Hasta La Ideas

A compact and practical electric vehicle charger designed keeping in mind the future of EVs and the preferences of demanding customers. This is the compact Éclair EV charger which goes perfectly with the styling of future electric vehicle designs and the current ones like Tesla Model 3 too.

It’s estimated that by 2030 all-electric vehicles will account for 52 percent of total worldwide sales. This will consequently see a sharp rise in the demand for electric vehicle charging stations. The more compact EV charging rigs, the better it is for the future. Last year we saw the Genesis EV Home Charger bring a new vision to the user-centric EV charging needs, and now another concept EV charging solution gives us a good idea of what’s heading our way in the coming years.

Designer: Off Of

Most of the electric vehicles that we see in production and on roads adapt sharp geometric aesthetics to reflect the futuristic appeal. The Éclair electric vehicle charger is inspired by that very geometric design aesthetic. This compact electric vehicle charger has a dedicated RFID card payment slot for easy and quick charging at designated stations. Once the halo light turns blue from red, the EV is ready to receive the charge. The wall-mounted EV charging station is designed keeping in mind ease of use, and storing the cable in the gap between the circle face and rectangle body is a clear example.

The charging gun having both B-type and C-type charging ports, slots in the middle of the circle. Those who want to charge their vehicle with their own charging cables can screw it up to the empty socket at the bottom. Keeping in mind the commercial use, the designers have made the charger’s exposed body from black sanding plastic material to avoid any scratches. For aesthetic appeal, the other sections are covered with metallic silver spray.

The post A compact electric vehicle charger perfectly emulates futuristic sleek EV designs first appeared on Yanko Design.

Argentinian architects Nicolás Barrionuevo and Juan Villanueva have completed an isolated home in Luyaba that is wrapped by a terrace with operable wooden screens.

The Obra Luyaba project is located in Traslasierra Valley in Córdoba and occupies a steep and isolated lot. “Getting there requires taking some precautions, and the notion of neighbour is not present,” said the architects.

Sweeping views of the mountainous surroundings are the greatest asset of the project, and enhancing this experience was the focus for Barrionuevo Villanueva Arquitectos, which is based in Córdoba.

“The value of the site is nature, which has the leading role as soon as the paved road is abandoned,” said the architects.

“The work becomes present between the winding road, the mountain topography and the vegetation. Once there, the project takes centre stage for a moment, only to immediately return it.”

“You can’t compete with that environment,” they explained.

Elevating the main living spaces gave the home better views of the landscape while creating a covered terrace at ground level with an outdoor kitchen.

The 270-square-metre home is entered via a concrete staircase that extends from the driveway.

This leads to the main level, which is an L-shaped volume that contains the bedrooms in one leg, and the public areas in the other.

The communal spaces extend out towards the mountainous scenery and are wrapped with full-height wooden shutters. These can be opened or closed to provide shade and prevent overheating through the glass facade.

An open kitchen and a dining room at the back of the house are visually separated from the main living space by a fireplace. The structural concrete used for the roof is visible throughout the interiors.

“The structure supports the loads, defines the space, the uses and the material expression,” said the architects. “In collaboration with the wooden sieves, [the concrete structure] conditions and influences the sunlight and the views.”

Perpendicular to the communal spaces are the home’s three bedrooms, which are laid out along a corridor.

The intersection of both volumes contains a terrace, with an additional staircase that leads to a pool uphill from the main residence.

In addition to the exposed concrete, light-coloured tiles serve as an interior and exterior floor finish, lending some continuity between both areas.

These creamy tones are offset by warm wooden accents used for furniture, shelving, and the battens that shroud the living spaces.

Other projects recently completed in Argentina’s Córdoba province include a home designed to resemble an ancient medieval village by Nanzer + Vitas and a stone-and-concrete residence that lets north light into all living spaces.

The photography is by Gonzalo Viramonte.

The post Wooden slats shroud Córdoba House by Barrionuevo Villanueva Arquitectos appeared first on Dezeen.

