Hasta La Ideas

Adventures are better with friends. The grandest of scenery looks finer when you have someone to share it with, the most grueling of hikes feels that much more rewarding at the summit. It stands to reason, then, that a bigger Defender capable of hauling even more people in even more comfort would offer an even greater experience than a smaller one.

And it does, for the most part. The Land Rover Defender 130 is literally grander, 13.4-inches longer than the 110 or a whole 30.6 more than the 90, making room for a third row of seats and potentially seating eight adventure-seeking adults. 

But are the compromises and extra cost worth it?

Exterior design

The current design of the Land Rover Defender is three years old now but it still looks fresh, riddled with styling cues that are curiously modern for a machine making such a strong heritage play, drawing on 70-odd years of legacy and containing just enough throwback touches to look familiar. It’s impossible to look at this and not feel ready to head out into the wilderness.

It’s an SUV that draws the eyes and holds it, starting with the headlights that shine out from what looks to be a disapproving brow. The generous aluminum guard up front will keep the worst of the brush off the paint and plastic while the high rear bumper and exhaust advertise this thing’s 28.5-degree departure angle. That’s down from 40 degrees on the Defender 90 and 37.5 on the 110, though the approach angle of 37.5 is the same on all three and the ramp angle is only 0.3 degrees off from the Defender 110. In other words, you’re really not giving up that much off-road performance for the extra length.

You do give up some design purity. The side profile of the 130 is generous, looking every bit the sixteen-foot-long SUV that it is, especially parked next to a Defender 110. It looks like all the extra length comes aft of the rear axle because it does, both sharing the same 119-inch wheelbase. 

But, some sacrifices must be made in the name of practicality, and in the case of the 130, that practicality comes in the form of internal volume.

Interior design

Third-row seating is the 130’s hallmark. Getting back there is a bit awkward, as the second row only slides forward a few inches, leaving a narrow gap to duck through. That, plus the height of the Defender, means those headed to the way-back may need a boost. But, once you get there it is surprisingly comfortable. I’m six-feet tall and I had plenty of headroom and shoulder room.

There’s even good visibility from the third row, thanks to generous side windows and even a separate sunroof overhead. Surprise, being relegated to the third row here isn’t quite the torture you might have expected.

Things get better as you travel forward. The second row seats are just that bit more spacious, sliding and reclining or, if you need the maximum 76.1 cubic feet of cargo space, folding flat along with the third row. Leave all the seats up, though, and there’s just a token bit of storage behind the rear seats, enough for a run to the grocery store and not much else. 

On this SE trim Defender 130, second-row occupants have their own climate controls, but no heated seats and not even a token USB port for charging. They do, however, get some sun from the second, panoramic sunroof. 

Up front is the best place to be, power captains chairs with memory offering good support and plenty enough adjustability that you can drop them down low when motoring on the highway or hike them up when hitting the trails for a little better perspective over the hood. 

The overall interior design is purposefully chunky and mechanical, with plenty of exposed Torx screws, grab rails everywhere, and so many little storage compartments that you’re sure to collect at least a few of your friends’ smartphones with every journey. Up front there’s a pair of USB ports, one A and one C, along with a separate Qi wireless charging port, taking advantage of the wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay here.

Those are displayed on a 11.4-inch, widescreen infotainment display that is a perfect size, running Land Rover’s latest Pivi Pro infotainment experience. It has a clean, dark aesthetic and offers plenty of functionality, perhaps most important being an endless series of displays showing everything from angle of inclination to wading depth. 

The gauge cluster is also fully virtual, situated behind a steering wheel with a leather wrapped rim and what feels like a metal center, powder coated white. The color contrast and the stout feel of the material are a great match for what this machine can do.

On the road

The Defender 130 is a big, tall, off-road focused SUV and so you’d be readily forgiven for thinking it’d have all the handling prowess of a freighter, but you’d be wrong. To be fair, it is not a machine that likes to be rushed. Turn the steering wheel to enter a turn and you’ll find yourself reaching for more rotation before the Defender reluctantly comes to your desired line. But, relaxed handling does not mean bad.

Air suspension lifts the Defender 130 up to 11.5 inches of ground clearance when off-road. For on-road duty, it also provides great compliance. The 130 doesn’t skitter and jump across rough surfaces at speed like older Defenders, at least partly thanks to the modern, unibody construction and the independent suspension. It’s a genuinely pleasant commuter.

