The co-owners of Brooklyn-based Twig, a terrarium-building workshop and store, are trying to turn the hobby into meditative, therapy-like classes. To exert control over your own environment—if even for an hour—is a test of patience and a lesson in……
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Comedian/artist Dominic Moschitti’s Paperback Paradise series follows three simple joke rules: “Something relatable, something absurd, or something ridiculously crass and gross.” Editing teen novels from Goosebumps to Sweet Valley High, Hardy Boys……
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Utilitarian and tech-forward backpacks for the daily commuter—or the adventurous, conscious traveler—are a dime a dozen. In order to stand out, brands must design thoughtfully, listen carefully, and work quickly. The ever-changing balance of life……
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These pastel-toned cabinet handles may look like solid marble, but they are actually made from recycled ocean plastic.
Australian homeware brand Spark & Burnish collaborated with Andrew Simpson of Sydney-based industrial-design studio Vert Design to create the Ocean Plastic Knob, a collection of small handles that can also be used as wall hooks.
The project is helping to raise money for two non-profit organisations working to rid the oceans of plastic waste.
“The premise was simple,” explained Priyanka Rao of Spark & Burnish. “So much waste is created by household consumption, why not create an attractive and functional object for the home to remind the occupant to rethink their consumption of plastic packaging?”
“We are lucky in Australia to have such rich diversity of marine life and marine access, and it’s our role to carefully consider our impact on it as the health of our reefs and oceans affects the world’s ecosystem,” she told Dezeen.
The handles are manufactured using plastic collected by ocean conservation organisation Sea Shepard Australia. The funds this organistion raises by selling the ocean plastic goes towards its Marine Debris collection programme, which is working to clean up the Australian coastline.
In addition, a percentage of the proceeds from sales of the Ocean Plastic Knob are donated to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, to help fund large-scale projects developing solutions to the many threats facing the world’s largest coral reef.
“By purchasing even just one item, you can contribute to the work of great not-for-profit organisations working tirelessly to protect our ocean,” said Rao.
The handles are made by breaking down the waste plastic into pellets, which are then heated and poured into moulds. They are made to order and, thanks to the nature of the technique, each one has a unique appearance.
There are four colours available: pink, black, grey and green. But the handles can also be ordered in custom colours. They measure 50 millimetres in diameter, with a 35 millimetre projection.
The Ocean Plastic Knob is the latest in a series of new products made using recycled ocean plastic, as people becomes increasingly aware of the environmental impact of virgin plastic.
Other recent products that incorporate ocean plastic include a footwear collection from Spanish fashion brand Ecoalf, which is made using a yarn spun from old plastic bottles, and a Hawaiian shirt by Spanish designer Adolfo Correa.
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An unassuming storefront in a small Nebraska town flips down to become a 100-seat theatre, which artist Matthew Mazzotta installed to reinvigorate the neglected main street.
The Storefront Theater provides the town of Lyons with an open-air event space, which can be hidden away and disguised at part of the streetscape when not in use.
Hydraulic cylinders on either side push down the awning and false frontage over the sidewalk, revealing stepped seats with room for 100 spectators. A screen can be wheeled in front by a tractor, then driven away again when necessary.
“Both the seats and the screen retract and disappear when not in use, giving the impression that there is nothing unusual in this town, leaving only word-of-mouth accounts for inquiring visitors,” said Mazzotta, a fellow at Harvard University‘s Graduate School of Design.
The aim of the project is to help bring life back to downtown Lyons, which has a population of 851. Like many other small towns in the US, its main street has suffered decline as independent stores and services fell victim to cheaper chain retailers.
Mazzotta, known for his large-scale kinetic installations, received a grant from Artplace America to work in Lyons and held talks with residents to decide how best to serve their needs.
“During these discussions, many community members reveal fond memories of a once-thriving downtown and express a strong desire to see downtown become the centre of community life once again,” the artist said.
Locals donated their money and volunteered their time to construct the theatre. They also helped a local filmmaker create a documentary that traced the area’s history, which was screened on Storefront Theater’s opening night.
Since the venue was installed, it has also hosted events including movie screenings, video-game nights and music concerts.
“The new energy that the venue has brought to Main Street has also inspired another Lyons native to purchase the empty building right next to the theatre, and turn into an art gallery that had its first show in December and is booked with a different show for the next six months,” Mazzotta said.
The artist has previously worked on similar social initiatives in the US. In 2013, he built a house-shaped structure that folded open to provide seating for an open-air performance space.
More recently, Mazzotta created a shed-like pavilion in Missouri where an artificial cloud rains onto the roof whenever someone sits inside.
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Luxury clothes brand Tommy Hilfiger has released a range of “smart clothing“, containing inbuilt Bluetooth chips that allow the item’s movements to be tracked and users to be rewarded for wearing them.
The Tommy Jeans Xplore smart clothing line includes men’s and women’s hoodies, jeans, T-shirts and bum bags, with Bluetooth chips embedded in the fabric of each garment.
According to the brand, the intention of the range is to create a “micro-community of brand ambassadors”, who are rewarded for wearing the garments.
Users can connect the items of clothing, via Bluetooth, to a free downloadable app, which is available for iPhone and iOS devices.
“It’s game on with the new Tommy Jeans Xplore,” reads the app’s description. “Connect smart chip products and go. Compete in challenges to score points and get amazing rewards.”
Points earned can be cashed in for gift cards, signed merchandise, Tommy Hilfiger runway shows and concert tickets. There are also product discounts and the option to exchange points for monetary donations to selected charities.
“You’ll score points for wearing your item, competing in daily and weekly challenges and more,” continued the description.
“Use those points to redeem rewards. Think cool products and gift cards, signed merch, live nation concert cash and experiences like a tour of the Tommy archive or VIP passes to the #Tommynow runway show.”
