Hasta La Ideas

Architecture and design studio The DHaus Company has overhauled The Bull and Last pub in north London, adding boutique hotel rooms and a pair of Japanese-inspired duplex flats.

The project involved a complete renovation of the old pub, which started life as a coaching inn more than 300 years ago.

At a time when many of the UK’s pubs are closing down the goal for The DHaus Company was to “help the pub stay a pub”.

This original coaching inn burnt down in a fire in 1883 but was rebuilt as the structure that exists today. The challenge for architects David Ben Grunberg and Daniel Woolfson was to rationalise this building without losing its historic character.

An important change was to remove a separate kitchen and toilet block located to the side of the main building, which freed up space for redevelopment. Here, the architects added a residential building that could be privately sold.

Taking cues from Japanese courtyard homes, as well as traditional English mews houses, this compact extension contains two duplex apartments.

One occupies the ground floor and top-lit basement, while the other is located on the first and second floors.

“We worked closely with the chief conservation officer of the Camden Planning Department,” said Grunberg.

“He really wanted the design to be subservient to the pub, like an old coach mews house, or feel like a younger sibling,” he told Dezeen. “He also loved our concept of an ancient Asian jewellery box, as an aspiration of quality and richness.”

This jewellery box concept was the inspiration behind the chequerboard details that feature on the building’s exterior.

This pattern features on the powder-coated aluminium privacy screen on the front facade, which is black to match the colour of the pub.

At the back, where the building becomes white, the pattern is repeated in large sections of brickwork.

“Some people see a movement in the brick screens, like it’s mimicking the movement of the street,” suggested Grunberg.

In the main building, facilities were completely modernised through a series of works that included a new basement, a loft extension and the addition of a commercial kitchen.

The architects recall one of the engineers describing the project as “a baptism of construction” due to the scope of work required.

Six hotel rooms were added upstairs, with the idea of reinstating the building’s original function as an inn.

The interior design of each room was planned in tribute to a different historical figure from the area including poet John Keats and nightclub hostess Ruth Ellis.

The rooms all feature wood-panelled walls, matching those of the pub below, along with details that include jib doors, vintage desk consoles and roll-top baths.

In the main bar and dining area, most of The Bull and Last’s existing details have been preserved.

Timber lines the walls and bar, while taxidermy bulls take pride of place above the bar.

The project has more of a traditional character than others that The DHaus Company has completed in the past. Grunberg and Woolfson’s portfolio includes a concept for a shape-shifting house and a Dezeen-competition-winning vision for flood-proof future houses.

The pair got involved in the project after a mutual friend introduced them to the pub’s owners, Ollie Pudney and Joe Swiers.

The collaboration has proved so successful that Pudney and Swiers have since decided to move into the two duplex flats themselves, rather than sell them on.

Photography is by Richard Chivers, Joe Howard and Serge Kouperschmidt.

The post The DHaus Company adds hotel and Japanese-informed homes to London pub appeared first on Dezeen.

SSDs are a lot like smartphones. You can’t just build a solid-state drive with storage and expect it to satisfy everyone. Just like each smartphone has its standout features (some are waterproof, some have better cameras, some have more storage, some are flexible), SSDs have their own features too – some provide faster read/write speeds, some have biometric locks, some are pocket-sized – allowing them to serve different audiences. An SSD that’s waterproof doesn’t really cater to someone who uses it in an office, and an SSD that has a fingerprint scanner may not matter to someone who uses it to dump videos from a DSLR or a drone. By that yardstick, LAMBOGO knows exactly who its audience is. Designed for the great outdoors, this rugged, waterproof, wireless SSD comes with up to 8TB of storage, has an internal fan to keep the drive and circuitry cool when you’re not in the cushy environment of an air-conditioned office, and lets you wirelessly preview and share files between your devices.

Designer: Lambotech

Click. Here to Buy Now: $884 $1496 ($612 off). Hurry, exclusive to YD readers only!

LAMBOGO comes with a card slot and a single button interface for quickly dumping data from your DSLR and Drone, and lets you easily preview your files on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or even desktop and edit them on third-party apps… without connecting wires. If you’re a shutterbug who travels to the wilderness, or someone who needs to quickly backup their heavy RAW footage without any wires, cables, or cloud subscriptions, the LAMBOGO couldn’t be more of a perfect fit in your tech arsenal.

