Chaque année en Inde, lors de la dernière pleine lune du mois de Phalguna qui se situe en février ou mars, a lieu la fête des couleurs, Holi, fête nationale haute en émotions qui marque la fin de l’hiver. Plusieurs photographes de l’AFP ont couvert l’évènement dont voici une sélection d’images reflétant l’enthousiasme d’un peuple en célébration.
This 65-metre-long house in the Brazilian countryside was designed by Studio MK27 to be opaque at one end and transparent at the other (+ slideshow).
Led by architect Marcio Kogan, the São Paulo studio planned Casa Mororó for a mountainous region over 100 miles outside the city, where temperatures rarely exceed 20 degrees Celsius.
To keep its inhabitants comfortable, the building was conceived as a well-insulated shed with a house-shaped profile.
Most of the exterior is clad with corrugated metal, but one end is fully glazed to create an indoor terrace and swimming pool.
“The architecture sought to create generous internal spaces for the cold days,” said Studio MK27, whose past residential projects include the raw concrete Casa Cubo and the glassy Casa Redux.
“Externally, the same continuous volume creates a duality between an opaque block – where the living room, bedrooms and service areas are – and the transparent stretch of the heated pool and sauna.”
The clients originally requested a house on the highest point of the hillside site, where it would benefit from the best views, but Kogan persuaded them to build on a lower section surrounded by pine trees.
“This solution allowed the building to be surrounded by nature, creating an intimate relation with the site,” said the team.
The 14-metre long glazed section is a paved terrace with the swimming pool extending along one side, an enclosed sauna and dressing room on the other, and a wood-burning stove embedded in the rear wall.
An integrated ventilation system helps to prevent condensation from clouding up the glass, so residents can always look out at the trees when taking a swim.
A generous balcony deck links this space with a large living and dining area, featuring a table big enough to seat 16 people. A kitchen area and breakfast counter run along the rear of the space, but can be hidden away behind a folding screen wall.
The slate floor surface follows through from the swimming pool area. The walls and ceiling are lined with lengths of timber, offering a homely aesthetic that is echoed by the traditional pitched roof and ceiling.
“The use of the internal materials, such as wood, made the house a cosy one, like the traditional chalets in the mountains,” said the team.
Instead of simple windows, a series of glass doors run along the side walls. In colder weather, residents can screen them using sliding wooden shutters.
Beyond the living room, five bedrooms are arranged in sequence within a long white box. The master suite is first, followed by four smaller rooms.
At the end of the corridor, a final room offers a more intimate living and dining area, which opens out to a large balcony.
To ensure a cheap and speedy construction process, much of the structure was prefabricated before being transported to the site. Industrial materials were also specified wherever possible, from the corrugated metal cladding to the steel framework.
Photography is by Fernando Guerra.
Project credits:
Architecture: Studio MK27
Architect: Marcio Kogan
Co-architect: Maria Cristina Motta
Interior design: Diana Radomysler
Team: Carlos Costa, Carolina Castroviejo, Elisa friedmann, Laura Guedes, Mariana Simas, Mauro Augusto, Oswaldo Pessano, Pedro Ribeiro, Rafael Costa
Landscape designer: Consuelo Grossi Pereira
Structure engineer: Leão Engenharia, João Rubens Leão
Thermal comfort consultant: Leonardo Monteiro
Acoustic consultant: Harmonia Acústica
Contractor: Alle Engenharia
Construction foreman: Antonio Ribeiro dos Reis
The post Casa Mororó by Studio MK27 is a
65-metre-long house in rural Brazil appeared first on Dezeen.
A successful brand that enjoys controversy, has a passionate, growing customer-base and is in need of an update – could re-branding Ukip be the perfect brief? asks creative director Simon Moore
Brief:
We are a successful organisation with a loyal and expanding customer-base. Passionate in our beliefs, we enjoy controversy, have nationwide exposure and are firmly anti-establishment.