At higher speeds there’s a fair bit of wind noise, which should come as no surprise given the general shape of this thing. It’s also quite susceptible to cross-winds, also predictable given its prodigious cross-section. The 700 watt, 14-speaker Meridian sound system is more than capable of handling the wind noise, though the lane-keep-assist is a little less able when it comes to addressing the wandering. I found it unreliable on anything but wide, well-marked highways. 

But it’s a fine highway cruiser, so much so that you might forget even this up-sized 130 is happiest while wading through the muck and the mire. With permanent all-wheel-drive bolstered by locking center and rear differentials plus a two-speed transfer case, the Defender is a legit performer in even the worst of conditions.

That’s all driven by Land Rover’s 3.0-liter inline-six engine, in either P300 trim with 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, or P400, which steps things up to 395 hp and 406 lb-ft thanks to a mild hybrid system. Those are good numbers, but with this thing tipping the scales at over 5,500 pounds, there’s a lot of mass to move.

The Defender 130 with the P400 accelerates capably, even at highway speeds. The eight-speed auto shifts smoothly and, while it isn’t the most aggressive at downshifting for acceleration, does a good job of grabbing the right cog without giving anyone in the car whiplash. I saw 19.5 mpg in my testing, right on par with the 17 city, 21 highway, and 19 combined EPA estimates.

Drive modes are accessed through the left knob in the center console, which does triple-duty as the HVAC temperature knob and, with a push, also cycles seat heating and ventilation settings. Nudge the drive mode toggle and this wheel also lets you scroll (slowly) through seven different drive modes, starting with the typical Eco and Comfort then ranging into wilder stuff like Sand and Wade. Not good enough? Four separate custom Terrain Response modes await your tinkering, specifying how strong you want the engine to be, how firm you like your steering, and precisely how much wheelspin you want. 

It’s perhaps a bit much, but then that’s what this thing is all about.

Pricing and options

If you’re looking to buy a Defender you have a lot of decisions to make. First of course is which length, with the shortest, the Defender 90, starting at $55,100. The bigger Defender 110 actually starts at a lower price $53,500, while this guy, the Defender 130, starts at $68,000 for the S model.

But, if you want the more powerful P400 engine, you’ll need to step up to the SE, which starts at $78,300, adding on some other niceties like 20-inch wheels and LED headlights. From there you have your choice of nine exterior colors, four upholstery options, and an endless configuration of interior trims and tweaks. Tick all the boxes, add on all the advanced off-road and towing features, and you’ll be into the six-figure territory.

All Defenders have a comprehensive active safety package including automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, and a rear cross-traffic alert. Sadly, adding adaptive cruise costs a whopping $1,200. 

This Defender SE had the $750 Advance Off-Road Capability Pack, giving those configurable drive modes, plus $1,700 in interior upgrades including those 18-way adjustable seats. $700 for the Cold Climate Pack, and another few styling options plus a $700 tow hitch receiver and $1,475 destination charge meant an $88,025 final price.

Opting for the 130 does mean making some sacrifices when it comes to on-road manners and ultimate off-road performance, but Land Rover’s biggest SUV doesn’t come up short in either department, powering through terrain that would leave many lesser SUVs stuck while carrying a full family plus dogs and cargo. It’s a mighty package, and not just because it’s so big.

The post 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 Review first appeared on Yanko Design.

Dezeen Showroom: created by office furniture brand Narbutas, the Combus shelving system offers a way to partition spaces, while providing versatile storage.

The Combus system features a range of shelving types and heights, which can be customised with various finishes as well as accessories such as planter boxes, felt storage baskets and metal bookends to create an individualised look.

In addition to the traditional “I” shape for shelving, Combus invites configurations in “L” and “T” shapes, offering an interesting way to divide up office space, whether it’s to create private work areas or collaborative meeting spots and lounges.

The higher, closed shelving options are good for creating privacy around work and meeting areas, while the shorter shelves can be used to divide spaces without cutting off connections and conversations between employees.

The Combus system also supports meetings by enabling the attachment of screens for presentations, with a metal duct hiding the cable away for a clean, wire-free aesthetic.

Combus is made using recycled materials, and is easily disassembled for adaptation and reuse.

Product: Combus
Brand: Narbutas
Contact: press@narbutas.com

Dezeen Showroom

Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen’s huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.

