Florida Man Uses Recycling Bin as Alligator Capture Device

Florida resident Eugene Bozzi is officially the bravest man in the world. When his Orange County lakeside community received an unwanted visit from an alligator, the quick-thinking Bozzi realized a nearby recycling bin would be a good way to capture it:

I’m stunned at how well it went off, seemingly by accident. You could not design a trap and operating instructions to be this effective. My after-action report:

1. The alligator clearly does not want to go into the bin, but Bozzi suddenly scoots the bin forward, getting its head inside.

2. Bozzi, who is unable to see the gator from his perspective behind the bin, then swings the lid shut, perhaps thinking the alligator is fully inside the can, when it is not.

3. The arc traveled by the lid causes it to hit the ‘gator in the back. The ‘gator, thinking he is being attacked from behind, then scuttles forward into the bin, allowing Bozzi to close it.

Just perfect timing.

For those worried, the alligator did not appear to suffer any injuries. In the full video here you can see Bozzi wheeling the bin down towards the lake, where he opens the lid. After a few seconds, the ‘gator slithers out and wanders into the underbrush.

Design Entrepreneurs, Take Note: Smart, Low-Cost 3D-Printed Objects to Make Camping Easier

Here’s a great example of a design entrepreneur with a 3D printer, and how they were able to parlay some good design ideas based on their hobbies into a successful Etsy shop.

The aptly-named TreeHugger Systems came up with this simple, 3D-printed $12 hook and bungie system ($12) to keep a backpack up off of the ground:

An even simpler 3D-printed $4 cord wrap:

A $12, lightweight 3D-printed utility knife and cord wrap that integrates an off-the-shelf cheapie compass:

And this simple Camping Gear Plate that goes for $9.60 and keeps things organized in your backpack:

The shop’s sales are in the hundreds and the margins can’t be huge, but the reviews are all solid. All in all, an inspiring example of a guy or gal with good ideas using digital fabrication to start a successful small business. Investigate your hobbies; this could be you!

LXR03 chair by Thijs Smeets for Leolux LX

A pink high-backed LXR03 chair and footstool

Dezeen Showroom: several different fabric and stylistic finishes are available for the LXR03 swivel chair, which Amsterdam designer Thijs Smeets has created for Leolux LX.

The LXR03 armchair is designed by Smeets to be highly customisable, ensuring users can tailor it to suit their interior spaces.

The customisable elements include its upholstery, for which a mix of coloured fabrics and leathers are available and can be applied differently across the front and back of the seat.

A low-backed LXR03 swivel chair
The LXR03 swivel chair is highly customisable

“Thanks to the many styling options, the armchair can easily be tailored to blend in or stand out in any interior,” said Dutch furniture brand Leolux LX.

“For instance, the upholstery for the inside and the outside of the armchair can be selected separately in either leather or fabric.”

An orange high-backed LXR03 chair
It is available with a high or low back

Users can also choose the height of the LXR03’s backrest, which is available in two different sizes, as well as the style of the swivel base.

The lower backrest has been developed for use in more open interiors, while the higher version offers users privacy and an “enclosed sitting experience”, according to Leolux LX.

A low-backed LXR03 chair
A mix of coloured fabrics and leathers are available for its upholstery

The base of the armchair is available in an aluminium or oak finish.

The LXR03 can also be completed with an optional footstool, available in two styles.

Product: LXR03
Designer: Thijs Smeets
Brand: Leolux LX
Contact: info@leolux-lx.com

About Dezeen Showroom: Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen’s huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.

Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.

The post LXR03 chair by Thijs Smeets for Leolux LX appeared first on Dezeen.

This AI-enabled tiny home gets a design upgrade making it more spacious and futuristic!



Nestron is one of my favorite tiny home builders – they are modern, minimal, and AI-enabled! The sure in tiny homes is not a design trend but an architectural movement that is here to stay, they are more affordable, more sustainable, and more conducive to our evolving flexible lifestyles when compared to traditional houses. Nestron’s latest model is the Cube Two X which has been built upon the existing Cube Two’s functionality and aesthetics with more upgrades keeping in mind a bigger family instead of a two-person household. Take the full virtual tour here!

