We actually met Hannah Regier through one of our CH Omakase customers. She has been knitting hats since she was a child and today marries that passion with a dedication to natural, ethical and sustainable fashion under the label Sky Like Snow……
Continue Reading…
Founded by Frederick Bouchardy in 2006, Joya is an NYC design studio with a focus on fragrances and ceramics—a perfect pairing for our CH Omakase edition candles. Joya’s philosophy is one of balance and beauty—they create elegant pieces, but also……
Continue Reading…
Dezeen has teamed up with the Design Museum to give five readers a chance to win a book celebrating 10 years of its Designs of the Year awards.
Designs of our Time – 10 Years of Designs of the Year catalogues every nominee from the past decade. It contains a total of 840 projects, from big winners like the London 2012 Olympic Torch and the Plumen light bulb, to important projects that narrowly missed out, like the iPhone.
According to the Design Museum, the book presents a “historic and future look at the development of the world through design”.
Designs of the Year was first launched in 2008, to showcase each year’s most important and innovative design projects from around the world.
Now known as the Beazley Designs of the Year, the programme celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2017.
The awards look at projects in six categories: architecture, digital, fashion, graphics, product and transport. Each year, a jury chooses a winner from each category, as well an overall winner of the title Design of the Year.
There are 62 nominees this year. These include IKEA for its “snap-together” flat-pack furniture, and musician Kanye West for his Life of Pablo merchandise.
Others nominees include a sports hijab designed by Nike, the flag for the Refugee Olympic Team and the Pussyhat, which become a symbol for women’s rights.
These projects, as well as those from previous editions of the awards, are each given a single page in the book. Each project is accompanied by the name of the designer and the person who nominated the project for the awards.
Other highlights include the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress, designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, and Google’s self-driving car.
Dezeen is media partner for Beazley Designs of the Year 2017. An exhibition of all this year’s nominees is currently open at the Design Museum in London, continuing until 18 February 2018. The winner of Design of Year 2017 is set to be announced on 25 January 2018.
Five winners will each win a copy of Designs of our Time. The book is also available to buy from the Design Museum shop for £25, or can be purchased online.
Competition closes 2 February 2018. Five winners will be selected at random and notified by email, and their names will be published at the top of this page.
The post Competition: win a copy of Designs of our Time – 10 Years of Designs of the Year appeared first on Dezeen.
A flood defence system devised by CF Møller in central Denmark will combine urban planning, climate change adaption and nature conservation.
Described by the Scandinavian architecture firm as an “architectural multi-tool”, the Storkeengen is designed to protect the nearby town of Randers from floods and transform the nearby fields into a wetland nature park.
A raised boardwalk made from larch planks with a grooved surface will stretch from the town across the new water meadows in a curving path, with a jetty by the bank of the Gudenå River for canoers to embark from.
Walking past grazing cattle, visitors will come to a crescent moon-shaped platform in the middle of the water meadows, with pathways diverging either side of a sloping ramp.
A rope net will be suspended across the circle for people to sit poised above the water basin.
“On the large net one can hover above the wetland and habitats or enjoy the sunset on the tilted web platform,” Vilstrup Palm told Dezeen.
“The Circle platform targets school classes as well as individuals in order to tell the story of local habitat values, stormwater handling and nature as an integrated part of the city of Randers,” he added.
Like many Danish towns, Randers’ low-lying position has made it vulnerable to flooding, a threat that is only increasing as climate change continues to cause rising water levels and stronger storms.
The problems of its geography and urban expansion has been exacerbated by rising levels of the Gudenå River and “extreme” amounts of rain in recent years.
The hybrid approach of Storkeengen, or Stork Meadow, will transform the grasslands that lie opposite the town and the river into watermeadows.
“The project is a perfect example of CF Møller Landscape’s holistic approach, whereby we combine climate protection with urban and nature development,” said Lasse Vilstrup Palm, an associate partner and head of CF Møller Landscape.
Rainwater run-off from roofs, car parks and roads in Vorup will be channelled through “cloudburst routes” and filtered through the water meadows, which will function as purification basins before flowing back into the Gudenå River.
