Local studio FGMF Architetos has used translucent screens and metallic panels to enclose a residence on a sloping site near São Paulo.

Located in the town of Campinas, Casa Brisa stands within an expansive shell-like structure that protects the residence from inclement weather and the high temperatures of the area.

“It is an investigation into the inside and outside, the covered and open, the union between gardens and architecture in a quiet way, using simple materials in an unconventional way,” said FGMF Architetos partner Fernando Forte.

The two-storey, concrete home, stands underneath an independent steel structure that supports a flat, corrugated metal roof and sides made from perforated metal screens.

It has various openings to accommodate growing trees and allow light into the home and gardens below.

Large windows, screens and sliding glass doors throughout the home open the residence to the outdoors.

The designers integrated the home into its site by burying the ground floor into the slope, with the entrance and second floor at street level.

The house extends the length of its hilly site with a linear floor plan that incorporates semi-open gardens and concludes with an outdoor living and pool area.

On the ground floor, utility spaces like storage and a small bathroom are underneath the entrance to the home, which is tucked into the steepest part of the site. A hallway expands into the main living area and is surrounded by the first garden at the home.

The main living space contains a seating area, a dining room, and kitchen that can be opened using large sliding glass doors.

A second garden containing trees and native plants surrounds the space. Both gardens will expand and grow over time to create an additional layer of privacy. A pool and lounge area completes the living space.

Upstairs, three bedrooms are equally open to the surroundings with large windows and metal screens that slide open or close.

Masonry details like a decorative fence at the entrance of the home were designed to create softness in the inner layer of the structure, while the outer shell is more industrial, with a structure made of steel and metal.

Solar panels integrated into the outer shell provide water heating and power for the residence.

During the day, the home appears rigid and monolithic from afar. At night, its translucent layers expose the interior structure.

FGMF Architetos has completed several buildings in the São Paulo area, including a multi-use skyscraper with a central atrium, and another countryside home that features block-like volumes.

The photography is by Fran Parente.

The post FGMF Architetos covers Brazilian house in translucent shell appeared first on Dezeen.

This week British Formula E team Envision Racing unveiled the Recover-E, a driveable Formula E car made entirely out of electronic waste. “Annual e-waste production is on track to reach a staggering 75 million tonnes by 2031, with the UK generating the second largest amount of e-waste as a country in 2022,” the team writes. “Items thrown away include disposable vapes, mobile phones, laptops, MP3 players, plug and batteries themselves. The growing phenomenon of single-use vapes means 1.3 million of them are thrown away every week in the UK.”

“To highlight this urgent issue, Envision Racing partnered with British artist and designer Liam Hopkins to design and build the car entirely of donated electronic products by the UK tech business, Music Magpie and school children. Through this campaign, the team wants to increase awareness of the human impact of e-waste and the need to reuse and recycle old electrical products.”

“Hopkins said, ‘Unfortunately today we choose to discard and replace electronics instead of repairing and recycling them leading to a global e-waste crisis. Through design and creativity, we want to show the issue of e-waste and its potential to accelerate the creation of a circular economy.'”

The Recover-E was unveiled at London’s ExCel exhibition hall in advance of the London e-prix, the final race of the Formula E season. Here’s a video look at the car:

“If the millions upon millions of Lithium batteries that are found in vapes and other products are recycled, it will dramatically reduce both the need for rare earth mineral mining and the large energy needed to create the batteries from scratch,” said Sylvain Filippi, Envision Racing’s Managing Director and CTO. “We want to increase awareness of e-waste and help build a ‘circular economy’ where electrical products are reused or recycled, not thrown away.”

We’ve been seeing a torrential and exciting downpour of automotive designs at Yanko Design for the past few months. Each automotive was innovative, bringing to us something we had never seen nor experienced before. From killer speed to dashing good looks, to impenetrable safety standards, every automotive we featured at YD broke some design barrier for us, and hopefully, they did the same for you as well. Hence, we’ve curated a collection of automotive designs that we feel were the best of the lot. From a wheel-less bicycle to a sleek shape-shifting bike – each of these drool-worthy automobiles is mercilessly pushing the boundaries of the automotive industry. Automotive enthusiasts will be itching to get their hands on them, and take them for a spin on the streets!

1. Wheel-less Bicycle

US-based YouTuber The Q recently unveiled the wheel-less bicycle, which quite literally doesn’t have any wheels, and depends on rotating elements to help push it forward. The bicycle quite literally works like a tank and features a rotating wheel belt that drives it forward, while ditching the usual large rubberized wheels. Given how small the wheel belt’s curved radius is, you can’t expect the bike to be super fast, but that is quite understandable.

