Lonnie Holley’s Oh Me Oh My (out 10 March) brims with music that’s just as atmospheric, experimental and spiritual as fans will expect from the musician, artist and educator. “Kindness That Will Follow Your Tears” (featuring Bon Iver and produced by Jacknife Lee) is poignant and soulful, with Holley sing-speaking about his mother and grandmother comforting and protecting him, even after their passing.
Charlotte Dubois, an Industrial Design student at ECAL, created this unusual ladder as part of the school’s partnership with Artek.
Her L Leg Ladder—which could serve as an escape ladder, but is intended as a climbing ladder for kids—uses a single repeating wooden component and a length of rope. It displays great outside-of-the-box thinking:
In the somewhat distant future, physical disabilities might be fixed with cybernetic implants and limbs. We’re already seeing some of the early prototypes of those today, but most people will still have to live with non-mechanical tools, like crutches for those who are unable to walk for one reason or another. Although they might be the simplest solution available, common crutches are not exactly comfortable or safe to use. Fortunately, one doesn’t have to go into advanced mechanics or complicated machinery to improve its design, as this re-envisioned crutch tries to prove by using a more efficient material as well as a smarter shape that could help make walking less of a physical and psychological burden to already stressed users.
Designer: Hesham El-sheikh
Crutches are long metal rods that are meant to stand in for one or both legs in the event of an injury or disability. Funnily enough, look and work nothing like our legs and are, instead, heavy, stiff, and unyielding sticks that are cumbersome to use. It takes a great deal of practice to get used to crutches, but for those who are new to them, they can become a depressing reminder of their injury or disability and how their mobility is severely affected, perhaps for life.
Carbo Crutsh rethinks the standard crutch design to use more lightweight materials and adopt a more natural form. Of course, they can’t really resemble legs that can bend and fold, so the design tries to use the next best thing. It tries to mimic the general shape of the legs of an ostrich, one of the fastest two-legged animals on the planet. That curved shape isn’t just for show, though, as it actually helps distribute the weight evenly to reduce the stress on arms and shoulders, unlike a very straight crutch.
The curve also makes it easy for users to wear the crutch the right way, increasing the safety of the tool. The design is also useful when climbing stairs by sticking the tip to the end of the stair and just leaning forward. This increases the user’s mobility and ability to get around places unassisted, which is a sure way to boost their confidence and brighten up their day.
Of course, the design’s name comes from the use of carbon fibers as the primary material that makes up the crutches. Carbon fiber is known to be lightweight yet durable, making the crutches more comfortable to use yet also safer and stronger. Carbo Crutsh’s design also incorporates an adjustable height mechanism so that the same pair can be used by more than just one person, saving resources and money in the long run. The design changes proposed by this concept might not be as astronomical as replacing limbs with mechanized versions or even wearing an exoskeleton, but it does attempt to improve the wearer’s quality of life without going overboard.
This SuperGulliver folding rack, by Italian wooden goods manufacturer Foppapedretti, is a far better design. In addition to offering a lot of drying line—35 meters’ worth, the company says—there’s a high bar for shirts on hangers, well above dog height.
The metal parts of the rack are aluminum, and of the four swivel wheels, two have brakes. It folds flat down to just 14cm (5.5″) wide.
The rack is a bit on the pricey side, at €199 (USD $210) a pop.
The Jane Fund of Central Massachusetts is a non-profit dedicated to funding and supporting access to abortion for the state and beyond. Their ethos “cultivate freedom, fund abortion” adorns this classic sweatshirt (below a floral design). The garment is available in sizes small to 5XL. All proceeds from its sales go directly to the organization to support their critical, life-saving work.
Promotion: architectural cladding brand Cupa Pizarras has developed a slate cladding system named Cupaclad, which is designed to showcase the material’s aesthetic quality while improving a building’s insulation.
Cupa Pizarras developed the cladding to provide ecological and sustainable slate finishes that can be applied to modern architectural designs.
The brand describes Cupaclad as “an innovative cladding system that utilises the beauty and class of natural slate”.
The cladding was designed to have a modern appearance
To create the cladding system, Cupa Pizarras combined natural slate with a rainscreen application method, in which the cladding is attached to the outside of the building envelope with a ventilated cavity in between.
According to Cupa Pizarras, the rainscreen cladding method increases the building’s thermal and sound insulation.
“The use of highly durable tectonic slate, new fixing systems and rainscreen cladding efficiency make Cupaclad a competitive, totally sustainable alternative for cladding any type of facade,” said Cupa Pizarras.
Cupaclad offers rainscreen cladding
Slate was chosen for its durability against harsh weather conditions and long life span.
“Cupaclad natural slate is specially selected for its technical properties,” said Cupa Pizarras. “Once installed, it has a lifespan of more than 100 years.”
“In addition to the high resistance, it’s a non-combustible material, which increases the building’s safety.”
It can be used on facades and roofs
The cladding is handcrafted without the need for chemical treatments and was designed to be easy to install by facade contractors.
The cladding is available in different formats and the Cupaclad 101 Random design was selected for the university building.
It is also made up of different-sized slate pieces that create a dynamic surface across the facades and roofing.
