Hasta La Ideas

We see plenty of solar-powered products today, ranging from simple lamps to complicated electronics. But despite the sustainability benefits these offer, there’s no escaping the fact that they do need to soak up the rays to actually work. That’s not much of a problem if the devices have large batteries that can be used when the sun is out, but not so much for smaller objects that have to be smarter in how they get some sunlight. The sun, unfortunately, never stays still, and other atmospheric conditions could make an area less exposed from time to time. To help alleviate that problem, this design concept for solar-powered street lamps takes inspiration from Mother Nature in order to seek out the sun where it shines the brightest.

Designer: VANTOT

When people talk about street lights, most will probably imagine lamps on top of posts. These lighting fixtures are designed to be stationary in order to be reliable landmarks as well as to make them more convenient to reach and maintain. That restriction, however, might pose a problem for solar-powered street lamps because they will always be at the mercy of the sun’s location. When clouds cast shadows or buildings rise to block the sun, these lamps might lose their one and only source of power.

The Sunseeker is an experimental solution to that problem that uproots street lights and sets them on a chain rather than on a post. This frees the hanging lights from staying in one spot and lets them move freely along the chain. It might be a strange capability, but it makes sense when you consider that the light sensors on each lamp actually detect where sunlight shines strongest and then move or turn the lamp’s solar panel to face that direction.

It’s definitely an odd feature, but one that can actually be seen in nature. The sunflower, for example, is famous for how it always faces the sun, a trait that is even more important for solar-powered devices. In this manner, the Sunseeker lights can move where the sun is, ensuring that it will always be at peak performance when the day star finally sets.

In addition to implementing a critical function, this sun-seeking behavior puts a playful spin on the lamps, pun intended. Crowds can be amazed and entertained as the circular panels slowly move and spin to match the direction of the sun. But even when they’re staying still, the lamps exude a character that is almost otherworldly, especially with how they look like a fleet of tiny UFOs lining up in the night sky.

The post Solar-powered streetlights spin and move to chase the sun first appeared on Yanko Design.

As much as I love spending time with my own cats, I’m honestly running out of ways to keep them entertained and prevent them from knocking down an item or two in my home, out of sheer boredom. If you’re pretty much in the same precarious situation as me and are always looking for new ways to keep your pet entertained, productive, and happy, then this collection of pet products promises to come to your rescue! From a modular pet-friendly sofa to a pet-friendly console – these product designs will take good care of your pet, and keep them active and content. You can take a little breather, while they wrestle around with these newfound fun products! These are the pet products you need in your home.

1. Quarter Sofa

Dubbed the Quarter Sofa, this modular and pet-friendly sofa is built using wood and fabrics and includes various modules in circular and square shapes. These multiple modules can be assembled and disassembled and moved around to build different configurations.

Why is it noteworthy?

The unique configurations that you can make using the modules serve as a playground for cats! They can move and jump around them, even allowing them to play together, if you have multiple cats.

What we like

• The modules can be arranged to accommodate different numbers of people
• The hollow spaces can be utilized to store and display items such as magazines, books, and other tidbits

What we dislike

• If your cat poops or pees in the hollow spaces, it could be difficult to clean them up

2. ProbaPaws

ProbaPaws is a unique collection of wearables and accessories that were designed by Alex Proba of ProbaHome, and her dog Sam in their studio in Portland, Oregon. The wearables feature Proba’s quintessential design style, while also ensuring that the products are fun and functional!

Why is it noteworthy?

Some of Alex’s signature textiles were used to create the two dog bed styles, three rugs, two blankets, eight bandanas, and a toy in the collection. The products are colorful and quirky, with a whimsical air of fun to them. They are handmade from sustainable materials, so you can be sure that the accessories provided to your pets are of excellent quality.

What we like

• Some of the products can be used by you and your doggo

What we dislike

3. Tesla Cybertruck Corrugated Cat House

The $13 Tesla Cybertruck Corrugated Cat House went up for sale on the Chinese version of the Tesla website, and it took the internet by storm, as everyone was wondering when Tesla decided to step into the pet product industry.!

Why is it noteworthy?

Measuring 56x41x25cm, the cat tray is inspired by the angular shape of the Tesla’s electric pickup truck. It is said to have a futuristic shape and is embedded with thick corrugated paper.