2. Lamborghini Centenary Tractor

Ferruccio Lamborghini started off by building tractors way back in the late 1940s, and hence the company hand-built a limited-edition tractor to commemorate the memory of the Italian craftsmen. The 1960 Lamborghini Centenary limited-edition tractor is a fully-operational tractor being an amalgam of the 60s builds – the DLA and 2R DT, bears a rustic look, amplifying the nostalgic feel for someone who’s witnessed the era in question.

3. The Project M³ Concept Motorbike

Designed by Richard Huang, the Project M³ concept motorbike has an ingrained biomimicry principle for motorheads, and has a body inspired by the dolphin. The electric motor onboard is charged using a blowhole-like nose, providing it with a very lifelike presence. The dolphin is mirrored on the toothed wheel rims,  and the front headlights section too.

4. ECHO

Called ECHO, this self-driving concept trike features a trio of hubless wheels – with the two on the front reinforced with massive suspension systems to take on any bump on the road. The trike doesn’t have a rider seat, and it is a stark view of sophistication level 5 autonomy will bring to the fore. Can you imagine this automotive marching forward along with a herd of Spot the Dog robot and an army of Atlas humanoids?!

5. The Fiat Topolino

The Fiat Topolino measures 2.53 meters and is an all-electric city EV that features a 7.2-meter turning radius and can shimmy around in small tight spaces where standard cars usually get stuck. The car has a 5.5kWh battery which churns out a range of 47 miles, and a top speed of 28mph, which is suitable for short-range mobility in urban areas.

6. The Lamborghini Vision Event Horizon

Designed by LYC.Design, the Lamborghini Vision Event Horizon is a stunning car that amps up the Italian marque’s design language in an attempt to differentiate itself from the company’s older, ICE cars. What stands out with this car is the headlight and taillight treatment, which feels slightly different from other Lamborghinis. The front of the car gives me Acura NSX GT3 Evo vibes, albeit with crowbar-shaped LED-strip headlights.

7. Gordieiev’s Bicycle with Square Wheels

Sergii Gordieiev created a bicycle with square wheels! The wheels on the bicycle don’t actually roll, but instead, the rubber on the conveyor belt-like platform rotates once you hit your foot on the pedal. If you want to really imagine the bicycle, just simply imagine a war tank moving on its metal tracks without any wheels, but it’s a bicycle with square-shaped wheels!

8. Aston Martin Valour

The Aston Martin Valour was created to celebrate the marque’s 110th anniversary. The Valour features a 5.2L twin-turbo V12 engine that produces 705hp and 555 lb-ft. of torque. It is a retrofuturistic beast, that pays tribute to not the future, but the past, by rejecting the modern, and completely embracing the muscle!

9. The Lamborghini Diablo Restomod

The Lamborghini Diablo restomod is inspired by the track-focused GTR model. This is viewed in extreme proportions such as the streamlined front grille section, side skirting, and the 3D-printed titanium rear grille with subtle detailing. This is also accentuated by the massive rear vents overshadowing the radiators.

10. The WAYRA EV-03

The WAYRA EV-03 electric cruiser motorcycle is a 100 percent no-gimmick concept that’ll please every kind of rider – be it a cruiser enthusiast, performance lover, or off-roading fanatic. WAYRA EV-03 is a bike high on personality, created keeping in mind the heritage of fat-bikes and cruiser-length bikes, while also having those minimal eye-catchy modern touches to create visual appeal.

The post Top 10 Automotive Designs That Spun Our Heads This Summer first appeared on Yanko Design.

When you talk about video games, most people will probably think of game controllers immediately, even if a large chunk of these aren’t played that way. Even disregarding mobile games that only use touch screens, many are actually played with good, “old-fashioned” keyboard and mouse. There are, of course, keyboards made for gaming, with noisy mechanical switches and bright RBG lights, but most of these are designed to match the aesthetics of most computers, which is to say they almost always come in black, a few in off-white. Nothing screams “gaming,” however, more than a keyboard that’s designed to look like a gaming console. Ever the masters of making old things new, 8bitDo is coming out with its very first keyboard, one that pays homage to a gaming classic in an endearing and tasteful way.

Designer: 8bitDo

8bitDo is a brand best known for its multitude of game controllers catering not just to console owners but also to PC gamers. Although many of these look like your typical gamepads, the company has a penchant for applying the design language of past gaming controllers to present products, giving an ode to the rich history of video games. Its portfolio, however, has been growing recently to cover other accessories and gadgets, including a wireless charging pad, a wireless speaker, and a computer mouse. For the first time, it’s dipping its toes into keyboard territory, and what better way to start that venture than with one of the most iconic consoles in history?

