, to increase the efficiency of the energy absorbing process and solve the need for electricity. With Philips as its designers, the system has covered all the needs of its future residents.

Even the air and wind are perfectly controlled and integrated into a natural air-conditioning system, which will also clean the building of the exhaled CO2. The membrane will not be affected by the rain, furthermore, it will use it, and channel the water inside. Another important element from this superstructure’s design is that the organic waste will be converted into biogas energy, used for domestic purposes.

The Battle of Trafalgar by Jaime Hayón

2009-05-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

Spanish designer Jaime Hayón will create a giant chess set in Trafalgar Square, London, as part of this September’s London Design Festival. Update: Hayón has sent us many new drawings, renderings and research materials, which we’ve added below.
The installation, announced today at the festival’s press launch, is billed as “a design reinterpretation of the Battle of Trafalgar”.

The Battle of Trafalgar

At the centre of the Festival will be a gigantic chess board in Trafalgar Square. Spanish designer Jaime Hayón has designed thirty-two ceramic chess pieces, each up to 2m tall that will be located in the centre of Trafalgar Square.

Posted by Marcus Fairs

Blown Fabric by Nendo

2009-05-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Milan 09: Japanese designers Nendo will display lighting called Blown Fabric at exhibition Tokyo Fiber ‘09 Senseware in Milan later this month.

The lamps are made of a thermoplastic, non-woven polyester fibre using a process similar to glass-blowing.

LED bulbs in machined, aluminium sockets provide the light source and anchor the light, hollow forms.

Tokyo Fiber ‘09 Senseware takes place 22-27 April at La Triennale di Milano.

Here’s some more information from Nendo:

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“blown-fabric” at La Triennale di Milano

nendo created blown-fabric for Tokyo Fiber ‘09 Senseware, an exhibition intended to convey the possibilities of new materials developed with Japanese synthetic fibre technology.

‘Smash’ is a specialized long-fibre non-woven polyester that can be manipulated into different forms through hot press forming technology.

Because it is thermoplastic, light and rip-proof, but glows beautifully when light passes through it, we wanted to create lighting fixtures in the style of vernacular Japanese chochin paper lanterns with it.

The structure of standard chochin consists of thin strips of bamboo wrapped around a wood frame and strengthened with vertical stitching.

Japanese mulberry paper pasted over the frame completes the lamps, and gives them their characteristic glow. But we realized that Smash’s particular properties would allow us to shape it like blown glass into a seamless one-piece lantern. It is impossible to completely control the process, so each fixture takes a unique form as heat is added and pressurized air blown into it.

As in glass-blowing, we can intervene during the production of each piece, resulting in a collection of objects whose infinitely varied imperfections are reminiscent of the infinite formal mutations of viruses and bacteria in response to environmental changes, and a far cry from the standardized forms of industrial mass-production.

The fixtures are weighted at the base by the light source. This simple, straightforward contrasts with the careful selection of materials.

Smash changes form if the interior temperature rises above 80˚ C, so we mounted low-heat LED bulbs in machined aluminium sockets that double as a heat-sink to maintain a low interior temperature.

V&A washrooms by Glowacka Rennie

2009-05-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

London architects Glowacka Rennie have completed the interior of the ladies toilets at the V&A museum in London.

The design includes a black, stone wall, black cubicle interiors and brass fittings in a white-painted interior with a high ceiling.
A blue, painted installation by Swiss artist Felice Varini resolves into a pattern of circles when viewed in the mirror above the wash basins.

Here’s some more information from Glowacka Rennie:
In May 2008 Glowacka Rennie won an invited competition for the design of the Women’s Amenities off the Grand Entrance hall at the V&A.
Competition extract:

“Their location means that they are well used by visitors and guests who attend major V&A events and parties in the Grand Entrance. The intention is to completely overhaul these toilets to create beautifully designed, stylish, elegant, comfortable and well-considered facilities.”
The purpose of the museum’s foundation was to raise standards in and promote fine and decorative arts; craftsmanship and materiality are therefore a very important part of the design.

A new stone datum unifies the space - a heavy ‘base’ into which the visitor descends down a new staircase. A light vaulted ceiling works with the rhythm of the existing windows and exaggerates the generous height of the space. This ceiling is slowly ‘revealed’ to the visitor as they descend down the stair and turn the corner to see the full effect.

Felice Varini, a Swiss artist known for his geometric perspective-localized paintings has added a fantastic, painted installation to the completed works. The hidden shape is ‘revealed’ in the basin mirror.

–Posted by Rose Etherington

furniture friday: knit chair

2009-05-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

Posted by: Michelle on February 27th, 2009

Designer Emiliano Godoy, whom we adore, believes that sustainability “is no longer a choice that companies can afford to ignore, and consider[s] it the primary framework within which to develop products and projects.” Perhaps you can understand why we adore him. On top of his eco-friendly ethic, he’s an incredibly talented designer. Take for example his super inventive Knit Chair. Composed of wooden panels bound together by cotton rope, the chair might remind some of Frankenstein’s monster if it weren’t for its elegant honeycomb patterned. Available in either FSC-certified beech or white oak, the handmade knit chair is also VOC free and won a Bronze Leaf at the International Furniture Design Award in Asahikawa, Japan in 2005. It’s available for purchase at Branch.com.

sam hecht: 'table, bench, chair' for established & sons at milan design week 09

2009-05-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

'table, bench, chair' by sam hecht
image © designboom

sam hecht's 'table, bench, chair' was on view at established & sons exhibition at milan design week 09.the idea to combine several seating opportunities and functions into a single product was initiated by a trip on the tokyo metro by sam hecht. here individual seating spaces are designated along a communal bench. hecht used this principle as a starting point and has similarly differentiated various functional
areas along the length of his bench with the help of traditional stream bent beech frames.these appear to slice through the solid wood bench that is the constant element in the design. three versions of 'table, bench, chair' are available; a chair, bench and love seat. designated seating space is profiled into the solid oak base

'table, bench, chair' by sam hecht
image © designboom