Hasta La Ideas

Australian firm Koichi Takada Architects has completed a mixed-use apartment block on Queensland‘s Gold Coast featuring retractable slatted wooden screens and thin balconies that reference the form of a pinecone.

Located on Goodwin Terrace, a strip of coastline at the southern end of Burleigh Heads Beach, the 1,012-square-metre seafront site has been developed for property developer FORME.

The heritage-listed Norfolk pine trees surrounding its site gave the project its name, Norfolk, as well as informing the design approach taken by Surrey Hills-based Koichi Takada Architects.

Across 10 storeys, Norfolk houses 15 apartments, two penthouses with rooftop pools and a ground floor of wellbeing spaces including a gym, pool and sauna.

“Norfolk’s sculptural facade references the inner workings of the Norfolk pines, a natural icon in the Gold Coast region,” explained the practice.

“Just like their pinecones protect its seeds from bad weather and open when in ideal natural settings, Norfolk’s architecture can be adapted to protect residents from the elements or opened up to take in the 300 days of subtropical sunshine and stunning natural surroundings.”

The concept of “protection” is expressed both by the building’s curved balconies, which overlap one another to provide areas of shade below, and in a series of sliding slatted wooden screens that can be moved into position for privacy or sun shading.

The apartments occupy the full length of the building to benefit from dual-aspect views and ventilation, and are split into living and bedroom spaces at either side of a small landing that connects to the lift and stair core.

Facing north, a large open plan living, dining and kitchen area opens onto a balcony for panoramic sea views, light and air, which can be controlled using the retractable wooden screens.

At the southern end of the building are the bedroom spaces, with a main en-suite bedroom at the far end and two smaller rooms at the centre.

The internal finishes are informed by the “hues and textures of the sand, water, trees and sky”, with timber floors that extend out onto the balconies, furniture finished in wood and stone and pale white curtains.

“The design interacts with nature and is very much about creating breathing space for an incomparable beachfront living experience,” said practice founder Koichi Takada.

The penthouses at the top of the building include their own rooftop terraces and have a pool and dining spaces wrapped by landscaped gardens at their edges.

Koichi Takada Architects recently unveiled plans for Urban Forest, a 30-storey mixed-use block in Brisbane covered in thousands of plants and trees, which is due to complete in 2024.

The photography is by Scott Burrows unless stated otherwise.

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Fresh white treatment rooms are contrasted with khaki-green communal areas inside the Dentista dental clinic in Amsterdam, which has been designed by local studio i29.

As the clinic is Dentista‘s first, i29 was tasked with creating an interior scheme and visual identity that could be easily rolled out to future locations.

“Our design strategy was to bring together a clean, fresh medical environment and a wellness experience,” the studio explained.

“Natural wood, abundant greenery and an open-plan layout make visitors feel at ease.”

Upon entering the clinic with its timber-clad facade, patients find themselves in a waiting area that houses a few chairs and a tall wooden box seat.

While the majority of the room is rendered in white, the immediate area around the help desk is finished completely in khaki green, from the furniture to the ceiling, walls and floors.

A strip of flooring that runs alongside the clinic’s front windows has also been painted green and decorated with an array of tall, leafy plants in khaki-coloured pots that help obscure the interior from passersby.

A white corridor leads to the rear of the clinic, where eight treatment rooms encircle a planted open-air courtyard.

Each room is fronted by timber-framed glass panels with semi-opaque stripes that help to maintain patients’ privacy while letting in light.

Apart from a khaki-green feature wall, the treatment areas have been painted completely white, which i29 says “intuitively refers to medical professionalism”.

Colour reappears in the staff breakout area in the form of a khaki-green kitchenette and a cushioned bench seat that backs onto a matching wall.

In the evening, when less natural light filters through from the courtyard, the entire clinic is illuminated by a series of ring-shaped pendant lights.

i29 is based in the Dutch municipality of Ouder-Amstel and is led by Jeroen Dellensen and Jaspar Jansen.

The studio has completed a few other projects in Amsterdam this year, including an angular house that floats on a canal and an apartment for an avid art collector.

The photography is by Thomas van Schaik.

