May 16
"What do you think happens when we die, Keanu Reeves?"
Posted in: UncategorizedStephen Colbert asks, “What do you think happens when we die?”..(Read…)
May 16
This Ethereal Raincoat is Made Out of Algae-Based Plastic
Posted in: UncategorizedWhile there’s a lot of public discourse about where plastics go, not much attention is typically paid to where they come from. For interdisciplinary designer Charlotte McCurdy, who began researching the chemical processes of material production during her graduate studies at RISD, our focus on waste reduction and biodegradability is more of a “band-aid solution” that misses the larger connection between common plastics and climate change.
Most plastics today are made from fossil fuels, which are formed from the carbon-rich remains of prehistoric marine plants and algae that thrived on “ancient sunlight,” as McCurdy puts it. Thinking about these materials as ancient sunlight raised a question for McCurdy: What would happen if we made them out of “present-tense sunlight”?
“If our materials were the product of photosynthesis happening now, not only could we reduce our dependence on ancient carbon, we could store our current carbon in our materials,” she explains. “We have guilt about consumption. We’ve told each other that the moral thing to do is to reduce our consumption. Well, how’s that going?” Instead of the endless guilt trips, McCurdy sees a better path forward through the development of materials that are actively helping combat climate change by metabolizing atmospheric carbon, such as plant matter.
“I envision a future where the buildings that shelter us and the shirts on our backs have a desirable impact on the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere and where individuals have re-engaged with the issue of climate change because they can touch it.”
Her first experiments led her to develop a carbon-negative, algae-based plastic, which she was able to use to create a functional, ethereal raincoat that is now on display during Nature—the Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial. McCurdy’s work draws on cutting-edge breakthroughs that are happening in the fields of biotechnology and catalytic chemistry, and as such much of her development process remains difficult to access. For the next part of her project, McCurdy, now a member of NEW INC, will be working on a book that sheds light on these breakthroughs and the companies and people who are innovating in the carbon-negative space.
“Last year solar electricity crossed the threshold of being cost competitive with conventional fuels after 60 years of research and development. We are at the very beginning of an analogous journey for materials innovation, but need the same kind of values-driven public support that buoyed solar to get these technologies to scale,” she explains. “We’re on the edge of a revolution but we don’t yet have the vocabulary to ask for it.”
“After Ancient Sunlight” is on view as part of “Nature—Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial” through January 20, 2020.
May 16
Louis Vuitton premieres "cutting-edge" bags with flexible screens
Posted in: Uncategorized
Louis Vuitton has launched versions of two of its monogram handbags with built-in flexible OLED digital screens at its Cruise 2020 show.
The Canvas of the Future bags are made from the classic brown and cream Louis Vuitton monogram motif PVC-coated canvas, with black patent leather, and feature functioning video screens on their sides.
The leather pieces were premiered at the fashion house’s Cruise 2020 show at the TWA Flight Center at JFK airport in New York.
During the show, the screens displayed moving images of cities. An Instagram post by the brand shows a pair of scrolling web browsers.
The bag comes in two styles: a hand-held bucket bag with a short strap that the brand calls a Duffle bag and a handbag that zips down the middle with two handles, the Speedy Bandouliere 35.
Designed by Louis Vuitton’s creative director Nicolas Ghesquière, the prototype bags are described by the brand as a “cutting-edge fusion of technology and craft”.
The flexible screens – which allow for 1920 x 1440 resolution – are made using OLED technology, which stands for organic light-emitting diode. It is a lighting technology that can produce extremely thin and flexible light panels that don’t require backlighting.
According to Louis Vuitton, the pieces aim to blur the boundaries between your smartphone and bag – a “fusion of savoir-faire and innovation”.
“Fusing cutting-edge technology with the maison’s signature savoir-faire, the new canvas displays moving images while taking the form of some of Louis Vuitton’s most iconic bags,” said the brand.
This is not the first time the brand has used OLED technology. In 2017, it released the Tambour Horizon watch with an OLED screen. A sports version of the watch was launched earlier this year.