Cube Two XD is a prefab unit available in two models – a one-bedroom or two-bedroom configuration, and is clad with steel and fiber-reinforced plastic. Singapore-based architecture studio has designed this modern home by drawing inspiration from sci-fi and spacecraft imagery.



 

The company’s latest prefab builds on the aesthetics and the functionality of their Cube 2 model. “We figured it was time to give the Cube 2 line an upgrade, and thus Cube Two X was born,” Law says. Since the launch of their Cube series, Nestron received numerous requests for an even larger unit with the option for two bedrooms. The company responded to demand by creating Cube Two X, a scaled-up version of the Cube Two.

The one-bedroom and two-bedroom Cube Two X models offer 376 square feet of living space. The structure consists of a steel frame wrapped with fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) siding that can withstand extreme heat and natural disasters.”All of our products are made with high-resistance materials,” Law says. “The FRP exterior wall panels are less likely to rust or corrode, and they hold up in high temperatures, harsh environments, and extreme weather conditions, including heatwaves, hurricanes, and earthquakes.”

Built-in furniture preserves floor space in the tiny home. The designers outfitted the dining area with a built-in table for two and created a sleek built-in sofa for the living space. Optional features include electric-heated flooring, a smart mirror, a music system, and a concealed electric stove. “The invisible stove is a unique space-saving idea,” Law says. “It’s a seamless kitchen counter when you’re not cooking, but when you are, the counter transforms into a stovetop.”

Curved edges and voice-controlled tech lend a futuristic feel to the home, which is designed so that it can be shipped anywhere in the world and arrive move-in ready. “The home is fully equipped with built-in furniture that helps to maximize floor space,” Law says. “There’s no installation needed upon arrival. Much like how a washing machine works, our clients just need local contractors to wind up the power sockets and the water supply and then Cube Two X is a fully functioning home.”

For how high tech the tiny home is, it makes a relatively low impact on the environment. “Ninety percent of the materials we use are recyclable,” Law says. “The interior wood wall panels, for example, are made from non-virgin wood and recycled plastic that’s environmentally friendly and 100 percent recyclable.”

The bedroom has a large built-in wardrobe and a recessed wall niche for storage above the bed. “We make a big effort to care for the environment because we believe everything starts at home,” he says. “Living in your home should be an experience that’s environmentally friendly—and we’d like for people to be able to live a sustainable lifestyle without additional effort.” The bathroom features a smart mirror and an electric pulse toilet.

The Cube Two X is also prefabricated in a factory environment, which helps to reduce material waste. “This speeds construction time by up to 50 percent compared to on-site construction, which takes around one month,” Law says. “It’s a faster and more cost-effective process, ensuring we have no construction waste, as we use prefabricated molds to shape our products, which greatly increases accuracy.”

If the cinematic worlds of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and William Hanna and Joseph Barbera’s The Jetsons were combined to create a tiny home, it might just be Nestron’s Cube Two X – tech lovers and digital nomads are going to love this innovative home!

Designer: Nestron

Santiago Calatrava tops UAE Pavilion at Dubai Expo with 28 opening wings

UAE Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020 by Santiago Calatrava

Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava has created a pavilion informed by the shape of a falcon’s wing for the UAE at the Dubai Expo 2020, which opens today.

Designed “as a symbol of the UAE’s pioneering spirit”, the host nation’s pavilion stands near the centre of the expo site alongside the Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill-designed central Al Wasl Plaza.

UAE Pavilion at Dubai Expo
Santiago Calatrava designed the UAE Pavilion at Dubai Expo

“The UAE Pavilion was designed to embody the main theme of Expo 2020 Connecting Minds, Creating the Future and serve as a symbol of the UAE’s pioneering spirit,” Calatrava’s office told Dezeen.