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Being stuck at home during the pandemic really did teach us a few lessons. One, being, that you can actually do a lot at home, especially in your backyard! It definitely made us realize we shouldn’t underestimate our backyards, they can be locations of major fun, recreation, and relaxation…depending on how we do them up. You can turn your backyard into an ideal date spot for you and your partner, or host a barbecue party! We’ve curated a collection of furniture designs to help you transform these exciting ideas into a reality. These designs will turn your yard into the ultimate relaxation destination. We bet you won’t want to step out of your yard, once you introduce these furniture pieces to it. From outdoor furniture that is made from recycled plastic, but feels and looks like wood to a minimal Scandinavian outdoor chair that will weather over time – these furniture pieces will majorly transform your humble backyard.

1. The Bungalow Luggage

Whether you’re backpacking, planning on fishing, or want to spend time at the lake, foldable and easy-to-carry furniture is definitely going to be on your top priority list. A collapsible furniture range that is relatively luxurious, ultra-lightweight, and packs up into a travel trolley you can tote after you; the Bungalow Luggage by designer Eunsol Lee sets the stage for unique camping experiences.

Why is it noteworthy?

There is no shortage of foldable camping chairs and tables out there. You could even pick a set of tables and chairs off the shelf but this idea of a portable furniture set has its own merits. Unlike the other metal rod collapsible furniture for the outdoors, this one designed for National Geographic is convenient to transport. Just fold up the two chairs and the table into their bags and the trio sits evenly inside a suitcase you can lug along. This ease of portability also comes in handy when you want to fit the furniture in the car’s boot.

What we like

• Packed in a travel trolley-style sturdy case
• The metal spokes aligned as hollow table legs become the base for a wooden plank tabletop

What we dislike

• Seems uncomfortable for extended sitting hours

2. Bello! Bench

Fjetland designed the Bello! bench for the aluminum producer Hydro. And what was his muse for this piece? You got it right – pasta, or to be more precise penne rigate.

Why is it noteworthy?

Informed by the design and form of pasta, the Bello! bench is a versatile piece of furniture that can be used indoors and outdoors. It’s been created from nearly ninety percent recycled and hundred percent recyclable aluminum.

What we like

• The bench is inspired by a piece of penne rigate, which is responsible for its ridged and textured surface
• It can be customized and modified to incorporate tables, lamps, or chargers since it does not have an internal support structure

What we dislike

• The shape of the bench is opposite to what we usually have, ergonomically speaking, which makes it difficult for sitting comfortably and could lead to a slipping sensation.

3. Panama Banana

Inspired by tropical elements like the shape of a surfboard, the curvature of a banana, and the overall tranquil nature of a hammock, the Panama Banana is the perfect piece of furniture for outdoor lounging.

Why is it noteworthy?

It’s as comfortable as a hammock or sun chair, but rocks to and fro like a rocking chair, giving you an experience that’s sure to steal your entire afternoon and some more.

What we like

• Coated with a water-resistant wax, the rocking furniture is perfect for outdoor use, or even indoor use with an outdoor view

What we dislike

• There is no option for personal customization

4. Stack Stool and Combo Table

A stool and table collection that recently grabbed my attention is Nardi’s Stack stool and Combo table. Designed by Raffaello Galiotto, Italian furniture brand Nardi launched a stool and table collection that features a linear design complemented by strips of wood.

Why is it noteworthy?

Crafted from 100 percent recyclable regenerated polypropylene, the furniture collection has been designed to look like traditional timber furniture. Lightweight and sturdy, both the stool and table can be easily lifted, handled, and transported from one location to another. And the fact that it has the appearance of wooden furniture only adds to its list of pros!

What we like

• Looks like it’s been made from wood
• Occupy minimal space once they have been set aside and stored

What we dislike

• The resulting aesthetics of the collection are quite dull and boring

5. The Transforming Table

Sporting an industrial aesthetic with its powder-coated stainless steel and aluminum construction, the transforming table offers an environment that can quickly adapt to the owners’ needs.

Why is it noteworthy?

On the one hand, it functions as a standing table that creates an atmosphere conducive to quick discussions and meetings. On the other hand, it can also be a place for more relaxed conversations, with friends or families lounging over meals. You could, of course, also have only one side of the table opened with the two seats, leaving the other side free for wood, work, or other things.

What we like

• The top of the standing table opens up in the middle and folds backward to reveal benches that can seat two people on each side

What we dislike

• Transporting the table indoors and outdoors doesn’t seem too easy

6. The Böste Lounge Chair

Designed by Stefan Borselius for the Swedish furniture company Skargaarden, the Böste lounge chair is a minimal and sturdy lounge chair that is designed to weather over time

Why is it noteworthy?

