Jet capsule lets you speed on the water in a lighter, adaptable shell

If you’ve watched any movie or TV show that features lifestyles of the rich and famous, there is almost always a scene where all sorts of beautiful people riding all sorts of expensive looking water vehicles and toys. For those of us who will probably never have that lifestyle, we can just live vicariously through these videos and dream about jet skiing, yachting, or any other glamorous water activity.

Designer: Pierpaolo Lazzarini

Personally, I dream riding one of those cool looking closed capsule vehicles like this 2024 version of the Jet Capsule Super Sport. I’m afraid to fall in the water but I’d also like to speed on the water, so this seems like the perfect compromise. This new version is way lighter than its predecessor as the lightweight construction has reduced it to just 3200 kg which is 500 kg lighter. The single engine propulsion has a range of 570 hp to 850 hp and is able to reach 38 knots in 12 seconds so you could say it’s built for speed.

The upper structure of the jet capsule is made from carbon fiber which is made through vacuum-infusion molding, hence the lighter and more adaptable water vehicle. Inside you get a space that can seat up to 10 passengers but it is also fully customizable and can even fit in a dinette, bathroom, and beds if the customer wishes to have these optional features. There is a sunbed on the rooftop in case some visitors would like to sunbathe and it can be accessed through a rear ladder.

The Jet Capsule Super Sport can be used as support for several water sporting activities like parasailing, kiteboarding, wakeboarding, etc. It can also be used just to speed along the waters or even enjoy some quality time in the middle of the ocean as it can switch to jet-drive while slowing down and full electric mode if you’re low-speed cruising. Again, this will remain a fantasy for people like me but if you can afford it, it seems to be an enjoyable toy to have on your vacation.

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Core77 Weekly Roundup (11-20-23 to 11-24-23)

Here’s what we looked at this week:

An interesting design detail on this EDC tweezer multi-tool.

Clothes Hingers: Simone Giertz’s brilliant design for folding clothes hangers, allowing you to hang clothes in half the depth.

This trippy, undulating DIY kinetic PC case is a one-off by Ideal Idea Creations.

In Saudi Arabia, plans for this wild-looking beachside skyscraper complex called Epicon.

No more backing up: Range Energy’s self-powered trailer can be hand-guided to your truck.

Going over the design details on these Camsquares Fresh Pro, restaurant-industry food storage containers.

This tiny, rectilinear electric van is a concept by Japanese startup HW Electro.

This insanely thin RM UP-01 wristwatch was created in collaboration between Ferrari and watchmaker Richard Mille.

Industrial designer Piotr Tluszcz designed the Life Chariot, an off-road ambulance trailer for Ukrainian medics. Two are currently being tested in the field.

Case study: A hi-tech medical cart, by ID consultancy Tactile.

Snøhetta creates hexagonal paver system for urban landscapes

Flyt paving system by Snøhetta

Interlocking hexagonal pieces make up Flyt, a permeable paver system developed by Norwegian studio Snøhetta as an easy-to-use water management solution for urban areas around the world.

Commissioned by outdoor products supplier Asak, it aims to offer landscape architects, builders and developers a water management solution that is easy and creative to use.

It is also a response to the “urgent need for solutions to increase the urban water-management toolbox” as the world faces an increase in extreme weather conditions, Snøhetta said.

Aerial view of urban landscape with Flyt paving
Snøhetta has launched a water-management solution called Flyt

“By leveraging insights from our landscape architects, we realised that there’s an urgent need for solutions to increase the urban water-management toolbox, reflecting the increasing challenges we globally face,” said Snøhetta’s director of product design Marius Myking.

“[The main goal] was to develop a solution and design that gave landscape architects, builders, and developers the freedom to be creative and form outdoor spaces in their way,” he told Dezeen.

“We wanted the system to be easy to use and open up new opportunities to implement critical water management solutions in more ways.”

Rainy walkway with hexagonal flooring
It is designed for urban areas

Flyt is primarily aimed at urban landscapes requiring large permeable areas. It is shortlisted in the sustainable building product category in the Dezeen Awards 2023.

Snøhetta is currently working on Flyt installations worldwide, having recently installed it in a Lillehammer Olympic Park and at a pick-up point at a school in Arendal.

The system comprises three types of interlocking hexagonal pieces made of concrete, which are overlaid on gravel to ensure the permeability of the system.

According to Snøhetta, while being creative and easy to use, it also allows more flexibility and adaptability to different landscapes, unlike conventional paver systems.

Child playing on Flyt paving system by Snøhetta
It is composed of interlocking hexagonal pieces

“There are many suitable permeable pavers in the market. However, each of these designs has been developed as a singular design to adhere to a limited use,” the studio said.

