The president of the Royal Institute of British Architects has temporarily stepped down from his role due to personal reasons.

Jones, who became RIBA president in September 2019, told the organisation that he needed to “take some time out” from his duties. According to the organisation Jones will not be returning to his position for at least four weeks.

Kerr Robertson, RIBA honorary secretary, has been appointed to oversee the president’s duties for the interim period.

Jones grateful for “strong support” from family

In an email to staff seen by UK magazine Architects’ Journal, Jones said that a “matter had arisen” in his personal life.

“I’m grateful for the strong support I have from my wife and family,” he wrote, adding that he “would be grateful if everyone could respect our privacy”.

“I appreciate this comes at a time when there are extraordinary demands on everyone and I can only ask that you reinforce your support to our staff and senior officers during this period,” said Jones.

Jones to step away for up to six weeks

RIBA chief executive Alan Vallance confirmed that Jones would not be returning for four to six weeks.

“We will be working as hard as ever during the president’s time away to ensure minimum disruption to the RIBA business,” Vallance told Dezeen.

“The RIBA is led by a team of dedicated senior trustees and expert staff, who will continue to support our members and represent their interests at the highest levels.”

Before he was elected as the first RIBA president from Northern Ireland, Jones was the RIBA vice president for education. He is a senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast and recently co-edited a book called Defining Contemporary Professionalism for Architects in Practice & Education.

Taking over from previous RIBA president Ben Derbyshire, Jones is the 78th president of the organisation since the role began in 1835.

Under his presidency RIBA launched a sustainability guide for its members, after declaring a climate emergency last year.

The post RIBA president Alan Jones unexpectedly steps down appeared first on Dezeen.

California firm Walker Warner Architects has transformed a warehouse into a visitor centre for a winery with redwood, cypress and rammed earth.

Called House of Flowers, the project serves as a visitor centre and tasting room for Flowers Vineyard & Winery, well known for its chardonnay and pinot noir wines.

Started in the 1980s, the company has vineyards along Sonoma County‘s rugged coast in California. The new visitor facility is located in the town of Healdsburg, which is a popular destination for wine lovers and tourists, and more accessible than its previous location.

The centre sits on a 15-acre (six-hectare) estate that formerly belonged to VML Winery. When Flowers acquired the site, it set out to renovate the property’s outdated structures and turned to San Francisco’s Walker Warner Architects for help.

The challenge was how to preserve the site’s legacy while updating it. Rather than build anew, Walker Warner Architects chose to convert a warehouse into the visitor centre – a decision that aligned with its client’s commitment to sustainability.

While designing the project, the team focused on creating a building that embraced the natural setting. The warehouse was overhauled and a two-storey volume was added.

“Our approach was deceptively simple,” said firm principal Brooks Walker. “Let nature dominate and use architecture to frame the experience.”

Tucked into a tree grove, the centre is roughly rectangular in plan and is topped with a pitched, standing-seam metal roof. Redwood wall cladding is stained black to help the building “recede into the site and allow the landscape to become the focus,” the studio said.

“The architectural expression is understated,” said firm principal Mike McCabe. “The region’s strong, simple vernacular forms served as guide and reference point to help root the architecture to its setting.”

The team incorporated passive strategies to reduce energy consumption, such as the inclusion of skylights and large windows. The surrounding trees help shade the building.

The interior features a variety of rooms where guests can sip wine and learn about vinification. Rooms are fitted with low-back sofas, wicker chairs and wooden tables.

Off-white walls are paired with cypress wall panelling, which is meant to provide a “yin-yang” contrast to the building’s dark exterior. Concrete and oak are used for flooring.

Visitors can also relax outdoors and take in the scenery. An outdoor kitchen features a wood-fired oven used to prepare pizza and other fares for wine pairings.

The project also entailed modifications to the landscape, which were overseen by Nelson Byrd Woltz and Alexis Woods Landscape Design. Garden plots are filled with grasses, flowering plants and leafy trees.

Low walls made of rammed earth and board-formed concrete – along with a variety of seating areas – are woven into the outdoor space. New pathways lead from a parking lot to the visitor centre.

“Together, landscape and architecture combine to provide a quiet refuge, a place to celebrate community and friends through the experience of wine,” the team added.

Established in 1989, Walker Warner Architects has completed an array of projects including Makani’ Eka house in Hawaii and wine-tasting pavilions overlooking Napa Valey.

Photography is by Douglas Friedman.

