Hasta La Ideas

Gardening is an extremely therapeutic activity, and though I may not engage in it all the time, the few times that I have, I found it delightful and soothing. Growing, tending to, and being surrounded by plants is intensely satisfying. All your worries slowly fade away, and you are simply enthralled by nature. Indoor gardening has become one of the major trends these days! Plants can truly transform a living space with their gentle presence. They add a touch of green and nature and create a serene and zen atmosphere. But tending to them is not always the easiest task! You must pay special attention to your beloved plants and give them the best care to ensure they grow well. And, we’ve curated a whole collection of product designs to help you with that! From a wearable that lets your plants communicate with you to LG’s latest indoor gardening appliance – these products are all, you need to create a nurturing environment for your plants and ensure they grow beautifully!

1. LG tiiun

Called the LG tiiun, this unique home appliance allows you to grow your own herbs and veggies. It is an indoor gardening appliance that is sized like a dorm refrigerator and is 3 feet tall. It is equipped with two shelves, which can store up to 6 all-in-one seed packages, and various seed kits. It keeps your veggies super fresh!

Why is it noteworthy?

The LG tiiun is designed to be an all-in-one self-sufficient garden. It creates the perfect microclimate and conditions for your plants to grow successfully. It even replicates light cycles, allowing you to keep the tiiun anywhere in a room without having to stress about whether it has access to sunlight.

What we like

• You can grow veggies and herbs in the comfort of your home
• Simple and fun experience even if you haven’t gardened before

What we dislike

• The form is a bit too bulky for homes with space constraints

2. Grovemade Hardwood Planters

Designed by Grovemade, these cups, planters, and dishes are created the old-school way and have been carved from solid maple or walnut. The planters are pretty functional, adding a touch of green to your work desk, while also being quite aesthetically pleasing. The planters score high on looks and utility.

Why is it noteworthy?

The various pieces are hand-sanded and finished with a clear vegetable-based oil that highlights the natural warmth, elegance, and beauty of the wood. The collection includes cups, dishes, and planters in a variety of different woods

What we like

• The planters are available in a wide range of metal and material options

What we dislike

• The aesthetics are a bit mundane and boring

3. Green Hideaway Chair

Named the Green Hideaway Chair, this DIY living plant chair is designed by Stockholm-based studio Front/ in collaboration with European DIY chain HORNBACH and its creative agency HeimatTBWA. This lovely chair lets you connect with nature, adding some green to your home, without actually leaving your house.

Why is it noteworthy?

DIYers of all skill levels can build this simple chair, as it is accompanied by illustrated, step-by-step instructions, a template, and a whole list of tools and materials needed. Everything is simply spelled out for you.

What we like

• Makes nature accessible to you in your own home

What we dislike

• A bulky and space-consuming design, so you need to make sure you have sufficient space to add it to your home

4. ACQUAIR

Meet the ACQUAIR design – a smart humidifier and air purifier which merges technology and nature in an aesthetic and good-looking design. ACQUAIR is essentially two products in one – it is a smart humidifier and a pot for a single-stem plant. Both the parts share the same water tank that nourishes the plant, and sprays moisturized mist.

Why is it noteworthy?

The spray is determined through sensors, and by adjusting the mist depending on the temperature and the amount of humidity. Human intervention isn’t needed except to refill the tank every once in a while.

What we like

• The humidifier also has aesthetic value, it serves as a simple yet elegant pot

What we dislike

• The concept isn’t detailed enough to show us how the device’s features keep the plants alive beyond just water

5. Ocean Sun Plant Light

Called the Ocean Sun Plant Light, this design is more than just your ordinary USB-powered work light. As the name suggests, it is equipped with a calibrated set of LEDs that radiate a light similar to the light from the sun. It is created for indoor plants which don’t get a lot of natural light.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Ocean Sun Plant Light offers your plants the right spectrum of light to facilitate photosynthesis and foster growth. But unlike the sun, it features a compact size, and can fit into the palm of your hand! It has a sleek and small form with a precisely machined aluminum outer shell.

What we like

• Features high-end flicker-free LEDs
• Compact, easy-to-carry form

What we dislike

• We are unsure how well plants would grow in this light

6. Planpet

Meet Planpet – a smart plant pot concept that builds a personal connection between humans and plants. The design offers the plant a face and changes the way we see it. It features a glass cube on one end, with an actual hole for the plant. The cube isn’t some excessive feature, but it is a holographic display.