“Located in the Opportunity District of Expo 2020 Dubai, every aspect of the pavilion is representative of the host country, from the building’s architecture, which resembles a falcon, the UAE’s national bird, to the surrounding landscape.”

Opening roof on UAE Pavilion at Dubai Expo
The roof opens up to allow light into the pavilion

The four-storey pavilion was informed “by a falcon in flight” and is topped by a series of metal “wings” that can be opened to allow light and air into the pavilion.

Each of the wings pivots around a single point and the entire roof can be opened in three minutes.

Metal roof opening up
The wings are made from metal

“The conceptual framework was based on inspiration from the grace and force of a falcon, the UAE’s national bird,” said Calatrava’s studio.

“By channelling the powers of mobility, synchronized flow, and technological innovation, the relationship between architectural spaces and structural systems fuse together to create connections that connect the overall space with the main theme of Expo 2020.”

Sphere-shaped auditorium
A sphere-shaped auditorium is at the centre of the pavilion

At the centre of the 15,000-square-meter pavilion is a sphere-shaped void that serves as an auditorium with a capacity of 200.

It is surrounded by a multi-level gathering space, which is topped with a circular skylight that incorporates the Expo 2020 logo.

Within the rest of the pavilion are a series of immersive exhibits dedicated to both the history and future of the country.

Roof light that looks like Dubai Expo logo
The space is topped by a roof light that looks like Dubai Expo logo

“The UAE Pavilion offers visitors an opportunity to explore the history and future of the United Arab Emirates – from its origins to its thriving present and its visionary future,” the studio continued.

“We hope that visitors see it as a testament to the passion and dedication of the people of the UAE, serving as a reminder of the values of the nation, its resilience, and boundless future.”

In line with Expo 2020’s theme of sustainability the pavilion was certified LEED Platinum and is compliant with the Dubai Green Building Regulations and Specifications (DGBR).

It is surrounded by landscaping containing 80 trees and over 5,600 plants, of which 2,350 are “considered to be of cultural importance to the UAE”.

UAE Pavilion at Dubai Expo
The pavilion was designed as a space for gathering

The Dubai Expo is the latest World Expo – an international exhibition designed to  showcase architecture and innovation. The six-month event will see contributions from 180 countries and is expected to attract around 10 million visitors.

Calatrava also designed the Qatar Pavilion at the Expo, while the UK Pavilion is a timber structure with a facade that contains AI-written poems.

Photography is courtesy of Santiago Calatrava.

The post Santiago Calatrava tops UAE Pavilion at Dubai Expo with 28 opening wings appeared first on Dezeen.

Sleek MacBook Stands that are the ultimate sidekicks designed to perfectly support your laptop

To be honest, I could not survive without my MacBook! It stores almost everything I hold sacred, and I need it for various purposes – from work to leisure! And most of us do spend the majority of our day working on laptops, and hence maintaining a consistently high level of productivity and efficiency is extremely integral for our work routines. However, spending hours on our MacBooks can cause immense strain to our hands and neck. And this is where laptop stands come in! The right laptop stand offers ergonomic angle adjustments and helps us work in a posture that does not cause physical pain and strain on our bodies. And hence, we’ve curated a collection of ergonomically designed and highly functional laptop stands that help you work in the most comfortable position possible, in turn boosting your work productivity and efficiency! These are the ultimate sidekicks to your MacBook!

FLIKK Laptop Stand by Jexter Lim

FLIKK Laptop Stand by Jexter Lim

The designer came up with this idea after observing the irking drawbacks of traditional laptop stands. Most of them don’t provide the desired elevation and the right viewing angles. Also, they are very complicated to deploy which mars the whole purpose. This prompted Jexter Lim to plug all the gaps that spoil the user experience and function of the accessory. The laptop stand gives you the desired viewing angle for a comfortable working regime anytime, anywhere. The goodness doesn’t end there, as it seamlessly transforms into a laptop sleeve to head to your next destination without all the bulk of a traditional laptop stand.

