Dezeen School Shows: a wellbeing centre based on a poem about grief and an algorithmic programme that dictates the design of knitted jumpers are included in Dezeen’s latest school show by students at Woodbury University.

Also featured is a connected series of dwellings that each cater towards a different user group with distinct sets of needs and an adaptive reuse scheme for a theatre.

Woodbury University

Institution: Woodbury University
School: School of Architecture
Course: Architecture, Interior Design, Applied Computer Science-Media and Art
Tutors: Aaron Gensler, Branka Olson, Arash Soleimani, Cody Miner, Ismaelly Pena, Kishani De Silva, Yelen Aye, Matthew Ridgeway, Lara Hoad, Todd Erlandson, Randy Stauffer and Eric Olsen

School statement:

“Our carefully crafted architecture programme is designed to empower our students to impact the future of the profession through meaningful built work.

“We aim to transform our students into ethical, articulate and innovative design professionals prepared to lead and practice in a world of accelerating change.

“We imagine a world in which there are no disciplinary rights or wrongs, where diverse and sometimes contradictory values collide to generate new ideas, design innovation, unexpected practices and the means to expand the influence of our discipline.

“The Interior Design programme at Woodbury University focuses on the idea that good design is human-centred.

“Woodbury Interior Design graduates affirm the power of design to improve individual and communal built interior environments in a world of accelerating technological and social change.

“Situated in the School of Architecture, the Interior Design Program instills the human experience into professional knowledge and interdisciplinary collaboration to prepare graduates to address real-world problems that positively affect the human condition using holistic design thinking methods.”



Teeth by Premsirin Sangngeonon

“This project, which I have called ‘Teeth’ intervenes in the existing grid of downtown Detroit by developing the Detroit Performance of Art Center.

“On a site primarily dominated by parking lots, this new facility provides a new theatrical hub in Foxtown – a theatre district in Detroit.

“The interlocking segments of the building complex recall industrial components of joinery, exploring a contextual relationship between project and city.”

Student: Premsirin Sangngeonon
Course: ARCH 587/Graduate Studio 3
Tutor: Cody Miner
Email: premsirin.sangngeonon[at]woodbury.edu

Market Collision, Art Intervention by Dante Romero

“This proposal aims to combine two contrasting programme – a museum and municipal market – to create an institution that advocates for social and economic development.

“The scheme also celebrates the cultural heritage of Tijuana by enhancing public space as well as creating economic opportunities and a new tourist destination.

“This is manifested through negative space, complex circulation, colour and scale to highlight the rich rhythms, noises, smells, cost, textures and colour of the existing diverse typologies.”

Student: Dante Romero
Course: ARCH 402/Studio 8
Tutor: Ismaelly Pena
Email: dante.romero[at]woodbury.edu

Group project: Solar Futures

“The Woodbury cohort, comprised of students, professors and industry partners has designed an entry for the 2023 US Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon.

“The brief was to design a versatile micro-unit dwelling that can be configured for a range of inhabitants – from young and emerging professionals – keen on micro footprints and housing for senior citizens, to low-income individuals, homeless persons and people whose housing situations are insecure.

“The proposal addresses the following challenges: challenge one is designing for a changing climate, challenge two is designing affordable housing and challenge three is designing for people with housing insecurity.

“You can follow the project here.”

Students: Abraham Rivera, Adrian Moreno, Angela Ponce, Argin Hayrusians, Artem Grigoryan, Ashley Gomez, Austin Barcelona, Bailey Bestul, Brenda Vasquez-Meza, Chantal Godinez, David Petrosyan, Giselle Yeh, Gregor Kuchakhchian, ,Jade Royer, Jessica Gomez, Jorge Ruiz Rosales, Karin Najarian, Long Ngu, Mahmoud Hassan, Miguel Gonzalez, Polaris Bird, Rafael Aguilar, Roni Hayroomian and Sergio Santos
Course: ARCH 430/ Studio 9
Tutor: Kishani De Silva



Digital Model for Design Communications by Neil Eiklor

“The brief for this project was to create a digital model of an existing structure and design an adaptive reuse scheme for the interior space.

“In this project, the outboard motor repair shop on the Oregon coast is transformed into a waterfront coffee shop.

“The emphasis is on showcasing the structure, materiality and nautical theme of the existing building, while taking advantage of its setting, views and natural light.

“An observation deck is added to allow the visitors to experience the beauty of the Oregon river delta and the Pacific ocean beyond.

“Eiklor uses virtual reality and animation software to enable the viewer to enjoy the full experience of the approach, interior walk-through and exterior views of the project.”

