Hasta La Ideas

From Rome-based recording artist Kid Arth (aka Arthur Marco Barbut), the pithy track “FastLife” ensnares with emotional vocal delivery atop a melodic soundscape. “The song talks about the way that we young people live in the streets,” he tells us, “the way that, between love and our unresolved problems, we are on the run, trying to achieve something for ourselves.” Lostlukex produced the single, which is Barbut’s first to debut on Spotify, though they released music together on YouTube and Soundcloud earlier this year.



Rehap is a wearable, assistive device designed for stroke survivors to exercise mirror movements, and joint exercises during the recovery process and relearning of basic muscle movements.

Rehabilitative and assistive product designs have made some progress in terms of functionality and accessibility in recent years, but the current need for at-home rehabilitative designs cannot be understated. While physical therapy is recommended for anyone who’d like to restore their natural mobility, stroke patients in particular benefit from a tailored rehabilitative program. Rehap from Ka Man Choi is a wearable rehabilitative tool designed to aid stroke survivors in relearning basic muscle movements even in the comfort of their own homes.

During the research period for Rehap, Choi learned that around 1 in 3 stroke survivors experience varying levels of emotional stress following their stroke. During the recovery period, rehabilitative tools and assistive devices help stroke survivors train the affected limb and their own muscle memory to prevent stiffness and maintain circulation.

Choi integrated physical therapeutic exercises in Rehap like mirror movements and joint exercises to help stimulate the muscle memory of stroke patients. Stroke survivors wear Rehap as a sleeve or glove and configure the product’s modular gears with rubber bands to meet their level of recovery. Conceived to make rehabilitation more accessible, Rehap is also a less costly recovery option for stroke patients.

Developed out of a single material for simple production and recyclability, Rehap is a motorless, modular solution that’s easy to reproduce and intuitive by design. Accessible for stroke patients at all levels of recovery, Rehap comes with interchangeable gears that can be swapped out to adapt to three different rehabilitative levels. The needs and progress of the patients change over time and Choi designed Rehap to meet patients where they are in their recovery process.

Designer: Ka Man Choi

Choi designed Rehap to be a sustainable and accessible solution for stroke patients to relearn basic muscle movements. 

Following an involved research period, Choi optimized the design to be adjustable and universal.

“Unlike most of the existing rehabilitation and assistive tools, without any electronics and screws, the single prints of REHAP are easier for recycling the PLA.”

“After research on the target user – stroke patients and discussion with the expert in assistive technologies, I decided to design a rehabilitation tool attached to the human body inspired by the exoskeleton and body coordination.”

Innovative and influential record producer, singer and songwriter Lee “Scratch” Perry passed away in Jamaica this weekend, aged 85. The prolific artist (who produced records for the Congos and Bob Marley & The Wailers) is not only respected for pioneering dub and reggae, and helping spread Jamaican music around the world, but also for his unique production techniques and experimentations—done mostly at his iconic Black Ark studio. Perry’s career began in the 1960s and he seemed to never stop working, with his sound proving altogether timeless. One of the best-known tracks Perry co-wrote and produced, Max Romeo’s 1976 hit “Chase The Devil” was recorded with Perry’s band, The Upsetters, and has been sampled by everybody from Madness to Kanye West. Decades later, Perry released a dub version called “Disco Devil.”

As industrial designers, we’ve designed things that have rolled off of assembly lines. But something few of us think about are the actual conveyor belts.

Medium- and heavy-duty conveyor belts are driven by what the industry calls round chains, as opposed to bicycle-like roller chains. These round chains are beefy and strong.

Because the chain cannot be made with the links in a closed loop—it would be impossible to install or remove for maintenance–one of the links in the chain is a special removable one called, simply enough, a chain connector.

These chain connectors have to be designed for their specific application (see examples below). Their shapes can differ depending on whether they’re run vertically or horizontally, and whether they’re driven by sprocket vs. pocket wheels. (A pocket wheel is used in applications where it’s undesirable to have the chain exposed as it goes over the sprocket, hence the links are “pocketed” inside the wheel and protected on the sides.)