The slate offers durability against harsh weather
The cladding system was also used to cover the Fairfield Library in Virginia to provide a contemporary and sleek finish.
Originally opened in 1976, an extension to the library was planned to upgrade the building to suit the community’s needs. Around 1,500 square metres of slate cladding covers the exterior and improves the building’s durability.
Cupa Pizarras creates a range of cladding solutions
“Slate guarantees a perfect performance in any weather condition,” said Cupa Pizarras. “Fire-resistance and waterproofing of the slate also made this material the perfect solution for a large building that can host hundreds of visitors and all sorts of cultural events.”
Cupaclad can earn buildings up to 19 points as part of the LEED environmental certification scheme.
A number of buildings that feature Cupaclad have achieved LEED Gold status, including Fairfield Library and the community centre Palisades Recreation Centre in California.
Cupa Pizarras is committed to creating innovative and sustainable systems for architectural cladding and roofing. Find out more by visiting the brand’s website.
Partnership content
This article was written by Dezeen for Cupa Pizarras as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
Montana-based drinkware company Planetary Design created this Airscape Coffee Canister Classic, which features a cleverly-designed lid.
The canister is drawn stainless steel, not molded plastic, so there’s no draft angle on the sidewalls; this means you can push the plunger-style lid down into the canister to the level of the coffee, forcing all of the oxygen out through a valve in the lid. Once you’ve reached maximum depth, you then flip the handle to seal the valve. It’s essentially as close as you can get to vacuum-packing the darn thing.
There’s also a second aesthetic lid you can use to cap the top.
The Airscape Coffee Canister Classic comes in nine colors and two sizes, 10 oz. ($24.80) and 1 lb ($36).
Dezeen Showroom: textile brand Carnegie Fabrics has added to its Biobased Xorel range of plant-based textiles with the Craft Collection, which is designed to look intricate and elegant.
The brand has added new woven styles to the Biobased Xorel range, which Carnegie Fabrics describes as the most sustainable commercial-grade textile collection on the market.
The textiles can be used for a range of purposes, including upholstery, wall coverings and, for some styles, acoustic tiling.
The Craft Collection includes the metallic style Forge Couture, which can be used for acoustic tiling
The Forge Couture designs feature satiny metallic threads, while Wicker Matte designs are meant to recall the look of natural wicker, and the Maison Embroider design references free stitching with an embroidered wildflower motif.
“When expanding Biobased Xorel with the Craft Collection, we wanted to create textiles that provide leading sustainable performance while creating soothing, beautiful, and elegant hospitality-inspired environments,” said Carnegie chief creative officer, Heather Bush.
The Maison Embroider style features an embroidered wildflower
The Biobased Xorel range is stain-resistant and inherently antimicrobial, bleach-cleanable and durable, according to Carnegie.
It is made from 91 per cent bio-based polythene derived from sugarcane and zero PVC, and is both Cradle to Cradle Gold and Living Product Challenge certified.
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.
Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.
A startup called Nanu Electrics has designed something radical by today’s standards: An analog alarm clock designed for longevity and repair.
The Arc Alarm Clock features easy-to-read numbers on a non-fussy dial, a manual knob to set the alarm time, and just the right amount of tech features—which is to say, only one: The alarm time appears on a digital display on the clock’s lower face.
An unseen feature is the throwback chime bar and striking pin inside the clock; no electronic buzzing or beeping here. The carefully-calibrated chime starts soft and gradually ramps up, to provide a non-shocking awakening. “We engineered [it to] wake you at an optimal tempo and frequency of 494 Hertz,” Nanu writes. “Science has shown this is best for alerting you without inducing anxiety before the day has begun.”
One of Nanu’s priorities with the Arc was to ensure repairability. It’s held together with standard fasteners, not adhesives, and can be disassembled with common tools. The wires inside are joined by connectors, not soldered joints. The backup battery inside is replaceable.
While I think the mission of the clock is great, and its overall look is okay, I’m actually not crazy about the design. I think the company logo in the center is tacky and undesirable, and the gradated array of dots on the right side of the face look very of-the-moment (i.e. I think in 20 years you’d say “Wow that looks so 2020s”). I like the knob to set the alarm time, but I’m undecided on whether placing it on the front for ease of use is worth essentially doubling the width of the clock’s footprint, for those of us with small nightstands.
That being said, the Arc is a success on Kickstarter; at press time they’d landed $83K in pledges on a $50K goal, with 45 days left to pledge. The clock runs $180 (while it might look like plastic, the body is made from aluminum and zinc, neither of which are cheap).
Róisín Murphy’s new track “CooCool” has been produced by her frequent collaborator, the legendary producer DJ Koze. The breezy track is a pastiche of the two artist’s styles and their shared flair for soulful dance music. “Ostensibly a fragile little flower yet it has great hidden strength at the roots,” Murphy says in a statement. “There’s classic virtuosity and a lightness of touch, while DJ Koze’s hyper-modern production makes it bounce and glide. It’s a stupidly romantic little love poem. This thing is way beyond any kind of parody. Everything in this song is true and playful. Can we fall in love and retain our sense of humor? Embrace your inner child! Timeless, ageless, unavoidable love.”
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