Hasta La Ideas

Portuguese Pritzker Prize-winning architect Álvaro Siza and Porto studio COR Arquitectos have revealed a housing scheme almost entirely clad in travertine in Italy.

Built in the city of Gallarate in Lombardy, the development consists of two housing blocks clad in travertine – a type of limestone – that contain 20 apartments in total.

The development near the city centre stands between two roads, with its main facade on the busy Via Roma and a smaller entrance on the much quieter Via Postporta.

Álvaro Siza and COR Arquitectos created two four-storey blocks that face each other with a communal walkway between them.

The larger of the two blocks is located away from the main road surrounded by existing buildings and is shaped like C to partially enclose a small area of grass.

On the other side of the site, the smaller block was designed to stand alone from the development like a villa and has a largely plain travertine-clad facade facing the road with numerous windows on its inward facade.

Both blocks were built above a two-storey car park, which occupies the entire site and is accessed from Via Roma.

Along two sides of the development, a public pathway has been created as a route between the main road and the city centre.

Alongside the blocks, the architecture studios have created a series of gardens and spaces enclosed by travertine walls.

The limestone material was also used to create entrance gates and seating within the gardens.

Portuguese architect Siza won the Pritzker Prize in 1992. In a recent interview with Dezeen, he explained how he created the swooped concrete roof of the pavilion he designed for the 1998 Expo in Lisbon.

Recent projects by the architect include a ceramics pavilion with a thatched roof at the Casa Wabi artist retreat in Mexico and the red sandstone International Design Museum of China.

Photography is by Francesca Ióvene.

Project credits:

Architects: Álvaro Siza & COR arquitectos (Roberto Cremascoli, Edison Okumura, Marta Rodrigues
Supervision: Luca Morganti, Alessandro Bonicalzi
Structural: Alberto Battioni
Post-tensioned floor structure: Piero Perucchini
Static test: Pietro Boerio
Thermomechanics, electrical engineering, acoustics: Gamma Progetti
Safety coordinator: Claudio Grimoldi
Collaborators: Andrea Alberio, Massimo Bassani, Francesco Beia, Alessandro Fontana
Main contractor: Bonicalzi Costruzioni

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Some people would equate the Wacko AR Headset to a halo that sits around your head (I’m one of them). Rather than having a form that is much too influenced by the heavy, toaster-shaped VR headsets we see today, the Wacko AR Headset by Yash Gupte (who goes by the moniker Wacko Designs on social media) is uniformly designed with mass that’s distributed around your head. I imagine this makes the AR headset a whole lot comfortable to wear, a feature that’s only further enforced by the cushions both on the front as well as the back.

Slip it on and switch it on, and the Wacko AR Headset instantly immerses you in a world upgraded by a secondary layer of reality superimposed on the first. Three wide-angle lenses on the front help capture the world in front of you, while the viewfinders on the inside give you a stunning 200° wide viewing angle to truly immerse you. Controls on the side (near the temple) let you power the headset as well as increase or decrease volume, while tapered holes right in front of the controls act as speaker units, playing audio directly into your ear without covering them. Finally, air-intakes on the top (near the forehead) keep the headset cool, while an adjustable cushion on the back gives you a secure fitting while you browse through AR/VR content.

Designer: Yash Gupte (Wacko Designs)

Affordable, easy-to-assemble items that emphasize durability and style

Furniture, when bought new, largely exists at two poles: low-end and affordable or high-quality, long-lasting and loan-requiring. For NYC-based duo Stephanie Rales and Sophie Lavet, the process of purchasing essential pieces and accessories for their respective apartments became so cumbersome and costly that they decided to ideate their own brand, one that would fill evident gaps in the home goods market. Their brand, Russet (which launched last month) remains affordable despite employing higher-quality materials and clever construction methods.

Formed from FSC-certified wood, The Sidekick, Russet’s debut end table, ships in five pieces, and is assembled without metal hardware or tools. However, should one need a little extra help, Russet’s branded furniture mallet ships with the table (in a matching veneer, no less). The Sidekick measures out to 18 by 18 inches, and its chameleon-like design works with many styles. At only $75, it exists at a price point that’s rare for this level of quality, but for Lavet and Rales, attaining affordability was crucial.

