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Jul 02

Wooden residential tower in Rotterdam by Mei Architects delayed due to "explosively high" timber prices

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Construction of SAWA, Rotterdam‘s first wooden residential tower, has been put on hold due to a shortage of timber and other construction materials.

Work on the SAWA project, a 50-metre-high cross-laminated timber tower by Mei Architects, has been delayed until September.

“The timber shortage is a problem at the moment,” said Harmen Brink, a representative of the project. “The prices of timber are explosively high at the moment, which makes it a bit more difficult.”

SAWA residential tower — SAWA will be Rotterdam’s first wooden residential tower

Described as “the most eco-friendly buildings in the Netherlands,” the 16-storey SAWA project will provide 109 homes in the former dock area of Schiemond in Rotterdam.

Over 90 per cent of the wedge-shaped block, including its structure, will be built of CLT using timber coming from sustainably managed forest in Scandinavia. “For every tree felled for SAWA, three trees are replanted,” the project’s website says.

SAWA in the fog — Construction of the tower has been delayed

The project will use 4,500 cubic metres of timber, which will sequester 2,800 tonnes of atmospheric carbon, according to the architect, who claimed the project will be carbon negative.

But Mieke Winkel of Mei Architects added: “To be honest, we do not yet know what the [carbon] impact will be on the total lifecycle of the project. That is being calculated.”

Timber building in Rotterdam — SAWA will be built from 4,500 cubic metres of timber

Winkel added that the delay was due to more general increases in construction costs, rather than just the timber.

“The project has been delayed somewhat but this is not directly related to the timber shortage in terms of delivery time,” she said. “The sharp increase in construction costs in the broad sense has delayed the process somewhat.”

The delay follows reports of soaring costs of materials including timber, steel and concrete around the world as construction ramps up in the wake of the pandemic, which disrupted supply chains.

Lumber prices have fallen this month from last month’s highs but still remain higher than pre-pandemic levels, the New York Times reported this week.

CLT building in Rotterdam — It will have a CLT structure

Timber shortages have been particularly acute in France as architects switch to more sustainable building practices cause a surge in demand in the country, which is also preparing for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

“The prices are going up every week,” Christophe Lemoal of Paris studio Lemoal-Lemoal told Dezeen last month. “We have two construction projects where the wood company can’t give us any date for the delivery because they can’t find the supply.”

CLT housing — SAWA will contain 109 homes

The situation in France is made more acute by new laws requiring half of the materials used to construct public buildings to be wood or other biomaterials. The law is part of the country’s drive to become carbon neutral by 2050.

Similar laws are being introduced in the Netherlands, with Amsterdam now requiring 20 per cent of new housing to be made of wood.

But Winkel said that Rotterdam’s decarbonisation plans lag behind other cities and do not pay enough attention to emissions from the built environment.

“In short, the built environment plays only a limited role in reducing CO2 emissions [in Rotterdam’s plans], she said. “The focus is mainly on the existing built environment. Nothing is said about new buildings and nothing at all is said about building in wood.”

“From our point of view, this is of course very strange and a missed opportunity,” she added.

The post Wooden residential tower in Rotterdam by Mei Architects delayed due to “explosively high” timber prices appeared first on Dezeen.

Jul 02

Associated Architects designs first "mixed-use net-zero tall-building development in the world" for Birmingham

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Associated Architects has unveiled plans for Curzon Wharf, a 53-storey development in Birmingham, UK, that it claims will be the first skyscraper to produce no net emissions in operation.

Curzon Wharf is being developed by Associated Architects with engineering consultancy Cundall using a “fabric-first approach”, meaning the building fabric will be super-insulated to minimise energy consumption.

Energy will be supplied from renewable sources, meaning it will produce no greenhouse gas emissions in its day-to-day operation based on the UK Green Building Council’s (UKGBC) definition, the consultant claimed.

“The project is designed to be ‘net-zero carbon ready’ in accordance with the UKGBC definition,” said Cundall.

However, the development will not achieve net-zero emissions in its construction, which the UKGBC says is of “equal importance”.

