Stone-shaped digital compass concept promises an adventure with each walk

Compasses are designed to give you your bearing, but they don’t exactly tell you where you’re headed. With today’s digital maps and navigation apps, that’s pretty much easy peasy, removing any stress from trying to find your way to your destination. At the same time, however, these modern conveniences also remove some of the adventurous feelings and the joy of discovery when wandering about before you reach your actual stop. That kind of whimsical and often serendipitous experiences are almost all but lost, especially with smartphones serving all information on a silver platter or always calling our attention with its incessant notifications. This modern and unconventional compass design wants to remedy that and bring back the joy of an aimless exploration by removing all unnecessary distractions so that you can be more present in your surroundings.

Designer: Modem Works x Panter & Tourron

They say that if you don’t have a destination in mind, any road will take you there, and while that adage is often used as a warning, it neglects to mention the wondrous discoveries you might encounter off the beaten path. After all, not all who wander are lost, as the popular quote goes, but also losing your bearings and your way can be a frightening thought. You could use your phone, but you could also be tempted to just go directly to your destination or, worse, never get there because of all the pings from social media that are begging for your attention.

Terra is a device that modernizes the age-old compass without turning it into a complicated device like a smartphone. There is no screen, at least not an obvious one, just a hidden monochrome display that lights up with symbols and sigils that will mark your adventure. Yes, it will show you your direction, but it won’t mark your destination. Instead, it encourages you to actually get your destination off your mind and take a different path instead.

The idea is that you will input your location and how much time you have available and the device’s AI will guide you along a set of GPS coordinates to accompany you on your adventure. But instead of screens and beeps, it uses gentle haptic feedback and artistic iconography to nudge our attention to little discoveries along the way, be it a kind mushroom or a flower you might have never seen before. And yes, it actually functions as a compass so you won’t get lost by accident.

Terra’s cross-like form seems to be a reference to the four cardinal directions, but its rough, organic shape is more reminiscent of a stone or pebble you’re likely to pick up along your walks. The design, however, is open to various other shapes that will hopefully remind you of the treasury of wildlife waiting to be discovered along your more adventurous excursions.

The post Stone-shaped digital compass concept promises an adventure with each walk first appeared on Yanko Design.

Genimax HR off-road trailer is versatile enough to wear skis and tow behind a snowmobile

Tiny off-road trailers have their own charm. They provide a quaint way to live a weekend amid the trees out in the wilderness, where your ATV or an off-roading vehicle can go. This adventurous freedom is cut short for some months of the year when the snow blankets the earth. But with the Genimax HR, the fun is never going to be limited, thanks to its ability to wear skis and ride on snow behind your snowmobile.

Given the core functionality, the Genimax HR – an affordable pop-up roof camper – is developed for around-the-year camping. The lightweight body, made from aluminum and rust-resistant, durable composite materials, renders this 375 lbs (170 kg) trailer camper to go places without a fuss. Measuring some 60 inches in width (48 inches on snow), the camper rides on a high-performance independent suspension, which provides handsome ground clearance to enhance its off-road ability and be the skill to ride smoothly on snow.

Designer: Genimax Trailers

Designed specifically as a “ready-to-camp solution to go on an adventure with his little family,” the HR is the brainchild of Genimax Trailers, which has been in business (developing trailer solutions) since 2017. Besides its lightweight construction, the HR is readied for all seasons of the year with high-resistance polyurethane adhesive sealing up the spaces in the roof and walls.

The versatility of this easy-to-configure wilderness camper becomes manifold when riding behind an ATV on the unbeaten paths and/or behind a snowmobile when the adventure takes you on snow. And when you halt, just 2 sliding, lockable drawers, with a capacity of 200 lbs each, make for your facility. For instance, one of the side drawers of the trailer functions as a kitchen. It features a removable stainless-steel countertop alongside a folding built-in sink provided with a 10L water tank and faucet.

To elevate a family’s stay out in the wild, the Genimax HR can comfortably sleep 2 adults, and a child in the option roof tent. The camper becomes even more versatile with optional accessories and features that allow the residents to make the most of their ride. For instance, you can opt for an 80W rooftop solar panel with adjustable tilt or a retractable awning for the side of the trailer. Without the optional accessories, the base model of the Genimax HR starts at CAD 8,495 (approximately $6,200).

