Korin SnapPack: A stunning next-gen backpack with a slick, anti-theft design made for work, play, and travel



After 8 years of writing for a design blog, it’s mighty rare to see something beautiful enough to drop your jaw. I’ll admit, I had to close my mouth after 3 full minutes of admiring the SnapPack. It’s a unique blend of minimal yet spacious. Simple yet supremely versatile, with storage designed to hold every single one of your belongings. The ultra-slick backpack’s design is also made from cutting-edge materials that, well, resist cutting. The SnapPack, aside from being waterproof, is also designed to be slash-resistant, making it quite a compelling piece of gear from every angle.

Designer: Korin Design

Click Here to Buy Now: $109 $169 (36% off) Hurry! Just 60 hours left!

Crafted by award-winning gear studio Korin Design, the SnapPack is the sixth in their ongoing series to reinvent backpacks. Their previous bags have received the holy trinity of design awards – the Red Dot, Good Design, and iF Design Awards. Following user feedback and months of research, Korin’s team believes they’ve created their best backpack yet. Dubbed the SnapPack, this piece of next-gen gear puts usability and convenience at the forefront. The backpack’s easy on the eyes as well as on the shoulders, thanks to Aircell straps that create a soft cushion to ease the weight. The backpack is also built with an entire army of access points, from the magnetic quick-access hatch on the top to the waterproof magnet-secured bottle/umbrella sleeve on the side. The bag even has its own hidden chamber located on the panel that faces your back, RFID-blocking pouches in each of the straps, and even a retractable key holder… and that’s just the outside of the bag.

The SnapPack gets its name from the magnetic snapping mechanism built into its various outer pockets. The most notable one is the pocket on the top, that, when folded shut, doesn’t even look like a pocket at all. It’s easy to open and closes with a satisfying snap. The pocket lets you quickly access items from within the bag that can be pulled out without opening the entire gear. This could be your AirPods Max, Nintendo Switch, or something more critical like a DSLR camera that you need to access at a moment’s notice before your photography subject disappears. The same magnetic access is built into the 3D storage sleeve on the side, which exists independently from the bag. Perfect for bottles and umbrellas (or even tiny tripods), this waterproofed chamber lets you swiftly slide items in without having them stick out as they do on other bags. A hallmark of the SnapPack’s design is the fact that no object, gear, or belonging obscures or corrupts the bag’s design. Bottles don’t stick out the side, EDC doesn’t hang around on the straps, and even the branding is so subtle, you’ll barely notice it’s even there.

The inside of the bag provides up to 20 liters of storage, with a 180° opening flap that lets you access your belongings, and dedicated storage for everything from your laptop to your stationery. The bag’s big enough to comfortably fit a 16″ laptop, with fleece-lined compartments to protect your gear from scratches, and added storage pouches for cables, peripherals (mice), chargers, notebooks, etc. The rest of the space lets you stash your other gadgets, clothes, toiletries, etc.

A backpack as avant-garde-looking as this is bound to warrant some attention, which is why the SnapPack makes its anti-theft design such a strong USP. For starters, the magnetic hatches on the bag are virtually unnoticeable, and if any thief were to try and make their way into your backpack, they’d either look for the zip or directly go for the jugular by taking a knife to your backpack. Needless to say, the latter would be an incredible waste of time, given that the SnapPack is built with cut-proof fabric that can resist slashes with even the sharpest of blades.

Trying to brute-force your way with the zippers is a futile attempt too, thanks to a TSA lock that firmly secures your zippers in place, and remains hidden under the magnetic flap on top. If the thief’s final attempt was to just take your backpack and make a run for it, the SnapPack’s retractable rebound wire would be your final line of defense. The rebound wire secures your bag to poles, railings, chairs/benches, and other immovable objects, with a weight/force capacity of up to 50 kilograms.

The cut-proof fabric repels water too, protecting your belongings from not just theft but also exposure to the elements.

A hidden magnetic hatch in the back lets you slip belongings like your phone, passport, and wallet in, making it easy to access for you, but tricky for anyone else.

