Hasta La Ideas

This Flip90 Pickup, from German manufacturer ICC Offroad, is a bed-replacing camping unit that unfurls 90 degrees to extend its interior space:

This provides a sort of foyer tall enough to stand up in, and into which you can pull out the telescoping kitchenette unit.

The space over the truck’s chassis becomes the sleeping surface.

The manufacturer says the unfurled portion of the unit also contains a shower and toilet, but the fact that they do not show photos of these speaks volumes.

For those not willing to sacrifice their truck’s bed, or if you prefer a 2-bedroom set-up, they also sell a trailer version:

The truck-bound Flip90 goes for € 29,990 (USD $34,930), and the trailer runs €22,900 (USD $26,674). Prices, obviously, do not include the truck.

Steven Holl Architects has completed a cultural and health centre in Shanghai, comprising a pair of concrete buildings punctured by irregular openings that are set within a landscaped park.

The firm headed by architect Steven Holl designed the Cofco Cultural and Health Center in 2016 for a site next to the Punan Canal in Shanghai’s Fengxian District.

The area is dominated by rows of uniform apartments blocks, so Holl designed the project as a “social condenser” that helps to bring the community together by providing a new public space.

“While the housing blocks are repetitive and extensive, here the architecture is of spatial energy and openness,” the studio said, “inviting the whole community in for recreational and cultural programmes while health needs are provided by the integral health building.”

Holl explained that the project’s use of green space and its attempts at maximising fresh air and natural light embody how his firm has adapted its approach in response to health concerns raised during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“To work on architecture for culture and health is a social commitment, much needed in our current moment, as we continue to feel the global impacts of the pandemic,” the architect pointed out.

The design of the landscape and the two new public buildings reference philosopher Karl Popper’s 1965 lecture Of Clouds and Clocks, which explores the evolutionary model of free will.

The landscaping at the Cofco Cultural and Health Center is organised as a series of clock-like circles, including a central courtyard and a wildflower garden that are both separated into quadrants by pathways.

The buildings are described as being “cloud-like in their porosity and openness” with their light-grey concrete volumes punctured by irregular openings that expose the interiors.

The cultural centre features a transparent base lined with glazed walls that allow views into the cafe, games area and communal activity space on the ground floor.

Visitors can also enter the building using a gently curving ramp that leads from the central courtyard to an entrance set into a three-storey glazed opening.

The entrance provides access to a library, internet service area and a large auditorium on the first floor. The two upper floors accommodate sports and game facilities including badminton courts, a pingpong room and a gymnasium.

A circular void punched into the centre of the building is lined with translucent glass panels that allow daylight to filter into the internal circulation areas. An external stair weaves its way through the void, providing access to each level.

Similarly to the Cultural Center, the Health Center located on the opposite side of the courtyard also features a concave facade that follows the outline of the circular central space.

The Health Center contains a curving central atrium that extends the full height of the building and is topped with a translucent roof light.

A lobby arranged around the atrium on the ground floor is connected to the upper levels by a curving staircase.

The ground floor also accommodates a waiting area, pharmacy and consultation rooms, with the treatment areas, administrative facilities and breakout areas located on the upper floors.

Both of the buildings have green sedum roofs that help them merge with the landscape when seen from above and from the surrounding apartment buildings.

Holl’s architectural philosophy focuses on responding to the unique characteristics of a building’s site and programmatic requirements. Space, light and materials are manipulated to create places that are strongly connected to their context.

The Cofco project’s combination of geometric volumes and organically shaped cutouts is reminiscent of some of the architect’s earlier work, including the Hunters Point Library in New York City.

The firm’s design for the Museum of Fine Arts Houston features a roof formed of multiple concave curved sections which it claimed was “imagined from cloud circles”.

The photography is courtesy of Aogvision.

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American filmmaker Nathan Eddy has documented the efforts to preserve a brutalist laboratory in Berlin that is threatened with demolition in a short movie. 

Named Battleship Berlin, the 40-minute film is currently available to watch on König Galerie’s website. It documents both the efforts to save the concrete  Mäusebunker building and the opposition to conserving the structure.

Mäusebunker, which translates as Mouse Bunker, was designed by German architects Gerd and Magdalena Hänska for the purpose of animal research. It was built between 1971 and 1981.

