Fountain Studio came about with this cool gimbal for phones after reverse-engineering the existing products. It is like an EDC – a gimbal that brings the benefits of market-leading stabilizers minus the weight and volume!

Smartphones have become more of an extension of our body one can say. The compactness and multitude of utilities of this revolutionary gadget have made it a staple for almost everyone on the planet. The phone can be your trusted photography buddy for clicks in a jiffy or a creative tool for making some pressing videos. This is where a good quality gimbal for your phone comes into play – adding a layer of professional stabilization to otherwise shaky footage or action shots.

The current best options on the market for a trusted phone gimbal come in the form of Zhiyun Smooth 4 which has a lot of useful buttons and apps. Not far behind is the DJI OM 4 gimbal which is more suited for Apple users. While both these options are great, I certainly crave something that’s lightweight, has a compact form factor and is easy to keep with you at all times. And of course, an option that’s not as pricey as the ones on the market – most newbie content creators don’t have that sum of money to invest on a gimbal alone!

Fountain Studio seems to have struck the right notes with their proposed concept for a smartphone gimbal for solo content creators who longed for such an accessory. The Gimbal Griptok doesn’t come with the baggage of bulkiness and boasts an ergonomic design. The actuation of movement is done with the onboard inertial measurement device (IMU) and the brushless motor which provides the subtle corrections for resulting stable footage. Another problem the gimbal addresses is the extension of the cradle to the left or right to hold the phone in position.

The design studio went ahead with testing and verifying the size and usability of the gimbal design. Finally, the 3D printing technique was used to create the prototype. This prototype (and hopefully the final product) uses MagSafe technology to keep the gimbal secured to the phone at all times. For other devices, the magnet accessory attaches to the back of the phone and on top goes the Gimbal Griptok. The user can rotate the phone at any angle and any direction with this gimbal – which is a great advantage for vloggers.

Designer: Fountain Studio

The post This compact + unidirectional phone gimbal brings convenience and function to solo vlogging first appeared on Yanko Design.

In this week’s comments update, readers are irritated by Burberry’s design for a reflective pop-up store in South Korea and discussing other top stories.

British fashion brand Burberry has installed a pop-up store that reflects a surrounding mountain range on Jeju Island, South Korea, for its latest outerwear clothing collection.

The Imagined Landscapes Jeju installation is made from plywood, timber and a reflective polycarbonate mirror material.

“Out of touch in pretty much every way possible”

Commenters are annoyed. “Oh, the poor birds!” said Stefanos S. “Why are architects allowed to design reflective buildings? The design is great but the reflecting material is plain wrong.”

Apsco Radiales agreed: “I can even get over the shape, the design, the location, but why in God’s name are you building such a highly reflective building that will destroy thousands of birds?”

“Tomorrow’s trash today!” continued Alexis Harrison. “Hopefully, South Korea has plenty of landfill space for all that non-circular polycarbonate and plywood once this gets discarded after a pitifully short life pleasuring a select few.”

“Out of touch in pretty much every way possible,” concluded Steve Leo.

Dezeen has asked Burberry if the building poses a risk for birds but hasn’t yet had a response.

Are readers being harsh? Join the discussion ›

Commenter says “if buildings could virtue-signal,” shipping container stadium “would be a role model”

Readers are debating a demountable stadium built with shipping containers, which is nearing completion in Qatar ahead of the FIFA 2022 World Cup.

“If this building actually gets disassembled and built somewhere else, it will be the architecture story of the decade,” said Puzzello.

“From what I can see the stadium is not ‘built with shipping containers,'” replied Walter Astor. “The stadium is built with steel and concrete and then some repurposed shipping containers were tacked on to allow a feeble claim to sustainability. If buildings could virtue-signal, this would be a role model.”

Garlic agreed: “In what way is this sustainable? A few tokenistic shipping containers plonked on for aesthetics doesn’t make it sustainable. And what happens to those after the World Cup?”