“Net-zero carbon for both construction and operational energy represents the greatest level of commitment to the framework,” says the UKGBC in its zero-carbon definition.

A visual of Corten steel-clad towers in Birmingham — Above: Associated Architects has released visuals of Curzon Wharf. Top image: it will combine towers and low-rise blocks

Achieving net-zero involves eliminating all possible emissions and offsetting the remainder with schemes that actively remove carbon from the atmosphere.

According to the UN’s Race to Zero campaign, this is essential if the world is to hit the targets set out in the Paris Agreement and keep global warming within 1.5 degrees Celcius of pre-industrial temperatures.

Associated Architects and Cundall claim Curzon Wharf will be the world’s first skyscraper development to be net-zero in operational energy.

“To our knowledge, we are not aware of a comparable mixed-use net-zero tall-building development in the world,” Cundall partner Alex Carter told Dezeen.

“It is still in the planning stages, but with the net-zero carbon measures integrated into the current design, Curzon Wharf can be a landmark example of a net-zero carbon development once it is completed and in operation.”

While the scheme’s embodied carbon will not be net-zero, the team hopes to minimise these emissions by specifying low-carbon construction materials such as the cement substitute Ground Granulated Blast furnace Slag (GGBS) for the concrete structure.

Embodied carbon refers to the emissions that result from the manufacturing, construction, maintenance and demolition of buildings, which is currently unregulated in the UK.

An aerial visual of Curzon Wharf in Birmingham — The complex will occupy a site at the gateway to the city centre

Curzon Wharf is designed “as a composition of sculptural forms” that will increase in scale towards the north of the site, reaching 165 metres in height at its tallest point.

The tallest tower will comprise 498 apartments over 53-storeys, while the second tallest will contain 41-storeys of student accommodation.

These two towers, which will distinguish the development from afar, are designed to echo the proportions of the nearby BT tower and pay homage to tall industrial chimneys that were once seen on the city’s skyline.

A smaller 14-storey building will be used as a co-living block with 265 units, while offices will occupy a nine-storey structure.

All four buildings will be finished with the same red-hued checkerboard facades, which nod to the city’s old brick buildings and industrial architectural heritage.

The checkerboard look will be achieved with alternating Corten steel panels and glass. However, the glass will be kept to a minimum to ensure high insulation levels.

“The early concept stage elevations have been steered by the need to achieve a very careful balance of solid and glass, with a target set to provide no more than 30 per cent glazing,” the team told Dezeen.

Corten steel-clad buildings — The towers will be clad in Corten steel

To achieve net-zero carbon in operation, the building fabric will be super-insulated and designed to Passivhaus principles, while all windows will be triple-glazed.

Passivhaus is an international energy performance standard that dramatically reduces space heating and cooling requirements in a building, as well as its carbon emissions.

All heating and hot water for the buildings will be provided by heat pumps, while on- and off-site renewable sources such as photovoltaics will supply electricity.

Electricity consumption will be minimised to “a very low level” by maximising daylight inside, using LED lighting and smart controls.

The complex will be complete with sky terraces, winter gardens and tree-lined public plazas, alongside amenity and retail spaces at ground floor level.

The design team has also collaborated with the local council to tie the development in with a wider masterplan and network of pathways, cycle routes, canals and public places.

Achieving net-zero carbon architecture is one of several topics explored in Dezeen’s ongoing editorial series called Carbon revolution.

As part of the series, The Carbon Trust shed light on the difference between the definitions of net-zero and carbon neutrality, which are often oversimplified or confused. Diane Millis told Dezeen that this can hinder some companies’ abilities to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.

In another interview, UN champion Nigel Topping told Dezeen that architecture is “one of the least well-represented businesses” in the UN’s Race to Zero campaign, despite the fact that the built environment contributes as much as 40 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.

The visuals are courtesy of Associated Architects.

The post Associated Architects designs first “mixed-use net-zero tall-building development in the world” for Birmingham appeared first on Dezeen.

