Works by Fernando Laposse, Paul Cocksedge and Studio Raw Material were among those shown as part of New York gallery Friedman Benda‘s group exhibition highlighting sustainable approaches to design.

Called Under Present Conditions, the show included collectible designs by 11 established and emerging talents from around the world, whose work deals in both social and environmental sustainability; overconsumption and the overexploitation of resources.

“Central to the exhibition is the exploration of materials, as opposed to mass processes of industrialization and extraction,” said Friedman Benda.

“The works presented are personal expressions of and, in some cases, poetic responses to the conditions that we live under. Recycling, upcycling, and reimagining the life cycle of materials are crucial themes.”

Many works included reused materials to change perceptions about waste objects, including a chair made with recycled cardboard by British designer Max Lamb.

Burkinabé designer Hamed Ouattara addressed the issue of waste – as well as the impact of unidirectional global consumption – by repurposing oil drums for a cabinet called Tombouctou II.

According to the gallery, designers also utilised digital technology to develop new processes and identify previously undiscovered material properties.

With the Remolten N1: Monolita Low Chair 15 project, Chilean studio GT2P used both digital tools and handicraft techniques when turning hardened volcanic lava into furniture.

In a similar approach, British designer Paul Cocksedge showcased a wall hanging made completely of coal blocks, which, if burned would take 20 trees a year to offset naturally, presenting a conceptual angle to help visualise carbon usage.

Bringing awareness to the over-extraction of minerals, Israeli designer Erez Nevi Pana dipped wire-structured shapes into the Dead Sea, allowing salt to crystalize around the forms. The pieces are meant to showcase the potential for positive interactions between industrial objects and natural ones, according to the designer.

Other designers used natural processes at one or more stages of construction.

With Cocoon Cabinet #2, French-born designer Marlène Huissoud put multiple silkworks on a base shape and let them form their cocoons together, which created a new solid material they left behind when becoming butterflies.

UK-based Studio Grown combined the natural contour of willow tree branches into the shape of The Goodall Chair, bypassing the need for energy-consumption machinery and reducing waste.

A few projects explored the social aspects of sustainability, by highlighting the impact of the extraction on certain communities.

Mexican designer Fernando Laposse‘s showcased the Branch Joinery System, a modular shelving system made only from the pruned branches of avocados, which would usually be waste.

Laposse is known for his Conflict Avocados project, which was presented as part of Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria’s Triennial exhibition in 2023 and 2024, and raised awareness about the harmful impact avocado farming has had on communities in Michoacán, Mexico.

“For much of my career, I’ve dug deeply into understanding why traditional farmers in Mexico cannot make a living out of the crops they grow,” said Laposse.

“Collectively, these practices represent the field’s panoply of reflections on the circumstances we all share,” said Friedman Benda.

“By seeing how leading designers, consciously or not, approach these themes, we see how material itself tells the story of its own surroundings.”

Other designers in the show included Fernando and Humberto Campana, Joris Laarman and Christien Meindertsma.

The photography is by Izzy Leung.

The Under Present Condition exhibition is on view from 2 May to 15 June at Friedman Benda. For more architecture and design exhibitions visit Dezeen Events Guide.

The post Designers at New York exhibition showcase “poetic responses” to mass extraction appeared first on Dezeen.

Local studio Brandon Haw Architecture has created a masterplan for a development along the Brooklyn waterfront which will include five mixed-use towers created by design studios CookFox Architects, Rockwell Group and more.

Totalling approximately 1 million square feet (92, 903 square metres) across 3.75 acres, Williamsburg Wharf will encompass residential, commercial, retail, and outdoor space and be located on “the last waterfront site in South Williamsburg” with each tower reaching 22 storeys.

Developed by real estate firm Naftali Group in partnership with Access Industries, it will sit at 464-484 Kent Avenue, a plot that lies adjacent to the Williamsburg Bridge.

“Williamsburg Wharf is a high-quality development of five landmark residential towers along the Brooklyn waterfront,” said Brandon Haw Architecture (BHA). “The project shall regenerate the last waterfront site of South Williamsburg.”

“Williamsburg Wharf represents an extraordinary vision for the last developable site along Williamsburg’s East River shoreline,” said Naftali CEO Miki Naftali.

Renderings show two stepped buildings clad in beige materials, with greenscaping running along their bases and along the waterfront.

Open courtyards in the buildings will face the river, while retail space will be located on the opposite side along Kent Avenue. Gardens and public spaces designed in collaboration with New York studio Scape Landscape Architects will create a “strong public realm” and connect the project to the surrounding neighbourhood, according to the team.

The development’s overall design scheme was informed by the surrounding neighbourhood and its waterfront site.

“Drawing upon the early Dutch heritage of the Wallabout Bay area whilst abstracting from the majestic cast-iron buildings found in the neighbourhood, BHA has created a unique and unifying architectural language for the project, emphasising the quality of light that accompanies its west-facing waterfront location,” said the studio.