“These solutions have tended only to be used in highly industrial spaces and specific areas. In contrast, Flyt has been developed to address gradually changing needs and thus is also an expression informed by actual function and water-management strategy for each project.”

Trio of Flyt pavers
There are three different styles of hexagonal pieces

Snøhetta is an architecture and design studio founded by architects Craig Dykers and Kjetil Trædal Thorsen in 1989.

Its other recent landscape projects include a path of stones off the coast of Norway that emerges and disappears with the tide and a cantilevered viewing platform on the Perspektivenweg walking trail.

The post Snøhetta creates hexagonal paver system for urban landscapes appeared first on Dezeen.

Framery predicts focus spaces to be key office design trend in 2024

Framery office pods for focused work

Promotion: the need for well-considered focus spaces will come to the fore in workplace design in 2024, driven by the uptake of artificial intelligence, according to office pod brand Framery.

Framery says that the increase in AI in the workplace will result in it taking more responsibility for mundane, repetitive tasks, resulting in the need for additional focus spaces in open-plan offices to help support employees’ deep and focused tasks.

“If it happens how it’s expected and AI takes more responsibility for repetitive tasks, the office design should reflect this development and support deep, focused work,” said Tomi Nokelainen, head of Framery Labs, the company’s research and innovation unit.

Photo of a woman sitting within a forest green-coloured single-person office pod working at a laptop. The pod sits within a modern office space surrounded by open workstations
Framery predicts focus areas will be the key office design trend of 2024

According to Framery, while post-pandemic hybrid office design placed the emphasis on the creation of collaborative spaces and “flashy common areas embodying organisational culture”, the next phase of this evolution will centre on creating areas that minimise distraction and allow for focused work.

“It’s noteworthy that employees value focused working spaces beyond collaborative spaces,” said Nokelainen. “With work complexity on the rise, there is a heightened demand for both acoustic and visual privacy.”

The company points to the findings of research company Leesman, which has reported that workers are still choosing to stay at home for solitary work. Leeman’s research suggested that some working activities were “better supported at home” including individual-focused work and planned meetings.

However, Framery says that when employees have the option to work from home, that may not be sufficient to fulfil their productivity needs.

“It can’t be assumed that all employees have the luxury of a dedicated home office room, or are willing to invest in expensive desks or ergonomic chairs,” said Nokelainen.

Photo of a woman working at a laptop within a closed office pod that has two transparent and two solid walls. The pod is located within a breakout space with more casual, open table seating
Office workers value focus areas more than collaborative spaces, Framery research finds

Framery, a Finnish brand, was one of the first to enter the office pods space in 2010, creating soundproof booths that drown out external distractions so that employees can undertake focused work or conduct video conferencing calls.

According to Framery Labs’ research, focus spaces are the number one desired perk for employees that would draw them into working in the office rather than at home and they address distractions to focused work, for example, noise.

Only 33 per cent of employees report finding noise levels satisfactory in their workplace, and dissatisfaction with noise has the strongest correlation to an employee saying that the design of their workplace does not support their personal productivity.

Photo or rendering of a modern, busy office incorporating several single-person work pods where people are working on their laptops in peace
The pods are soundproof so external noise is not a distraction

This can be especially consequential for neurodiverse people, who constitute around 15 to 20 per cent of the global population and who can have a greater sensitivity to sensory stimuli.

With workplaces becoming more inclusive, the next step will be to design them to function as “a catalyst not a barrier to productivity”, said Nokelainen, with a recognition that different people have different needs.

“There are no one-size-fits-all focus spaces – they can be everything from silent open areas, library-like spaces, private offices or pods,” said Nokelainen. “Each role and industry has their own special needs that must be taken into account.”

Photo or rendering of a forest green Framery One office pod within a contemporary office, placed within an otherwise open breakout space with cafe-style tables and chairs
The Framery One pod is Framery’s bestselling product

These considerations can be addressed with products like the Framery One, Framery’s bestselling office pod. A single-person workstation for focused work that is also optimised for virtual meetings, it includes soft lighting and adjustable ventilation to help create a personalised environment.

In a closed pod like this, neurodiverse people can apply “sensory integration techniques”, said Nokelainen which means incorporating the sensory tools or approaches that promote calm and focus for them.

There are also multi-person pods like the Framery Q Flow, one of the newest models. It is designed to help enable workers to achieve the “flow” state of mind, where work feels effortless and time switches off, and includes a height-adjustable electric table so that users can shift positions without interrupting their thought process.

The office pods come with Framery Connect, an integrated workplace management tool that supplies detailed data and analysis around how often and when they’re being used.