Redesigned roads and drains will prevent water building up in areas where non-porous surfaces prevent natural drainage.
Although the natural landscape will be transformed, the grasslands and their existing ecosystem are currently also threatened by the floods.
By turning them into wetlands, CF Møller hopes to stabilise the natural environment, while reducing the flooding risk to the town and creating a new nature park where residents and visitors can enjoy the landscape and its wildlife
The project will be undertaken in collaboration with with Danish technical advisors Orbicon. Work will begin in the autumn of 2018, and is due for completion in 2021.
Rising water due to climate change has become a pressing concern for urban planners around the globe, with architects and designers under increasing pressure to develop integrated flood management systems.
The streets of Copenhagen are currently being used to test a new drainage tile designed by architecture studio Tredje Natur, which should divert rainwater into nearby planters.
In Tianjin, landscape architects McGregor Coxall designed a wetlands area called Lingang Eco Park as a pilot for China’s Sponge City programme, which harnesses permeable materials and green zones to prevent urban flooding.
The post CF Møller’s hybrid flood defences will create new nature park in Denmark appeared first on Dezeen.
Donald Trump has cancelled his visit to London to open Kieran Timberlake’s new £750 million US embassy, and criticised the “bad deal” that saw its predecessor sold for “peanuts”.
The US president was expected to attend a ribbon cutting at the new embassy building, which completed last month, but the visit has now been cancelled, with no new date offered.
Tweeting this morning, Trump attacked the Obama Administration for selling off the former US embassy – a building in Mayfair designed by celebrated architect Eero Saarinen – in favour of the new “off location” site in the less-central Nine Elms district.
He described Saarinen’s 1960 building, which is being converted into a hotel by David Chipperfield, as “the best located and finest embassy in London”.
Reason I canceled my trip to London is that I am not a big fan of the Obama Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for “peanuts,” only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2 billion dollars. Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018
The new site for the US embassy on the banks of the River Thames in west London, was acquired back in 2008 during George W Bush’s presidency. The building broke ground in 2013.
The full £750 million needed to finance the completion of the new embassy was raised through the sell-off other US government properties in London.
Details of the completed building were revealed in December 2017, with an official opening expected to take place next month.
While Trump claims he cancelled his plans to officially open the embassy in February over the relocation and sale of the former site, many speculate the real reason was the risk of protest over his visit.
Reacting to the news today, London mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted that the president was “not welcome” in the UK.
“His visit next month would without doubt have been met by mass peaceful protests,” said Khan in a statement.
Many Londoners have made it clear that Donald Trump is not welcome here while he is pursuing such a divisive agenda. It seems he’s finally got that message. pic.twitter.com/YD0ZHuWtr3
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) January 12, 2018
In December, the US Ambassador to Britain, Woody Johnson, said he believed Trump would visit London, but when Dezeen spoke to the US embassy last week officials said there were no plans for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Speaking on the BBC Radio 4’s Today show, US-born UK-based commentator Charlie Wolf said: “As the leader of the free world and your closest ally, we’ve had nothing but controversy [over] his coming as a friend and an ally and its been relegated down to a ribbon cutting.”
“If it was me I would say I’m not flying thousands of miles just to cut a ribbon, I have more important things to do. I don’t think it’s wounded pride, I think its a slight on the United States itself,” he continued.
“I think he’s probably gotten tired, as I know many over here have, of the constant debates, the constant debating in parliament. To me it has always seemed a bit silly. The executive, which is Number Ten, is probably the one that deals with foreign affairs, they’ve made an invitation, and suddenly we’re seeing debates in Parliament, which is essentially the legislature.”
Prior to the show, Wolf also took to Twitter to criticise the expectation that the US president should travel to London for the opening of the US embassy.
SERIOUSLY, you’re the most powerful man in the world and they expect you to travel all the way to LONDON just to do a ribbon cutting ceremony — and be given a load of grief by the locals for your efforts. I wouldn’t either.
