Every year there’s a rash of bizarre or unusual product designs, inventions and DIY projects that cross our desk. Often these would be easy to dismiss, but some of them wind up becoming gigantic commercial successes. There is, as they say, no accounting for taste. Here are the strangest designs or stories we’ve seen in 2022:
In 2023, living more sustainably and consciously should be a priority for all of us, – whether it’s making changes in our daily lives, consumption, or even our means of transportation. Our typical fossil-fuel-consuming means of transportation need to be replaced by greener and more environment-friendly alternatives, and Electric Bicycles are an appealing option! Not only do they curb fuel consumption and reduce automotive emissions, but they’re also a healthy source of exercise for us! I mean, not only do we get to save the Earth from air pollution, but we can also get some intense cardio done. And they’re becoming an increasingly popular option day by day. It’s estimated that by 2023, the total number of electric bicycles in circulation around the world, will be 300 million, which is an exponential increase, from 200 million back in 2019. It looks like everyone is slowly and steadily hopping onto the e-bicycle bandwagon! And, we’ve curated a whole range of innovative designs for you that caught our attention in 2022! From a shape-shifting kick scooter that transforms into an electric bicycle to the ultimate Pendler e-bike with modular accessories – we have a whole collection of sleek, modern, and super cool e-bikes for you!
1. The Popup Scooter
Christened the Popup Scooter, the two-wheeled electric bicycle transforms into a chick kick scooter and the other way around. This gives the rider (and his/her family and buddies) the option to choose the configuration depending on the particular needs. The smooth transformation happens courtesy of the hydraulic cylinder which in normal bicycles is used to adjust the ride height. This hydraulic mechanism is capable enough to lift an adult person, so, lifting and lowering the rider’s body shouldn’t be a problem at all. At the core level, the concept is not just another blueprint that looks good on paper but falls flat on its face when it comes to creating the actual prototype or even a production model.
2. The ONEBOT-S7
E-bikes are a household name now, they are a common mode of transportation in many cities – with safety norms – for cyclists. Add to that the convenience of being able to fold the bike instantly, and it becomes a versatile option to get from point A to B efficiently, effectively, and quickly. To ensure this portability and convenience, the ONEBOT-S7 uses a unique three-fold structure – as opposed to the two-step folding design that we all are familiar with – which makes the e-bike ultra-compact when folded so it can fit in the boot of the car or slide under your workstation (however and wherever you please to use it). Compressed into the smallest single unit possible, this e-bike when folded measure only 60cm in height and length and just 35cm in width.
3. The VanMoof Bike
The VanMoof bike comes with a minimal-yet-robust-looking frame and catches the eye with its red and black colorway. Although GMC hasn’t mentioned which model this is, just by the looks of it and its feature list, it seems like a custom version of the e-bike company’s Red Dot Award-winning S3 model. This new colorway, however, comes from the mind of Dao-Yi Chow, a New York-born-and-raised designer who co-created the street-savvy fashion brand Public School in 2008, which has received high acclaim with several major fashion awards (CFDA’s Swarovski Award for Menswear & Menswear Designer of the Year, US Woolmark Prize for Menswear). “
4. BaoPham Design’s E-bike Concept
This e-bike concept from BaoPham Design features centerless wheels that reduce the rotating inertia found in heavier wheels. Equipped with slim road bike tires, BaoPham’s concept e-bike boasts an aerodynamic build that cuts out the extra drag from air pressure and skin friction to give the bike a speedy ride. Conceptualized with a swift, Z-frame, the e-bike concept from BaoPham Design would host an electric motor located in the bike’s rear-wheel rotor that would be activated once the pedals are moved. The Z-frame of BaoPham Design’s e-bike would be constructed entirely from metal or aluminum for a sleek look and swift ride. Additionally, the hubless wheels of BaoPham Design’s e-bike reduce the rotating inertia found in wheels with spokes and a hub.