The lounge chair is named after the designer’s hometown in Southern Sweden. It is inspired by the classic Westport Chair and is in fact, a Scandinavian version of it. The form of the chair is pretty unique, with the back and seat meeting at an interesting angle, which invites and welcomes users to sit in a gently reclined pose which is great for relaxing and socializing with family and friends.

What we like

• Features a separate footrest that allows users to lie down fully and comfortably
• Built using sustainably sourced teak

What we dislike

• Aesthetically quite similar to other outdoor chairs on the market

7. Plint

Italian design studio Pastina created Plint, a collection of urban furniture for Punto Design. Pastina describes Plint as “more than just a street bench”, and I wholeheartedly agree. The colorful and quirky pieces of this collection are a far cry from the dreary brown benches, we often see scattered around cities.

Why is it noteworthy?

Plint plays with diverse materials, geometrics, and visual perceptions, highlighting the interesting contrasts between them. This makes Plint anything but boring!

What we like

• The base is modular, hence allowing each piece to be used individually, or to be combined with other pieces to create compositions of various lengths

What we dislike

• The ridges on the surface helps trap dust easily, which is a problem for outdoor/public furniture design

8. Stump

Called Stump, the lighting design is a sturdy light designed to illuminate and light up the outside areas of the Island of Møn, although it would look great in your backyard as well!

Why is it noteworthy?

The light was designed specially to combat and reduce light pollution. Featuring the shape of a bollard, the lighting design features an oxidized cast iron body and a transparent cap.

What we like

• Includes a warm-toned and low-energy lighting fixture that emits a soft and radiant light
• Its sturdy structure can be used as a stool for people to lean on

What we dislike

• The intensity of the light cannot be increased in case you need a stronger light

9. The Tripster

Dubbed the Tripster, this unique portable chair from Trippy Outdoor is a convenient little piece that you can stash in your garage or the back of your car and pop out whenever you need it!

Why is it noteworthy?

I had to stop myself from calling the Tripster a foldable chair because honestly, it doesn’t really fold. Built with a unique yet incredibly simple assembly mechanism, the Tripster effectively plugs in and out, going between what’s essentially a comfortable high-back outdoor chair, and two easy-to-store pieces of wood.

What we like

• Creates a seating device that travels exceptionally well, and is a breeze to set up
• Lightweight form

What we dislike

• Seems unstable in nature for those with a heavier body type

10. Convivium Mobile Bar

This modular outdoor kitchen – that includes a bar – is made from weather-resistant corten steel, similar to the brand’s other products for home and garden.

Why is it noteworthy?

Laid out beautifully for cooking and serving cocktails al fresco, this outdoor kitchen setup is equipped with an electric, gas, or charcoal grill and wooden cutting board to cater to the cooking needs. A kitchen is not complete without its washing area –Convivium Mobile Bar is fitted with a stainless steel sink that features pull-out taps, so the outright appeal and distinctive appearances of the design are maintained.

What we like

• You have the choice to choose different modules of Convivium Mobile Bar – you can select from the two sizes – the entire kitchen and bar setup or simply the kitchen area complete with the steel sink

What we dislike

• Extremely bulky and space-consuming design

The post Top 10 outdoor furniture designs to liven up your yard, poolside or porch first appeared on Yanko Design.

There are run-off-the-mill PC cases and then there is this exorbitantly priced gaming PC case by COUGAR Gaming. The PC component and peripherals brand incepted in 2007 by a bunch of passionate gamers has again broken the set norms for PC case design with something that you’ll either absolutely love or completely hate. Just like the alien-inspired one by AfterShock PC.

Meet the COUGAR Gaming Cratus, an open-air PC chassis with state-of-the-art cooling technology to keep even the most demanding processor, CPU or GPU at optimum temperature during extended runs of modern graphics and performance-intensive gaming titles. Available for $500 this one is sure not affordable, but the question remains – do you really need to spend that much on a premium PC case when you can add another $99 to grab the GeForce RTX 4070 GPU?

Designer: COUGAR Gaming

The case design alone is an eye-opener in its own right, designed like an inward-curved roll cage crafted out of a steel tube frame for incredible strength and stability. This openness is balanced with curved tempered glass panels on the front and side, lending the owner one the coolest view of a high-end functional PC in works.