The RLDH Alto Standing Desk is a thoughtful flat-pack accessory designed keeping in mind your multiple needs if you can’t invest in a height-adjustable desk. It is simple to carry and disassemble, with the option to adjust the height of your keyboard and mouse tray, giving it the flexibility of use with your laptop. Yes, this stylish yet functional standing desk is tailored for use with your laptop – virtually transforming your table into a standing desk when the need arises. Its flat-pack and lightweight (weighing just 6.5 lbs) nature give you the freedom to tuck it away when not needed or even to take it along during travel for remote work regimes.

Designed to be portable and compact, HUB–OX initially comes as a lightweight, palm-sized USB-C hub, which splits into two halves, both equipped with plenty of charging slots, HDMI connections, and ethernet ports. HUB–OX is compatible with MacBook Pro models that have four USB-C ports, generally any MacBook Pro from 2016 or any of its succeeding generations. When HUB–OX is split in two, users can plug the USB-C chargers into all four of their MacBook Pro’s ports, lifting their laptops to an angle of 7.7° to keep them charged and at eye level for the rest of the day.

The MOFT Z was designed keeping the original MOFT brief in mind but was made to push limits. It does come with the ability to prop your laptop at three angles, but that’s not all. The MOFT Z even transforms your sitting setup into a standing one, elevating your laptop up by as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters). The MOFT Z does this using an innovative Z-shaped folding system along with its signature PU and fiberglass material which allows the laptop stand to have a high strength to weight ratio while being thin enough to slide right into a Manila envelope. The MOFT Z was designed to be used independently, without being stuck to the back of your laptop (like the original MOFT). Slightly larger than a sheet of A4 paper, and at nearly half an inch thick, the MOFT Z can be kept on your desk, stored in a drawer, or a shelf, among folders.

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The durable stand has multiple height adjustable angles and forward and backward position adjusting liberty for laptops or even tablet – tested for over 20,000 uses. This adjustability gives you the ability to orient the laptop/tablet screen position in more ways than not. Adding to the inherent feature of keeping the device sturdy in place without any lateral movement and the intuitively positioned ventilation holes, Maotoam’s offering has something more! The world’s first ergonomic laptop stand with an integrated 13-in-1 USB-C hub, making it a one-stop solution for connectivity to all your gadgets.

With a minimal, sculpture-esque design, PILLR looks pretty darn good even without the laptop on it. Its strong presence gives it the appeal of a desk sculpture, and once you place a laptop on it, the PILLR enters a functional mode, elevating your laptop to reduce neck pain and boost productivity. PILLR’s 3-part design comes together to create its minimal, simple form factor. Made from three individual anodized aluminum pieces, PILLR is light and minimal, with clean lines and basic shapes, giving it an appeal that matches the expensive laptop that rests on it. Designed to support (both physically and visually) any laptop you put on it, PILLR was designed keeping the MacBook in mind… which makes sense considering it’s the world’s most popular portable computing device.

With minimal material and maximal robustness, the Curve SE elevates your laptop 6.5 inches from your desk, allowing your neck to rest at a much more comfortable angle. Made from a single curved piece of anodized aluminum, the Curve SE’s clean design complements your MacBook perfectly although it works universally with all laptops. Silicone grips ensure your expensive machine is held well in place so any accidental nudges don’t knock it over. The Curve SE’s elevated (in the literal sense) sense of design even helps keep your laptop ventilated, promoting proper airflow so your machine doesn’t heat up. In the event that it does, though, I imagine the metal body serves as some sort of heat sink to help dissipate heat and cool your machine down faster.

This one-piece aluminum laptop stand has a two-fold purpose. It serves as a barrier between your heated laptop base and your lap (or your desk), and its unique slatted design helps it act as a massive heatsink, pulling the heat from your laptop and distributing it across the multiple aluminum ‘fins’ at the base, and then dissipating it into the air. The fins/slats help increase the surface area so the heat gets lost at a faster rate, allowing the laptop stand to effectively cool the laptop without having to be plugged in. They even go as far as helping with wire-separation/segregation. Plus, its machined aluminum design goes together rather well with laptops having an aluminum body (case in point being the Macbook, obviously).

