Dezeen Showroom:Forbo has expanded its Marmoleum Linear collection of linoleum flooring, which the brand says is carbon neutral and made with all plant-based materials.
Composed of linseed oil, waste wood flour and jute, the Marmoleum Linear flooring features a softly striped design with an organic feel.
Marmoleum Linear features a softly striped pattern inspired by wood grain (top and above)
The new additions to the collection expand its neutral palette with more greys and light tones, bringing the total number of colour options to 16.
Marmoleum Linear’s patterns reference wood but do not try to imitate it. Instead, the designs use the repetition of irregular stripes to create an impression of softness and comfort.
“With this new Linear collection we move away from the institutional look of public spaces and strive to bring the warmth and calm ambience out of home environments,” said Forbo.
Different colours of Marmoleum Linear can be used to mark out spaces
The striped patterning on Marmoleum Linear can be used to create directional and connective design between areas within a building while different colours can be used to mark out spaces such as waiting areas or play corners.
The linoleum flooring is PVC-free and according to Forbo, its production is carbon neutral without the need for offsetting due to the amount of CO2 that is sequestered from the atmosphere by the plants throughout their lifetime.
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Slated for completion in 2026, the 26,000-square-metre mixed-use building is set to become the “largest wooden building in Iceland” once complete.
Living Landscape has been developed by French studio Jakob+MacFarlane and local studio T.ark to give new life to the polluted landscape and offer a prototype for similar future developments in Reykjavík.
“The project recreates a fragment of authentic natural landscape on top of polluted land to compensate for years of pollution and heal the man-made damage to what has once been a beautiful coastal landscape,” Jakob+MacFarlane told Dezeen.
Project is a Reinventing Cities winner
Once complete, the project will contain a mix of housing for students, elderly people and families, alongside workspaces, daycare facilities and local shops.
It is among the 49 winning projects of the Reinventing Cities competition, which was organised by global network C40 Cities to encourage the transformation of underused urban spaces into “beacons of sustainability and resiliency”.
The projects strive to help urban areas meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change by minimising carbon emissions.
Above: Living Landscape will be a low-carbon cross-laminated timber building. Top image: it will transform a landfill site in Iceland
The Reinventing Cities programme encourages projects to minimise both embodied carbon – emissions generated during material production and construction – and operational carbon, which are emissions caused by the building’s usage.
Jakob+MacFarlane and T.ark are aiming for net-zero emissions, meaning the design will eliminate all possible emissions and offset any that cannot be eliminated by removing carbon from the atmosphere.
CLT will reduce embodied carbon “by almost 80 per cent”
According to Jakob+MacFarlane, this will be achieved in part by using a prefabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure.
“The CLT construction reduces the embodied carbon of external walls by almost 80 per cent compared to a typical concrete structure used in Iceland,” the studio explained.
“The [remaining] embodied emissions will be offset through either wetland recovery or forestry, making the building effectively carbon neutral.”
Among the other materials used in the building will be Panoblocs, a type of prefabricated and insulated wall panel with a wooden exterior, which can be easily removed and adapted.
Living Landscapes’ operational carbon emissions are expected to be minimal, due to high levels of insulation and use of waste-heat recovery systems and thermostat-controlled underfloor heating.
However, the energy it will require will be sourced from an existing district electricity and heat network powered by renewable hydropower and geothermal energy sources.
Nature to be reintroduced to site
Reintroducing nature to the old landfill site will also be a key part of the scheme. There will be an undulating roof garden and farm, alongside a large central courtyard designed as a communal park for the residents.
“The idea of living with and around nature is key to our project,” said Jakob+MacFarlane.
The courtyard will be modelled on Icelandic landscapes, incorporating a mix of rocks, water and plants, which is hoped to encourage insects and birds to occupy the site.
“We aim to enable a fully functioning local ecosystem composed of earth and rocks, water and plants, insects and birds,” the studio explained. “Protected from freezing by geothermal heat, this green oasis will develop its own microclimate and, hopefully, become a new generator of life.”