5. Titaa
While riding manual unicycles might be too much of a learning curve for most, self-balancing, electric unicycles sound more like something we could all get behind. Titaa, a unicycle with just those sorts of mechanics, conceptualized by Husky Design is a dual-purpose, modular vehicle that can transform from a bicycle into a self-balancing unicycle. In its full form, Titaa is an electric two-wheeler in the shape of a cargo bike. When riding Titaa as a two-wheeler, users sit upright on a curved, elevated seat rest that slopes down toward the bicycle’s set of foot pedals. There, users can rest their feet while the motor charges the e-bike ahead. Built into the rear-wheel component, Titaa runs on a battery-operated system that can be replaced and recharged near the vehicle’s foot pedals.
6. The LAMBROGio and the LAMBROGino
Dubbed the LAMBROGio and the LAMBROGino, these electric trikes are pedal-assisted as well and have each go their set of merits. Contoured shapes dominate the design on these for minimum airflow resistance. The weight has also been trimmed down to the minimum which further helps in economical battery conservation and stretching out the total mileage. The cargo version has a front door that doubles as a shade for the rider. While the passenger version of the electric bike could have benefited from a similar shade for those hot or rainy days, still customization is just that auto shop’s distance away.
7. The ENGWE X26 all-terrain e-bike
Definitely plausible but hardly ideal, especially if you’re trekking roads that even your mighty legs will have trouble going through. The ENGWE X26 all-terrain e-bike, in contrast, gives you all the power you need to conquer any road and almost any distance. The ENGWE X26’s power comes from two features that are industry firsts for this type of electric vehicle. For one, it has a powerful 1000W motor capable of pushing your speed to 31 mph max. While that’s the maximum power it can dish out, the e-bike also delivers a steady and reliable 750W output that still outruns the average e-bike’s 500W motors. All this power makes short work of rough terrains and inclines, which means that you’ll also be gliding swiftly on the smoother pavement.
8. The PXID – A1
Dubbed the PXID – A1, this compact electric bicycle folds to the size of a small suitcase for easy transportation in the boot or even be carried to the office floor, that’s if the boss permits. The folding bicycle rides on 14-inch tires and the rear tires get power from the onboard electric battery for assistive riding on ascends. The seat is height adjustable and the revamped design as compared to the earlier S1 model adapts an angular frame design. This gives the A1 a far better foldable aesthetic that’s practical in use. In fact, it is so compact in the foldable position, you can even store more luggage in the boot of your car with the A1 foldable electric bicycle sitting on one corner!
9. The Pendler Bike
Christened the Pendler bike, it gets its name from the Danish word pendling (meaning commuting) and is a nod to the country’s deep cycling culture. The idea of this concept is centered on the U-shaped frame which is basically a thick structural element. This lends the two-wheeler an identifiable silhouette for on-off urban riding needs. The aesthetics and feasible performance of the Pendler are given much attention which is important for a design to materialize for mass production.
10. The Pilot Bicycle
This final design is centered on a lightweight 7005 series aluminum frame and striking hubless wheel characteristics. To finalize the hubless wheel design that is functional to the last detail, Franz took help from his mechanical engineering colleagues. In the end, the off-center axle design had the additional gear to spin the wheels at a proper rate with pedaling motion. This is assisted by the onboard motor for that extra boost on inclines when the throttle is pressed. The Pilot bicycle finally came to life after countless edits and alterations to the design. The next step was to finalize the colors, materials, and finishes.
The realization of longtime dreams and magnificent returns to much-loved places
In 2022, many of us eagerly returned to travel for inspiration and education—to destinations within the US as well as countries and continents far away. After years strict precautions, many borders once again opened to tourists. Now, as we take to the road or jettison into the skies, it’s important to consider the impact travel has on the planet and to always be respectful to locals and the land. The trips we highlight below represent the realization of longtime dreams and magnificent returns to much-loved places.
