Hasta La Ideas

A tactile Amsterdam apartment and a birch plywood-lined extension feature in our latest lookbook, which collects eight loft conversions created for maximum space.

Architects and designers often open out the room located directly under the roof of a house to create extra living areas or storage space.

Whether they were renovations of an existing room or conversions of unused attic space, the following loft conversions are united by their thoughtful use of space.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring basement apartments, mid-century homes and textural kitchens.

Amsterdam apartment, the Netherlands, by Firm Architects

Local studio Firm Architects renovated this loft apartment in the De Pijp district of Amsterdam, creating a striking horizontal line formed of zinc, mirror and brick elements.

The line, which runs around the walls of the loft, was designed to make the apartment look as if it has been “visibly cut through”.

“Everything above the cross-section is a new interpretation, and everything below a reflection of the old,” said the studio.

Find out more about this Amsterdam loft ›

House for a Sea Dog, Italy, by Dodi Moss

House for a Sea Dog was designed for a naval engineer who is used to long periods in confined spaces and wanted their home to be as open as possible.

Contained within a 300-year-old Geona building, the multi-level loft features a mezzanine floor, which serves as a bed deck. Architecture studio Dodi Moss slotted a slender bathroom underneath to make use of the high ceilings.

Find out more about House for a Sea Dog ›

Antwerp attic, Belgium, by Van Staeyen Interieur Architecten

The formerly dark and dusty attic inside this Antwerp home was converted into a multi-functional living space characterised by bright yellow accents, arched portals and curvy built-in furniture.

Van Staeyen Interieur Architecten designed the renovation to serve as both a guest room and a zone for the clients’ daughters to play and socialise in as they grow up.

Find out more about this Antwerp apartment ›

Leaf House, UK, by Szczepaniak Astridge

Szczepaniak Astridge added a rooftop extension to Leaf House – a terraced property in south London that is home to photographer Edmund Sumner and writer Yuki Sumner.

The architecture studio designed the space to be uncharacteristically sparse for a loft conversion and positioned a wooden bathtub and double bed next to a floor-to-ceiling window with views of Lettsom Gardens.

Find out more about Leaf House ›

Project Escape (to the Roof), UK, by A Small Studio

An exposed brick wall and a curved rocking chair are one of many features within three loft spaces created by A Small Studio for this southeast London home.

The firm converted the building’s existing roof space into a trio of new rooms with zinc-clad dormer windows that offer views of the leafy back garden.

Find out more about Project Escape (to the Roof) ›

R11, Germany, by Pool Leber Architekten

Pool Leber Architekten removed the reinforced concrete upper floor of this 1980s housing block in Munich to make way for two lighter cross-laminated timber structures.

The updated loft features prominent wooden features on its interior including walls, ceilings, floors and sculptural joinery.

Find out more about Project Escape (to the Roof) ›

Brighton house, UK, by Studiotwentysix

Architect Dan Gray and his wife Isabella, who are co-owners of Studiotwentysix, renovated their Brighton family home to include an angled loft extension lined with birch plywood.

The project created an additional 55 square metres of living space, which is accessed via a new staircase. A triangular snug carved into the eaves of the gable end adds a playful and cosy space for the couple’s two daughters.

Find out more about this Brighton house ›

London apartment, UK, by Emil Eve

London practice Emil Eve decked out this Hackney loft extension in a pale pink hue to evoke “a sense of calm”.

The renovation created a sanctuary-style bedroom featuring slatted panelling with an integrated bedhead and understated storage.

Find out more about this London apartment ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring basement apartments, mid-century homes and textural kitchens.

The post Eight airy and pared-back loft conversions appeared first on Dezeen.

Design awards exist to reward great ideas… not create them. A competition with a difference, the SHAPL Design Contest helps fund great ideas into great products. The process? Designers submit their concepts online and people on the internet vote for their favorite ideas. The best ones get selected to win the SHAPL Design Contest’s cash prize and are brought to life by being turned into real products that can have a real impact on users around the world.

The process is simple: design your idea, upload it to SHAPL’s competition dashboard, and let it undergo evaluation by both a discerning jury and eager consumers. This dual evaluation process adds a human touch, ensuring the most market-ready, desirable products are chosen. Simultaneously, the jury assesses designs based on practicality, aesthetics, and overall appeal. Winning participants reap impressive rewards. Not only do their concepts become reality, but they also secure substantial cash prizes, with rewards totaling an impressive $13,000.

