Where to Buy Used Equipment, Tools, Vehicles, Medical Supplies, Furniture and More on the Cheap

At a website called GovPlanet.com, you can buy a wide variety of things the government’s getting rid of. Twice a week they hold two-day auctions with relatively low starting bids: $5,000 for a Humvee, $25 for a pair of plasma cutters, $25 for a box of air tools, $105 for a “Surgical Field Light,” $25 for a stationary belt sander, $125 for a 2015 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor that is mysteriously missing two doors.

Pelican cases, firefighter jackets, office furniture, combat boots in lots of 90, an electric grill, ammunition cans, medical supplies…the list goes on and on. If you’re looking to outfit your shop, buy a vehicle, start a militia or open an Army/Navy store, check it out.

Watch the video of the discussion on how to be an entrepreneur at Dezeen Day

Entrepreneur panel at Dezeen Day 2019

Designers at Dezeen Day explained how young creatives have the potential to start their own businesses, with Dara Huang revealing that the secret to success as an entrepreneur is “finding people better than you”.

Dara Huang – founder of Design Haus Liberty – described how, in order to grow her company, she had to forgo being a “generalist” and instead hire professionals who were able to better tackle areas of business where she lacked expertise.

“I literally did everything – I was the person that cleaned the studio and washed the dishes, I was IT,” said Hiang “But as I got bigger and bigger, I handed off those hats to specialists.”

“You scale up by letting go of control and finding people better than you,” she added.

Huang worked for Herzog & de Meuron and the designer Thomas Heatherwick before launching her own projects, including lighting brand DH Liberty Lux and co-founding prefabricated housing company Vivahouse.

Entrepreneur panel at Dezeen Day 2019

The entrepreneurialism-themed panel also included by British industrial designer Benjamin Hubert and fashion designer Roksanda Ilincic, who told the audience that she similarly had a “very bumpy” start to launching her eponymous clothing label.

Serbia-born Ilincic originally studied architecture before taking on a masters in womenswear at prestigious arts school Central Saint Martins, where tutors completely reworked her understanding of the fashion industry.

“It taught me how little I knew about fashion, and that actually I had to start all over again. It was a masters course, but it was more like a school of life,” she explained.

“Every single person is already a brand”

The trio went on to discuss how important it is for young designers to create an identity around their business, something which Ilincic claims is only possible if “you have a clear vision of who you are and what you believe in.”

“Every single person is already a brand – because your brand is a string of your experiences from the past, and what you’re doing right now,” continued Huang.

“All you have to do is package it in a way that makes it sellable, so you can raise the money to build out your vision.”

Entrepreneur panel at Dezeen Day 2019

Hubert, however, thinks that business owners shouldn’t get too caught up in their branding.

Back in 2012, the designer scrapped his self-titled studio to create tech-focused design agency Layer – a move which he says allowed him to “have different types of conversations”.

“Having your name above the door means that people very often come to you for a very singular thing, but my background and training were pretty diverse,” he said. “It became a bit dogmatic.”

“It’s natural for us to be afraid”

While dishing out business advice, Huang revealed that she still “makes mistakes every day” and that it’s completely rational for young designers to be hesitant in launching their own platforms.

Entrepreneur panel at Dezeen Day 2019

“I think it’s natural for us to be afraid to start our own thing; when we’re asked if we want on our business, on the inside we’re like ‘yeah I do’, but we don’t say it because we’re embarrassed or afraid of failure,” she said.

“All of it comes with confidence, and confidence comes at a different stage for everybody – especially young women.”

Hubert additionally commented that starting Layer had been “extremely scary”.

“You end up only having one choice – going your own way.”

Entrepreneur panel at Dezeen Day 2019

A number of other panels took place at the inaugural Dezeen day, including one on post-plastic materials. One of the speakers to appear was designer Natsai Audrey Chieza, who claimed there are “really promising” alternatives to the material.

The event – which was held at the BFI Southbank in central London – also featured a keynote speech by Paola Antonelli, who discussed the inevitability of human extinction.

Antonelli, who is senior curator of architecture and design at MoMA, told audiences that our natural world is “fixable, but it will never be the same”.

The post Watch the video of the discussion on how to be an entrepreneur at Dezeen Day appeared first on Dezeen.

Annoyingly useless everyday products designed to make you squirm!

Most designers start out with one goal in mind, to create innovative and aesthetic designs that will totally blow our minds! However, industrial designer Katerina Kamprani had something else in mind. She took ordinary everyday products and decided to twist and tweak them, to create uncomfortable objects that would shock us, make us cringe, and eventually make us laugh! The Uncomfortable is a series of objects designed to, well, simply annoy us. Enjoy!

It’s safe to say that The Engagement Mugs simply make me squirm! They make the perfect mugs for your partner and you, if you’re prepared to twist around, struggle and finally give up on your cup of morning tea or coffee!

The Triple Door is basically one door cut into three portions, each portion equipped with its own knob and keyhole. Have fun handling three keys, and unlocking three separate little doors!

The Uncomfortable Tea Set consists of a weirdly long teapot and teacup. Rectangular in shape, I can’t imagine pouring some tea out of this set, without spilling all of it!

The Concrete Umbrella is an umbrella made from concrete. Has any umbrella ever made you as uncomfortable as this one? I mean sure, it’ll protect you from the rain if you can manage to even lift it!

Kamprani really had something against a cup of tea or coffee, because all of her tea set utensils are completely ridiculous! The Uncomfortable Mug features a closed square-like handle that makes it impossible to hold. I would love to discover a comfy way to sip some tea from this mug!

In the mood for some champagne? Worry not, the Uncomfortable Champagne Glasses are here to your rescue…or not! To be honest, they look like a candleholder, but to some extent, I do find them useful. I mean, you could sip on two glasses of champagne in one go, and we all have days like that.

The Uncomfortable Fork lacks a sturdy handle completely, instead a not so dependable chain takes its place. This is one fork that’s hard to get a grip on!

The Thick Cutlery set doesn’t look so bad unless you’re prepared for a little weightlifting for your wrists. It’s hard to imagine how anybody could fit that bulky spoon into their mouth, alongside their food! Annoyed yet?

You could wait for hours, but you’d never get any salt and pepper out of the Hourglass Salt and Pepper Shakers! Cinched in the center like an hourglass, it would be impossible to sprinkle some seasoning onto your food with these.