Whether you’re in bed and binging Netflix and simultaneously munching on dinner or spending the workday in bed, using the laptop in bed has probably become the world’s favorite pastime just with this past year’s WFH orders. iSwift Pi was primarily created to help those working from home feel a lot more comfortable when they choose to work from the comfort of their beds. Designed to be compact and portable, iSwift Pi boasts an ultra-thin form when folded or unfolded. When folded, the iSwift Pi is as thin as a small stack of paper, which then unfolds to two different heights, either 7.5 inches or 8.6 inches, depending on your lap situation. Then users can adjust iSwift Pi’s sitting placement to four different angles, so the screen can always meet your eyes.

The Triyards Laptop Stand borrows a clever trick from a product we’ve been using for decades. Inspired by the thin-yet-effective kickstands found in most keyboards, the Triyards Laptop Stand sits flat against your machine, adding a mere 0.2 inches of thickness. Made from durable aerospace-grade aluminum, the stand adheres to the back of your laptop using a non-harmful 3M glue strip and comes with two fold-out legs that allow you to easily prop your laptop up, angling it in a way that helps it stay cool while angling the keyboard in a way that makes it easier to type. It comes with rubber legs too, to make sure your laptop doesn’t slide around or damage the surface you’re working on.

See which studios are currently in the lead in the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote

With just over one week left to vote, here is the current leaderboard for the studio categories in the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote.

The public vote, which closes on 11 October, allows readers to vote for projects and studios shortlisted in the architecture, interiors, design, sustainability and media categories, as well as architects and designers in line for the studio of the year awards. Winners will receive a special certificate.

Voting is open for one more week, so vote now!

Click here to vote ›

Public vote winners announced in October

Public vote winners will be announced 18-22 October. The public vote is separate from the main Dezeen Awards 2021 judging process, in which entries are assessed by our panel of professional judges. We’ll be announcing the Dezeen Awards 2021 winners online in late November.

Who’s in the lead?

With 45,311 votes received so far, here is a snapshot of which projects and studios have received the most support. There’s still time to influence the results, so keep voting!


Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote architecture studio of the year

Architecture studio of the year

28 per cent – SO – IL
23 per cent – LAN (Local Architecture Network)
20 per cent – Pedevilla Architects
17 per cent – NADAAA
12 per cent – Neri&Hu


Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote emerging architecture studio of the year

Emerging architecture studio of the year

34 per cent – Mold Architects
26 per cent – Leckie Studio Architecture + Design
17 per cent – ODDO Architects
16 per cent – Studio Puisto Architects
Six per cent – Penda China


Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote interior design studio of the year

Interior design studio of the year

35 per cent – Sarit Shani Hay Design Studio
21 per cent – Home Studios
19 per cent – Fyra
14 per cent – Case-Real
11 per cent – Rafael de Cárdenas


Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote emerging interior design studio of the year

Emerging interior design studio of the year

38 per cent – WGNB
25 per cent – Fumihiko Sano Studio
13 per cent – File Under Pop
12 per cent – Child Studio
12 per cent – The Guild of Saint Luke


Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote design studio of the year

Design studio of the year

26 per cent – Yabu Pushelberg
20 per cent – Superflux
17 per cent – Dn&co
15 per cent – Form Us With Love
14 per cent – Lee Broom
Eight per cent – Estudi Antoni Arola


Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote emerging design studio of the year

Emerging design studio of the year

40 per cent – Yakusha Design
23 per cent – Marjan van Aubel Studio
12 per cent – Studio Raw Material
10 per cent – Tom Fereday Design
Nine per cent – A Space
Six per cent – ThusThat

The post See which studios are currently in the lead in the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote appeared first on Dezeen.