We are looking to find a creative partner to re-brand and re-work our entire, currently dated, creative output across all channels including print, digital and TV to prepare for future growth.
– – – – – –
If I was asked to put together the perfect creative brief, it probably wouldn’t be too different from this. I’ve worked on projects that hit a few of these points, but to get all of them in one go would be a dream. Or would it?
It struck me recently that potentially there is a brief such as this just waiting to be tackled: Re-branding Ukip.
I can’t claim to have seen everything they’ve produced, but what I have is pretty poor. From the logo that looks like it was done by someone who’d spent 20 years watching an endlessly looping Roy Chubby Brown VHS, then forced to design a logo on a 1996 Viglen PC, to the error-strewn, visions of typographic hell that constitute their promotional literature.
Admittedly there’s an idea to that horrible logo that’s easy to understand, and in isolation some of what they do isn’t the absolute worst I’ve ever seen. However, the consistency is almost nonexistent and entirely symptomatic of an organisation that’s grown quickly without an overall creative strategy.
But, for an organisation such as Ukip that seems to pride itself on rough edges and a Luddite rejection of anything vaguely progressive or contemporary, could it be that design as appalling as this is actually the perfect solution? Or, can this backward, anti-modern ethos be reconciled with a professional creative makeover?
Firstly, to conduct this debate, we need to place the ethics of a project such as this to one side. Specifically, working for an organisation to which you’re fundamentally opposed (obviously I’m making the assumption here that the readers of Creative Review are as likely to vote Ukip as they would be to own a pair of Crocs).
But really, the role of ethics in design has been discussed many times before, and expertly within these very pages.
Here though I’m primarily interested in the question of whether there’s a place for ‘bad’ design, and if you’re an organisation such as Ukip, whether there’s any need to change what you do.
I guess the key aspect to consider is the “customer”. However, without access to Ukip’s supporter profile it’s impossible to know whether the purple-clad, strangely-coiffeured, Clarkson-idolising nut-jobs, so often shown to us by the media, really do make up the entirety of their support or not.
If that does turn out to be the case, it’s possible to at least make a case for their being no need to improve upon the aesthetically-bereft junk currently being spewed out. But, really this feels a bit like a convenient caricature. Ukip is currently polling at around 15%. And if you bear in mind that pollsters believe many people are actually too embarrassed to admit their support for the party to another human being I think it’s safe to assume their appeal goes wider than this rather lazy stereotype (which, of course, I’ve also just used).
Part of their appeal so far has been to tap into the disaffected “modern life is rubbish” standpoint of the curmudgeonly Little Englander: the sort of person who’s outraged that the second most popular language in England is Polish (and not English again presumably).
So it’s just possible that by reaching out for a new audience, and giving themselves a contemporary sheen, they could actually end up alienating their core support.
For creatives, politics should be a great area in which to work, but at the moment, with the politician / voter relationship being so fraught that most parties seem too afraid to try anything different for fear of upsetting or alienating anyone whatsoever, it feels like we’ll be faced with a neutered, timid, blandscape for the foreseeable future.
Given this sterile environment, the chance to work with a client that isn’t afraid to say what it thinks and put forward an actual sense of personality should, in theory, be a godsend. Their messaging feels like it was written by their people for their people and has a whiff of grumpy, corduroy rebellion to it. If this could be harnessed to a pleasing and consistent visual style, they could be on to something.
To be honest, I wouldn’t pretend to have the expertise or foresight to know whether a re-brand for Ukip would do them any good. But to lay my cards on the table: I don’t care who it’s for, bad design upsets and angers me.
I think the more exposure basic, ill-considered rubbish gets, whatever the client, the more it pollutes our world, getting further absorbed and legitimised with every dreadful flyer, website and poster.
Just because I don’t approve of Ukip’s policies, doesn’t mean I should be pleased their design is shit. It just feels like confirmation of, and validation for, the notion that creativity is something to be suspicious of and fundamentally lacking in value.