The post Genimax HR off-road trailer is versatile enough to wear skis and tow behind a snowmobile first appeared on Yanko Design.

eBook readers are about to become a little bit more sustainable

eBook readers, often just called eReaders, have come a long way since the earliest days of the likes of the Amazon Kindle. Not only do some of them now support pen input for jotting down notes, some even have color E Ink screens that add a bit of life to There are also some that are practically Android tablets with e-paper displays instead of LCDs or OLEDs, offering a more eye-friendly digital lifestyle. Unfortunately, those new features do add up, making the newer generation of these devices more expensive than their forebears. That means that these color eBook readers are even more of an investment than before, and their longevity is now more important compared to the past. Thankfully, manufacturers are taking notice and may have started the journey toward a greener future for this market with Kobo blazing the trail.

Designer: Kobo

Amazon’s Kindle might be the household name when it comes to eBook readers, but it is hardly the only game in town, not by a long shot. In fact, when it comes to innovation, you could even say that it lags terribly behind, banking only on its industry clout and expansive library to maintain its lead. As far as major brands are concerned, Kobo can be considered second place, but its latest moves have definitely put it ahead of the game in some aspects.

It has recently launched three new eReaders, two of which have color E Ink screens. While the technology is hardly new, it is the first time a major brand adopted it. In contrast, Amazon has only been rumored to be working on a similar device, but given how long it took to come out with a pen-enabled Kindle, it might still take a while. Then again, now that Kobo has stolen its thunder, it might be a bit motivated to expedite its schedule.

What’s more interesting, however, and one that almost flew under the radar, is that Kobo’s three new readers will also be its most repairable devices. It has apparently partnered with self-repair experts iFixit in making the new Kobo Libra Colour, Kobo Clara Colour, and Kobo Clara BW more repair-friendly, which means that repair kits and instructions will be made available. As of this writing, details are still non-existent, but it’s still a huge step forward and a first for the eBook industry.

What this practically means is that these three devices could very well become the longest-lasting of their kind, allowing owners to replace certain parts for as long as those parts are available. As eReaders graduate from cheap and almost disposable plastic devices into powerful and sophisticated machines, the need to make them more durable and resilient also grows. To its credit, Kobo has been making major strides toward sustainability, including the use of more than 85% recycled plastic in its devices. This pleasant surprise goes above and beyond what any eReader manufacturer has so far done, putting Kobo on the same track as the likes of Apple, Samsung, and Google in the smartphone market.

The post eBook readers are about to become a little bit more sustainable first appeared on Yanko Design.

Odd sustainable stool concept prioritizes minimizing materials over recycling

The majority of sustainable designs today focus on using responsibly sourced or biodegradable materials as well as the ability to recycle components at the end of the product’s life. While these are indeed a big leap compared to common production practices, it’s still from the ideal. Even sustainable materials like wood, metal, or bioplastics produce material waste that still gets discarded at the end of the production process. And depending on the materials involved, recycling can actually consume more energy and even result in more pollution, offsetting whatever benefits it should have brought. Another approach to sustainability is to actually reduce the materials used and, therefore, the materials that need to be recycled, as what this rather unconventional “two-piece” stool design tries to propose.

Designer: Kitae Pak

The less materials you use for a product, the more products you can make out of that material. If a single 1,220mm x 2,440mm sheet of plywood would normally yield 24 circular plates with a diameter of 310mm, you could potentially squeeze 219 plates with a diameter of 120mm. That’s the kind of increase in yield that the Dots stool concept is claiming, making more efficient use of a material without compromising on quality, at least in theory.

The concept accomplishes this by completely redesigning what a stool is expected to be. Yes, it’s still a piece of furniture for seating, but there’s no hard rule that the seat has to be one large and whole piece. Instead of a single big circle, the Dots stool utilizes two smaller discs to support the body at rest, hence the name. It delivers the same function but at a significantly lower material consumption right from the start.

With this minimalist design, which consists of two wooden rods for legs and recycled plastics to connect the pieces into a stable whole, you can make 4 times more Dots stools than a regular stool using the same materials. This kind of conservation means that the production process itself would use less materials and energy to produce the same number of stools, while recycling would also use less energy and water as well. And since it’s mostly made of wood, the stool can also be repurposed for other designs or returned to the Earth one way or another.

While the design does check all the right sustainability boxes, it does raise questions on conform and stability. It’s arguable that it does serve its function well, but neither its appearance nor its ergonomics inspire complete confidence. It’s not a complete loss, however, as the experiment proved that there’s still a lot of room for improvement even for already sustainable designs.