After becoming vacant in 2010, the building is now threatened with demolition. However, campaigns to save the building have put plans to demolish the building on hold.

The Institute for Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, a building adjacent to Mäusebunker that features in the film, was listed for protection in January after also being under threat.

Berlin-based Eddy said that the conflicting opinions over the future of Mäusebunker became an “inevitable” subject for a film.

These contrasting opinions are aired throughout the Battleship Berlin film, as it jumps between various interviewees who are either for or against preserving the building.

“In the case of the Mäusebunker and Battleship Berlin, it was inevitable that I was going to make a film about it as soon as it exploded into view in front of me,” he told Dezeen.

“The conflict between the two opposing mindsets – preservation or demolition – is always the key storytelling element.”

Among those keen for demoloition is Axel Radlack Pries, the dean of the Charité hospital that owns the building.

Pries, who described the laboratory as “a huge concrete monster – a nightmare transformed into matter”, believes that  the site is an opportunity for a new building that will help Berlin “regain its competitive edge”.

However, the founder of König Galerie, Johann König, disagreed. He said it is possible to both “make use of what’s there and also create something new”.

As one of the people fighting to save the structure, König offered the example of the König Galerie – a gallery and cultural hub that he created within an old brutalist church in Berlin.

Throughout Battleship Berlin, Eddy captures the building from all angles, spotlighting its distinctive triangular form, projecting blue pipework and large triangular windows.

However, the lesser-known details of the building, such as its heavily tiled interiors and the proximity to the Institute for Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, are also shown.

While shedding light on history and threats that face the building, he hopes the film can help “spotlight the cultural value of brutalist architecture” around the world.

A similar ambition led him to direct The Absent Column, a film about the Prentice Women’s Hospital by Betrand Goldberg in Chicago.

“My goal in making these films is to help people see the buildings in a new light, to help people develop an aesthetic and historic appreciation for this style of architecture, to explain the why and the how, to place brutalism in the proper context,” he explained.

“These are not easy buildings to love, they are downright loathed by many, but they are important and they are unique. But they are, admittedly, difficult to repurpose,” he continued.

Brutalist architecture is typically characterised by bold monolithic forms cast from exposed concrete. It is considered one of the 20th century’s most controversial architectural styles.

The style soared in popularity in the 1950s during the post-war rebuilding of the UK, reaching its peak internationally in the mid-1970s.

“Even for those who consider themselves fans of architecture, brutalism is still a tough sell,” Eddy said.

“Therein lies the challenge, but I like an uphill battle, and a chance to change minds.”

He added that while preserving architectural heritage, protecting brutalist buildings from demolition also needs to stop for environmental reasons.

“This relentless cycle of demolition and new construction, which extremely resource-intensive, needs to stop,” he explained.

“Preservation can be pitched as contributing to sustainability and helping reduce resource and material consumption,” he added. “I don’t think that’s emphasised enough.”

His thoughts are echoed in the film by Christoph Rauhut, head of conservation at the Berlin Heritage Protection Authority.

Preserving the Mäusebunker is “also about protecting the environment”, he said, as it prevents “additional energy being used to construct new buildings”.

Battleship Berlin is available to stream on König Galerie until 31 October. Throughout November and December, it will be made available to watch as part of the Architecture & Design Film Festival.

In 2017, Eddy also directed a film called Starship Chicago that protests the demolition of Helmut Jahn’s Thompson Center in Chicago, which is considered one of the city’s best examples of the postmodern architecture style.

Tim Verlaan, an assistant professor at the Amsterdam Centre for Urban History, recently told Dezeen that brutalist buildings are currently threatened by right-wing politicians as part of an “attack on the welfare state”.

“Today, criticism on brutalism and modernism is mostly voiced by those on the far-right side of the political spectrum, precisely because of the association between modernism and the post-war welfare state,” he explained.

However, Catherine Croft, director of the Twentieth Century Society, believes that brutalist buildings are typically demolished “because developers think they can put something bigger and more lucrative on the site”.

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This weekend the world’s governments come together to move forward plans to tackle climate change at the COP26 summit. Ten architects and designers who are heading to Glasgow told Dezeen about their hopes and fears for the conference.

The hugely anticipated 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26), also known as the UN Climate Change Conference, kicks off in Glasgow on Sunday and the stakes could scarcely be higher.

