By meticulously adding pieces of silver foil to leather, Kyotonese artisan Hiroto Rakusho gives the material an appearance that’s absolutely unmatched. A natural hide looks metallic, almost futuristic, while still possessing the qualities of leather, like its flexibility, and its ability to patina over time. The RINPA Silver Foil Leather bags are a combination of things – Haute fashion, Japanese craftsmanship, and a strange steampunk grunge-ish aesthetic. Never did I expect myself to say this but they go together pretty well.

Designer: Hiroto Rakusho

Click Here to Buy Now: $198 $330 (40% off). Hurry, limited to only 60 units.

The RINPA Silver bags are a result of a collaborative effort between Rakusho and Hishiya CalenBlosso, a company that manufactures kimono accessories in the traditional Japanese style. The bags are quite a deviation for both of them, but show how two creative forces can collide to create something new. The process of metalizing the leather, for the most part, is entirely done by hand. Rather than going for commercially available artificial leather that’s been sprayed with a synthetic silver coating, the RINPA Silver series stays truly authentic to the materials, using real leather and even real silver and gold foils.

Rakusho lays down the foils swatch by swatch, gently pressing them onto the leather with a brush. He then peels the back-layer of the foil off, leaving the thin metallic film stuck to the leather. For a distressed appearance, Rakusho brushes on the foil, creating an appearance that’s unique to each bag. It’s a technique he inherited from his father and perfected over time. It’s also a technique that Rakusho says has been in severe decline as people are much more comfortable with synthetic PU leather that’s just been spray-painted with a metallic finish. Now, his foil-layering technique is mostly used in art restoration, where Rakusho is quite the legend. In particular, his high-resolution facsimile of the National Treasure “The Wind and Thunder Gods”, dedicated to Kenninji Temple, is famous for its precise reproduction of the original texture, using his own developed foil technique.

Shoulder Bag Passport 3.0

Laptop Bag MATSUYAMACHI 2.0

The RINPA Silver series of bags come in four styles – a large handbag called the Passport 3.0, a shoulder-slung Laptop Bag, a Tote Bag, and a super-slim Paper bag. The PASSPORT 3.0 is a part of Hishiya CalenBlosso’s crowd-favorite Passport series. It comes with a hidden pocket at the bottom of the main pocket, where the president of Hishiya would often store his passport. The biggest in the series, it holds everything from your laptop to your documents, tablet, phone, and a bunch of other belongings. For something even more compact yet spacious enough to fit your laptop, there’s the Laptop Bag known as the MATSUYAMACHI 2.0, a compact, comfortable bag for professional women, with space to fit your laptop and other work essentials.

Tote Bag MACHIMURA 3.0 in Mixed color

The third Tote Bag is a common classic. Named the MACHIMURA 3.0, it features a large front pocket and a simple design in which the foil surface pattern stands out the most, and is perfectly sized for day-to-day use. The smallest/slimmest in the series is the Paper Bag, or the TAIRA4, which is as slim as a few sheets of paper when empty, but expands to hold your belongings, thanks to a hidden gusset at the base of the bag.

Leather paper bag TAIRA4

The RINPA Silver series of bags come in a variety of patterns too, combining silver-layered leather parts with black tanned leather. The beauty in the way they’re made is in the bag’s evolving aesthetic. Leather patinas with time, and Rakusho’s foil-layered leather is no different. However, the foil’s marginally uneven thickness causes it to fade/patina very differently. Each bag looks unique when you buy it, and even more so with use. The bags are built to last but are also designed to age gracefully like any authentic leather bag.

Besides, the square-shaped outline of the foil swatches is visible on the bag’s surface too, giving it an incredibly alluring grunge appearance that never goes out of style. For people looking for something more eye-catching than the silver, there’s even the Gokusai Gold Leather special-edition limited to three units per bag. The Gokusai Gold Leather series comes with a shimmering gold foil, along with a beautiful combination of other colors, in a bespoke composition that’s unique to you.

Click Here to Buy Now: $198 $330 (40% off). Hurry, limited to only 60 units.