The post Odd sustainable stool concept prioritizes minimizing materials over recycling first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sergio Mannino enlivens Philadelphia pharmacy with mauve and silver

Angel Care Pharmacy by Sergio Mannino

Brooklyn-based designer Sergio Mannino has chosen a palette of purple and silver for a Philadelphia pharmacy that helps patients affected by the opioid crisis.

Located in the Philadelphia suburb of Cheltenham, the Angel Care Pharmacy is owned by Olivia Tchanque, who wanted the design of her space to reflect the care and sensitivity offered to her patients.

Pharmacy waiting room with purple furniture
Sergio Mannino designed the mauve and chrome seats that populate the waiting area at Angel Care Pharmacy

Tchanque looked to Sergio Mannino Studio to create an environment that feels distinctive, clean and contemporary.

The pharmacy was born in part to help deal with the ongoing opioid crisis in the US, and those with addictions to OxyContin and deadly substitute Fentanyl.

Display shelves in the foreground and a open doorway to another room
Mannino designed the interiors and branding for the pharmacy

Its mission revolves around “providing the community with the best medical supplies and care they need”, said Tchanque.

Mannino was responsible for the interior design and branding for the space, including its angel-wing logo used for signage and across marketing materials.

Doorway between a silver room and a mauve room
Once two separate units, the space is divided into retail and prescription areas that are connected by an open doorway

Once two separate units, the 1,800-square-foot (167-square-metre) pharmacy is divided into retail operations and prescription areas now connected by an open doorway.

In the retail area, the designer intentionally chose colours that are bold but would not be overbearing.

Pharmacy windows surrounded by pale purple walls with a grid overlaid
The pharmacy windows are surrounded by pale purple walls with a grid overlaid

“Mauve is the colour of balance: it represents tenderness and it’s frequently associated with femininity and motherhood,” said Mannino.

“White brings a feeling of safety and purity. It represents the absence of things and a sense of relaxation and clarity. Silver has always been associated with the moon, inspiring a feeling of joy and peace.”

Oak-framed shelving displays products in a mauve room
Oak-framed shelving from Blu Dot and Hem is used to display products

Two chairs designed by Mannino with soft purple-upholstered bases, minimal chrome backrests and oak armrests provide a waiting area for patients along with a built-in window seat.

These are accompanied by two side tables designed by Ettore Sottsass for Kartell, in violet and pink finishes.

The room is decorated with silver-toned wallpaper on two sides and purple grid pattern on the others.

Shelving displays along the walls came from Blu Dot, while freestanding units in the centre of the room are by Hem – both crafted from oak.

Exterior of Angel Care Pharmacy at night
The pharmacy is located in the Philadelphia suburb of Cheltenham

The colour palette extends to the minimalist branding, which features mauve hues, grid patterns and contemporary typography.

At Tchanque’s request, Mannino also introduced compostable vials and bags instead of plastic packaging, since “every year, each local pharmacy in the US fills 60,000 prescriptions on average,” according to the pharmacist.

Branding and marketing materials for Angel Care Pharmacy
The branding for the pharmacy follows the same colour palette as the interiors

Sergio Mannino Studio was established in 2008, and the firm’s early projects included a showroom for footwear brand Kensiegirl and another shoe shop where the walls were covered in interchangeable panels.

More recently, Mannino completed a pharmacy waiting room in Brooklyn featuring graphic floor tiles, a pigmented cement desk and curved leather chairs.

The photography is by Sergio Mannino Studio.

The post Sergio Mannino enlivens Philadelphia pharmacy with mauve and silver appeared first on Dezeen.

10 Best Accessories Every Apple Lover Needs In Their Arsenal

Apple has been innovating and surprising us with its insane creations since 1976. And let’s take a second to appreciate the innovation and inspiration this company never fails to provide us with. The groundbreaking tech giant never fails to surprise us, we always find ourselves biting our nails and squirming with curiosity, whenever Apple announces a new product launch! Needless to say, we all have our favorite Apple products, and although they are pretty amazing as is, it’s always fun to amp them up further with some cool and innovative accessories. And, we’ve put together a collection of some unique, innovative and super fun accessories for your favorite Apple devices.

1. UPRO Ostand Case

Dubbed the UPRO Ostand Case, this nifty device won the iF Design Award and offers your iPhone’s MagSafe with a whole range of cool and innovative upgrades. You can use the case to make your phone stand, hang, or stay firmly in your hands as you click a selfie or two, or scroll through Instagram. It features the familiar magnetic ring which gives the otherwise typical-looking case a fun and interesting upgrade!