“Ever changing with the play of the seasons and time of day, the deep shadow lines of cornice, structure and window openings are emphasized by reflective, prismatic detailing, catching the light with varying colour highlights throughout the year,” it continued.

A total of 850 residences are planned for the project and will include “resort-style” wellness and leisure amenities, along with access to open outdoor areas, a dog park and walking and cycling paths throughout the park.

Other design studios slated for the project include Ward + Gray, Studio Munge, Hill West Architects and Future Green Studio.

Construction has begun on the project, with its first phase estimated to be completed in 2025.

“Combining new public space, community amenities and exceptional high-quality residences, the masterplan’s vibrant mix of activities shall invigorate and continue the transformation of the Williamsburg waterfront,” said BHA.

It joins a number of developments recently completed and under construction in Williamsburg, including two porcelain-clad skyscrapers by Selldorf Architects and the Domino Sugar Refinery by local architecture studio Practice for Architecture and Urbanism, which was converted into an office with glass dome.

The images are by Hayes Davidson

The post Brandon Haw Architecture creates masterplan for “last waterfront site” in Williamsburg appeared first on Dezeen.

Smartphones today seem to look very similar, varying only in the shape of the camera bump and the color of their backs. Sometimes, the materials might be different, too, but the same large-sized “candy bar” form factor has become the standard for all the smartphones currently in the market. There was a time, however, when companies were a bit more daring, experimenting with phone designs and features in an attempt to stand out from the crowd. That did lead to some rather eccentric and sometimes even ridiculous designs that make us question the sanity of the minds behind them. But there are times when those odd designs of the past actually have important relevance today. Here are five such phone design oddities that we wished existed or still exist, and some alternatives in case you may have been smitten by their quirky appearance.

Designer: Google, Motorola

Undying Handset: Project Ara

Google’s Project Ara inspired the idea of a modular smartphone whose components you can easily swap to upgrade or repair parts. In theory, this would make the phone last forever, or at least as long as the base is intact and parts continue to be manufactured for it. In practice, it was a very ambitious endeavor that could neither meet expectations nor present a viable business model that wouldn’t bankrupt manufacturers. In the end, that sustainable and immortal smartphone remained just a dream, at least in that idealistic and perfect form.

Alternative: Fairphone 5

Designer: Fairphone

Fortunately, a part of that dream is actually possible and even sustainable in more ways than one. Although you can’t hot swap components on the fly, the Fairphone 5 at least offers a way for owners to change important parts of the phone, like batteries or even cameras, to keep them running almost forever. There are some limitations, of course, but if all you want is a phone that will last you for almost a decade instead of just two years, this self-repairable design pretty much has that in the bag.

Mobile Shutterbug: Nokia N90

One of the biggest uses for smartphones today next to social media is taking photos and videos. In the days even before the term “smartphone” was coined, even the most advanced handsets from the likes of Nokia could barely hold a candle to point-and-click cameras. That’s why the quirky Nokia N90 was prophetic and way ahead of its time, envisioning a day when smartphones would be used like camcorders, though with a bit more awkwardness due to their inflexible designs.

Alternative: Nokia x Nothing Concept

Designer: Viet Doan Duc

While clamshell phones are back in season thanks to foldable screens, the folding and twisting design of the original Nokia N90 remains a distant memory. This concept tries to answer the question of “what if?” and mixes two famed brands’ design languages to craft what could be the perfect camera phone. It makes you feel like a pro photographer or cinematographer, holding up your phone not with shame but with pride, capturing not only the moment but also people’s attention in a good way.

Pocket Book: YotaPhone Dual-Screen Phone

Designer: YotaDevices

E Ink devices are becoming more popular these days, especially after the addition of features like stylus support and color. These displays are easy on the eyes and the battery, allowing the screen to show the same thing for days without requiring a recharge. A few years back, a small company tried to bring those benefits to the smartphone in the oddest way, by putting an E Ink screen on its back. Although it can be used for reading e-books on the go, its main purpose was to have a battery-saving always-on display that is a bit more dynamic and useful than typical AOD implementations.

Alternative: Onyx BOOX Palma

Designer: BOOX

That said, a phone-sized Android device with an E Ink display might be an even more efficient design, which is what the Onyx BOOX Palma is offering. Technically, it’s an e-book reader that’s the size of a regular phone and actually runs Android, which is the standard for BOOX’s devices. This means it has access to the same apps you have on your regular phone, but without color. You also don’t have cellular connectivity via a SIM card, which might be a deal-breaker for a phone but a great deal for distraction-free reading and mobility.

Productive Minimalism: Minimal Phone

Designer: The Minimal Company

BlackBerry might have joined the likes of Nokia and LG as just parts of the annals of mobile history, but its squarish shape and QWERTY keyboard are forever etched in the consciousness of even the least tech-savvy person on the planet. Many have tried to recreate that magic, but this rather elegant yet odd phone puts a twist to it. It combines the iconic BlackBerry design with an E Ink screen and a minimalist aesthetic, promising distraction-free productivity by actually limiting what you can do on the device. It can even make it easier to actually reply to or post on social media, though the drab grayscale screen is probably going to make that a little less enjoyable anyway.