Other details on the SnapPack are its Aerocell-filled straps that make carrying the bag a breeze, and a handle strap to secure your backpack to your travel case while shuttling through an airport or station. The SnapPack also comes with discrete reflective patches on the back and the straps, keeping you visible even in low-light settings… and pairs wonderfully with its smaller sibling, the SnapSling. The SnapSling can be worn with the bigger backpack, making them the perfect travel duo, or can be used separately for when you’re traveling light.

The SnapSling is built to be as capable as its big brother, providing cut-proof, theft-proof, versatile storage in a smaller, cross-body format. Made to be complementary in every way, the SnapSling also employs the same cut-proof, waterproof fabric in its design, along with the signature magnetic quick-access hatch on the top that gives you ingress into the sling’s interiors. A hidden compartment on the back of the sling is big enough to store a phone, while a quick-rebound keychain holder lets you secure your keys to the bag. The SnapSling misses the Aircell strap, given that it isn’t built to be as heavy as a backpack, but makes up for it with a suave magnetic buckle system that has all the class and appeal of a fidget toy with its single-handed operation.

Both the SnapPack and SnapSling come in a single, cyberpunk-ish grey finish. The sling starts at $69, while the larger backpack is priced at a discounted $109. Both the SnapPack and SnapSling come with a 1-year warranty, and ship globally starting April… or if you’re in a bit of a hurry, $10 extra gets you the gear as soon as March 2023.

Click Here to Buy Now: $109 $169 (36% off) Hurry! Just 60 hours left!

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The world’s first crewed flying racecar, the Airspeeder MK4, is set to make its global debut in 2024

Flying cars as a mode of transport have been long overdue, but Adelaide-based Alauda Aeronautics wants to run before it can walk. Meet the Airspeeder MK4, a hydrogen-powered crewed flying racecar that has a top speed of 360 km/h (225 mph), a range of 300 km (188 miles), and is all set to premiere at the 2024 Airspeeder Racing Series. It also holds the current record for being the fastest hydrogen-powered eVTOL ever built.

Designer: Alauda Aeronautics

The Airspeeder MK4’s aesthetic instantly stands out as more than just your average eVTOL. Look at it long enough and you’ll see some distinct similarities with a Formula 1 racecar. With propellers instead of wheels, this bad boy has the same aerodynamic form, with a carbon fiber monocoque boasting of front and rear wings, and a single-seater cockpit in between them. Four repositionable propellers sit where you’d expect the wheels, and can face either upwards, forwards, or sideways to help the vehicle lift off the ground, travel forward, and make dramatic turns in mid-air.

At the heart of the Airspeeder MK4 is the Thunderstrike Hydrogen Turbogenerator, a 1340 hp, 1000 kW turbogenerator electric engine specifically designed for use in eVTOLs. It gives the Airspeeder a range of 300 kilometers (118 miles) and allows it to reach top speeds of 360 km/h (225 mph) in merely 30 seconds. Arguably pretty important for a racecar, I’d say.

Now in its fourth iteration (hence the MK4 moniker), the eVTOL has a take-off weight of 950 kilograms. Once in the air, an AI-controlled gimbal thrust system allows the Airspeeder to maneuver in mid-air. Each propeller is mounted on a lightweight 3D-printed gimbal, easily allowing the Airspeeder to travel rapidly in any direction and even make sharp turns in the air.

The MK3 (its predecessor) has successfully completed over 350 remote-controlled test flights, even participating in two Airspeeder demonstration races in South Australia last year (2022). The company’s all set to have the MK4 make its mark next year with the first-ever Airspeeder Racing Series in the first-ever manned flying car race.

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Surfproof Hydrating Setting Spray

Not only an effective setting spray, Caliray’s Surfproof can be used throughout the day as a refreshing mist. The lightweight spray holds makeup in place (but can be used without cosmetics) and does not create an unsightly film or leave droplets. Made with prickly pear, agave and glycerin, it’s nourishing and possesses a subtle scent that’s undeniably summery.

LAYER Breeze coffee machine presents a softer way to start your day

Kitchen appliances have gotten more sophisticated and more advanced these days, yet their design language has remained mostly the same. Although they definitely look elegant and refined, most kitchen equipment, from refrigerators to ovens, often have sharp edges, shiny metallic surfaces, and an almost cold demeanor. There are exceptions, of course, but this design DNA seems to be the most prevalent, even for smaller appliances like toasters and coffee machines. That, in turn, dictates the overall aesthetic of the kitchen, at least if the appliances’ style doesn’t clash with the theme you already have going. That doesn’t always have to be the case, and this capsule-based coffee machine challenges those established traditions to bring a device that greets you with a calming and somber ambiance that helps ease you into the day.