The Uncomfortable Wine Glass is an egg-shaped glass, with a hole to sip your wine with…or spill it all over yourselves with. Wine Wednesdays are a goner with this wine glass!

Beyond Frieze: Art Highlights in LA

Site-specific installations, large-scale sculpture, surreal digital self-portraits and other must-see work

In a few days, Los Angeles will briefly become the center of the art world. With art fairs Frieze, Felix and Art Los Angeles Contemporary in Hollywood and Spring Break in DTLA, the weekend of 14 February is slated to be an exciting one for art enthusiasts. But LA is an art-centric city all year, and beyond this weekend’s fairs, there are plenty of exhibitions worth visiting.

Courtesy Anish Kapoor + Regen Projects

Hollywood + Mid-City

Overwhelming and striking, Anish Kapoor‘s installation at Regen Projects is a mind-bending work that’s somewhat reminiscent of Richard Serra’s curving walls rendered in liquid metal.

Steps away from that gallery is Deitch Projects, where All Them Witches—an exhibition centered on the “witchy sensibility”—is currently on show. With pieces mostly by women artists, there are big names like Marilyn Minter, Cindy Sherman and Judy Chicago involved, as well as emerging and lesser-known artists creating exhilarating work.

Fort Gansevoort’s East Hollywood outpost welcomes Zoya Cherkassky‘s Soviet Childhood—a continuation of her exhibition of the same name from last year. With new paintings inspired by her childhood in Soviet Russia, this exhibition is charming and poignant.

On now, Lauren Halsey‘s solo show at David Kordansky is a super-colorful installation of what she calls “South Central LA business taxidermy.” The result is truly dynamic and provides visitors with the feeling of being immersed in a very specific retail-meets-culture wonderland.

Miracle Mile also two great options: Do Huh Suh’s 348 West 22nd Street at LACMA sees the artist exploring memory and permanence by recreating his New York residence in translucent polyester. And The Body, The Object, The Other (at Craft Contemporary) highlights emerging and established artists that challenge representation through sculptural objects. This group show includes work by Jason Briggs, Roxanne Jackson and others.

Courtesy of Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe + Roberts Project

Culver City

Otis Kwame Kye Quaico’s Black Like Me (on at Roberts Project) is the US debut of the Ghanian artist and displays new, colorful portraits that capture power, personality and nuance. Each of these stunning oil paintings is more enthralling than the last.

Blum & Poe’s group show New Images of Man reinterprets and reimagines a 1959 MoMA exhibition that explored human representation (though, more specifically, male). This show, curated by Alison M Gingeras, in part pays homage to that exhibition, while also radically diverting from it.

Leimert Park foundation Art + Practice teamed up with the Hammer Museum for Collective Constellation: Selections from The Eileen Harris Norton Collection, a selection of artworks by women of color including Amy Sherald, Kara Walker, Lorna Simpson and Breanna Youngblood—each piece from the collection of philanthropist, collector, and Art + Practice co-founder Eileen Harris Norton.

Crenshaw District’s SoLA Contemporary is also hosting a women-centric show called Women by Women 2020, which hosts over 40 works by LA-area artists that depict and interpret the lives of women and girls. SoLA has an all-women board and advisory council, so this show is much more than performative feminism.

Courtesy of Jeffrey Cheung + New Image Art

West Hollywood, Beverly Hills + The Westside

In West Hollywood, New Image Art is host to Jeffrey Cheung‘s solo show Ever Free, which expands upon the artist’s previous show in the space. Colorful and glorious figurative paintings by the Chinese-American artist explore identity, sexuality, gender and other serious topics in a positive, wavy and whimsical manner.

Just a few minutes’ walk away, at the intersection of Fairfax, Matthew Marks Gallery is showing three new large-scale works by German sculptor Katharina Fritsch. The imposing 13-foot-tall “Hahn/Cock” is just one drawcard of this stunning show.

In Beverly Hills, UTA Space is showing vibrant, large-scale paintings that depict various stages of life by Arcmanoro Nilles. The exhibition, called I Guess By Now I’m Supposed To Be A Man: I’m Just Trying To Leave Behind Yesterday, is made up of seven paintings that are equally powerful and tender.

Closing this weekend, Fowler Museum’s Through Positive Eyes is a must-see. The show includes large-scale photographs and was created in collaboration with 130 people who live with HIV/AIDS. There are also twice-weekly performances as part of this compelling storytelling project, and the vast emotions—from fear to joy, pride and beyond—are all palpable.

Santa Monica’s Five Car Garage for Female Sensibility is a two-person show by Kirsten Stoltmann and Jennifer Sullivan that tangles and untangles the feminine through painting and mixed media works.

Courtesy of Victoria Gitman + François Ghebaly

Downtown + The Eastside

South of the Arts District are two shows at François Ghebaly: Victoria Gitman’s Five Paintings and Kathleen Ryan’s Bad Fruit. Each is a study of details, but the artists create vastly different environments. From Gitman’s tangible paintings of fur to Ryan’s bejeweled fruit sculptures, every piece in these shows warrants second, third and fourth looks.

Nicolas Party’s debut LA solo show, Sottobosco, at Hauser & Wirth promises to be an immersive and colorful experience. The artist paints more than canvases, and has been adding flourishes to walls at the gallery for a couple weeks. This show sees the NYC-based artist exploring nature and science through new paintings, sculptures and site-specific installations.

The ongoing and fascinating show Cross Colours: Black Fashion in the 20th Century (on at Exposition Park’s California African-American Museum) is an exploration of contemporary style via the ’90s brand. Not only a look at fashion, this is a show that spotlights the influence that black culture had—and continues to have—on the American zeitgeist.

Highland Park’s Oxy Arts hosts Shizu Saldamando‘s show LA Intersections which features portraits of individuals that are typically left out of fine art shows. Not only beautiful, these pieces honor underrepresented people and provoke viewers to rethink their understanding of value.

A group show with works by Amy Bessone, Alejandro Cardenas, Namuyimba Godwin and Aaron Morse, DEMIFIGURES is on at Pasadena’s La Loma Projects. These works are diverse, but all exist somewhere in the unfinished, in-between and perhaps misunderstood.