Is Stadium 974 a clever idea? Join the discussion ›

Readers believe Virgil Abloh “showed the world everything is possible”

Commenters, designers and creatives have paid their respects to Virgil Abloh following his death from cancer this week. We also rounded up 10 projects that illustrate the designer’s boundary-pushing approach.

“Sad day,” said Nir. “Rest in peace icon!”

“The legacy you left behind will always be remembered,” added Lek. “You’ve shown the world everything is possible.”

Haokip concluded: “Never a fan of his work, but sad that he passed away so young. God bless his family.”

What was your most memorable project by Abloh? Join the discussion ›

Commenter calls hikers’ cabin “superb in all aspects”

Readers are discussing a small cabin that Demogo has perched on the dramatic Marmarole mountain range in Northern Italy’s Dolomites. It is meant as a refuge for hikers.

“This project is superb in all aspects,” said Sheets. “Beautifully scaled, shaped, and sited – conscientiously and responsibly designed, expertly executed.”

“Mixed feelings about this being an emergency shelter,” continued JZ. “The last thing one probably requires is being perched in a wind-rattled box that appears to be intent on funneling off the edge of the mountain.”

DY disagreed: “I do a tonne of multi-day mountaineering and in my opinion, this is fit for purpose. Beautifully designed and well located for visibility purposes. If you’re worried about ‘funneling off the edge’ after a five-hour hike in steep terrain, then you shouldn’t be up that high in the first place.”

What do you think of the cabin? Join the discussion ›

Read more Dezeen comments

Dezeen is the world’s most commented architecture and design magazine, receiving thousands of comments each month from readers. Keep up to date on the latest discussions on our comments page.

The post Commenter questions why Burberry designed “a building that could destroy thousands of birds” appeared first on Dezeen.

A project that aims to break down boundaries between traditional schools and the city and proposal for a cityscape designed to tackle pollution is included in Dezeen’s latest school show by the London School of Architecture.

Also featured is a project that aims to improve the future of existing post-war social housing estates and a series of outside pavilions for educational activities.

London School of Architecture

School: London School of Architecture
Courses: Designing Architecture MArch

School statement:

“The London School of Architecture is a new school built for independent minds, not independent means. We offer a two-year programme of Part 2-level study composed of ten modules that address specific aspects of the knowledge, skills and behaviours our graduates will require.

“Organised as a living network, rather than a fixed hierarchy, the LSA forges a series of powerful relationships between academia and practice, architecture and other discipline and the school and the city.

“In the Inter-Practice year, students are employed in three-day per week, 12-month placements hosted by our Practice Network. In their other time, they work on LSA projects.

“In the Proto-Practice year, students are full-time with the LSA developing individual thesis design projects. The school uses the city as both its campus and testing ground, siting our investigations and projects in a different borough every year.

“Our programme is validated by our Academic Partner The University of Liverpool, who award our graduates with a MArch in Designing Architecture. The LSA is professionally recognised at Part 2 level by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).”

The Metropolitan Wild by Jack Bowen

“The Metropolitan Wild proposes a new form of cityscape that can tackle pollution, flooding, biodiversity and poverty. The landscape proposal enhances four distinct habitats – woodland, marshland, river, and open water – by the de-channelisation of a portion of the River Lea.

“This allows for cycles of natural flooding, working with nature instead of against it. The architectural proposal takes the form of an undulating walkway, curving in reaction to topography and habitat. This allows the site to be used during floods and provides opportunities for domestic, commercial, and civic typologies nestled beneath, lending to the creation of a unique, highly specified neighbourhood.”

Student: Jack Bowen
Email: jack.bowen[at]the-lsa.org
Course: MArch in Designing Architecture
Tutors: Samantha Hardingham and Matthew Whittaker

Material(C)ity by Hannah Cruickshank

“Material(C)ity aims to decentralise the fashion industry, changing consumer habits and mindsets surrounding the disposability of clothes.