That alone is not the USP though – according to COUGAR, the PC case boasts industry-first revolutionary innovation employing heat convection principles to orchestrate optimal thermal performance. This is achieved with the angled interior layout wherein the motherboard is angled slightly upwards. Therefore, the I/O is slightly higher than the board to direct the cyclical current of hot air rising and cool air falling for the best airflow a PC could get.

Cratus has support for nine fans if you want to invest in a high-end water-cooled setup, two 360mm radiators and a 280mm radiator on the front. You can load high-performance hardware including E-ATX motherboard, 460 mm graphics cards, two 3.5″ HDDs and three 2.5″ SSDs. On the top of the case is the customizable accented lightbar that goes all around and gives you the freedom for a built-in LED controller or in-built motherboard 5V aRGB connections for total integration with the PC’s other lighting setup.

No matter what internal components you opt for, the routing of cables will be clutter-free courtesy of the 45mm storage space in the hinged cover that’ll urge you to show off the unobstructed clean build. One thing to keep in mind though, the case comes barebones and doesn’t include any components like coolers or power supplies like the HZXT H1 which is priced at $350.

The post Open-air COUGAR Cratus PC case – Duality of aesthetics and functionality at an eye-watering price first appeared on Yanko Design.

Italian studio Mario Cucinella Architects has transformed a 19th-century building in Milan into an art gallery, adding a contemporary underground exhibition space to the historic structure.

Named the Fondazione Luigi Rovati Museum, the gallery is housed within Milan’s 19th-century Palazzo Bocconi-Rizzoli-Carraro and is designed to showcase both modern and Etruscan art.

To pay homage to the past and present, Mario Cucinella Architects balanced the original features of the historic building with contemporary additions, including a basement with layered stone walls.

“The architecture represents a voyage across time, from ancient history to the more recent past, present, and future,” said studio founder Mario Cucinella.

“The term future is used here not only as it relates to the design concept, but above all the levels of innovation and technical knowledge required by the complexity of the architectural and display projects.”

Mario Cucinella Architects aimed to retain as much of the existing Palazzo Bocconi-Rizzoli-Carraro as possible, preserving the street-facing facade, central hall and courtyard, along with the larger rooms on the first floor that now function as galleries.

The existing levels now host Fondazione Luigi Rovati Museum’s event spaces, archives, dining areas and a bookshop, as well as two floors of exhibition space.

To contrast the building’s existing interior, the studio added a basement level that houses a network of cave-like galleries arranged across four domed chambers informed by Etruscan tombs.

“In preparation for the expansion down to two underground levels, the structure was first stabilised by inserting piles around the entire perimeter of the existing building and that of the future expansion,” explained Cucinella.

“Before starting the construction phases, it was necessary to reduce the weight of the building by removing partition walls, furnishings, woodwork, and plaster, and to completely demolish the roof and third floor.”

Formed from overlapping layers of limestone ashlar, the walls of the basement level curve up to domed ceilings that feature the same pattern of layered stone.

Two hundred Etruscan artefacts, including vases, jewellery and cinerary urns, are displayed throughout the space in free-standing and wall-mounted cases designed by Mario Cucinella Architects.

“For the exhibition design, the elements were studied and designed in detail in order to generate an immersive experience of the objects on display through a mix of history, archaeology, design, architecture and digital technologies,” said Cucinella.

Works by contemporary artists including Alberto Giacometti, Pablo Picasso, Arturo Martini, Lucio Fontana and William Kentridge are also shown among the artefacts.

A stone staircase leads from the basement to the street-level entrance hall, which features a ticket office, cafe and bookshop.

Extending from the entrance hall is a courtyard designed by local landscape architect Marilena Baggio that offers views of the domed ceilings in the basement.

Refreshed in the 1960s with decorations and fabric upholstery by architect Filippo Perego, the first floor offers further exhibition space that features a combination of objects from the museum’s collection as well as modern art.

Additional space on the second floor is dedicated to temporary events and exhibitions, while a restaurant takes up the third floor. An additional level beneath the basement holds Fondazione Luigi Rovati Museum’s study collection.

Founded by Cucinella in 1992, Mario Cucinella Architects is an architecture studio based in Bologna.

Other recent projects completed by the studio include a monolithic concrete church with a cross-shaped entrance and a hospital with ceramic fins designed to break down smog particles.

The photography is by Duccio Malagamba.

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