2. Snapshot Case

Elago Snapshot Apple AirPods Case with AirTag

Elago Snapshot Apple AirPods Case with AirTag

Called the Snapshot case for the AirPods Pro, this adorable-looking has a cute camera-shaped design that includes an AirTag inside the faux camera lens. The little case looks like a small point-and-shoot that protects precious AirPods Pro from any kind of physical damage and theft. Since it has an all-silicone design, this absorbs shock, while still supporting wireless charging.

3. Apple MagSafe Grip Stand

The Apple MagSafe Grip Stand is inspired by the Japanese art of paper folding, and this handy accessory can fold flat without the hassle of assembly and disassembly. The grip stand is quite thin and aptly sized like a card, so you can attach it to your phone in no time. It also lets you slip your phone into your pocket without the fear of snagging! It is a nifty and convenient little accessory for your iPhone!

4. Ergonband

This unique Apple Watch accessory looks quite unusual, and the band looks more like a strap, or one of those hand braces used by athletes. The Apple Watch is locked in place using clips, that use standard lugs and is placed below the joint of your thumb. This location ensures that the screen is always visible without you having to twist your wrist. It is an innovative ergonomic design that works well for sports.

5. RSTR Case

Called the RSTR Case, this case for your Apple Watch Ultra is designed by Golden Concept. It has a stunning transparent crystalline design that converts your mundane Apple Watch into a lovely shimmering jewel that you can wear proudly on your wrist and show off. The RSTR Case is available in four colors and crafted using 50 meticulously engineered parts. Made from stainless steel, the home and action buttons are larger and pretty easy to use.

6. Colorware Apple Number 2 Pencil

The Colorware Apple Number 2 Pencil gives a fun makeover to Apple’s current stylus! Quite interestingly, it takes modification to a whole new level. It looks like the Number 2 or HB pencil, featuring a glossy yellow body, orange eraser, and silver band which connects the different parts. In fact, even the tip of the pencil is black, much like a typical graphite pencil, truly celebrating the everyday pencil, while giving the stylus a new look.

7. Belkin iPhone Mount with MagSafe

Meet the new Belkin iPhone Mount with MagSafe which harmoniously converts the iPhone into a webcam for the Apple 4K TV. You can fix the versatile mount to your TV, and it lets you utilize your iPhone’s rear camera for FaceTime or Zoom calls. If you don’t want to use it as a TV mount, you can fold it up, and use it as an iPhone stand in landscape or portrait mode on a table or wall, using a magnetic attachment.

8. The (Re)Classic Band

The (Re)Classic Band for Apple Watch is a cruelty-free Italian leather-inspired band. The band is made using repurposed mycelium, which is essentially fungal threads that span long distances underground, from which mushrooms blossom and grow out. It is one of the many all-natural resources utilized in the synthesis of Yatay by Coronet.

9. 2-in-1 Wireless Charger Concept

Meet the 15W MagSafe compatible iPhone 15 charger concept which can be laid down, or positioned in an alternate orientation, letting you set up your iPhone in portrait mode for productivity. The alternate pad of the charger can be used to charge your earbuds, or even your Apple Watch, while it is laid down. At the moment, this charger is still a concept, however, we would love to see it as a tangible design someday.

10. Neck Power Bank

Named the Neck Power Bank, this power bank for your Apple Vision Pro has the familiar horseshoe shape of a neck pillow or one of those neck-worn air conditioners you see. It features a refreshing and ergonomic design, equipped with a flexible center frame, which makes unfolding it and wearing it comfortably around your neck quite easy to do.

The post 10 Best Accessories Every Apple Lover Needs In Their Arsenal first appeared on Yanko Design.

Red accents enliven social housing block on triangular plot in Barcelona

72 Social Housing Units by MIAS and Coll-Leclerc Architects

Movable metal shutters reveal bright red balconies at this social housing block in Barcelona, created by local architecture studios MIAS and Coll-Leclerc Architects.

Located on a triangular plot to the south of the city, the building provides 72 apartments across seven storeys and is clad with vertical panels of terracotta-coloured glass-reinforced concrete.

