A minimal arch frames the entrance to this former farmhouse that architect Manuel Aires Mateus has transformed into a modern retreat in the rural landscape of Portugal’s Alentejo region (+ slideshow).
For this project, the architect was asked to restore an old family farmhouse, creating a four-bedroom holiday home set amongst 400 hectares of cork groves, pastures, wildflower fields and lakes, near the village of Montemor-o-Novo.
“Casa No Tempo has been in the family for many years,” said João and Andreia Rodrigues.”It was our grandad’s will that we look after it until the next generation.”
“Being aware of his vision we tried to aim higher, connecting the past with the coming future, leaving out the marks of time, in search for a peaceful and timeless place,” they added.
With an intervention intended to “reclaim the natural beauty of the rural territory and landscape”, Aires Mateus gave the building clean white walls both inside and outside. The exterior facades have been kept free from embellishments aside from simple windows, which are set into gentle recesses.
These large windows help to flood the interiors with natural light, aided by the presence of large openings between the rooms and several mirrors propped up against the walls.
The simple plan includes four bedrooms in total, and a separate lounge. A kitchen-diner sits off to one side, featuring an island workstation with a white marble surface and a grand wooden dining table.
Rustic clay blocks provide flooring throughout and are heated from underneath during the cooler winter months.
Outside, a sunken swimming pool is reminiscent of the topography of a beach. A third structure is also under construction – a walled garden that Aires Mateus claims will be “labyrinth-like”.
“The garden will display a palette of visual and sensory experiences, combining and juxtaposing elements to guide visitors through the paths,” he said.
Though the Venice boardwalk may once have been the place to see the eclectic beach town, Abbot Kinney Boulevard has become the go-to destination for shopping and eating, making it the perfect location for Warby Parker’s first free-standing shop on the West Coast….
Nahanni Arntzen was born inside a teepee on the shore of the Kingcome River in remote British Columbia. Her parents were tree-planters, hired by logging companies to repopulate the large swaths of land left naked by clear cutting forestry operations. On and off…
Designer Gerard Rubio has created an open source robotic loom that is able to knit entire seamless garments in less than one hour (+ movie).
Springing from Rubio’s own studies with 3D printing at Escolar Superior de Disseny in Barcelona, OpenKnit allows users to design and print their own garments seamlessly on one machine.
The designer built OpenKnit completely from scratch, drawing up plans and putting it together as he went, following a trial and error process that took more than a year.
“I started by learning how knitting machines work, to start figuring out how a seamless garment could be created automatically,” Rubio told Dezeen. “Once I understood it would be possible to achieve, I started drawing the machine and building it at the same time.”
OpenKnit consists of sections that work in tandem to create the garments: a bar at the top of the machine is contains layers of hooked needles, and fabric is looped around these in a mechanised system with a movement similar to an old-fashioned typewriter.
A moving carriage guided by a sensor pulls threads across the machine above the hooks, which move up to grab them and pull them down to create stitches. The carriage also picks up stitches and carries them over from one needle to the next to create the knit.
The machine can use up to three different threads to create different sections of a piece of clothing.
An Arduino board – a small low-cost computer – is programmed with the pattern for each garment and guides all the elements of the machine to create the final product.
OpenKnit is in an early stage of its development and does need some human input, requiring manual placing of weights to keep the clothes in their place. But the designer’s goal is to automate as much of the process as possible.
“The idea since the very beginning has been to have this process 100 per cent automated, so anybody can create their own garments without any knowledge of pattern making, cutting, or sewing,” Rubio told Dezeen. “That’s the goal of the project now.”
Rubio has uploaded instructions for creating an OpenKnit device to GitHub – a hosting site for open source files – including a bill of materials, a circuit diagram, a 3D model of the machine, and files for printing.
Once a machine has been built, users can make their own designs by utilising the free Knitic software, which also communicates with OpenKnit through an Arduino board. An online repository of digital clothes called doknityourself.com, created by Takahiro Yamaguchi, is a complementary platform where designs can be shared and downloaded for printing.
“I decided to make it open source so anybody can have free access to all the documentation to create their own machine,” Rubio said. “This way the project can evolve faster, since any user is a potential developer.”