The case is designed to protect LAMBOGO from dust, sand, and to be resistant and protect against shock.

The clarity with which the LAMBOGO was designed really reflects in its feature list. It’s practically waterproof and shock-proof, which makes it great for carrying on treks or outdoor trips. The rugged design is still pretty pocket-friendly, sliding comfortably into laptop bags or even your baggy cargo pants without a fuss. The gadget comes with up to 8TB of storage, letting you easily dump 4K or even 8K footage onto it, and an internal fan keeps the hardware running cool even when you’re working with really large files in the outdoor heat. The internal cooling system even goes a long way in protecting your data and increasing the lifespan of your SSD by preventing heating.

Takes only 20 seconds to transfer a 48GB video to your LAMBOGO.

By far the most intriguing thing about the LAMBOGO is its ability to transfer across various mediums. Sure, like any SSD, the LAMBOGO comes with a USB-C cable, boasting read-write speeds of up to 2,400 MB/s. However, it works wirelessly too, using a Wi-Fi connection to wirelessly transfer files to nearby devices at speeds of 900 MB/s. If you’re using the SSD to dump media, a nifty SD card slot on the side lets you easily plug your card in and start backing it up with the push of a button. You don’t need to drag/drop/copy/paste files.

With 320MB/s transfer speed, it only takes 7 minutes to back up a 128 GB SD Card.

Just plug the SD card in and hit the Copy button and the SSD backs up all your data at 320 MB/s from the SD card (a speed that even your laptop card reader might not match). All the transferred files can be viewed, managed, and copied through the LAMBOGO app on your Android or iOS device. The integrated app has support for RAW image, and even allows for direct 4K streaming without a cable… which makes perfect sense for videographers, photographers, content creators, and filmmakers, but at the same time, if you want to go full-on cord-cutter and view 4K movies and TV series directly off the SSD instead of paying for a Netflix subscription, that’s pretty much ideal too!

Save all of your media, data, game, and program files.

For those hungry for technical details, the LAMBOGO’s internal storage capacity ranges from 1TB to 8TB. The drive sits within a rugged, shockproof, dustproof, and water-resistant case that can easily deal with anything the wilderness throws at you. The SSD interfaces using USB4, USB3.1 (Gen 2), and an SD card slot, along with wireless transfers using the WiFi spectrum. This feature’s supported by the LAMBOGO’s internal 5000mAh battery that gives it up to 8 hours of continuous use.

While the LAMBOGO is clearly purpose-built to work in the outdoors where you can’t really connect to the internet to back data up to a cloud, or fumble with wires and data cables, and where you’re at the mercy of hot temperatures, rough terrains, and stormy weathers, the SSD works equally well indoors too. Compatible with all devices from your phone, tablet, and laptop, to your DSLR, drone, action camera, and even your gaming consoles, the LAMBOGO’s 8TB storage serves multiple purposes. You can use LAMBOGO to backup your devices, store almost a million songs, or 800+ 4K movies, 200+ PlayStation or Xbox games, or virtually every image in your phone’s camera roll. The LAMBOGO currently ships in 4 sizes – 1TB, 2TH, 4TB, and 8TB, across three color schemes – black, blue, and orange, and comes with a 2-year warranty.

As add-ons, you can even grab your hands on a rugged cover case, a carabiner paracord keychain for easy carrying, a thunderbolt cable for fast transfers, or a 60W 4-in-1 cable that’ll let you connect the LAMBOGO to practically any device you own, becoming the one universal storage device for all your tech needs!

Click. Here to Buy Now: $884 $1496 ($612 off). Hurry, exclusive to YD readers only!

This family house in Quebec is modelled on the region’s vernacular architecture and was designed to Passive House standards of energy efficiency.

Canadian architecture firm L’Abri and contractor Construction Rocket collaborated closely on the creation of the Saltbox Passive House, the primary residence for a family of four.

Located on the southern flank of Mont Gale in Bromont, in the Eastern Townships, the 3,100-square-foot home is built over three levels into the sloping 2.5-acre site.

The project achieved LEED Platinum and PHIUS 2018+ certifications, becoming the third house in Quebec to obtain Passive House certification.

Passivhaus, as it’s also known, is a high-performance building standard that originated in Germany three decades ago.

