Hasta La Ideas

The first 3D-printed concrete bridge has been completed in the Netherlands as a crossing for cyclists, but construction company BAM Infra claims it could take the weight of 40 lorries.

Made from pre-fabricated concrete blocks 3D-printed by robots, the 8-metre-long bridge forms part of a new ring-road being constructed around Gemert in the Dutch province of Brabant.

The project is the result of a collaboration between Eindhoven University of Technology and BAM Infra.

It took three months for robots to print the 800 layers of pre-stressed, reinforced concrete in sections in the university’s laboratory.

The unique design uses less concrete than a traditional poured concrete bridge, making it a more sustainable construction process.

“We are connecting for the future,” said Marinus Schimmel, director of BAM Infra. “Innovation plays a crucial role in this. 3D printing does away with the need for auxiliary materials, such as formwork.”

“This greatly reduces the amount of waste and decreases our use of scarce raw materials. And this working method also has a positive effect on CO2 emissions during the production process of the bridge.”

Workers concerned about robots taking their jobs shouldn’t be alarmed, professor Theo Salet of the the structural design depart of the university told Dutch news outlet NOS.

“People need to build and maintain the robots, so the work will change,” he said.

The bridge has pipped Joris Laarman to the post for the title of world’s first 3D-printed bridge. The Dutch designer is currently working on a metal pedestrian bridge across an Amsterdam canal that will be printed in situ by robotic arms.

Three years ago Chinese materials firm Yingchuang New Materials demonstrated the ability to produce an entire house made from 3D-printed concrete. In just one day the machine made 10 frames from construction waste mixed with cement, although the roofs had to be added separately.

Last summer Dutch studio DUS Architects created a 3D printed micro-home cabin complete with a bathtub from sustainable bio-plastic that they hope could be used as shelters for disaster relief programmes.

Architects and designers have been applying 3D printing technology to a huge range of materials since the technology became available. The University of Hong Kong recently built a pavilion to show of the potential of 3D-printed terracotta bricks.

Australian designer Tom Fereday and artist Susan Chen collaborated on a lampshade made from a single continuous coil of ceramic that takes just two and a half hours to print. 

Photograph courtesy of BAM Infra.

The post World’s first 3D-printed concrete bridge opens in the Netherlands appeared first on Dezeen.

The dreamy cinematic style of director Wes Anderson informs this week’s roundup of popular images from Pinterest. From a colourful tennis court to a flying house, the list features 10 buildings and space that favour pastel hues and symmetry.

WeWork Weihai, China, by Linehouse

This grand interior of this co-working space in Shanghai features vibrant colours and patterns. Intended to give occupants an experience of “whimsy, voyeurism and festivity”, it features neat rows of spherical lighting globes and golden details.

Find out more about WeWork Weihai ›

Johnson Wax Headquarters, USA, by Frank Lloyd Wright

An interior that should need no introduction, this Wisconsin office was completed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1930s. The late architect chose earthy red tones to complement the sculptural columns – echoing Anderson’s own use of colour and form, in films like The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Find out more about Johnson Wax Headquarters ›

Flying Houses by Laurent Chéhère

French photographer Laurent Chéhère attempted to recreate “old Paris” with this series of impossible images that embrace whimsical eccentricity. This one feature a house that is being flown like a kite, with a washing line hanging underneath and an abnormally huge window.

Find out more about Flying Houses ›

Courts 02 by Ward Roberts

New York-based photographer Ward Roberts trekked around the world in search of pastel-coloured sports courts, which he showcased in the photo series Courts 02. The soft colours of this one are reminiscent of scenes in Moonrise Kingdom.

Find out more about Courts 02 ›

After the Final Curtain by Matt Lambros 

After the Final Curtain is a book by American photographer Matt Lambros that celebrates abandoned cinemas. It is filled with images of lavishly decorated movie theatres that are now in ruin, such as this one in Maine.

Find out more about After the Final Curtain ›

Bar Luce, Italy, by Wes Anderson

An unsurprising addition to the list, this Milan bar was designed by Anderson himself. Intended to reference Milanese cafes from the 1950s and 60s, Bar Luce combines pastel-toned surfaces with Formica furniture. It even includes a pinball machine dedicated to The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

Find out more about Bar Luce ›

Abandoned by Christian Richter

German photographer Christian Richter captured a selection of dilapidated and decaying buildings for his Abandoned series, but this swimming pool scene is particularly similar to one of Anderson’s sets.

Find out more about Abandoned ›

Oddsson Ho(s)tel, Iceland, by Döðlur

This hotel-cum-hostel on Reykjavík’s waterfront was designed by Icelandic studio Döðlur. It features a range of spaces that boast contrasting colours – but the 1950s-inspired bathrooms most closely match Anderson’s aesthetic, with their candy-floss-pink sinks, turquoise tiles and light blue flooring.

Find out more about Oddsson Ho(s)tel ›

Calistoga Motor Lodge and Spa, USA, by AvroKO

American studio AvroKO specifically designed the pool of this hotel and spa in California to make guests feel like they are in a Wes Anderson film. The designers achieved this by combining elements that are mundane with glamorous and retro additions.