A set of great handy stationery designs are extremely critical for any product designer! These are the tools that help and support you through your creative process. They can either make or break your entire design process, so it’s imperative to have a collection that really lets you work easily, efficiently, and effectively. Yanko Design recommends these innovative and nifty stationery designs that every product designer must own! From a gadget that ensures you draw straight lines to a design that doubles up as a compass and a protractor, these products are sure to meet the unique needs and requirements of your creative process. You can thank us later! Enjoy.

Inspired by the democratization of space travel and how one private company, founded by Elon Musk is leading the charge to make space-travel accessible to all, the Nominal Pen is literally designed to look like a rocket… making it perhaps the most literal take on the ‘space pen’. The pen’s name comes from the term ‘nominal’, often used for when everything’s going smoothly and according to plan. Designed as a celebration of SpaceX’s recent achievements of being the only private company to send humans to the ISS and bring them back (while even retrieving parts of the spaceship to be reused at a later date – something nobody’s ever done), the Nominal Pen models itself on the Falcon series of rockets (the Falcon 9 Block 5 in particular). The pen comes in a similar light+dark metal finish, featuring four retractable legs that open out, allowing it to stand vertically on its own… after all, it would be quite shameful to have to put a rocket-shaped pen in your pen-stand, right? The Nominal Pen’s retractable legs are operated by a twist-to-open mechanism machined right into the pen’s metal body… while the opposite end of the pen features a magnetic crew-capsule that detaches from the rocket-body!

Designed by Kim Sung Min, ‘It’s Time to Read Me’, is an electric pin-up board, which lights up to remind you to reach the message attached to it, and follow through on it! You basically attach the little pins to your memos, set up the reminder time, and the pin will light up at the set time, reminding you to finish off your task! How cool is that?

JaiYi identified that the existing clip while doing wonders to hold the paper in place also faces some ergonomic troubles – firstly, the pin’s handles tend to slip when we apply force to it. Secondly, the pressure points in the design are the creases in the pin which take the entire load, causing them to crack. On identifying these concerns JiaYi applied her design skills to transform the classic, and take it to the next generation along with us with the four-side long tail clip! The four-side long tail clip makes two simple yet radical changes – it elongates the handle of the pin, allowing us to apply the same amount of pressure while exerting lesser force and it adds a new pressure line, halfway through the design, helping relieve the pressure on traditional three creasings.

All designers can relate to the frustration of not being able to find that specific nib for their own. And maybe it’s Murphy’s Law but the case of the missing nib always happens when you are ready to start sketching. Keeping this in mind, Kim Minsu created ‘Organize’ – a pen and stand set that (yes, you guessed it) organizes your stationery. Just like a self-rigging toy, when left on the flat base it will return to the upright position thanks to the rounded and weighted bottom. The minimal form has been inspired by bamboos, specifically those little ones we keep in our homes for good luck. So when not in use Organize looks like an aesthetic piece in your interior setup.

The Titanium INJECTOR Pen sports an incredibly minimal design with simple cylindrical construction, punctuated by the bolt-action mechanism which also prevents the cylindrical pen from rolling around. The innovative ‘Rapid-Bolt’ mechanism is an improvement on the status quo, with a much smoother deployment action that has an addictive fidget-like quality to it. The pen supports all Parker-style ink refills and comes entirely precision-machined from solid titanium, from the barrel to the inner components (with the exception of the spring), with no glue or plastic parts used in its assembly. This gives the Titanium INJECTOR Pen its unmatched durability and allows you to use the pen for decades at an end.

Meet the Co-Box, an electric pencil sharpener, minimal and geometric by design that is a worthy addition to every design nerd’s desk. The design is a white square shape, accentuated by an orange circle, reminiscent of the button we would see on our Braun machines. The circle also acts as an entry point for your pencil. The shavings get collected in a transparent box, to be disposed of at your convenience. The design history of our 20th century is filled with iconic design moments, each one a point in time when the object became a part of our everyday life, almost seamlessly – all because of the nature of their design. This sharpener encapsulates the same timeless spirit and just like you hang your favorite posters on your wall, every designer holds an object by their iconic design mentors on their desk.