Vincent Price Art Museum is soon closing Gabriela Ruiz’s solo exhibition Full of Tears for which the artist used 3D- and video-mapping to create surreal digital self-portraits. The results are quite fascinating and center on the self and memory through a surreal lens.

Hero image of Lauren Halsey‘s solo show, courtesy of David Kordansky 

Indigenous technologies "could change the way we design cities", says designer Julia Watson

Jingkieng Dieng Jri Living Root Bridges are a system of living ladders and walkways

Indigenous communities are pioneers of technologies that offer solutions to climate change, according to designer and environmentalist Julia Watson.

In her new book, LO–TEK Design by Radical Indigenism, Watson argues that tribal communities, seen by many as primitive, are highly advanced when it comes to creating systems in symbiosis with the natural world.

“There are so many examples,” she told Dezeen. “They have increased biodiversity, they’re producing food, they’re flood mitigating, they’re resilient in terms of foreshore conditions, they’re cleaning water, they’re carbon sequestering.”

“They have all of the natural qualities that we’re really interested in, in terms of ecosystem services, but they’re completely constructed by man,” she added.

Progress requires a new toolkit

Watson believes that the tech industry is more limited in scope than people realise, based solely on a concept of high-tech that developed after the industrial revolution.

She calls for this industry to adopt some of the principles of indigenous design, many of which are thousands of years old, to help cities around the world to not only mitigate the impact of climate change, but to be resilient for the future.

Julia Watson
Julia Watson argues that indigenous tribes are pioneers of technology

“I have a really clear vision for what the middle ground could be, how we could start to explore these technologies and think about how they could change the way we design cities,” she said.

“We can’t really move forward using the same toolkit that got us to the place we are now,” she continued. “We can’t just keep reusing the high-tech and that type of thinking to solve the problems that created the problems.”

LO–TEK design philosophy

Watson, who teaches urban design at Harvard GSD and Columbia GSAPP, has spent six years developing her concept for LO–TEK. Not to be confused with low-tech, it incorporates the acronym TEK, which stands for traditional ecological knowledge.

The book highlights a series of case studies, in mountain landscapes, forests, deserts and wetlands.

Jingkieng Dieng Jri Living Root Bridges are a system of living ladders and walkways
Jingkieng Dieng Jri Living Root Bridges are living ladders and walkways created by the Khasi tribe in India

Examples include the Jingkieng Dieng Jri Living Root Bridges, a system of living ladders and walkways created by the Khasi tribe of North India, and the Totora Reed Floating Islands, a series of manmade islands created from reeds in Peru.

Some are directly comparable with western-developed alternatives, as is the case with the Bheri Wastewater Aquaculture in Kolkata, a natural wastewater treatment system that cleans half of the sewage for a city of 12 million people.

Symbiotic relationships with nature

“LO–TEK reframes our view of what technology is, what it means to build it in our environment, and how we can do it differently, to synthesise the millennia of knowledge that still exists,” said Watson.

“This is about symbiotic relationships, which are the fundamental building blocks of nature. These LO–TEK technologies are born of symbiotic relationships with our environment, humans living in symbiosis with natural systems.”

Totora Reed Floating Islands are manmade islands created from reeds in Peru
Totora Reed Floating Islands are manmade islands created from reeds in Peru

Watson believes that, with global awareness of the climate crisis growing, and a groundswell of young people up in arms, the time has come to learn from

“I can see change happening because I see it every day,” she added. “This is a huge step in the right direction towards shifting, elevating and reframing how we build and how we urbanise.”

Read on for the interview in full:


Amy Frearson: Can you start by explaining what LO–TEK is?

Julia Watson: LO–TEK is a term that I developed. Obviously low-tech is a term that we use in architecture and innovation, which means rudimentary or primitive technologies. It’s seen as utilitarian, a lower type of technology, and often has a relationship to social innovation. I think that there’s a confusion that perhaps nature-based technologies might be of that same category, or that they’re not a technology at all because they’re so synthesised with our natural environments.

It’s working in contrast to the concept of high-tech, which is the fascination and evolution of industrialism. We’re in an era where our world is pretty high-tech and so is our industry. We got here because, at a certain time, we said this is what technology is. Of all the thousands of technologies across the globe, including indigenous local technologies, we took a small sliver that was in the view of the people who began our globalised, modernised path forward. That got us to where we are now, which is a fantastic development as a global civilisation, but we’re also in this paradox of being in a world that is threatened by climate change and environmental crises, and that has social and economic off-spins.

So we’re at a point in time where we have this frame of a global view of the world. We still have these nature-based technologies out there, although most are threatened and we’ve lost a lot of them. And it’s a time where we’re looking for something different in the urban environment, and in the way that we build and relate to nature. It is a moment for us to take stock, to recontextualise that framework of industrialised, digital high-tech or high-tech living, which removes us from nature, and reframe the potential of the toolkit in our urban environments. What’s the toolkit that we have to relate to nature? And how do we do it differently moving forward?

We package these things as very new, contemporary, modern and urban technologies but they have these long lineages of millennia-old knowledge

And so the LO–TEK also incorporates TEK, which means traditional ecological knowledge. It’s a term that’s used in human ecology, which is where a lot of this work grounds itself, in the realm of the sciences. It’s saying, if these are technologies that are simply constructed, made from local materials, they are not within the frame of high-tech. But it’s not low-tech because these are really complex ecological relationships, it’s nature-based technology. It’s not primitive, it’s incredibly innovative in trying to find solutions for the urban or peri-urban networks that feed our cities, trying to find solutions for climate change and resilience. We’re looking to these types of solutions but we just don’t have a huge toolkit at this point in time.

LO–TEK reframes our view of what technology is, what it means to build it in our environment, and how we can do it differently, to synthesise the millennia of knowledge that still exists. Technology has been born of that and is symbiotic with ecological processes, from the micro to the macro.

Amy Frearson: Can you tell me a bit about your background and what led you into this field?

Julia Watson: I began as an architect, 22 years ago in Australia, studying in Queensland at UQ, where I took a course called Aboriginal Environments. Obviously the colonial and Aboriginal world in Australia is a really charged topic.