Living Landscape is now being continually developed by Jakob+MacFarlane and T.ark with landscape architects Landslag and environmental experts EFLA.
Another winner of the Reinventing Cities competition was architect Arney Fender Katsalidis, who is developing a low-carbon neighbourhood in Rome. The mixed-use project will transform a disused railway site, make use of biomaterials and will feature reversible buildings.
In a year so dominated by germs and a need to keep society contact-free, Pupsule presents perhaps the easiest and comfortable way to scoop up your pet’s poo while on the move. Shaped like a capsule that houses the poop-bag, a grabber arm, and a container to hold your pet’s waste, Pupsule lets you easily pick up and dispose of waste without needing to carry a shovel, or worse… having to manually grab your pet’s waste with a plastic bag over your hands.
The Pupsule’s name sort of perfectly encapsulates exactly what the product is. Designed like a capsule for your pup, the tiny contraption is perfectly small enough to carry with you on your pet walks. The patent-pending Pupsule comes with a two-part design – an upper half that houses empty plastic bags and a plunger, while the lower half has a 360° grabber arm (controlled by the plunger) and a smell-proof leak-proof area to store the poo until you need to dispose of it.
Using the Pupsule is intuitively simple. Take off its cap, pull out an empty plastic bag and drape it around the grabber arm’s claws, and use the plunger to grab your pet’s waste before wrapping the end of the plastic and putting the cap back on. When you find yourself a suitable trash can to dispose of the waste, all you do is grab the top of the plastic bag, lift it out of the Pupsule, and chuck the bag in… without getting your hands or even the Pupsule dirty.
Aside from its non-contact nature, the convenience of the Pupsule lies in its wonderfully compact design and its ability to work on all surfaces, from the regular concrete and grass to even gravel, sand, or snow, letting you clean up after your pup at the park, on the driveway, or even the beach without worrying about being able to scoop the waste efficiently. The storage chamber on the Pupsule is big enough to store multiple rounds of poo too, and depending on how small or big your pet is, the Pupsule comes in two sizes. Now crowdfunding on Kickstarter, the smaller Pupsule is available for $49, while the larger Pupsule costs $59. Each Pupsule ships with 200 biodegradable disposal bags, a multifunctional lanyard, a wrist-strap, and is guaranteed to reach before Christmas.
You may attract a few awkward stares and curious questions, but all in all, the IGLOO gives you just what you need in a bustling workspace… a quiet space to focus while you work.
The IGLOO models itself on its namesake, the dome-shaped ice structure used by Inuits as shelter. Designed to mount onto practically any office chair (or even a regular or lounge chair), the IGLOO is a stroller-inspired hood that you can open or close as much as you want, depending on how public or private you want your workspace. The adjustable hood gives you a cocoon of sorts, letting you work privately, have video calls in a white bubble (instead of worrying about your background), or even take a nap in your own safe space.
While it may look odd at the first glance (you’re definitely going to get a few initial stares from co-workers and people around you), the folks at Sanoearth designed the IGLOO keeping the concept of Proxemics (interpersonal distance) in mind. Coined by the American anthropologist Edward Twitchell Hall, Proxemics refers to the need to have a ‘personal space’ in public, that people shouldn’t invade or intrude on. While that essentially goes against the very traits of ‘socializing’, the IGLOO is perfect for people who get easily distracted, or introverts who just want to have people around, but not in their face (interestingly enough, it’s worth noting that a lot of office-going women have shown interest in the IGLOO). It’s the equivalent of wearing earphones so other people know not to disturb you…
The IGLOO comes with a universally retrofitting design that attaches onto virtually any chair, from your office’s ergonomic chairs to the regular chairs at the library, and from the armchair at home to the lounge chair on the beach or poolside. Its robust Polypropylene frame can take constant opening and closing (Polypropylene can flex/bend without losing its shape or breaking), and the fabric on top is made from Polyester supported with steel wires, like in most umbrellas.