Other OLED-related projects include a sculptural television by Bodo Sperlein, based on art deco and Bauhaus styles, and a lighting installation for Baskin Robbins Brown by LG Display.
Recently, the fashion house collaborated with industrial designer Marc Newson to release two soft-shell versions of its signature monogram suitcases, making them lighter and more spacious on the inside.
The post Louis Vuitton premieres “cutting-edge” bags with flexible screens appeared first on Dezeen.
May 16
Beautiful Ink Drawings by Paulette Jo
Posted in: UncategorizedDans ses dessins Inktober, Paulette Jo s’est lancée un vrai challenge. Ayant toujours eu « peur de l’encre », l’artiste est sortie de sa zone de confort pour faire le grand saut. Une bonne décision quand on voit le résultat. « J’ai commencé par créer des dessins simples, mais attractifs visuellement. J’ai l’habitude de dessiner des illustrations complexes au crayon. Je voulais en faire de même avec l’encre : quelque chose qui dépeint le même sentiment, mais avec moins de « travail acharné ». Je suis toujours à l’oeuvre pour atteindre un tel objectif.
La source d’inspiration de Paulette Jo est intéressante. En effet, elle tourne autour de nos démons intérieurs, cachés sous de jolis visages. « J’ai passé la plus grande partie de mon enfance à idolâtrer des jolis visages, des visages parfaits ou encore uniques… des visages que j’aurais aimés avoir ou au moins, avec lesquels j’aurais pu interagir. À un certain point dans ma vie, je me suis rendue compte que j’avais une véritable curiosité pour ce qui se passait dans la tête des gens ». Une interrogation à laquelle elle a pu répondre et mettre au service de son art. « Avec le temps, j’ai eu le plaisir d’interagir avec des gens différents, ‘curieux’. D’une façon ou d’une autre, ils m’ont fait confiance et ont parlé ouvertement de leurs secrets ou de leurs sentiments. Des choses difficiles à évoquer. Je pense que j’ai été capable de combiner cette curiosité, ces histoires uniques et mon obsession avec la figure humaine », explique-t-elle.
May 16
Design Job: Standard Issue is Seeking a Project Manager in Brooklyn, NY
Posted in: Uncategorized
Standard Issue is looking for a new project manager to join our growing team! We are a small design firm in Brooklyn working on graphic, branding, product and interior design projects. The Project Manager role will have you working closely with the partners and designers to provide clients with an outstanding experience.
May 16
Reader Submitted: A Floating Cutlery Set Designed for Good Hygiene
Posted in: UncategorizedFLYDE (danish: “to flow”) is a floating cutlery set consisting of a fork, a knife and a spoon.
May 16
A 2-in-1 pillow that lets you sleep on your bed or at your desk!
Posted in: UncategorizedNo pillow has looked at the act of sleeping or napping as holistically as the Dullo. This nifty two-sided, custom-shaped pillow comes with a great deal of attention paid to all sorts of sleep, whether it’s on your back, your side, on a sofa, or even your workspace (that’s if your boss allows it). The Dullo is a perfect juxtaposition between a device with medical benefits, as well as a device that’s just great to use and own, because not only does the Dullo help you sleep healthier, it’ll make you look forward to sleeping!
Dullo comes with two separate pillow designs fastened to each other to form one single multi-purpose cushioned headrest. Analyzing different sleep patterns, either side of the Dullo is designed for a different sleep posture. A concave side gives your neck the perfect support to keep it and your spine in the correct posture when you sleep on your back, while a more uniform side with ridges allows you to sleep easily on your side. Depending on which posture you sleep in the most, the Dullo can easily be flipped to give you a comfortable night’s sleep. It even comes with a trapezoid design, allowing you to rotate the pillow to suit your comfort needs based on your ergonomics, your mattress type, or even your mood.
The Dullo comprises two individual halves that can be separated too. Splitting the Dullo in two gives you two thinner pillows that you can use either independently or hinged together to recline on a sofa or futon. Separating the Dullo in two also lets you adjust its height, giving you an additional bit of control over your comfort. The split-pillow design also gives Dullo an added use-case. You can slip your hands between two pillows and use the Dullo to sleep at your desk! Providing the perfect set-up for a power nap at the workplace, the Dullo’s split design cushions your head as well as your hands, allowing you to sleep while sitting at a table.