Student: Neil Eiklor
Course: IDES 211/Design Communications 3
Tutor: Yelen Aye
Email: neil.eiklor[at]woodbury.edu

Group project: Solar Decathlon

“As part of the dwelling studio, the interior design students researched specific user groups and designed the interior of a unit to reflect the individual needs of their residents.

“Students first conducted analysed research to develop a thesis that makes a claim concerning the design of domestic space. Working through text, visual representation and verbal discourse, students developed a critical position that informed their design.

“In developing their proposals, the students closely examined the logics of the unit. They were allowed to subtract from the unit and add one unit to another, but they were not allowed to propose new walls outside of the footprint.

“The units could remain individual or have shared interior spaces. Students were expected to foreground opportunities to share building services, structure and common spaces.

“Finally, students proposed an intersectional ‘village’ of units, representing dwelling as a collective action that requires collaboration and community. Follow the project here.”

Students: Havanna Hurtado, Kassea Yuu, Cameron Clarke, Hind Alqahtani, Hidah Muringai, Arina Skokova, Seda Avetisyan, Claudia Aydinian, Marina Bushka and Mellany Campos
Course: IDES 363/Studio 5 – Dwelling
Tutor: Matthew Ridgeway

Inside-Out by Alex Salas

“During the height of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, many of the small business in underserved neighbourhoods of LA were in danger of closing.

“The interior design branding studio – with a grant from the Donghia Foundation – worked with select establishments located in LA’s Inglewood neighbourhood to use sidewalks, alleyways and parking spaces to design outdoor venues.

“Leveraging design thinking and problem-solving techniques, the students collaborated with the business owners to determine how their operations and interior spaces could quite literally be turned inside-out

“These businesses also worked with students to see how their spaces could be converted into functional and Covid-19-safe exterior environments, while preserving their unique personalities, characteristics and brand touchpoints.

“Salas worked with Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen, a welcoming space that invites patrons to experience generations of southern cooking.

“Salas personalised the outdoor experience while creating a functional outdoor venue and broadened the understanding of the owner of what is possible to achieve through design.”

Student: Alex Salas
Course: IDES 382/Design Studio 6
Tutors: Lara Hoad and Todd Erlandson
Email: alex.salas[at]woodbury.edu

The Swimmer by Hongseon Ju

“Human wellbeing is not created through an isolated design decision but a fully integrated and universal design process.

“In this class, the students were asked to design and develop an assisted living facility in a 14,000-square-foot existing, single-story building in a residential neighbourhood of Austin, Texas.

“Ju’s assisted living facility was inspired by the poem The Swimmer by Adam Lindsay Gordon. The poem centres on three phases of a person’s state of being – memory, loss and reconciliation.

“The spatial experiences are designed to reflect the three phases of grief described in the poem. The assisted living facility is designed for individuals who have lost their partner and can no longer perform daily tasks.

“It offers medical treatments, a supportive community for sharing their grief and loss, and various activities to enable them to continue with their lives.”

Student: Hongseon Ju
Course: IDES 480/Design Studio 7 – Wellbeing
Tutor: Randy Stauffer
Email: hongseon.ju[at]woodbury.edu



Identifying Patterns in Primes with Generative Algorithms by Levi Ellis

“Applied computer science student Levi Ellis developed a script that visualises the prime placement pattern as a fractal using a binary translation system.

“The script creates a ruleset informed by user-inputted parameters which is fed into a Lindenmayer growth simulator.

“Through various generative processes utilising L-systems, Ellis created unconventional visual representations of the chaotic placement of prime numbers throughout the natural number line.

“After running simulations at eight levels of iterative magnification, Ellis found that the seemingly randomised placement of prime numbers throughout the natural number line can form an intricate, repeating fractal.”

Student: Levi Ellis
Course: Media Programming 2 (CSMA 302)
Tutor: Arash Soleimani
Email: levi.ellis[at]woodbury.edu

Algorithmic Knitting Design: A Generative Approach to Fashion Design by Emanuel Nation

“This project combines the realms of programming and fashion using an algorithm made in p5.js that generates a digital pattern for knitted sweaters.

“Patterns are made up of seven sections: body, left and right sleeves, left and right cuffs, collar and bottom hem.

“Several for loops determine the size and location of each section, placing different coloured squares next to each other until the designated section is filled.

“Users can decide which colours are used by inputting RGB values into an array. No more than six colours can be used to adhere to colour limitations set by a knitting mill.”