The stationery created by 22Studio is no less than art, these are made to last lifelong and passed down as family collectibles through generations. Concrete is used to make this pen because it adds a rich look without making it shiny or fancy – it is simple but makes a bold statement. The solid pen starts as a liquid mixture of different elements and then it is allowed to set like stone. The concrete pen is carefully designed and crafted by hand in the studio which gives it its unique personality. Books are considered as best friends, but this concrete stationery is a rock (literally!) we can lean on.

The chameleon’s camouflaging capability is in focus here too, as this EDC hides the measuring tape in plain sight. Look at those details!  The huge, bulby eyes, detailed scale texture, the ridges in the back, and the proportion of the overall design makes this a perfect fit for stationery enthusiasts the world over. Adding to the quirkiness of the design, the tongue of the chameleon is a measuring tape that extends up to 2 meters in length. The body of the chameleon measures a tiny 1.9 inches, making it perfect to hang onto your keychain for daily use. The body is made from brass and manganese steel, giving it a nice weight and a solid overall feel to the design.

Designed in pure metallic matte black, with a form language of just geometric shapes like straight lines and circles (rather apt for geometric tools, I’d say), the XYZ set comprises a vernier caliper, measuring tape, compass, and laser dimensioner. They all look beautiful together as a family, and even separately. Minimal styling and a great UX unite them all. Each of them comes with a dotted matrix that behaves like a screen as individual LEDs behind the dots light up to beautifully and minimally give your measurements digital values. The numeric values even sync with your phone, so that you can digitally store all your entries for cross-referencing later.

We love stationery design and especially cute ones inspired by animals! Medusa is a jellyfish-shaped push pin that moves like the actual jellyfish when pushed into the board, this one is gentler. The designer has made this push pin soft and translucent just like the real ones in the ocean. It’s also slightly colored to give it a fluid visual effect. The CMF and the simple movement of the pin work together to make Medusa a functional yet realistic ode to the marine marvel. The tentacles of the pushpin also serve as a way to keep your fingers safe from stray pointy pins. If this pinfalls and rolls under a table, your stray fingers will encounter the squishy silicone tentacles only.

The Orbitkey Nest reinterprets the stationery box by acting as a storage container for not pencils and erasers, but for your EDC. Designed to complement your tech-filled life, the Nest is perfect for storing your chargers, cables, AirPods, hard disks, SD cards, pen drives, etc. It helps keep your workplace organized not just by containing your tech accessories, but also by allowing you to dock/rest your belongings on it. The Nest’s upper surface comes with a slight indentation, perfect for resting your wallet, keys, or watch, while a dedicated zone even acts as a wireless charger for your phone.

Architecture firm Perkins&Will has completed an office interior in Dallas, Texas for healthcare provider Signify, centred around a large steel staircase and tiered wooden platform for meetings.

The global practice, which has an office in Dallas, was approached to create a 13,700-square-metre workplace that would emphasise collaboration, connectivity and transparency while catering to a wide variety of workspace requirements.

To achieve this, the office’s six floors have been divided into a series of “workplace neighbourhoods” around a central core housing the lifts and storage spaces.

This arrangement provides everything from private meeting rooms, boardrooms and impromptu meeting areas to more communal spaces, including a large area on the seventh floor with a tiled kitchenette, games, projection screen and sofas.

“The intention was to create transparency and accessibility, similar to a ‘living organism’, thereby tying the design theme back to healthcare and the company’s dedication to well-being,” said the studio.

Alongside this communal area is a large metal staircase created in collaboration with Dallas metalworking firm Big D Metalworks, wrapped at its base by a tiered seating to create a focal point not only for the floor but for the entire office.

“A must-have feature for the renovation was the monumental staircase, conceptualised in collaboration with Big D Metalworks, to physically and metaphorically represent connectivity throughout the firm,” said the practice.

“The staircase promotes access to the executive team, while the tiered wooden platform at the foot of the stairway serves as additional seating space, thereby enabling large town hall meetings.”

A range of furniture types is provided across the more open office areas, designed to be adaptable depending on the type of meeting – from cafe-style seating and bar stools to softer armchairs and more private booths.

