In the fight against forest fires, innovation plays a crucial role. The Fire Javelin emerges as a groundbreaking preventive fire safety tool designed for forests, farms, and parks. With its innovative design and practicality, this tool significantly lowers forest fire prevention costs while minimizing fire damage.
Designer: Lu Jianyao, Niu Yuge, Li Fengjiao, Liu Yijun, Lv Enze
The Fire Javelin features a conical bamboo steel structure designed for effortless insertion into the soil. This construction provides exceptional stability, ensuring the device remains secure and upright, even during prolonged standby periods. Its pointed base enhances versatility, making it easy to deploy across diverse terrains, such as dense forests, expansive farms, and wide-open parks.
The Fire Javelin utilizes a traditional red and white color scheme common to fire safety equipment. The vibrant red color is universally recognized as a symbol of danger or warning. Its ability to remain visible even in smoke-filled environments ensures that it can be easily located in emergencies. The contrasting white enhances visibility by reflecting the most light, making it noticeable from a distance. Together, these colors communicate urgency and danger effectively, even in the most challenging conditions. Additionally, bright lights at the top of the Fire Javelin further enhance its visibility, drawing attention to its location and signaling imminent danger.
Forest fires are among the most destructive types of fires, spreading rapidly and devastating ecosystems. The Fire Javelin’s unique mechanism addresses this issue effectively. As a fire approaches the device, the heat or flames trigger the javelin to break open, releasing its water reservoir. This immediate response helps to confine the fire, preventing it from spreading further and causing extensive damage. By creating a barrier of water, the Fire Javelin provides a practical solution to controlling wildfires in their early stages.
Traditional forest fire prevention methods often require significant investment in long-term maintenance and infrastructure. The Fire Javelin, however, is designed to be cost-effective and low-maintenance, making it an attractive option for governments, environmental organizations, and private landowners. Its ability to remain operational for extended periods without frequent maintenance reduces overall costs while ensuring readiness during fire season.
Benedict Radcliffe is an established name in the European design circles attributing to his off-beat 3D geometric wireframe sculptures. The designer has crafted life-sized versions of iconic vehicles and his acclaimed creations that transform the environment around them.
His latest creation caught my eye, because you already know I’m a Porsche fan. Yes, this is the Porsche 959 recreated in a scaled version with a neon green glowing steel finish. This revered model from the German automaker is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2025, and Benedict has got his timing right on point. Motorheads who can’t get their hands on the real thing can sport this intricate sculpture on their work desk or living room shelf with pride.
This desktop-worthy sculpture is made out of composite resin and has a cool glow to it that will make you stick to your office chair for longer than usual. The 1:15 scale model is limited to just 15 pieces, and can be purchased from the artist’s official website for 2500 GBP. The wireframe model grows on the success of the already popular interpretations of the Ferrari F40, Porsche 934, and the classic London taxi that got exposure at Heathrow Airport in 2014.
The London-based artist has put together the Porsche 959 and collaborated with studio INK who have made an animated teaser of this glowing steel tube sculpture in the digital world. Interested Porsche fans can view the car in a 360-degree world, since the studio has taken 3D scans of the designer’s creation. The captivating animation shows the assembly process and then heads to the final form of the fluorescent sculpture. Coming onto the history of the Porsche 959, well, the car debuted in 1985 and quickly grabbed all the attention for being the world’s fastest street-legal production car at that time. The sportscar could toggle the torque between the rear and front wheels in any kind of weather conditions.
Over the past years, we’ve seen dogs play a bigger part in their humans’ lifestyle. They’re no longer just pets but are already part of families, with their owners calling themselves fur parents. We’ve also seen more products in the market for them and not all of them are merely functional. A lot of thought has gone into the designs for some of these products, including dog houses.
