Travis Moore owns Toy Factory Fabrication, a custom fabrication shop in Washington state. On a lark, Moore and his team spent four weeks building this Minibago:
Gotta love that logo.
Moore says he built the Minibago to “inspire kids to get off of their devices and get out there and make something cool.”
It’s built atop a Yamaha golf cart. Moore and co. welded up the frame, boxed it with wood to make templates, then crafted the body out of aluminum.
After bringing the Minibago to car shows including SEMA and the L.A. Roadster Show, Moore found the response was tremendous. He says he now plans to tour the country with it.
Here’s a closer look, and an interview with Moore accompanied by his trusty dog:
Casalgrande Padana’s Fusion Green tiles have a dulled, rusted appearance, rich in character that recall how metal oxidises when exposed to the elements.
Fusion Green tiles have an intentionally tarnished finish
The tiles’ muted green colouration has patches of grey and silver, creating a unique surface finish that looks like aged sheet metal but is made from ceramics.
Like many of the brand’s tiles, it can be used in traditional floor and wall applications as well as to clad bespoke furnishings.
Stonetech tiles can be used for a variety of applications
The Stonetech range recalls the lightly speckled appearance of stones native to the central Alps, including marble, quartz and feldspar.
Their full-body structure means that the tiles’ flecked patterns permeate through its internal layers, maintaining a naturalistic finish despite dents and scratches created during use.
Pietra Tiburtina is reminiscent of travertine, a mainstay of Italian architecture
Also designed to look like a type of naturally-occurring rock, the Pietra Tiburtina collection is based on the appearance of travertine, which has been used in construction and decoration for thousands of years.
Two patterns are referenced in the collection – striated vein-cut and mottled cross-cut travertine – that can both be used to cover walls and floors as well as more specialised applications such as to create furniture, partitions and basins.
Project Wood surfaces can be used inside and out
Project Wood tiles recall the aesthetic of wooden floorboards, another popular building material, and come in two versions – one suitable for indoor use and one intended for installation outside.
The warm, honey-toned planks are based on the look of beech wood and have realistic surface textures, however they are made from durable porcelain.
Metropolis White has a finish that looks like concrete
Metropolis White tiles can be installed with almost invisible connections, creating a continuous surface across walls, floors and furnishings.
They come in a range of size formats as well as indoor and outdoor iterations for use across a range of applications.
The tiles can also be used outside
Casalgrande Padana is a tile manufacturer that has been creating ceramic and stoneware surfaces since 1960.
The company is headquartered in Casalgrande, Italy, and has grown to occupy six factories across the country.
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At CH a good jumpsuit never goes out of style, and the Bard Jumpsuit from Aether Apparel gives women a short sleeved, tailored option. This cotton jumpsuit has plenty of pockets, buttons that help adjust the fit, and a chic yet casual vibe that’s perfect when traveling to an exotic location or just to the farmer’s market. It’s available in three colors.
It’s arguable that coffee makes the world go round, but to some extent, it also does a bit of harm in the process. Our rapid and massive consumption of this beverage has resulted in no small amount of waste, from the plastic cups and straws that we throw away daily to even the grounds that often go into the bin. The latter is, of course, biodegradable, but even that takes time to decompose, during which time they pile up and pollute the environment. Waste coffee grounds can actually have other uses, from aromatic candles to even skin care, so you simply need a creative mind to figure out ways to reuse these traces of caffeinated drinks. Working together with famed luxury design marque LOEWE, TECNO has thought of transforming this waste product into a beautiful and sustainable material to grace the back of its latest flagship smartphone.
With a reported average consumption of 2 billion cups every day around the world, it’s no surprise that waste coffee grounds can actually be an environmental problem. Even when they do decompose in landfills, their improper disposal releases harmful greenhouse gasses that slowly but surely kill the very planet that coffee trees grow on. Recycling these coffee grounds is, of course, a solution, but traditional recycling processes also use up plenty of water and energy.
In contrast, the back cover of the new TECNO CAMON 30 Series LOEWE Edition uses not only sustainable materials but also a sustainable process. The coffee grounds are processed without using organic solvents, don’t consume more water, and also use solar power. The result is a back cover that is composed of more than 20% bio-based material that gives the surface a unique texture that will delight your hand the moment it touches it.