Our unhealthy practices and way of living are truly harmful to the environment and have been slowly leading to its deterioration. And the world has been changing (for the worse) because of this. Hence, it is extremely important to live sustainably and consciously and to take care of the environment. Integrating sustainability into our day-to-day lives has become crucial! And we can do this in various ways. Designers and creators are coming up with sustainable alternatives for almost everything! Every product that is necessary and utilized by us in our everyday routine has an eco-friendly alternative to it. Replacing our usual mass-produced designs with these greener options will make a huge difference to the environment and Mother Earth! From a bamboo cooling device that combats climate change to sustainable lamps made from coffee and orange peels – we’ve curated a whole collection of sustainable product designs to help you go green!

1. AREP’s Bamboo Cooling Device

Following cues from the Seoul Architecture and Urbanism Biennale 2021 “building the resilient city,” French multi-disciplinary firm AREP designed an alternative, energy-efficient cooling device for a sustainable, low-tech, and affordable solution to combatting the climate crisis. Forming a hyperboloid shape for structural stability, the cooling device stands as a bamboo tower that naturally cools air through the adiabatic principle by using, “the natural freshness of water.” Explaining the cooling process, architects behind the bamboo tower describe, “To evaporate, water needs energy, which is ‘absorbed’ from the heat of the ambient air, thus generating the cooling effect.” More simply, the firm reasons that the process can be compared to moving closer to an open-air pool on a summer day–the closer you get, the cooler the air feels.

2. The TAKEoSEAT

Folding stools are nothing new, but few actually try to hide the fact that people are carrying something meant to be sat on. In contrast, the TAKEoSEAT flattens down to something that looks like a large portfolio, or at least a stylish bag made of felt. You won’t look odd carrying it around, nor would the seat look out of place in an office space. Designer KRETHO positions this portable stool as a perfect part of an agile arsenal, allowing people to just pick up their seats and move around as needed. No more rearranging furniture or sweating over a heavy chair.

3. Kevin Cheung’s Upcycling Designs

Cheung’s inaugural upcycling product, the Boombottle, uses plastic bottles from medical clinics. More than just the environmental benefits, however, Kevin Cheung’s upcycling push also carries with it some human elements. Wallpapers that spark memories or come from other countries can turn into wallets that accompany you wherever you go. Jeans become smartphone cases that not only give a warmer and more tactile feel to an otherwise cold object but also fade in unique ways over time. Each object becomes more than just a product for use but a book that tells the story of the humans that have encountered it.

4. The Stair Cubby

The Stair Cubby, as it was christened, can be assembled without the use of tools, with tabs simply going into slots and held down with pegs. The cubby is designed to sit on two steps of stairs, but the panel on the back can slide up and down to adjust to different stair heights. The storage has five open-access cubbies for shoes, books, and any other item that can fit inside, keeping things organized and out of harm’s way. The choice of wood ensures that it will have enough rigidity to support heavier objects while still looking stylish on top of any staircase design. According to the designers, a single 1/3 sheet of 4×8 plywood is enough to make three units, so there isn’t a lot of wasted material.

5. Obscure

This handmade collection is created by a London-based biotech and biomanufacturing startup. It represents the close-knit collaboration between ‘maker’ and ‘matter’. The matter, Orb or organic refuse bio-compound, influences the maker whilst the maker prescribes the matter with geometry. As the matter conforms to the maker’s prescription, the maker’s geometry inspires the matter to bend and flow as it pleases. Obscure is made of 100% coffee chaff and orange peel.

6. The Stamp Egg

The Stamp Egg packaging stands out from the rest because it is detachable and made of PaperFoam which is sustainable, eco-friendly, low-carbon, highly recyclable, and home compostable material – it is truly egg-cellent! Think of Stamp Egg as having your eggs individually wrapped but instead of plastic, it is a super sustainable and compostable material. It has all the necessary elements for an egg carton – easy open and close, protective form, and stackability. As the name suggested, it is inspired by a postage stamp that lets you tear out individual pieces from the collection, and now you can do it with your eggs.