Designer: Benjamin Hubert (LAYER Design)

A lot of people depend on coffee to get their day started or even get through the rest of the day. While businesses like Starbucks can be found almost everywhere, many households today would have their own coffee machine, whether using beans or capsules. Despite the popularity of these appliances, few owners probably notice how their designs affect how people see and approach them, which is to say they see coffee machines are veritable machines that are elegant yet clinical rather than something approachable and personal.

Breeze, designed for the South Korean coffee brand Dongsuh, tries to change that attitude by drastically changing the appearance of a capsule coffee machine. This comparatively newer breed of coffee makers often have more stylish and less industrial designs, but they still can’t get rid of that shiny metallic luster common to kitchen appliances and tools. In contrast, Breeze applies a refreshing and softer color palette, favoring pastel variants of white, charcoal, and pink to convey a gentler personality.

The shapes are also distinctly different. While the modular blocks are admittedly more geometric, their rounded corners add to the overall softer aesthetic of the machine. A ridged surface wraps around the base, contrasting with the smoother texture of the head. Another point of contrast is the tall water tank at the back, a transparent container that projects an image of clarity that, when taken together with the more subdued hues of the machine, seems to send a message of calm.

Beyond just the visuals, the design also includes a more tactile interface to operate the machine, using clearly marked LED-backlit buttons at the top of the head. Made from simple shapes and with a simple way of operating, Breeze gives the coffee machine a gentle and almost comforting identity, which is probably the kind of character you’d want to meet when you get your coffee first thing in the morning or in the middle of a tiring day.

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Erre Q Erre replaces parking lot with stone pavilion in Mexico City

mexico city stone pavilion

Local architecture studio Erre Q Erre has created the Environmental Culture Center, a stone-clad pavilion and garden that replaces a parking lot in Bosque de Chapultepec, a large park in the centre of Mexico City.

The 90,000-square-metre project was designed as an “environmental node” to strengthen the park’s environment biologically and culturally by adding more diverse plant life and public spaces.

Roof of Volanic stone pavilion in Chapultepec park
Erre Q Erre designed the Environmental Culture Center in Mexico City

The Environmental Culture Center comprises a large stone pavilion and a garden crisscrossed with “biocultural walks” meant to improve pedestrian connectivity in this section of the park.

It is part of the city’s master plan to revitalize the park and the project was selected via a competition held jointly by the local and federal governments.

Stone forum in Mexico city Park
It consists of a pavilion in the centre of a garden complex

Its design is meant to improve the area’s biodiversity and reflect the various biomes found in the Valley of Mexico region.

“The spatial configuration of the project arises from strategically locating the Center for Environmental Culture,” said Erre Q Erre.

“It is delicately incorporated into the geometry of the lake and a natural slope with existing vegetation, which provides an optimal space to place a set of volcanic stone steps that serve as containment, rest and contemplation for the new landscape or environmental setting.”

Volanic stone sloping roof
The roof is clad in dark stone

At the centre of the complex is the semi-circular forum. It has a 2,000-square-metre roof made from black volcanic stone that slopes up from the ground and is supported by massive steel trusses.

Underneath the overhanging roof, more stone was used to clad pillars that punctuate the curved glazing that provides views of the gardens. Inside, a stone floor and stone seating is framed by the semi-circular structure.

interior of stone pavilion
It educates the public on the environment

The structure references the volcanic landscapes of Pedregal, a volcanic landscape in the southern part of the city.

“The architectural language of the pavilion aims to be one more element of the landscape,” said Erre Q Erre.

“This has been achieved thanks to the integration of the geometry of the roof with the topography of the site, and with the use of materials already used in the Chapultepec forest, such as volcanic stone.”

Erre Q Erre environmental culture center trusses
Steel trusses support the sloping roof

Cemex Vertua concrete was used for the foundation, which the studio said reduced the emissions by 50 per cent. The formwork for the concrete was reused in the interior finishes.

