Hasta La Ideas

Mae Architects has completed the John Morden Centre, a day-care and health facility that explores solutions to the issue of loneliness among elderly people.

The centre forms part of Morden College, a long-standing retirement community in Blackheath, southeast London, that is home to more than 300 senior residents.

As well as providing medical facilities that include doctor and physiotherapy consultation rooms, it offers a range of social and activity spaces such as a cafe, an events hall and an arts and crafts studio.

“Buildings can play a major part in supporting longer, healthier and independent lives,” said Alex Ely, founding director at Mae Architects.

“The goal of the building is to foster a community atmosphere, allowing residents to live life to the full and have fun,” he continued.

“It responds to growing evidence about the value of community in old age, the importance of preventing loneliness, especially as loneliness is twice as unhealthy as obesity for older people.”

First established in 1695, Morden College’s buildings include an almshouse and chapel attributed to St Paul’s Cathedral architect Christopher Wren and built by master mason Edward Strong.

The John Morden Centre references these historic buildings in its materials palette. Instead of a traditional timber frame, it boasts a cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure that is exposed internally, while the facade is red brick.

The design also includes contemporary reinterpretations of Wren’s steeply pitched roofs, focal chimneys and, most importantly, cloisters.

Here, a cloister provides the building with a generous passageway that weaves between different social spaces, and provides seating niches that face out to a courtyard.

“The building is designed around a colonnade that runs the full length of the building,” states Ely in a video about the project. “A series of pavilions hang off that colonnade.”

This colonnade open up to the cafe, a double-height space where large windows and a skylight direct plenty of natural light onto the warm-toned timber walls and ceiling.

Either side of the cafe, the hall and workshop spaces provide opportunities for a range of activities that include fitness sessions, art classes and sports event screenings.

Other spaces include a snug, a winter garden and a patio terrace.

“The building is very flexible, and it’s very much intended that the residents make it their own,” said Ely.

“They will set up their own programmes, whether that’s art classes or race nights,” he said. “It allows the residents to really feel that it’s theirs and they can help shape the life of that building.”

Mae was recently shortlisted for the Stirling Prize for another CLT-framed building, the Sands End community centre in Fulham. Other recent projects include a senior living building in Westminster.

The photography is by Jim Stephenson.

Project credits

Architect: Mae
Client: Morden College
Main contractor: Clive Graham Associates
Structural engineer: Michael Hadi Associates
M&E consultant: BOOM
Project manager: Calford Seaden
Quantity surveyor: Calford Seadon
Planning consultant: Stanway Little
Landscape designer: J&L Gibbons

The post Mae designs senior day-care centre in southeast London to tackle social isolation appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen Showroom: Zurich-based bag manufacturer Freitag has designed the F707 Stratos, a foldable lightweight rucksack made from discarded airbags and truck tarpaulins.

The F707 Stratos rucksack, which has been shortlisted in the wearable design category of the 2022 Dezeen Awards, can be folded to be easily portable and can also be used as a shoulder bag thanks to an additional strap.

The airbag fabric was initially intended to be used in a truck, but failed a safety test and was rejected as a B-material.

The brand decided to give this textile a second opportunity while taking advantage of the airbag’s initial function, to be foldable, and keeping its original tones: white, pale blue and light pink.

“Just like an airbag in a car, the airbag B-material that we used should be able to unfold as a backpack,” the brand said.

The bag can be folded into a pocket made from tarpaulin normally used for trucks. Freitag has used tarpaulin and other reused material for previous accessories, but the F707 Stratos is the first bag in which it used the airbag textile as the primary material.

“We are usually quite familiar with recyclable materials from the street – discarded truck tarpaulins, car seat belts, and bicycle inner tubes are among our most important material components,” said the brand.

“However, dealing with the airbag textile was not easy at the beginning, as we had hardly any experience with this material.”

Other products shortlisted in the wearable design category of the Dezeen Awards 2022 include a collection of watches made from recycled coffee by Lilienthal Lifestyle GmbH and Elvie Stride, a breast pump that aims to make breastfeeding a simple solution for women.

Product: F707 STRATOS
Brand: FREITAG lab. ag
Contact: samira.hofmann@freitag.ch

The photography is by Simon Habegger.

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.

The post Freitag produces multipurpose bag using fabric from discarded airbags appeared first on Dezeen.

Some people are already fantasizing about setting up colonies on the Moon and Mars, but we have barely begun to understand and conquer our own seas and oceans. Granted, we might already be killing off these bodies of water because of your carelessness and neglect, but a large portion of the planet’s maritime territory remains unharnessed. Hopefully, however, we can be smarter about how we use this invaluable resource, especially when it comes to building homes below or on top of our waters. There have already been numerous ideas about how houses and even whole communities can be built to float on water, but this more sustainable concept not only respects the marine environment but even creates potential habitats for the creatures of the sea.

Designer: MAST

Although it will definitely require more thinking and resources, it would probably be easier if these new aquatic buildings were made using traditional materials and methods. Of course, that would also mean destroying the very environment that we’re building our new lives on. That’s nothing new as far as what we’ve been doing so far on the ground, but we already should know better by now. A new environment also means being able to start anew using the lessons we’ve learned over the past millennia, and this “Land on Water” vision is exactly that.