Each level of the office is unified by wayfinding in orange and blue – Signify’s brand colours – that has been applied to the walls and extends onto the sealed concrete floors in the lift core area and fire escapes.

All of the materials used in the interiors were vetted by Perkins&Will’s material health programme, which aims to reduce and eliminate “substances of concern” in the built environment that have a negative impact on health.

The London office of Perkins&Will has recently developed the Now Database – a directory specifying products that support the studio’s pledge to make all of its interior fit-outs net-zero embodied carbon by 2030.

The firm also recently revealed plans to revive a vacant 1970s office building in Alaska, re-cladding it with a glazed facade to mimic a glacier.

The photography is by Peter Molick.

The post Perkins&Will designs interiors with “sense of connectivity” for healthcare office in Texas appeared first on Dezeen.

An urban recreational centre designed to encourage socialising through sports and a sustainable community college feature in Dezeen’s latest school show by architecture students at the University of Technology, Jamaica.

Also included is a community housing proposal for intergenerational residents and a creative co-working space in the city of Kingston.

University of Technology, Jamaica

School: University of Technology, Jamaica, Caribbean School of Architecture
Courses: Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies and Master of Architecture (CAA Part two)
Tutors: Dr Elizabeth Pigou-Dennis, Dr Jenna Blackwood, engineers Louise Fletcher-Weller and Eric Hudson Architects, Mlela Matandara-Clarke, Staceyann Dennison-Heron, Mandilee Newton, David Douglas, Cheryl Pouchet, Stephen Jameson and Jacquiann T Lawton.

School statement:

“Independent Caribbean territories share common imperatives of sustaining ecosystems, biodiversity, water resources, reduction of energy consumption-CO2 production and the design of resilient strategies to improve the lives and livelihoods of our island communities.

“Materials and constructional methods that combine traditional and innovative cultural, climatic practices, when supported by the economic use of land and adequate urban infrastructure and transportation can poetically respond to built environment exigencies.

“The MArch programme nurtures graduates’ design, knowledge and skill attributes, enabling them to critically appraise the environments and issues that inform design decisions and research interests. The programme integrates architecture and urban design through advocacy, focusing on regenerating the inner-city of mid-town Kingston, Jamaica.

“Industry and non-governmental organisation collaborators included members of the Urban Development Corporation of Jamaica, the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Allman Town Community, Kingston Creative, and the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency.”

Urban Recreational Centre by Dominic Anderson

“The Urban Recreational Centre aims to promote vibrancy for the inner city citizens of Kingston. During the 1980s, sport played an integral role in the socialisation of mid-town Kingston communities.

“This project recreates and reactivates an arena for socialisation through dynamic sporting events, wellness and recreational spaces. It is a place where individuals from different neighbourhoods can work collectively on common goals through sport.”

Student: Dominic Anderson
Course: Master of Architecture Thesis
Tutors: Jacquiann T Lawton and Stephen Jameson
Email: dom.and26[at]gmail.com

PAR Community College by Ramone Allen

“The PAR Community College is nestled in Allman Town, an inner-city community in the mid-town section of the greater Kingston metropolitan area of Jamaica. The intelligent urban campus aims to progressively advance the human resource (PAR) of mid-town to provide enlightenment through education.

“It is designed to rejuvenate the public realm with public space, pocket parks and community-centred activity. The campus’ sustainability strategies focus on maximising natural light, renewable energy, green roofs, and natural ventilation, which is enhanced by a campus-wide data system.”

Student: Ramone Allen
Course: Master of Architecture Thesis
Tutors: Jacquiann T Lawton and Stephen Jameson
Email: ramonej.lln[at]gmail.com

Intergenerational Community Housing by Haverica Gooden

“With Jamaica’s ageing population, increasing life expectancies accompanied by a drop in births are leading to a drastic shift in our age structure.

“This shifting structure is prompting new strategies and responses in a great variety of areas, such as housing for the elderly and a need for a redeveloped community structure that fosters interaction between people of different stages of life.