“We wanted to found something that was in-between,” Rales tells CH. “But it’s not just about the price point; it’s also about the durability, the ease of assembly and the design. We wanted to go for something that was a little more contemporary, something that’s a little more foundationa, and can work with all of your pieces.” Rales says the brand’s focus is on “functionality, the usefulness of the object, and making sure it works with everyone no matter how you want to accessorize it. This is your foundation, your core collection, your basics.”

On The Sidekick’s product page, a handy video details the steps for assembly, of which there are roughly three. If viewed from the right angle, the table appears supported by several systems and at least a few screws, but (with the exception of a few wooden anchors) there are no fastening materials hidden within. Simplifying assembly is just one of Russet’s foundational pillars.

“For most people, unless they have an unlimited budget when it comes to furniture shopping, it’s not very fun,” Rales says. “So for us, it’s really important to reimagine that entire experience, whether that is online or at a brick and mortar. We want to change the way that people go about purchasing furniture and therefore their association with the entire process.”

Plenty of direct-to-consumer furniture brands have cropped up with the intention of appeasing the millennial consumer, but by the time they’ve launched, prices often appear closer to the top end of the spectrum. Russet aims to maintain their affordability through seasonal launches and necessity-driven design. Plus, the founders hope Russet’s designs will last. Ideally, a college-aged person could afford one or more of their pieces and place them in apartments well into the future.

“The first collection will be about 10 to 12 pieces. We call them our foundational pieces. They’re super-simple; they’re supposed to be the foundation of your home,” Rales explains. “And by spending a little less on these items, you’re able to then spend a little more on those accessories that really enable you to customize your space and make it your own. We think that’s particularly important, especially with COVID when you’re spending so much more time in your home. That’s really your space, and you want to make it you and feel cozy. You want to have pride in your home.”

The Sidekick, Lavet and Rales hope, can be a table you are proud to display and repurpose in new spaces and ways. “This can be inexpensive, and it can still have longevity,” Lavet says. Available in three veneers they’ve dubbed 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 (or light, medium and black respectively), Russet’s debut table, at the very least, looks the part, but its stress-tested construction ensures durability.

“We didn’t want it to look like it was cheaply made. We wanted something that looked sophisticated, elegant, and nicer than what was currently out there. And we knew that was possible,” Rales tells us. “We think that everyone deserves this. Now it’s kind of like, ‘How do we how do we make it reality?’ We’re hoping, at least with this first product, we were able to do that.”

Images courtesy of Russet

Umbrellas, dressing gowns and doorstops are reimagined in the style of fashion brand Off-White for this collection of items for the home designed by Virgil Abloh.

Released in partnership with online marketplace 1st Dibs, Off-White’s HOME collection includes 80 new products designed for the entrance, kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom.

Off-White founder, Abloh, created the series to reinterpret everyday items in the style of the brand’s ready-to-wear collection. Bold text and icons like circles, hands and arrows that have become synonymous with Off-White are used throughout.

“For this special collection, I’ve taken familiar items in the home and produced them in a way akin to my personal signatures prioritising craftsmanship – celebrating the ideals of both the sophisticated modernity of Off-White and the timeless luxury of the 1stDibs shopping experience,” said Virgil Abloh.

HOME includes three doormats with two rectangular designs featuring the brand’s logo and another emblazoned with the text “OFF” written in two opposing directions.

Umbrellas are available in a range of opacities and black, and white tones, which are offset by blue text trademarking and the caption “insert sunshine here”. A cylindrical umbrella stand comes in a contrasting bright red tone with huge holes cut into it.

Pops of colour are brought into the otherwise monotone series through bright orange “HOME” labels that are attached to the slippers, towels and dressing gowns.

Kitchenware, which includes a mug, glass, water jug, lunch set, breakfast set and ashtray, is in either a bold black or marbled white finish or covered in sketches. A grey table runner is patterned with black Off-White arrows.