Rubio said that open source technologies could drastically reshape the production landscape.
“Manufacturing is getting closer and closer to the user, offering some means of production to people that will awake their creativity and new social links, turning users into producers,” Rubio said.
“It’s something necessary in our days due to the absurdity of our actual model of production and consumption, in which most of us wear clothes that all together have done a couple of turns around the world.”
“The ecological footprint of these self-produced objects is reduced drastically compared with this model.”
Other people are already using Rubio’s blueprints to build their own machines, and he intends to begin hosting workshops to introduce the device to more people.
The designer plans to move his studio from Barcelona to London, where UCL will support his research. He hopes first of all to fully automate the process, and from there add other capabilities to the machine, like compatibility with different materials and loops, and two-colour patterns.
As a Smartphone owner do you worry about your phone dying on a busy day … did I hit a raw nerve? Truth is, we are dependent on our phone for everything -time, entertainment, communicating, surfing the internet, social networking and on-the-go we have almost no option that is discreet, stylish and yet a great charger. The QBracelet looks at changing this situation. It is a jewelry piece designed for both men and women and doubles up as a charger for Smartphones and other compatible devices.
The team behind Q Designs – James Kernan and Alessandro Libani – have put in a lot of consideration into why we need this charger. Taking a leaf out of his own experiences, James was once in an unfortunate situation where his phone died while vacationing in Italy. The timing was just horrible, there was no way he could communicate with anyone or find directions or take relief in some music. The chain of events led him to innovate and work on what we have today as the QBracelet.
James says, “Although our phones are constantly dying all the time, we have never been fans of the large and bulky external battery chargers available on the market. At the time the idea was to create a simple, convenient and innovative solution to the external battery that any person would feel comfortable owning and carrying. My passion for technology and fashion led me to build an entire brand that focused on combining the two to create amazing products that would make peoples lives just a little less hectic. When brainstorming for a solution to the problem, I had a few ideas before I came up with the idea for a wearable external battery disguised as jewelry.”
In terms of the design element, QBracelet is classy and has that very ‘Apple’ appeal. In fact it is a trendy piece that you can show-off on your wrist and always stay connected. By cordlessly connecting your device to the QBracelet via a connector that lies within the bracelet’s clasp, you can tank up your phone on the go.
Personally, the biggest USP for me is the fact that I don’t need to carry a bulky battery backup with me. More often than not I tend to forget the extra charging cord and we all know, finding an available wall socket is always a challenge!
– Yanko Design Timeless Designs – Explore wonderful concepts from around the world! Shop CKIE – We are more than just concepts. See what’s hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design! (The Bracelet Of Power was originally posted on Yanko Design)
The Rockport Company is seeking a Men’s Footwear Designer with a global perspective on fashion, performance and lifestyle trends who will be responsible for the ideation of new concepts and the creation of compelling footwear designs that reflect Rockport’s unique heritage of product innovation, style and comfort. The Rockport Design Team in Canton, MA carries on the Rockport tradition of improving their customer’s lives by introducing advanced technologies into casual shoes.
Working at Rockport will require you to stay current with relevant trends, and apply this understanding into designs to ensure products are contemporary, on trend and market relevant. You’ll also need to be able to present designs to the Head of Design, VP and other team members, as needed, in addition to providing product conceptualization, illustration and technical detailing of product, graphics, technical specifications. Apply Now.
“The RIBA Regent Street Shop Windows Project pairs architects and retailers to design exciting installations in flagship stores,” explains RIBA London director Tamsie Thomson in the above movie, which was produced by Dezeen for the RIBA.
“We hope this project will really challenge people’s ideas of what an architect can do.”
Sybarite for Gant
The project features a range of different approaches to window displays, with some architects choosing to draw inspiration from Regent Street itself.
Atmos for Topshop
Among the participants is Atmos, who collaborated with Topshop to create a white ribbed “canyon” designed to represent the millions of people who shop along the street every month.
“Our installation is a celebration of the flow of humanity that surrounds this shop and carves out great canyons of opportunity,” explains Alex Haw of Atmos. “The installation takes the quiet space of the shop and oozes it outside into the public realm, effectively drawing you in.”