Launched in the 80s, the Nintendo Entertainment System or NES, which was called the Family Computer or Famicom in Japan, kickstarted Nintendo’s own journey from making playing cards to the gaming giant it is today. Although it is hardly the first home gaming console to be launched to the masses, it is one of the few to have gained worldwide acclaim to the point of being an icon. The new 8bitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard pays tribute to this landmark gaming device but does more than just get a paint job to match the gray or red themes of the NES and Famicom, respectively.

The retro keyboard is filled to the brim with details that will really give you that old-school vibe, from the fonts used on the keycaps to the analogy dials for volume and for switching between Bluetooth or Wireless modes. There’s even a classic power light that thankfully uses a more modern LED. The package also includes two giant programmable red buttons in the style of the A and B buttons of the original NES controller. You can connect up to four of these pairs via a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is a pretty old-school connector by now.

As for the keyboard itself, it’s a tenkeyless keyboard, which means you don’t get a numeric keypad on the side. Like with many mechanical keyboards, you have the option to change not only the keycaps but even the switches to your liking. It can connect via Bluetooth, the included wireless RF receiver, or a USB cable. Unlike most gaming keyboards, however, there is no backlighting at all. The 8bitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard costs $99.99 and will ship starting in September. If you really dig the NES motif, you might be tempted to also grab the brand’s N30 wireless mouse which was also inspired by the classic console.

The post 8bitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard turns an old iconic console design into a fun-looking keyboard first appeared on Yanko Design.

German-Chinese architecture practice Büro Ziyu Zhuang has completed a restaurant and viewpoint with sweeping roofs designed in response to the natural landscape in Chengdu, China.

The multifunctional building is situated in a natural forest on top of Longquan Mountain, which is the highest point in Chengdu and overlooks the city. It houses a restaurant, bar and tea house, as well as a reflecting pool and a rooftop observation deck.

According to the studio, the 4,200 square-metre building was designed in direct response to the natural landscape of the city, with its enormous scale created to encourage interaction between man-made and natural forms.

The result is a sprawling building made from undulating forms that are connected at various heights, creating the impression that they are a part of the rising surface of the mountain.

“The architecture has a strong character and identity, resembling a spaceship or alien form if seen from some angles, ready to launch,” explained Büro Ziyu Zhuang.

“At the same time, it is subdued enough that it does not threaten or contradict the existing natural environment, like a fold in the ground or a flying bridge in the forest, hidden from view,” it continued.

A series of pillars support the main structure’s meandering roofs, underneath which sit a restaurant, a tea house and an infinity pool. Other supporting functions, such as logistic areas, are hidden below the site.

The fluid form of the building was informed by the Eastern philosophical concept of mountains that constantly shift.

“From an Eastern viewpoint, the permanence of mountains is substituted by fluidity, like water and clouds, through billions of years of change in space and time,” said the studio.

The entrance of the building is located at the centre of the structure, where the roof starts to separate into two. An infinity pool on the right-hand side presents a mirror reflection of the sky and surrounding nature.

Following the steps that lead down from the entrance to a courtyard opening, visitors are able to walk into the forest via a garden pool with stepping stones.

A two-storey restaurant underneath the left-hand side of the roof extends further into the mountain, with a suspended dining and viewing area at the end of the top floor.

The introduction of lattice elements breaks the continuous horizontal glazed facade of the building and establishes a direct connection between the interior and exterior of the building.

The sweeping roof also serves as a viewing platform that is accessible to visitors. This was paved with natural stones of various sizes, which over time will allow the building to further submerge into its natural surroundings, with green plants growing between the gaps.

GRC concrete panels were selected for the main body of the building, as their grayish tones help it to better integrate into the surrounding environment.

Founded by architect Ziyu Zhuang in 2016, Büro Ziyu Zhuang now has partners in Berlin, Beijing and Shanghai, lending its projects a design vocabulary that fuses Asian and European influences. It was longlisted for Dezeen Awards 2022 emerging architecture studio of the year.

Previously, the studio has created a church in China with walls and a tower made from dozens of spaced-out aluminium ribs.

The photography is by Schranimage.

Project credits:

Principal designer: Ziyu Zhuang, Zhengdong Qi, Na Li
Architectural team: Wei Zhao, Yi Shi, Yintong Li, Yu Zhao, Jing Li, Hongyu Fan
Interior team: Xin Zhao, Wutian Sun, Wei Cai, Chen Liang, Zhujing Ding, Jiatong Xu
Structure consultant: Peter Li
Soft decoration consultant: Jiatong Xu
Construction drawings: China Southwest Architectural Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd.
Construction: 3rd Construction Co., Ltd. of China Construction 5th Engineering Bureau
Drawings and diagrams: Mengzhao Xing, Mengdi Wu, Xuantong Qiao, Wei Zhao

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