Jul 02

Reposado Tequila

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A different kind of tequila, Løs Sundays Reposado is aged in Tennessee-sourced American Oak whiskey barrels, after its traditional distillation in Jalisco, Mexico. Because it is produced from 100% blue Weber agave, natural cooked agave notes shine forth, as do the rich, oaky aromas from the barrels. On the palate, this tipple boasts the flavors of vanilla, caramelized fruit, nutmeg and a little coconut.

Jul 02

Sleek coffee appliances with minimal design take the centerstage of this interactive café in Germany

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Now that coffee shops and tea houses around the globe are beginning to open their doors to the public, many of them are finishing up some major renovation projects. Whether through some traditional feng shui or reconstructing the shop to be semi-outdoor, new cafes are rolling out left and right. For example, Jonathan Meuer, a designer based in Germany, conceptualized a new coffee and tea bar called Duet that lets customers witness the art of making coffee before guzzling a cup or two down.

Considering the team of designers behind this larger project, Meuer was responsible only for designing the actual coffee and tea bars. However, looking at the project with a holistic eye, Meuer designed Duet to be a collaborative space for the cafe’s baristas and customers. Meuer ditched bulky machinery for minimal pieces whose intricate internal systems make up for their smaller exterior to find that open-air feel.

Two portafilters equipped with traditional bottomless filters and without handles were incorporated into Meuer’s design, showing off that concentric flow we usually see when an espresso brews while easing the stress put on baristas hand work. The cup holders and brewheads are constructed from stainless steel and copper with silicone accents to stay cool to the touch. The bar’s steam wand was designed to be accessible and operable for baristas with physical disabilities, rotating freely on a ball joint and around the full outer ring of the machine’s center column for 360-degree access.

Meuer aimed to give the art of making coffee a stage. The stage he envisioned creates a horseshoe shape with the coffee machinery placed in its center. Customers can pay at the rotating POS device, which is coated with a shiny copper finish, and then watch as the magic pours from each portafilter into ceramic mugs designed and created by Franziska Welke. Since coffee makes each and every one of us feel like a God, Meuer gave the bar high dark stone countertops and cladded its front with diagonal wooden panels to make the coffee shop feel like the temple we all know it really is. Once customers grab their coffee and get ready to chug, they can sit beside the baristas and continue to watch as the magic happens.

Designer: Jonathan Meuer

gif cup

grinder

Filter

pouring wand

Jul 02

Apple Watch Accessories designed to fulfill every tech lovers dream

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With renders of what the new Apple Watch 7 may look like spreading throughout the design world, everyone’s pretty excited to see what Apple will actually pull off with the latest version of their smartwatch. Currently, the Apple Watch is the most popular watch globally, and this honestly doesn’t come as much of a surprise when you consider the number of people you see jogging or walking on the street with their Apple Watch armed on their wrists. In celebration of this one-of-a-kind watch, and in anticipation of what its latest version may unveil, we’ve curated a collection of nifty accessories that will perfectly complement your beloved Apple Watch. From a watch case that looks like an iPod to a band that lets you control your smartwatch without touching the screen – we’ve put together a range of diverse and interesting Apple Watch accessories that even hardcore Apple lovers will go gaga over!

The NightWatch is an Apple Watch dock that comes with a massive curved glass element on the front that magnifies its screen. Dock your watch behind the massive lens and it makes your watch-screen larger, enhancing its visibility manifold. Designed to turn your charging smartwatch into a much more efficient bedside clock, the NightWatch does more than just increase visibility… it enhances your watch’s audio too, amplifying it to make your alarm much more audible. The NightWatch is a pretty simple accessory that enhances your Apple Watch’s abilities. It doesn’t come with its own charger but will let you hook your watch’s charger into it. Once assembled, you can easily slide your Apple Watch into its unique design, and that calibrated glass lens on the front enlarges the screen like a magnifying glass would, making numbers much more visible when your watch is in Nightstand mode.

