This week, commenters are divided over whether it’s time for production to start again in Italy after factories closed in a bid to fight Covid-19.

Tools down: readers are disgruntled after nine leading Italian brands signed a manifesto urging the government to allow them to restart production after Easter. The brands argue it could take “20-30 years” for the industry to recover from the impact of coronavirus if they are forbidden to do so.

“What a great idea,” said Fresita. “Send everybody back to work and endanger thousands of people’s lives so a few corporate bosses still get paid a huge amount of money. Where did they get this brilliant idea from? Trump?”

Frank Sherman agreed: “It is absolutely irresponsible to allow economic self-interest to take precedent over the value of human life. Design is meant to enhance and enrich life not destroy it. The unsympathetic short-sightedness of these companies is appalling.”

“I would have thought high-end furniture makers would have deeper pockets,” added F. Inances. “Covering three months of lockdown brings them to a collapse?”

“I’m surprised those who have commented aren’t able or willing to see both sides,” replied Ralph Kent on the other hand. “There is a knife-edge to walk between trying to avoid Covid-19 from flaring up again and the sort of misery that will occur should economic production cease for much longer. I’m surprised that there isn’t greater recognition of this dreadful dilemma.”

This commenter felt awkward:



Should Italian brands be allowed to restart production? Join the discussion ›

Sinking ship: a proposal by UK architecture studio Weston Williamson + Partners to convert shipping containers into giant hospitals has been criticised by commenters. The idea is for the ships carrying the containers to travel to cities most impacted by coronavirus.

“Great to read alternative ideas but I can’t see this working,” said Tony Briggs. “Fire evacuation from the containers is my initial concern, let alone sprinkler coverage. The ship’s fire water pumps couldn’t cover the area required and therefore you would need a permanent feed of water from shoreside. The containers are dark, dingy and damp at the best of times.”

Arch Review felt similarly: “Shipping containers have proven to be a terrible idea for many different reasons. Try spending a day inside of one on a sunny day, even with an air conditioner. I get that tragedies spur the need to try to solve the world’s problems using architecture and design, but if you are going to design something, take it seriously, do your research and talk to some experts.”

“Zoom meeting at Weston Williamson + Partners,” joked Yikes. “‘Let’s sketch some quick under-researched ideas and propose them as radical solutions, it’s good PR’.”

“It seems like the most successful ideas beneficial to fighting Covid-19 have been the small nimble ones – 3D printing of protective masks, hand sewing protective gear, and brewing up hand sanitizer,” concluded Benny. “Large ideas like this are too slow and complicated, but also show lack of awareness with evolving events.”

This reader coined a name for the floating hospital:



Are readers being harsh? Join the discussion ›

Bags of pleasure: Japanese studio Nendo has designed a collection of handbags from single sheets of laser-cut leather that the buyer can assemble at home. Some readers aren’t convinced.

“Ugly, nondescript, boxy, robotic, hard, can’t even call it gaudy, has no flavor, impersonal,” said Regan Mackenzie.

Sim was less harsh: “While the way the handbag is made is interesting, it completely misunderstands the way a handbag is used and how it functions. Interesting how all the male comments really like this handbag – they have probably never used one in real life. Bit like high heels I guess.”

“I think I’m beginning to like architects’ new obsession for leather bags,” said Sabine Bo on a more positive note. “Some have taken the challenge even further, avoiding studs and going back to the essence of the leather itself.”

Colin MacGillvray was also impressed: “Well done Dezeen! Amazing that I would ever read an article about handbags. That design is just excellent.”

Marc was also pleased:

Are you a fan of Nendo’s design? Join the discussion ›

Locked in: a house in Mexico City by studio Escobedo Soliz has caused controversy – some readers admire its simplicity whilst others think the 100-square-metre home is prison-like.

“This is really lovely,” praised James. “I think I’d spend my first few days there just following that natural light as it moves around the house and touching the brick and stone warmed by the sun.”

Benny agreed: “The photos with the sunshine streaming down the brickwork are nice. It would be cool and shady in this house on a hot, humid day. Truly, I was surprised by the small size of the house once I looked at the plans. A humble abode that punches higher than its weight class – well done!”

“Love this,” continued Cubist. “In particular, the pre/post-war industrial construction ethos more common in small UK engineering workshops. Cheap, easy to build and purposeful. I want one.”

Geof Bob was less keen: “My taste must be more bourgeois than I’d wish to admit, but I find all that unclad brick, concrete and stone, together with the narrow window frames rather oppressive and reminiscent of a prison – an impression reinforced by the sparse furnishing, especially the pallet bed.”

As was this reader:



Would you like to live in Casa Nakasone? Join the discussion ›

The post “Design is meant to enhance and enrich life not destroy it” appeared first on Dezeen.

For an interview several years in the making, Lucy Bourton at It’s Nice That finally got in contact with one of her favorite cartoonists for The New Yorker, Ed Steed. Formerly an architect, Steed became a professional cartoonist after sending several ideas to the publication—a process which remains essentially the same, even as a regular contributor. Blending politics, humor and art into something accessible and timely, cartoonists have a difficult job, but as Steed explains, “I’m not really trying to be funny, I’m trying to come up with good jokes, which is a bit different.” But once that punchline is crafted, he says, “The feeling is relief. Relief that you’ve found a joke, that you did your job, so you’re still a cartoonist. If you can’t think of any more jokes, you have to find a different job.” Read the full interview at It’s Nice That.