8. Dell’s Concept Luna laptop

Dell’s Concept Luna laptop throws all of that out the window, envisioning a portable computer that would appeal to almost everyone, from the expert PC modder to the environment-conscious consumer. The company is trying to apply multiple strategies across the pipeline to not only reduce the laptop’s carbon footprint but, ultimately, also make it as long-lasting as any desktop that can get repaired or upgraded bit by bit.

9. Practiplant portable eco raised bed

Consisting of 100% mixed recycled plastic waste, the Practiplant portable eco raised beds help you grow healthy and organic fruits and vegetables in your own home! The beds are maintenance-free and durable, and also fully portable! It has a tool-free setup, and you can carry the portable beds wherever you go – they are completely baggage-free! The recycled plastic waste is created via an advanced recycling process that recycles different types of plastics together. It completely skips the sorting process and simplifies recycling.

10. The Coarse Pottery Air-Humidifier

The Coarse Pottery Air-Humidifier uses terracotta to function as a sustainable alternative to electric air humidifiers by employing capillary action to moisten dry interior spaces. Designed to moisten dry interior spaces, the Coarse Pottery Air-Humidifier almost appears like a radiator made from clay. The air humidifier is made from a type of pottery that contains just the right amount of porosity and moisture absorption qualities. By adding water to the Coarse Pottery Air-Humidifier’s basin, the droplets will gradually rise and evaporate through tiny cavities located near the Coarse Pottery Air-Humidifier’s top. As the water rises, the interior space’s air is moistened with small water droplets. The corrugated body of the Coarse Pottery Air-Humidifier creates a wavelike form that alludes to its natural evaporative function.

The post Top 10 sustainable design trends of 2022 first appeared on Yanko Design.

Our latest lookbook features ten home interiors with snug sunken lounges and conversation pits, proving that the retro architectural feature is making its comeback.

Peaking in popularity in the mid-twentieth century, conversation pits are lounge areas embedded within the floor of a larger room to create intimate spaces for people to gather.

Accessed by a small set of steps, they are traditionally lined with custom built-in sofas. However, many architects enjoying their revival are opting to fill them with free-standing furniture and statement fireplaces instead.

While creating more intimate spaces for their occupants, sunken lounges are useful tools for creating broken-plan interiors and the illusion of taller ceilings. They can also prevent furniture from obstructing outward views, forging stronger connections between homes and their surroundings.

This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing glass-block walls, modernist open-plan living rooms and homes with interior courtyards.

Pam and Paul’s House, USA, by Craig Steely Architecture

Plump purple cushions fill this 13-square-metre sunken pit, which is the focal point of the living room in Pam and Paul’s House in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains in California.

Craig Steely Architecture surrounded the seating with floor-to-ceiling glass doors, providing occupants with a cosy space from which to enjoy uninterrupted views of the steep wooded site.

Find out more about Pam and Paul’s House ›

Holiday Home by Thingvallavat, Iceland, by KRADS

This wood-lined conversation pit at Holiday Home by Thingvallavat was designed by KRADS to separate the lounge space from the adjacent dining area.

Fitted out with pared-back leather furniture and a minimalist coffee table, it helps to retain focus on the views out across Iceland‘s Lake Thingvallavatn, which is framed through large panels of glazing.

Find out more about Holiday Home by Thingvallavat ›

Towers Road House, Australia, by Wood Marsh

A curved concrete plinth wraps around this circular sunken lounge, which Wood Marsh created at Towers Road House in Melbourne’s Toorak suburb.

Accessed by two small steps, the pit is fitted with a polychromatic carpet and red sofas that are orientated towards a large suspended fireplace on one side.

Find out more about Towers Road House ›

Knightsbridge Mews, UK, by Echlin

A grey L-shaped sofa and wooden cabinetry fold around the edge of this seating area, which architecture studio Echlin has sunk into the basement of a London mews house.