My family is English and Greek, and my mother was a first-generation immigrant from Egypt, so as a kid growing up I had a very colonial worldview frame without even knowing about it. When I started learning about the Aboriginal environment, it was such a different way of looking at the world and I was fascinated. About a year later, I graduated and was going to live in London but I stopped in Borneo on the way. I had been reading about what was happening in Borneo, with the loss of orangutangs and primal plantations, and I was looking for this tribe called the Penan people. I’d been reading about a Swiss environmentalist who had been championing this group of forest dwellers to stand up against the Malaysian government because they were taking away their forest to develop into palm-oil plantations. He had gone missing, but he had documented this tribe that no one had really seen before. I was fascinated with going to the jungle and looking for this tribe. I went to Borneo for a month and I found the tribe eventually. They were living in this encampment on the side of a river that was obviously not the way they’d ever lived. It was so sad.

Kihamba Forest Gardens is a complex agroforestry system created by the Chagga of Tanzania
Kihamba Forest Gardens feature a complex agroforestry system managed by the Chagga of Tanzania

I went to London, then came back, but kept on studying this idea of what it means to be an indigenous person and how you see the landscape that you live in. I wanted to know why is it so different to the way that I was brought up, to the way that so much of the world relates to the natural world, and what is still there in that relationship. What have we lost with the pathway of colonialism? Can we ever find a middle ground?

That led me to Harvard, where I went to study sacred landscapes, looking at why they are sacred and how you conserve them. I discovered that most of these sacred landscapes are about protecting resources that makes human survival possible, like freshwater or farms. They’re basically about protecting the earth, because human survival is dependent upon that. I won an award when I graduated, so I was able to go on pilgrimages to sacred sites around the world to study them. I did trips to Mount Kailash in Tibet for a Saga Dawa Festival and to a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bali.

Out of that, I started teaching contemporary landscape technology at Columbia, where I started to realise that a lot of these technologies, like green roofs, have been around forever. We’re making artificial wetlands that clean water, but there’s already natural wetlands that do that. We package these things as very new, contemporary, modern and urban technologies but they have these long lineages of millennia-old knowledge. It got me thinking, how many others are out there that we’re not looking at yet? How closed-down is our frame of what we package as technology?

That’s where the book came from. I asked, could there be 50 more technologies like this? Could there by 100? In the book there are 120, and that’s just a flashlight in the dark, of one person doing this with no funding, just driven by curiosity and some wonderful students that took on the cause and wanted to work alongside me.

Amy Frearson: Can you pick out some of the most radical examples of LO–TEK from the book?

Julia Watson: The case study that I think people understand the most succinctly is the East Kolkata wetlands, which is a sewage wastewater treatment system in Kolkata. It was born a few hundred years, so it’s not like it’s a 6,000-year-old technology, but it was born from a group of Bengalese farmers who were living on the outskirts of Kolkata, which is now a city of 12 million. There’s a collective of farmers that treats sewage water coming out of the Hooghly River. A lot of the sewage from Kolkata goes into a system that leads to this wetland, and they put it through a series of processes. They have settling ponds and they have ponds where they introduce fish. It’s a really large system of wetlands that is completely manmade and run by village cooperatives. They’re cleaning wastewater and producing vegetables for the city, while saving millions of dollars a year compared to the operating costs of an actual sewage treatment plant. It’s actually cleaning half of the sewage coming out of a city of 12 million people, every single day. You can see that that application on the periphery of a city like New York or London, if there was municipal will and a real mind-shift towards nature-based technologies.

It’s a reframing of understanding technology, how we relate to our natural environment and what that means

Another technology that I think you can recontextualise is in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. There is a tribe called the Kayapó that introduces hundreds of different species of plants in an agroforestry system within the rainforest. It doesn’t destroy the rainforest but is incredibly productive for food. So you have the Amazon on fire because of clearcutting for cattle ranching, but in that same rainforest you have a community who live in the rainforest, obviously at the same scale, but doing a different type of farming that integrates into the canopy of the rainforest and still produces food. There are these two completely different types of systems, coming up against one another, but no one’s learning from one another. There’s no adoption of a symbiotic agroforestry productive food system or allowance of the co-benefits of keeping the Amazon rainforest but also producing food, even though you see those types of systems across the globe.

Another very similar system is at the base of the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. The Chagga is one of the richest, most-educated communities in Tanzania, in that part of Africa. They have what they call the kihamba, which is a banana plantation that takes you can two and a half hours to drive through. It’s the size of Los Angeles, this area of land. They’ve got an estimated 500 species in that forest that retains the original forest canopy, but they’ve introduced about 250 new species of productive bananas, coffee and different plant species. They’ve managed to figure out a way to retain the complexity of the natural rainforest but also integrate a really complex agroforestry system that is incredibly productive, which has made them one of the most economically advanced communities in that region.

Amy Frearson: How would you sum up the case studies you’re found so far?

Julia Watson: It’s a reframing of understanding technology, how we relate to our natural environment and what that means. And if we keep on looking, there are so many examples. They have increased biodiversity, they’re producing food, they’re flood mitigating, they’re resilient in terms of foreshore conditions, they’re cleaning water, they’re carbon sequestering. They have all of the natural qualities that we’re really interested in, in terms of ecosystem services, but they’re completely constructed by man. They use complex ecological relationships to drive them, but they are low on embodied energy. They produce a certain type of community and cultural activity, and they allow for that community to live really closely and harmoniously with their environments.

Amy Frearson: Earlier you said you were looking for a middle ground between indigenous technologies and the world of high-tech. Having done this study, do you think it is possible to find one?

Julia Watson: That’s part of why I’m putting this book out to the world. I have a really clear vision for what the middle ground could be, how we could start to explore these technologies and think about how they could change the way we design cities.

As cities keep on expanding and growing bigger, what’s the new way that cities will grow?

As cities keep on expanding and growing bigger, what’s the new way that cities will grow? We all have these utopian visions for cities but what if those utopian visions were really set within this type of thinking, drawing upon these types of nature-based technologies? What if cities really did sit within ecosystems, rather than the small applications of small ecosystems applied to facades in cities?

The book and this work is to put out examples and case studies, and seed contemporary designers who can take them and champion them. There are way better designers out there than me and I want them to take this, use it and apply it.

In the world of academia, we’re looking at the most cutting-edge, forward-thinking research transitioning to design. A lot of the time, academia and research is on the cusp of rethinking how the next wave of development will happen in practice. Given the number of issues that we’re having to confront today in our urban environment, in the world that we now live in, if we can just expand that horizon, there is so much potential.