“By co-locating the various elements of the fashion supply chain in a singular building, it evolves into a circular economy. It creates a framework for new businesses to establish themselves into a craft economy with immediate access to a wide range of skills, machinery and professions.

“The local community and transient visitors will be given resources to gain consciousness about the value of clothes and textiles.”

Student: Hannah Cruickshank
Email: hannah.cruickshank[at]the-lsa.org
Course: MArch in Designing Architecture
Tutors: Hannah Lawson and Rebecca Muirhead

The Everyday Estate by Callum Rowland

“This is a proposal for an alternative future of estate regeneration capitalising on emerging remote-working patterns within a hyper-local live/work programme.

“Existing homes are upgraded and reorganised to suit the dynamic daily needs of individual residents. Localised co-working facilities infill underused spaces across London’s housing estates, inviting new occupants to these forgotten pieces of the city and unburdening the home from the recent invasion of work.

“Transient-yet-integrated apartments sit atop existing blocks and densify the affordable residential offering. Finally, shared everyday facilities are sandwiched between old and new homes, providing a vital common ground for all residents.”

Student: Callum Rowland
Email: callum.rowland[at]the-lsa.org
Course: MArch in Designing Architecture
Tutors: Hannah Lawson and Rebecca Muirhead

School Without Walls by Rita Tornallyay

“School Without Walls’ ambition is to connect school activities to the surrounding community.

“School Without Walls breaks down physical and programmatic boundaries between traditional schools and the city.

“Learning becomes flexible, permeable and accessible to all at any time. It spreads across the city, facilitating location-specific learning spaces, using the city as a campus.”

Student: Rita Tornallyay
Email: rita.tornallyay[at]the-lsa.org
Course: MArch in Designing Architecture
Tutors: Hannah Lawson and Rebecca Muirhead

Open-Air Commons by Kiril Georgiev

“Open-Air Commons seeks to challenge educational models, places for knowledge exchange and their spatial implications.

“It aims to liberate schooling from curricular constraints through a focus on thematic learning, open-ended exploration, incidental forms of education and to bring open-air education to the largest possible public.

“Based on a series of pavilions within an open landscape and a large steel canopy, the project makes use of inexpensive industrial methods based on standardised, prefabricated components and construction methods.”

Student: Kiril Georgiev
Email: kiril.georgiev[at]the-lsa.org
Course: MArch in Designing Architecture
Tutors: Tho Games Petrohilos and Akari Takebayashi

The Live/Work City 6 by Yavor Ivanov

“The proposal, sited in Hackney Wick, seeks to retain existing industrial, creative workplace and leisure programmes and further intensify the site.

“Through creating a clear hierarchy of public places in terms of scale and character, the masterplan sustains and enhances this diversity of uses.

“Industrial ‘megablocks’ within it feature work-home accommodation clustered around a civic factory, comprising shared workspaces, facilities and amenities, which facilitate the exchange between residents and workers as well as crafts and industries.”

Student: Yavor Ivanov
Email: yavor.ivanov[at]the-lsa.org
Course: MArch in Designing Architecture
Tutors: Hannah Lawson and Rebecca Muirhead

Inside Out by Cora McLean

“Inside Out aims to establish unique spatial conditions that encourage human interaction and introspection.

“A process of addition, subtraction and displacement are used to create space for community-focused mental health services and consequently prioritise holistic methods of mental health care.

“The site’s new additions are a series of precast extruded arches that extend and highlight the existing fabric. They are broken, punctured and intersected to create a dialogue between inside and outside space and consequently open the building to the public.”

Student: Cora McLean
Email: cora.mclean[at]the-lsa.org
Course: MArch in Designing Architecture
Tutors: Jesper Henriksson and James Mak

Common Ground by Jack Banting

“This project begins with Hackney’s local authority offering ‘commons’ sites throughout its estates, and newly formed tenants and residents associations.