Rainwater collection channels were included in the roof and in the forum area, with the water stored in collection tanks and used to help irrigate the gardens.

Erre Q Erre Center for Environmental Culture
The semi-circular structure holds an outdoor forum area

The gardens include a variety of plants separated into plots by stone walls.

A primary irrigation channel runs from the adjacent lake and links up with smaller channels that can be opened and closed.

The pathways through the garden take formal inspiration from the lake shore and all lead towards the “node” of the pavilion and forum.

“The Biocultural Walks adopt trajectories in the form of a concentric spiral that gives continuity to the curved lines that define the outline of Menor Lake,” said the studio.

Children skating in stone forum mexico city
It replaces a parking lot in the park

“Its tours start from the existing cultural equipment at different points around the perimeter of the land and intuitively come together in the Center for Environmental Culture,” the studio added.

Other projects that use volcanic stone include Taller Mauricio Rocha’s expansion of Diego Rivera and Juan O’Gorman’s Anahuacalli Museum in Mexico City and Intersticial Arquitectura’s home in Querétaro, which rests on a plinth made from the material.

The photography is by Marcos Betanzos.


Project credits:

Architecture: Rafael Ponce Ortiz (lead architect), Juan Ansberto Cruz (project partner), Margarita Gorbea Angeles, Cesar Ávila, Oscar Díaz Gaspar, Abigail Esparza, Diego Bueno de la Paz, Valerio López Acevedo
Landscape engineering:  Juan Ansberto Cruz Gerón, Paola Patricia González Ordaz, Fabiola Alvarado, Gerardo Tapia, Eduardo Santiago, Perla Flores
Vegetable proposal: Secretaría del Medio Ambiente, Rodrigo Canjay Torres, Pamela Vélez, Fortino Acosta
Engineering and environmental design: Dr. Alejandro de Alva, Amado Ríos, Edgar Ojeda Sotelo, Oscar Ramírez, Coral Rojas Serrano, Javier Cuauhtémoc Blancas Ponce
Geometry and structural design: Eric Valdez Olmedo, Axayacatl Sánchez
Museography: Adriana Miranda
Project coordinator Chapultepec Nature and Culture: Gabriel Orozco

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Eight-Color Crayon

Designed and manufactured in Japan by stationery brand Hightide (founded in Fukuoka in 1994), this non-toxic wax crayon includes eight colors in one instrument. Choose from pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, black or purple and let the creativity flow.

Three connected cabins form multi-generational home in Vermont mountains

A series of pitched-roof structures with granite stone walls and metal-clad gable ends on a snowy mountainside

Montreal architecture studio Nós has completed a multi-generational home in Vermont‘s Green Mountains named Three Summits, which is made up of three pitched-roof structures connected by one-storey walkways.

Nós designed the home to provide communal spaces that frame views of the surrounding mountain range and bring together three generations of family members.

A series of pitched-roof structures with granite stone walls and metal-clad gable ends on a snowy mountainside
The home is made up of three connected cabin structures

“By the repetition of simple forms freely positioned on the site, the project generates a diversity of living spaces supporting the needs of communal life, while offering different relations with the landscape,” said Nós.

“Stripped of ornamentation, the lines, planes and volumes compose a pure, and even primitive geometric whole.”

Three pitched-roof structures with granite stone walls and metal-clad gable ends on a snowy mountainside
The home is located on a mountain slope

Granite stone walls support the pitched roofs, which feature gable ends clad with sheet metal.

The tall, angular rooflines were designed to mimic the surrounding mountains.

“Constituting the only opaque surfaces on the first floor, the stone monoliths accommodate the technical spaces and form the base of the three triangular prisms,” said Nós.

“These high angular roofs stage the Green Mountains, fully assuming its iconographic reference to winter sports and Nordicity.”

A series of pitched-roof structures with granite stone walls and metal-clad gable ends connected by timber-clad walkways on a snowy mountainside
Timber cladding defines the entrances

Outdoor courtyards surround the walkways that connect the three cabin structures, which according to Nós represent three stages of life.

“Artificial and natural gardens are mixed along topographic parcours, linking the three main pavilions and evoking the three stages of life,” the studio continued.

“By offering a diversity of spaces and atmospheres, the multi-generational residence becomes conducive to different stages of human existence within a perpetual generational cycle.”