Is that a new iPod?! Nope! It’s the new Apple Watch in its coolest, old-schoolest external case yet! Joyce Kang and C.O Design Lab’s Pod Case gives the Apple Watch a much-needed history lesson, introducing it to the ancestor that started the Apple craze. The watch’s screen roughly matches the screen size found in classic iPod Nanos, while its body is only a slight bit thicker. The Pod Case, made in silicone, slides right over the Apple Watch body, giving it a funky throwback, while also letting you use the watch as-is. On the other hand, it’s a very comfortable feeling to use the latest tech with a product we have loved for a while. Obviously, the jog-wheel on the front is a dummy one (although it could work if it connected via Bluetooth), but the watch can easily be navigated using the touch-screen. Besides, this one comes with heavy-duty speakers of its own too!

With all the possible goodness – health and fitness tracking and everything – Apple Watch cannot click pictures standalone, it remotely triggers the iPhone to pull off the trick. This is where the Wristcam steps in, giving Apple Watch the ability to click pictures by itself. The front-mounted 8MP camera can shoot images in 4K resolution while recording videos in Full HD. The selfie camera can be used for video calling – or either camera for live-streaming. The Wristcam comes with its own 8GB of storage and a battery good enough for a day’s fun. According to the company, the Wristcam is water-resistant up to 1-metre, it connects to the Apple Watch over Bluetooth Low Energy, and with the iPhone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

This handy bracelet + attachment turns your watch-strap into an EDC utility belt with 29 different tools! The magic lies in two parts – the existing Leatherman Tread Bracelet, which packs 29 high-strength stainless-steel multitools in a portable, travel-friendly band that sits along your wrist… and the adapter, which turns the bracelet into a strap that attaches to your Apple Watch (or any other smartwatch). The bracelet’s individual links hold as many as 3 tools per module, from flathead screwdrivers to Phillips head screwdrivers, a wide range of hex-drivers, and even an oxygen tank wrench. Made in Portland, Oregon, the Leatherman Tread Bracelet brilliantly turns EDC into something absolutely new, allowing you to wear it along your wrist as almost a fashion accessory… and the bracelet’s designed to last too, with a whopping 25-year warranty.

Like all of Satechi’s products, the USB-C Magnetic Charging Dock comes with Apple-certified MFI charging, and works across all generations of the Apple Watch. The dock plugs right into the side of the iPad Pro or the MacBook Pro, although you could just as easily use it with any power-bank too. The sleek aluminum design does a pretty good job of blending in with Apple’s design language, while inbuilt magnets securely hold onto your watch as it charges, allowing you to dock your iPad on a stand without worrying about the watch slipping or falling off. Neat, eh? Maybe you could even use it as a small extended display too, running a timer, your clock, or the weather app right beside your screen as you work or browse the web!

Working on a tech quite similar in outcome to the Google Soli chip found in the Pixel 4, the Mudra is a wristband for the Apple Watch that comes with its set of sensors that pick up hand gestures by measuring nerve activity in your wrist. The Mudra band allows you to use your watch without touching it, but more importantly, it gives you the ability to use your left hand to control parts of the Watch experience, being able to snooze alarms, accept or reject calls, play/pause/skip music tracks, or even playing an old-fashioned game of Snake. The band picks up directly on gestures sent to your wrist via the motor nerve, almost forming a brain-to-device interface.

Satechi’s Grip Mount for the Apple Watch allows you to attach the device (sans the wristbands) to your car, cycle, or motorbike, allowing it to work in conjunction with the vehicle, serving the purpose of a navigational device that also lets you answer and reject calls, or even control music. The fact that the Watch comes with Bluetooth makes it perfect for your car, allowing you to connect it to the car’s audio system for onboard calls, navigational guidance, or controlling music playback. You can also use it on a bicycle, letting it run the Cyclemeter app to capture the amount of exercise you’re getting too! The Apple Watch, chock-a-block with cutting-edge technology, is capable of being much more than a wrist-mounted smart device.

Elago’s products are just sensible and help you use your Apple products more efficiently. Take for instance the Wristfit, a band for your Apple Watch that lets you conveniently dock your Airpods in them too. At the time of their release, the Airpods were criticized for being too ‘easy to lose’. This spawned a wide variety of products like the Elago Airpods strap that helped you secure your expensive earpieces in place, eliminating the danger of losing them. The Wristfit is another such ‘sensible’ product that simply gives you the ability to dock your Airpods on your Apple Watch. Keeping them in a place that’s easy to access, the Wristfit secures the Watch around your wrist, and the Airpods right on the strap like a sort of holster for your earphones. Push them right in when you’re not using them and you won’t have to worry about them at all.