“A process of democratic resident deliberation and decision-making facilitated by the Common Ground project then determines a strategy of programming.

“An intervention formed of a new deployable, low-cost, framework architecture is then installed. In the hands of the community, new amenities will provide residents with spaces to work, live, learn and socialise, granting them shared facilities, a sense of collective ownership and scope to create new opportunities.”

Student: Jack Banting
Email: jack.banting[at]the-lsa.org
Course: MArch in Designing Architecture
Tutors: Samantha Hardingham and Matthew Whittaker

Cultivation | Congregation by Luke Upton

“This project aims to reposition the parish church at the centre of local community through an engagement with food.

“It establishes a local food hub, the Hackney Food Exchange, as part of a wider parish, city, and regional food network.

“This includes a dedicated programme of educational and community-focused activities and spaces woven through the church and associated CoE primary school, re-engaging the church with its immediate context and diverse local communities.

“The scheme serves as a model for the activation and re-engagement of the church building as a welcoming community space addressing social issues including isolation, mental and physical wellbeing and healthy eating.

Student: Luke Upton
Email: luke.upton[at]the-lsa.org
Course: MArch in Designing Architecture
Tutors: Hannah Lawson and Rebecca Muirhead

Haberdasher Nation by Aanisah Chowdhury

“Haberdasher Nation seeks to create relationships between social housing tenants and the wider city through nature. It aims to build sustainable communities, improve the future of existing post-war social housing estates and the wellbeing of residents by integrating the estates back into the fabric of the city.

“To achieve this, the project proposes a self-sustaining system of growing and selling for the residents for gardening and garden education. It follows a business model for the estate to create revenue using a business model for a successful public space.”

Student: Aanisah Chowdhury
Email: Aanisah.chowdhury[at]the-lsa.org
Course: MArch in Designing Architecture
Tutors: Theo Games Petrohilos and Akari Takebayashi

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and London School of Architecture. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post London School of Architecture spotlights 10 architectural projects appeared first on Dezeen.

The Christmas before the pandemic started, California-based civil engineer and woodworker Tyemadeit created a 9-foot-tall Christmas tree out of 288 pieces of wood. Sure, assembly is a little tedious, but with the exception of the base, this thing’d be easy to transport flat:

For last year’s Christmas, a customer commissioned him to make another. This time he went zig-zag with the unfurling pattern:

It’s hard to think of 2020 as the good ol’ days, but for Christmas 2021, given lumber prices, Christmas tree shortages and even plastic Christmas tree shortages, it’s unclear exactly what type of tree, if any, Christmas celebrators will have in their homes.

In a sign of the times, toy manufacturer Little Tikes is seeking to capitalize on Peloton’s success by releasing a for-children version called the Pelican.

The $158 bike comes with a built-in Bluetooth speaker, and a handlebar mount for a tablet or smartphone, so that your child can continue staring into a screen as they cycle to nowhere. Little Tikes says they’re posting “Free Trainer Adventure Videos” to YouTube that they can watch as they pedal.

I understand that there’s a pandemic going on, but I’d have thought cycling outside, weather permitting, would be one of the healthier things a child can do.

Unsurprisingly, when asked to comment on this product “child development experts aren’t having it,” CNN Business reports.

“They say a stationary bicycle, especially one with a screen attached, is a step backward for what a bicycle can mean to child development. Kids riding a stationary bike lose the learning experiences that come from roaming their neighborhood on foot or on bike.

“‘It just feels so bogus to me. And it doesn’t feel like something that kids will use a lot,’ Roberta Golinkoff, a University of Delaware professor who studies child development, told CNN Business.

“‘Kids want to be part of the real world,’ said Lenore Skenazy, the president of Let Grow, a nonprofit promoting childhood independence. ‘A stationary bike doesn’t prepare them for anything but moving their legs in a circular motion.'”