Hasta La Ideas

Volkswagen, whose reputation is still reeling from their emissions-cheating scandal, desperately needs a hit product.

The company is unique in that they had the world’s longest-running, most-produced car ever in their venerable Beetle, a/k/a the Type 1; between 1938 and 2003, some 21.5 million rolled off of assembly lines on several continents. So iconic was the Beetle’s design that VW was able to resurrect it in the ’90s, and an iteration of it is still being produced today.

If there’s one other design that VW has in its history that might inspire the same fervor, it is the Type 2. Colloquially referred to as the Magic Bus, the Minibus, the Microbus, the Kombi or the Camper, it too had startling longevity, being manufactured from 1949 until 2013.

The Type 2 hit its stride in the 1960s. Able to fit a half-dozen filthy hippies inside along with their drug paraphernalia and Aldous Huxley books, the relatively inexpensive Type 2 captured the imagination of the countercultural movement. And scientific studies have proven that if you show a Type 2 to an aged hippie today, nine out of ten of them will instantly begin weeping, dancing or both.

This year Volkswagen revealed the I.D. Buzz concept, an electric update to the Type 2:

The response has been so positive that VW has announced they are bringing it back.

“After the presentations at the global motor shows in Detroit and Geneva, we received a large number of letters and emails from customers who said, ‘please build this car’,” Volkswagen CEO Dr Herbert Diess said.

According to the press release,

Just like the [I.D. Buzz concept car], the production model will also have its batteries mounted in the vehicle floor. Because the electric drive components — electric motor, power electronics, and such —don’t take up much space, the vehicle has a long wheelbase with short overhangs, allowing for a massively spacious interior and great proportions. “The vehicle looks like a compact commercial van on the outside, even though it offers the generous interior space of a large SUV,” Diess explained.

CEO of the North American Region, Volkswagen, Hinrich J. Woebcken added: “This vehicle is the perfect balance between emotion, usability and sustainability, while also showcasing our technological leadership. The high seating position, cargo capacity, overall versatility and all-wheel drive option packaged into such an appealing design is just what our customers want from us. And it’s the perfect fit for the zero-emissions American lifestyle.”

Interestingly, a cargo version will also be produced, with VW perhaps eyeing the compact cargo fleet market currently enjoyed by the likes of Nissan’s NV200.

The I.D. BUZZ won’t just be a passenger vehicle. Just like the classic T2, the I.D. BUZZ will both haul people and haul freight. “Along with a minibus version, we’ll also be offering an I.D. BUZZ CARGO variant for zero-emissions delivery of goods,” said Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles CEO Dr Eckhard Scholz. “With Level 3 autonomous capability, this is an ideal concept for an electric van, particularly for delivering packages and goods to the inner cities.”

(Note: “Level 3” autonomy means certain safety-critical functions can be automated, but a driver must still be prepared to take over if the shit hits the fan.)

Volkswagen says production for the I.D. Buzz will begin in 2022.

“We live in an era of self driving cars, autonomous drones, deep learning algorithms, computers that beat humans at chess and go, and so on. So it’s natural to ask, will artificial superintelligence replace humans, take our jobs, and destroy human civilization? Or will AI just become tools like regular computers. AI researcher Max Tegmark helps explain the myths and facts about superintelligence, the impending machine takeover, etc.”..(Read…)

Inspired by 10 of its shows, Netflix has produced a series of different cannabis strains. Not for sale—Netflix is using it as a promotional tool only—the weed will be available at West Hollywood’s Alternative Health Herbal Services this weekend, but……

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Dezeen promotion: entrepreneur Adrian Cheng worked with architect Minsuk Cho of South Korean studio Mass Studies to design a clubhouse, gallery and eateries for a housing development set within landscaped grounds on Hong Kong‘s Clearwater Bay.

Located on the idyllic eastern shore of the city, the Mount Pavilia complex was commissioned by New World Development as part of a lifestyle concept it calls The Artisanal Movement, which focuses on creativity, craftsmanship and community.

The complex combines low-rise housing with a landscaped sculpture park, a gallery, an onsite restaurant, bar and cafe, as well as an organic food store.

Minsuk Cho, who was awarded the Golden Lion for best pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2014, designed a pair of bright white buildings that provide a clubhouse and retail spaces. The project is Cho’s first in Hong Kong.

A sweeping bridge connects the two blocks to form a gateway to the development, which includes 680 apartments set in 270,000 square metres of landscaping.

“This project is located on the corner of a linear string of residential blocks. The new design proposal naturally links two edges of the residential buildings by creating a continuity,” said Cho. “The building is constantly creating new gallery experiences and surprising journeys throughout all levels.”

“It provides a vibrant setting for the residents of this comprehensive development, and further invites and allows neighbours and outsiders to engage with the various activities, with a luring first-impression of the entire complex,” he added. “This entry gateway acts as a large framed window into the community within, and vice versa.”

The White Yard Club features a combination of flat and wavy glazed facades that faces a sunken swimming pool, and contains lounges, games and music rooms, as well as sports courts and a gym.

The building is made from a combination of white concrete and brick, with a delicate perforated blockwork screen running along the facade of the upper floor.

Adjoining it, the White Yard Gallery hosts a bar and restaurant on its ground floor, with an organic food market, a cafe and laundry services on the two levels above. The Chi Art Space is set on its uppermost floor.

Landscaping around the development provides residents with an approximately 400-metre-long hiking trail and 950-metre cycling track, while a playpark designed by Amsterdam-based studio Carve is designed to cater to a range of age groups, from toddlers to older children.

The gardens are intended to double as a space where children can learn about the concept of sustainability through hydroponics.

Cheng also commissioned four artworks in response to the theme “home” to set the scene for the development. Gao Wei Gang references children’s building blocks in his piece, which sees large marble forms arranged to create a house. Tatiana Trouvé’s artwork, a bronze mattress flung over a low wall, acts as a waterfall in the development’s garden.

At first appearing as a chain of beads, Jean-Michel Othoniel’s sculpture outlines the motion of water droplets splashing up a plinth, while a wedge cut from an apple-shaped sculpture by Kum Chi Keung doubles as a seat.

Slated to complete in March 2018, the Mount Pavilia development contains largely three- and four-bedroom apartments to appeal to a family market.

New World Development is led by entrepreneur Adrian Cheng, who serves as executive vice-chairman. He is a patron of the arts in China and Hong Kong, and is the founder of the K11 “art mall” and the K11 Art Foundation.

Cheng has also made a foray into design, displaying a furniture collection created with Shigeru Uchida at this year’s Milan design week.

Among New World Development’s recently completed projects is a tower with a rooftop park in Hong Kong, which has just been shortlisted for this year’s World Interior of the Year.

For more information, see the New World Development website.

The post Minsuk Cho designs bridge-linked gallery and clubhouse for Hong Kong’s Mount Pavilia appeared first on Dezeen.

I don’t know how many times I’ve tried to close the utensil drawer in our kitchen when a measuring cup gets caught up in the drawer. The process of fishing the measuring cup out of the partially closed door is maddening.

This collapsible measuring cup set is a great solution to that problem. The silicone cups collapse and nest into each other for a space saving solution that will surely remedy my drawer closing problem. We featured a collapsible colander here a while ago. Why can’t everything in the kitchen be collapsible?

This post has been updated since its original publication in August 2007.

Post written by Matt