Certain rarefied destinations do have it all—a dazzle of skeptical zebras; a pride of lions at rest after a fresh feast; a whimsical quiver tree, stretching upward beside a luxuriant, low-impact accommodation; a Michelin-starred chef serving astonishing splendors in a subterranean cavern, surrounded by nothing but nature; a conservation organization with superb anti-poaching units. All of this and more is found at Tswalu, a private wildlife reserve across 280,000 acres on the red sands of South Africa’s Kalahari desert. From industry-leading pangolin research to sunrise game drives across neighboring biomes, Tswalu exceeds the high expectations of a safari experience… Read more.
Sicily feels like its own continent—a wild landscape of mountains that tumble into the sea, waterfront villages where fishermen cast off into an azure sea and sun-drenched farmlands rolling into the distance. The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily has an epic past and was successively colonized by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and Spanish (and that’s an abbreviated list). Layers of history await around every corner, but Sicily is also a place of thoughtful contemporary innovation. Spectacular resorts, spellbinding public art and an ever-growing community of organic wineries make this island a prime destination for road tripping. While many flock to the island’s eastern shores to explore beloved beach towns like Taormina and the volcanic landscapes of Mount Etna, you should also set your sights on the island’s western reaches—it’s here that you’ll get a glimpse of authentic Sicily that’s worlds away from the tourist crowds… Read more.
Santa Fe, known as Oga Po’geh (meaning white shell water place) to the Tewa people, has a long history that imbues everything there. Located in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, it’s a place that was—and remains—home to Indigenous people for thousands of years, before being declared a region of New Spain, then a territory of independent Mexico, before being “gained” by the United States as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The third highest city in the country, it sits at 7,198 feet above sea level and is a true treasure within the vast, picturesque desert. Everybody has their must-see list—many of which will include The Matador (a classic dive bar with a 67-person capacity) to The Shed (famed for its red chile), the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and Meow Wolf—and while we certainly can attest to those being worthwhile spots to visit, here are our favorite experiences and places in Santa Fe… Read more.
When night falls in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, Vietnam, an electric energy appears. Bar promoters boasting venues’ offerings spill onto the street, where large, lively groups of patrons imbibe amidst a smörgåsbord of music emitted from closely packed clubs. Behind the turntable, a growing number of women DJs are paving the way for a more gender- and sexually-inclusive scene in Vietnam’s nightlife. At the forefront of this movement is Pho The Girls—a DJ workshop for women and nonbinary people presented by collective SYS Sister Sounds. The collective is empowering girls and gender nonconforming individuals to take up space in the music and club industries… Read more.
In the brisk North Atlantic, situated off the southern coast of the Canadian province of Newfoundland, the remote archipelago of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon embodies a charming cultural amalgam. Covered in fragrant boreal forests and sometimes mystical layers of fog, the island chain is a French territory—it’s part of France, not French Canada as one might assume from its position on a map. As such, the currency is the euro and power outlets are European. The language is French, not French Canadian, and the islands are smattered with epicurean delights associated with the Metropole (meaning the motherland, and what people from the islands call France)… Read more.
Bacalar—located in the southern part of Quintana Roo, not far from Mexico’s border with Belize—was founded between 415 and 435 CE by Mayan people. Its name derives from the Mayan “siyan ka’an bakjalal” meaning “place surrounded by reeds where the sky is born.” The jungle-dense, colorful and enchanting place is home to the glorious La Laguna de Los Siete Colores (Lagoon of Seven Colors) where, at any time of the day, the crystalline water might appear electric blue, turquoise, teal, emerald green or anywhere in between. The freshwater lagoon is bordered by mangroves, reeds and stramolites, and the oasis that is Habitas Bacalar provides a sublime view of it all… Read more.
From beloved, dependable classics that have been around for decades to those that opened within the last few months, wine bars abound in Melbourne, Australia. While there are several essentials in the city itself (including the hallowed City Wine Shop), the majority of dynamic wine bars are on the north side—in neighborhoods like Brunswick, Collingwood, Carlton and Fitzroy. More than cozy spaces to sip on thoughtfully made and carefully selected wines, these spots also offer incredible food and vibrant atmospheres that can turn a quick snack into a long, boozy lunch; a casual hangout into a romantic date; or an evening drink into an all-night adventure…. Read more.