Project credits:

Architect: Walker Warner Architects
Team: Mike McCabe (principal), Brooks Walker (principal),
Sharon Okada (senior project manager), Matthew Marsten, Hana Bittner, Darcy Arioli
Interior designer: Walker Warner Architects and Maca Huneeus Design
Landscape architect: Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects
Consulting local landscape architect: Alexis Woods Landscape Design
Lighting design: Anna Kondolf Lighting Design
Structural engineering: Daedalus Structural Engineering
Contractor: Cello & Madru Construction Company

Product suppliers:

Doors and windows: Amari, Northstar Woodworks
Wall and ceiling panelling: Arc Wood & Timbers
Reclaimed wood: Aborica
Reclaimed wood sculptures: Arborica, Evan Shively
Oak flooring: Monarch Plank
Stair railing: Complete Fabrications
Lighting: Areti, Bocci, Tegan Lighting
Pizza oven: Mugnaini
Gas fireplace: Element 4
Concrete island and vanity: Sonoma Cast Stone
Tiles: Ann Sacks, Island Stone
Fixtures: Kallista

The post Walker Warner creates House of Flowers tasting room for California winery appeared first on Dezeen.

It’s strange that most bicycles don’t come pre-fitted with rear-view mirrors. Given the fact that the average bike riding speed of commuters is 18-29km/h vs 15km/h average speed by car, it seems like common sense to have a mirror that lets you look at vehicles approaching you from behind, right?

The CORKY Urban and its universally fitting design fills the void by giving you a wide-angle mirror right in your handlebar. With a 120° convex mirror mounted on a ball-socket joint, the CORKY Urban sits relatively flush against the end of a handlebar when closed, and can be popped open and adjusted in any angle to give you a clear picture of what’s behind you. The ball-socket joint gives you an incredible degree of freedom, allowing you to point the mirror anywhere, and its universally fitting design lets you easily mount the CORKY Urban on either your left or right handlebar with ease.

The CORKY Urban features a clear Polycarbonate glass 120° wide-angle mirror that lets you see what’s behind you for a 100 meters. The mirror folds outwards and when not in use, can be flipped shut into its ABS plastic case which protects it from any damage. The impact-resistant ABS case comes with two mounts that let you either fix the CORKY Urban into hollow handlebars (with an internal diameter up to 17-19mm) or around other handlebar using its universal silicone mount. This compatibility extends across urban bikes, mountain bikes, e-bikes, cargo bikes, and even scooters or motorcycles. The compact, infinitely adjustable curved mirror instantly increases rider safety by giving you a clear view of any approaching vehicles so you don’t need to listen for horns or turn to look back while riding ahead!

Designer: Min Hyeon Seong of THE BEAM

Click Here to Buy Now: 2 for $44 $102 (70% off). Hurry, only 29/250 left!

CORKY URBAN – Universal Rear-view Cycling Mirror

Compatible with any flat-bar bicycle or scooter,  the Corky Urban rear-view mirror design with a 360° degree angle adjustment allows you to keep your head straight while seeing what’s behind you up to 100 meters behind you. And when it’s not in use, simply close the lid to keep the mirror safe and sound.

CORKY URBAN Keeps you Safe

Outfitting your bike with the best bike mirror for bikes isn’t just a matter of aesthetics and tricking out your bike with accessories, it’s a matter of saving your life.

100 Meter Rear-view

The ABS’s body is lightweight only 23g and impact-resistant, while the Polycarbonate convex mirror is robust and can resist scuffs and scratches.

Stands every bumpy road. Maintaining awareness of the roadway or path ahead is critical, especially when you are biking in a congested urban area or you are on an uneven path fraught with obstacles, such as those the mountain biker encounters.

Keep an eye on other cyclists. Every split second counts in a serious bicycle race, and often the loss of rhythm caused by a backward glance can mean the difference between a victory and a second-place finish. A bicycle mirror can let you keep your eyes on the goal line while also keeping tabs on the competition.

Quick & Easy Installation

1. Fixed way mount. Within the ABS body lies a steel bolt that lets you tightly fit the CORKY into your bicycle’s flat bars. It is compatible with handlebars with an internal diameter between 17/19mm.

2. Plug and play silicon mount. Securely attach to any bike’s ends bar with any type of flat handlebars or any two-wheeled vehicle.

If you are planning on using a working bike for frequent trips, you should consider getting a premium bicycle mirror.

Cyclists have to make split-second decisions about whether to change lanes, speed up, or pull over if needed. The Corky Urban helps you make sound decisions about your surroundings.

CORKY Urban helps a rider more easily read traffic behind them, in addition to using common sense and peripheral vision.

Suitable for Left and Right Side Handlebar

Ideal for city bikes, mountain bikes, E-bikes, hybrid bikes, cargo bikes, scooter and trotinettes.