Designer: Kenya Hara (curator)
The Architecture for Dogs exhibition is one such proof of the importance that we’re giving to our canine friends. Their latest stop is at Milan’s ADI Design Museum where they show off various ramps, cushions, mats, benches, and of course kennels and shelters that were designed specifically for certain breeds to strengthen their bonds with their humans. These designs are also available to download for free so that users can build their own versions of these architectures and adapt them to their dogs’ needs.
The pieces in the exhibit are pretty interesting and unique. The Cloud was cerated by Reiser + Umemoto as a second skin for a chihuahua to protect the dog from the cold as well as general protection for its bones. It actually looks like a dress but is designed as a “climatic buffer”. Konstantin Grcic designed a bed for a toy poodle that has a mirror since owners have said their pets respond to mirrors. There is also a sustainable aspect to some of the designs, like Shigeru Ban’s maze and bed for a papillon or continental toy spaniel since it’s made from connected cardboard tubes.
Since it’s the exhibit’s Italian debut, two contributions from local designers were also added. Giulio Iaccheti created a round, plywood-panelled kennel specifically for an Italian greyhound, looking like a tent complete with a red velvet cushion and with a small scarlet flag on top of its house. Piero Lissoni meanwhile crafted a plywood and aluminum kennel for a Yorkiepoo, inspired by of all things, an airport hangar.
Local studio Gabriel Rivera Arquitectos has designed a concrete house with a large overhang and spaces designed to adapt to the varying needs of its residents near Quito, Ecuador.
Known as the Binocular House, the 564-square metre (6,070-square foot) house is located on a residential development called Puembo. It is oriented with a western view of the city of Quito and a rear facade that welcomes the morning sun.
Gabriel Rivera Arquitectos has designed a concrete home outside of Quito
Gabriel Rivera Arquitectos designed the home during the COVID-19 pandemic and reevaluated the houses to serve as a residence, office, school, and green space all at the same time – fostering family unity with a flexible design.
“From these needs, the architectural concept of the project was born: a solid home with a large interior connection space that relates to nature,” the team told Dezeen.
The rear facade faces the morning sun
The reinforced concrete house “gives the sensation of floating” with the glazed ground floor set back behind narrow, recycled metal columns and a large overhanging second floor.
On the ground floor, screened windows close the home off from the street, while opening up to the back garden. Residents enter at the rounded southwest corner into a double-height living and dining space.
The house was designed to function as a home, office, school and greenspace
“The double height above the living and dining areas creates a connection between the upper and lower levels, achieving a fluid space that invites users to come downstairs,” the team said.
An adjacent multipurpose space can be opened to the dining area on one side, and aluminium and glass doors stack up, opening the other side of the social areas to the large covered back porch.
Thin black metal cables line a central stair
A guest ensuite is tucked away off the kitchen, and the northern end of the house holds the garage and service areas.
A central floating staircase — with a dark wood zigzag-shaped stringer suspended on thin black metal cables – is integrated into the kitchen and leads to the upper level with three bedrooms, a terrace and a multipurpose area that can change based on the needs of the residents.
“The master bedroom, located to the west with a view of Quito, provides security for the home, while the secondary bedrooms are sheltered and overlook the rear garden.”
The contemporary interiors are unified by grey porcelain tile floors, white-painted walls, black metal details, dark-coloured wood, and light grey furniture.
The interior palette features concrete, dark wood, white-painted walls and grey porcelain floor tiles
The arrangement promotes natural ventilation and lessens the need for air conditioning.
“Binocular House enhances the quality of life of its users, as it is functional in its architectural design and promotes well-being by maximizing natural light while controlling direct sunlight on its facades, reducing the need for artificial lighting,” the team said.
Recently, Gabriel Rivera Arquitectos designed a brick house and riding school in the Andes Mountains and a house in Nayón that protected the site’s existing trees, allowing them to grow through and around the residence.
Porsche is never shy of trying out new collaborations with creative brands that pitch to the emotions of young audiences who are open to fresh ideas. While I’m a big fan of their 911 series sportscars, I would not settle for anything else on four wheels from the German high-performance sports car maker. Or is it?