Now in its 7th edition, the SHAPL Design Contest invites all designers with free entries until October 30th, 2023. Use this month to refine your brilliant product idea, from consumer electronics to home decor, fashion to child-care products. SHAPL assists with production and material choices, fostering collaboration.

If your designs have been featured on Yanko Design, your chances in the SHAPL Design Contest are even better. And the best part? It’s free to participate! Entries are open until October 30th, 2023. Give your designs the spotlight they deserve, enhancing your portfolio’s credibility. As you contemplate this exciting journey, take a moment to explore some of the exceptional past winners below!

Click Here to Submit Your Designs Now! Last Date for Submission: October 30th, 2023.

Winners of the 6th SHAPL Design Contest

PANO Beam Projector by Hwang Byung-ki

Derived from the word Panorama, the PANO was designed as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, helping people bring the joy of cinema theaters to their homes. Drawing inspiration from the sleek silhouette of an SUV, PANO exudes a sense of style and minimalism. Its name, derived from “panorama,” subtly alludes to the emotional connection of camping in nature with cherished companions. This concept beam projector seamlessly blends a clean, box-like design with a streamlined interface, featuring only essential buttons and controls. The front showcases a lens on one side, while a fabric panel elegantly conceals the speaker.

Yuanye Outdoor Barbecue Pan by Wang Yu-Biao

While it’s a common practice to take a break from the chaos of city life and run away to mother nature for a while, some urban comforts are difficult to renounce… food for example. Yuanye is an innovative outdoor barbecue dish that combines a gas tank, roasting pan with meat and vegetable partitions, fire source, and oil storage module. Its standout feature is its exceptional folding structure, which allows for maximum portability and convenience. Taking inspiration from fashionable suitcases, Yuanye’s design not only prioritizes functionality but also showcases individuality and a beautiful aesthetic.

Wipelock by SOI

Here’s an example of an idea so clever, no wonder it gathered as many votes from the public as it did. If you’ve seen enough spy movies, you’ve seen the routine where the protagonist dusts a keypad for fingerprints to know exactly which keys to press to unlock a vault. Wipelock cleverly avoids that problem by just installing a small sponge on the handle. Once you type your password in and rotate the handle, it effectively wipes the fingerprints off the keypad, keeping it as good as new. Simple, effective, and just sheer genius!

Cassette Cooker by Mr. Treasure

Yet another example of a compact way to carry our urban luxuries to the tranquil spaces of nature, the Cassette Cooker (contrary to what its name would have you believe) is a compact, portable cooker that uses ‘gas cassettes’ that can be plugged in to give the cooker its fuel to operate. This particular design by Mr. Treasure comes with a stacked design including an elevating grill that lifts the stove off the ground so you can plug the gas cassette in. Once ready to use, the stovetop can be paired with existing vessels or even the Cassette Cooker’s own saucepan (not shown in the image above) that stacks perfectly onto the cooker’s cylindrical form factor, giving it a homogenous appearance.

Ocelli The Split Speakers by Shantanu Maheshwari

Although it may remind you of the Pill speaker by Beats by Dre, the Ocelli is, in fact, twice as better… Why, you ask? Because it gives you two speakers instead of one! Designed to separate from its central hub, the Ocelli has individual left and right speaker halves that can either be used together, or detached and placed at different parts of the house for multi-room listening or for better stereo widening. The design comes from Shantanu Maheshwari, who just wanted to create a speaker more capable of adapting to one’s needs. The central section of the Ocelli acts as a magnetic charging hub for the two speakers, and even sports a touchscreen interface for controlling playback. The individual speakers, on the other hand, are compact enough to be carried around with you anywhere… even in your backpack!

Cockcrow breakfast machine by Yifeeling

The Cockcrow Breakfast Machine reminds me of a certain Michael Scott who wanted to be woken up to the aroma of freshly cooked bacon. While Scott relied (rather foolishly) on a George Foreman Grill, the Cockcrow Breakfast Machine is more innately suited for the job. Designed to run on electricity (so there’s a lesser chance of a fire), the device sports two burners that allow students to easily whip up a breakfast of soup, sandwiches, omelets, bacon, or anything that a youngster would need to power through a long day at university.