The jolt of a bracing ice bath is just one of the charms of northern Sweden’s aptly named Arctic Bath Hotel, which is about to have its first full summer season. The experience means heading outside into the frosty wilds of Swedish Lapland and facing a small hole that’s cut into the frozen Luleå river, upon which the entire hotel sits. The water that swirls underneath is most certainly not warm. (Winter daytime temperatures hover in the single digits, while evening temperatures dip as low as -28 degrees Fahrenheit.) No matter, you step onto the ice in a bathing suit and dive right in. It’s an exhilarating feeling… Read more.
<img data-attachment-id="282094" data-permalink="https://coolhunting.com/travel/word-of-mouth-little-havana-miami/attachment/lh-little-havana-terras-8/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/LH-Little-Havana-Terras-8-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1438&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1438" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"","camera":"FC6310","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1580405577","copyright":"","focal_length":"8.8","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.00625","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="LH Little Havana – Terras 8" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="
Courtesy of Life House
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/LH-Little-Havana-Terras-8-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/LH-Little-Havana-Terras-8-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C575&ssl=1″ loading=”lazy” class=”size-large wp-image-282094″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/LH-Little-Havana-Terras-8.jpg?resize=1024%2C575&ssl=1″ alt=”” width=”1024″ height=”575″ data-recalc-dims=”1″ />Courtesy of Life House
Little Havana is arguably one of Miami’s most dynamic neighborhoods, yet finds itself often overlooked by out-of-town visitors who tend to default to the beach-centric revelry of South Beach. A longtime enclave for Spanish-speaking transplants from the Caribbean (namely Cuba), as well as other Central and South American countries, Little Havana flourishes as an unapologetically authentic hub of Latin culture, cuisine and tradition. Designated a “national treasure” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Calle Ocho (Southwest 8th Street) is its iconic nucleus: a bustling thoroughfare lined with coffeehouses, cigar shops, pastelerias and landmarks like the 1926 Tower Theatre. Tap the experts at Little Havana Walking Tour for a guided excursion throughout the barrio’s best pockets or discover the neighborhood’s cherished spots on your own… Read more.
<img data-attachment-id="296734" data-permalink="https://coolhunting.com/travel/inside-washington-states-the-lodge-at-st-edward-park/attachment/_tr35825/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/TR35825-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1706" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"4","credit":"Tim Rice","camera":"Canon EOS 5D Mark III","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1483090962","copyright":"","focal_length":"45","iso":"400","shutter_speed":"0.00125","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="_TR35825" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="
Courtesy of The Lodge at St Edward State Park
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/TR35825-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/TR35825-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1″ loading=”lazy” class=”size-large wp-image-296734″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/coolhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/TR35825.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1″ alt=”” width=”1024″ height=”683″ data-recalc-dims=”1″ />Courtesy of The Lodge at St Edward State Park
Several sensations vie for attention when one pulls up to The Lodge at St Edward Park, located on the banks of Lake Washington and mere minutes from Seattle, Washington. There’s the awe set off by the boutique hotel’s landmarked Romanesque Revival architecture, there’s the peace and serenity wafting from the enveloping Pacific Northwest forests and there’s curiosity over a restorative transformation that turned a decaying structure into a contemporary hospitality epicenter. And this is only the start. A stay at The Lodge at St Edward is one of comfort and discovery, underscored by access to 326 wooded acres and 3,000 feet of freshwater shoreline… Read more.
Hero image courtesy of Tanveer Badal for Habitas Bacalar
Chinese studio Group of Architects has completed the Yada Theatre near the city of Yixing, with ceramic and wood finishes that reference the region’s bamboo forests and heritage of pottery production.
Shanghai-based Group of Architects (GOA) designed the theatre to be a cultural landmark for the new town of Yangxian Xishan, a development intended to revitalise the rural areas surrounding Yixing.
Surrounded by a hilly landscape including some 400 hectares of Bamboo forest, the building draws on traditional Chinese gardens, with a cluster of light, mono-pitched forms broken up by small public courtyards.