It looks like Porsche has other ideas under its cap to mystify loyal fans like me. Their latest collaboration is with Naughty Dog for their upcoming action-adventure game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, published by Sony. The plot is set thousands of years in the future where the bounty hunter Jordan A. Mun looking for a crime syndicate is stranded on an alien planet.
Porsche captures this sentiment with the the 984 Tempest NDX spacecraft featured in the game, and of course, the preferred space travel companion for the protagonist. Although the game is set in the future, nostalgic elements of the eras gone by are reincarnated to evoke interest. One of them being the jukebox-style Sony CD changer. We can expect to see more 80s stuff in the coming weeks, as confirmed by the Naughty Studio boss Neil Druckmann.
The spacecraft has sleek aesthetics and an overdose of retro-futuristic flair. It’ll be interesting to see if and when Porsche decides to create a reviewable version of the 984 Tempest NDX, or maybe a concept prototype for everyone to rejoice. We can expect to have more details about this luxury spacecraft set to acquire intergalactic fans. The game trailer already looks impressive, and we are sure Porsche will reveal the life-sized version of the spacecraft anytime before the PlayStation game is finally up for grabs.
Lamps are something I don’t really think about when it comes to how they look or how they are designed. Sure there are some chandeliers and light fixtures that capture my attention every once in a while, but I’m not really particular about them when it comes to my house or even what they use at places like my workplace, malls I hang out in, my favorite coffee shops, etc. A well-designed one that also captures the functionality expected of it will surely capture my attention.
Designer: Matthias Pinkert
The Kala Lamp seems to be one of those uniquely designed pendant lamps. For one thing, it seems to be floating on air with its two thin, simple wires holding up the entire contraption. This discrete suspension also houses the lamp’s power supply so it looks a bit like magic. But what makes it even more magical (from the point of view of our naked eyes) is that you are able to control the amount of light and where it points to with the four rings.
When you slide the four rings over the base, you are able to create an individualized design of light space. Instead of having the whole pendant lamp lighted, you can choose certain areas and also control how much light it gives off. You can have fun moving the rings around, adding a certain element of interactivity when trying to find the right combination for your space. It can also be pivoted 45 degrees forwards and backwards so you can use either direct or indirect light.
For sure the designer has thought about the fragility or sturdiness of such a fixture. I may have some fears about it falling from the roof since the wires are very thin or whoever is trying to play around the rings might snap the wires off. But it’s an interesting kind of pendant lamp, one that is well-designed and also adds to the personalization and functionality of this piece of lighting.
The architectural designer Antony Gibbon recently designed the Burl Treehouse. It is a series of rounded treehouse pods, that allow guests to experience nature in a unique and surreal manner while focusing on sustainability. The treehouses are currently concepts, and they merge organic aesthetics with a minimal and subtle design. They are inspired by the natural shape of tree burls – the rounded and textured growths on tree trunks. The treehouse is floating in the air, seamlessly merging with the lovely forest setting.
The treehouses are offered support by slender vertical slits and suspension cables. They are anchored to the trees, which reduces the disruption and damage to the forest floor while allowing the pods to seemingly float in the air. You can access the pods through the timber suspension bridges. The interior of the pod is made using light-toned cedar and ash wood, forming a warm and inviting vibe. The exterior is clad with charred wood shingles, showcasing the traditional Japanese technique of shou sugi ban, which adds a visually fascinating look to the pods.
Each cabin features a bedroom with built-in storage, a small bathroom with a shower, and interior furnishings which make it seem spacious and cozy. Every pod has been equipped with a central circular window, allowing the space to be filled with natural light, and offering panoramic views of the surrounding forest.
However, we do wonder how the treehouses will fare in extreme weather conditions, and the kind of strain they could create on the natural supports. However, currently, the treehouses do seem to be an interesting upcoming eco-tourism retreat. Let’s see how it goes!