Ethics aside, I think I would like to see Ukip given a makeover – if for no other reason than to see the deluge of alternative logo designs that would spring forth from witty, satirical creatives. But I do wonder whether they will in fact shun such poncey creative nonsense and remain forever mired in their currently hellish vision of Britain, where typographic consistency is as valued as a Romanian builder and purple and yellow are an acceptable colour combination.
Simon Moore is creative director of creative studio Baby
@SimonRAMoore @We_Are_Baby
This is the last of our ten Tech Specs interviews. Previously, we talked to wearables expert Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman.
Name: Marc Fornes
Job title: Founder and principal of THEVERYMANY, a New York City–based studio that specializes in structures and environments made through the filter of systematic research and development into applied computer science and digital fabrication.
Background: I trained as an architect in France, did a master’s in the UK at the Architectural Association, and then worked for Zaha Hadid for a number of years. So I’m trained as an architect, but I’m especially interested in computation and the development of code as a way to generate form, shape and installation in architecture.
I moved to the States and started THEVERYMANY in 2004, first just as a website; then, in 2010, it became a company.
Computer setup: I have a MacBookPro. I don’t know the exact configuration because it’s always changing every two years. Otherwise, I have an external monitor, and I must have at least five or six external hard drives in front of me. That about it. We do a lot of 3D modeling and writing code, so we don’t need any specific hardware or software. Must of the stuff we do can be written in a text file.
How much of your workday do you spend in front of the computer? A lot, a lot, a lot, a lot
Most used software: Rhino 3D is the main software that we use. Inside Rhino, we have a code editor in which we write our code—we use the Python language. The application is just a way to visualize what we do.
Software that you thought you’d use more often than you do: It’s more like the opposite—there is software that I never thought I would use, and I’m using it more often that I would like. For example, Excel. In our work, we design from code—so we go from the code to the construction of key details. What we do is like a gigantic puzzle; you have thousands of parts, and you need to keep a record of those parts. Each part has its attributes—a color, a specific shape, a specific size. So there are a lot of logistical aspects to keep track of, and all of that gets stored as huge Excel sheets that you finally send out to the fabricator.
Marc Fornes in his New York studio
Phone: iPhone. Very traditional.
Favorite apps: With Rhino 3D, there is an app that we use a lot called iRhino. It allows us to send a model to someone with no clue how to use 3D software. We use that one quite a bit.
We also use a photo-stitching app called PhotoSync. And I use Pulse to keep in touch with things—it allows you to compile different newsletters and blogs and follow them through one app.
Apps that are actually useful for your work: I travel a lot for work, so I would say the app that is actually most useful is Google Maps.
Other machinery/tools in your workspace: About three years ago, we had a bit of funds leftover, and we had the option of buying a 3D printer—and we finally ended up buying a foosball table instead. Professionally speaking, we thought it would be more creative. I think everyone is getting these cheap 3D printers nowadays, but we’ve been using 3D printing on a professional level for so long that it’s not really necessary to have one in-house.
Tools or software you’re thinking of purchasing: We would love to have a CNC machine, but in New York space is so expensive. So we are constantly thinking about this, going back and forth between getting one and not getting one.
Situation Room was an ultrathin, self-supported shell structure installed inside Manhattan’s Storefront for Art and Architecture last year. Photos by Miguel De Guzman
How has new technology changed your job in the last 5–10 years? I think what has changed is the speed of things. You could CNC mill stuff ten years ago, but it would take time because the machines had less performance. Now you can go and cut, like, 100,00 parts—which we do sometimes for some of our projects—in the blink of an eye. A few years ago, an installation that would take six weeks to cut now takes three or four days. So that changes the way that you see the project.
