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

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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.

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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.

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Sustainable office chair uses paper-like material made from wood by-products

Sustainable furniture and designs are thankfully becoming more common, but the “sustainable” label can actually be applied to different things. They can be made from recycled materials like metal or PCR plastics, or they can be made from new but biodegradable materials like wood, cork, and paper. While both kinds are good, they don’t always address the accumulating material waste that comes from the production of these objects, even the bits and pieces of wood that get left on the cutting room floor and then thrown out. Giving a new purpose to these by-products is another sustainable practice, one that is being applied to a beautifully minimalist office chair that’s made from dozens of sheets of paper.

Designer: Arper

Of course, it’s not literally made from paper, which would be too soft for a chair no matter how many sheets you stack, especially for a sleek and slender seat based on Arper’s iconic Catifa 53. Instead, it uses PaperShell from a Swedish startup of the same name, a material that almost poetically transforms paper, which comes from wood, back to a wood-like material that offers rigidity, stability, and, more importantly, beauty. In a nutshell, it uses both wood by-products like sawdust and chips as well as waste wood like fallen branches in forests to create a new paper-like material that can be used in place of wood, plastic, or fiber composites.

That’s the case with the Catifa Carta, which compresses dozens of these sheets into a composite that’s then bent and formed into an elegant chair with a gentle slope sitting on top of thin yet sturdy metal legs. Unlike its older sibling, this more sustainable version of the chair leaves the seat in its original, unpainted glory. That means you can see the natural imperfections of the PaperShell material, giving each chair a unique character. It’s pretty much the same as the highly prized grains in wood that give designs their natural charm.

What’s even more special about the chair is that even the end of its life has a story to tell. PaperShell can be recycled to produce new and different products, but it can also be turned into biochar to nourish the Earth. The material itself sequesters carbon dioxide which can be used to enrich soil. It’s a truly circular life cycle that starts and ends with the Earth. Appropriately, Arper has made the Catifa Carta easy to disassemble to make this process even easier.

Of course, the chair isn’t just a thing of beauty inside and out, it’s also a functional piece of furniture. Though some might have concerns about the ergonomics of using such a chair for long periods at work, it’s still a well-designed seat that makes you feel good not only about sitting on it but also about the exciting journey that this wood-like material has made since its birth from a seed.

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Baluchon’s Latest Modern Tiny Trailer Home Has A Quaint And Ingenious Space-Saving Layout

Baluchon’s beautiful Scandinavian-inspired Sauvage model from 2022, inspired a couple to purchase their own little tiny home along the same lines. The couple commissioned Baluchon to create the ‘Sherpa’ – a cozy tiny home with a modern exterior, and a clever space-saving interior layout that can accommodate two people, as well as a pair of guests. The Sherpa is founded on a double-axle trailer and features a length of 20 feet, which is a length typically seen in France.

Designer: Baluchon

The 20-foot Sherpa is small compared to North American tiny homes which are much larger. In France, due to the strict towing laws, the homes tend to be pretty small. The exterior of the home is unique, and stands out from most cottage-style tiny homes, as it features red cedar, aluminum accenting, and some not-so-ordinary window placement. The interior of the house is accentuated by a high ceiling and generous glazing. The walls feature a spruce finish, and the entrance leads to the comfy living room which contains a sofa that can be transformed into a bed for guests, as well as some storage space.

The kitchen is adjacent to the living room, and it is quite basic. It is nothing fancy and is equipped with a two-burner propane-powered stove, a sink, as well as a small fridge. These common and not-so-luxurious kitchens are quite typically found in most of Baluchon’s models. The interior of the tiny house is flattered by its generous glazing and high ceiling. The walls are finished in spruce and the entrance opens onto the living room, which includes a sofa that turns into a bed for guests, plus there’s some storage space nearby. Near the kitchen is a dining table, that can be efficiently folded away into the wall when not in use. The table seats two people.

The opposite end of the house – to the living room, includes the bathroom. The bathroom is a spacious space, with a shower and toilet, however there is no sink. This implies that the residents will have to wash their hands in the kitchen sink, which isn’t a very hygienic option. The Sherpa accommodates one bedroom, which can be accessed via a storage-integrated staircase that is blessed with some wardrobe space, and under-step storage. The bedroom is a loft-style bedroom with a low ceiling  – as seen in most tiny homes. It includes a double bed and some storage as well.

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This Baroque Wireless Mouse concept is the most beautiful tech gadget I’ve ever seen

Forget transparent gadgets with their exposed circuitry, forget gamer gear with their flashy LEDs, this right here takes the prize for being the most gorgeous tech-aesthetic ever. Meet the Ornamental MSI Mouse, a wireless mouse concept from the mind of Eslam Mohammed. Crafted out of pure metal, the mouse eschews sleek surfaces for something a little out of the ordinary. Instead of a basic outer shell, the mouse sports an eye-catchingly intricate baroque-inspired metal outer casing. With ample cutouts that let you see through the details right into the mouse’s inner body, the shell is a combination of detail-heavy yet visually light. To balance the use of Baroque, the left and right buttons are left sleek and plain, creating a fusion that looks so good you’ll never want to lay your hands on another mouse in your life.