Situated on Piazza Santa Maria Novella, with a front terrace that offers a charming vantage of historic Florence, THE PLACE FIRENZE is comprised of 20 distinct guest rooms—many with views—across four floors, as well as enchantingly designed shared spaces and food and beverage outlets. It’s a rare Florentine-owned boutique property that continues to evolve. Few can offer as much insight as Claudio Meli, the property’s general manager, who was born and raised in Florence. We spoke with Meli about the property’s partnership constant state of advancement, enveloping service, partnership with Ginori, and it’s unique relationship with The Place of Wonders, its partner foundation that aims to maintain artisan skills in Florence.
Courtesy of Dario Garofalo
Despite how majestic THE PLACE feels, there’s a gentle human touch to everything. Can you explain this?
That’s why THE PLACE is not really a hotel. The moment that we become a hotel, I won’t be here. Right now, you ring a bell, somebody opens the door and welcomes you home. I always say that we welcome you rather than check you in. A check in is something you do at the airport, with your luggage. When you invite friends to your home, you welcome them. You don’t check-in your friends. I love to meet my guests, to sit with them. I love to talk about my love of Florence, because I’m the only GM of a 5-star hotel in Florence that’s really Florentine.
Courtesy of Dario Garofalo
There is Florentine design everywhere. So many things are from Florence—whether it is Santa Maria Novella to Ginori 1735. Ginori is everywhere, it’s even the soap holder in the bathroom.
We have been Florentine since our first day. I opened this place in 2003. At the time, it was call the J.K. Place Firenze. Since months in, the Babini family arrived as owners. We maintained the original name for years. During Covid, we transformed it into our own brand, THE PLACE. We dropped the initials, because they were not ours, but we kept THE PLACE.
Courtesy of Dario Garofalo
Why “The Place?” What does it mean?
Because we created “this place.” From the very first day, there was an integration into Florence, this specific sense of place. When I travel, there’s nothing more important to me. You can get luxury brands in outlets or airports, but if you come to Florence, you get tailoring. It makes a difference because it is something done just for you. It’s a unique piece. That’s what we are trying to do at THE PLACE. That’s why they call us tailors of hospitality, which I really love. We try to be sartorial in the approach that we have to hospitality—and that’s why many of the things that you see are made by the artisans of Florence. Ginori for sure, but then all the glass, and so much more.
Courtesy of Dario Garofalo
We’ve noticed that every glass is actually different for things like cocktails, or every cocktail has its own type of glassware, really.
Yes, and also, every cocktail has its own specific style of coaster or napkin.
Where are the napkins from?
The napkin are coming from Julia B, which is this beautiful shop that only works with artisans, too, and it’s here on Via dei Fossi. We’ve had the Ginori partnership for ten years, maybe more. Ginori, for me, is like mythology, it’s incredible. I’m Florentine! During fashion week, they proposed that they present one of their collections at THE PLACE. They asked me, “may we give you one of our collection to use for breakfasts, or to serve coffee at THE PLACE, during fashion week?” I liked the idea but I told them that I cannot accept.
They asked me why. I explained that I would love to accept but in a different way. I said, “why don’t we come to you and we mix different collections? THE PLACE is a home. At home, it’s a mix. They said yes. It was the first time they did that. Now they publish a catalog, which is called Mix Match. It’s so fun.
Courtesy of Dario Garofalo
Are there other partnerships like this?
That’s why it came to mind, this idea for the Babini family to create their foundation for artisans, which is called The Place of Wonders. We have so many different artisans. We have a very cool one that just joined—a young guy in the north of Florence that does bespoke sneakers, these made-to-measure bespoke sneakers. You can decide which leather you prefer, which kind of details. You can also bring your own textiles, your leathers. He will make something just for you.
Courtesy of Dario Garofalo
COOL HUNTING has written about The Place of Wonders. The venue seems deeply connected to the spirit of Florence.
