Hasta La Ideas

YouTube user JapanThing put together this entertaining compilation of the best Japanese TV commercials that came out in 2017…(Read…)

At the Symbio Wildlife Park in Sydney, Australia, an adorable mob of tiny meerkats lined up dutifully during feeding time to get a chance to spend some time with their favorite human and keeper, Beth…(Read…)

How to Survive a Fall Through Ice..(Read…)

I’ve seen a lot of concept cars for the future this year, but none has blown my mind half as much as the transparent pods envisioned by Architecture firm Oiio. The Oto concept is quite literally something out of this world. The concept is developed for use in Los Angeles which they claim is “notorious for its private car-based transportation.”

Given the idea that these private car-based transportation methods are wasting valuable seats, boot space and engine utility – the guys down in Oiio asked the question “What if we were able to dissect a working car into working components which could be utilized according to given circumstances?”

A bizarre notion at first was swiftly turned into an exciting outcome. Separating these three elements, Oto gives each LA resident their own cabin and using an AI control circuit – a temporary assembly unit can be constructed, providing the user with the necessary needs on demand. With this, Oiio said, “Los Angeles would then be able to invite its people, and visitors to streets liberated from the old overflow of vehicles and ready to accommodate their “exact” needs, no more, no less.”

Designer: Oiio

At once sculptural and organic, Helen Kontouris’ Botanical Planter Screens provide a sense natural visual separation to indoor and outdoor spaces alike. Unlike formal hedges and trendy vertical gardens, each screen in the collection functions much in the same way as a typical potted plant, keeping maintenance to a minimum, even for those without a refined green thumb.

In 5 distinct shapes, there’s an aesthetic for every taste as well as the possibility to mix and match them for an entirely customized look. Once grown in, they make for excellent visual dividers and acoustic dampening panels whether it’s for an open floor plan workspace or outdoor patio that needs spatial defining. Better yet, you can use your own favorite climbing plant including fruiting vines such as passionfruit, snow pea and climbing tomato!

Designer: Helen Kontouris