Inspired by the packaging design for the iPod, Nisbet adopted a clear and transparent package for the Apple Watch as well. The transparent packaging comes in two parts, one protects the screen of the watch, whereas the other part forms a protective layer around the strap. But here’s where it becomes interesting, the packaging of the strap has been designed in such a way, that you can slide it on and off! This allows you to try on straps of different styles, letting you mix and match, till you settle on a combination that you like. You can try on the various packaged straps on your hand, so you can see how they would actually look on you! The clear protective layer ensures that no one actually ends up touching the straps, and they are in pristine condition, preventing them from getting dirty or contaminated before they are even sold (especially useful in these COVID-19 times).

Jul 02

Ten interior finishing materials from Dezeen Showroom for architects and designers

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Here are ten innovative interior finishes from Dezeen Showroom, including tiles, flooring products and surfacing materials from leading brands.

The selection includes porcelain and stoneware tiles, clay plaster, micro cements and solid surfacing materials by leading designers and brands including HI-MACS, Patcraft, MUT Design and Marazzi.

From vinyl tiles with digitally-printed scans of wood to flooring that mimics the appearance of concrete, here’s a selection of the latest finishing products on Dezeen Showroom.

Inset flooring collection by Patcraft

Inset is a collection of parquet-style flooring made of vinyl-covered planks that resemble concrete and wood, created by Patcraft.

Intended for commercial spaces, the flooring is embellished with metallic accents of bronze, silver or gold that are scattered diagonally across the flooring, which creates a playful contrast.

Find out more about Inset ›

Bow tile collection by MUT Design for Harmony

Bow is a collection of wall coverings modelled on the traditional clay roof tiles found in the Mediterranean, created by MUT Design with Spanish tile specialist Harmony.

Characterised by its concave shape, the Bow collection comes in an array of colours including azure, white, teal, silver and maroon, as well as glossy or matt finishes.

Find out more about Bow ›

HI-MACS solid surfacing by HI-MACS

HI-MACS is a durable and stain-resistant surfacing product intended for commercial and residential projects with new recycled and terrazzo options.

The material is made of acrylic mixed with minerals and can be moulded to produce a seamless finish. The recycled versions include granite stone-effect finishes as well a Volcanics range that emulates the look of precious natural stones.

Find out more about HI-MACS ›

Il Veneziano tiles by Fiandre Architectural Surfaces

Il Veneziano is a family of durable porcelain tiles that echo the look of traditional Venetian terrazzo or seminato flooring, created by Italian manufacturer Fiandre.

The terrazzo-style tiles feature flecked stone that runs all the way through their form instead of just appearing on the surface, which makes the tile suitable for spatial manufacturing processes to create rounded, contoured or bevelled edges.

Find out more about Il Veneziano ›

Crogiolo Lume tiles by Marazzi

Crogiolo Lume is a series of wall tiles informed by the handmade majolica tiles native to the Mediterranean, created by Italian brand Marazzi.

The tiles, which are frost-proof and resistant to abrasion, have a high-gloss finish and come in a number of mottled colours including blue, green, musk and greige.

Find out more about Crogiolo Lume ›

Carpenter tile collection by Argenta Cerámica

Carpenter is a range of porcelain stoneware tiles that come in natural shades to suit any interior, created by Spanish brand Argenta Cerámica.

The tiles feature a bactericidal finish, which makes them suited to spaces that require good hygiene such as hospitals, clinics and libraries.

Find out more about Carpenter ›

Clay Plasters Rustic Range by Clayworks

Clayworks has created a family of sustainable clay plasters that emulate the appearance of concrete, stone and earth called Clay Plasters Rustic Range.

The plasters are composed of unfired clays that have been mixed with natural pigments and minerals, which means it is compostable and free from toxic ingredients.

As well as being easy to repair, the plasters are sound-absorbing and can assist in humidity and temperature regulation in interior spaces.

