Hasta La Ideas

Dezeen Showroom: lighting manufacturer Koncept has released a new version of its Splitty desk light, designed by Kenneth Ng and Edmund Ng, with a dynamic arm that can be moved into precise positions.

The Splitty Reach carries on the curved, droplet-like head shape of the original but adds a double arm with a special joint mechanism that is highly flexible.

The desk lamp can easily be moved from a computer keyboard to blueprints, for instance, and contains a dimmable LED light with a Kelvin rating of 3,500, which Koncept says “promotes productivity but is still inviting and relaxing”.

Splitty Reach comes with a nine-hour auto-shutoff mechanism to conserve energy and a USB port for charging devices in its base. There is also the option to upgrade the base to wireless charging.

A further host of features are included in the Splitty Reach Pro. The lamp has an occupancy sensor that allows it to power off after 15 minutes of no activity, plus its colour can be tuned from warm white to cool white.

The Splitty Reach Pro also has desk and wall mounting options, which is good for people with limited desk space.

Product: Splitty Reach
Designer: Kenneth Ng and Edmund Ng
Brand: Koncept
Contact: bernadette.medina@koncept.com

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The Rammed Earth House in Slovenia merges traditional rammed earth building techniques with modern solar energy production methods to reinterpret the early 20th-century farmhouse for today.

Rammed earth is a sustainable building method that has been around for millennia. Dating back to as early as the 9th–7th millennium BC, rammed earth has been trusted as a reliable building method and material for homes and structures on every continent except Antarctica. Bringing the method to Slovenia, three architects Merve nur Başer, Aslı Erdem, and Fatma Zeyneb Önsiper conceptualized their tiny home called Rammed Earth House to reinterpret early 20th-century farmhouses, holding onto a traditional pitched roof and introducing modern solar energy production methods.

In conceptualizing the Rammed Earth House, the team of architects set out to balance contemporary energy production practices with traditional building methods. Located in Dobrava, a settlement in Slovenia’s flatland region, the Rammed Earth House is inspired by the famed floating roof designed by Slovenian architect Oton Jugovec. Since rammed earth involves compacting a mixture of subsoil into an externally supported framework, the three architects behind Rammed Earth House conceptualized a concrete foundation and timber framework. It’s generally difficult to make changes to a rammed earth structure, but the home’s overhang roof allows cement to be added in the case that extra stability is needed. Rammed Earth House is sheltered with an overhang green roof that works to protect the building material from the threat of erosion as Dobrava experiences rainy, temperate, and snowy seasons.

Rammed Earth House’s sustainable build allows for passive insulation and heating methods to cool and warm up the home. 

Specifically oriented to take in the sun rays during winter months and block them out during hotter seasons, the Rammed Earth House takes cues from its surrounding environment and climate to ensure comfortable, passive heating and insulation throughout the year. Windows are also strategically placed around the house to allow cross-ventilation throughout the home and changing seasons. The green roof also holds an array of photovoltaic panels to power the home with harnessed solar energy and a rainwater collector for water recycling and an integrated septic tank system. Inside, each living area is appropriately situated to benefit from the passive heating and insulation methods. The house’s north facade, for example, features fewer windows than the west facade to decrease potential heat loss during colder months.

Designers: Merve nur Başer, Aslı Erdem, and Fatma Zeyneb Önsiper

Eileen Gray‘s E-1027 modernist house in the south of France and Le Corbusier’s holiday home Cabanon next to it have reopened following a five-year renovation.

The Association Cap Moderne has completed its renovation of the seminal modern home on the south coast of France, returning it to the state it was in when it was complete in 1929.

The home, which is located in the village of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin overlooking Monaco, is now open to the public to visit on guided tours.

“The restoration of the Villa to its 1929 state has been a labour of love for all of us who have worked on the project,” said Association Cap Moderne president Michael Likierman.

“The effect is truly revelatory of the genius of Eileen Gray and a marvellously dynamic contrast with the surprisingly intimate buildings of Le Corbusier just by. Magical and unique: come and see for yourselves.”

One of the most significant international-style houses, E-1027 was the first major architecture project designed by Irish architect Gray.

It was designed in collaboration with her partner at the time, Romanian architect Jean Badovici, who owned the house.