Dullo’s approach to perfect sleep extends to its construction too, with a breathable fabric exterior that keeps your head, neck, and arms cool and dry, and a short-thread microfiber stuffing on the inside that give the pillow the perfect combination of softness and shape-memory. The microfibers come with a coating of silicon too, making them moisture-repellent, and giving the Dullo the ability to be easily machine-washed every now and then, because hygiene also plays a major role in a healthy night’s sleep!
Designer: Dullo
Click Here to Buy Now: $69 $99 (40% off). Hurry, for a limited time only!
With the built-in grooves and head-cradling hole in its ergonomic design, Dullo Pillow will ensure that you get a good night’s sleep.
Designed to gently cradle and support both your head and neck. The center crater helps to evenly distribute the weight throughout your head during any sleeping position throughout the night so that you can get a good night’s rest.
Dullo Pillow is snug against the body so that there is less burden on the head and neck to support the rest of the body as you sleep.
Dullo Pillow delivers the best sleeping posture known to help people who suffer from insomnia, anxiety, stress and back/neck pain while sleeping.
5 Main Differences Between Dullo & Other Pillows
1. Distribute Your Head Weight
Other pillows allow for too much movement throughout the night which ends up interfering with the quality of sleep. The center crater in Dullo Pillow gently supports your head from all angles so that you can maintain a comfortable position all throughout the night.
2. Neck Support Tube
Dullo Pillow contains two support tubes that work to prevent the microfiber filling from shifting too much while simultaneously providing cushioned support for the neck. The tubes have been designed to perfectly mold to your neck so that it maintains its natural C-curve shape so that you can sleep deeply throughout the night.
3. Designed for All Neck Lengths
Dullo Pillow has been designed to provide maximum comfort and quality sleep for different neck lengths. Dullo Pillow adjusts your body position so that the spine aligns horizontally with the head and neck.
4. Microfiber Filling
Silicone-coated microfibers are elastic and resilient, so pillows with this filling are not easily deformed. Dullo Pillow’s coated fiber filler absorbs micro shocks from your neck and shoulders and allows you to sleep comfortably. Unlike ordinary cotton, Dullo Pillow’s coated fiber filler is highly water-resistant and breathable which allows for humidity/temperature control for a good night’s sleep.
5. Air Ventilation
Through the crown side hole and gap between the two detachable sides, airflow goes through both sides and circulates around the head so that you can stay as cool as possible while you’re sleeping with Dullo pillow.
Click Here to Buy Now: $69 $99 (40% off). Hurry, for a limited time only!
May 16
Tbilisi's tallest towers wrapped in stone and glass
Posted in: Uncategorized
Dezeen promotion: custom-designed windows, made by Reynaers Aluminium, wrap the facades of this pair of twisting towers designed by Alexander Mezhevidze, which are the tallest buildings in Tbilisi.
Located in the capital of Georgia’s Vake district, the two 37-storey Axis Towers are identical in form, with one clad in white stone and the other with black glass.
The white tower contains apartments, while a hotel, offices and fitness facilities are in the glazed tower, which is topped by a bar.
The towers’ spiralling forms and expansive glass facades, made by manufacturer Reynaers Aluminium, have been designed to resist seismic activity and high winds that are experienced in the Georgian capital.
The complex’s developer Axis collaborated with the glazing manufacture to create a tailor-made window system that would work with the building’s structure and these conditions.
Reynaers Aluminium developed a bespoke arrangement of double-glazed windows and aluminium profiles to meet the structural requirements, while also giving the buildings plenty of light, reducing noise and creating a suitable luxury aesthetic.
“The Reynaers Aluminium systems that were used in the Axis Towers project were chosen by the customer because they met the reliability requirements, ergonomics and the overall appearance of the building,” said Reynaers Aluminium’s Tengiz Kvantaliani.
“This is the largest project for Reynaers Aluminium in Georgia today, and its successful implementation will have a positive impact on the company’s image in the country in the face of fierce competition. It is safe to say that the Axis Towers will become the hallmark of Tbilisi,” concluded Kvantaliani.