Exterior view of 72 Social Housing Units in Barcelona
MIAS has designed a social housing block on a triangular plot in Barcelona

MIAS and Coll-Leclerc Architects‘ distinctive use of colour for the development references the area’s history in textile manufacturing where fabrics used to be dyed red and dried in the sun, giving the neighbourhood its name Marina del Prat Vermell, or Red Meadow Marina.

To maximise the number of units that could be fit on the site, MIAS filled its maintained outline and prow-like edges. Two large cuts divide the housing into three smaller, “porous” blocks with planted pathways in between.

Concrete-clad housing block by MIAS and Coll-Leclerc Architects
The block is clad with vertical panels of terracotta-coloured concrete

“Porosity refers to the permeability of the building, allowing air to flow through both the structure and the streets intersecting the main volume,” MIAS architect Daniela Salaris told Dezeen.

“I am particularly interested in architecture that does not confine, that does not precisely define its physical limits, but instead creates spaces for the gaze to extend beyond the confines of the container,” she added.

Facade of triangular social housing block by MIAS and Coll-Leclerc Architects
Red balconies are sheltered by metal shutters

Splitting the project into smaller blocks avoided the creation of large corridors, instead creating corner apartments with equal access to light, air and views.

While the layout of the apartments in the centre has been kept consistent, the two prow-like corners to the east and the west of the site contain unique spaces tailored to their more angular and narrow floor plans.

“I think the main achievement is that while being in a multi-family building, you have the sensation of being in a detached single-family home as if you do not belong to a residential building with seven floors,” explains Salaris.

“The interior spaces flow, relate to each other easily, and connect with the exterior, with distant views, so that the interior spaces expand to the outside through the terraces,” she added.

Red-lined apartment interior in Barcelona by MIAS and Coll-Leclerc Architects
Red doors, window frames and furniture feature on the interior

Each apartment has access to its own covered terrace offering views over the city and sea, sheltered from the sun by folding metal shutters that animate the facades and are lined internally with bright red finishes.

Inside, this red has been carried through to the doors, window frames and furniture, providing contrast to the otherwise minimal white walls and exposed concrete ceilings.

Apartment balcony at 72 Social Housing Units by MIAS and Coll-Leclerc Architects
Each apartment has access to a covered terrace

The roofs of the blocks are finished with a combination of planting and photovoltaic panels that cover around half of the building’s energy consumption, according to MIAS.

Dezeen’s Social Housing Revival series recently highlighted the rapid ramping up of social housing provision in Barcelona, as part of a series of measures by the city to tackle issues of housing affordability.

Other social housing projects recently featured on Dezeen include a Parisian estate by SOA Architectes with arched windows and sloping roofs and La Brea Affordable Housing in West Hollywood, designed by Patrick Tighe and John Mutlow as a contemporary take on art deco.

The photography is by Adrià Goula.


Project credits:

Architect: MIAS Architects, Coll-Leclerc
Client: IMHAB Municipal Institute of Housing and Renovation of Barcelona
Collaborators: Carla Blanch, Marc Subirana, Mar Genovés, Manuel Giró, Mauro Soro, Maria Chiara Ziliani, Marta Casas, Anna Massana

The post Red accents enliven social housing block on triangular plot in Barcelona appeared first on Dezeen.

Eight hotel interiors characterised by eclectic designs

Austin Proper Hotel

From guest rooms filled with fashion designer Christian Louboutin’s personal antique collection to Ibiza’s oldest hotel where handmade masks are mounted on the walls, our latest lookbook features eight eclectic hotel interiors.

Eclectic design brings together objects and styles from a range of sources – often mixing contemporary and vintage pieces.

While many hotels are characterised by uniform luxury, others celebrate unlikely combinations of furniture, colours and patterns.

Here are eight eclectic hotel interiors from around the world defined by contrasts and clashes.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring residential mezzanines, Mexican holiday homes and minimalist bathrooms.


Downtown LA Proper
Photo courtesy of Kelly Wearstler

Downtown LA Proper, USA, by Kelly Wearstler

American designer Kelly Wearstler has created the interiors for all four of the Proper Hotel Group’s branches across North America.

The Downtown LA Proper is anchored by “bold and eclectic choices”, including a chunky graphite reception desk and a hand-painted archway flanked by leaning column-like cacti in rustic pots.

Find out more about Downtown LA Proper ›


Montesol Experimental hotel in Ibiza by Dorothée Meilichzon
Photo by Karel Balas

Montesol Experimental, Ibiza, by Dorothée Meilichzon

Dorothée Meilichzon of French interior design studio Chzon renovated Montesol – the oldest hotel in Ibiza, originally built in the 1930s.