Project credits:

Client: Dentista Amsterdam
Design: i29
Contractor: UMB group
Interior builder: Cornelissen Interieurs
Equipment: Henry Schein
Lighting: Delta light
Glass walls: Plan Effect
Flooring: Duracryll
Plants: Hydrozorg
Furniture: Lensvelt

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In a world where you use your smartphone to do everything from calling a friend to calling cabs, it seems daft that the thing that ends up stopping you is something as simple as a glove. Enter Mujjo’s Touchscreen Gloves – designed to keep your fingers toasty while still letting you use your phone like you normally would, Mujjo’s leather gloves make a statement while being uniquely functional. Practically pioneering the touchscreen glove, Mujjo’s leather gloves come infused with state-of-the-art nanotechnology that allows the leather to mimic the conductive properties of human skin. This lets you effectively use all your fingers, your palm, or even your knuckles to operate your phone’s touchscreen… while your hands inside stay toasty and warm, thanks to an inner lining of cashmere.

Designer: Mujjo

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Admittedly, the touchscreen glove’s biggest hurdle so far has been the presence of fingerprint sensors on phones, but our gradual and inevitable shift to facial recognition unlocking just makes the gloves an absolute no-brainer in today’s world. Designed to match the aesthetic seen on Mujjo’s leather iPhone cases, the gloves sport a similar all-leather look along with a fold-over closure that’s marked with the brand’s familiar slant line, created by Mujjo co-founder Remy Nagelmaeker.

The gloves sport a design that’s an instant classic, thanks to its use of full-grain Ethiopian lambskin leather with a uniform bold black aesthetic. The snap closure around the wrist elegantly secures the gloves on your hands, creating a snug fit while also keeping cold air out so your hands remain warm at all times. A cashmere layer helps keep your extremities toasty while providing an unmatched level of comfort, although the highlight remains the nanotechnology-infused leather which works almost like a second skin, letting you use your phone just like you normally would… with any part of your hand. This feature remains new to both leather as well as fabric gloves, which often limit your touchscreen experience to just one or two fingertips. It’s a feature that sets Mujjo’s gloves apart – even in cost… although the gloves do come neatly packaged in an absolutely sublime gift box, and with a design that should last for years, attributable not just to the wind and water-proof build but primarily to that iconic timeless aesthetic!

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A concrete podium topped with a sculptural, glazed volume forms Casa S, a cliffside Chilean house by architecture firms Gubbins Polidura Arquitectos and Más Arquitectos.

The project is located in Punta Pite, a community that sits between the beach towns of Zapallar and Papudo on the Chilean coast. As indicated by its name – punta is Spanish for tip – the site juts out into the sea.

Santiago firms Gubbins Polidura Arquitectos and Más Arquitectos were tasked with designing a second home for a couple with three children.

Their design was heavily influenced by the client’s unique property, which is almost 100 metres long and has a steep, rocky drop of 20 metres.

“One of the main objectives of the project was to create a horizontal plane – a large podium that allows for habitation and highlights the strength of the landscape, the view of the sea and the sunset,” the team said.

The two-level Casa S consists of a V-shaped, concrete podium topped with a glazed, amoeba-shaped volume.

The podium is embedded in the site, making it barely visible from certain vantage points.

“This reduces the image of a large house in the landscape,” the team said. “When you are in the pavilion on the upper floor, the rest of the house disappears.”

Within the 420-square-metre dwelling, there is a clear division between public and private areas.

“The idea of the proposal was to separate the public and private programs into two pieces arranged one on top of the other, relating both levels to the landscape,” the team said.

Upstairs one finds the kitchen, dining area and living room. Each occupies a circular room with a sunken central portion.

Floor-to-ceiling glass enables the rooms to feel integrated with the natural terrain. Granite flooring continues outdoors, further helping the interior merge with the landscape.

At the heart of the ground level is a spiral staircase, which leads down to the sleeping area. One side holds a main suite, while the other encompasses three bedrooms.

Throughout the home, the team used a restrained palette of materials, including stone, wood and board-formed concrete. Stacked plywood boards form the stairs and dining furniture.