Era Planet by ShengYang

“Era-Planet” is an innovative wooden toy that combines intelligence and modularity, specifically designed for children aged 6-8 years old. By incorporating augmented reality (AR) technology, this toy aims to make learning about Earth’s development and fostering ecological awareness a fun and engaging experience for children. It also encourages imagination and creativity in young minds. With “Era-Planet,” children can explore and assemble various topographic modules representing eight different periods in Earth’s evolution. Through the use of AR, they can actively discover and learn about the unique biological features of each period.

GLORA – Urban Electric Skateboard by Wang Jia Wei

As urbanization continues to progress, the issue of the last mile in cities has become a prominent topic of discussion. The failure of bike sharing has further highlighted this problem, leading to chaos in many areas. Additionally, as the younger generation matures, skateboarding has emerged as a popular transportation solution. The GLORA is an urban electric skateboard with a design inspired by the hull of a ship. Its purpose? To transport its user “through a sea of steel and concrete” that we call the city!

“O” Smart High-Speed Hair Dryer by Li Wenkai

The “O” intelligent high-speed hair dryer is a cutting-edge hair dryer that offers high-speed drying with intelligent features. Its non-ergonomic design makes it possible to hold in any format and point anywhere for easy handling and control. With a powerful built-in motor capable of reaching 110,000 revolutions per minute, this hair dryer ensures quick and efficient drying. The cylindrical handle provides convenience and comfort during use. Equipped with two control buttons, simply press any ball key to turn the hair dryer on or off, and easily adjust the temperature and angle by sliding. The upper button allows for left and right sliding to control the rotation of the head, offering a maximum angle of 360 degrees. The lower button is dedicated to temperature control, with a maximum temperature of 100 degrees. The operation of the hair dryer is highly sensitive and smooth, with a default constant temperature of 35 degrees upon turning it on.

TONO by Wu Wenjing, Tang Hao, Zhou Chen

As pet-owners and working individuals, it can sometimes be difficult to give your pet dog the quality time it needs. Dogs go through ‘zoomies’ because of all this excess energy that they find themselves with because they aren’t stimulated through the day. Designed to help pets get their daily dose of activities, the Tono is a tennis ball launcher that your furry friend can use to keep itself engaged. The dog simply needs to drop the ball into the Tono’s upper surface and the launcher catapults it out through the front for your pet to fetch. The Tono is compact, making it perfect for all households, and even comes in the same shade of green as the tennis ball!

Submit Now

Click Here to Submit Your Designs Now! Last Date for Submission: October 30th, 2023.

The post Top 10 Design Ideas from the SHAPL Design Contest that completely transform how we live first appeared on Yanko Design.

Living in a sustainable, conscious, and smart manner has become not only a necessity but our moral obligation and duty toward the planet. Our homes should seamlessly integrate with, and nourish the planet, not drain her resources and reduce her lifespan. Being at one with Planet Earth, while taking rigorous care of her has never been more of a priority. In an effort to encourage an eco-friendly way of life, sustainable architecture has been gaining immense popularity among architects. And, McDonald’s has jumped onto that bandwagon with its outlet in Tai Wo, Hong Kong.

Designer: McDonald’s

McDonald’s Tai Wo outlet in Hong Kong recently underwent a renovation that transformed it into a prime specimen of sustainable design and architecture. The restaurant is a testament to how sustainability can be incorporated almost anywhere with the right direction, effort, and intention. The Tai Wo location is Hong Kong’s first LEED Zero Carbon restaurant certified by the US Green Building Council. The building will save 848.22 metric tons of carbon dioxide which equates to planting more than 36,000 16-foot-tall trees!

The space is defined by twenty commendable sustainability efforts, which are working throughout it. McDonald’s collaborated with eco-social startup HK TIMBERBANK, and designed the exterior facade which is crafted from local trees. These trees fell either due to old age or typhoons. In fact, even the furniture and décor inside are built using recycled materials. McDonald’s also teamed up with CLP Power Hong Kong to set up a solar power system on the rooftop.

The entire building is marked with smart devices to monitor energy consumption and indoor air quality. In fact, the restaurant has also signed a “green lease” with the landlord to share data connected to sustainability and lay down low-carbon operational guidelines. It incorporates an education corner that is packed with sustainability-themed books, providing integral reading material to the next generation. Cool phone-charging bikes that can be ridden by visiting families have been added to the space as well. McDonald’s is also releasing a new line of Happy Meal books and coloring games that encourage children visiting to learn about environmental protection.

The post McDonald’s Opens Its First LEED Zero Carbon Restaurant in Hong Kong first appeared on Yanko Design.