“Communal living is a possible solution to developing an architectural typology that promotes a society for all ages through generational mixing. Designed with sustainability measures, the project utilises passive cooling techniques such as natural ventilation, building envelope controls for daylight, landscaping, connecting the occupants to nature, roof gardens, rainwater harvesting and renewable energy systems.”

Student: Haverica Gooden
Course: Master of Architecture Thesis
Tutors: Jacquiann T Lawton and Stephen Jameson
Email: h.goodinc[at]gmail.com

The Advocate Resource Centre by Jason Pinnock

“The Advocate Resource Centre anchors the south-east quadrant of the Central Kingston Community area. Strategically sited at the midpoint between crossroads and downtown Kingston, the scheme creates a connection that serves as either a link or an interruption for pedestrians between uptown and downtown.

The investigation sought to generate a correlation between the embedded patterns in faith-based praxis and a series of architectural spaces. The programme of meditation spaces, workshops for vocational training and a wellness centre activates the practice of faith, the outworking of words and deeds fueled by love. The project ‘acts’ by offering spiritual opportunities for the lives of the members of the mid-town Kingston communities.”

Student: Jason Pinnock
Course: Master of Architecture Thesis
Tutors: Jacquiann T Lawton and Stephen Jameson
Email: jasonpinnock7[at]gmail.com

The Creative Incubator by Jonathan Williams

“The Creative Incubator aims to harness the economic potential of Kingston’s creative culture. The intervention seeks to contribute to the revitalisation of mid-Kingston, by attracting and developing a new creative entrepreneurial community, which brings together professionals with grassroots creatives.

“By providing spaces to live, make, co-work, share and showcase, the building becomes an ecosystem for creatives that nurtures creativity and stimulates collaboration.

“Interstitial spaces become communal spaces to encourage collision and interaction between users and therefore offers the potential for generating creativity. Beyond the original intent of providing a space for creatives, the proposal also accommodates the existing thriving community of small vendors.”

Student: Jonathan Williams
Course: Master of Architecture Thesis
Tutors: Jacquiann T Lawton and Stephen Jameson
Email: jonathan.williams909[at]gmail.com

Central Kingston Library by Orvin Brown

“The multifaceted nature of central Kingston provides unique opportunities for the design to become a nexus between the proposed Parliament buildings, National Heroes Park, and the existing social ecosystem. Internal courtyards connect all significant spaces.

“Green and public areas integrate natural elements creating places for relaxed social interaction. The architecture of the Central Kingston Library, Cultural Centre and Fabrication Incubator aims to promote a seamless learning experience, including 3D fabrication and unique cultural opportunities provided by the context.

“A pedestrian walkway promotes visual, social and physical linkages between the commercial activities on Orange Street and the proposed Parliament buildings.”

Student: Orvin Brown
Course: Master of Architecture
Tutors: Cheryl Pouchet, David Douglas and Mandilee Newton
Email: obdezignz[at]hotmail.com

Theological Institue by Jheanelle Campbell

“The intervention for the site as a theological institute functions as a space for open dialogue and investigation into how people of the world can connect to God.

“Religions all share the common belief that they are the way or route to reach the divine, thus, the elements embodied in the architectural design reveal themselves as an interpretation of a path through layers of symbolic spatial exchange.

“The architectural gestures found in the site are mystical and thought-provoking. They seek to embody existential metaphors and concretise and structure our sense of being in the world.”

Student: Jheanelle Campbell
Course: Master of Architecture
Tutors: Cheryl Pouchet, David Douglas and Mandilee Newton
Email: jheanellecampbell[at]gmail.com

The Gastronomy Incubator by Anthony Hyatt

“Kingston is one of 47 new locales added to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in December 2015. The imperative recognises creativity as a significant factor in sustainable urban development, social inclusion and cultural vibrancy. The Gastronomic Incubator is inspired by culinary locations within the city.

The building capitalises on its location between historic Kingston and its suburbs, creating a place to enjoy preparing, researching and eating Jamaican and international food.

“The incubator is supported by a specialist library for all things food. An urban farm provides the produce for the gastronomic functions of the project and also serves the adjoining communities.”