You might not be able to tell that the TECNO CAMON 30 LOEWE Edition has a back made from recycled coffee grounds because of its distinctive green color instead of the brown that’s associated with coffee. This gradated color was chosen to be symbolic of nature, representing the natural life cycle of leaves. More interestingly, TECNO also opted to adopt a color-blocking style that not only makes the phone look modern but also gives it a bit of character.
This industry-first coffee grounds back design is available on all TECNO CAMON 30 Series models with no changes to their internal specs. For the Premier 5G variant, that means having no less than four 50MP cameras sitting on top of this unique and sustainable material. Availability details of the TECNO CAMON 30 Series LOEWE Design Edition are unavailable at the moment.
Architecture studio Nikjoo has renovated a post-war home called Trove in east London, opening up its interior and adding a pair of extensions with fittings by emerging designers.
Nikjoo collaborated with creative developer Flawk to carry out the project, after its founder Ashley Law purchased the derelict house in 2022.
Nikjoo has renovated and extended a house in east London
The London studio was responsible for transforming Trove’s dark and compartmentalised interior and expanding it with rear and attic extensions, while Flawk led the interior design.
Flawk’s focus for the interior was on commissioning work by a range of emerging designers for the home’s fixtures and fittings.
Its interior design was led by developer Flawk
“The brief was to maximise space and light to create a calm, serene environment that would not only support flexible, modern living but also form a backdrop to playful design interventions,” Nikjoo told Dezeen.
“Through the curation of pieces by young, independent designers, Flawk set out to create intrigue and delight through often overlooked elements such as door handles, lights and loo roll holders.”
Walls were stripped back to reveal existing brickwork
On the ground floor, the internal walls were removed to create an open space. A kitchen and dining area now occupies the home’s original footprint, while the rear extension contains a living space that overlooks a courtyard garden through a large folding window.
A timber staircase leads to two bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor, and the dormer loft extension provides an additional ensuite bedroom.
Nikjoo selected exterior finishes that aim to lend a “sense of character” to the home, with the rear extension covered in roughcast render created with reclaimed aggregate and the dormer clad in dark tiles.
“Materials were carefully selected to not only celebrate the building’s history but also introduce a heightened sense of character and intrigue,” explained the studio.
A bedroom is held in the loft extension
Throughout, Flawk and Nikjoo worked to introduce a series of “unexpected” details to the interiors of Trove.
This includes door handles and lights by designers James Shaw and Lewis Kemmenoe respectively, as well as aluminium window handles, a steel balustrade and air conditioning vents created by Flawk’s founder Law.
Fittings by emerging designers feature throughout the home
A simple backdrop to these fittings was created by stripping back the interior to reveal original brickwork and ceiling timbers, and by using reclaimed materials such as marble offcuts in the top floor bathroom.
Officials at the culture ministry in Israel have stated that the country will not take part in the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale “in order to renovate its pavilion”, according to reporting in Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
According to the newspaper, an alternative location will not be used due to “budget constraints imposed by the war” and because the culture ministry “started looking too late”.
The biennale and Israeli culture ministry did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
First major event Israel not participating in
The decision comes amid widespread international condemnation of Israel’s latest assault on Gaza, which it launched after Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages in an attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. At least 36,000 Palestinians, including 15,000 children, have been killed by Israeli forces in the eight months since.
This is the first major international event that Israel has chosen not to participate in since it started its assault on Gaza. It follows controversy around Israel’s participation at this year’s Venice Art Biennale, which is currently taking place.
Israel pavilion closed at art biennale
A campaign signed by more than 23,000 creatives called for the deplatforming of Israel’s exhibition, which is housed in the same pavilion where its contribution to the architecture biennale is normally located.
Israel has a permanent pavilion at the Giardini della Biennale in Venice, which was designed by Zeev Rechter and opened in 1952. By choosing not to participate next year, it joins Russia, which also has a permanent pavilion at the Giardini but has not exhibited since it invaded Ukraine in 2022.
As Palestine is not recognised as a nation by Italy it does not have a permanent pavilion at the biennale. In 2002 the artistic director of the 50th Venice Biennale Francesco Bonami proposed creating a permanent Palestinian pavilion at the event.
“I saw Venice as a platform to not only open up a discussion on Palestine, but also to see what could come out of such a proposition,” Bonami told the Economist in 2009. However, this was rejected due to the event’s state funding.
Of the 192 United Nations member states 144 recognise Palestine as an independent state, with several European countries including Slovenia, Spain, Ireland and Norway recognising Palestine in the past couple of weeks.
The photo is by Francesco Allegretto.
Comments have been turned off on this story due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter.