Hobbs for RIBA Windows Project
The window display for Hobbs by Donald Insall Associates pokes fun at the repairs currently being undertaken along much of the street by incorporating scaffolding poles into the design.
Emma-Kate Matthews for Karen Millen
Other retailers asked the architects to focus directly on their brand. Emma-Kate Matthews collaborated with Karen Millen to produce a series of wooden silhouettes that fill all of the stores windows.
Emma-Kate Matthews for Karen Millen
“My installation depicts the journey of the Karen Millen woman through London,” she explains. “It’s really interesting for retailers to work with architects, because architects look at spaces in a different way.”
Al-Jawad Pike for Penhaligon’s
Al-Jawad Pike collaborated with Penhaligon‘s on an installation that draws on the history of perfumery.
Al-Jawad Pike for Penhaligon’s
“Our installation is a collection of ingredients that Penhaligon’s use in the fragrances, held within a collection of blown glass vessels,” explains co-founder Dean Pike. “This installation has been an exciting opportunity for us because of its fantastic exposure on Regents Street and working alongside a great brand.”
Jerry Tate Architects for Hackett
Some architects chose to focus on the latest collections of their partner brands. Jerry Tate Architects worked with Hackett to produce two large Jacob’s Ladders – toys consisting of blocks of wood connected by ribbons – which seem to cascade down when a block is flipped.
Jerry Tate Architects for Hackett
“Hackett were very interested in representing the two key campaign messages from this season: their premium menswear, but also the sense of humour behind that,” explains Steve Wilkinson of Jerry Tate. “Our Jacob’s Ladder will be turning over about 2.5 million times over the next month.”
Mobile Studio for Jack Spade
Designers who took a similar approach include Mobile Studio, who created a kinetic installation featuring images from Jack Spade‘s new collection, while Make have created a 3D-printed optical illusion for Banana Republic, which reveals the company’s tagline for this season when viewed from certain angles.
“Each chandelier is made from 360 hanging golden fleece, the symbol of Brooks Brothers,” explains partner Tim Gledstone. “We couldn’t find a model of these golden fleece, so we had to take old engravings from the Brooks Brothers’ collection and 3D model those.”
Squire and Partners for Brooks Brothers
Squire and Partners are one of the more established practices who took part in the prjoect this year, along with Sybarite, who collaborated with Gant to create a window display out of cardboard reminiscent of the hull of a boat and Brisac Gonzalez, who created a window display for Longchamp.
Syabrite for Gant
The project also features installations by upcoming studios.
Denizen Works for Folli Follie
The younger architects involved include Raw Architecture, who worked with Illy Caffé to create a digital installation counting out the time it takes to make a perfect cup of espresso, as well as Denizen Works, who cast products by accessories brand Folli Follie in large resin balls.
Raw Architecture for Illy Caffé
Other installations include Edgley Design‘s chandelier for Tibits, made from recycled wine bottles from the restaurant’s cellar. Studio Emulsion created an abstract representation of the Helichrysum flower for L’Occitane, which is used in many of the company’s products, while vPPR Architects played on the latin meaning of fashion brand Aquascutum‘s name by creating a window full of clouds.
Edgley Design for Tibits
The project is a great opportunity for architects to showcase their skills to the millions of Regent Street shoppers, but Thomson believes the collaboration is good for the retailers too.
vPPR Architects for Aquascutum
“At a time when high streets are under threat from online shopping, this is a great opportunity for retailers to differentiate themselves,” she says. “[The installations] create reasons for people to actually come into the store.”
As we gear up for winter, one of the main worries that work on our mind is the weather. Snowstorms and blizzards are a common hazard and the biggest issue is visibility. To make the ride safer, we have here the S-ray Streetlight concept that maximizes visibility in bad weather conditions. Empowered with a sensor, which can identify bad conditions, the system activates a laser light, and can be used on any road with lanes.
Designer: YeonTaek Lee
– Yanko Design Timeless Designs – Explore wonderful concepts from around the world! Shop CKIE – We are more than just concepts. See what’s hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design! (Bad-weather Friend was originally posted on Yanko Design)
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