Student: Anthony Hyatt
Course: Master of Architecture
Tutors: Cheryl Pouchet, David Douglas and Mandilee Newton
Email: hdq.7729[at]gmail.com

The Robotics Incubator by Hanif James

“The Robotics Incubator stimulates high school students to create research explorations using robotics. A central courtyard coordinates the activities within the incubator by encouraging collaborative engagement in a main open space.

“An organic canopy integrates smart kinetic solar panels and a hydro-circulation system, which contributes to the sustainable strategies of the building while incorporating robotic elements.

“The design was inspired by the dynamic street life juxtaposed against the formal architecture surrounding the area. This dynamism was investigated through the shape of the building by mirroring the energetic exchange of ideas the street life facilitates.”

Student: Hanif James
Course: Master of Architecture
Tutors: Cheryl Pouchet, David Douglas and Mandilee Newton
Email: hanifjames95[at]gmail.com

The Exchange by Roni-Kaye McLaren

“Inspired by the original nodes and activities that existed in and around the site, this project, located in central Kingston, Jamaica, explores a space that facilitates the exchange of knowledge, ideas and services among various demographic groups.

“A vast courtyard connects the internal spaces. As a result, the circulation becomes more vibrant, animated. Points of exchange become intimate through dining, shopping, co-working, learning and gathering.

“The design is punctuated by natural light and greenery to enhance the experience of all inhabitants. Other sustainable strategies employed were rainwater catchment and reuse, passive cooling, green roofs and solar energy.”

Student: Roni-Kaye McLaren
Course: Master of Architecture
Tutors: Cheryl Pouchet, David Douglas and Mandilee Newton
Email: mclaren.roni[at]gmail.com

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the University of Technology, Jamaica. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post University of Technology Jamaica highlights 10 student architecture projects appeared first on Dezeen.

On one hand, museums are known for keeping paintings and artifacts of ancient civilizations with preservation being the goal. On the other, more modern museums incorporate some of the most advanced technology of today into their exhibitions to introduce the exciting possibilities for the art of tomorrow. Enacting his own preferred modern technology to conceptualize a modern art museum for the city of Tehran, architect Milad Eshtiyaghi hopes to evolve this relationship between today’s technology and the preservation of Islamic and Iranian art.

Known for designing bold, daredevil retreats stationed on the edge of mountain summits and cliffsides, Eshtiyaghi maintained the same mythical energy for his most recent rendering of Tehran’s Modern Art Museum. From an aerial viewpoint, Eshtiyaghi’s museum does not form any distinct shape, progressing past geometric, sharp angles for a gleaming white roof that slopes and bulges like a white tarp covering a wild landscape. Modern museums are generally known for their conceptual architecture, a form Milad Eshtiyaghi executes well considering his wide array of escapist hideaways. The green space that surrounds Eshtiyaghi’s museum tightens the museum’s abstract energy with rolling green roofs that mimic the overlapping lines of soundwaves, offering a place to rest on its manicured lawns.

Inside, the shapelessness of Tehran’s Modern Art Museum provides an eccentric stage for contemporary art exhibits. The museum’s tower wing spirals above the rest of the exhibition space, bringing guests to the museum’s highest vantage point via a web of winding, interconnected staircases. Etched along the tower’s facades and the museum’s main lobby, circular holes infuse the museum’s industrial interior with plenty of sunlight. Throughout the museum’s interior and exterior spaces, Eshtiyaghi hoped to communicate the significance of modern technology when used for art preservation, merging the age-old practice of museum work with today’s technological advancements.

Designer: Milad Eshtiyaghi

Without any distinct shape, Eshtiyaghi’s Modern Art Museum welcomes contemporary art, for all its abstract, shapeless glory.

Like many modern museum spaces, Eshtiyaghi’s Modern Art Museum features an outdoor plaza and interconnected green spaces.

Various vantage points puncture the museum’s facades.

The museum’s tower spirals above slopes and bulges of the museum’s white roof.

Holes are dotted across facades to bring in natural sunlight to the museum’s industrial interior.

Rolling green roofs mimic the flow of soundwaves.

Inside, staircases interconnect to form webs of walkways for guests to explore.