The two-week event “marks a critical juncture for humanity”, said Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) president Simon Allford.

Leading architecture and design figures attending the summit expressed concerns that the built environment is not being talked about enough, as well as calling for clear, achievable targets to bring down greenhouse gas emissions.

They agreed that greater action is needed to tackle issues like embodied carbon while urging architects to think more about circularity through their work.

Read on for their pre-conference thoughts.

“I hope for bold and achievable targets” says Glasgow architect Becca Thomas

Why are you attending COP26? As a resident and someone who runs an architecture practice in the city, it very much feels that COP26 has come to us. It really feels like this is a great moment to amplify the sorts of great content and conversation that have been happening locally as Glasgow becomes a global stage for vital discussions about the future of the planet.

What do you hope the conference will achieve? I hope for bold and achievable targets with clear routes to delivery, anything else is more talk when we need action.

In particular, I would like for there to be a significant change in the approach to active travel and a solution to the ongoing reliance on and celebration of the private motor vehicle.

Is there an issue you’re concerned could be overlooked? The impact of private residences on emissions. This is a huge sector that feels quite challenging to address especially where large material and financial outlays might be required to insulate and re-engineer our homes to be fit for the future.

What more could governments be doing to help architects and designers reduce emissions? For our practice, the single biggest political issue is VAT on renovations. When we build as a practice, we predominantly work with communities to bring their spaces back into active use from dereliction or decay. Whilst new builds benefit from a 0 per cent rate, our projects take a 20 per cent hit on doing the ‘right’ thing which can have a knock on effect on the quality and scope of the finished projects.

What more could architects and designers be doing to reduce emissions? We need to be extremely considerate of how and why we build. Always new and always more can never be sustainable, but that is the very premise of what the majority of our industry do. We need to slow down and think carefully and consciously about what we build, why we build and if a building is always the right solution.

Becca Thomas is creative director of New Practice.

“This should be time for architects to shine” says London-based architect Andrew Waugh

Why are you attending COP26? I’m presenting at a couple of events around COP, I think it’s really important to be involved – to fight to be involved. There isn’t nearly enough focus on the built environment at COP – so we need to make sure our voice is heard. I’m also really intrigued to actually experience a global event like this!

What do you hope the conference will achieve? Consensus – an understanding and an agreement about the desperate state we’re in – and perhaps even an optimism of what a greener future could bring.

Is there an issue you’re concerned could be overlooked? The built environment. The industry has been relegated to an afternoon on the last working day of the conference and the fault for that lies with our industry – we’re just not putting the effort into the transformation necessary, still fiddling around the edges and celebrating the same old shiny boxes.

What more could governments be doing to help architects and designers reduce emissions? Legislation, funding and support. Proper reporting of our greenhouse gas emissions based on what we consume – not what we produce.
There should be confident embodied carbon regulations, carbon taxes, no more peddling of fatuous net-zero targets. How about published carbon emissions on the front of every project? Planetary health warnings like on a cigarette packet?

What more could architects and designers be doing to reduce emissions? Say no to new buildings when possible, don’t build basements, be resource efficient in design decisions, collaborate, share ideas, use bio-based and re-used materials, re-frame notions of success in design! Be passionate and enthusiastic about regenerative design – and design with real purpose. Take a deep breath and be different. This should be the time for architects to shine.

Andrew Waugh is director at Waugh Thistleton Architects.

“COP26 marks a critical juncture for humanity” says RIBA president Simon Allford

Why are you attending COP26? COP26 marks a critical juncture for humanity. With the built environment responsible for 38 per cent of global energy-related carbon emissions, we must massively reduce our carbon output. Now.

We’re attending COP to demonstrate that the built environment is ready and willing to make the changes needed to remain within planetary limits – but we need the government’s help. We can’t do it alone.

What do you hope the conference will achieve? COP should raise global interest and concern about the impact of the built environment on the planet – and push for government support. The Cities, Regions and Built Environment Day [on 11 November] is a nod to this, but current government policies, such as [last] week’s Heat and Buildings Strategy continue to fall short of what’s required to reach net-zero.