The Three Summits home is situated at the highest point of the site, allowing for unobstructed views of the mountainous landscape.

The connecting walkways, entrances to the house and undersides of overhanging roofs were clad in timber.

A pitched-roof cabin with granite walls and a metal-clad gable end on a snowy mountain
Gable ends were covered in sheet metal

The main entrance connects two cabin structures.

On one side is the cabin containing the home’s master suite and indoor car garage, while the other cabin has a lowered floor level aligning with the slope of the mountain and accommodates communal areas.

Three granite and metal cabins in a snowy clearing on a mountain surrounded by trees
The home’s pitched roofs were designed to reference the surrounding mountains

Leading from the shared living area is the third cabin, which has three levels containing additional bedrooms.

Other homes designed for multi-generational families include a V-shaped timber house in a countryside village in the Czech Republic and two flats in a Mumbai high-rise that were combined into one home.

The photography is by Eric Petschek.

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Fontys Hogescholen spotlights 10 student architecture and urbanism projects

Visualisation showing walkway

Dezeen School Shows: a project that turns an industrial site into a nature reserve and a scheme for the adaptive reuse of towns are included in this school show by students at Fontys Hogescholen.

Also included is a rewilding system to bridge the gap between Dutch wildlife and agriculture and a three-part project focusing on the sustainable use of the Netherland’s coastline.


Fontys Hogescholen

Institution: Fontys Hogescholen
Courses: Master of Architecture and Master of Urbanism
Tutors: Ad Kil, Pieter Feentra, Jan Willem van Kuilenburg, Leslie Kavanaugh, Iwan Westerveen, Jago van Bergen, Santiago del Hierro, Gert Kwekkeboom, Machiel Spaan, Ro Koster, Joep Klabbers, Alison Killing and Maurits de Hoog

School statement:

“The Fontys Master of Architecture and Urbanism offers a four-year concurrent masters programme, which allows students to combine their studies with employment in a professional environment.

“The academy is a laboratory, a playground for spatial assignments involving (real) stakeholders. The studio – alongside a theory and skills programme – forms the core of the programme, and is a perfect place to apply new design skills, methods and design proposals targeting contemporary complex spatial challenges.

“Students learn how to effectively combine design intelligence with a reflective attitude and practical skills in a small-scale academy where social commitment and future-thinking is at the centre.

“The curriculum is geared towards mastering seven crucial competencies: design, research, collaboration, communication, entrepreneurial skills, organisation and professional practice.

“Students can create their own path within the programme by choosing from a variety of topics that address contemporary urgencies such as inclusivity, digitalisation, climate change, urbanisation and more.

“During the last year (graduation) students focus on their own research-design project.”


Visualisation showing walkway with rammed earth structures around it

Campus Greensteel – design for a nature-inclusive Tata Steel industry by Bram van Vlijmen

“Campus Greensteel is the answer to the overhaul of the Tata Steel operations in IJmuiden, the Netherlands.

“The change to hydrogen power restores the site as a natural dune area by the combination of architectural and biological strategies.

“After clearing the coal depots and fossil fuel power plants, a network of hydrogen power units will take their place. The units are covered by cupolas and tunnels, constructed out of solidified sand.

“The open areas between the units become wetlands, and surrounded by new dunes, plant and animal life will find their habitats in these areas.”

Student: Bram van Vlijmen
Course: Fourth Year – final graduation project
Tutors: Ad Kil, Pieter Feentra and Jan Willem van Kuilenburg
Email: postvoorbram[at]tele2.nl


Collage of drawings and visualisations showing landscape typologies

Ecofield – Shared Habitats by Joyce Verstijnen

“Ecofield is a new strategy to strengthen ecosystems in the Netherlands by means of architecture designed for the landscape, including animal and plant species.

“The current biodiversity policy Nature Network Netherlands – formerly Ecological Network – focuses on natural areas and thus ignores the potential contribution that the ‘urban fabric’ can make to Dutch biodiversity.

“Instead of separating town and country, Ecofield treats them as one ecological space.

“The strategy has been applied in the ecological space from Haarlem to the coast, which is marked by the city centre, dunes of the South Kennemerland, the North Sea, and five other landscape typologies.