What we like

• Can be used as a multifunctional space for your cat
• It can support up to 15kgs, so can house cats of various breeds and sizes

What we dislike

• It’s a simple cardboard box, there’s nothing really cyber about it
• The real functionality and utility of the tray are still unknown, people are confused about whether it’s a cat bed or a litter box

4. The Maeve Pet Protection System

Designed by Tavo, the Maeve Pet Protection System is a system that allows you to seamlessly take your pet from your home to the car, and, finally to the desired location whether it’s a vet appointment or some adventure. It includes a carrier and a vehicle base for the carrier.

Why is it noteworthy?

Tavo utilizes the latest United Nations ECE child restraint standards to provide the highest degree of safety and protection. You can travel peacefully with your pet knowing they are safe and secure.

What we like

• Provides your pet with the ultimate safety and comfort while traveling

What we dislike

• We’re not sure how easy to clean the system would be

5. Wooffy Dog House

If you’re in the mood to gift your pet something truly cute and cozy, then you may want to consider the Wooffy Dog House. This luxurious and cozy dog house not only acts as a comfy haven for your pets but also functions as a well-designed piece of home decor for your home.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Wooffy Dog House is built from top-tier plywood and features transparent acrylic doors. Besides providing a resting place for your doggo, it’s an excellent piece of furniture that perfectly merges with the rest of your home decor.

What we like

• Contemporary design that makes a statement without being too overbearing and loud
• Caters to a large range of popular breeds

What we dislike

• Space-consuming design that seems a little difficult to move around

6. The Triangle Toy

Dubbed the Triangle Toy, this unique pet toy entertains your furry friends, while also doubling up as a work of art. This one-of-a-kind pet toy isn’t just about play, it’s also about providing a visual experience that is inspired by the beauty of nature.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Triangle Toy shows how pet products can be made super creative. It functions as a canvas for the motifs of clouds, the sun, and the mountains. The huge mountains are represented by the triangular structure, while the gentle flow of the clouds is shown by the rolling ball.

What we like

• Seems more like an objet d’art that seamlessly integrates into any space, than a pet toy

What we dislike

• It’s a concept, so we don’t know how well it will translate into an actual product

7. Kanto x Kvadrat Dog Beds

Designed by Finland-based studio Kanto in collaboration with Kvadrat, whose fabrics are found in the world’s most famous and iconic institutions (the MoMA and Guggenheim), these dog beds are truly stylish and elegant.

Why is it noteworthy?

These beds are designed to promote canine well-being, providing them with comfort, without clashing with the surrounding interior design of the home.

What we like

• The fabrics used to build the bed are soothing and durable
• The color options complement different interior spaces

What we dislike

• The beds look like they can easily get dirty or stained

8. Choo Choo Console

Dubbed the “Choo Choo”, this console is a unique creation in the category of pet-friendly furniture. It is a dedicated space crafted from natural materials like wood and cane webbing, which tries to create a solid connection between cats and their human companions.

Why is it noteworthy?

The console brings to mind the image of a bullet train, and it has a contemporary feel to it that also represents a sense of speed and efficiency. It embodies the concept of high-speed transportation with the functionality of a pet-friendly design.

What we like

• A discreet compartment subtly conceals a litter box for your cat
• Fuses aesthetics with functionality and practicality

What we dislike

• Space-consuming design that will occupy a substantial amount of space in your home

9. Evolv Dog Crate

The Evolv Dog Crate is a far cry from the typical dog crates you see, which tend to be quite ugly and utilitarian. However, the Evolv Dog Crate by Diggs is a sleek and good-looking crate that you’ll never want to put away!

Why is it noteworthy?

The Evolv Dog Crate is Diggs’ newest and slimmest dog crate, which also has a super interesting “playpen mode”. The crate features a modular design and is a safe and cozy crate-playpen hybrid that evolves with your doggo as he grows from a puppy to a full-grown dog.