Why is it noteworthy?

The holographic display features a miniature 3D representation of the plant, and it actually has an expressive face. The user can pick a virtual character, which perfectly resembles the type of plant being put in the pot. The virtual plant can also change facial expressions based on real-time soil, and environment analysis.

What we like

• The plant reacts when you give it light or water, or if you forget to look after it

What we dislike

• It’s a conceptual design, so we are unsure how well it will translate into a tangible product

7. Paradise

Named Paradise, this automated plant cultivator and compost bin is designed to reduce domestic waste. It is equipped with integrated technology, prompting users when the plants need to be looked after. It looks like a rolling cart and includes modular pieces that work well together to offer optimal conditions for growing plants.

Why is it noteworthy?

Paradise was designed by Robin Akira, and it is intended to be a household plant cultivator with integrated compost bins and an odor-sealing lid to reduce the domestic waste produced in our homes.

What we like

• Integrates greenery into our interior spaces
• An odor-sealing lid

What we dislike

• Could be messy to have such a product in our indoor living space

8. Kosumi’s Wall Organizer and Mess-Free Planter

Kosumi’s Wall Organizer and Mess-Free Planter can be assembled like LEGO building blocks. It features base grids that can be attached to the walls with 3M strips, which need hardware or tools in the process. You form the basic grid on the chosen vertical surface, and then you can stock it with over 20 different modules.

Why is it noteworthy?

The multi-functional and organizational WFH design helps you create your own wall organizer and planter, allowing you to build a magnetic and modular garden that can be mounted on any vertical surface.

What we like

• Impressive storage space
• Entirely recyclable

What we dislike

• We’re not too sure how long the plants would last in such an ecosystem

9. Jungle

Named Jungle, this intriguing planter is designed by Poland-based KABO and PYDO design studio. You can hang the planter from the ceiling, allowing it to function as a semi-flush mount light fixture. This good-looking indoor garden is inspired by the form of biophilic design.

Why is it noteworthy?

Jungle is made up of a few parts, and its true beauty lies in its simplicity. Jungle features a bulbous, capsule-shaped centerpiece, and it is designed to be a half-planter and half-light fixture. It is capsule-shaped and radiates a warm golden light which is diffused with an opaque body.

What we like

• It features a simple form which allows the beauty of the plants to shine through
• Radiates a soft and soothing light

What we dislike

• You need to stand on a stool or small ladder to water the plants

10. BioCollar

Called the BioCollar, this wearable is designed by students at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design. It helps build empathy between the wearer and the connected plant. Once the wearable is connected to a piece of hardware that goes into the planter, it helps you understand the plant’s needs better through some real-time feedback.

Why is it noteworthy?

It is designed to be a component of a larger system called the BioPermit – which is a service that utilizes the collar to test if prospective plant buyers are good caregivers. It is a speculative system, and it is designed to convert plant needs into real-time haptic feedback.

What we like

• Lets the plant easily communicate its needs to you

What we dislike

• The wearable doesn’t look very comfy to wear

The post 10 Best Plant-Friendly Designs For Gardening & Plant Enthusiasts first appeared on Yanko Design.

With Google officially announcing the “Made by Google” event on Aug. 13, excitement is high for the new Pixel lineup. This year, Google is shaking things up by revealing the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro series earlier than usual, likely aiming to capture attention before the expected iPhone 16 launch in September.

Designer: Google

In addition to the Pixel 9 Pro, Google is also unveiling the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, accompanied by a Gemini-linked teaser video. While leaks have provided glimpses of these devices, Google’s announcement finally puts to rest any speculation about their appearance and names. The teaser video highlights the double-stacked lenses on the rear camera module and the exterior screen and hinge design.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold marks a noticeable change from its predecessor. It adopts a taller and narrower profile than the original’s short and wide passport-style form factor. This new design aligns more closely with devices like the OnePlus Open, offering a larger, more practical outer display that enhances usability.

One of the most striking changes is removing Google’s signature camera bar. The first-generation Pixel Fold featured a prominent, elongated camera bar, while the Pixel 9 Pro Fold opted for a new, more streamlined camera housing. This redesign provides a cleaner aesthetic and ensures the phone remains stable when laid flat.