Find out more about Clay Plasters ›

Microtopping finish by Ideal Work

Microtopping is a micro cement finish that allows existing surfaces to be remodelled without the need for extensive renovation, created by Ideal Work.

The finish, which is suitable for walls, floors, stairs and bathrooms, can be applied to any material and can be hand-finished with a choice of acid-stained, clouded, silky or polished effects.

Find out more about Microtopping ›

iD Inspiration vinyl flooring by Tarkett

Scans of natural materials including wood and stone have been digitally printed on vinyl tiles to create flooring brand Tarkett’s iD Inspiration collection.

Intended for areas with high foot traffic, the versatile flooring comes in 100 different patterns informed by the varying grains, textures and imperfections of natural materials.

Find out more about iD Inspiration ›

Squar(e) tiles by Giovanni Barbieri

Squar(e) is a series of mosaic and standard ceramic tiles that can be configured to create customised three-dimensional wall finishes, created by Vicenza-based designer Giovanni Barbieri.

The tiles are made from recycled marble dust collected from the production waste and come in a number of finishes, including ones that replicate the appearance of travertine or natural stone.

Find out more about Squar(e) ›

About Dezeen Showroom

Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen’s huge global audience.

Want to be included in our upcoming Dezeen Showroom special features? To launch a new product or collection at Dezeen Showroom, please email showroom@dezeen.com.

The post Ten interior finishing materials from Dezeen Showroom for architects and designers appeared first on Dezeen.

Jul 02

Runxuan Textile Office features curvilinear aluminium facade

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Design studio Rationale International — Masanori Design Studio has created an office in China with a curvilinear facade and undulating ceiling that draws on the qualities of fabric.

The Chinese studio drew on the process of cloth production and interpreted the movement of textiles through an architectural language to create the design.

Runxuan textile office used white aluminium battens across its facade — Top image: aluminium battens clad the exterior of the building. Above: the facade has a curvilinear form

“We innovatively applied ‘cloth elements’ to both the facade and indoor space via architectural languages,” Rationale International — Masanori Design Studio founder Terry Xu told Dezeen.

“Producing three-dimensional visual effects and realizing the unity of interior and exterior.”

Runxuan textile office has white interiors — The battens extend into the interior

Built for a fabric production company, the Runxuan Textile Office is located in a textile town in Foshan in the Guandong province of China.

Its exterior was clad in vertical aluminium battens arranged in a curvilinear formation that extend above the building’s windows.

Runxuan textile office has an open plan look — A column punctuates the centre of the lobby

The aluminium battens stretch through to the interior of the office across the ceiling, mimicking the rolling form of the facade to connect the interior and exterior.

“In this space, one seems to be standing under a loom,” said Xu. “The ‘yarns’ are interwoven with the light, and such black and white colours form artistic scenes from different angles.”

Runxuan textile office has a minimal interior — The ceiling echoes the rolling form of the facade

“For example, the undulating ceiling gives the space a strong sense of architecture,” said Xu.

“Meticulous details, connection between ceiling and walls, columns, and play of light and shadows, bring various changes to the space.”

The lobby was placed at the centre of the plan, with offices, meeting rooms and conference spaces organise around it.

White was used throughout the interior of the building, which has a minimalist aesthetic with furniture, decorative objects and plants sparsely placed in the space.

a window looks into neighbouring rooms at Runxuan textile office — Openings in walls link the adjoining spaces

Openings and glass walls divide and connect the building’s functional spaces in a semi-open plan layout, creating fluid and flexible workspaces.

Offices have been fitted with artificial skylights that stretch across large parts of the ceiling to combat the interior’s lack of natural light.

Black furniture was used in the Runxuan textile office — Glass walls create a light and airy look

“The artificial ‘skylight’ reconnects the space with nature, and helps produce a comfortable, pleasant working environment,” said Xu.

“By optimizing the indoor functional layout and solving its lighting and ventilation problems, it created a healthier and more comfortable office, which became another feature of this project.”