The space was introduced as part of a broken-plan layout, which loosely demarcates the lounge area from the kitchen behind it without creating individual rooms.

Find out more about Knightsbridge Mews ›

Shore House, USA, by Leroy Street Studio

This sunken lounge sits on a semi-open deck that is enclosed by the open-plan lounge, kitchen and dining room at the Shore House in New York’s Suffolk County.

It was designed by Leroy Street Studio as a space for the homeowners to host large parties and events and is complete with a large masonry hearth and fireplace surrounded by black ceramic tiles.

Find out more about Shore House ›

House on the Street, Spain, by Arquitectura-G

The lowered sofas in this conversation pit are covered in cushions that match the colour of the carpet at the House on the Street, a minimalist apartment in Barcelona by Arquitectura-G.

Sinking the lounge area helped to break up the apartment’s open-plan interior and adds interest to the monochrome room.

Find out more about House on the Street ›

House in Coombe Park, UK, by Eldridge London

This curved sunken lounge is situated in one wing of the House in Coombe Park, which studio Eldridge London created for a family on a verdant spot in Kingston-upon-Thames.

Distinguished by a transition from oak flooring to soft grey carpet, it is framed by a large bespoke sofa that follows its curves and is complete with a grey Bertoia Bird Chair by Knoll and a pair of Flower Tables by Swedese.

Find out more about House in Coombe Park ›

Ritson Road, UK, by Gresford Architects

Gresford Architects planned this Victorian house extension in London around a sunken seating area that is lined with plush pink-velvet cushions.

Positioned alongside a winter garden and external terrace, it is designed for a cosy mid-century aesthetic. The velvet cushions match the coloured concrete that was used to construct the extension, which is exposed internally.

Find out more about Ritson Road ›

True North House, Australia, by Tandem

A conversation pit helps to break up the open-plan ground floor of the Truth North House, where there is also a kitchen, dining area and double-height atrium.

However, to create a sense of continuity between the spaces, they are all finished with the same grey terrazzo flooring and wooden wall panelling. The pit is completed with a curved grey sofa and a plywood cabinet.

Find out more about True North House ›

River House, Australia, by Simon Pole and Annabel Dundas

Architect Simon Pole and graphic designer Annabel Dundas designed this small conversation pit for the guesthouse at their home on the bank of the Yarra River in Melbourne.

Accessed by four white steps, it is lined with wood and fitted out with grey cushions that set it apart from the dark grey floor tiles of the kitchenette beside it.

Find out more about River House ›

This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing glass-block walls, modernist open-plan living rooms and homes with interior courtyards.

The post Ten residential interiors with cosy conversation pits appeared first on Dezeen.

Robot vacuum cleaners are a dime a dozen these days, but the Narwal T10 tries to offer something almost none of its rivals have.

There is a growing number of robots invading our homes, but not in the nefarious way that many sci-fi flicks would have us believe. These robots roam around our rooms, picking up dirt, dust, and hair and sometimes even wiping off stains. Robot vacuum cleaners now come in all shapes and sizes, and it has become a bit more difficult to pick one unless they have some special feature or gimmick. The Narwal T10, the company’s first stab at a robot cleaner, advertises one such special skill, and we set it loose on the floor to check if it makes the cut.

Aesthetics

The Narwal T10 will immediately strike one as something so different from your usual robot vac, even the ones with 2-in-1 mopping and vacuuming functions. For one, both its base and the robot itself are coated in white, a color that’s most often associated with cleanliness and sanitation. It also gives off a better minimalist vibe, though that may come at the expense of dirt and stains being more visible on the product’s surface.

The T10’s base station is also considerably larger and bulkier than other robot vacuums, but that is both intentional as well as an illusion. Robot cleaners with narrower stations actually have larger bases for the robot to stand on, taking up almost the same amount of floor space anyway. With Narwal’s design, the robot goes inside the station completely and hides any part that humans or pets can trip on. Additionally, the larger size is necessary to support the T10’s mopping functions, which we’ll get to later.