Meilichzon transformed the renamed Montesol Experimental with “a bohemian overtone” that draws on the hotel’s rich history. Among its interior elements are lumpy Playdough Stools by artist Diego Faivre, hand-crafted masks and an abundance of tassels.

Find out more about Montesol Experimental ›


Monkey side table in Vermelho Hotel bedroom
Photo by Ambroise Tézenas

Vermelho, Portugal, by Christian Louboutin and Madalena Caiado

Louboutin filled his first hospitality project with furniture and materials from his personal antique collection.

The fashion designer worked with architect Madalena Caiado to create the Vermelho boutique hotel in the Portuguese village of Melides. The guest rooms feature unexpected elements such as a rattan monkey-shaped side table and striking hand-painted frescoes.

Find out more about Vermelho ›


Palm Heights Grand Cayman by Gabriella Khalil
Photo by Brooke Shanesy

Palm Heights, Grand Cayman, by Gabriella Khalil

Collectible design pieces characterise Palm Heights in Grand Cayman, the island’s first boutique hotel.

Creative director Gabriella Khalil sought to style the project like a 1970s Caribbean mansion, selecting sandy yellows and bold blue hues to complement the many original artworks that adorn the walls.

Find out more about Palm Heights ›


Kelly Wearstler-designed hotel in Austin
Photo by The Ingalls

Austin Proper Hotel and Residences, USA, by Kelly Wearstler

Among the Proper Hotel Group’s other locations is an Austin branch. Wearstler inserted a sculptural oak staircase into the lobby that doubles as a plinth for a varied collection of glazed earthenware pots and vases.

Locally sourced art and textiles characterise the hotel, which has cypress wood walls that were charred using the traditional Japanese technique of Shou Sugi Ban to create a tiger-striped effect.

Find out more about Austin Proper Hotel ›


Bedroom with patterned headboard
Photo by Simon Brown

Hôtel de la Boétie, France, by Beata Heuman

Swedish designer Beata Heuman created the Hôtel de la Boétie in Paris to be “a bit like a stage set”.

Heuman chose contrasting elements for the colour-drenched interiors. Bedrooms feature a mixture of dark-hued woven headboards and pale pink sheets, while downstairs, the reception area’s jumbo flower lamps balance the steely silver of the lounge walls.

Find out more about Hôtel de la Boétie ›


Château Royal hotel in Berlin by Irina Kromayer, Etienne Descloux and Katariina Minits
Photo by Felix Brueggemann

Château Royal, Germany, by Irina Kromayer

A series of eclectic spaces make up the Château Royal in Berlin, which references the heyday of the German capital at the turn of the 20th century.

Interior architect Irina Kromayer designed the hotel to be “authentic” rather than retro, choosing art noveau tiles and brass and nickel hardware in a nod to the finishes commonly found in Berlin’s historic buildings.

Find out more about Château Royal ›


A green hotel bar
Photo by Christian Harder

Esme Hotel, USA, by Jessica Schuster Design

Plush velvet flooring, textural tassels and plants in wicker pots come together at the Esme Hotel in Miami, renovated by New York studio Jessica Schuster Design.

The interiors draw on the “bohemian grandeur” of the hotel’s 1920s history, with decadent alcoves clad with contrasting patterns.

Find out more about Esme Hotel ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring residential mezzanines, Mexican holiday homes and minimalist bathrooms.

The post Eight hotel interiors characterised by eclectic designs appeared first on Dezeen.

This week Saudi Arabia scaled back The Line megacity

The Line in Saudi Arabia

This week on Dezeen, we reported on the news that Saudi Arabia is scaling back the expected population it hopes The Line mega city will reach by 2030.

News agency Bloomberg reported that officials expect The Line, which is the flagship development for Saudi Arabia’s Neom project, to house fewer than 300,000 people by 2030 compared to an original goal of 1.5 million.

A source told Bloomberg that just 2.4 kilometres of the planned 170-kilometre-long city will be completed by 2030.

World's thinnest watch by Bulgari
Bulgari created the world’s thinnest watch

In design news, Bulgari unveiled the world’s thinnest watch, which has a thickness of just 1.7 millimetres.

The Italian jewellery company also revealed a serpent-informed watch designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando.