Alternative: Clicks QWERTY Case

Designer: Clicks

The idea of a BlackBerry-like experience might tickle the fancy of smartphone users, but none of them will be willing to ditch their powerful, colorful, and highly functional smartphones. Clicks is a case that tries to bring the best of both worlds, and it’s practically just a case that slides onto an iPhone to provide that tactile typing experience. You won’t have to give up your favorite apps, especially the ones you need to actually be productive, but the burden of being disciplined and ignoring distractions is now on you instead.

Shapeshifting Multitasker: Astro Slide 5G

Designer: Planet Computers

A phone that opens like a mini typewriter has actually been around since the days of the Nokia Communicator and its kin, but that design proved to be more complicated than they’re worth. After playing with that same design, PlanetComputing shifted to a slider that still provides that typing experience while retaining the exact same functions as a phone. Unfortunately, such a mechanism proved to be just as clunky and unreliable, and the software platform didn’t exactly lend itself well to a landscape screen.

Alternative: Any Foldable Phone

Designer: OPPO

These days, you don’t have to rely on a physical qwerty keyboard to have that same mini laptop experience. With foldable phones now more common, you can tap away on a more flexible on-screen keyboard when the device is only half-folded. At the same time, however, you have both phone and tablet functionality in your hands. Admittedly, the design is far from perfect, and we’re still waiting for more affordable foldables coming in the very near future.

The post Top 5 Quirky Phone Designs That Actually Make Sense first appeared on Yanko Design.

So OpenAI has unveiled GPT-4o, their latest flagship AI. The AI can not only speak—in a disturbingly lifelike way, complete with surprise, chuckles and the like—but can use your camera to deduce what’s going on around you. It has to be seen/heard to be believed.

OpenAI won’t allow the videos to be embedded, so click here to get your socks knocked off. The demo atop the page gives you the general gist, and there are more demonstrations—customer service, interview preparation, sarcasm, two AIs talking to each other, etc.—below. Perhaps most disturbing is when the AI starts talking to the dog, more or less perfectly nailing the way humans speak to dogs.

“GPT-4o (‘o’ for ‘omni’) is a step towards much more natural human-computer interaction—it accepts as input any combination of text, audio, and image and generates any combination of text, audio, and image outputs. It can respond to audio inputs in as little as 232 milliseconds, with an average of 320 milliseconds, which is similar to human response time in a conversation.”

Overnight travel is freaking amazing. I’ve taken overnight trains and buses in the ‘States, Europe and Asia and always loved it. To be unconscious during the boring parts of travel, then wake up at your destination, is the closest thing we have to teleportation.

This Swift Pod concept, designed by Berlin-based creative agency XOIO, aims to put that magic in an autonomous vehicle.

“Boarding at the desired departure point at the desired time – maximum flexibility”

Swift Pod – Autonomous Sleeping Mobile

“The Swift Pod is an internal design study based on the idea that relatively long distances can be covered ‘in your sleep’ at an ecologically acceptable speed. Obviously inspired by the concept of night trains, the sleeper mobile reflects the fascination of waking up in a different place from where you started and, last but not least, the nostalgia of this travel option. We found the fact that the German railways could no longer maintain this monopoly position and that night trains have only been bookable via ÖBB [Austria’s railway service] since 2016 all the more tragic to us.

“With the development of autonomous driving, we wanted to take up the concept again and transfer it to autonomous individual transport.

“The customer(s) would – in accordance with available ridesharing concepts – order their Swift Pod online, which would then arrive at the specified time and place. After ‘take-off’, the system calculates the ideal travel speed in order to bring passengers to their destination in a reliable and ecologically friendly manner. Of course, traveling at night brings the additional advantage of low traffic, which would be conducive to a smooth journey.”

“Minimalism and comfort – Despite the streamlined shape, the interior offers enough space to travel comfortably while sitting or lying down. A fold-out table and online WiFi even make it easy to work.”

“The Swift Pod offers space for 2 travelers. These can travel sitting, although the main attraction is of course traveling lying down or sleeping. Together with a well-equipped media system, the mobile sleeper offers a small selection of snacks and drinks. Luggage can be stowed under the beds or under the seat.”

“The Swift Pod glides through the night.”

“The Swift Pod is named after the English name for the swallow, which spends a large part of its life – including sleep – flying.”

“After a good night’s sleep, you have the option of having your morning coffee at a selected location before completing the last few kilometers to your destination. Fancy a quick swim?”

“Short breaks can be planned as a special feature. The navigation system offers a selection of attractive locations to grab something to eat or freshen up. Our scenario shows a traveler having his coffee at a particularly beautiful location by the lake.

“Finally, we are aware that the minimalist design of the Swift Pod is certainly not the right means of transport for all travelers. We still decided to continue with the iconic triangular shape to emphasize how, with available technologies, travel within a certain distance without flying could be possible in a minimalist way.”

I’m old and will die before teleportation is invented. But this thing could conceivably be built in my lifetime, if a Musk or Bezos type fancies it.