The literal foundations of this modular building system actually find their roots in ancient times. It inverts the typical gabion cage design, which is usually filled with rubble to create low-cost foundations and is instead filled with locally sourced, up-cycled floatation support to hold whatever structure is built on top. The flat-packed cages themselves are made from reinforced recycled plastic, making it easier to transport these sturdy modules and assemble them on location.

In addition to avoiding the toxic anti-fouling paints used on steel and concrete foundations, these modules can potentially become new habitats for fish and crustaceans, as well as anchor points for mollusks and seaweed. In other words, Land on Water won’t just be building homes for humans but also homes for marine life that could help support the human community above in turn.

The modular cages can be used to build anything from floating houses to campsites to even pools and saunas, as odd as that might sound for structures built to float on water. Land on Water can even become the blueprint for a new kind of dynamic, off-grid floating community of the future instead of the grand structures painted by some visionaries that still embrace the traditional and harmful practices that are killing off the planet. It might not be a scalable design for supporting large and heavy buildings, but that’s exactly the point of creating smaller, more agile structures that are also more respectful of the environment they’re built on.

The post This modular housing concept floats on water and is made from recycled plastic first appeared on Yanko Design.

There are different kinds of puzzles for different purposes. Some exercise the mind by challenging our mental faculties, while others are meant to help while away the time in a relaxing manner. There are also puzzles that reward their players with interesting art pieces that they can exhibit with pride on walls or on shelves. Of course, a puzzle can be all of those, providing good exercise for the brain while promising a beautiful display in the end. This hit puzzle from Japan does that and more because not only is the final result a stunning piece of art, each puzzle piece itself is a beautiful testament to creative design and quality craftsmanship.

Designer: Iwai Press

Click Here to Buy Now: $269 $299 ($30 off at checkout). Hurry, deal ends Oct 27th.

There are many things that people will immediately associate with Japan and its culture, a long list that includes sushi, manga and anime, giant robots, samurai, and ninjas. There are, however, also things in nature that call to mind the Japanese spirit, like the smooth slopes of Mt. Fuji or the gentle curves of flowers like cherry and plum blossoms. The latter, especially sakura or cherry blossoms, have become almost representative of Japan, and now you can keep such a beautiful flower on your desk without worrying about it ever wilting away.

ZIREL is a new kind of puzzle hailing from Japan that will really test your patience but reward your tenacity. Unlike a typical puzzle where each piece is visually unique and has clear marks on what it’s connected to, many pieces of this puzzle look almost so identical that you might presume you can simply interchange them. You might be shocked or even frustrated to learn that each part actually has minute differences and has its own specific place, and the discovery of its position might almost feel like reaching enlightenment.

Some people say good things come to those who wait, and that’s definitely the case for this puzzle. Presuming, of course, you’re actually solving it rather than expecting it to magically solve itself after staring at it for hours. Once all the metal pieces slide into place, you are left with a beautiful Sakura (cherry blossom) or Ume (plum blossom) cast in stainless steel with a mirror finish. Thanks to extremely small gaps of 0.004mm, you won’t even see lines that will mar the beauty of these floral art pieces. Feel free to place them on your desk as a gorgeous paperweight or make them stand proudly atop a table or shelf. After hours of hard work, you definitely deserve the gloat.

Beyond the charm of the finished puzzle, each piece is designed with Japanese ingenuity and craftsmanship. Despite their hard metal surfaces, the pieces effortlessly slide into each other when you have discovered their correct place. Acute attention to detail and disciplined quality control ensures that each piece has the highest quality, resulting in a whole that is just as great as the sum of its parts. Challenging, satisfying, and rewarding, this all-metal puzzle can help keep your mind sharp while also providing a feast for the eyes on your desk or shelf.

Click Here to Buy Now: $269 $299 ($30 off at checkout). Hurry, deal ends Oct 27th.

The post This tiny Japanese Sakura puzzle provides a difficult challenge with its 0.004mm precision design first appeared on Yanko Design.

For those who have neuro-divergent conditions like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, etc, the school and work environment can sometimes be a challenge especially if there are situations that can trigger negative reactions. Those who are in therapy probably have some coping techniques but it also helps if the environment itself can be a refuge for moments when they need to calm down or destress. Acoustic pod manufacturer Nook has designed pods that are specifically to address the needs of these neurodiverse individuals and make the space more inclusive.

Designer: Nook

Nook Pods are now given some enhancements to turn them into Sensory Nooks, an encapsulated space that will help neuro-diverse individuals deal with mood changes, challenging behavior, and sudden anxiety attacks that may trigger socially exclusive situations. These additions to the pods will help bring a “psychologically safe space” where they can temporarily escape from in order to calm down or get through a challenging situation they may be experiencing in the workplace, school, or even in public spaces.

Some of the additions in these Sensory Nooks include colour spectrum lighting that can be adjusted to the user’s preference and an LED picture light panel. There’s also a twinkling fiber optic tactile wall carpet that can help reduce anxiety and internal mirrors that can help reduce the strain of eye contact. There are also vibrating seats that can help with those who are suffering from fidgeting episodes. These features can help either calm or stimulate those who have sensory integration disabilities like Autism, Dyslexia, and Dementia.

Of course there are some places and situations that may need something specific and Nook is able to customize their Sensory Pods according to what you need. This is of course something that will help make spaces more inclusive although it probably costs more than your usual pod or working space. But at least it’s a step in the right direction, albeit a more expensive step.

The post Sensory pods helps neuro-divergent people deal with challenging situations first appeared on Yanko Design.