Aftermath of the Tretten Bridge collapse seen from above
A report criticised the Tretten bridge’s design and construction

In architecture news, we covered an official report into the collapse of the 10-year-old Tretten bridge in Norway, which criticised the structure’s design and construction.

A “strong focus on aesthetics” contributed to the collapse of the mass-timber bridge, stated the report.

UnLandmarks by Uncommon Creative Studio for Thomas Heatherwick's Humanise Movement
The Humanise campaign created “boring alter egos” of UK landmarks

In the UK, Thomas Heatherwick’s Humanise campaign released a set of visualisations depicting “boring alter-egos” of UK landmarks.

Made by creative agency Uncommon Creative Studio, the AI-created buildings, including Buckingham Palace (above), were designed to draw attention to the UK’s “boring” architecture.

“The series of images shows six of the most loved and quintessentially British landmarks stripped of their personality to reveal their boring alter-egos,” said Uncommon Creative Studio, which is a Humanise campaign founding partner.

Sprout Ruben & Marjolein by Woonpioniers
A bio-based home was among this week’s most popular projects

Popular projects this week included a compact bio-based home in the Netherlands, a “down-to-earth” house for two sisters in Finland and an “open-air laboratory” built from foraged wood by Architectural Association students.

Our latest lookbooks featured interiors where mezzanines maximise usable space and homes where flooring enhances the connection between indoors and outdoors.

This week on Dezeen

This week on Dezeen is our regular roundup of the week’s top news stories. Subscribe to our newsletters to be sure you don’t miss anything.

The post This week Saudi Arabia scaled back The Line megacity appeared first on Dezeen.

This tiny rapid-deploy tactical pocket knife is like the Napoleon of EDC

The name Speedy seems rather apt for the world’s fastest-deploying tiny pocket knife, don’t you think?

With a spring-loaded action that allows you to flip open the blade in record time, the Speedy is a tiny yet handy EDC that’s roughly the size of your car’s key fob (but slimmer). Armed with a 440 Carbon stainless steel blade encased within a G10 fiberglass handle, the entire knife weighs just 1.6 ounces, measures a minuscule 2.2 inches (58 millimeters), and has a tiny 1.45-inch (37 millimeters) blade that may seem diminutive, but is more than capable of being your tactical sidekick in an emergency.

Designer: Bomber & Company

Click Here to Buy Now: $25 Hurry, only 13 days left! Raised over $275,000.

The Speedy comes from the folks at Bomber & Company, a seasoned EDC brand that debuted on Kickstarter in 2014, quickly rising through the ranks to become one of the hottest knifemakers on the platform, having sold over 1 million pocket knives in the past decade. The company’s developed its unique aesthetic over its 7 product campaigns, and the Speedy fits well into the the Bomber & Company’s visual language with its all-black design, fiber handle, and coated blade. Where it shines, however, is in the insides, which power the blade’s deployment. A strategically placed spring helps the Speedy unsheathe its blade in practically a millisecond, allowing single-hand deployment in the blink of an eye.

Once deployed, you’re equipped with a 1.45-inch small-size carbon steel blade with a drop-point design. The drop-point is perhaps the most classic blade style given its versatility. With a straight edge that curves at the tip, you’re left with a blade that’s great for cutting, slicing, carving, piercing, and even whittling. The carbon-steel blade cuts through materials like they’re butter, comfortably slicing through paper and cardboard, leather, and even through wood.

Cutouts in the blade’s design help reduce weight as well as decrease friction while slicing, allowing the knife to glide through materials.

Even for its ludicrously small size, the Speedy is quite grippy and easy to maneuver. The flipper acts as a nice finger guard, and that 2.2-inch handle is enough for a sturdy reliable grasp as you use the blade. A liner lock holds the blade in place while you’re cutting, allowing you to tuck it back into the handle only when you’re done using the Speedy.

The tiny EDC knife comes with an all-black design (how very Henry Ford Model T of them), and sports a keyring hole at the end of the handle that lets you string the blade on a keychain or even attach a carabiner so you can carry your Speedy however you wish. The knife is priced at $25 with global shipping, although for $50 you can grab a 3-pack for gifting to your friends, family, and fellow EDC enthusiasts. After all, you never know when you’ll need a fast-deploying tactical blade to get yourself out of a pickle…

Click Here to Buy Now: $25 Hurry, only 13 days left! Raised over $275,000.

The post This tiny rapid-deploy tactical pocket knife is like the Napoleon of EDC first appeared on Yanko Design.