Examining the new model’s inner display, there’s still a noticeable crease, although it appears less prominent. The screen ratio has shifted to a taller and narrower format, with slimmer bezels for a more modern look. However, this change includes an inner camera cutout on the upper-left part of the display instead of being part of the bezel, which might not please everyone.

The first-generation Pixel Fold’s short and wide design made it a great one-handed device despite its weight. However, its cover screen was often too wide to comfortably hold for extended periods. In contrast, the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s taller form factor should enhance ease of use and portability.

A potential concern with the new model is its slightly smaller battery capacity of 4,560mAh compared to the first Fold’s 4,727mAh. Given that the original wasn’t known for its battery longevity, this reduction might raise some concerns. However, Google’s latest Tensor processor promises efficiency gains that could help mitigate this issue.

Alongside these design changes, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a new 45-watt USB-C charger. This new charger, which sports a more rounded design than its predecessors, is part of Google’s effort to improve charging speeds and overall user convenience.

Having used the first-generation Pixel Fold extensively, I can attest to its decent quality despite its drawbacks, such as dim screen brightness, subpar speakers, and limited app optimization. With the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Google can address these issues and deliver a more refined and competitive product.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold represents a significant step forward in design and functionality. By transitioning from the unique but bulky passport form factor to a more practical and user-friendly design, Google is making strides to compete more effectively in the foldable phone market. We’ll have to wait and see how Google plans to structure the pricing this time, but here’s hoping the new model looks impressive and delivers on performance and user experience.

The post Google’s Official ‘Made by Google’ Event on August 13: Here’s What the Pixel 9 Pro and Fold Look Like first appeared on Yanko Design.

When you think of transportation in the near future, you probably dream of flying cars or hoverboards since that’s what we see on sci-fi movies and shows. Even though there are experiments already on that kind of vehicles, we’re probably still a few years away from that. But there are also concepts and experiments on a more grounded, so to speak, kind of public transport that is more practical and realistic but also futuristic.

Designers: Move Lab and ID+IM Design Lab

Bubblic Public is a project that conceptualized a modular and lightweight kind of transportation system. It is meant to be on-demand and can fit the needs of whomever will be hailing the single-module design vehicle. It is basically made up of extendable bamboo stem-inspired chassis and airbags that is flexible enough that it can be used as passenger transport, delivery vehicle, or even a mobile smart farm. It can adjust to the size and needs of the end users during different time periods.

The design inspiration is “like bubbles that appear out of nowhere” since it is meant to show up to users when they order it. It is made of military-grade TPU but is also easily replaceable if some parts are damaged because of its modular design. It has inflated bubble seats when functioning as a passenger transport and the front, back, and side rows can be opened at the top. Package bubbles will be used if it is hailed as a delivery transport.

There will be an app where people can join a rideshare group or ride the nearest available Bubblic Public. That is where you can also hail one for your delivery or smart farm purposes and the vehicle will be transformed according to your need. It is an interesting concept and one that we may actually see in the near future. Maybe eventually there will be even be a flying bubble so it will stay true to its name.

The post Bubblic Public project offers a modular vehicle for passengers, delivery, mobile farms first appeared on Yanko Design.

Architecture studio KPF has unveiled plans to turn the Foster + Partners-designed HSBC tower in Canary Wharf, London, into “a blueprint for the highly sustainable, mixed-use building of the future”.

Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) will turn the office building at 8 Canada Square, which is owned by Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) into a mixed-use development in that development partner Canary Wharf Group (CWG) calls “one of the world’s largest redevelopment projects”.

Once completed, the building will have workspaces, as well as cultural and leisure destinations and entertainment spaces.

Renders show the 200-metre-tall skyscraper, which currently has a closed steel-and-glass facade, given multiple cut-out terraces that will function as breakout spaces.

Visuals also show an outdoor basketball court and a pink outdoor spiral staircase.

At the highest levels of the 45-floor building, multiple floors will be carved out to create set-back terraces and a design that leaves the top floor partly “floating” above the rest, supported by slim pillars.

“We are extremely excited to collaborate with Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and CWG to reimagine the single-use office building as a blueprint for the highly sustainable, mixed-use building of the future,” design principal at KPF Elie Gamburg said.

“This transformation embodies the ethos behind much of our work, we see it as an integral part of the evolution of today’s single-use neighbourhoods into vibrant mixed-use neighbourhoods of tomorrow – an evolution of which CWG is already leading the way.”

The redesign of 8 Canada Square will also create a new publicly accessible route between the nearby Elizabeth Line station and Canada Square Park.