The robot itself is also unique in its design, setting itself apart from the more common circular or “D” shapes of the competition. It is more square with rounded corners than a circle, pretty much a “squircle,” but it’s also wider than other robot vacuums. That doesn’t affect its performance that much, but it might be something to consider if you have narrower spaces you need it to reach.

Ergonomics

It’s not that easy to describe the ergonomics of something that you wouldn’t be handling most of the time, but there will always be occasions when you need to get down and dirty with the Narwal T10 robot mopper and vac. You will need to do some things manually that other people might take for granted, and that’s when handling becomes a major consideration.

For example, you will need to empty the dust bin more often than not because of its small capacity. You will also need to swap out the brush and mop modules whenever you want to switch between vacuuming and mopping. Fortunately, the design of the robot is simple and lightweight, so it isn’t that much of a chore. The one drawback is that there are no handles for easier lifting or carrying of the robot, but that’s something that shouldn’t really happen often.

The large station is also simple to operate and has a top flap to access the two water tanks inside. Those have handles for easier lifting, though they will naturally be heavy if filled with water, both clean and dirty. There is no external bin in the station for solid dirt, which is why emptying the bin inside the vacuum cleaner itself has to be done more often compared to some other brands.

Sustainability

Despite how long robot vacuum cleaners have been around, there is almost no manufacturer that has gone off the beaten path to put a focus on keeping the environment just as clean as your floor or carpet. While many consumer electronics companies are putting resources into sustainable efforts, robot vac cleaners haven’t come on board just yet.

Narwal is no exception, and the T10 is chock-full of non-renewable, non-recyclable, and unsustainable materials like plastic. The cleaner might be easy to operate, but maintaining it isn’t, especially when it comes to repairs. The company does sell replacements for parts that will get worn out the most, like brushes and HEPA filters, and those need to get replaced every three to six months, leading to more waste for landfills.

The T10’s mopping functionality can use a detergent strip that gets dissolved in the water, though that is optional, and you can just go with clean water instead. Narwal doesn’t make any claims about the impact on the environments these strips may have, and it would have been a small but important step forward if you could use more eco-friendly alternatives. Unfortunately, the company does warn about using any cleaning agents other than its official strips that could cause damage to the parts of the base station.

Performance

Robot vacuum cleaners aren’t designed just to be looked at, of course, and even the most sustainable robot of the future would need to do a good job at cleaning your floor or carpet. The Narwal T10 does have an interesting story to tell in that regard, but not all of it is good, sadly.

Vacuuming

As a vacuum cleaner, the Narwal T10 ironically sucks at sucking. Its maximum suction power of 1,800Pa just pales in comparison with other robot vacuums on the same price range, even when set to its most powerful “Power” mode. On the upside, that also means that the operation is fairly quiet and won’t be that much of a nuisance to kids and pets.

Unlike other robot vacuum cleaners, the T10 doesn’t have a bottom brush that rolls underneath it. That makes it harder for the robot to pull out dirt and particles that might lie below surface level, like dirt buried deep inside carpets. To compensate, it has two spinning brushes at its sides, doubling the sweeping reach of the vacuum.

That’s not to say that the T10 is terrible, just that it works best only in certain conditions. Hard floors and tiles are no problem for the robot, but it can only suck so much out of a dirty carpet. Particles that stick stubbornly even on hard floors also pose a problem and will take a few passes before they disappear. Then again, it might be better to mop those areas off anyway.

A robot vacuum cleaner wouldn’t be complete without self-driving capabilities, and the T10 thankfully doesn’t disappoint. It uses more advanced LIDAR rather than a camera to create a map of rooms in the house and navigate around obstacles. It is fairly accurate and quick, but the user experience is unfortunately hampered by a buggy mobile app.