Qualifying buildings are highly energy efficient and sustainable, achieving heating and cooling energy savings of around 80 per cent.

“The basic principles of the standard are simple: a highly insulated and very airtight envelope, superior heat recovery of the mechanical ventilation system and a design which optimises the orientation and sizing of openings to promote passive heating of the building,” said L’Abri.

This residence was designed to reference the region’s historic saltbox-style houses, which originated in 17th-century New England and are still prevalent in this part of Canada.

Situated in a meadow surrounded by protected woodland, the home is laid out in a L-shape and has different roof styles over its perpendicular arms.

“The nature of the site and the local vernacular architecture prompted us to turn to a historical form,” said the studio.

“With a gable roof on the main section and single pitch roof on the lower section, this colonial style takes its name from the lidded containers where salt was once kept above the hearth to keep it dry.”

Nestled into the slope, the house faces south to aid passive solar heating and make the most of views.

Retaining walls made from excavated stone are partially hidden by the landscape, as is a basement garage that only appears on the approach up the gravel driveway.

The ground-floor entrance is marked by a panel of burned cedar cladding – a stark contrast to the rest of the white wood-faced exterior.

The lobby leads through to a central double-height room that the architects describe as the heart of the home.

Occupying the southern wing of the L, this space contains the kitchen, living and dining areas, bathed in light from large windows on three sides.

A pantry is tucked behind the kitchen, which is topped by a mezzanine office accessed from the level above, while a media room and guest room join a bathroom and laundry in the other wing.

The pocket of outdoor space formed by the building’s shape is accessed from both wings and covered by a wooden pergola, shading an al fresco dining area and passively regulating the internal temperature.

Upstairs, three bedrooms and two bathrooms are lined up under the gabled steel roof, connected by a corridor on one side.

Thin window bands in the children’s rooms frame forest views and minimise heat loss on the northern facade.

The majority of the rooms have white walls, black window frames and polished concrete floors. Wooden furniture, kitchen fixtures, stair treads and bannisters add touches of visual warmth.

The architects and contractor worked with a consultant from PHIUS, North America’s largest Passive House Certification, during the design and construction of the house.

Decisions were tested using an energy model, informing the choice of a double-stud structure for above-ground walls and triple-glazed UPVC windows.

Wood siding and cellulose insulation also helped to reduce the building’s carbon footprint.

“This experience confirmed to us that a building can be both aesthetic, in harmony with its environment and extremely efficient,” said L’Abri.

Although it originated in Germany, Passivhaus has gained traction in North America as a standard for many homes and other types of buildings.

Recently completed examples include a cidery in New York’s Catskills Mountains, a townhouse in Brooklyn, and a residence designed by students in South Dakota.

The world’s tallest Passivhaus building is also planned to be constructed in Vancouver.

The photography is by Raphaël Thibodeau.

Project credits:

Architects: L’Abri
Architecture team: Francis M Labrecque, Jérôme Codère, Vincent Pasquier, Antoine Mathys
Contractor: Construction Rocket
PHIUS consultant: Sarah Cobb

The post L’Abri and Construction Rocket complete Saltbox Passive House in Quebec appeared first on Dezeen.

Video game soundtracks, emotional indie, ’90s R&B and more music from the week that was

Yebba: Boomerang

Yebba (aka Abigail Smith) offers yet another taste of her upcoming debut album Dawn with “Boomerang,” a song about toxic relationships, revenge and karma. The West Memphis, Arkansas-based artist co-wrote the song with Tommy Brenneck and Ilsey Juber, and it was produced by Brenneck and Mark Ronson. The track was inspired by a friend of Yebba’s who was in an unhealthy relationship. “As soon as she had a baby, her husband started beating her,” the singer-songwriter explains. “Because I’ve never been married and I’ve never had a kid, the best way I knew how to tell that story was to describe how I feel when I’m blindsided by a relationship, and the shock that comes with that. I walked into this space in my mind where I find the one I love in someone else’s bed, and my mind goes right to violence. It’s the kind of thing where you have so much comfortability with rage, you’re able to think through it logically—like: ‘If I shoot him in the stomach, I’m gonna have to pay his hospital bill, so fuck that. If I shoot him in the head, then I could be convicted of murder. So what am I supposed to do?’ It ends up being a picture of running with your rage, and just trusting that karma will come back around and take care of things for you.”