Is there an issue you’re concerned could be overlooked? Embodied carbon. As the electricity and gas grid continue to decarbonise, the embodied carbon emissions of most new buildings created between now and 2050 will be greater than those emissions released through energy use during the building’s lifetime. But in the Heat and Buildings Strategy, it wasn’t even mentioned.

What more could governments be doing to help architects and designers reduce emissions? Current building codes and regulations focus almost exclusively on the energy use of new buildings but do not regulate actual energy use. We know that buildings sometimes do not perform as predicted during the design process, so we must regulate their in-use operational energy performance.

Embodied carbon also remains almost entirely unregulated and there’s currently too little government encouragement to reuse and retrofit our existing building stock.

What more could architects and designers be doing to reduce emissions? We cannot tackle global climate and biodiversity emergencies without changing the way we design and construct buildings. We’ve also got to prioritise reuse and retrofit where possible and – as an entire sector – we must commit to breaking down silos and sharing knowledge to scale-up capabilities. We need government support, but we can also do a lot on our own.

Simon Allford is president of the RIBA and executive director at London, Bristol and Oklahoma City-based studio Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM). He will be sharing recommendations from the RIBA and Architects Declare’s recent report, Built for the Environment.

“We need to build once for the future” says RIAS president Christina Gaiger

Why are you attending COP26? I am attending COP26 on behalf of, and as president of the RIAS. All building has a substantial carbon footprint and our members across Scotland are committed to supporting the government and communities to change this.

What do you hope the conference will achieve? I hope that COP26 will acknowledge and place due importance on the role of the built environment in the challenges that lie ahead. The climate emergency alongside the global pandemic has highlighted how important design is for people, homes, buildings and places.

Is there an issue you’re concerned could be overlooked? Circularity. The construction industry currently consumes half of all our raw materials and produces half of our waste.

What more could governments be doing to help architects and designers reduce emissions? Policies need to match our priorities and be supported by a procurement system that delivers a high-quality built environment. We need to build once for the future.

What more could architects and designers be doing to reduce emissions? Architects have the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions and design with a carbon-conscious approach. For example, we can prioritise re-use, consider circularity and select materials that have a light touch on the environment. However, we cannot do this alone. There needs to be a supportive procurement system and a market-driven or regulatory stimulus in order for this approach and critical skill set not to be value engineered!

Christina Grainger is president of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS). The portrait is by Angus Bremner.

“We need action and we need it now” says Anab Jain of London design studio Superflux

Why are you attending COP26? I am attending just a couple of days at COP26, specifically at the New York Times Climate Hub. We at Superflux helped IKEA to translate their climate solutions and net-zero commitments into an action-based exhibition being presented at the New York Times Climate Hub.

What do you hope the conference will achieve? Actionable commitments that leaders can deliver in their time at the office. Long term pledges are important, but we need action and we need it now. I hope the conference can create the roadmap for action for this decade.

Is there an issue you’re concerned could be overlooked? According to experts, the summit will fail to result in pledges that could limit global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius. It’s very worrying.

What more could governments be doing to help architects and designers reduce emissions? Incentivise net-zero schemes, ensure a good supply of sustainable materials, commend best practices – there is so much the government can do!

What more could architects and designers be doing to reduce emissions? Reduce carbon emissions. Stop using unsustainable materials, design for circularity, design within planetary boundaries, embrace a more-than-human perspective. The list is endless.

Anab Jain is co-founder and director at Superflux.

“I fear that some of the more challenging priorities will fall by the wayside” says UK Green Building Council boss Julie Hirigoyen

Why are you attending COP26? I will take every opportunity to put the built environment front and first as a critical solution to be embraced by state and non-state actors alike and I’m delighted that the important work of Green Building Councils globally has been recognised as critical and is featured in the COP26 conference programming.

What do you hope the conference will achieve? I hope COP26 is recognised as a critical tipping point in the fight against climate change – one that sees finance, business, cities, and civil society all accelerating their leadership and action towards net zero carbon. We need to see more granular plans for the complete decarbonisation of buildings and infrastructure emerging soon after COP26.

Is there an issue you’re concerned could be overlooked? I fear that some of the more challenging yet crucial priorities such as improving energy efficiency of existing assets and tackling the embodied carbon within construction processes will fall by the wayside. Tackling issues as huge as how we’re going to retrofit close to two homes per minute over the coming 30 years will not disappear because they’re difficult or complex.