Amy Frearson: What kind of response do you think you’ll get to the idea?

Julia Watson: It’s really funny that, across the board, there are three responses. The first is: ‘I can totally see this happening’. Then there’s some people who say: ‘Okay, but can it really apply to cities?’ Then there are people who just say no.

I love contemporary politics, so I’m really into understanding the way that frames our world and the way we see the world, and I think that it almost comes back to a political understanding about being visionary and forward-thinking. It’s like climate change at this point in time, it’s just a political argument, because the science can’t be refuted. Where there’s an adoption of the science, that’s going to reframe our world.

One project that I think is really interesting to talk about here is the UN-Habitat, the United Nations project looking at floating cities. People are really interested in this idea of floating cities. Yet in the book, there are two case studies of communities that have lived on islands. One of them is the Ma’dan that lived in the southern wetlands of Iraq for 6,500 years on floating islands. The other is the Uros that live on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, on islands they construct from reeds, which last for 20 years. All around the world are people that live in aquatic environments.

LO–TEK Design by Radical Indigenism
These cases studies all feature in Watson’s book, LO–TEK Design by Radical Indigenism

We can’t really move forward using the same toolkit that got us to the place we are now. We can’t just keep reusing the high-tech and that type of thinking to solve the problems that created the problems. Looking at other communities might just give us the opportunity to say, what if we use high-tech and LO–TEK technology to think of this idea of floating cities? What do we think of these systems working with our natural environments? There’s so much opportunity with design and resilience, if we can leapfrog just being responsive. We’re really fascinated with sea-level rise right now because that’s what we see is the most imminent condition that we’re going to deal with. But following very closely on the coattails of sea-level rise is a huge die-off of trees in desert environments. It’s just the one thing that’s impacting the most people at a point in time.

There’s a new crisis coming to you, which is the wildfires in Australia and in California. People have been doing managed burn-off and using pyrotechnology as a technology. Communities all over the Americas and Australia have been doing that for millennia. They knew that they had to do that in those environments to create productivity but also to reduce threat. They’ve been using these things as resilient strategies for a very long time.

We need to shift this idea of superiority, to an understanding of symbiosis

I think we have to really expand our view of technology but really also be more predictive and be more prepared, not just in coastal ecosystems and coastal cities, but across the board. That’s why the book is divided into mountains, forests, deserts and wetlands. We’ve got to be looking at all these different environments and being resilient in all of them.

Amy Frearson: With climate change and the anthropocene already here, are you sure we haven’t run out of time to be resilient?

Julia Watson: No. I want to reframe the concept of the anthropocene, in a way. Because we came to industrialisation, we came to this period of time, we came to having a dissociation from nature through the Age of Enlightenment. It’s removed us from nature so that we either see nature as a threat or we see ourselves as the saviour of nature. I think that’s still like a fundamental thinking within this concept of the anthropocene and I want the book to dissolve that lens.

This is about symbiotic relationships, which are the fundamental building blocks of nature. These LO–TEK technologies are born of symbiotic relationships with our environment, humans living in symbiosis with natural systems. That’s what I think needs to change. We’re not superior, we’re not working against or threatened by nature, we need to be symbiotic with it. We need to shift this idea of superiority, to an understanding of symbiosis.

I think we need a new mythology, I keep on talking about this mythology of the contemporary world and the mythology of technology, but that mythology is really fundamentally underpinned by understanding that we’re not superior. It’s the only way that we’re going to move forward. I really do think there is a huge political will that’s just growing and growing. We’re seeing it like I’ve never seen anything like before. I think that it’s truly inspiring and unprecedented. To see a government completely disqualifying and disregarding that climate change is happening and then to have a groundswell of youth, of children, who are just politically up in arms, saying that you can ignore this anymore.

I can see change happening because I see it every day. There is a huge concern and architects are championing it, asking how they respond. This is a huge step in the right direction towards shifting, elevating and reframing how we build and how we urbanise.

The post Indigenous technologies “could change the way we design cities”, says designer Julia Watson appeared first on Dezeen.

Lund University students cast household items in glass instead of plastic

Lund University students cast household items in glass instead of plastic

Contact lens cases, vegetable vases and pill packets are some glass objects by Lund University students in Sweden to explore the material’s potential within a more circular economic system.

The resulting 31 design were presented at the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair as part of an exhibition called Transparent.

Lund University students cast household items in glass instead of plastic
Sebastian Eriksson’s glass contact lens case is designed to outlive its disposable plastic counterparts

Items ranging from food and drink packaging, to cosmetics and building materials, have been made from glass in collaboration with a team of expert glassblowers.

Reusable glass vials for pills can replace disposable blister packs, while glass tiles could replace the plastic used to insulate wires.

Lund University students cast household items in glass instead of plastic
Jaxon Pope’s refillable vials offer an alternative to classic blister packs

“Glass has two main selling points in a cyclical system: its longevity and its recyclability,” said Lund University student Riccardo Centazzo.

“It is an impermeable material with high corrosion and temperature resistance that can also be exceptionally hard. It can be produced using widely available resources, melted down and endlessly re-formed to make new products without a substantial loss of material or quality.”

The polymers in plastic, on the other hand, degrade a little bit every time they are recycled, meaning they need to be mixed with new, virgin plastic to remain viable.

Lund University students cast household items in glass instead of plastic
An aroma diffusor designed by William Theorell can be filled and re-filled with homemade scents

Working with this more circular material, each student was tasked with identifying and overhauling one wasteful product

Centazzo’s project is a system of tiles, that makes use of the insulating properties of glass to replace the vast amount of mixed plastics normally used to encase electrical wires in the home.

The tiles would be attached to the wall using a back plate. Its internal pattern allows wires to be neatly organised before they are are safely enclosed behind a removable front face.

Lund University students cast household items in glass instead of plastic
Centazzo’s glass tiles are embossed with a bubble wrap-like pattern to secure different wires

“It utilises no plastic or hybrid materials and is much more resistant to temperature, corrosion and rodents,” he told Dezeen.

“By moving the wiring from inside the walls to their surface, they are easier to access for maintenance or modification without having to damage walls or replace the whole system. If a house is demolished, the tiles can easily be reused or recycled.”

Another student encased coloured glass offcuts – which are harder to recycle due to the chemicals used to dye them – within clear glass to create decorative, Terrazzo-like tiles.