Axis Towers make use of several of Reynaers Aluminium standard systems applied at once, as well as several new, original solutions. The entire ground floor is glazed using the CW 50-SC system, which offers “unlimited creative freedom and maximum entrance of light”.
Above, Axis Towers are wrapped in the standard CW 50 aluminium curtain walling, into which the CP 155-LS – a insulating slide and lift-slide system – is built. The CW 50 facade system with embedded CW insert structural doors was also employed, alongside the Reynaers Aluminium sliding systems CP 155-LS, CP 68, and window-door system CS 77.
Founded in 1965 in Duffel, Belgium, Reynaers Aluminium is specialist in developing sustainable aluminium solutions for windows, doors, curtain walls, sliding systems, sun screening and conservatories.
Alongside Axis Towers, it has developed tailor-made glazing solutions for several buildings across the commercial, residential, leisure and healthcare sectors.
Find out more on the Reynaers Aluminium website.
Photography courtesy of Axis Towers.
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May 16
The Barbican dives deep into artificial intelligence with More Than Human exhibition
Posted in: Uncategorized
Chatbots, facial recognition tech, deep-fake videos and newly commissioned installations by Es Devlin and Lawrence Lek are on display at The Barbican‘s sprawling AI: More Than Human exhibition.
The exhibition takes a wide-ranging approach to the topic of artificial intelligence, with immersive and interactive displays spread throughout the brutalist cultural centre.
As well as showcasing recent research projects out of innovation hubs like MIT, it incorporates historical artefacts such as a world war two-era Enigma Machine.
These sit alongside snippets from influential cultural products like Bladerunner and Frankenstein, and contemporary artworks with something to say about the intersection of nature and technology.
Devlin and Lek join Yuri Suzuki, TeamLab, Universal Everything, Neri Oxman, Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, Yoichi Ochiai, DeepMind, Jigsaw, IBM and Google Arts and Culture in having contributed work to the exhibition.
Curators Barbican International Enterprises (BIE) produce one major show every two years, often looking at a topic of public interest through a mixed historical, scientific, social and creative lens.
“Artificial intelligence is a key marker of the zeitgeist and we are thrilled to be exploring the subject, both as a motive for scientific progress and a stimulus for creativity,” said BIE head Neil McConnon.
The main exhibition is installed in The Curve gallery. It opens with a look at the golem figure from Judaism and the concept of animism — the attribution of a living soul to everything around us, even inanimate objects — from the Shinto faith.
This is part of a section called The Dream of AI, which also looks at early experiments in alchemy, and asks the audience to consider how human history might have primed the ground for our current relationship with technology.
The next section is called Mind Machines and focuses on early innovations in AI stretching back to the 1800s. It looks at Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine and Ada Lovelace, often considered the first computer programmer.
Alan Turing and the codebreakers of Bletchley Park, IBM’s chess-playing computer Deep Blue, robots like MIT’s swimming SoFi and chatbots such as Mitsuku also feature in this part of the exhibition.
Data Worlds follows, which explores how artificial intelligence can help us improve aspects of our lives such as road safety, medical diagnostics and city planning through the likes of the Kreyon City project by Sony Computer Science Laboratories.
This allows visitors to build a city out of Lego — with one eye on their citizens’ projected quality of life.
This section also includes more dystopian aspects, such as the University of Washington’s Synthesizing Obama “deep fake” video, which shows the former US president saying things he hasn’t said.
Another theme here is the replication of human biases through limited data-sets, with Joy Buolamwini’s work showing how often facial-recognition fails to recognise black faces.
The final section of the main exhibition is the most experimental. Called Endless Evolution, it presents Massive’s Attack’s Mezzanine album encoded into artificial DNA contained in spray cans, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine’s bioengineered tissues and organs, and Neri Oxman’s Synthetic Apiary to help bee populations.
Most of the large-scale, commissioned installations sit outside of the main exhibition, occupying other spaces in The Barbican.
In The Pit theatre is TeamLab’s interactive digital installation What a Loving and Beautiful World, a calming environment populated by butterflies and Chinese letterforms.