Photo of a man using the Framery One pod in an office while two women collaborate on a table outside
The pods include the Framery Connect workplace management system

Framery says it prides itself on the quality of its soundproof office pods, as well as having been among the first to bring the product category to the market. The company launched 13 years ago after its founder – Samu Hällfors – devised a solution to address the distraction caused by his boss’s loud phone calls.

“Our founder and CEO Samu Hällfors invented the office pod category in 2010,” said Framery. “Now we have over 200 competitors globally. To ensure we stay the market leader we are relentlessly innovating to engineer the most advanced pod in the world.”

Framery also has a sustainable and responsible ethos and has made a commitment to converting to a circular business model.

To find out more about Framery and its products, visit the brand’s website.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Framery as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post Framery predicts focus spaces to be key office design trend in 2024 appeared first on Dezeen.

This Wooden Tiny Home Feels & Looks Like A Beachfront Getaway But Is A Full-Time Dwelling

Tiny homes are one of the most popular home styles in 2023, and I’m pretty sure they’re going to make their way well into 2024. They had started off as a fun and cute trend, but now they’re a space-saving and environment-conscious housing option that is economical as well. They reduce the load on Mother Earth and are a simple and minimal alternative to the imposing and materialistic homes that are not preferred by everyone. And an excellent tiny home that I recently uncovered is the Beach by Raglan Tiny Homes

Designer: Raglan Tiny Homes 

Designed by New Zealand’s Raglan Tiny Homes, the recently completed Beach tiny home features a compact and cozy interior that instantly welcomes you in. The tiny house is non-towable and equipped with a welcoming indoor-outdoor lifestyle and aesthetic, which is accentuated by a part-enclosed deck area. The main section of the home has a width of 2.5m, with the covered deck adding another 2.9m, which covers a total width of 5.4m. The length of the home is 6m.

The exterior of the home is finished in Douglas fir, giving it a warm and minimal aesthetic. Although the layout of the home isn’t very typical and seems more like a beachfront getaway villa, it is in fact intended to be used as a full-time dwelling. An outdoor shower has been outfitted ahead of the entrance, which is teamed up with a small outdoor bathtub, that is concealed under a hatch in the floor. This functions as a quaint outdoor bath for some much-needed pampering sessions.

As you enter the Beach via sliding glass doors, you are welcomed by a combined living room/bedroom space that is equipped with a sofa, and a bed, as well as some storage store. However, this is the only space in the home, there are no other rooms or even a loft, which can be a bit limiting. The tiny home is equipped with a wood-burning stove, shelving, a diesel-powered heating system, and an off-the-grid solar panel setup. You can add an additional studio area if needed.

The post This Wooden Tiny Home Feels & Looks Like A Beachfront Getaway But Is A Full-Time Dwelling first appeared on Yanko Design.

Industrial Design Case Study: A Hi-Tech Medical Cart

This case study of a hi-tech medical cart comes from Tactile, a Seattle-based product and UX design firm that also has their own in-house engineering.

Seno Imagio

Enhanced Imaging Accuracy

To reduce unnecessary breast biopsies, Seno Medical Instruments, Inc. developed Opto-Acoustic Imaging, a diagnostic technology that distinguishes malignant and benign tissue more accurately than others. Their system combines laser and ultrasound imaging in real-time, to produce high-resolution, high-contrast images of new blood vessels surrounding a malignant tumor. This groundbreaking technology is contained within a complex medical cart, offering several functional benefits for clinicians, service technicians, and patients alike.

Design and Engineering

Seno Medical enlisted Tactile to help with the industrial design and mechanical engineering of their next-generation medical device, Imagio®, which uses their Opto-Acoustic imaging to diagnose breast cancer and in many cases, without a biopsy.

Like many of our clients, Seno Medical has a fully operational engineering department. However, we offer engineering specialty skills that complement any organization interested in bringing new products to life.

Our Design Process

To help Seno Medical to determine critical features of the device functionality, we worked with Seno Medical from the earliest stages of industrial design concept generation, defining volumetrics, end-user interaction, and mechanical engineering architecture.

Usability and Architecture Exploration

Although Seno’s component technology was established, the arrangement of each part in the cart was up to Tactile’s strategy for space optimization, thermals, accessibility, wire routing, and weight distribution. Usability recommendations included cable management ideas, height guidelines for console use, monitor range of motion, clinic room scenarios, and cart mobility.

Design Concept Exploration

Three design languages were presented to show how they compare product attributes like precision, efficiency, and usability. For instance, the chosen language of chamfers, angles, and exposed ports was best suited for communicating durability, practical functionality, and trustworthiness. Better yet, the design accommodated low-volume production methods like sheet metal and cast parts.