Given Chile’s high amount of seismic activity, the architects were mindful of earthquakes while designing the building. The upper portion consists of a concrete slab that rests on 21 steel columns.

“The height of the columns is the minimum, 230 centimetres, thus avoiding the possible deformation of the structure in the face of dynamic stress,” the team said.

“This height enhances the horizontality of the enclosures, highlighting the views always towards the horizon.”

Other coastal dwellings in Chile include a pair of minimalist, timber-clad cabins by Croxatto and Opazo Architects, and a cliffside retreat by the late Chilean architect Cristián Boza that features a winding yellow wall and circular swimming pool.

The photography is by Cristobal Palma.

Project credits:

Architecture firms: Gubbins Polidura Arquitectos and Más Arquitectos
Architects: Antonio Polidura and Alex Brahm
Landscape: Juan Grimm
Architecture collaborator: Hernan Fournies
Project calculations: Alberto Maccioni
Construction: Daniel Alemparte
Lighting: Greene During Iluminacion and Luxia Lighting

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At the start of 2021, did you think it would end up being a year longer than 2020? Bikes are almost a trend – they represent a daring passion that we always wish we could tap into. From exaggerated daredevil designs to sleek eco-friendly solutions, Yanko Design is here to brighten your spirits by showcasing the best of the designs we featured this year – the bike designs that we curated and you love. Take a walk through memory lane and save this post – this list is sure to keep you inspired for a long time!

1. Husqvarna Devil S

Imagining how the dimension of mobility will evolve in the next few years, designer Haochen (Wenson) Wei gives his imagination wings in the shape of this firefly-inspired Husqvarna Devil S Concept bike. The rider sits inside the Husqvarna branded bike as one would typically do in a car, and the doors open to resemble the shape of a firefly. These classy doors, in a way, hug the rider in a safety cocoon which is reassuring at high speeds. While doing this, the bike maintains its edgy looks – perfect for a futuristic ride that young people will find irresistible.

2. Nebula

Nebula by Oneobject draws inspiration from this very notion to provide the user with freedom, speed, and agility to ride with no strings attached – literally. The Hong Kong-based design studio aims to revolutionize the urban transport scene, becoming too cluttered for the current roads. Having over a decade of experience in transportation, smart IoT, and electronics – Oneobject has created Alpha and Beta rides – one an electric motorbike for mid or long distances. The other is an electric kickboard scooter for last-mile travel or short commutes. Sustainability is at the forefront of the design since Oneobject has used hard and soft materials like polypropylene for the outer shell of both vehicles. This provides hard-shell protection to all the internal machinery.

3. Akira Bike

The flashy red Kaneda’s superbike from the sci-fi flick Akira released in 1988 imprinted a lasting impression for the pop universe in the 80s, and the legend is still alive. After all, who can forget the wide and low body jet-like bike speeding the Tokyo highway? This handsome-looking bike has a few real-life, street-legal avatars – but nothing that you and us can lay our hands-on and park in the garage. This Akira bike concept by Shanghai-based artist James Qui gives me hope though. Someday the Akira’s futuristic-looking motorbike will speed on the freeways, only to become a cult favorite decades down the line.

4. Tatamel Bike

Urban spaces are getting constricted by the day for vehicles and people are gradually shifting to compact bikes or other compactly designed means of transport. Electric vehicles are the obvious choice for the eco-conscious lot and eventually we’ll live in a world that’s going to have 100 percent non-polluting vehicles on the roads. The Tatamel Bike designed by Japanese company ICOMA is good on both fronts with its ultra-foldable design and electric motor drivetrain which promises irresistible likeability for the urban commuters. The one-of-a-kind bike is very compact and can be further squeezed by folding into a form factor no bigger than the CPU cabinet under a desk. In the riding position (when fully unfolded) it measures 1230mm long, 1000mm tall, and 650mm wide while in the folded configuration it is just 700mm long, 680mm tall, and 260mm wide. Now that’s quite compact for a personal commuter. While the makers tout it as a bike, I would like to refer it more towards the “moped” terminology, since it is small and looks like one.