“A recreational and contemplative walking route and eight areas of accommodation are included in the design, where people, plants and animals find shelter.

“When architecture is able to become part of this abiotic landscape, it will play a key role in the cohesion of ecosystems.”

Student: Joyce Verstijnen
Course: Fourth Year – final graduation project
Tutors: Leslie Kavanaugh, Pieter Feentra and Jan Willem van Kuilenburg
Email: info[at]joyceverstijnen.nl


Collage of drawings and visualisations showing urban environment with glowing lights

Architecture On Demand by Koen Huijs

“A theoretical and cultural framework, derived from Japanese sources and work by Lebbeus Woods, leads to a vision and design promoting neo-metabolism.

“De-territorialisation and translucency join in creating a collective environment with private units, assembled into a superstructure occupying the sky above the streets of Tokyo.”

Student: Koen Huijs
Course: Fourth Year – final graduation project
Tutors: Iwan Westerveen, Pieter Feentra and Jan Willem van Kuilenburg
Email: koenhuijs[at]hotmail.com


Collage of drawings and visualisations showing wetland area and wildlife

Rewilding Architecture – a vision to wild farming communities by Matthijs Spijkers

“Rewilding is a new agrarian movement that welds together nature and farming. In this project, situated in the western part of the Zuiderwaterlinie, a new ecological landscape is created in a traditional agrarian area.

“Because of different subsoils a new zoning is introduced, including a lake with a floating farming village and an extended earth body with forest and plantations.

“A former tip is reforested and becomes a site for a sky village.

“Extensive research is conducted to establish the right ecological balance between natural crops and the establishment of a local community with enough turnover to trade with others.

“The design of farm facilities and housing follows a line similar to the architecture of the landscape: living quarters and social places are integrated in the production or processing facilities.

“This directness delivers a functional, abstract architecture, with equal attention for plants, humans and animal life.”

Student: Matthijs Spijkers
Course: Fourth Year – final graduation project
Tutors: Jago van Bergen, Pieter Feentra and Jan Willem van Kuilenburg
Email: matthijsspijkers[at]gmail.com


Collage of drawings and visualisations showing coastal settlement

The Rebirth of Paradise by Mohamed Hassan Morsi

“Urban planning for climate change is a complex topic for large, historic cities like Alexandria, which are also coping with economic and demographic pressures.

“In this project the design of water engineering is drawn into the horizon of the local population by mapping several containment measures in relation to each other, and in relation to the larger whole of the urban area and to its distinctive districts in the centre.

“The waterfront along the central bay will not be safeguarded by a single wall like in the current situation, but by a layered dike system.

“The districts in the city operate with reservoirs and water systems, giving rise to the greening of the city and the redesign of public squares and roads.

“The districts along the southern canal, guiding the water from the Nile delta, will offer more space for green developments for holding and detaining water.”

Student: Mohamed Hassan Morsi
Course: Fourth Year – final graduation project
Tutors: Santiago del Hierro, Pieter Feentra and Jan Willem van Kuilenburg
Email: mohamed.e.morsi[at]gmail.com


Collage of drawings and visualisations showing coastal schemes

The Foreshore project by Nicky Kouwenberg, Niek van de Calseijde and Sidney van Wel

“The Foreshore project is dedicated to generating new coastal tourism and includes three student projects.

“Botanical Dunes aims to halt the destruction of the dunescape in the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park. The project explores how the landscape, nature and humanity can strengthen each other and develop together.

“Ooghe 52 degrees is a response to Dutch coastal development and presents a new sea-based intervention based in the North Sea. It reintroduces an Ooghe – an underwater mudflat where a refinery is placed. This development creates new experiences for the landscape and tourism opportunities.

“Pirate Bay aims to enhance both tourism activities and nature in the estuary of the Haringvliet. A tourist resort made from old scrapyard shipping facilities is assembled into a productive machine that aims to enhance the natural environment.

“Waste from tourists will be re-used in different development strategies. It will be used for algae production and therefore biofuel. The seaweed farming process will be a year-round activity in the dock for new eco farmers.”