Design Refinement and Engineering

After narrowing on a design direction, details were resolved like console buttons, laser safety storage, cable and plug installation, wheel clearances, filter access and peripheral storage. Colors, finishes, materials, and branding graphics were defined too. This phase initiated engineering efforts of part breakup, manufacturing strategy, serviceability, and technical feasibility for challenges like wheel breaking and armature movement.

Validation Testing

Tactile mechanical engineering specializes in providing the highest quality services from the earliest stages of visualizing a product, building mockups to get a sense of scale, validation, ergonomics, to providing a proof-of-concept (POC) functional prototype.

Articulating Armature

Imagio® is a complex medical cart weighing over 400 pounds. Tactile built an articulating armature that’s capable of holding the weight of the user-interface console, positioning the display and user-controls close to the bedside as well as capable of moving the whole cart when locked into position. We explored many options and finalized on a four-bar linkage design with gas-assist for raising the user interface console. Additionally, low-friction slew bearings were used to allow for two points of rotation both at the cart interface and at the console interface. The armature is locked into position when inactive and electromechanical silinoids are utilized for unlocking the armature in short intervals to move the arm into the desired position.

Thoughtfully Designed Inside and Out

Throughout the project, Tactile’s design and engineering teams worked together to ensure that the outcome functioned as well as it looked. Aesthetic details like durable chamfered corners, wipeable surfaces, and intentional feature locations were married with engineering details like precision machined gears, and sliding armature panels that conceal mechanics. Through constant collaboration, the final design remained faithful to the initial concept.

Compact Wheel Lock

A simple and intuitive foot-activated locking mechanism was built for the two front wheels of the cart. This is complicated by the position and wheels out away from the cart. We designed a mechanism, which mounts to a flat plate for rigidity and takes up very little space while also making the foot-activated lock serviceable in the field.

Clever Component Access

Due to Imagio®’s size, the unit needed to be reliable and easily serviceable on-location by trained technicians. We developed a drawer system for the most frequently serviced internal components. The service technician can remove a few discrete screws on the device along with three body panels, offering direct access to cabling and any diagnostic connections. The compact drawer system allows all the components to be tightly packaged during use but easily exposed during service. The drawer holds the weight of the heavy components during service and within their cord length so technicians don’t have the burden of lifting heavy loads, balancing components on small surfaces, or disconnecting circuits. This limits the drop risk for components, allowing for quicker re-assembly and permits diagnostic testing with the device in a partially assembled state.

Supportive Partners

The final deliverable was a functional POC prototype of the entire system, engineering validation unit, design files, and engineering specifications for many of the custom components of the system. We provided design and engineering specification documents that equip Seno Medical engineering to bring the device to market. We take pride in being able to work alongside companies at any design stage they’re in to support their efforts toward definition, development, and realization of a new product.

You can see more of Tactile’s work here.

How To Make Compost At Home

Composting is an aerobic procedure that requires oxygen and transforms organic substances into a nutrient-rich soil enhancer or mulch via the process of natural decomposition. Microorganisms consume materials in the compost pile, utilizing carbon and nitrogen for growth, water for digestion, and oxygen for respiration, resulting in compost—a dark, crumbly material with an earthy smell. Composting is nature’s method of recycling naturally, helping in reducing waste, combating climate change, and enhancing the quality of the soil. The biggest advantage is that one can compost kitchen food scraps along with dry leaves and woody debris from your yard at home.

Designer: Otis Oat

What are the benefits of composting?

• Composting allows one to recycle food scrap and manage waste more sustainably.
• It helps in reducing the volume of materials that may get disposed of in landfills or trash incinerators, thereby reducing the emission of powerful greenhouse gases.

Designer: Homesteading Where You Are

• Composting requires minimal effort and is a cost-effective way to produce high-quality soil amendments while reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides.
• Another advantage is that composting is that it creates nutrient-rich soil, prevents soil erosion, conserves water, and improves plant growth.

What are the different types of composting?

Composting can be broadly classified into backyard composting and vermicomposting.

Backyard Composting

Backyard composting includes carbon-rich materials or browns like dry leaves, twigs, plant stalks, nitrogen-rich materials, or greens like grass clippings and food scraps. Composting involves the presence of water and oxygen, where carbon-rich materials serve as food for microorganisms, and nitrogen-rich materials generate heat in the pile.