Lund University students cast household items in glass instead of plastic
Waste shards of glass form a decorative pattern in these tiles by Zhaoxi Huang

Others turned their attention to the personal care industry, designing packaging that would facilitate a keep-and-refill system. Customers would hold on to their glass containers and top up everything from make-up to cleaning products in the shop.

Jaxon Pope created a series of glass vials that could be used as an alternative to the throwaway blister packs in which medication is commonly sold.

In the system Pope is proposing, pharmacies would receive medication in bulk before portioning it out into these vials according to the needs of each customer.

Lund University students cast household items in glass instead of plastic
A series of soap dishes by Lisa Laugs lobby for solid hand wash as a more sustainable alternative to the liquid variety

“The medicine is initially purchased with an additional cost for its packaging and can then be returned to the pharmacy for a refund or refilled without an additional package charge,” he explained.

“Used vials are sent to a cleaning facility to be industrially cleaned and a vial that is considered too scratched can be sent back to the manufacturer to be melted down and used in the production of new vials.”

Different coloured scales on the side of each vial help the pharmacist fill in the right doses, while the lid is made from recyclable plastic to create an airtight seal.

Lund University students cast household items in glass instead of plastic
Pope printed different scales on the side of each vial to signify the necessary dosage

As food packaging is a major contributor to the plastic waste crisis, various projects proposed more sustainable alternatives.

These include a glass Tupperware that uses water channels to keep food from oxidising, and a loose leaf tea pot to replace single-use bags.

Julius Nobling, meanwhile, created a series of vases in different shapes and sizes, to draw attention to the little-known fact that various vegetables can easily be re-grown at home with nothing but scraps and stumps that would otherwise have gone to waste.

Lund University students cast household items in glass instead of plastic
Nobling designed the vases to support vegetables in their regrowth

“I created a thin, long vase for things like leeks and spring onions so that they could grow straight,” he explained.

“The round one is meant for herbs like basil or coriander and has a small opening so that the cutting can fit easily without falling. I’m hoping that, by making the vases elegant and decorative it will make users feel more comfortable with growing plants that aren’t typically perceived to be beautiful.”

Lund University students cast household items in glass instead of plastic
Ziyu’s simple glass watering jug also functions as a fish bowl

Another project intent on repurposing waste comes from Gao Ziyu, who designed a fish bowl that doubles up as a watering can.

In this way, the potassium, phosphorous and nitrogen that build up in the fish’s water over time aren’t flushed down the drain when the water gets changed, but instead used to help plants grow.

Circularity was a big topic at Stockholm’s Furniture & Light Fair, with the award for best standing going to Note Design Studio’s re-usable design for furniture brand Vestre.

The fair is part of the wider Stockholm Design Week, which also saw design studio Form Us With Love launch a mix-it-yourself hand soap that almost entirely eliminates plastic waste.

The post Lund University students cast household items in glass instead of plastic appeared first on Dezeen.

Plant-Based Botanic-Retinol Concentrate

Employing a plant-based alternative to Retinol called Bakuchiol, Blüh Alchemy botanic concentrate increases the body’s collagen production, making the skin tighter, firmer and smoother—without the side effects from the traditional chemical concentrate. The Ayurvedic Babchi plant (from which Bakuchiol is extracted) is just one of the 15 organic ingredients in this serum that hydrates and penetrates beyond the skin’s top layer. The light serum boasts a subtle but pleasant herbaceous scent due to its organic nature. Just one pump applied to a clean face absorbs quickly and leaves skin feeling soft and nourished. And after just a week of testing we’re already seeing positive effects!

BEST SHOE CLEANING WIPES

Despite what many people tell you, first impressions count. However subtle, many people will give you a quick, sweeping glance from head to toe. You look great. Nice suit, hair in place with everything neatly pressed. Then the glance hits your shoes and you see that tiny twitch in the person’s eye when they see how grimy your shoes are. It’s not really your fault. They were clean when you put them on this morning. But on your way to that all important job interview or business conference with a new client, you walked through a few puddles or you had to take a shortcut through the park. Your pristine shoes are not looking very pristine and it’s been noticed by all those around you.

It’s not exactly practical to have a shoe cleaning kit with you wherever you go and you may not have a lot of time to run to the bathroom and give your shoes a quick wipe over. That’s when shoe cleaning wipes can be your best friend. These handy pieces are an essential item for those who want to make a good first impression and the best shoe cleaning wipes are easy to keep on hand for any shoe cleaning emergency.

Shoe Cleaning Wipes

 

  1. CleanKicks Shoe Cleaner Wipes – Removes Scuffs and Dirt Buildup – (30 Count) – BEST CHOICE

Keep this container of CleanKicks Shoe Cleaner Wipes in your bag or briefcase and always put your best foot forward. These amazing wipes are dual textured so you can remove the dirt and grime with one side and residual dust with the other. The wipes contain a premium cleaning solution that will deal with everyday situations where dirt becomes attached to your shoes. The solution is also a skin safe so you don’t need to worry about harsh chemicals.

Clean any of your shoes including sports shoes, high heels, boots and more regardless of the type of material they are made from. These wipes will clean dirt and grime from Suede, Leather, Nubuck, Rubber, Shoes, Sneakers, Boots, Heels, Cleats. They come in a resealable container to keep the shoe cleaning wipes moist and ready to clean your shoes whenever they need a little attention. Keep a pack handy in your car, bag, office drawers and at home so you can always be sure of having clean shoes.

KEY FEATURES

  • Dual textured wipes to remove dirt and grime
  • Premium cleaning solution for everyday situations
  • Skin safe formula – no harsh chemicals
  • Suitable for Suede, Leather, Nubuck, & Rubber Shoes
  • Resealable container
  • 100% Money Back Guarantee

 

  1. GOAT SHIELD Premium Shoe Cleaner Wipes – 24 Individually Packaged Sneaker Wipes Removes Dirt and Stains for Leather, Canvas, White Sneakers and More

Never enter a meeting or an interview with dirty shoes again. With these GOAT SHIELD Premium Shoe Cleaner Wipes, you can always have a pocketful or wipes on hand in case of a dirty shoe emergency. Each of these shoe wipes is individually wrapped for unbelievable convenience. They come in packs of 24 so you can keep a few spare wipes anywhere you may need them. One side of these wipes is textured to clean stubborn dirt and stain, while the other side is smooth to clean more delicate materials and any leftover dust. These handy wipes clean all types of shoes and materials and the cleaning solution does not contain any harsh chemicals. They’re also backed by a 100% money back guarantee so you can step out in confidence with clean shoes no matter where you go.