The other thing that’s changed is that around 2000 there was this spirit of trying to get the software that would do everything. This software was often very expensive, and it was often borrowed from a different industry—for instance, CATIA, which was borrowed from aeronautics. In the last five or ten years, people have realized that it’s not about the tool but rather about all sorts of applications that talk to each other. I see that now with the younger people in our field—they don’t specialize anymore in one thing, they just hop from one platform to the other, and they figure out a way to very quickly get things done.
When it comes to new tech, are you a Luddite, an early adopter or somewhere in between? More and more I’m somewhere in between. I used to play with my phone much more, downloading the newest apps and testing them. Now I just have less time for that.
Do you outsource any of your tech tasks? We constantly bid our stuff to producers in the middle of the country; it’s always cheaper and you always have access to the latest machines. So we send our work all over the place in the U.S., from Utah to Texas to Philadelphia. We’ve been doing this for more than ten years and we have a set of people who have the tools we need, and then we always contact two or three of them and they bid on the project.
This is for 3D printing, CNC cutting, laser cutting, robotic fabrication. Of course we think about getting some of this equipment in-house, but it comes down to space. Also, having access to professional equipment opens up the door in terms of creativity, because you’re not constrained by the low level of the machine that you can afford.
Under Stress, one of two recent THEVERYMANY installations at the French Institute for Research in Computer Science and AutomationWhat are your biggest tech gripes? I don’t complain much about technology. I think everything we want to do is there. One gripe: Often now with media and blogs, you feel like you’re aware of technology much earlier than the technology is available. You know, you read that MIT has invented this amazing thing, and then you realize the invention does not actually exist yet—it’s just the idea. So I think the frustration is that the technology is there but you have to wait for it to become available.
The other thing is the superficiality of the graphical interface. We came to writing code not just by our interest in it, but because we had no choice—there wasn’t a tool to do the things we wanted to do. And by writing code you understand the limitations of tools. The graphical interface makes everything easier and at the same time a little bit more superficial.
What do you wish software could do that it can’t now? I only wish for one thing, and that’s speed. Not with the software but with the operating systems—we need them to be faster and faster, because speed equals variation, and in our work, variation equals design. So if a protocol is going to take me two days to arrive at a result, I’m only going to make one test, because I’m going to be tired. But if it takes a blink of an eye, then I can make five tests, and then I can look into which one is the most adaptive. Speed is key. The reason we change our laptops every two years is to keep building up speed.
Finally, we’ve all had instances of software crashing at the worst possible moment, or experienced similar stomach-churning tech malfunctions. Can you tell us about your most memorable tech-related disaster? When you asked about my computer setup, I mentioned that I have five or six hard drives in front of me. That’s because the biggest disaster we had was one time we were trying to copy all of our data onto one drive. We are always sharing everything with so many people, and at a certain point we were trying to recombine everything. Every time a file was copied it was deleted somewhere else. And at the moment everything had been copied onto the new drive, but just before we had a chance to back it up, the drive fell—it fell onto the floor from not even chair height, and just this little fall killed it. We sent the drive to two different companies specializing in the recovery of data, but they didn’t manage to save the data. We lost about a year and a couple of months’ worth of pictures of finalized installations that we can’t publish anymore because we don’t have the high-res images; we lost a lot of file archives—it was a disaster. So now we have I don’t even know how many hard drives, and every time one fills up I copy it onto another one.
A few years ago, Unclutterer’s editor-in-chief Erin Doland described her regret at accidentally disposing of vital documents when uncluttering. While we would all like to have instant clutter-free lives, it is important to take your time to properly sort items before you dispose or donate them. When uncluttering and organizing, think of the process as more like a marathon than a sprint. The following are a few tips to help you avoid accidents when you’re uncluttering.
Take your time and examine every item before disposing it. Often money is forgotten in old purses and coat pockets or between the pages of a Bible. Sometimes expensive jewellery can be mixed in with costume jewellery. Occasionally, a toddler will have a hidden cache of useful items between the sofa cushions or tossed valuables in with Lego bricks. People with dementia or mental health issues may hide money, expensive items, or important documents in places that may not seem logical, such as inside mattresses. Last month, a thrift shop in Nova Scotia turned over to police thousands of dollars in cash that they found in donated curtains.