What more could governments be doing to help architects and designers reduce emissions? Governments must update policy frameworks to embed a culture of design for performance, rather than design for compliance. This would create an outcomes-based approach that drives architects and designers to innovate and develop the best solutions for their specific projects.

Additionally, governments must regulate for the whole life carbon of buildings, starting with mandatory measurement on larger projects and quickly move to set embodied carbon limits for different building types.

What more could architects and designers be doing to reduce emissions? They must champion ambitious energy use and embodied carbon targets in project briefs, as well as promoting a design-for-performance approach. They should also help shift demand away from high embodied carbon, new construction to one that prioritises circularity, design for deconstruction and reuse with emphasis on low carbon design.

Finally, they should prioritise the gathering of post-occupancy data to evaluate building performance and generate the feedback loop that is needed to rapidly share net-zero carbon knowledge across projects and the wider industry.

Julie Hirigoyen is chief executive of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC). UKGBC has put together a virtual pavilion for COP26 with more than 100 partners called Build Better Now.

“The 2020s will be a make-or-break decade” says Hélène Chartier of international network C40 Cities

Why are you attending COP26? C40 is one of the leading organisations on climate change – over the years it has become the voice of mayors on the international stage and a key support for cities to act on the ground. It is therefore important for us to be there. COP26 will be key not only to engage the national governments but also for the mobilisation of society as a whole.

What do you hope the conference will achieve? I hope this COP will move climate action from a peripheral issue to the central organising principle of society. It is also essential that COP26 better prescribes the tools and financial resources for implementation.

Lastly, a focus on adaptation is necessary. Even if the temperature rise is kept below 2 degrees celsius, which is unlikely, the consequences will be extreme. We have to get prepared.

Is there an issue you’re concerned could be overlooked? It is important to consider all greenhouse-gas emissions, including the Scope 3 emissions which are the indirect emissions generated in the value chain from the goods and services, including those from raw materials, manufacturing, distribution, retail and disposal. For decades, we have been neglecting the impact of Scope 3 emissions on the main targets and strategies set by national and local governments.

It is now key to address these emissions and to allocate them to the final consumers of those goods and services, rather than to the original producers, especially for the built environment sector which must better tackle embodied emissions from construction.

What could governments be doing to help architects and designers reduce emissions? The first thing would be to require lifecycle emissions assessments (LCA) from all constructions. Then, they must set the right reduction targets and give visibility for the future so the industry can be prepared.

To align with the objectives of the Paris agreement, ambitious targets would be to ensure new buildings operate at net-zero carbon by 2030 and have all buildings do so by 2050, and reduce embodied emissions by 50 per cent for all new buildings and major retrofits by 2030, and aim at a 30 per cent reduction by 2025.

What more could architects and designers be doing to reduce emissions? First, all architects should educate themselves on LCA. Good digital tools are now available to run carbon assessments within a design model. With these tools, it is now possible to put emission reduction goals at the heart of design practice.

Hélène Chartier is head of zero-carbon development at C40 Cities.

“You have to think about it at your next design meeting” says Tokyo-based architect Mark Dytham

Why are you attending COP26? I’m attending COP26 with PechaKucha, our global show and tell format, as a part of ‘After the Pandemic’, a creative and cultural fringe event at Strath Union in the heart of Glasgow.

What do you hope the conference will achieve? We hope it will continue to raise awareness in young people, the next generation who just want us to get on with it and make clear, tangible steps to stop climate change.

Is there an issue you’re concerned could be overlooked? Time. We have to do this now, you have to think about it at your next design meeting. What can we do today that will have an impact, however small?

What more could governments be doing to help architects and designers reduce emissions? They need to support core ideas to help us rethink, reimagine and redesign our community and environments to be greener, more resilient and more vibrant – the key goals of the After the Pandemic event at COP26.

What more could architects and designers be doing to reduce emissions? Less is more. Use less to build more. We have to redefine architecture and interiors by using less – we live on a finite planet.

Mark Dytham is co-founder of Klein Dytham Architecture.

“As architects it’s important to make our voice heard” say Paris-based architects Dominique Jakob and Brendan MacFarlane

Why are you attending COP26? As architects, it’s important to make our voice heard at this forum so that it’s not just governments and institutions making crucial decisions for this planet on our behalf.