In the foyer is Es Devlin’s PoemPortraits, created with Google Arts and Culture, where visitors can contribute a word and have AI weave it into a cumulative, collaborative poem.
Nearby is Lawrence Lek’s playable 2065, created for a speculative future where we spend all day playing video games, and Yuri Suzuki’s Electronium, where visitors can compose with AI.
There’s also Universal Everything’s interactive Future You, which will evolve throughout the exhibition by learning from visitors’ movements, Chris Salter’s ceiling-high digital Totem and Certain Measures’ A Machine View of London video work mapping one million buildings in London.
Museums around the world are exploring themes of technology, robotics and the future — including, recently, fellow London institution the V&A with The Future Starts Here — but The Barbican’s may be the biggest and most ambitious attempt to date.
BIE worked with guest curators Suzanne Livingston and Maholo Uchida on the exhibition, which will tour after it finishes its run at The Barbican. BIE’s previous exhibition, 2017’s Into the Unknown: A Journey Through Science Fiction, is still touring.
AI: More Than Human opens at The Barbican today and runs until 26 August 2019.
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May 16
San Joaquin Student Housing complex by LOHA makes the most of coastal climate
Posted in: Uncategorized
Open-air walkways and staircases overlook landscaped gardens at this dormitory by US studio LOHA at a central California university, which was built using durable and economical materials.
The UCSB San Joaquin Student Housing complex is located on the northern edge of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) campus. The residential buildings were designed to capitalise on the area’s pleasant coastal climate and to provide opportunities for socialising and outdoor living.
Measuring 95,000 square feet (8,826 square metres), the complex is composed of two clusters of buildings – one with three structures, the other with four. In each cluster, rectangular buildings are arranged in a U-shaped formation around a central garden. The structures are linked by elevated walkways.
The complex was conceived by LOHA, or Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects – a Los Angeles studio started in 1994. The firm’s design marks a departure from other housing blocks on campus, which typically have lifeless courtyards and outward-facing circulation.
“LOHA’s design inverts this circulation scheme, designing a reductive exterior edge with an open, lively interior courtyard containing all building circulation, encouraging movement throughout the complex,” the studio said in a project description.
For the perimeter elevations, the team used white, corrugated metal cladding that evokes shipping containers. The courtyard-facing walls are sheathed in grey plaster.
White-painted steel was used for the outdoor staircases and corridors. Aluminium fins frame the corridors, helping reduce sun exposure.
“The stairways, finished with industrial cable mesh, further emphasise a commitment to utilising materials that are extremely durable and long-lasting, as well as economical to replace when needed,” the team said.
The buildings contain a total of 60 residential units, along with study rooms, lounges and dining facilities. Regularised layouts and off-the-shelf materials helped ensure the project was highly economical and efficient.
A bevy of sustainable features have enabled the complex to earn LEED Platinum certification from the US Building Council – the highest level of certification awarded.
In addition to passive design strategies, the buildings feature solar water heating and energy-efficient mechanical systems. Outdoor gardens aid in reducing the urban heat island effect.
“Passive design strategies and innovative material choices resulted in a project that is substantially more efficient and utilitarian than standard new construction – and will continue to reduce ecological and economic impact in the years and decades to come,” the team said.
The student housing complex is among several residential projects by LOHA in California. Others include San Vincente 935 in West Hollywood, which features an open-air stairwell lined with wooden slats, and the wedge-shaped SL11024 complex in Los Angeles, which was created for students and faculty members at UCLA.
Photography is by Bruce Damonte.
Project credits:
Architect: LOHA (Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects)
Team: Lorcan O’Herlihy (principal-in-charge), Donnie Schmidt (project director), Damian Possidente (project manager), Tang Chuenchomphu, Noelle White, Jessica Colangelo
Mechanical engineer: BuroHappold Engineering
Structural engineer: Nabih Youssef Associates
Civil engineer: Penfield and Smith Engineers
Construction manager: Harper Construction Co.
Landscape architect: TLS Landscape Architecture
Cost estimator: CP O’Halloran Associates
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