5. BMW D-05T

Neeraj Jawale from Pune, India has thought of the BMW D-05T bike concept that brings the fun of riding and the deep-rooted emotional connection between man and the machine to the forefront. Leveraging the advancements in technology, the bike will have the capability to make the detailed plan of the next adventure trip based on the experience of the explorers who’ve treaded the terrain before. The service hubs located in remote locations provide the swappable batteries or other travel essentials so that rider has to carry less. The bike has a watchdog in the form of a drone that keeps updating people who care about your current location status and also boosts the signal for you to have one thing less to worry about.

6. Honda Motocompo XL

Remember the cult favorite Honda Motocompo scooter from the early 1980s? The two-wheeler that could fit in the boot of a car? The box-shaped rectangular plastic body with handlebars, seat, and foot-pegs folded perfectly into the frame for a clean look. After selling fifty-three thousand-odd units, Honda discontinued the compact scooter in 1983, but couldn’t wash away its memory with concept vehicles like the 2001 e-Dax, e-NSR, and the 2011 Motor Compo electric scooter. This metaphoric vision is soulfully represented in the Honda Motocompo XL bike mustered up by 3D artist Allan Williams. It inherits the DNA of the original Motocompo scooter in more ways than not – the boxy shape being one. Just imagine it being an XL version of the compact scooter – loaded with the mean machine racing character, the Motocompo XL is a cafe racer right out of the pop culture handbook.

7. Bugatti Vitesse

According to designer Patrick Pieper, it all began when he took up the #bugatticonceptbikechallenge on Facebook for a motorbike challenge done by Bugatti enthusiasts around the globe. At that time, he made a 2D side view of the concept bike. Then after a very long lull, he decided to update it as a 3D Model with a vision to set the story on the salt flats of the Bonneville Speedway. According to Patrick, the core idea for this unique creation is to fuse the modern aesthetics of Bugatti with the nostalgic elements of the 1930’s race cars and bikes. Inspiration for the Bugatti Vitesse design comes from the 2015 Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo Concept as the c-shaped rear of the car now takes the form of the bike’s front cover. Patrick also emphasized the inspiration of the contoured aesthetics from the Mallard steam locomotive which apparently holds the speed record for steam locomotives to date. By looking at the design, it brings to mind a whale, or a large aquatic creature, worthy of the ruler of the seas!

8. Lazzarini Design Hypercycle

This one by Lazzarini Design dubbed the Hypercycle is nothing that you would normally associate with a bicycle, rather, a superbike destined for an expressway skirmish with other fellow bikers. The streamlined shape of the motorbike and the big chunky tires are a tell-tale sign of its racing character. Just as I’m about to label it a cool superbike for the racing tracks (glancing over at the pointy front section), the side profile with the extendable rear wheel section having an independent horizontally aligned wishbone suspension, makes me believe it is a drag racer. Also, I can’t help but give it the café racer tag for obvious reasons. So, this one is your race track bike, drag racer and café racer, all-in-one; thanks to the movable rear wishbone!

9. Dust Tesla

Draped in a completely metallic finish, the bike by Nazar Eisa is destined to have time-traveled from the dystopian future. The clear geometric lines and the definitive aerodynamic build will put most of the other Tesla bike concepts to shame. It is that sexy! The long wheelbase of the Dust Tesla defies the structural stability, but hey, it has arrived from the future, where technologies are definitely beyond our comprehension. Those hubless wheels and the swingarm on the electric bike evoke a sense of dynamism which is hard to give a miss. The sharp lines flowing from the front of the bike to the rear bring a profound sense of superhero’s favored accomplice-like feel at first glance.

10. The Sokudo

A Tesla-branded electric bike concept designed to shape-shift the frame according to the rider’s position and the riding condition – ideal for the future of comfortable bike riding. This concept Tesla bike by San Diego-based renowned automotive designer Ash Thorp in close collaboration with Carlos “colorsponge” is pure dope. Ash calls this attention-grabbing set of wheels “THE SOKUDO” (meaning measuring in Japanese), and it is a part of the ongoing M.H.C. Collection by the duo. This is the 14th project in the collection.

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