Hasta La Ideas

Materials movement sucks, and it’s our job as designers, engineers or craftspersons to learn tricks to deal with it. You’ll put a slight arc in a plastic surface that’s supposed to be flat, so that after it comes out of the mold and cools the surface doesn’t get all wavy; a furniture builder in Arizona shipping a hardwood table to the Gulf states will use joinery that compensates for the humidity and attendant wood expansion; and similar allowances have to be made when joining steel and aluminum, as they expand at different rates when the temperature changes.

On this latter front, Honda’s engineers have made a breakthrough that those who work with fabrics may find interesting: They’ve discovered that by creating a “3D Lock Seam”—essentially a flat-felled seam for you sewists—and using a special adhesive in place of the spot-welding they’d use with steel-on-steel, they can bond steel with aluminum in a way that negates the whole thermal deformation thing.

Practically speaking, what this new process enables them to do is create door panels that are steel on the inside and aluminum on the outside. This cuts the weight of the door panels by some 17%, which ought to reduce fuel consumption. (Honda also mentions that “In addition, weight reduction at the outer side of the vehicle body enables [us] to concentrate the point of gravity toward the center of the vehicle, contributing to improved stability in vehicle maneuvering,” but that sounds like spin to us.)

Unsurprisingly they’re mum on how they’ve pulled this off or what exactly the adhesive is, but they do mention that “these technologies do not require a dedicated process; as a result, existing production lines can accommodate these new technologies.” The language is kind of vague but it sounds like they’re saying they don’t require massive re-tooling, which is a manufacturing coup.

Honda’s U.S. plants are the first to get this manufacturing upgrade, and we’ll be seeing the new doors as soon as next month, on the U.S.-built Acura RLX.

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No, it’s not a missile, but this sleek hand-held blender will totally pulverize anything in its path! A great alternative to your average bulky countertop blender, the compact design saves space but packs just as powerful of a punch. The multipurpose blade is ideal for chopping, crushing, or purée in both shallow and deep containers, and with its protective guard it’s safe to use on glass, plastic or any other common material type.

With tactile grips, a smooth, easy-to-clean finish, and accent/safety lighting it’s as practical as it is attractive.

Designer: Luka Bassanese

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(Ballistic Blender was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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London-based design duo Raw Edges arranged hundreds of fabric ribbons around the edge of their display stand for Danish textile manufacturer Kvadrat at this year’s Stockholm Design Week.

Above: photograph by Raw Edges

Raw Edges used a selection of 20 Kvadrat textiles to make the 1500 ribbons that surround the display stand, which they called The Picnic, at Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair.

The wooden structure, which was made with Douglas fir from Danish flooring company Dinesen, used angled panels to display fabric swatches.

The stand was intended to evoke “a wooden cabin, soft roof tiles, fish skin and a picnic under a weeping willow,” according to the designers.

Raw Edges was founded by Israeli designers Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay after they graduated from London’s Royal College of Art in 2006.

Above: photograph by Raw Edges

Other projects by the duo we’ve featured on Dezeen include a shelf that splits in two to form a desk and a cork light fitting that lets you attach your own paper shade – see all design by Raw Edges.

Above: photograph by Raw Edges

Photographs are by Joël Tettamanti, except where stated.

The Picnic by Raw Edges

Renowned design duo Raw Edges has designed the Kvadrat stand for the Stockholm Furniture 2013. The Picnic features a massive wooden construction of Dinesen Douglas Fir and a textile installation consisting of 1,500 straps made out of a selection of twenty different Kvadrat textiles.

Above: photograph by Raw Edges

The designers envisioned recreating a picnic in an enchanted forest atmosphere. Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay about the concept: “wooden cabin, soft roof tiles, fish skin and picnic under a weeping willow, all mixed in a massive pot with Kvadrat swatches. Served within a commercial fair with our aspiration to create a bit of relaxing surreal situation but very warm welcoming.”

The stand is built out of two main elements: the wooden structure and the textile straps hanging from the ceiling. The wooden structure functions as display for the Kvadrat swatches and corresponds with the appearance of a wooden cabin. Made from Douglas Fir from the Danish floor company Dinesen, the horizontal wooden panels have been angled in such a way so it can hold the textile samples allowing the visitors a closer look. The impressive textile installation resembles vertical roof tiles and create a three dimensional volume. Functioning as a space divider it was inspired byweeping willow trees, creating an intimate space within the big exhibition hall.

About Raw Edges

Raw Edges is a London-based design studio founded by Israeli designers Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay. The duo, who attended the Royal College of Art together, collaborate on ideas and have complementary interests: whereas Yael Mer’s primary focus is on turning two-dimensional sheet materials into functional forms, Shay Alkalay is fascinated by how things move, function and react. Their output, which is the product of relentless experimentation, includes lamps, shelving, seating, flooring and museums installations.

The post The Picnic by Raw Edges
for Kvadrat appeared first on Dezeen.

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