Example of a pocket wheel

This type of chain connector can run over a sprocket, but not a pocket wheel.

It must be attached by a nut and bolt, with the nut set to a specific torque requirement.

This type of chain connector is designed to run over a sprocket wheel, or a pocket wheel only if the chain is running vertically.

It must be attached with a hex driver and set to a specific torque.

German company RUD, a manufacturer of conveyor belt hardware, has designed a universal chain connector that removes some of the hassles of the previously-described types. Their UKS model can be used in both vertical and horizontal applications, and does not require a torque-measuring device to install.

The Universal UKS Chain Connector

To install it, the operator first removes the locking pin from the two halves of the shackle using a hex wrench:

The halves of the shackle are looped through and hooked up:

The locking pin is then inserted, such that the cams on it (1) do not interfere with the flange-like flights (2) on the shackles:

Once the pin is inserted, it’s then rotated 90 degrees with the hex wrench:

Once the pin is turned 90 degrees the cams are locked in place, and the operator can feel that the pin cannot rotate any further. There’s no need to carry a torque wrench and check the setting, you just turn the pin until you feel it stop.

With the UKS universal connector, RUD reckons, companies will not have to stock and keep track of different sorts of connectors, and maintenance is made fast and easy. It’s a nice piece of design and engineering that few people will ever see or appreciate.

Gardens carved from this concrete home near Quérétaro, Mexico by Gestalt Associates bring light, air and vegetation into the living spaces.

Completed earlier in 2021 by Querétaro-based studio Gestalt Associates, Frame House is a brick-and-concrete structure that is comprised of rectangular volumes arranged asymmetrically around a central courtyard and staircase.

This feature takes cues from the colonial villas found in the city, which typically reserve their courtyards for gardens that served as a gathering point for various rooms laid out around them.

The ground floor of the five-bedroom home contains a living room framed by two garden spaces. The one closest to the entrance contains the main staircase, which is brightly lit by a skylight above.

“Both blocks are connected by the nucleus of stairs that go up around an olive tree and the wide dome that allows light to enter the house,” said a project description from Gestalt Associates.

Potted plants run up the stair’s railing, adding greenery to the core of the home. In addition to balconies facing the surrounding neighbourhood, Gestalt Associates also included terraces that face inwards.

“With wide-open spaces towards the interior gardens and through strategically placed windows and lattices, the continuous flow of ventilation and natural lighting is allowed throughout the day,” the architects explained.

The second and third floors are contained within white brick-covered volumes that are irregularly oriented relative to the ground floor, creating overhangs and terraces within the home’s massing.

The open-concept kitchen and living room occupy one end of the first floor, where a more formal dining room is framed by full-height glass walls on both sides.

Opposite the stairwell is a guest bedroom, which enjoys its own ensuite. On the top floor, the architects included four bedrooms, which share a communal landing that doubles as a study and lounge area.

A separate staircase leads up to the rooftop, from where the residents can take in views of the mountains surrounding Querétaro. The architects also included solar panels and rainwater collection utilities on the roof.

“[The house] has become a meeting space for two generations, ideal for family gatherings, taking time off and disconnecting with its views of the hills of Corregidora, feeling safe among its gardens and wide concrete walls,” Gestalt Associates said..

The structural concrete is left exposed in most part of the interior, while simple white walls form partitions.

Querétaro is located in Central Mexico and known for its well-preserved Spanish colonial architecture. Other projects in the city include a home built on a plinth of volcanic stones, and a courtyard house for a young couple with two dogs, both by Intersticial Arquitectura.

The photography is by Eduardo Guillén.

Project credits:

Design team: Eduardo Guillén, Jorge Anlehu, Manuel Márquez

The post Concrete house by Gestalt Associates take cues from Querétaro’s colonial architecture appeared first on Dezeen.