Group of Architects has completed the Yada Theatre near Yixing
“The architecture is envisioned as a porous sponge that absorbs and embraces visitors and the surrounding environment,” explained the studio.
“This layout is an anti-gentrification design strategy that discards the over-enclosing space and exclusive function of conventional theatres to provide community services for the surrounding residents, such as public gatherings, cultural events and leisure activities,” it continued.
“It presents the ground space in a communal, open and accessible manner that encourages people to be involved in the space by roaming between the architecture and nature.”
It comprises a series of mono-pitched forms
The roofs of the building rise upwards to face out towards the landscape, with skylights and areas of full-height glazing flooding its interiors with light and framing extensive views of the landscape.
A curving road leads to the theatre’s entrance, where a sloping garden traversed by shallow concrete steps leads up to a cafe overlooking a pond.
On the opposite side of a central courtyard is a restaurant and visitor lounge, with another set of concrete steps alongside a pond leading to a path that winds through the woodlands to the south.
In the 530-seat auditorium, the site’s natural slope has been used to organise the raked seating, looking down towards a full-height glazed wall behind the stage that creates a “botanical backdrop” overlooking the pond.
Small public courtyards break up the building
“As nature becomes a part of the performance, the auditorium delivers audiences a novel and delightful theatre experience within an attractive green context,” said the studio.
“[The space] can be used flexibly for a recreational activity by shifting between open and picture-frame stages to satisfy the varying setting needs of concerts, dramas, and large community events.”
Wooden finishes are used throughout the auditorium
Externally, the buildings have been clad with a mixture of fluted and plain pale green ceramic tiles in-between thin strips of aluminium.
Inside, the foyer sits underneath a sloping roof finished in a triangular timber pattern, with pale stonework contrasted by timber lining for the reception area and timber finishes throughout the auditorium.
There is a full-height glazed wall behind the stage
Previous projects by GOA include the Metasequoia Grove Restaurant in the village of Suzhou, designed as a cluster of aluminium-clad pyramidal forms informed by the surrounding trees.
The project was recently longlisted in the hospitality building category of Dezeen Awards 2022.
After architecture, design and interiors again ignited plenty of debate this year, Dezeen’s digital team looks back on their favourite comments and commenters from the past 12 months as part of our review of 2022.
Dezeen’s digital team is tasked with moderating our busy comments section, which received thousands of comments in 2022.
One commenter who stood out was Betty Rubble, thanks to a flurry of simultaneously entertaining yet serious contributions under BIG’s concrete tower in Quito, which features balconies that are overlooked by the floors above.
“This building could totally have been done so a homeowner can barbecue eggplant in her underwear, dancing with her dog and a martini,” Rubble said as a comment on the compromised privacy. “I’m just saying, you know, for a friend.”
Things can get heated in the comments and sometimes the tone turns nasty when commenters battle it out, seemingly without seeking to listen to or reason with one another.
Instead of taking the bait, Rubble continued to steer the conversation back to the subject.
“Unless I live there, my feedback is irrelevant?” Rubble asked. “Can we keep it on the design please?” The digital team always admires a commenter who resists getting into a war of words.
“I’ll introduce you to ‘my friend’ if you are ever in Boston,” Rubble concluded the discussion by saying. “I hope you like eggplant.” Read the whole thread here.
Another favourite of the digital team is seasoned commenter Zea Newland. Never loathe to offer a measured opinion in an intense debate, Newland waded into some of Dezeen’s most talked-about stories in 2022.
In April they had some choice words to offer on Thomas Heatherwick’s plans for the Buckingham Palace Tree of Trees sculpture, designed as part of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
“It’s a bit like a parody of Heatherwick or a critical commentary on how architects like to ‘design nature’,”Newland wrote.
Heatherwick’s Tree of Trees sculpture at Buckingham Palace for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations
When British designer Heatherwick talked about his commitment to integrating nature into his work in an interview with Dezeen in June,Newland quipped: “How did forests happen before Heatherwick started building trees?”