What do you hope the conference will achieve? The objective of COP would be to achieve international agreement of how we will be collectively meeting the key target – to limit global warming to the lowest possible level. Having the second biggest carbon emitter, the US, on board of COP26, is a huge step forward.

At the same time, China and India, respectively the first and the third largest greenhouse gas emitters, haven’t confirmed their commitment yet, which weakens the potential of a truly global climate deal.

Is there an issue you’re concerned could be overlooked? The big message we are getting from a lot of people around the world is that we are still talking while we need to be acting. Action has started, but that’s not enough, and we believe that solutions should be found – probably including some economic and political measures – so that non-committing would no longer be an option.

What more could governments be doing to help architects and designers reduce emissions? What we need is a coordinated policy, legislation that provides strict regulations about the use of non-polluting, non-petrochemical-based materials with a gradual ban on environmentally harmful products – and, on the other hand, incentivises the use of environmentally friendly materials. Unless this happens, we’re never going to get out of a vicious cycle, because people will always opt for what they already know.

What more could architects and designers be doing to reduce emissions? Polluting materials have been named, and architects have a role of refusing to use these products and opting for cleaner alternatives instead. Currently, many of the alternatives are more expensive, but as soon as the demand for such products goes up, the costs should come down. We do have a choice. Of course, in some cases, the transition will be gradual, but that’s the general direction in which our profession should be pushing more actively.

Dominique Jakob and Brendan MacFarlane are founders of Jakob+MacFarlane. At COP26, the studio is presenting a project called TongAbove created with Tongan artist and activist Uili Lousi. The portrait is by Alexandre Tabaste.

COP26 will take place at SEC Centre in Glasgow from 1 to 12 November 2021. See Dezeen Events Guide for all the latest information you need to know to attend the event, as well as a list of other architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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Since its foundation in 1976, Apple has been always been at the peak of modern innovation! And let’s take a moment to appreciate all the awesome products and inspiration Apple has provided us with. The groundbreaking tech giant never fails to surprise us, we always find ourselves biting our nails and squirming with curiosity, whenever Apple announces a new product launch! Their ingenious and mesmerizing designs and design philosophy have inspired and influenced designers all over the world, resulting in some pretty unique Apple concepts! These Apple-inspired designs are the best of the lot and a dream for every Apple lover. Although we’re pretty satisfied after Apple’s latest launches, we can’t help but just hope that Apple converts these into a reality soon as well!

Taiseer created Drop to make file transferring and storage between Apple devices even easier. Drop operates as a wireless USB Type C and offline external flash drive and an AirDrop file transfer and Thunderbolt 3 data transfer device. Drop is a standalone Apple-inspired device that operates as a flash drive, storage device, and file transfer cable. Users can AirDrop files from their iPhones or MacBooks to Drop where the files can be stored or transferred to another, Apple or non-Apple, device. When users have a file they’d like to transfer to and store with Drop, they can AirDrop the file the same way they’d AirDrop media from one iPhone to another. With the file stored on Drop, the user can either keep it for safe storage or plug it into their MacBook’s USB Type C port to open the file on their laptops. Alternatively, users can store files offline using DropDrive, a feature that creates a folder on the user’s iPhone to store media files, where the files remain until Drop is brought back online.

Deskpod was born out of a one-hour study of Apple design language, taking to the iconic brand’s most modern designs to create a sleek, yet bold speakers concept. Stretching the speaker’s fabric around its curved frame, Waxman warped the fabric into a parabolic shape to maximize audio output. The unique design would pair nicely with most Apple products and bring a bold pop of color to every home office. Speaking on the design, Waxman describes, “The bold colors and simple geometry make the speakers pop off the background. The simplicity and high contrast of the speakers make them a bold addition to any space.”

Called the Apple iLine, it comes in two versions – the Apple iLine and the Apple iLine mini which is smaller than your MacBook. The iLine normal version has a detachable pole that attaches to the footboard when you need to head to the grocery store in a jiffy. The iLine mini only has a footboard and three wheels. The future-proof commuter keeps up with Apple’s design philosophy, as the designer incorporates the Apple button shape on top of the pole to switch On/Off the personal commuter. This button also doubles as the user identification tool, as the user touches the middle of the touch screen controller to authenticate. The liner shape on the front and back has the backlight for nighttime commuting.