It’s born from the passion we have for this city, for Florence, and for our artisans. Other hotels, of course, are doing projects with artisans but our goal is beyond that. It’s to help artisans to survive. When you visit The Place of Wonders, your donation goes to a foundation that’s immediately invested in scholarships with the School of Jewelry, which is in Oltrarno, which is also one of our wonders because it’s so beautiful to visit the school, where these students are for three years. We have incredible students.
Courtesy of Dario Garofalo
We stayed in room 24, a two-floor penthouse, which felt like the epitome of all the values of THE PLACE. Are other rooms as special and nuanced as that?
Nothing is really standard here, all the rooms are different. That one is unique because we have only one penthouse, and you can see the Duomo. You have the private terrace, which is pretty special. I hope to have the possibility to enjoy also the terrace. But then we have the master rooms that are facing the Piazza Santa Maria Novella. These are bigger rooms in terms of square meters, with three big windows overlooking Santa Maria Novella. For example, master room number one, which is on the first floor, is the only one with a balcony. It’s beautiful. It’s nice because of the Piano Nobile, the first floor, so it has higher ceilings.
Then we have, for example, a loft, a panoramic loft, which is two floors and two bathrooms. In that room, you can stay with up to four people. It’s connected to a junior suite, which is also a duplex. If you close the door, we call it the grand suite and you can stay with up to seven people. It has a fantastic view of Santa Maria Novella. We have another room, which is, in my opinion, the sexiest. It’s number 18, and it has this shower that I call the king-size shower because it’s huge.
Courtesy of Dario Garofalo
All of your food and beverage outlets have such presence. They’re open to the public and one can book if they wanted to have a beautiful cocktail on the terrace?
Absolutely. We do have this incredible terrace, which is 100 square meters. It is the widest patio for a 5-star hotel in a monumental area in Florence. There is no other. We have just 20 rooms, but we have that huge space. That allow us to work a lot with people who are not staying here, but are welcome to come. We also host a lot of events. We can privatize so many of our spaces. Usually, the only space that is only for our guest is the 4th floor terrace because we wanted to reserve something for guests alone.
Courtesy of Dario Garofalo
Is your restaurant popular with locals as well as tourists?
Yes. It’s very popular, the restaurant, which is called The Kitchen & The Bar. It offers nonstop dining, because we open at 7:30AM until, let’s say, midnight. We’re very popular for cocktails, too. We have this Negroni experience, which is pretty amazing. You can try seven different kind of Negronis from the usual Negroni, the classic, to the smoking Negroni, which we call The Gentleman.
Courtesy of Dario Garofalo
Andthe rooms were recently redone, some in 2023 and 2024?
All the rooms are now complete. The hotel is finished. The only part that we will probably redo is the terrace on the 4th floor, but everything is brand new. We started the renovation in 2021, and the last rooms, they were done this year. We reopened in March 2024. In 2025, we will close for two months because we will renovate other areas. We always invest a lot into the property and the Babini family, they always invest because even if everything is working, we want to improve.
Next in Dezeen’s review of 2024 we look back at 10 significant skyscrapers from the year, including three designed by BIG, Japan’s tallest building and the renovation of the Transamerica Pyramid.
Designed by Japanese studio Nikken Sekkei, the pair of skyscrapers are connected by a skybridge 100 meters over a six-lane highway. The skybridge extends from the building to create the world’s longest cantilever.
One of four New York skyscrapers on this list, One Domino Square stands on the waterfront alongside the Williamsburg Bridge and the recently renovated Domino Sugar Refinery.
The pair of residential skyscrapers were designed by Selldorf Architects and clad in iridescent porcelain tiles.
Another pair of residential skyscrapers, this time with twisted forms, were completed in New York next to the High Line.
Designed by Danish architecture studio BIG, the 91-metre-high and 122-metre-high towers contain 236 condominiums along with a pool, gym and dining area.
Continuing the trend of skyscrapers duos, this pair of towers in São Paulo, Brazil, was designed by Dutch firm UNStudio to “redefine vertical living” in the city.