Mopping

The Narwal T10 is ironically better at mopping than vacuuming, making it a great robot mop with an OK vacuum functionality on the side. While robot vacs that offer a similar 2-in-1 functionality have a small water tank and a damp cloth that simply wipes the floor, Narwal’s robot has dedicated features and parts just for mopping. And unlike its performance at sucking, the T10 is actually impressive in this mode.

You do have to manually swap the brush module for the mop heads, but the robot is thankfully smart enough to distinguish which is which and adjust its mode automatically. These mop heads spin around just like the brushes, but, more importantly, the T10 also applies pressure that helps in scrubbing the floor clean. The mop pads’ twisted fibers also help in making sure that as much stubborn dirt is lifted compared to a simple moth cloth.

The real magic actually happens inside the base station, which has an automatic cleaning function so you won’t have to get your hands wet and dirty. At the start of the mopping phase, the station sprays water with the dissolved detergent sheet onto the mopping pads. Each time the robot returns home, the station sprays soapy water again while the pads spin inside to rinse away the dirt. Once the mopping session has finally ended, the station rinses the pads again but also blow-dries them.

This is a feature that’s definitely unique to the Narwal T10 and takes away a lot of the drudgery in mopping floors. You’ll still want to wash the mopping pads from time to time to make sure they’re clean and properly dried, but Narwal does most of the dirty work for you.

App

At this point, it’s easy enough to give the Narwal T10 high marks, even with its less than stellar vacuuming capabilities. Unfortunately, there is one critical consideration that almost makes all of these moot. The majority of the robot’s functions can only be accessed through its mobile app, and that app is still regarded to be the worst part of the product since it launched.

The robot vacuum does have physical buttons for turning the vacuum on or pausing its current task, but everything else has to happen through the app. Unfortunately, there is a litany of bugs affecting the functionality of that app, bugs that still haven’t been addressed despite not-so-recent updates. The initial setup process can be finicky and is not as straightforward as the instructions seem to suggest. The most important consideration is that connection to your home network can only happen through a 2.4GHz band, so those with dual 2.4GHz and 5GHz routers will have to adjust their settings if possible.

Setting no-go zones isn’t trivial either, and you are limited to selecting rectangular areas the robot won’t tread over. It is possible to schedule cleaning times via the app, but the implementation isn’t exactly the easiest to use. The one thing in the app that does work perfectly is the real-time location of the robot, which could be handy if you accidentally lost track of it.

It isn’t impossible to use the mobile app, but it comes with a steep learning curve and requires a lot of patience. It might be worth the initial struggle for some, however, and hopefully, Narwal has a massive update coming to address these issues. Software is easier to fix than manufacturing or product design defects, and the T10 doesn’t have much of the latter, thankfully.

Value

At $1,099, the Narwal T10 isn’t an expensive smart home device, though it is currently at a discounted price of $949. With an impressive mopping performance, passable suction power, decent battery life, and auto-cleaning functions, that is almost a good bargain. The mobile app, however, is the albatross around its neck and could cause some to reconsider making a purchase.

There are, however, other costs that owners will also need to keep in mind when investing in this robot vacuum cleaner. Some might find it more high maintenance than others because you have to manually remove the dust bin more often than those with larger bins or auto-cleaning for solid dirt. You will also need to replace many of the parts regularly, especially the HEPA filters in the dust bin, and have a stock of detergent sheets ready at all times. Narwal does sell all of these, which adds to the total cost of ownership.

Verdict

With so many robot vacuum cleaners in the market, it’s rare to find one that has an exceptional feature that makes it stand out from the rest. The Narwal T10 is definitely one of those with its focus on its mopping function, though it, unfortunately, comes at the expense of the vacuuming part. The mobile app definitely needs a lot of work, and the young company will hopefully address those soon.

There are situations where the robot won’t be at its best, particularly if almost all your floors are carpeted. If, on the other hand, you mostly have hard floors and find yourself needing to mop more often than sweep, the Narwal T10 is undeniably a good choice to help you keep your house spick and span.

The post Narwal T10 2-in-1 Robot Cleaner Review first appeared on Yanko Design.