Find out more about Calistoga Motor Lodge and Spa ›

Wooltex by Alastair Philip Wiper 

This image by photographer Alastair Philip Wiper shows a factory where textile manufacturer Kvadrat produces fabrics. The endless reels of mustard-yellow and cerise-pink threads – colours strongly associated with Anderson – lead the eye to the centre of the shot.

Find out more about Wooltex ›

The post 10 architecture photographs that could have come from a Wes Anderson film appeared first on Dezeen.

Jesse Echevarria est un photographe amoureux des beaux paysages. Dans cette série photo, l’artiste parcourt les vastes étendues arides du désert d’Atacama au Chili, le territoire le plus sec au monde. Avec ses nuits froides et son faible taux d’humidité, le ciel dégagé de la région offre une vue imprenable pour quiconque souhaite observer les étoiles et de nombreux astronomes s’y rendent chaque année en pèlerinage. D’autre part, les extraordinaires volcans qui entourent le désert et cèdent parfois la place à l’eau turquoise des lagunes donnent le sentiment aux visiteurs d’explorer une planète extraterrestre. Ce n’est d’ailleurs pas un hasard si la NASA utilise la zone pour tester ses robots avant de les envoyer dans l’espace…

The reliability of New York City’s overtaxed, delay-ridden subway system has declined precipitously in recent years. Individual tales of woe abound on social media; after a recent three-hour delay, this student even missed his own graduation.

One of the worst commutes is the morning crush from overcrowded Williamsburg to Manhattan, where straphangers routinely have to let two or three trains go by before they can manage to squeeze inside. That’s on the L line. In an attempt to solve this problem, this week the MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) rolled out some retrofitted L-train cars which contain these:

If it’s not obvious, those seats fold shut.

The idea is that by folding them upwards, more people can fit in the car if they stand in the space taken up by the seats.

Here’s the problem: People are selfish jerks. No one who has scored a seat on a crowded NYC subway car is going to stand up, sacrificing their own comfort for the sake of the larger group. (As our manners as a society have declined, I’ve even seen sitters on the subway completely ignore the pregnant woman standing in front of them.)

The MTA has anticipated selfishness, and thus mandated that MTA workers lock the seats in the upright position during the morning and evening commutes. This sounds effective, if a bit Draconian. But this practice has given rise to two more problems. One is that the MTA has not clearly communicated to riders that the seats are meant to be locked upwards; this leads to commuters getting onto the emergency intercom to complain to the conductor that the seats are broken, according to the New York Post.

The second problem is that the workers do not unlock the seats when the train is empty, but instead on a timetable. This makes no sense. For example, after reaching the terminus in Manhattan and discharging its human cargo, the L-train is largely empty for the trip back into Brooklyn. But with the seats still locked shut, you have “people forced to stand in mostly empty cars,” as the Post writes.

On Wednesday one of the retrofitted cars had to be taken out of service less than a day after it debuted, according to the Daily News.

A maintenance supervisor reported that vandalism was apparently the cause of damage to two sets of flip-up seats in a car, after an inspector at the Canarsie Yard was unable to lock the seats into position.

Metal brackets were bent and cables ripped out of one set of seats, while another set was reported broken. The train was later sent to a Brooklyn repair yard.

So to recap, we have:

1) Selfish Jerks
2) Lack of Communication
3) People Standing When They Don’t Have To
4) Vandals

How can you solve for all of these? The solution is elusive. Sadly, the most effective solution is to knock out #1, #2 and #4 and live with #3 by doing what the MTA has done with the retrofitted cars on the E-line:

Seats were removed at the ends of each of the cars to increase capacity and reduce the time it takes for passengers to get on and off the trains. The seat removal is expected to increase the capacity of each train by between 80 and 100 passengers.

This is why we can’t have nice things.

Designed to simply get you from point A to B by allowing you to choose your own route, the Beeline is a rather elegant little GPS/Compass/Speedometer that puts most smart-bike apps and dashboards to shame. In a lot of ways, the Beeline does for the bicycle what the Nest did for the thermostat. It adopts a beautifully minimal circular interface, offering just the correct amount of functionality. It doesn’t distract, and it doesn’t overload itself with features. It does its job marvelously and is actually designed so that you pay less attention to it and more attention to your route.

At the heart of the Beeline is its e-Paper display (with a backlight for nighttime riding) that creates high contrasts that are easily visible in most lighting conditions. The e-Paper display doesn’t distract, and consumes a negligible amount of battery, giving the Beeline months of battery life. The UI is rather simple too. It connects to your phone and simply asks you where you want to go. Then using its inbuilt compass, accelerometer, and gyroscope, it points in the general direction of your destination, allowing you to choose your own path, rather than fixing a determined path for you. This gives you the freedom to cycle through walkways as well as roads, truly being able to experience the city/town on your own.

Available in a robust, damage-proof and waterproof silicone casing, the Beeline can be strapped to any bike handlebar, and can even be used as a keychain when you’re done with your ride… because you’re sure to get very possessive about this little beauty!

Designers: Mark Jenner & Tom Putnam.

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