Strip lighting was suspended over a long table — Other spaces were finished with black ceilings

Founded in 2017, Rationale International — Masanori Design Studio uses nature, balance and brand identity to create spaces that are not limited to a specific style.

Other recent Chinese projects include a visitor centre with a striped wall and circular windows by Wutopia Lab and a recycled brick podium that envelops a campus containing three-striped office blocks by Neri & Hu.

Photography is by Yun Ouyang.

Project credits:

Design firm: Rationale International — Masanori Design Studio
Chief designer: Terry Xu
Design team: Gorry Huang, Gavin Peng
Construction drawings: AND Design
Materials supplier: Grepoo Material Trade
Main materials: Aluminium Alloy, Florina Ceramics
Original brand furniture: Masanori Art

The post Runxuan Textile Office features curvilinear aluminium facade appeared first on Dezeen.

Jul 02

Innovative, super fast and portable SSDs that are a worthy solution to your cloud-storage problems!

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SSDs are pretty much becoming the future of storage! SSDs have shoved flash drives, thumb drives, clunky hard disks, and even expensive cloud storage into near extinction. An SSD provides everything they did, except it’s impressively faster, more compact, and convenient, and promises larger capacities. However, a typical SSD design doesn’t raise many eyebrows anymore, hence they’re getting more innovative, unique, and efficient by the day! From the world’s fastest external SSD that can transfer 4k movies in seconds to an SSD that uses fingerprint + face recognition to protect your data – we’ve curated a whole collection of groundbreaking and impressive SSD designs for you!

Compatible with most USB-C devices, the HybridDrive offsets your need for multiple hubs, dongles, and drives. With a multiport on one end, and an SSD on another, and a USB-C interface connecting the two, the HybridDrive bridges the gap between your portable devices (laptop/tablet/phone) and your desktop – in the sense that it gives you extra ports and expandable storage… something most desktops have in common. The multiport setup comprises a 4K 60Hz HDMI port, two USB-A ports with 10Gbps data transfer, a MicroSD card reader, an SD card reader, and a USB-C which supports 100W of power output along with high-speed video and data transferring. On the other end of the HybridDrive is an SSD that comes in 4 sizes, starting from 128Gb and going all the up to a whopping 2Tb.

Designed to be as compact as a pen-drive, with the capacity of a cloud-storage service, and without those nagging subscription costs, the ECLLPSE is a ridiculously small, universally compatible SSD with a robust outer construction that can go wherever you go. The SSD sits within rugged, IP67 water and dust resistant enclosure that’s roughly the size of your thumb, boasting storage as high as 2 terabytes fitting right within the palm of your hand. A USB-C interface allows the ECLLPSE to work with a wide variety of devices (there’s even a USB-A dongle for broader compatibility), ranging from mobiles to computers and even specialized gear like gaming consoles, cameras, and high-end recording equipment. Support for WTG (Windows to Go) even allows you to install operating systems on your ECLLPSE, letting you carry your own computer right in your pocket.

We’ve featured external SSDs on this website before, but the Cléxi is something completely new. Perhaps one of the first SSDs to take encryption and security incredibly seriously, Cléxi uses a 2-factor authentication system to grant you access to the drive’s data. Once enabled, the security measures require two steps to let you access your files. First, you need to tap your phone on the Cléxi, which then sends a prompt to your phone to scan your face. Once the Cléxi knows it’s you accessing your files, it automatically unlocks for you, protecting your data from being accessed or copied by anyone… and that’s just the first step in Cléxi’s multi-pronged approach to protect your files.

Quite like the SSDs we’ve spoken about here before, the Rapid SSD puts up to 2 terabytes worth of storage right in your pocket. It’s about the size and shape of a pack of chewing gum, but takes care of virtually all your storage needs. It also has 3 different ports that let you connect to virtually every device you own, from your smartphone to laptop, and from your tablet to your DSLR… and even your gaming console! The Rapid SSD sports a USB-A on the front, which pops open to reveal a USB-C behind it, as well as a fold-out lightning connector on the reverse end, so it’s perfect for both Android phones and iPhones, allowing you to store all your camera-roll images without worrying about shelling out money to Google or Apple.