When organizing paperwork, you do not need to read every scrap of paper, but it is important to scan documents to determine their significance. Tax accountants and lawyers can provide important information regarding which documents are important to keep for legal and tax purposes. Obtaining advice from these professionals is especially important if you are helping someone unclutter whose personal business you’re not familiar with, such as aging family members.
Consult with family members and friends about sentimental items, documents, and photographs. You might feel that an object has very little value, but it may hold powerful memories for another family member. If your family and friends live far away, it might be difficult for them to stop by the house to view items. Consider setting up a website or a Facebook group to share photos and descriptions of items you wish to pass along to family and friends.
When uncluttering, clearly separate the garbage from the donations. Use only black or dark green bags for trash and transparent bags or cardboard boxes for donations. If different bags or boxes are going to different charities, clearly label them on both sides of the bag or box. Astronaut Chris Hadfield had intended that a box of memorabilia from his time in space be donated to a science centre but last week his flight suit was found for sale at a Toronto thrift shop due to a mix up with donation boxes during a move.
Get an expert opinion before you dispose or donate items with which you are not familiar. You may be able to determine the approximate value of items by looking online at sites like eBay or specialized sites for specific collectibles. You may not find a comic book that will pay your mortgage but you may be able to earn a few extra dollars. If you don’t even know what the items are, check out our tips on how to deal with UFOs (unidentified found objects) before you dispose of them.
Have you ever found an expensive item stashed in a strange place while uncluttering? Have you accidentally donated or disposed of something you wish you hadn’t? Help fellow unclutterers by sharing your stories in the comments section.
Post written by Jacki Hollywood Brown
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The post Accidents in Uncluttering appeared first on Unclutterer.
Atlantic Media’s business site Quartz has promoted Zach Seward to VP of product and executive editor. He most recently served as product director and senior editor.
“This move reflects Zach’s responsibility for a broad range of Quartz’s operations from its earliest days through today, and his central role in our editorial strategy and product advancements going forward,” wrote Kevin Delaney, Quartz’s editor, in a memo to staff. “It further formalizes Zach’s senior role in Quartz’s leadership, and responsibility for journalistic and product innovation, growth, and overall excellence.”
Seward has been with Atlantic Media since 2012.
Now that Richard Battista is settling into Time Inc.’s newly-created role of president of People and EW, the publisher has moved on to its next search. According to The New York Post, Time Inc. is looking to hire a group president of Time, Fortune and Money. Sports Illustrated might also be included.
Currently those titles all report to Time Inc. executive vice president Evelyn Webster. Since Webster already has women’s titles reporting to her, hiring someone to take Time, Fortune and Money off of her hands would free up some of her time.
Webster also prefers to have one team of publishers heading up ad sales while group presidents concentrate on ways to generate revenue specific to their brands.
According to Capital New York, computers at the NYPD’s headquarters have been used to edit Wikipedia entries on NYPD corruption, alleged murders and more. Ladies and gentlemen, New York’s finest (at wiping its dirty history clean).
The NYPD’s computers were tracked by IP addresses. In all, there were 85 IP addresses linked to the NYPD’s computer network. Those computers attempted to edit and even delete Wiki entries on people who were killed by NYPD officers, such as Eric Garner and Sean Bell.
Capital tracked the following edits to Garner’s Wiki page, made by NYPD computers:
NYPD computers also made edits to pages on stop-and-frisk and the department’s leadership team.
This is just absolutely horrible. As if we needed another reason to be scared of the city’s police.
But hey, don’t worry too much. An NYPD spokesperson told Capital “The matter is under internal review.” That certainly makes us feel better.
The LEGO Coffee table made by Easy seller Branching Outward, and is made to order from lacquered..(Read…)
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