The fabric won’t really cut sound out, but it’s enough to dampen the murmur of people around you, and even to allow you to have semi-private conversations. The fabric works wonderfully in the sun too, blocking out the direct rays to give you a diffused lighting that’s easy on the eyes.
The IGLOO ships in one single size and takes all of 3 minutes to set up. The fold-out hood can be adjusted at any angle, giving you an open, semi-enclosed, or fully enclosed space. It’s an oddly ideal way to tell people to socially distance from you, giving you your own safe zone to work or relax in… or even for eating food that you don’t want to share with other people!
Call it probably the most Gen-Z product ever, but the Wireless Charger for Twitch really helps pass a few hours as your phone’s battery gets charged. The wireless charging dock lets you rest your phone at an angle that’s easy to view, and a keyboard comprising 11 mechanical keys lets you send emojis right into the Twitch chatroom while you’re watching a stream. Call it the most entertaining wireless charger ever made.
The design was developed around emotes that best capture Twitch’s unique meme culture. Each key is emblematic of an emoji, and the keycaps can easily be replaced to choose which emojis you want on your keyboard – a feature that translates right into the app, letting you customize your inputs. The minute you dock your phone in place, a tiny NFC chip beside the charging coil connects the Twitch keyboard to your phone. The keyboard works as a Bluetooth input device, letting you comment in memes and emojis as you watch a stream. Spare keycaps can be turned into keychain attachments, letting you wear your Twitch allegiance as a badge on your person.
Designed as a promotional content piece for Twitch Korea, the Wireless Charger for Twitch is sadly just a concept… although any engineer worth their salt could easily hack together a gadget like this and publish the schematics on Reddit. If you do, however, happen to build this little bad boy out, don’t hesitate to drop us a line and share your creation!
The offices of the Casa Leyros tequila distillery are located in stone buildings arranged around tranquil courtyards by Mexican firm 1540 Arquitectura.
Situated in the town of Tequila in Mexico’s Jalisco province, the small office building was designed by Guadalajara-based studio 1540 Arquitectura for roughly 20 employees.
The Casa Leyros distillery offices comprises cubes clad in local stone
The design draws influence from the courtyard houses prevalent in the area, with the intention to create more welcoming and casual workspaces.
“From the local architecture, we took as reference the multiple courtyards and gardens found in the typical houses and haciendas, which refresh the interior and at the same time are pleasant to see, an aspect we consider important for a workspace,” said 1540 Arquitectura.
Conference rooms are wrapped in glass, contrasting the rest of the building
The low-slung building is organised by a central corridor that provides access to offices on either side, housed within stone-covered cube shapes that delineate courtyards in between them.
“The corridor becomes a space that seeks casual encounters between all the workers in the company,” the studio said.
Interiors are designed to feel homey, with wood panelling and furniture
Breaking up the building’s program into these individual boxes allows each office to enjoy views of a courtyard, according to architect Jaime Castillo of 1540 Arquitectura.
Matching the area’s relatively dry climate, the landscape surrounding the building is filled with resilient plants and cacti that thrive with little maintenance.
“In addition, these gardens become visible in the route through the central corridor, producing an alternation between mass and emptiness,” the architect added.
The offices range from private suites to small rooms for collaborative work. At either end of the corridor, two large conference rooms housed in glazed volumes accommodate larger meetings.
A corridor connects the various offices and meeting rooms
The glass contrasts with the Laja stone, a material prevalent in the region, used to clad the other volumes.
“We are interested and inspired by the stones visible in the cuts of the hills caused by the passage of the roads, which reveal the material that is in the subsoil of the area,” Castillo explained.
The residential look of the interiors is intended to feel casual and welcoming
The interiors are also more evocative of a cosy house than of an office setting.