Student: Emanuel Nation
Course: Media Programming 2 (CSMA 302)
Tutor: Arash Soleimani
Email: nationemanuel[at]gmail.com

Evolution LA Film Archive by Jorge Cerdo Schumann

“Evolution LA Film Archive is an adaptive reuse project broken down into two elements – the existing theatre building and a new form that wraps around the perimeter of the site.

“The latter serves as a mode of circulation, enhancing its surrounding environment using passive design system that reacts to the winter and summer solstices as well as prevailing winds.

“The overall form also creates a very valuable negative space in the form of a plaza with a large seating area facing one of the existing walls, to be used for outdoor movie projections.

“While the building reads as a monolith, it is composed of a unique angled cinder block façade that strategically allows natural light into the spaces.

“The building is an extension of the ground, wrapping around the old theatre and only allowing the original facade to show in certain spaces, creating a pronounced seam between old and new.”

Student: Jorge Cerdo Schumann
Course: ARCH 401/Studio 7
Tutor: Eric Olsen
Email: jorge.cerdoschumann[at]woodbury.edu

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and Woodbury University. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post Woodbury University spotlights ten student design projects appeared first on Dezeen.

An impassioned convergence of international experts, policymakers, young leaders and concerned public participants

One of the most critical topics of our age, climate change looms over the future of our shared home and the vital resources it provides to every living creature. To seek solutions for its increasing impact on the planet, the multi-day Aspen Ideas event series will return to Miami Beach this 6-9 March for the second year of Aspen Ideas: Climate. This open-to-the-public initiative (which will see one tree planted in Dade County for every person registered) allows international experts, policymakers, young leaders and concerned public participants to join forces. Action is as much an intended result as open dialogue and inspiration.

COOL HUNTING will be present at the two host venues—the Miami Beach Convention Center and New World Center—for this year’s diverse array of programming. Exciting main stage speakers range from Vice President Kamala Harris to pop star Gloria Estefan and science communicator and TV personality Bill Nye. Talks from marquee speakers are bolstered by additional sessions dedicated to life beyond plastic, rising water levels, the future of food and transportation, and how to educate individuals on climate change. Additionally, on-site art installations are coupled with off-site tours of Miami Beach’s world-renowned attractions.

For Aspen Ideas: Climate, Miami Beach is more than a sunny place to visit in March. “Miami Beach is a living laboratory for climate change. We are a vibrant city with a unique sense of place but with considerable risk being near sea level. We need solutions to not only protect our environment but for future generations that will call Miami Beach home,” Amy Knowles, Chief Resilience Officer and the Environment and Sustainability Director of Miami Beach, tells COOL HUNTING. The programming reflects this. “I am looking forward to sharing our story and learning,” she continues. “We are hosting tours to share how we are building our resilience through climate change adaptation and mitigation. This includes visits to Sunset Harbour and our dune system, which is seven miles of nature-based infrastructure.”

Our changing climate is the most major challenge facing mankind

City of Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber shares with us that, in my ways, this partnership with the Aspen Institute is a further demonstration of the future-forward drive of Miami Beach residents. “With Art Basel in December, the City of Miami Beach is the center of the art world. Hosting Aspen Ideas: Climate allows us to center the conversation around climate solutions,” he explains. “Our changing climate is the most major challenge facing mankind. I’m looking forward to the unexpected things we’ll witness when the greatest minds and doers in the world come together to discuss solutions.”

On view within the Miami Beach Convention Center for Aspen Ideas: Climate, artist Petroc Sesti‘s sculpture “Heart of Okeanos” is a beacon of hope, saturated with ideas. The work replicates the life-sustaining organ of a real blue whale that washed ashore in Rocky Harbour, Newfoundland in 2014. More than an artwork inspired by lush oceanic life, “Heart of Okeanos” is a teaser to a greater act. Sesti developed the heart-inspired sculpture from a carbon-capturing material called CarbonXinc (a blend of eco-friendly concrete and carbon capture crystals). A first of its kind, it will be seeded into Miami Beach’s The ReefLine with the assistance of marine biologist Shelby Thomas. There, in this underwater art center, founded and curated by Ximena Caminos, it will not only provide a new marine habitat but also act as a PH-neutral and climate-change-resistant artificial reef.

Isaias Hernandez, the digital creator otherwise known as Queer Brown Vegan, is part of the event’s slate of future leaders. Hernandez and the other leaders are in the unique position of translating the Aspen Ideas: Climate happenings into momentum worldwide. “I hope to have thoughtful, engaging discussions around climate solutions centered on community-based approaches,” Hernandez says. “There is still enough time to work with business leaders, non-profits and foundations to have thoughtful, critical dialogues.” Hernandez adds, “Many young people are looking for mentorship and I believe Aspen Ideas: Climate can provide a generation of environmental leaders.”