Follow Me table by Mara

Adjustable Follow Me table by Mara

Dezeen Showroom: Italian office furniture brand Mara has launched Follow Me, a space-saving and height-adjustable table designed for multitasking.

Follow Me allows users to easily move between sitting and standing positions depending on the task at hand, and fold and store the table away when it is out of use.

Adjustable Follow Me table by Mara
Follow Me is a space-saving and height-adjustable table

According to Mara, the table’s design responds to changing requirements of the workplace and is suited to domestic environments and offices.

It also encourages users to move away from “static and sedentary lifestyles” to help them “feel inspired and productive” while working.

A photograph of the height-adjustable Follow Me table by Mara
It can be folded for storage purposes

Follow Me is available in small and large versions with a range of colours and finishes. However, they are all fitted with Mara’s patented “no-gravity” system.

This system means that the table can be freely adjusted without electricity, batteries or pumps. Users can also freely move the table around a space using hidden wheels and a handle.

A photograph of the height-adjustable Follow Me table by Mara
Its height can be freely adjusted without electricity

“Stackable, compact and sturdy, this product features a dynamic design to perfectly meet the changing requirements of the work,” said the brand.

“Whether you want to work in an armchair, on the sofa, in bed or on the terrace, standing or secluded in a quiet corner at home, Follow Me follows you everywhere and encourages its own use.”

Product: Follow Me
Brand: Mara
Contact: marketing@marasrl.it

About Dezeen Showroom: Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen’s huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.

Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.

The post Follow Me table by Mara appeared first on Dezeen.

Marjan van Aubel creates colourful solar panel skylight for Dubai Expo

Solar panels by Marjane van Aubel on the Dutch Biotope pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai

In an effort to make solar panels beautiful, Marjan van Aubel has created translucent, stained-glass-like photovoltaics, which have been unveiled as part of the Netherlands‘ pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020.

The solar panels are installed on the roof of The Dutch Biotope pavilion, where they serve the dual role of powering the exhibition and allowing sunlight into the space.

Coloured translucent solar panels forming a skylight above a vertical garden
Marjan van Aubel’s tinted solar panels form a skylight in the Dutch pavilion

The panels have a moiré-effect pattern rendered in pinks and blues, and cast tinted light onto visitors in the space.

Van Aubel created the work to show that as well as providing an important source of renewable energy, solar panels “can be beautiful and a form of art”.

“At different points in the day the light, shadows and colours will change and so I hope it feels like a constantly changing immersive experience, similar to the light falling through a stained-glass window,” van Aubel told Dezeen.

Coloured light fills a timber room around a vertical garden
The solar panels fill the space with coloured light

“Besides providing power for the pavilion, I like the fact that the colours chosen for the design are not only beautiful but also cool down the pavilion,” she continued.

The Dutch Biotope pavilion, designed by V8 Architects, is a miniature self-sustaining world that creates its own water, energy and crops.

The colours of the solar panels allow light in at the wavelengths that plants need for photosynthesis, between 400 and 700 nanometres.

Pink and blue moiré patterned solar cells on a skylight by Marjan van Aubel
The solar panels feature a moiré-like pattern and are printed on thin film

An additional goal of van Aubel’s is to further the use of more sustainable materials in the production and use of solar panels.

“Both batteries and standard solar cells are made of rare and toxic materials,” she said. “It’s important for me to see where things are produced and of which materials they are made.”

The solar panels in The Dutch Biotope pavilion use coloured organic photovoltaics from manufacturer Armor Asca.

Pink, blue and yellow light on a pebble floor
The colours chosen for the panels allow for plant photosynthesis and help to cool the space

They are created using light-absorbing organic dyes that cover tiny particles of titanium dioxide nanomaterial to turn sunlight into electricity.

They are printed on a thin, flexible and recyclable PET film that can be rolled up for transportation, and van Aubel has designed the installation to be easily disassembled for circular use.