Mohair throw blankets and pillows are among items for the living room, while reimagined designs for the bathroom are a hand mirror, brush, comb and toothbrush. The latter come in a marbled Havana acetate with gold detailing.

Other smaller items to be used throughout the house are a wooden doorstop peppered with holes and a black and white clock featuring the Off-White hand logo at the 12 o’clock.

Abloh founded his Off-White brand as a ready-to-wear streetwear label in 2012. The designer, who is also the artistic director of Louis Vuitton‘s menswear collection, previously created a collection of homeware for furniture giant IKEA, which included emblazoned rugs and bedding.

Off-White has opened a number of new stores this year, including a flagship sore in Miami Design District that Abloh designed with AMO director Samir Bantal to act as a fulfilment centre and a multipurpose events space.

It also recently opened its first store in Milan where natural materials add warmth to white walls broken by Patagonia granite cabinets.

The post Virgil Abloh designs doormats, umbrellas and slippers for Off-White HOME collection appeared first on Dezeen.

In this week’s comments update, readers are debating Pantone’s latest shade of red and sharing their views on other top stories.

Health brand Intimina and colour company Pantone have collaborated to create a blood-red colour designed to catalyse a positive conversation around periods.

Intimina makes reusable cups, which are designed to fit comfortably inside the body and offer a low-cost and sustainable way for people to manage menstrual flow. The cups feature inside the outline of a womb and ovary on a Pantone-branded card.

“Let’s go ahead and normalise periods”

Many readers are impressed by the concept. “I am all for this,” said Miles Teg. “Let’s go ahead and normalise periods. This is a nice shade of red as well.”

Mistermoog agreed: “I applaud Pantone for using colour to highlight social issues. Removing the stigma around periods is admirable.”

“This is absolutely appalling,” argued What Is Going On, on the other had. “I highly doubt a single woman on this planet feels identified with Pantone’s ‘period’ colour. In an attempt to ‘normalise’ period blood they have gone for a sexy and sellable version rather than actually celebrating how it really is.”

“What’s next?” asked Kujotaro. “Semen white? Or diarrhoea brown?”

Is Pantone clever or inappropriate? Join the discussion ›

“Many people want to live alone as cheaply as they can” says reader

Commenters aren’t convinced that new planning rules announced by the UK government, which require new homes built under permitted development rights to be over 37 square metres, are necessary.

“Many people want to live alone as cheaply as they can to spend their money on other things or to save for early retirement,” said Colin MacGillivray.

Clunking Fist agreed: “Many folk, especially renting in central cities, are happy with studio apartment living. There are literally thousands in London. There’s a time in a single professional’s life when they have had enough of flatting with others, but aren’t yet ready or able to purchase a bigger place.”

“I moved out of London because of this,” replied Bobby Dazzler, on the other hand. “I now bounce around in a three-bed property.”

Should all new homes be over 37 square metres? Join the discussion ›

“That would be a creepy encounter” says commenter

Readers are divided over Amazon’s new Ring Always Home Cam, an autonomous drone-style camera that can fly around the home to record disturbances when the resident is away.

“That would be a creepy encounter,” said Puzzello.

“Fun,” continued Ruckus Amsel. “But imagine getting hacked so that you can get hunted by a device you bought for protection purposes while eating your morning grapefruit.”

Clunking Fist was more positive: “I’d prefer this to a suite of cameras that may or may not be watching me while I am at home. At least with this, if docked, the camera is covered.”

Do you find the Ring Always Home Cam creepy? Join the discussion ›

“This architecture is as real as a movie prop” says reader

Commenters are amused to learn that BIG and 3D-printed building company ICON are working on Project Olympus, which aims to develop robotic construction for the moon.

“This architecture is as real as a movie prop,” said Milton Welch.

“Makes me crave a brest – french pastry, not mammary gland,” joked Erich Trumpelstiltskin.

Don Joe was more serious: “There is one problem I have never seen addressed – that is the extreme health hazard of moon dust. The entire planet is covered with it. It is generated from meteor impacts and settles back to the surface over millions of years. It is like finely broken glass. It has about the same effect as asbestos in human lungs.”

What do you think of BIG’s plans to construct on the moon? Join the discussion ›

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