Danish maritime architecture studio MAST has revealed plans to build a hotel formed of houses on stilts in a Portuguese lagoon formerly used for salt production.
Located on the Sado Estuary near Setúbal, the overgrown salina will be transformed into an eco-conscious tourist destination that takes cues from the traditional fisherman’s huts and jetties common to lagoons and rivers in the south of Portugal.
The stilt houses will be built on an abandoned salina on the Sado Estuary
Construction is expected to begin imminently, with the first houses scheduled to open to guests in late 2025.
The project also involves turning a large section of the 50-hectare site into a nature reserve.
Marshall Blecher, architect and co-founder of MAST, said the ambition is to promote sustainable tourism.
“The project adds much-needed accommodation to the area while having the lightest possible touch on the unique landscape,” he said.
The houses will serve as guest suites for a hotel
MAST’s masterplan proposes more than 50 stilted houses on the water. These are to be prefabricated off-site using Portuguese cross-laminated timber (CLT).
According to Blecher, this will reduce the impact on the “delicate landscape”.
The lagoon is filled with halophytic plants such as saltbush and an abundance of brine shrimp that attracts flocks of flamingos and oystercatchers.
“The landscape is extremely unique and naturally beautiful,” said the architect. “We saw an opportunity to create a new typology of accommodation for the area without significantly impacting the site.”
The structures will be built off-site using CLT
These houses will be accessible via a network of elevated bridges that link up with local nature trails, or directly via boat or kayak.
Elsewhere on the site, an old building previously used for salt production will be overhauled to create a restaurant and spa, while a birdwatching tower will offer views across the wetlands and seafront.
The houses will be accessible by elevated bridges or via boat or kayak
The real-estate developer – who wishes to remain anonymous at this stage – also plans to bring small-scale salt production back to the site.
A cluster of new buildings based on traditional salt storage warehouses will provide facilities for producing “small batches of artisanal salt” in a process that involves channelling and evaporating saltwater.
An old building previously used for salt production will become a restaurant and spa
Blecher, who also runs the architecture office Studio Marshall Blecher, co-founded MAST in partnership with maritime designer Magnus Maarbjerg.
A cluster of new buildings will facilitate production of “small batches of artisanal salt”
MAST was approached to explore options for the Sado Estuary site in early 2023.
The initial brief called for floating buildings, but Blecher and Maarbjerg instead proposed stilted buildings as they were considered more appropriate for the sensitive location.
“Floating buildings were not suitable in the shallow waters without dredging,” Blecher explained.
British-Nigerian designer Yinka Ilori has created the Reflection in Numbers pavilion, which is designed to encourage reflection on racism in sport ahead of the Euro 2024 football tournament.
Showcased as part of Haus der Kulturen der Welt‘s (HKW) programme titled Ballet of the Masses – on Football and Catharsis, the pavilion aims to highlight issues of racism in sports and particularly football.
The structure uses mirrors to remind visitors of their own personal accountability and to serve as an “impetus for self-reflection”.
The pavilion is on show at Haus der Kulturen der Welt 2024
“The idea of the mirrors is to make visitors reflect on their behaviours and interactions with others,” Ilori said.
“They are there to make it hard for people to hide, if they’re shouting or swearing, like we often see on sporting grounds and in stadiums,” he continued.
“Another aspect I thought about when designing this pavilion, was how spiritual football can be as a sport. It brings people and communities together to sing, chant, share praise, and wave flags.”
Mirrors are used to encourage self-reflection within visitors
The timber pavilion is enclosed on one side by a perforated exterior composed of calabashes – a plant often used as a key component in instruments within West African communities.
A yellow-painted timber structure wraps around the other half of the structure.
“To me, the calabash is a symbol of peace,” Ilori said.
“It’s often represented as a peace offering that brings communities together,” he explained. “I hope it encourages people to remember the importance of peace in sport, and the power of reflection.”
The structure hosts a sheltered seating area
Inside the pavilion, a curved, stepped seating area wraps around a central space and is backed by a sea of mirrors embedded into the calabashes.
A green-painted, vortex-like canopy shelters the space and is similarly decorated with calabashes.
A sea of mirrors embedded into the calabashes
The pavilion is open to the public from 7 June as part of HKW’s Ballet of the Masses – On Football and Catharsis festival, which is funded by the EURO 2024 Football & Culture Foundation and German government. It forms part of a programme of installations, performances and workshops that will take place at HKW focused on football.