Students: Nicky Kouwenberg, Niek van de Calseijde and Sidney van Wel
Course: Fourth Year – final graduation project
Tutors: Gert Kwekkeboom, Machiel Spaan, Ad Kil, Ro Koster, Pieter Feentra and Jan Willem van Kuilenburg
Emails: nicky[at]nbarchitecten.nl, n.vandecalseijde[at]outlook.com and sidneyvanwell[at]home.nl


Axonometric diagramme showing urban area planning

Between The Layers – Lijnbaanpark Rotterdam by Paul Bernards

“Lijnbaanpark improves the environmental quality of the Lijnbaan district in Rotterdam by introducing green rooftop architecture and skywalks, which the aim of developing a pedestrian circulation network above the streets in the city.

“The Lijnbaan is an icon of modern architecture, and although it has undergone several changes over years, the historic importance still calls for attention to the principles of its original urban and architectural design.

“The design remains close to the original structure, yet also offers possibilities for a dynamic transformation in the years to come, albeit in a modest tone.

“The accompanying studies make clear that recent adaptations in the facades and shopping requirements restrict the original variety and adaptivity of the design of the Lijnbaan.

“A more diverse use of the environment could divert this trend and might evolve into a newly balanced architecture for the city.”

Student: Paul Bernards
Course: Fourth Year – final graduation project
Tutors: Joep Klabbers, Pieter Feenstra and Jan Willem van Kuilenburg
Email: paul.bernards[at]hotmail.com


Collage of drawings and visualisations showing rural settlement

From the Rural Ashes by Paula Cores Barral

“Abandoned villages and ruins are the consequence of depopulation. The region of A Ribeira Sacra in Galicia, Spain, is an example of this – since 1981 the region has lost 40 per cent of the population.

“A sustainable masterplan will bring a future to such areas by repurposing ruins and reactivating rural areas.

“Restoring the ruins will be the visible key elements of a strategy that will settle a community, open business possibilities, allowing people to return, settle and establishing a new relation with the heritage, culture and nature.

“This intervention could be the prototype for other abandoned villages around the world.”

Student: Paula Cores Barral
Course: Fourth Year – final graduation project
Tutors: Alison Killing, Pieter Feenstra and Jan Willem van Kuilenburg
Email: paula.cores.barral[at]gmail.com


Collage of drawings and visualisations showing island and projected affects of rising sea levels

Kusfeld – Gardens in the Sea by Piotr Kalbarczyk

“Hel Peninsula, a 34-kilometre-long narrow strip of land off the Polish coastline, is an artistry of nature that until the 18th century was an archipelago of islands.

“The project aims to protect this touristic paradise from rising sea levels.

“Through architectural design, a looming dark future is transformed into a promising, attractive and sustainable settlement with unique land-water-life qualities.”

Student: Piotr Kalbarczyk
Course: Fourth Year – final graduation project
Tutors: d Kil, Pieter Feenstra and Jan Willem van Kuilenburg
Email: piotr.kalbarczyk[at]yahoo.com


Collage of drawings and visualisations showing urban area with straight river running through

Blue Corridor City Lab – open city innovation by Tom van Tuijn

“Blue Corridor City Lab is a mixed and healthy urban area where people work and live, and where culture unfolds.

“At the same time, it is a sustainable area where supply and demand are closely related, where development is made possible by a do-it-yourself mentality.

“Ready for the 21st century, the ‘Blue Corridor’ acts as a connector along the Eindhoven Canal between city and rural areas, and is made by local initiatives combined with a few strategic investments.

Student: Tom van Tuijn
Course: Fourth Year – final graduation project
Tutors: Maurits de Hoog, Pieter Feenstra and Jan Willem van Kuilenburg
Email: tomvantuijn[at]gmail.com

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the Fontys Hogescholen. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post Fontys Hogescholen spotlights 10 student architecture and urbanism projects appeared first on Dezeen.

Kara Jackson: Pawnshop

After sharing several new tracks, Chicago-based poet, musician and singer-songwriter Kara Jackson announces her debut full-length album, Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love?, with the single “Pawnshop.” Featuring Western-tinged guitar, soft percussion and lyrics abounding in open-ended questions, the track blends and bends genres. The artist explains, it’s “about uncovering how worth is subjective. It’s taking ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ and reveling in that sentiment, taking pride in the fact that even if people can’t understand your value, only you know how priceless you are.”