Will have more after 8 on @BBCRadio4 @BBCr4today
— Charlie Wolf (@CharlieSeaWolf) January 12, 2018
The new building by Philadelphia-based practice Kieran Timberlake is understood to have more stringent security systems than Saarinen’s original design – one of the reasons for the move – while aiming to achieve a feeling of “transparency, openness, and equality”.
One security feature is a moat-like pond that surrounds the base of the cubic building, which is covered on two sides by sails of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) plastic and raised above landscaping by a plinth.
Photograph of the new US embassy is by Richard Bryant.
The post Donald Trump snubs new US embassy in London appeared first on Dezeen.
Redundancies in the Architectural Association‘s publications and exhibitions departments have gone ahead, despite protests from luminaries such as David Adjaye and Richard Rogers.
Ten of the sixteen staff members whose roles had been up for redundancy have left the architecture school, as reported in the Architects’ Journal.
Dezeen understands that Tom Weaver resigned from his post as editor of in house journal the AA files, while nine roles across the publications, exhibitions and fundraising departments were made redundant.
Adjaye and Rogers were among the 21 members of the AA who wrote to the school’s council in December 2017 requesting that it reconsider the decision and come up with an alternative solution.
In November, AA alumni including architects Rem Koolhaas, Adam Caruso, Kazuyo Sejima, Phyllis Lambert and Toyo Ito signed a letter warning that the cuts risked the AA losing its reputation for “cutting-edge debate”.
The beleaguered AA has maintained the staff cuts were necessary to plug a hole in the 170 year old school’s finances.
The need for the school to balance its books is particularly pressing, the AA has claimed, due to its decision to apply for Degree Awarding Powers (DAP) this year.
Currently the school awards no qualifications of its own, and if UK visa regulations change it may not be able to guarantee overseas students can remain in the country and at the school.
The AA, which is a registered charity, relies on students as its main source of income, and a sudden loss of their non-UK resident students could plunge it in to a financial crisis overnight.
The school has also faced rising rents for its Bloomsbury address, with soaring land values in central London compounded by the development of a Crossrail terminal at Tottenham Court Road.
An additional cost is the Wright and Wright redesign of the AA’s Grade I headquarters, which will unify the school’s departments at its Bedford Square location.
Architecture students from around the world have attended the school since it was founded in 1847, and it counts Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Ron Arad, Ben van Berkel and Peter Cook. among its alumni.
However, the school’s cultural offering has been an integral part of its identity since its inception, and many are afraid the cuts will cause irreversible damage to this area of the institution’s offering.
Accusations the school was “destroying its own cultural mission” were hotly denied, and the AA has been adamant that the departments will continue to function, holding exhibitions and publishing the AA Files.
The school’s founding charter enshrines a “mandate to promote architecture through publishing”.
The publications department, which is responsible for putting out the AA Files along with the architectural books produced by the AA, was almost entirely gutted. Only two roles remain in the department: one graphic designer and one editor.
The redundancies have been carried out under Hardingham, who took up the temporary directorship last summer after director of 11 years, Brett Steele, left.
Applications for the role of director are currently being considered, with the successful candidate expected to be announced at the end of January.
Dezeen has approached the AA for comment.
The post Architectural Association redundancies go ahead despite high-profile protests appeared first on Dezeen.
American architecture firm BNIM has renovated a fire-ravaged church in Kansas City, creating a new layout and light-filled interiors to enhance what is left of the original structure.
After the Westport Presbyterian Church was largely destroyed in a fire, local firm BNIM rehabilitated the building by restoring the main church and altar as much as possible, while adjusting the original layout.
“Constructed in 1905, Westport Presbyterian Church stood as a symbol of fellowship and community, and it was one of the most recognisable structures in historic Westport,” said BNIM. “In 2011, a catastrophic fire destroyed a majority of the church’s roof, interior structure, and finishes, leaving only the exterior limestone shell.”
The reconstruction encompassed 27,000 square feet (2,508 square metres), and has resulted in a new glass volume that contrasts with the old masonry on the exterior.