What we like

• It is highly customizable and can be tailored to add four dual lock doors, and by removing the ceiling hatch to transform it into a playpen

What we dislike

• Space-consuming + bulky design

10. TAIPEI

Dubbed TAIPEI, this minimal and chique-looking pet collection consists of a diverse range of furniture and accessories that aim to upgrade and improve the everyday lives of pets and their owners, while offering the utmost comfort to your doggos.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Pet Collection includes a diverse range of three furniture pieces and five accessories specifically created for dogs and cats. The furniture piece features modulated beds at the bottom, creating a cozy space for your pets to rest and relax in.

What we like

• Clever integration not only maximizes available space but also allows pets to feel secure and close to their owners

What we dislike

• Space-consuming and bulky design, not suitable for smaller homes

The post 10 of the Best Products To Treat & Pamper Your Beloved Pets With first appeared on Yanko Design.

London studio Delve Architects has transformed a Victorian house in Camberwell with a cork-clad extension that introduces a bright open-plan kitchen and dining space for entertaining.

Appropriately named Camberwell Cork House, the 20-square-metre extension project replaces an existing kitchen and back room that the studio said was “cramped and dark”.

“The kitchen was small, cramped and dark, with a small door into the garden and no visual connection between interior and exterior,” Delve Architects told Dezeen.

“The intention was to maximise sight lines into the long garden and bring in light as much as possible.”

Camberwell Cork House’s dining room now extends out into the garden, enclosed by large triple-glazed windows and a 2.4-metre-high glass door with green-painted frames.

These large glazed areas focus attention on the outside while allowing westerly light to filter into the dining space.

According to Delve Architects, a key move to help make the space feel brighter and airier was to sink the extension, which required a step down from the main living spaces into the dining area.

“It is one of the design principles we propose for Victorian properties as it can often be achieved without major structural implications or underpinning – a simple step, but a highly beneficial one,” explained the studio.

Skylights also run along the length of the extension’s roof to drench the space with light from above.

Further supporting the connection between the home’s interior and the garden is a stretch of brick paving that runs from the patio and into the kitchen.

Another key element of the project was the use of cork, a renewable material harvested from the bark of the cork oak tree, which is biodegradable, durable and insulating.

The natural material is used as cladding and insulation, forming part of a wider design strategy focused on minimising carbon emissions and energy bills.

However, Delve Architects aimed to ensure that its use of this contemporary material does not overshadow the existing Victorian architecture.

Cork cladding is only used on the rear side of the home, covering the facade of the extension, while internally it is only used as insulation. The extension also has a butterfly roof to echo the existing streetscape.

Delve Architects, a small studio set up in 2017 by two school friends based in south London, had not worked with the material before Camberwell Cork House.

According to the studio, by using it as both external cladding and a thermal insulator, the project aims to showcase the potential of cork beyond aesthetics.

“We want to show how decarbonising can be done at any scale and loved the challenge of working with this natural material,” said co-director Alex Raher.

Cork is used as part of a palette of materials that were chosen for either their low U-values or for being environmentally friendly. Others include hard-wearing terracotta floor tiles in the kitchen and water-based paints made using clay.

As well as opening up spaces at the back of the terraced house, Delve Architects has introduced a utility room and created a snug lounge at the front of the home.

To create a feeling of warmth, the walls and ceiling of the lounge are painted in a rich Venetian red.

Cork is increasingly being selected as a material for domestic architecture projects.

Other cork-clad houses recently featured on Dezeen include a home in east London by Polysmiths and a residence by Inês Brandão Arquitectura in Portugal that uses the material to camouflage into its surrounding landscape.

The photography is by Fred Howarth.

The post Delve Architects transforms “cramped” London house with cork extension appeared first on Dezeen.

The running community is used to the regular wireless earphones with ANC and splash-proofing. For the first time, there is a company that thinks the runners – and those involved in active sports – need a specially tailored pair of earphones, which is a little more. And who better to do that than Sony!

The masters of good sound and design excellence have revealed the Float Run (available on Amazon), which forgoes the traditional in-ear design for an off-ear style that allows the earbuds to rest outside the ear while holding snug with a clip-on, over-ear extension and a flexible neckband.

Designer: Sony

Those who remember bone conducting earphones would recognize the design instantly. Sony Float Run is engineered to be worn outside the ear, somewhat like the bone conducting ones that are clipped to the ear lobe. I have used this type of earphones; the sound and efficacy are not compromised but there is a pain point, they tend to release the sound outward so people around can hear what you are listening to.