“I plan to apply what I learn at Aspen Idea: Climate by redesigning the way I communicate online,” Hernandez continues. “As a digital media creator and public speaker, the terms ‘climate change’ or ‘climate crisis’ can sometimes be confusing for the general public. I want to bridge science, lived experiences and pop culture to bring an accessible form of climate literacy.” Hernandez hopes to deliver actionable and solution-oriented frameworks to his audience. It’s moves like this that may change the future for everyone.

Register for the Aspen Ideas: Climate online now. Ticket options range from $250 for a single-day pass to $7,500 for a patron pass ($3,000 of which enabling the attendance of a Future Leader Fellow).

Hero image of “Heart of Okeanos” in the Faena Hotel Miami Beach courtesy of Petroc Sesti

If you are young and able-bodied, you can take the form factor of the frying pan for granted. But if you’ve ever injured your wrist or simply have hit a certain age, lifting a heavy cast-iron pan loaded with food becomes a wildly unergonomic, even painful, task.

For this reason a company called Kitchinventions designed the Pan Buddy, a two-piece contraption made of heat-resistant nylon.

The first part slips over the handle of the pot or pan, loosely; the second part then screws down through the first part to make contact with the handle and hold everything fast. You can then lift the pan with a more ergonomic “handshake” alignment, easing the stress on your wrist. (As a bonus, it also obviates the need for additional heat protection from a cast-iron handle.)

I’d love it if the thing was more attractive, but it seems effective and is admittedly form follows function. They run $20 a pop.

This Lollipop ratcheting screwdriver, patented in the U.S. by Taiwanese bicycle tool company 711L, appears to be a simple shaft with a knurled grip.

But if you need some extra leverage, you can pull the red endcap out. It’s attached to a shaft that terminates in a knife hinge, so you can make the tool L-shaped, giving you that extra bit of torque.

The magnetic driver comes with eight bits.

It can also be used as an extension for one of the company’s more conventional mini-ratchets.

The silver version you see is stainless steel, and runs $70. The black version is aluminum and a bit cheaper at $56.

You can order the stainless steel version with this magnetic storage base, which drives the price up to $80. (The base not only stores the bits magnetically, but is magnetic on the bottom and can itself be stuck to a metal cabinet, for instance. It’s strong enough to hold the entire thing sideways.)

As someone who has lived in a tropical country all her life, I have no concept of what it means to be really, really cold. Sure, I’ve been to countries where I need to wear thick jackets but I’ve never experienced negative degree weather and have not been able to appreciate jackets that can keep you warm and protect you from freezing weather. Down is one of the most popular materials for these kinds of jackets but it’s not really friendly to animals. So a puffer jacket that uses better materials is always welcome.

Designer: Vollebak

The Aerogel Puffer is made from the lightest solid material in the world which is actually used to line spacesuits and insulate electronics. Aerogel has individual neoprenes that are 10,000 thinner than human hair so it is also pretty lightweight and air will not be able to pass through it. The jacket itself has advanced synthetic insulation and its outer shell uses the ultra lightweight yarn so that you’ll be protected from extreme cold weather (even -30 degrees!) but it also won’t weigh you down totally. The insulation fibers and the aerogel trap the air pockets to your body and is also the thermal barrier you’ll need to protect you from the cold air.

The woven yarns used in the jacket (which weighs under 1 gram for 1 kilometer) has a finishing called circe which actually serves as a seal so that weather elements like wind, snow, and light rain will not be able to go through. It also means that your body heat and the insulation it creates will not be able to get out, so you remain warm and snuggly when experiencing some slightly unpleasant weather. You get five zipped pockets, two large ones on the side to keep your hands warm and the others to hold your stuff like phone, wallet, keys, etc.

The Aerogel Puffer looks like most other puffer jackets but it’s supposedly lighter than the ones made from down. The ultralight water-repellant and windproof jacket has a regular fit and is available in various sizes from extra small to double extra large. It’s available in a black edition and a white one. If ever I would be staying somewhere that is really, really cold, this can be an interesting accessory to have, especially when I’m not used to actual cold weather (and I want to protect the ducks).

The post Aerogel-embedded puffer jacket by Vollebak creates an ultralight insulation that protects you from -30°C cold first appeared on Yanko Design.