The skyBOX is the second most powerful piece of tech you can fit into your pocket, after your smartphone. Designed to be the same dimension as a stack of credit cards, the skybox gives you the power of having your own Wi-Fi enabled cloud server in your pocket. It’s made to be universally compatible, working with any device that supports Wi-Fi connectivity, and comes with up to 4 terabytes of permanent storage. That’s enough to back up 50 smartphones, store millions of photos from your DSLR, or remotely host your own media server with over 5000 movies to choose from. Moreover, the skyBOX is wireless and portable, so you can carry it around in your pocket, accessing data no matter where you are.

The Braun MP01 concept addresses the issue of the diminishing number of connection ports that are found on new laptops; the dongle brings all of these missing ports into one compact device, and with a design style like this one, it’s not something you’ll complain about. The device features an asymmetrical design where an angular edge gently flows into a soft curve. Unnecessary detailing isn’t present on the device, instead, it carries a clean aesthetic with minimal interruptions in the casing. The large glass cover not only looks the part but also hints at MP01’s secondary feature… an external SSD. Could this be the perfect computer accessory?

Western Digital unveiled a new high-level security platform for storage with G-Technology’s ArmorLock-Encrypted NVMe SSD. I know – what does all that mean? Essentially, Western Digital equipped G-Technology’s SSD with biometric authentication security so that even if your hard-earned data were to fall into the hands of trolls or hackers, they’d need your fingerprint to access any of it. Without compromising the hard drive’s speed or reliability, each Armorlock encrypted NVMe SSD is built with high-grade 256-bit AES-XTS hardware encryption, known for its impenetrability in the grips of eager hackers, and NIST P-256 elliptic curve-based key management, which encrypts hard drives with multi-factor authentication steps that only the owners can register and carry out.

Jul 02

This all-glass smart train is a futuristic marvel worth a whopping $350 Million!

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For the past year, we’ve been dreaming of traveling. And I’m not talking about just some hotel in a coastal party town or even a quiet cabin in the woods. I’m talking Around the World in 80 Days type traveling. But maybe not so fast, we have been holed up for a year. Redefining what it means to travel by rails, a designer, known for his superyachts built for the likes of Steve Jobs and his close relationship with upscale fashion houses like Louis Vuitton, Thierry Gaugain conceptualized a smart train for the future luxury traveler called G Train.

A total of fourteen cars will comprise G Train, housing the owner’s large suite in the front most cars, followed by 18 guest rooms, cars for the gym and spa, a dining car, and finally recreation spaces for the train’s guests to enjoy everything from live concert events to small art exhibitions. Following his time spent designing superyachts for those who can write the checks for them, Gaugain turned to his childhood fascination with trains to produce a sort of passion project eligible for production, once more for the lucky owner who can afford it. Tapping into a form of luxury traveling that does more than simply cart passengers from point A to their destination, Gaugain conceived the G Train to look and feel like a luxe experience straight out of the future.

Gaugain envisions luxury through the changing of light, so the train’s entire exterior and interior glass facades feature changing light shows throughout the day to enhance guests’ travel experiences. Poured over in an all-glass exterior, the G Train’s shiny finish morphs from jet-black to transparent and then to a shimmering golden hue with the changing of the sky. The smart glass not only transforms the G Train’s exterior but projects seven varied interior sights as well. When traveling during cold, winter blizzards, the G Train’s interior glass walls morph into summer meadows filled with bright sunlight and fluttering butterflies. Alternatively, cozy winter forest scenes can cool down those languorous summer travel days. Noting this transformative perk, Gaugain says, “The train is essentially a stage that the owner can configure in many ways.”

Designer: Thierry GAUGAIN

Alike and dissimilar to the experience of traveling on a luxury yacht, the G Train measures a lengthy 1,300 feet and boasts a quality experience over a speedy trip.

Aware of the way trains are used by the general public, Gaugain merges a fast track with a luxe experience, citing,
“We tend to think about rail transportation only in terms of speed, moving lots of people from point A to point B in record time, but this 14-car train would belong to a single owner. It’s an alternative, very leisurely way to see the world, beyond the yacht and jet.”