KEY FEATURES

  • Textured side to clean tougher stains
  • Smooth side cleans more delicate materials
  • Cleans all types of shoes and materials
  • Individually packaged for travel convenience
  • No harsh chemicals
  • 100% Money Back Guarantee

 

  1. BootRescue All Natural Cleaning Wipes for Leather & Suede Shoes & Boots for Dirt, Salt Stains

Winter is a great time to bring out those stunning boots but the salt thrown on city streets to melt the snow will inevitably stick to your shoes and start to degrade the material. These boot wipes from BootRescue have been especially formulated to wipe and clean damaging salt stains that stick to your boots. The formula is also all-natural making it perfect for all types of materials including real and imitation leather, rubber, suede and more. You can also use them on other items such as running shoes, jackets, bags and anything you have on hand that could benefit from a quick cleaning. They are portable and easy to use so choose from a box of individually wrapped wipes or a resealable travel pack. Never let those salt stains ruin a good pair of shoes or boots and keep them looking clean with a quick and easy wipe.

KEY FEATURES

  • Wipe and clean damaging salt stains
  • All-Natural Formula
  • Suitable for shoes, jackets, bags, car seats and more
  • Multi-purpose cleaning wipes for all shoe types
  • Portable & easy to use
  • Available in individually wrapped boxes or resealable travel pack

 

  1. Crep Protect Unisex Crep Protect Wipes

These Crep wipes for cleaning shoes are perfect for those unexpected moments when your shoes get dirty regardless of who cautious you’ve been in avoiding dirt, puddles and street muck. They are made from 100% double sided fabric. The textured side is great for getting rid of caked on dirt and grime and the smooth side is good for a quick clean, buff or polish. They are suitable for use on leather, canvas, nylon and vinyl shoes, as well as a few other types. Each Crep Shoe Cleaner Wipe is individually wrapped so keep one handy in your pocket or bag at all times and never be caught unawares with dirty shoes. Not only are they individually wrapped, they also come in a discreet travel tin so keep these great wipes with you in the car, the office, your gym locker or backpack.

KEY FEATURES

  • 100% Fabric Double sided (1 smooth, 1 textured)
  • Perfect for those unexpected splashes, stains, or marks
  • Suitable for use on leather, canvas, nylon, vinyl, etc.
  • Individually wrapped with cotton fresh aroma
  • 12 Pack protect wipes
  • Convenient travel tin to carry them in

 

  1. Deadstock Los Angeles Shoe Cleaner Wipes – 30 Packaged Sneaker Wipes – PREMIUM PICK

These fantastic sneaker wipes from Deadstock Los Angeles will never let you down. They have been designed to breakdown every day dirt that builds up on your sneakers and shoes without using harmful chemicals. Deadstock Los Angeles Shoe Cleaner Wipes effectively remove dirt and grime from sneakers and shoes so you will never be embarrassed by standing in front of potential employers or clients looking sloppy and messy. They come in an easy and convenient resealable container that fits neatly in your gym bag, backpack or drawer. Keep an extra one in your car so you’ll never need to worry about being caught with dirty shoes. They are also backed by a 100% money back guarantee which is your assurance of a good quality product.

KEY FEATURES

  • Effectively removes dirt and grime from sneakers and shoes
  • Designed to breakdown every day dirt buildup
  • No harmful chemicals
  • Dual textured for complete cleaning effectiveness
  • Easy and convenient resealable container
  • 100% Money Back Guarantee

 

  1. Care Touch Leather Cleaner Wipes for One-Step Cleaning, Conditioning, and Protecting – Pack of 2, 40 Wipes Each for Cars, Shoes and Other Leather Surfaces

The best shoe cleaning wipes are convenient and can be used for more than just your shoes. That’s exactly what you get with these Care Touch Leather Cleaner Wipes for One-Step Cleaning. These great wipes clean any leather surface while applying conditioning and nourishment to any leather item you’re trying to clean. They also leave a clear, protective surface after you’ve wiped your shoes clean with these wipes so you won’t need to rush to clean them after your next outing. The formula used in this shoe cleaning system is non-toxic and phosphate free so you won’t need to worry about damaged your valuable leather shoes or other items. Remove those unsightly smudges, dirt and other impurities safely and effectively and leave behind fresh and clean smelling shoes you’ll love to step out in.

KEY FEATURES

  • Cleans leather surfaces while applying conditioner and nourishment
  • Leaves a clear, protective surface after use
  • Non-toxic, phosphate free formula
  • Removes smudges, dirt, and other impurities safely and effectively.
  • Can be used on anything with a leather or vinyl surface
  • Leaves your shoes smelling fresh and clean

 

  1. Sneaker LAB Shoe Wipes | All Purpose & Leather Specific Options Available | 12 Individual Wipes Per Pack

Keep your kicks looking and smelling fresh and clean with these Sneaker LAB Shoe Wipes. Each pack includes 12 individually wrapped wipes that fit neatly and discreetly in the palm of your hand, pocket, wallet or glove compartment of your car. They are a quick and easy way to keep your shoes clean anytime. These great shoe cleaning wipes are completely environmentally friendly and biodegradable. They contain no soap or harsh chemicals so you won’t harm your shoes or the environment. Sneaker LAB Shoe Wipes are more than just wipes for cleaning shoes; they are an innovative shoe care technology. Keep your shoes clean, even after running through the dustiest tracks at the park.

KEY FEATURES

  • Travel Friendly
  • Quick & Easy to Use Anytime
  • 12 Individually Wrapped Wipes Per Pack
  • No Soap or Harsh Chemicals
  • Safe to Use on Most Materials
  • Completely environmentally friendly and biodegradable.

 

  1. KIWI Express Shine Wipes, 15Ct – BEST VALUE

Kiwi brand is the name you can trust for shoe care and they’ve come through again with these Express Shine Wipes. These shoe cleaning wipes not only clean your shoes in a flash, but they also leave them with a nice shine as well. They have been especially formulated to be used on all colors and are suitable for all types of leather shoes. Use them on your shoes and any accessories that are made from leather so you always look your best. Each pack of KIWI Express Shine Wipes contains 15 wipes and at a great price, you can keep a pack of these convenient, disposable wipes everywhere you think you may need them.