The home’s name is a reference to the Gray and Badovici names. E stands for Eileen, with the couple’s initials – J, B and G – signified by their alphabetical positions – 10, 2 and 7.

The pair split up shortly after the house was complete, with Badovici continuing to live in it and 20th-century architect Le Corbusier staying for large periods in 1937 and 1938 when he painted several colourful murals on the house.

After the house fell into disrepair it was purchased by the French governmental agency Conservatoire du Littoral in the 1990s.

A team led by Claudia Devaux, Renaud Barrès, Burkhardt Rukschcio and Philippe Deliau carried out the restoration to recreate “as closely as possible to what had been imagined and accomplished by Eileen Gray”.

A major part of the restoration included extensively reinforcing and repairing the concrete structure, which had been damaged by the sea air.

Along with repairing the building’s structure, the home’s in-built and freestanding furnishings were recreated by replicating the original materials and methods.

This included remaking a writing table from nickel-plated steel tubes, which was positioned in the home’s office. The work was carried out by Burkhardt Rukschcio and Renaud Barrès, based on a single photo held by the National Museum in Dublin.

Alongside E-1027, a seaside holiday cabin next door and five holiday homes designed by Le Corbusier have also reopened to the public.

Named Cabanon and built in 1951, Le Corbusier’s small cabin is UNESCO World Heritage-listed.

From the outside the building looks like a log cabin, but inside it has a modular design made from prefabricated parts.

Le Corbusier stayed at the cabin every August until he died swimming at the beach below E-1027 in 1965 aged 77.

Irish architect and furniture designer Gray died in 1978. She was recently the subject of a retrospective in New York featuring work “never shown before”.

Photography is by Manuel Bougot.

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A wave of colourful balls seems to slosh through the New York store of fashion brand Zara in this CGI animation by motion designer Shane Fu, which has accumulated more than 17 million views online.

The video, which was commissioned by Zara and shared on the brand’s TikTok, was widely believed to be showing a real LED window display similar to the 3D billboards popular in China and South Korea.

But in reality, the simulation exists only on the internet.

“People are gullible and think it is real or some sort of physical installation,” Fu told Dezeen. “It’s just a video that’s meant to be shared on social media.”

To create the animation, Fu visited Zara’s Soho location where he filmed a slow pan of the storefront.

Using 3D software, he created the illusion of a three-dimensional room unfurling behind the windows, inhabited by a swarm of rainbow-coloured spheres.

 

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A post shared by ShaneF Motion Design (@shanef3d)

Fu posted the video on his Instagram while Zara shared it on TikTok

“I used lighting references from the location,” he explained, mimicking the conditions on-site to make the animation as lifelike as possible.

The final illusion was so convincing that some viewers went to visit the store to see the non-existent display in person.

“It got me down there,” one user commented. “Then I realized it was just a TikTok!”

Fu, who is based in New York, has grown a following online for his abstract, 3D artworks, which are inserted into everyday settings to blur the line between fantasy and reality.

Previously, the Chinese designer has visualised floating penguins and glowing green frogs contained in transparent vessels and superimposed on ordinary street scenes recorded on his phone.

“A container gives me limitations to work around,” he explained. “A lot of animations similar to mine tend to go wild and flashy, which makes it less realistic and less appealing to a wider audience.”

Fu sells his artworks online as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). But in the future, he hopes to see one of his animations integrated into a real-life setting to complete the illusion.

This isn’t the first time that Zara has dabbled in creating optical illusions for its stores.

Previously, the brand collaborated with Light Cognitive to create an artificial LED skylight for a windowless retail space in Barcelona that mirrors the actual colours of the horizon outside.

The post Shane Fu fools “gullible” viewers with hyperrealistic window animation appeared first on Dezeen.

A recent leak speculated that the new Apple Watch Series 7 may come in a 41mm and 45mm case size! This is just one of the many little tidbits about the upcoming Apple Watch that have been circulating around. Other rumors also include that the Apple Watch Series 7 may be revealed at Apple’s September 2021 event! And the potential redesigns for it have been getting us super excited. As we sit with our fingers crossed, with excitement lingering in the air, waiting for Apple’s latest smartwatch to make its debut, we may as well prepare for it. I, for one, am already looking for some pretty cool accessories to perfectly complement and jazz up the upcoming smartwatch. It’s already anticipated to be quite powerful, so why not give it an even bigger power-packed punch with an assortment of innovative accessories. From a watch case that looks like an iPod to an accessory that lets you wear your Apple Watch as an armband for an improved workout experience – these accessories are the sidekicks the Apple Watch Series 7 may just need!