Maria Sturm est une habituée des palmarès. Née en Roumanie, elle grandit en Allemagne et étudie la photographie à l’Université des Sciences Appliquées de Bielefeld, puis à la Rhode Island School of Design. Dans sa série “You don’t look like Native to me”, elle soulève la part sombre des États-Unis et met en lumière la parole des communautés concernées.

Comment la photographie s’est imposée à vous comme le médium idéal ?

La photographie a pris une grande place dans ma vie dès l’enfance, quand je feuilletais les albums de famille avec frénésie ou que je visitais les musées avec ma mère. Adolescente, j’ai pris l’appareil photo de ma mère et j’ai photographié mes amis, qui sont devenus mes muses. C’est comme ça que, à mon tour, j’ai créé mes propres album de famille. J’aime la photographie parce qu’elle remet en question notre perception souvent trop bloquée de notre rapport au monde. 

Dans “You don’t look like Native to me” vous mettez en lumière une histoire largement passée sous silence aux États-Unis. 

“You don’t look Native to me“ est une série photographique qui documente la tribu des Lumbee. Cette communauté native américaine, non reconnue fédéralement, réside en Caroline du Nord. Aujourd’hui, comme hier et les années auparavant, leurs problématiques ne sont pas considérées comme urgentes. Tout comme celles des autres minorités, les revendications des Lumbee ne sont pas reconnues d’intérêt national ou international. 

Mon travail photographique évoque un sentiment d’appartenance, même lorsque celui-ci n’est pas légitimé par le monde extérieur. Quelle que soit notre éthnicité, ce sentiment est universel.

Comment cultivez-vous votre inspiration pour vos futurs projets ? 

Avec des échanges constants avec ma famille et mes amis ou en lisant, en me rendant au cinéma, à des expositions et des concerts. Mais avant tout, mes idées sont alimentées par des conversations et des expériences dont je suis témoin.

Dutch designer Maarten Baas has explained how he has adapted to coronavirus lockdown in a short video message recorded for Virtual Design Festival.

“Hello, this is Maarten Baas from my studio in the Netherlands,” says Baas. “And this is how I cope with the current situation”.

Baas shot to fame in 2002 with his graduation project, Smoke, which saw him scorch items of furniture with a blowtorch.

More recently, he has worked on a number of installations and video-based projects such as his 2014 fairground-inspired Baas is in Town exhibition in Milan, and his Real Time Schiphol clock, which features a looping 24-hour movie of him painting and erasing hands on a giant clock face.

“So obviously, I hope you feel inspired,” Baas concludes at the end of his video.

Send us a video message

In the run-up to the launch of Virtual Design Festival on Wednesday, Dezeen invited architects, designers, artists and industry figures to record video messages from lockdown. We also put out an open call for submissions from readers – read the brief here.

We plan to publish one clip every day during the festival, plus a montage featuring over 30 of the messages we’ve already received with be published on Wednesday to launch VDF.

Virtual Design Festival

Virtual Design Festival runs from 15 April to 20 June. For more information, or to be added to the mailing list, contact us at virtualdesignfestival@dezeen.com.

The post “This is how I cope with the current situation” says Maarten Baas appeared first on Dezeen.

In an effort to slow COVID-19 infections, particularly among their homeless population, San Francisco rolled out rotomolded, sidewalk-sited public hand washing stations. It will be interesting to see if, post-COVID-19, cities decide to provide or allow these on a permanent basis, in the manner of drinking fountains and wi-fi kiosks.

If that does become an urban trend, the designs will need to be upgraded. Portable hand washing stations are designed for outdoor festivals and temporary sites for military units, and were never meant to be permanent street furniture. The units San Francisco chose are not ideal for anti-virus duty, but they were the least bad choice given the options. Let’s take a look at what’s on the market:

PolyJohn Handstand 2

This was designed with two wheels on the back, so that the entire unit can be rolled around like a handtruck. That makes it easy to set a bunch of these up at a festival, but it’s obviously the wrong choice for an urban fixture, where anything with wheels that isn’t chained to something tends to, er, migrate.

PolyJohn 4-Person Wash Station

This was designed for both military sites and events “where high foot traffic is expected.” With four sinks, it’s intended to allow as many people as possible to cycle through. But the proximity and potential oversplashing wouldn’t be desirable in a virus-fighting situation.

PolyJohn Applause

This is the model San Francisco went with. It’s a compromise. The pluses are that it’s got the de rigueur foot-pedal-operated faucets and is too big to steal. The minuses are that one still need to touch the soap dispenser, and the proximity of the sinks is probably undesirable from a sanitary perspective.

PolyJohn Bravo

Of PolyJohn’s four available models, this single-person unit might’ve been the best choice–if it wasn’t so small. It would be too easy to knock over or steal. You’ll notice the sides come with handles molded into them, to make it easy to move around.

Toico Industries Multi-Use Hand Wash Station

With this design, multiple units can be ganged together using union elbows that plug into the holes you see in the sides. That provides the municipality with a bit of flexibility, as they could order these in bulk and decide how many to deploy to a particular site. And if the elbows were tamper-proof, having multiple units attached means they’d be less likely to be stolen. But it doesn’t solve the proximity problem.

Tasty Trotter Hand Wash Station

This wouldn’t be a good choice at all, but is included to demonstrate why something designed for a food festival (hence the product name) is not the right choice for a virus-fighter. There’s no foot pedal, so one has to touch the faucet, and it’s on wheels to make moving it easy.

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The bottom line is, an outdoor public handwashing station is something that might make good sense to develop, particularly if COVID-19 becomes COVID-20 and -21; I could see a pioneering and moneyed city like Singapore incorporating them, for instance. But nothing on the market has been designed for that application. It’s a potential opportunity for manufacturers and designers.