“The OPV used for The Netherlands Pavilion is different to traditional solar cells,” the designer said. “We have used a third-generation organic thin film technology that works and looks different from the standard ones and their energy pay back time is just a couple of months.”

“This is a massive difference if you compare it to monocrystalline or polycrystalline cells, the ones you see on roofs,” she continued.

Coloured light falls on a cone-shaped vertical garden in the Dutch pavilion
Van Aubel set out to show that solar panels can be objects of beauty. Photograph by Buro Belén

The solar cells were shipped from Amsterdam to Dubai and rolled out onto the glass of the pavilion’s roof in what van Aubel describes as a simple assembly process.

They are covered with a second sheet of glass and electrically connected to a local battery that powers the pavilion.

After the Expo, the solar panels are destined for a new destination, which has yet to be disclosed, while the glass sandwiching the foil will go back to its manufacturer, in keeping with the pavilion’s circular ethos.

Sunlight falls through coloured solar panel skylight into the Dutch pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai
They also showcase a more sustainable use of materials than has previously been used for solar panels. Photograph by Buro Belén

Like the Olympics, Expo 2020 retained its name despite being moved to 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022.

The Dutch Biotope pavilion is located in the Sustainability District of the Expo, and van Aubel told Dezeen she hopes it gives people the opportunity to educate themselves about the technology and design available to steer the world into a post-fossil fuel future.

“This may be the first time people will experience solar power in this way,” she said.

“I hope it will change their perspective on what is possible in terms of solar integration, especially in Dubai, where there is a lot of sun, and a lot of surfaces to create power in a beautiful way.”

Exterior of the Netherlands' pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai
The Dutch Biotope pavilion is located in the Sustainability district of Expo 2020

Van Aubel has been developing the solar panels for several years and first unveiled renders of the design in a live talk as part of Dezeen Virtual Design Festival last year.

The solar designer’s other recent work includes Sunne, a lamp to be hung in front of windows so it can generate its own energy, and she is one of the founders of an upcoming Solar Biennale that launches next year.

The post Marjan van Aubel creates colourful solar panel skylight for Dubai Expo appeared first on Dezeen.

Ambidextrous scissor features a swivel handle to adapt to the left-handed users!

Double Scissors is a pair of universal, adaptable scissors designed specifically to merge the needs of right-handed and left-handed users into a single handheld appliance.

In a world full of products and designs tailored for right-handed users, too often left-handed people have to compensate for an appliance’s narrow adaptability by using their less dominant hand. While working toward our own ambidexterity will always be a worthy pursuit, designs have a long way to go in exploring a product’s handling and its potential for universality. Recognizing the lack of designs that left-handed users can operate, Ren Peng, a designer based out of Shenzhen, China, designed a pair of universal scissors called Double Scissors that both right-handed and left-handed people can use.

With more than 90% of the market’s scissors designed for right-handed users, Double Scissors takes on a double edge blade design to make a more universal pair of scissors that anyone can use. Switching between its right-handed form to its left-handed one is as easy as flipping a light switch.

When users would like to change the scissor’s orientation, they’ll need only flip over the finger handles on its swivel mechanism so that the blade’s positioning remains while the handles adapt to the user’s grip. Double Scissors’ grips are also color-coded to accurately indicate which orientation the pair of scissors can accommodate.

Recognized by the Industrial Designers Society of America for its innovation and versatility, Double Scissors introduces a universal pair of scissors to challenge the notion that separate products have to exist to accommodate left-handed users.

Describing the project in their own terms, Peng notes, “Trying to adapt to a pair right-handed of scissors is not a reasonable solution for lefties. Double Scissors is a pair of double-edged scissors that accommodates both left-handed and right-handed users. You need only switch the direction of the blade.”

Designer: Ren Peng

Featuring a swivel method, Ren Peng’s Double Scissors change between right and left-handed orientations seamlessly.

Double Scissors can be store and hung from the wall when not in use.

When not in use, users are protected from Double Scissors’ double edge blade with a protective carry case.