With the exception of the conference rooms, most of the interior surfaces are lined with wood panels. Deep leather couches, brass lighting, and stone countertops reinforce this warm palette.
1540 Arquitectura modelled the design on the courtyard houses found across the region
1540 Arquitectura was established in 2015, in the nearby city of Guadalajara.
A battery-assisted luxe bicycle designed for the urban commuter who demands nothing less than the best in their experience of things they own.
Hopping on a bicycle for your early day commute is still the most efficient, environment-friendly and in most cases the fastest option. The number of bicycle riders is going to double in the coming decade owing to all the good reasons – more so in the crowded cities and urban centers. No one can deny the number of options when it comes to the most eco-friendly option for commuting on the planet, but are they all practical enough?
This prompted designer Franz Cerwinka to rethink the next generation of luxury bicycling that’s perfectly in tune with high-tech features. Thus came into existence the Pilot bicycle designed for the upcoming 5-10 years. Franz set out on designing the bicycle by conducting extensive interviews and testing phases. Interactions with bike owners, students or other people who ride their bikes for daily commutes led to the final design. Talking of shaping and modeling the two-wheeler, this bit took the most chunk of the effort since it was a one-man job.
The final design centered on a lightweight 7005 series aluminum frame and the striking hubless wheel characteristics. To finalize the hubless wheel design that is functional to the last detail, Franz took help from his mechanical engineering colleagues. In the end, the off-center axle design had the additional gear to spin the wheels at proper rate with pedaling motion. This is assisted by the onboard motor for that extra boost on inclines when the throttle is pressed. The Pilot bicycle finally came to life after countless edits and alterations to the design. The next step was to finalize the colors, materials and finishes.
Pilot can be controlled fully with the compatible app – right from locking the bike to controlling the built-in lights or securing the battery module. On-board guidance and navigation are left to the center console (wireless charging capable) on the handlebar which docks the smartphone just like a mobile gamepad. The app displays all the real-time information such as speed, distance, calories burned, and more. The battery pack can be easily detached/swapped for external charging/secondary battery replacement.
User safety is paramount so, the bicycle gets a tandem of lights and wheel reflectors to keep other motorists well informed of the Pilot rider. To extend the functionality further, the bicycle gets a rear housing attachment that connects to the bike’s hubless wheels for added storage space. Another adapter can be attached to third-party bicycle accessories like kids trailers or wagons.
UK housing secretary Michael Gove is expected to approve the construction of the 300-metre-high Tulip tower, overruling London mayor Sadiq Khan’s previous decision to refuse planning permission for the building.
The controversial decision has sparked debate amongst commenters, who have dubbed it “The Covid-19 Swab”.
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We’re happy to report that we’re wrapping up the shipments of the 2021 Core77 Design Awards trophies to all our winning entries this week. The production and fulfillment process has many steps, so it is important for us to work with partners who we trust will deliver a world class product along with an eye for precision and perfection. That’s why we are thrilled to once again work with the experts at 3ERP as our fabricator of choice.
Our Core77 Design Awards trophies are more than a decorative emblem of each winner’s success. To reflect the multitude of people involved in shaping winning designs, the we crafted the trophy as a tool for recognition, both symbolically and literally. As a functional mold, the trophy can be used to manufacture additional casts, allowing each member of the team to be individually honored for their contribution.
Here’s a video and a few photos of the production process, as well as photos of the finished product for your enjoyment:
3ERP is a perfect match for our awards not only for their high-quality fabrications, but also their ability to manufacture in low volumes. Their fabrication team happily takes on our batch of 39 individually customized trophies and delivers with an extra-high quality finish. This year’s aluminum trophies were produced using precision CNC milling combined with careful hand finishing for a beautiful result.
And turnaround is fast—after files are delivered, it simply takes a matter of a few weeks for a digital file to transform into a high-quality product shipped out to our awards winners. So cheers to another fantastic year of the Core77 Design Awards, and all of our partners like 3ERP that make celebrating designers’ hard work possible.
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