Located in the Chacara Santo Antonio neighbourhood, the skyscrapers rise to 39 and 36 storeys tall and contain a total 244 apartments. Both towers have a “windmill-shaped” floor plan, with volumes extended out from the central stair and lift core.
The second of a trio of BIG skyscrapers completed this year, the 24-storey EPIQ building stands alongside the central La Carolina Park in Quito.
The 101-metre-high skyscraper consists of two curved, L-shaped stacked blocks that have a series of open terraces in the space where the interconnected towers meet.
In San Francisco, architecture studio Foster + Partners completed an overhaul of the landmark Transamerica Pyramid, which originally opened in 1972.
The studio aimed to “restore the logic” of the 260-metre-high office building, restoring original elements and linking it to a redesigned adjacent park.
Named Mori JP Tower, the 330-metre-high skyscraper is Tokyo’s first supertall skyscraper and overtook the 300-metre-tall Abeno Harukas in Osaka, also designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners, to become the country’s tallest building.
One of the last buildings designed by Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 78, the 88-storey The Greenwich skyscraper was completed in Downtown Manhattan this year.
Located two blocks south of the World Trade Center complex, the glazed tower contains 272 apartments.
Australian studio Adam Kane Architects has designed an all-grey house in the southeastern state of Victoria, blanketing its surfaces in fog-like polished plaster.
Named after its neutral colour palette, Grey House is a holiday home for studio founder Adam Kane‘s own family, located in a valley an hour from Melbourne in the regional town of Daylesford.
Adam Kane Architects has completed a holiday home for its founder
When viewed from the front, the large three-bedroom home resembles a modern art gallery, with its monolithic facade and clean lines a stark contrast to the green banks it is nestled in and the forest backdrop behind.
According to Kane, working on his own house was a chance to push the boundaries and experiment with materials at which a client might baulk.
The residence has an all-grey colour scheme
“The home excels in its purpose of a purist aesthetic without compromise on functionality,” said Kane.
“Everything is concealed and has a place,” he continued. “Removing clutter and an abundance of colours, textures, and materials in combination with a soft polished plaster finish throughout brings an incredible sense of calm”.
The all-grey look was achieved by covering the house’s walls, doors and wet areas, as well as much of the full-height concealed joinery, in polished plaster.
Polished plaster coats the interior and exterior
“There’s a softness to this product that could not be achieved with paint – it evolves throughout the day, with the texture intensity changing, as does its mottled sheen,” said Kane.
To add further texture to the monochrome interiors, a second finish of stainless steel was added to some surfaces.
In places, the steel was hand-scoured to create a cloud-like aesthetic and allow any future scratches to be quickly buffed out.
The neutral aesthetic is carried over into furnishings, with large smoke-coloured sofas, and coal-coloured tables and chairs. Even the bath and sinks are grey.
The neutral aesthetic extends to the home’s furnishings
Grey House contains three bedrooms and a separate freestanding guesthouse. Its communal spaces are all designed to have their own “feel and purpose”, while bedrooms are concealed for privacy and to ensure a cleaner aesthetic.
As the space the family spends most of its time in, the kitchen is one of the house’s focal points with a strong visual connection to its adjoining garden providing an “everchanging backdrop”.
All the rooms have been given “evergreen” views
Located in the foothills of Victoria’s Great Dividing Range, the area’s climate is often wet, providing a lush green garden for the house’s surroundings. However, the existing site only had three pine trees, leading the studio to plant out banks on three sides of the house to create “evergreen” views from all of its rooms.
A small creek running through the site was diverted and around three metres of earth was moved to the front of the house site to create level ground, increasing the house’s visual impact from the street.
Stainless steel is used for a number of interior surfaces
Kane described the overall effect of Grey House as a “timeless haven” that offers a retreat from the chaos of the world.
“This choice of grey paired with stainless steel accents was deliberate, symbolising neutrality, balance, and introspection,” he said. “It serves as a canvas upon which the mind can wander freely, devoid of distractions.”
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