How much has Sony figured that out and plugged the pain point is going to clear up only with use – we were not able to find clear evidence to this – but what we are clear about is that the Float Run is a comfortable fit and delivers high-quality sound to the listener.

The speakers of the Sony headphones are designed to float in front of the ears so you can enjoy comfort and convenience while running. Since the ears are not stuffed with the buds, the runners or sportspersons do not feel pressure in the ear, even after prolonged usage. The interesting aspect of the Sony device is that it allows you to hear the ambient sound naturally when you are wearing them.

The sound from the outside is naturally heard, so it can be safely worn while walking on the trail, running on the road, or pumping your muscles in the gym. If the sound from the outside is allowed in, the earbuds have to maintain a good speaker standard. To that end, the Float Run come with large, 16mm driver that allows excellent sound, thick base, and treble; though slightly higher volume than usual may be necessary.

Provided with IPX4 Splash Protection, the Sony earphone, which runs for up to 10 hours on a single charge, would allow you to enjoy music when you are sweating or running in a sudden shower. The Float Run weighs only 33g and is powered through the USB Type-C connector. If you like the idea of an earphone that doesn’t make your ear feel constrained, you can think of taking these home for usage during sports, including running.

The post Sony redesigns sports earphones with an ‘off-ear’ rendition to ensure comfortable running experience first appeared on Yanko Design.

Architectural studio Worrell Yeung has completed a two-storey, black-coloured home extension called Springs Artist Studio that is meant to offer the “experience of being perched in the trees”.

The Brooklyn-based firm was tasked with designing the 800-square-foot (74-square-metre) addition for a Long Island house belonging to a florist and a painter.

The couple has an extensive collection of art and special objects. Their home is located in Springs, a hamlet in East Hampton that is popular with artists.

“The hamlet of Springs has a strong history of painting,” said Max Worrell, co-founder and principal of Worrell Yeung. “We were drawn to that lineage; Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler and Jane Freilicher all painted out here.”

The team conceived a two-storey addition that contains a painting studio on the upper level and an exhibition space down below that doubles as a garage.

The ground floor also has a powder room.

In response to strict zoning rules and environmental sensitivities, the studio created a small-footprint building that preserved existing trees and minimised the overall impact on the landscape.

Rectangular in plan, the building has a gabled roof and walls clad in pine boards that were stained black to match the main house.

Different-sized boards were used “to create a sense of shifting, lateral scale that counters the vertical massing of the structure”.

The lower portion of the building is covered in 12-inch-wide boards (30 centimetres), while the upper areas are clad in 4-inch and 1-inch versions (10 and 2.5 centimeters).

“From afar the studio reads as an abstract volume,” the architects said.

“Up close, the textured wood and varied-sized planks break down the scale of the building to something more accessible and rich with detail.”

The black cladding is interrupted on the upper level by a band of ribbon windows.

The architects worked with Silman Structural Engineers to create the continuous windows, which are supported by steel-rod cross bracing and slender steel columns that match the mullions.

Within the building, the four-foot-tall (1.2-metre) ribbon windows offer immersive views of the landscape.

“Natural light streams in while unique views appear from each direction, framed by unobstructed glass corners,” the team said.

“We wanted to create this experience of being perched in the trees – a retreat for working,” added Jejon Yeung, cofounder of Worrell Yeung.

Interior finishes include birch plywood, which was used for flooring, walls and cabinetry. In the powder room, the plywood is stained a rich shade of blue.

The decor includes vintage Eames molded fibreglass chairs and a vintage chandelier by David Weeks.

The addition is connected to the main home by a glazed passageway that brings in the natural surroundings while “providing a moment of respite between home and the studio/work environment”.

Other projects by Worrell Yeung include a series of gabled timber buildings on a New York farm and a refresh of a cedar-clad dwelling on Long Island that was originally designed by famed US architect Charles Gwathmey.

The photography is by Naho Kubota.

Project credits:

Architecture: Worrell Yeung
Design team: Max Worrell, Jejon Yeung, Yunchao Le Structural Engineer: Silman
Contractor: Fifth and Dune

The post Hamptons artist studio by Worrell Yeung is tucked among the trees appeared first on Dezeen.