Aaliyah: Hot Like Fire

Aaliyah’s second album One in a Million (released two years after she escaped her illegal marriage to R Kelly, who produced her 1994 debut) has—20 years after her death—arrived on streaming services. With production from various individuals including Rodney Jerkins, Craig Kallman, Barry Hankerson and Jomo Hankerson, the album sounds just as futuristic and dynamic as it did three decades ago. Aaliyah’s soft and smooth vocals float along the gritty, pounding bass lines. Missy Elliot and Timbaland wrote “4 Page Letter,” a classic R&B ballad. Her cover of Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up,” which features hip-hop legend Slick Rick, added a playful tinge to the album. “If Your Girl Only Knew” blends funk and pop with ’90s R&B. The album’s title track borrows elements from trip-hop and breakbeats akin to drum and bass. “Hot Like Fire” appears on the album twice, with the bonus version featuring Timbaland and Missy Elliott—the former who borrows a snippet of Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner” for his ad-libs. It’s a steady, sultry track from an album—and an artist—whose influence remains boundless.

Sylvie: Falls on Me

Sylvie (aka Drugdealer’s Ben Schwab, with Marina Allen and Sam Burton) follow up their debut single, curiously entitled “Sylvie” (a cover of an obscure ’70s track that inspired their band name), with an original composition, “Falls on Me,” from the same nostalgic vein. “This is the one off the [forthcoming, self-titled] EP that is directly about my life and my growth,” Schwab explains in a statement. “This song to me is about deliverance and a returning home that took me many years to arrive at. Itʼs sung by Marina Allen, who really did such an amazing job delivering the sentiment.”

Japanese Breakfast: Glider

The lead single from the forthcoming original soundtrack for the video game Sable, “Glider” by Japanese Breakfast (aka musician and author Michelle Zauner) entrances through mystical instrumentals and beautiful, call-to-adventure vocals. Zauner composed all 32 songs on the soundtrack, noting that she “wanted the main themes to recall iconic works of Joe Hisaishi and Alan Menken, to fill the listener with the childlike wonder of someone on the precipice of a grand discovery.”

Listen Up is published every Sunday and rounds up the new music we found throughout the week. Hear the year so far on our Spotify channel. Hero courtesy of Sable and Japanese Breakfast

Meet the precariously named Trailerduck, a self-propelled electric trailer that follows the towing vehicle for practical and safe last-mile transportation ideal for urban spaces.

Electric two-wheelers have gained popularity in the last couple of years owing to the increasing traffic in urban spaces and the awareness among users of the impact of fuel-powered vehicles for daily commute. Cargo hauling is one thing that’s a functional use of e-bikes these days for tasks such as transporting groceries or hauling handyman items to a remote location. But e-bike trailers and cargo e-bikes have certain limitations such as maneuverability, payload capacity limits, and overall ease of use.

German startup DroidDrive wants to brush off all the reasons that make users shy away from such trailers with the Trailerduck. This electric-powered cargo trailer is a great option for urban deliveries as it syncs its speed and direction of propulsion with the bicycle or e-bike that’s towing it. This way the four-wheeled trailer is able to haul much more cargo than the current conventional options. In a way, it is a standalone trailer that in the coming years may not even require a towing vehicle to do the job.

Trailerduck is embedded with a system-specific drawbar that has sensors to detect the motion and direction of the bike to accelerate, brake, or make a sharp turn. This allows the bike or bicycle, in particular, to not take the load of pulling the trailer – rather just guide it along to the next destination. The 1-meter wide trailer is capable of carrying a maximum payload of 300 kg, and its size permits travel in bike lanes and highways as well.

DroidDrive is ready to bring this innovative cargo-hauling trailer to the streets in the fourth quarter of 2022 as they are taking pre-orders for Trailerduck. The smart mini trailer will also be available for a monthly rent of approximately $590 – ideal for particular tasks where suck a machine is required.

Even better, the company is currently developing a Ducktrain system that’ll be a platoon of five such Duck trailers. Each of these individual trailers employ LiDAR system to track the vehicle sans any physical link. In around three years’ time, these trailers will get autonomous last-mile transport capability to travel to their destination on their own, safely.

Designer: DroidDrive