“The future is parks and green promenades where parking lots used to be,” they concluded. “No need to reinvent nature by putting trees in tiny planting pots on the 12th floor just to increase the value of an apartment nobody lives in.”
Tree of Trees wasn’t the only project that rubbed Newland up the wrong way, though. When US studio Fougeron Architecture revealed Suspension House, a large holiday home in California that bridges a creek, the commenter couldn’t resist poking fun at Silicone Valley types.
“Jesus, do tech bros get claustrophobia when they enter rooms smaller than an airport terminal?” they wondered, much to the amusement of other commenters.
“But knowing 007, he’d blow it sky-high with one of his tactically adapted Omega watches,” they continued.
The aforementioned Newland’s also cropped up under the Domus trimaran story. “You know what else is zero emissions? Every superyacht that doesn’t get built,” Newland’s comment was upvoted more than 20 times.
“This should come as no surprise,” dependable commenter Ken Steffes remarked. “Glass is cheap and nature is disposable. It’s always all about the money.”
“Humans have no regard for the natural environment when it comes to making money,” Steffes continued. “Look at our climate – it will be too little too late for many birds. Another sad reality of humans’ lack of stewardship for our planet.”
The story prompted another swathe of comments, including from Brown. “If this is happening on the scale that it does, then architects and designers have failed miserably,” they said. “This is yet more evidence pointing to the fact that we exclude the natural environment when creating habitation for ourselves.”
Brown’s remarks spoke to themes that ran throughout much of the discourse among Dezeen commenters in 2022.
Many stories and comments this year grappled with issues surrounding the environment and development, as well as the ethics of mega-projects, migrant labour and questions around where the money for architecture projects comes from.
Some wanted to give the plans, to be developed by Neom, the benefit of the doubt. “You have to give it to Prince Salman; he has a vision of the future for his country,” commented Philippe Desrosiers.
Many were sceptical, including Ellen Gaube who said: “With rising ocean levels in our future, this is a big loser”.
Several commenters looked for the funny side. “This is what happens when you stay up all night drinking with Elon Musk and the dude who designed the silver orb at Burning Man,” quipped Nievie. “A giant, shiny fence for the impending Douglas Adams space gymkhana.”
Michael captured the debate around The Line, and in fact much of 2022’s news cycle, in one succinct question when he asked: “What can possibly go wrong?”
Dezeen is the world’s most-commented architecture and design magazine, receiving hundreds of comments each month from readers. Keep up-to-date with the latest discussions on our comments page, in our weekly Comments Update and by subscribing to our weekly Debate newsletter, where we feature the best reader comments from stories in the last seven days.
The family of four vacation houses near the popular seaside village of Melides each has a similar facade – a minimalist concrete gable punctured by large openings that share the same house-shaped outline.
Pateos is a group of four vacation homes near Melides
But behind the exterior walls, Aires Mateus gave each property a different arrangement of indoor and outdoor spaces.
“We were interested in creating a family of spaces that allow different experiences,” Aires Mateus told Dezeen. “The spaces are always unique, distinguished by the way they open to the outside and how they protect different living experiences.”
Cutaway openings reveal various patios behind the concrete facades
The design concept was initiated by owners Sofia and Miguel Charters, who wanted to reinterpret Alentejo’s architectural vernacular to support a modern vision of hospitality.
As a starting point, the couple asked Aires Mateus to explore different ways of integrating the patio – an element that is believed to have been introduced to the region during Moorish occupation centuries earlier.
House-shaped cutaways echo the gable roof profiles
The architect did this by giving each home a unique layout.
In each, the patio offers a different way of connecting the indoor living spaces with an experience of the natural landscape.
“We wanted these interior spaces to always extend outside,” Aires Mateus explained.
“In a logical continuity, some spaces open onto patios that relate to the view, while others open onto private patios.”
The patios and courtyards offer varying degrees of privacy
The first of the four single-storey houses has two bedrooms organised in a L-shape. The living spaces wrap around one large courtyard with a cutaway opening in its corner.