The new iPod Nano paves its own path forward with a fresh new design that’s instantly distinguishable from the iPhone. It sports a circular UI that Copellino designed from scratch too, borrowing elements from the Apple Watch. It also comes with a circular display that looks just marginally smaller than the one used on the HomePod Mini. What I really enjoy about the new iPod Nano is that it looks different but feels the same. Classic iPods came with round jog-wheels that established a circular interaction, and the new iPod Nano’s circular display just carries that forward. Its puck-like design is comfortable to hold and comes with a clip on the back that makes it easy to secure your music player around your pocket.

Taking the liberty to experiment with this design, ConceptsiPhone has created extreme renders of how the next-generation Apple phones should be. The insane renders of the iPhone 14 with a sliding concept are far and above what Apple would likely have in mind at this point. The biggest upgrade to the iPhone, many would trust, will be a folding form factor, which will be a stark difference to its image, and give fanboys a little more to consider as they weigh their options. In such a scenario, a Nokia-style sliding keyboard would make more sense than a book-like folding phone. If you are from the same school of assumptions; this new concept with a second slider screen will be a definite yes.

Designer, Iván Antón has come up with an Apple TV 2021 concept, which comes with a wall plug built-in. Now that’s full marks for the compact build, but the practicality is debatable until we have something like this to use. Taking nothing away from the vision, I’m impressed with the concept of Apple TV’s ability to interact with Siri without the need for a remote. Furthermore, the new concept also integrates the MagSafe charger into the Apple TV unit, so the compatible remote can now be charged conveniently by sticking it to the back of the set-top box. With a built-in wall plug, the Apple TV concept removes the need for a power cable, and thus the power cable slot from the bottom of the device has also vanished.

Prosser decided to drop a pretty big bombshell. His leak is of the iPhone 14, which isn’t due till 2022. Prosser says he’s been in touch with supply chain workers who have shared images of the new phone with him and has then used those images to create renders that fully do justice to the design. The design in question, celebrates the 10th anniversary of the popular iPhone 4, with a similar flat-edge design, a flat camera module underneath a glass back, and a metal rim running along the sides. A noteworthy upgrade, however, is the presence of 3 rear camera lenses, and the disappearance of the divisive notch, which has plagued the iPhone’s design for nearly 5 years if you count the notched iPhone 13 that drops next week.

Designer Andrea Copellino gives us a reason to dream of a future Apple gadget that’ll revive the good old times when listening to favorite songs was such a liberating experience. This he does to celebrate the two decades of the iPod Classic this year. The cool concept is a spitting image of the iPhone 12 Pro unique design highlighted by the shimmering metal stainless steel body and the flat sides with contoured edges. Talk of the Apple’s MP3 player and how one could forget the haptic feedback of the click wheel – so, Andrea’s design brings back that element with an added touch of the Apple Remote for uniqueness. It’s so cool I want it right away.

Meet the world’s only USB-C iPhone (that we know of), hacked together by Ken Pillonel, a master’s degree student in robotics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. At the very heart of Ken’s solution is a redesigned PCB ribbon cable that fits inside the iPhone X, replacing the lightning charging PCB. Ken’s initial experiments from 5 months ago involved using a breadboard to work out the circuitry, before he actually fabricated a pretty professional-looking ribbon PCB that could actually fit inside the iPhone’s housing, sandwiching itself between the other components. The outer chassis of the iPhone had to be CNC machined too, to fit the new, wider port. Ken’s working on a much more in-depth video to showcase his final result and the process behind it, but he decided to give the world a taste of his prototype in a short YouTube snippet.

How the next exciting iPhone will look is anybody’s guess, for now, to be frank, but industrial designer Laci Lacko believes it could be a radical leap with its roots tracing back to the iPhone 7 series. That similar rounded side design lends it a thin feel in hand. Surprisingly, the designer doesn’t give us a peek into the front of the device, but going by the rumor mill, it should have minimal (as compared to iPhone 13) or no notch at all. What’s highlighted in this concept phone is the rear camera module. A big protruding single 35mm lens setup that has an f1.2 i aperture sensor promises the ultimate photography experience. Something comparable to a DSLR. The lens is so big, it almost feels like an add-on to the sleek body frame of the imagined iPhone.