“This redevelopment is another step in Canary Wharf’s evolution into a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood offering workspace, retail, homes, leisure and amenities all in one location – a true 15-minute city,” CWG CEO Shobi Khan said.

The redevelopment will also focus on fulfilling environmental, social and corporate governance credentials (ESG).

“The investment from QIA to transform 8 Canada Square is a flagship example of the sovereign fund’s vision for multi-use real estate of the future, ensuring that the iconic building has world-class ESG credentials and meets the changing requirements of business for the long term,” CWG said.

The 1.1 million-square-feet (92,900-square-metre) building at 8 Canada Square was designed by Foster + Partners to hold the global headquarters of the HSBC bank.

It was finished in 2002 and is known as the HSBC tower. KPF won a global competition run by CWG and the QIA to create the 8 Canada Square project, which will begin in 2027 when the HSBC lease expires.

Other recent projects by the firm include an Abu Dhabi airport with an undulating roof and a supertall skyscraper being constructed in Midtown Manhattan.

The post KPF set to cut terraces into Foster + Partners’ HSBC skyscraper appeared first on Dezeen.

Bahamian artist Tavares Strachan has positioned a large-scale model of a ship in a rooftop pond at London’s Hayward Gallery, forming an outdoor installation to accompany his current art exhibition There Is Light Somewhere.

The installation is a replica of SS Yarmouth – the flagship of the former Black Star Line, the first Black-owned shipping company in North America established by the Jamaican political activist Marcus Garvey in 1919.

Strachan recreated the seminal vessel using a combination of aluminium, fibreglass and painted wood. The result is a 14-metre-long, ship-like structure installed on a rooftop terrace at the Hayward Gallery on South Bank.

The terrace was filled with 30 cubic metres of water for the project – a feat signed off by local engineering firm Arup, which ensured that the installation was within the weight threshold for its location.

Perched atop the gallery’s rooftop pool, the ship replica gives the impression of a vessel at sea.

Garvey originally founded the Black Star Line to facilitate international commerce among Black communities and later hoped to repatriate enslaved African Americans and their descendants by providing a route to Africa.

While the shipping company ceased sailing in 1922, it has remained a powerful symbol of pan-Africanism.

“The Black Star Line was established as a way to connect people from the diaspora to Africa,” Strachan told Dezeen.

Although he couldn’t currently reveal more information, the artist said he plans to reopen the Black Star Line to support Black-owned businesses worldwide.

The ship replica was positioned to echo the themes of Strachan’s exhibition, currently showing inside the gallery.

There Is Light Somewhere is “a multi-sensory exhibition” incorporating a range of sculptures, large-scale collages and other mixed-media installations that explore questions surrounding cultural visibility.

“Dedicated to telling ‘lost stories’, Strachan celebrates unsung explorers and neglected cultural trailblazers, inviting audiences to engage with overlooked characters whose lives illuminate histories hidden by bias,” said the Hayward Gallery.

“I love to present ideas around world-making,” the artist said of his show.

“The installations in this exhibition pose questions about what happens when a viewer enters a world with their own internal logic,” he added.

As well as the ship replica, a vast neon installation displaying the words You belong here has been mounted to one of the gallery’s brutalist facades, creating a beacon that reinforces the exhibition’s themes.

An oversized bronze head depicting Garvey, entitled Ruin of a Giant, can also be found outside the gallery’s main entrance.

“Public artwork is always an opportunity to draw people into conversations via their own curiosity,” said Strachan, considering the impact of large-scale sculptures.

“There is no expectation for the public to know what the work ‘means’. Instead, it allows everyone to participate in a dialogue about their community.”

“I have no specific desire for how folks respond to the show,” he added.

“Hopefully, people enjoy the experience and it motivates them to think about the world in a different way.”

The Hayward has been home to various installations. In 2015, Belgian artist Carsten Höller added a pair of spiral slides to the side of the gallery.

In more recent installation news, Chinese architecture studio MAD has recently created Ephemeral Bubble – an installation designed to resemble a bubble being blown by a century-old wooden house, for the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale in Japan.

The photography is by Mark Blower and the video is courtesy of Southbank Centre. 

There is Light Somewhere is showing at the Hayward Gallery from 18 June to 1 September 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

The post Tavares Strachan perches giant ship atop Hayward Gallery appeared first on Dezeen.