Designer: Eslam Mohammed

The Ornamental MSI Mouse blends two genres of classic aesthetics together into one gorgeous form. A very fresh reinterpretation of steampunk, this mouse is simultaneously old-school and new-age, with that ornamental chassis that encases wireless tracking tech that you’d expect from the computer peripherals of today.

The baroque shell itself looks to be either cast or machined out of metal (3D printing would be a little too expensive), and then capped with the other parts that fix right together. If the shell were to be made of aluminum, the mouse would still be incredibly light considering its all-metal construction. The hollow shell design promotes air-flow, which means you’ll never find yourself with sweaty palms… just be a little careful of resting your hand on the mouse too long or you’ll have the baroque imprints on your hand! This mouse clearly isn’t for intensive workplace usage.

Capping off the mouse’s design are all-metal left and right-click buttons, along with two shortcut buttons underneath the thumb on the side. The buttons are also accompanied by a gorgeous knurled scroll wheel that combines luxury with tactile. There’s nothing ‘cheap’ or plastic about the mouse’s design. The only real drawback is that Eslam’s concept is just that… a concept. Hopefully he’ll build a prototype soon. When he does, I’ll have my credit card ready!

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Esrawe + Cadena house Mexico City fragrance boutique within radial pavilion

Xinu Marsella by Esrawe + Cadena

This wooden pavilion set among lush gardens forms a retail space in Mexico City for fragrance brand Xinú, designed by its founders Esrawe + Cadena.

The Xinú Marsella space occupies a former car mechanic’s workshop in the city’s Juarez neighborhood that has been transformed into an oasis of greenery.

Wooden pavilion sat among lush tropical plants
Esrawe + Cadena built the Xinú boutique within an industrial courtyard transformed into a verdant garden

It was built to provide a multi-sensory experience for customers of perfume and home scent brand Xinú, which designers Héctor Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena founded in 2016.

Both had a hand in creating the retail space, which is intended to reinvigorate the leftover industrial space and provide an enjoyable spot to visit.

Entrance to wooden pavilion with plants surrounding
The single-storey pavilion is built almost entirely from laminated tornillo wood

“The design approach started with the idea of gifting a garden to the neighbourhood, ingeniously giving life to a vacant space by harmoniously blending a holistic experience that integrates the seductive power of nature, with design and architecture,” said the design team.

Visitors approach the space via an unassuming metal gateway on the street, passing through a tunnel with many potted plants on either side before emerging into the courtyard.

Interior of pavilion with wooden ceiling and floor
Its radial construction emanates from a central column

A flagstone path guides this journey to and around a circular single-storey pavilion built almost entirely from laminated tornillo wood.

Its radial construction revolves around a large central pillar, from which structural beams emanate to support tongue-and-groove ceiling panels.

Vertical louvres supporting shelves and vitrines that display various items
Vertical louvres around the perimeter support shelves and vitrines displaying various items

The pavilion sits on a steel frame atop a system of red grandis wood beams, while a pine lattice above the ceiling supports a plywood board roof.

Around the perimeter are a series of vertical louvres that provide anchors for shelves and vitrines displaying a variety of items.

Fragrances, candles and other olfactory-related pieces on display
Products on view include Xinú’s fragrances, candles and other olfactory-related pieces

Glass panels fill most of the gaps between the louvres, except the two that are left for the wooden doors.

At night, a ring of track lighting illuminates the displays that range from Xinú perfumes and candles, to olfactory-stimulating natural items, small plants and botanical drawings.

View into the pavilion from the entrance
The boutique is designed to offer Xinú customers a “a powerful authentic brand narrative”

“This thoughtful arrangement allows the periphery to fully embrace the botanical realm, correlating scents, candles, incense and home products with the vivid tapestry of the landscape,” the team said.

“Supported by a powerful authentic brand narrative, the pavilion unfolds as a contemplative journey, a multi-sensory approach inviting guests to explore a universe crafted by simplicity and the fragrant symphony of nature as well as Xinú’s unique products and scents.”

Xinú launched during Design Week Mexico in 2016, when the brand’s stacked-hemisphere reusable bottles – also designed by Esrawe Studio and Cadena & Asociados – were unveiled.

Esrawe is one of Mexico’s most prolific contemporary designers, and in a recent interview with Dezeen, said that Mexican design and architecture is undergoing a “renaissance”.

Flagstone path leading between many potted plants
The courtyard is accessed from the street via a metal gate and reached by following a flagstone path

His studio’s recent projects include the Albor Hotel in San Miguel de Allende where planes of green tile are suspended from the lobby ceiling and an apartment in Mexico City anchored by a cruciform cabinet.

Cadena frequently collaborates on projects with Esrawe, offering art direction, concept design and brand identity.