Before the fire, the church was separated into two catty-corner buildings. The new layout links the two parts via a hallway that orients towards a historic tower.
The entrance was redesigned so the hallway also links to a larger meeting room. Towards the rear of the site – where a chapel and a parlour were located – a group of offices, a library and a new 40-seat chapel now stand.
Inside the church, white, glass, and concrete contrast with parts of the surviving Romanesque Revival structure, which were left exposed by BNIM.
These contemporary-looking surfaces, along with redesigned archways and ground lighting, act as a backdrop for the rough-cut stone walls. Multiple skylights have been integrated, allowing for daylight to pour in overhead.
Founded in 1970, BNIM is led by partners Bob Berkebile, Tom Nelson, David Immenschuh and Steve McDowell. The firm completed the Westport renovation in 2015, and has recently completed the Lewis Arts complex at Princeton University in collaboration with Steven Holl Architects.
Other church projects include a design for a chapel that floats on the water by Denizen Works in London, a fully rounded and white-coloured church by Atelier Štěpán in the Czech Republic, and a concrete parish covered in angular patterns by Gimeno + Guitart in Spain.
Photography is by Kelly Callewaert and Michael Robinson.
The post BNIM resurrects Missouri church with lightwells and exposed masonry appeared first on Dezeen.
Heimtextil is the biggest international trade
fair for home and contract textiles, and will next be held in Frankfurt
am Main from 9 to 12 January..
Reader Darlene recently asked the following question in the comment section of the post What to do with those old toys:
I have bags of slightly used stuffed animals. I’ve found most places like hospitals and day care center don’t want them because of germ contamination. Where can I find a site that would welcome them? How about for the flood victims in Texas or hurricane victims in Florida or even … victims in California? Give me some ideas please.
Darlene, this is a common concern, so I’m very glad you asked the question. The following are a few suggestions that may help anyone with gently used stuffed animals looking for new homes.
I’ve successfully used my local freecycle group to give away stuffed animals. It doesn’t always work, but it sometimes does. Other similar possibilities are Facebook, Nextdoor, and the free section of Craigslist.
While many thrift stores don’t accept donations of stuffed animals, a number of them do!
Each Goodwill chapter has its own policies regarding what it accepts — and some specify that they take stuffed animals, such as Goodwill of the Heartland in Iowa and Goodwill of San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo Counties in California.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County in Oregon is another example of a charity that takes stuffed animals for its thrift stores. Again, each local organization will have its own policies, but you might find that yours will welcome your donation.
Note: These policies can change over time, so be sure to check before each donation.
SAFE is a 20-year-old non-profit organization that helps get gently used stuffed animals (as well as blankets, children’s clothes, and other items) to those who need them. You can donate through one of the chapters in Florida or South Carolina. Or you can send them to one of the urgent needs locations that SAFE has identified. Here’s just one of the places currently listed:
Edmund D. Edelman’s Children’s Court is the court that handles all the juvenile dependency cases in all of Los Angeles County. These cases usually deal with abuse and neglect issues. Annually they handle about 30,000 cases, and some of these cases require the children to speak. The courthouse has asked us if we could donate stuffed animals to help ease these children’s fears during a very stressful time in their lives.
SAFE also has good instructions for cleaning stuffed animals (PDF) before donating them.
An 8-year-old girl in Colorado who had been in an auto accident donated her stuffed animal collection to the Denver police department to give to other children like herself. You could certainly ask if your local police or fire department would like your stuffed animals to hand out to children in similar traumatic circumstances.
As reader Monique mentioned in the comments, this is always an alternative to consider. And it will work for toys that have stains (even after washing) that would make them unsuitable for giving to children. Please check with the shelter you have in mind, as not all of them will want such donations. But some, such as Four Peaks Animal Rescue in Arizona, do include stuffed animals on their wish lists.
Post written by Jeri Dansky
“Mom gets revenge for all of dad’s pranks by hiding kids in leaf pile while dad uses the leaf blower unaware of the pending danger.”..(Read…)
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