There are two one-bedroom houses. One is very linear, with two open yards on either side, while the other features a diagonally projecting bedroom wing and three largely private patios.
The fourth house has three bedrooms arranged in a cross-shaped plan that integrates a mix of open and enclosed patios in its four corners.
The interiors are minimally finished with unpainted plaster and natural wood
The houses are deliberately minimalist both inside and out, combining surfaces of bare concrete, unpainted plaster and natural wood.
The gable-shaped windows, as well as the slanted ceilings, help to direct focus out towards the countryside scenery.
All four houses feature living rooms equipped with wood-burners and outdoor showers, and the largest house also contains fully equipped kitchen.
There are seven bedrooms across the four houses
Aires Mateus and his brother, Francisco Aires Mateus, are among Portugal’s most highly revered residential architects.
Although the brothers have their own Lisbon-based studios, they share a website and often collaborate on projects under the shared Aires Mateus moniker.
Sofia and Miguel chose to work with Manuel because, as well as being a long-standing friend, he shares the couple love of “the beauty of simple things”.
The four properties they have created are available for rent either individually or together, for up to 14 guests. An infinity pool was built alongside the homes.
The property also includes an infinity pool
“We want our guests to see, understand and feel the truth in this project,” said the owners.
“With no hidden tricks, Pateos reflect the authenticity of materials without disregarding comfort and function, with the purpose of offering a genuine sensory experience.”
Keep your gear safe, dry, and always by your side with HyperPack Pro. Locate your HyperPack anywhere with an Apple® Find My compatible location module. HyperPack Pro also protects your gear from the elements with YKK water-resistant zippers & 1260D Cordura Nylon. It stops would-be thieves with interlocking zippers, an RFID protective pocket, and a hidden lumber pocket. HyperPack Pro was carefully designed for creative professionals on the move with travel-friendly features like a 1L interior water bottle pocket and a triple-padded airflow system, as well as Pass-through charging for easy access to your portable battery pack. Yes, the backpack’s also comfortable to wear, spacious on the inside, and is designed with a durable waterproof exterior… but the ability to track your bag and know exactly when it leaves your personal radius makes the HyperPack Pro an instant must-recommend in our book!
Locate your HyperPack Pro from anywhere using Hyper’s built-in Apple® Find My Compatible Location Module.
The HyperPack Pro has a minimal, water-resistant black Cordura exterior with YKK zippered pockets on the outside for your water bottle, sunglasses, as well as a hidden pocket built into the lumbar cushion that’s difficult for any pickpocket to access. The bag comes with padded straps and a triple-padded airflow back to keep you cool and breeze, sternum straps for your posture, and a pass-through strap for attaching the backpack onto your travel case while rushing through an airport. The HyperPack Pro’s location module is built into its exterior too, but that feature really deserves its own dedicated section in this article.
Strategic Charging Pockets & Passthroughs
Secure Interlocking Zippers
Water-resistant 1260D Cordura and YKK Aquaguard Zippers
Peek inside and the HyperPack Pro’s 22-liter inner capacity comes with carefully considered compartments for all your belongings, from a padded slot for a 16” laptop to a dedicated RFID-blocking pocket for your cards, an area for a MagSafe wireless charger, and dedicated loops to organize your cables that connect your gadgets on the outside to the power bank inside the bag. The MagSafe charging area is a surprisingly new addition, letting you slide your phone right into your bag and have it charge without plugging a single cable in. The bag’s YKK zippers and Cordura fabric exterior keep water out, and integrated zip-ties let you effectively lock your zips together so your backpack puts up a fight to any slimy pickpocket who wants to slide their hands right in and steal your belongings.
The integrated location module is by far the most innovative and interesting feature of the HyperPack Pro, and surprisingly enough, is the first I’ve seen for any backpack or laptop bag. The module runs on a standard CR2032 battery cell, and connects to your Find My network, letting you physically track your backpack the way you would your phone, AirPods, iPad, or MacBook. It has its own Out Of Range alert system that lets you know if your bag leaves your personal radius, and you can even ‘ping’ your backpack through the Find My app, with the module’s transducer capable of ringing as loud as 90 decibels.