Technical Specs

– Compact Design
– Folding Mirror
– 360-degree Adjustable Mirror
– Angle Convex Mirror : 0-120 degree
– Clear Mirror
– Sight Rear View: 100 meters

Click Here to Buy Now: 2 for $44 $102 (70% off). Hurry, only 29/250 left!

I’ve seen a lot of reporting on establishments adding cashier-protecting sneeze guards to checkout lines–but no scientific evidence that they help. The explanatory language is vague: The guards provide “extra reassurance,” one retail executive told Reuters, while another told USA Today that they provide “peace of mind.”

But if there’s no evidence they help, they certainly can’t hurt. And I suppose companies want to be seen as doing everything they can to protect people from COVID-19.

With no standardized form factor, there is a fair bit of design variety in these sneeze guards, which range from off-the-shelf solutions to custom made by companies, to let’s-let-the-maintenance-guy-figure-something-out. If you’ve not ventured outside of your house recently, here’s what they look like, and you’ll note that the complexity of fabrication/installation varies:

Simple sheet, straight-cut, minimal fasteners

Image source: Marc Jones

Sheet with rounded corners up top, two rows of fasteners

Image source: Mims

Angled cuts and rounded corners, heat-bent, double-layered, pass-through window

Image source: Nisa Okehampton

Simple sheet, 2×4 frame

(Possible flaw: One side will be more difficult to wipe down.)

Image source: Village of Richfield

Simple sheet, suspended from ceiling

Image source: The Global Display Solution

Simple sheet, suspended from ceiling, red border added

Image source: iSupply

The iSupply ones are my favorite, if I may have a favorite thing that may or may not provide effective protection. But like I said they can’t hurt, and peace of mind is probably something people are craving these days.

Image source: iSupply

The duo navigate NYC as Walker tests the capabilities of a Lancia Delta Integrale Bastarda

Britain-born custom car designer, driver and collector Magnus Walker garnered attention when championing the beauty and potential of Porsche vehicles—most notably the 911 model. In his newest short film, however, Walker ventures into new territory: filming a non-Porsche vehicle in NYC. The result, Big Apple Outlaw, features Walker and Bloomberg Pursuits auto writer Hannah Elliott driving through the city in Phil Toledano‘s Italian hatchback Lancia Delta Integrale Bastarda.

Shot in January, the video begins with quick cuts of the city streets backed by its familiar soundtrack of honking car horns, sirens and other clatter. The tone shifts as Walker approaches the crouched Lancia, parked on a side street in the Financial District. Its engine’s pleasing roar signals the beginning of Walker’s drive. “I’ve always been attracted to the variety the city offers. I feel that we captured an essence of its soul,” he tells CH.

The drive—shot by Jean Pierre Kathoefer, Claudia Stock, and Ethan Roach—ensues. Night Ryder 1983’s original track “Bastarda” plays as Walker tests the car’s limits in iconic intersections and across several bridges, oftentimes on strangely empty streets. The ’80s-tinged tune and vintage car are highlighted by some moody lighting—creating an overall retro feel.

“I have lived in NYC for 15 years, and since we started dating nearly three years ago, Magnus and I have lived both in NYC and LA, so the time seemed natural to have Magnus do a NYC video,” Elliott tells us. Walker has now filmed his signature videos in NYC, Detroit, LA, Japan, and beyond. “He had wanted to do a ‘Big Apple Outlaw’ video for years but never had the opportunity. Now that he has an apartment and friends and our life together in New York City as well, it seemed like it was high time to do something set in the greatest city in the world.”

Walker and Elliott’s passions for driving persist even in the midst of such a dense metropolis. “My experience is that New Yorkers love cars, even if they don’t drive them often or don’t even have a drivers’ license,” Elliott tells CH. “Cars are beautiful objects that carry emotion and passion, and that translates wherever you go, including NYC. And New York has some of the most iconic scenes in the nation: the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Times Square, etc. We wanted to capture that in a city alive with international spirit, creativity, energy, grit and passion.”

Many of these locations are spotlighted in the short video along with a few of the pair’s personal favorites, including Spiegel, Scarr’s Pizza and Nom Wah Tea Parlor. Part NYC love letter and part city guide, it’s all connected by Toledano’s envy-inducing automobile.

“Magnus has always been about driving, really—in whatever form it takes. He loves and owns Porsches, of course, but he has also owned many other types of cars, including Jaguars, BMWs, Lotus and Superbees,” Elliott says. “For him, when you really boil it down, the love of the car is always about the thrill of the drive, regardless of the brand.”

Images courtesy of Magnus Walker and Hannah Elliott