The app also incorporates a game that encourages wearers to collect virtual “hearts” or points in live locations using augmented reality – in a similar way to Pokémon Go.
“We’ve always been at the forefront of digital innovation, using technology to deliver what our customers are looking for – unique experiences and instant gratification,” said Tommy Hilfiger in a statement.
“Tommy Jeans Xplore is the next evolution of our vision, reaching consumers where they are and inviting them to be a part of the brand experience.”
It appears that users have to opt in to tracking through the app, but it is unclear how much data is being collected by the brand.
The Bluetooth technology in the items is created by Awear Solutions.
“Never before has a brand been able to understand how the consumer truly uses the product after it leaves the store,” Liron Slonimsky, chief executive of technology at Awear Solutions told fashion website WWD.
“Never before has a brand been able to understand how the consumer truly uses the product after it leaves the store. Tommy Hilfiger’s innovative history has shown that they understand what consumer engagement truly is and we knew they would be the perfect partner to launch Awear Solutions to the market.”
The Xplore line is available exclusively online and in the company’s flagship store in New York.
An increasing number of brands are integrating augmented reality technology into their campaigns. Earlier this year, Toronto designer Adam Pickard turned paper IKEA manuals into an augmented reality app that shows users life-size instructions on how to build their furniture.
Images courtesy of Tommy Hilfiger.
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Construction has begun on a sinuous conference centre designed by MAD for the mountainous region of Yabuli in northeast China.
Named the Yabuli Conference Centre, the 16,198 square metre venue will become the permanent venue for hosting the annual China Entrepreneur Forum (CEF) event.
The four-storey building will contain a large 1,000-seat auditorium, as well as a secondary 350-seat venue and a series of conference rooms and studios. The building will also include a library space.
According to MAD, the building takes its form from the surrounding mountains, rising in a shallow dome-like form to a height of 24 metres.
“While humble in its presence, it does not lose the dynamic atmosphere of northern China – integrated with the sky, the ground, the snow, the forest, and the mountains,” said the Beijing-based practice, which is led by architect Ma Yansong.
The building’s conference facilities will be divided on either side of a central entrance hall that is topped with a large skylight.
This entrance hall will be entered at ground floor level from a public space at the front of the building and on the first floor from a secondary public square.
“The focal point is a skylight positioned at the centre of the roof that allows natural light to flood into the interior,” said MAD. “It acts as a symbolic metaphor for the bright ideas and brilliant discussions generated during the events held within.”
Construction of the conference centre began earlier this year, with completion scheduled for 2020.
Earlier this year, MAD broke ground on a museum for George Lucas in Los Angeles, while its Gardenhouse residential complex in Beverly Hills, which is designed to look like a village on top of a hill, is nearing completion.
Project credits:
Architect: MAD
Principal partners in charge: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano
Associate partners in charge: Liu Huiying
Design team: Li Guangchong, Sun Shouquan, Fu Xiaoyi, Xiao Ying, Song Chi, Deng Wei, Zhang Xiaomei, Zhao Meng, Huai Wei, Che-Hung Chien, Cao Chen, Zhang Yanru, Wang Shuobin, Yuki Ishigami, Lin Yuyang
Client: China Entrepreneur Forum
Executive architect: China Architecture Design & Research Group
Facade consultant: Shanghai Kighton Facade Consultants Co
Landscape architect: BJF International Design
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Dezeen is hosting a series of panel discussions at Brooklyn creative space A/D/O, with a lineup of New York-based designers and architects who will share their experiences of living and working in the city.
The Spirit of the City talk series coincides with an outdoor installation of the same name at A/D/O, which was designed by British studio United Visual Artists and comprises a set of gold-mirrored rotating columns.
Moderated by Dezeen’s US editor Dan Howarth, each panel will feature local architects and designers, and revolve around the creative scene in New York.
The first will take place 7 August 2018 and focus on design. Panelists will include artist Fernando Mastrangalo, designer Leilani Zahn and Ladies and Gentlemen Studio co-founder Dylan Davis.
Mastrangalo produces work that ranges from furniture and home accessories to sculpture and interiors. Last year, he launched a collection of rugs inspired by melting ice caps and climate change.
Zahn is the founder of interior design studio For Reference, and styled an exhibition for New York gallery The Future Perfect during last year’s NYCxDesign festival.
Based in Brooklyn, Ladies and Gentlemen Studio is run by Davis and partner Jean Lee, who largely design objects for the home. Recent projects include an a href=”https://www.dezeen.com/2018/05/18/materials-garden-ladies-gentlemen-studio-muji-homeware-nycxdesign/”>installation for Muji, for which the duo created a tranquil indoor garden using materials from the Japanese brand’s product line.
The first Spirit of the City talk will be held at A/D/O in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighbourhood at 6:30pm on Tuesday 7 August 2018. Register your interest here. Seats are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. The talk will also be streamed live on Dezeen’s Facebook page.
Details of the second talk in the series will be announced in the coming weeks. The Spirit of the City installation is open to the public for free, and will remain on view at A/D/O until 2 September 2018.
The post Dezeen and A/D/O present Spirit of the City talks about New York’s creative scene appeared first on Dezeen.
A simple trick with some neat math behind it…(Read…)
Prisons in Norway look very different than prisons in the rest of the world. In Norway the incarcerated have access to the outdoors and they can garden, learn to cook and take vocational classes. Pretty much the only thing they can’t do is leave. With one of the lowest recidivism rates in the world, Norway’s novel approach to prison might be working better than more traditional, harsher prisons. This episode of “Then This Happened” takes a look at what can be learned from Norway’s radical humanity…(Read…)
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