Pavilion and garden illuminated at night
Track lighting inside the pavilion and uplights in the plants create an atmospheric setting at night

Other projects the two studios have completed together include Grupo Arca’s showroom and cultural centre in Guadalajara and the Tierra Garat cafe in Polanco, Mexico City.

The photography is by Alejandro Ramírez.


Project credits:

Concept and experience: Esrawe + Cadena
Architecture, interior design, furniture: Esrawe Studio
Display and artwork design: Cadena Concepts
Design team: Heisei Carmona, Nuria Martin, Laura Vela, Ángel Durán, Raúl Araiza, Rodrigo Romero, Pablo Ávila
Visualisations: Yair Ugarte
Scale models: Alejandro Uribe, David Díaz
Wood: Micmac
Structure: Sergio López
Installations: JLC Remodelaciones
Landscaping: Arturo Flores
Lighting: Lighteam

The post Esrawe + Cadena house Mexico City fragrance boutique within radial pavilion appeared first on Dezeen.

This Eclipse-themed Outdoor Trailer is perfect for the Wanderlust who wants to live on the road

The most recent celestial phenomenon – the solar eclipse – has inspired a lot of things including individuals who traveled hundreds of miles to be left spellbound by the sight of a total solar eclipse on April 8. If you missed it for some reason, you won’t get another chance any time before the next predicted total eclipse to happen in August of 2026.

So, before that happens, Taxa Outdoors, the name behind the Mantis travel trailer, has unveiled a solar eclipse-inspired rendition of the Mantis. The upgraded Mantis travel trailer – Dark Sky Mantis – is sleek in design, and follows a dark color scheme to substantiate its name.

Designer: Taxa Outdoors

Taxa Outdoors has been designing travel trailers for outdoor adventures for years, and their expertise and knowledge are squeezed fully into the Mantis. This is why there is no surprise that the company chose this model to pay ode to the once-in-a-lifetime celestial magic. The resulting Dark Sky Mantis is going to be just like the eclipse itself; it is strictly limited promotional built and will be available only between April 8 and 15, 2024.

The limited-edition Dark Sky Mantis, except for the matte black color and certain exterior graphics, is almost the same as the Mantis travel trailer. To that accord, the trailer is designed for the adventures of off-grid living. It is ready to go wherever you want, following the astronomical phenomenon or just for a drive to a location in the wilderness.

The off-road capable Dark Sky Mantis – in addition to the matte back finish and special graphics on the exterior – has off-roading tires to match the dark color theme of the trailer. On the other hand, the eclipse-inspired trailer has increased ground clearance, axle-less suspension and articulating Lock ‘N’ Roll hitch. Like the OG Mantis, this new model also measures 19 feet long, enough to accommodate four adults in a bed that converts to a dining or lounging space, and an additional convertible bunk bed.

The interior space is enhanced by a pop-up roof, while the people opting for the strictly limited trailer will get a well-laid-out kitchen, equipped with a two-burner stove, cooler, and sink, and a functional bathroom. Taxa Outdoors has not named the price of the Dark Sky Mantis, but we can expect it to cost over $45,750, that Mantis fetches.

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These chunky earbuds with built-in cooling fan are made for people with hot ears

On the streets all around, one can see people hooked onto their audio-listening gadgets. Some sport headphones while others dissolve the ambient world around them with the noise isolating earbuds. While the former are a bit light on the ears, the latter can damage the ears if not used in moderation. Being a fan of earbuds, I’m always wary of not using them too long, at high volume levels.

Even though I listen to my favorite pair of Elite 10 earbuds for a prolonged duration of time (yes, they are that comfortable) at volumes that are well below the recommended 80-decibel mark, the only problem is the build-up of dust and air blockage. Wear them on hot days and you have a build-up of sweat which is not good in the long run as it can cause problematic ear infections.

Designer: BEBOP Design

This concept pair of earbuds eliminates any moisture build-up or uneasiness due to trapped heat since it comes with an in-built electric fan. Yes, you read that right, the DearBuds SE earbuds do look bulky but they are the optimal choice for people who sweat a lot and can’t live with the irritating feeling of hot ears. The design of these earbuds resembles a fused set of pebbles with a vent in between to facilitate smooth airflow. The built-in sensors detect the temperature inside the ear canal and set the fan into action as soon as the temperature rises.

You can safely call these chunky earbuds the “wearable ear dehumidifier” suited for really hot climate zones. The size can be the only deal breaker as current-gen earbuds like the Jabra Elite 10, Apple AirPods, Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds, or Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are considerably smaller in size compared to this one. The size of the earbuds doesn’t leave much room for space in the charging case, hence, to keep the overall size of the case down, the closing lid is eliminated. Each of the buds stack on each other and the top one doubles as the charging port.

Definitely, these are not the ones to choose if you are a sleeptime music listener or even for active individuals who like to hit the gym. The only advantage here is the inclusion of a cooling solution that will come in handy for hot ears.

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