The beauty of the HyperPack Pro’s design is that it’s pretty much universal in its appeal. Whether you’re someone who carries a backpack to work or on travels, or uses it for specific storage like your drone and camera gear, the ability to track your belongings seems like an obvious win… and I won’t be surprised if other companies start integrating this feature into their travel gear too. Besides, the backpack’s spacious, travel-ready, and outdoor-friendly build makes it great for commuters and wanderlusts. The HyperPack Pro is priced at $200, but backers on Indiegogo can grab it early for a 30% discounted price of $140.
It distills the detailed painting down to a set of block-based art but retains every bit of the original’s grand beauty.
The Great Wave of Kanagawa remains one of the art world’s most iconic and recognizable paintings. Just about as famous as the Mona Lisa or Van Gogh’s Starry Night, The Great Wave is a hallmark of Japan’s Ukiyo-e art movement, which flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries and involved a series of detailed wood-block print techniques. LEGO Art’s interpretation involves plastic blocks instead, and comes with a brick-count of 1810 pieces to build this influential eastern artwork from scratch, along with a special brick that contains artist Hokusai’s signature too!
Unlike LEGO’s revisit of Van Gogh’s Starry Night, which used regular linear bricks to mimic the Dutch artist’s post-impressionist strokes, The Great Wave (31208) takes a much more intricate approach, with the canvas comprising of multiple dot-shaped bricks that give the painting a pointillism-effect.
The overall set measures 20.5 inches in width and 15.5 inches in height, making it almost twice as large as the original. The 1810-brick set features 6 canvas plates, 2 hanger elements, a brick separator, and a decorative tile with Hokusai’s signature. The box it comes in also has a QR code which leads you to a tailor-made soundtrack to enhance your building experience.
The LEGO Art Hokusai – The Great Wave (31208) will sell for US$99.99, and will be available starting January 1st, 2023. Check out LEGO’s official page for more details, and if you’re looking for a late Christmas Gift or a nice New Year solo activity, this just might be the perfect pick for you!
We often underestimate the importance of a great chair! When in reality we really shouldn’t. We spend the majority of our day sitting on chairs, whether we’re working in our home office, enjoying a meal, or simply sitting and reading a book for leisure! Hence, this piece of furniture needs to be not only comfortable but ergonomic, and aesthetic as well. And one such design I recently came across is the Terra seating collection.
Designed by Sebastian Alberdi for the Spanish furniture brand Missana, the Terra seating is a curvy yet gentle seating design that will add a burst of personality to any space it is placed into. The minimal yet sturdy furniture piece is inspired by the gentle curves of the hillsides, which is depicted in its intriguing form.
Missana says that the Terra chairs and sofas feature “a sinuous valley of backrests”. Alberdi designed the seats to mimic picturesque landscape sceneries. The gently curving structure of the chair is supported by slender iron legs, and a rather slim profile, which gives the impression that the chair is quite light and free-flowing. “I had two clear purposes – to create a compact design collection that at the same time looks visually very light,” said Alberdi.
The seating collection includes two- and three-seater sofas as well as a chair, armchair, and bar stool. The frame of the chair features a classic black color, while the cushioned seating is available in a variety of diverse fabric colors. You can pick upholstery in the color of your choice.
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compatible location module. HyperPack Pro also protects your gear from the elements with YKK water-resistant zippers & 1260D Cordura Nylon. It stops would-be thieves with interlocking zippers, an RFID protective pocket, and a hidden lumber pocket. HyperPack Pro was carefully designed for creative professionals on the move with travel-friendly features like a 1L interior water bottle pocket and a triple-padded airflow system, as well as Pass-through charging for easy access to your portable battery pack. Yes, the backpack’s also comfortable to wear, spacious on the inside, and is designed with a durable waterproof exterior… but the ability to track your bag and know exactly when it leaves your personal radius makes the HyperPack Pro an instant must-recommend in our book!