Dezeen features editor Nat Barker has been named best writer in the specialist category for his “attention-grabbing yet intelligent” articles at this year’s BSME Talent Awards.
Barker was recognised for his writing over the past year including his work on Dezeen’s AItopia and Designing for Disaster series.
“This winner covered new ground on well-trodden topics, displaying thoroughness, versatility and style,” said the judges.
“Their writing was well balanced: attention-grabbing yet intelligent and authoritative yet accessible, resulting in a lively, fresh read on every subject.”
Above: Nat Barker was named best specialist writer at the BSME Talent Awards. He was handed the award by presenter Sian Eleri and 2024 BSME chair Gideon Spanier
Alongside Barker, Dezeen was shortlisted for a further three BSME Talent Awards with Dezeen’s deputy editor Cajsa Carlson shortlisted for best deputy editor, Dezeen’s creative studio Dezeen Studio shortlisted for best video team and our newsletter Dezeen in Depth shortlisted for best newsletter.
At the AOP Digital Awards, Dezeen’s head of sales and business development Margot Stokes has been shortlisted in the salesperson of the year category, while Dezeen’s Events Guide manager Grace Nikobari is shortlisted in the Rising Star category.
The studios redeveloped the site on Tottenham Court Road in central London, which has been home to the Heal’s brand for more than 200 years.
Recently reopened, the development aims to connect the group of eight building on the site including Heal & Son’s original factory, workshops and warehouses from the 19th century along with its expansions in the 20th century.
“The team are most proud about the new spatial strategy, the transformation of a convoluted mish-mash of spaces into a coherent holistic vision across the site,” Buckley Gray Yeoman senior associate Nick Wharton told Dezeen.
Buckley Gray Yeoman and White Red Architects have reimagined the Heal’s flagship store
The team expanded the retail space so that it now occupies the entirety of the ground and lower ground floors of the main street-facing block.
Alongside the store, a cafe was created in Heal’s previous warehouse loading bays, which also acts as a reception and public entrance to the workspace areas.
Original features and bespoke fixtures combine in the renovated retail space
“The intention was to turn unloved service entrances into a new entrance for the refurbished building, whilst harking back to the charm of the historic streetscape,” said Wharton.
“Metal roller shutters and other unsympathetic modern additions were removed and replaced with full-height glazing to create a bright and lively reception and cafe space within the old loading bays.”
A new cafe and reception space has replaced previous loading bays
The cafe on Alfred Mews, which has outdoor seating, leads to 13,000 square metres of workspace spread across the numerous buildings’ upper floors.
“The concept for Alfred Mews was to create a vibrant and inviting streetscape that reflects the dynamic nature of the new workspace campus,” White Red Architects director Jesus Jiminez told Dezeen.
“It is now a space that encourages interaction and fosters a sense of community. A light touch intervention that incorporates a mix of planters, outdoor seating, and new wayfinding, all intended to create a welcoming environment.”
An “internal street” running across the site from Alfred Mews to Torrington Place acts as a public space for flexible break-out space for meetings with in the office space.
Throughout the offices, deep red industrial screen doors and circulation areas provide a distinct colour motif, contrasting with the surrounding neutral palette. Workshop machinery and decorative plastering feature throughout.
Referencing original site artefacts, bespoke sculptural works by Yorkshire-based furniture designers Galvin Brothers also adorn the interiors of this new development.
These include abstracted springs, a nod to Heal’s factory origins manufacturing the world’s first sprung mattresses, with smaller objects referencing tools and chair legs.
Minimal workspace areas highlight Heal’s signature deep red motif
“Our goal when working with existing buildings is always to retain as much of the historical fabric as possible,” said Wharton. “Any new features were kept purposefully minimal and functional to avoid taking away from the character of the original building.”
“Within the Heal’s building we uncovered and restored a number of original features, such as the fire shutters with their fantastic brass circular handles,” continued Wharton.
“We also used found items throughout the project, such as the old goods lift doors which were repurposed as wall cladding behind the reception area.”
The development includes several breakout spaces
Throughout the development, developer General Projects aimed to maintain and build upon the history of the Heal’s store.
“Our vision was to future-proof this iconic department store building whilst retaining its character and the stories, incorporating the Heal’s store as an anchor tenant at the heart of the scheme,” General Projects’ director Ben Cross told Dezeen.
“This building is more than just bricks and mortar, it’s part of Britain’s cultural fabric. And we want those stories to continue to be written.”
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