Is that a new iPod?! Nope! It’s the 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!

The smartwatch straps from Bellroy come with a durable elastomer base for comfort and to prevent slipping, but are then finished off with a wonderfully eye-catching eco-tanned leather top. The leather-elastomer blend gives the watch the best of both worlds. The leather brings back the watch’s most trusted strap material, giving the watch an authentically classic appeal, while the elastomer base on the strap prevents it from slipping on your wrist. Since the Apple Watch’s main hardware is fairly heavier than most regular watches, it succumbs to the effects of gravity, which is why having a rubbery base to the strap helps. A texture on the underside also promotes breathability, so the strap never makes your skin feel sweaty.

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.

Apple accessory designer Twelve South has released the ActionSleeve 2. The ActionSleeve 2’s unique design ensures the Apple Watch Series 4 (and later) always remains in constant contact with the body, so there is no discrepancy in tracking parameters on the Fitness app. Most of us would prefer wearing the Apple Watch in its default position and deem the band worthless. In fact, that would be the case until you want to put on a pair of boxing gloves! The ActionSleeve 2 armband is meticulously designed to give people more flexibility to keep using the Apple Watch when an activity or sporting gear may restrict wearing it on the wrist or lead to discomfort. “If you’ve ever changed your Apple Watch band, you already know how ActionSleeve 2 works: 1. remove your current Apple Watch band, 2. push the Apple Watch “body” into the back of ActionSleeve 2 and 3. strap ActionSleeve 2 on, tighten and go. Your screen, crown, and button remain fully accessible and functional.” Twelve South explains.

Inspired by the daily sunrise, industrial designer Taesung Yoon has thought of the 2 in 1 Apple Devices Charging Stand (yes, that’s the name of this accessory) that does what it says. Designed after feedback from the data-driven research and realizing what people actually want in their unified Apple charging stand, this accessory has been cleverly designed for form and function. The charging stand’s vertical stance with a slightly arched top means that the iPhone sits comfortably without the fear of accidentally toppling it over with an accidental shove. Likewise, the possibility of using it for watching multimedia content is also there. The same port is used for charging the AirPods Pro when needed. Right behind this port is the space for setting up the Apple Watch for refueling in style. So, you can charge your iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time.

The Grovemade Cork Apple Watch Dock is a refreshing take on the usual Apple Watch charging docks we come across. The dock has been created from premium materials, including the ever-sustainable cork! The Apple Watch dock is quite compact and flat, so it can easily fit into any space, including your bedside table or your work desk. The base was made using stainless steel, which features a sturdy anchor, that prevents your watch from sliding or falling off. The upper section was crafted from cork and has been equipped with a little divot in the center to cradle and support your watch. Not to mention, this dock design is quite stylish, sleek, and sustainable!

Designed as a pretty nifty throwback to Apple’s golden era of the iPod, Elago’s W6 stand is a perfect tribute to one of Apple’s most ground-breaking products ever! The W6 takes on a more recent ancestor of the Watch, the iPod Classic, which made its debut in 2001, nearly twenty years ago! A modern reinterpretation of the old plastic-and-metal device, the W6 stand is tiny and comes made from silicon, allowing it to flex as you slide your Watch in, and preventing it from accidental bumps or scratches with its shock-absorbing exterior.

The OMNIA Q5 is a nifty docking and charging station that replaces your drawer of cables. Designed as a slick, compact dock that can fit on even the smallest night-stand, or the corner of your work-desk, the OMNIA Q5 lets you organize and charge all your Apple gadgets at once, supplying the right amount of power to each one of them to charge them rapidly and simultaneously. Designed to be an integral part of your ecosystem of Apple products, the OMNIA Q5 acts as an organizer for your gadgets. It docks them in individually assigned areas (so they’re always neatly arranged) and charges them too – wirelessly for the most part, except the iPad which needs a cable with USB-C input.

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.

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!