KEY FEATURES

  • Clean and shine, on the go wipes
  • Specially formulated for all colors
  • Disposable convenience
  • Suitable for all types of leather shoes
  • Quickly and effectively clean and shine leather shoes and accessories
  • Contains 15 wipes per package

 

Shoe Cleaning Tips

  • Remove dirt and grime as soon as possible to avoid damaging the finish on your shoes. You can use a soft shoe brush or cleaning cloth when you get home, but if your shoes are dirty away from home, any of the shoe cleaning wipes in our selection will certainly get the job done.
  • Keeping your shoes clean is crucial to extending the life of your shoes and keeping them looking good. But keeping them from looking aged is also important. This is something you should pay special attention to for expensive leather shoes. After cleaning your shoes, polish with with a shoe shining product that not only brings out that great lustre in the leather, but also conditions and nourishes your shoes to keep them looking and feeling great.
  • If you’ve had to wear your shoes in the rain, you can expect the water to cause your shoes to become misshapen. As soon as possible, take your shoes off and wipe off any residual dirt and grime. Once you’ve done that, stuff the inside of your wet shoes with wads of newspaper or pieces of cloth to maintain their shape. This has a double advantage as the paper or cloth will absorb any excess moisture as well as maintaining the proper shape and feel of your shoes.

 

Never be caught with dirty shoes again. With any of the shoe cleaning wipes in our selection you’ll always be able to give your shoes a quick wipe over and leave a positive first impression. The best shoe cleaning wipes are tough on dirt, but gentle on your shoes. Most importantly, they are always on hand for a quick clean up.

 

Post written by PJ Doland

Daisy May Collingridge's "squishy" flesh suits quash the idea of an ideal body type

Textile artist Daisy May Collingridge has designed a family of fleshy, fabric bodysuits as “a joyful representation of the human form”.

Dubbed The Squishies, the bodysuits feature overlapping layers of skin-like rolls that have been hand-stitched from jersey and cotton.

Fillings made of wadding, beanbag beans and sand are used to provide different weights and textures.

Each piece looks like a playful take on the bodies seen in muscular anatomy diagrams. Some boast shades of muted pink, purple and blue, while others feature more vibrant tones of orange and yellow paired with beige hues.

“For me the suits are a joyful representation of the human form, but with fantasy elements” Collingridge told Dezeen. “They are bodily, they celebrate flesh, form and movement.”

“Instead of sculpting with stone or marble, sculpting with fabric is more tactile, more life-like,” she added. “Fabric is soft, warm and will not last forever, just like people.”

Image by Mark Sherratt

The Central Saint Martins graduate designed the suits as a celebration of the human body, in all its forms.

“They neither promote or demote one body type,” she said. “The idea that there even is an ‘ideal body’ is ridiculous.”

“They, just like people, have their own individual characters and, just like people, some people will be repelled by them whilst others will adore them.”

Collingridge also gives each suit its own name – the current family consists of Burt, Hilary, Clive and Dave – and imagines each one as having its own character.

The sculptures can be displayed as static items or can be worn for “a more lifelike performance”. Designed to respond to movement, she envisions them being used in dance or film.

Each bespoke piece took around three months to create, and is the result of combining free machine quilting with the trapunto technique, mixed with some “crazy patchwork”.

Free machine quilting sees two or more layers of fabric sandwiched together with stitching, while trapunto requires adding additional batting or stuffing from the underside to create a rounder effect.

Each bodysuit is composed of numerous elements of jersey stretched over shaped wadding, and hand-stitched onto base garments such as trousers, jackets or gloves.

“In reality the technique probably cannot be defined as quilting, but the idea of layering and relief patterns are fundamental to the process,” the designer explained.

“I love the patterns you make by the change in the relief of the fabric,” she added. “However, there is a limit to how thick you can make a quilt – or dress – before it physically cannot get under the sewing machine.”

While Collingridge “subconsciously” takes design cues from high school education, where she studied artists such as Jenny Saville and Louise Bourgeois, she told Dezeen that her work is also a product of her childhood, having grown up in a family of doctors, nurses and scientists.

“The human body has always been a subject of fascination for me,” she explained. “My mum took me to see Body World, by Gunther von Hagens, which showed the human – and other animals – in all their biological, anatomical glory preserved by plastination.”

“Combine these scientific dinner table conversations with a mum who can turn her hand to all the crafts: she can crochet, silk paint, dye, toy-make, quilt, embroider and I am pretty sure she has done upholstery too,” she said.

“This combination of practicality and creativity seems to have irresistibly steered my work to what is.”

Royal College of Art graduate, Karoline Vitto, also wanted to promote a positive body image with her The Body as Material collection, which features seven cloth and metal-wire garments that accentuate the rolls and curves of the female form.

Vitto wanted the garments to encourage women to look at areas that they consider to be flaws more kindly.

Photography is by Daisy May Collingridge, unless otherwise stated.

The post Daisy May Collingridge’s “squishy” flesh suits quash the idea of an ideal body type appeared first on Dezeen.

The CR Podcast Episode 31: The best and worst of Catherine Hyland

In recent years, Catherine Hyland has established herself as a creator of enigmatic, often magical images that explore different communities around the world.

She has twice been a winner in the Creative Review Photography Annual – initially in 2018 for her series Rise of the Mongolians (commissioned by WeTransfer), which looked at a sumo wrestling group in Mongolia, and also in 2019 for The Traces Left Behind, her ongoing project exploring the lives of a group of North Korean defectors in London.

Here, she talks to Eliza Williams about getting started in photography, developing her distinctive style, and the challenges of bringing a project together when everything seems to be going wrong.

LISTEN HERE:

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CREATIVE REVIEW PODCAST ON ITUNES

The Traces Left Behind by Catherine Hyland
Rise of the Mongolians by Catherine Hyland

RELATED READING:

The Traces Left Behind by Catherine Hyland

Rise of the Mongolians by Catherine Hyland

Exposure: Catherine Hyland

The post The CR Podcast Episode 31: The best and worst of Catherine Hyland appeared first on Creative Review.