Image Source: Plantophiles

• For backyard composting, the first step is to decide on a method for gathering and storing browns outdoors and collect fruit and vegetable scraps in a sealed container either on your kitchen counter, under your sink, or in your fridge or freezer.
• Identify an accessible, well-draining space in your yard for a compost pile, and select a bin type, that can be constructed from materials like wire, wood, cinder blocks, or enclosed options such as barrels and tumblers.
• Chop and break down the browns and greens into smaller pieces before adding them to the pile to expedite the decomposition process.
• Construct the compost pile with a four- to six-inch layer of substantial browns, like twigs and wood chips, to absorb excess liquids, elevate the pile, and facilitate air circulation at the base. Follow by layering greens and, add a bit of water to moisten the pile. Note that the browns should be at least three times the greens.
• As the compost pile decomposes, the center temperature initially rises. One can speed up decomposition and aerate by turning and mixing the pile with a garden fork. Monitor moisture, odor, and temperature, adjusting as needed. Adjust the compost by moistening and turning if it’s too dry, adding browns and turning if there’s an odor, mixing in greens, and turning if it’s not heating up.
• Once your compost pile stops heating up and shows no visible food scraps after mixing, let it cure for at least four weeks, relocating the oldest compost if desired. Note that after curing, the pile will be reduced to about one-third.
• Well-maintained compost is ready in three to five months, looking dark, loose, and crumbly with a soil-like smell. Screen or sift the finished compost to remove undecomposed materials, such as twigs or fruit pits, and add them back to the active or new pile if desired.
• Well-constructed and properly maintained compost piles, whether in bins or open, should not attract pests or rodents. If using a bin, reinforce it with a lid and potentially a floor, ensuring no holes or gaps larger than ¼ inch. Cover and bury food scraps in the pile, and avoid adding meat, dairy, or greasy foods.

Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting employs specific earthworm species to enhance the organic waste conversion process, utilizing microorganisms and earthworms in a mesophilic environment. Earthworms consume organic materials, producing granular excrement known as vermicompost, which, in simple terms, improves soil’s biological, chemical, and physical properties. The earthworm’s digestive tract secretions aid in breaking down soil and organic matter, enriching the castings with readily available nutrients for plants. Various organic residues, including straw, husk, leaves, stalks, and livestock or poultry wastes, can be transformed into vermicompost, with earthworms reducing waste volume by 40–60 percent.

Types of Compost Bins

Here is a curated assortment of innovative compost bins.

1. Handheld Composting Machine

Designer: Shihcheng Chen

The ReGreen is a compact handheld device simulates the look of a miniature waste-disposal machine and incorporates an aluminum grinder that efficiently crushes and pulverizes waste while promoting quick biodegradation. The device features a top opening for waste input, a rotating arm that facilitates gentle pulverization and its base allows water drainage for compost drying. After waste is processed, one can introduce enzymes to speed up composting and convert organic waste into nutrient-rich compost.

2. Plant Cultivator and Compost Bin

Designer: Robin Akira

Paradise is an automated plant cultivator and compost bin designed to decrease domestic waste via the use of integrated technology that notifies users about compost and plant care needs. Inspired by the pandemic-driven shift to home-centric living, designer Robin Akira created Paradise to integrate greenery into interior spaces while addressing the global rise in domestic waste with its composting features and odor-sealing lid.

3. Compost Bin cum Indoor Garden

Designer: Chaozhi Lin

In a changing world where sustainability is a personal commitment, KAGURA, a self-sustaining indoor gardening system created by Chaozhi Lin, facilitates composting and vegetable cultivation. Consisting of a food waste container, elevated light structure, and three soil pots, KAGURA transforms scraps into compost, nourishing plants with an attractive, compact light fixture. Designed to fit any kitchen or living space, this system caters to environmentally conscious individuals in urban settings, addressing the challenge of limited yard space and making sustainable living feasible for city homes.

4. Compost Sleek Bin

Designer: Alp Çakın

Homepost, an innovative composting station, addresses waste challenges in office environments by accelerating the composting process, containing odors, and providing additional storage space. Its efficient design allows for the transformation of diverse organic waste, including plastics, paper, nutshells, teabags, coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable scraps, and eggshells. The system’s environmentally friendly construction, made from sustainable green polyethylene, absorbs carbon dioxide during production. Featuring a rotating arm for easy transportation, Homepost’s modules nest efficiently for minimal space occupancy during transit.

5. Composting Machine

Designer: Jinhwi Bang

Reencle tackles the escalating food waste issue in the USA by efficiently breaking down household food-prep waste, bones, peels, leftovers, and expired products into compost within 24 hours. Roughly the size of a trash bin, Reencle features an automatic opening lid and a control panel, with microorganisms inside its chamber facilitating the composting process. The mechanical churning system reduces waste volume through vigorous mixing, and any emissions are filtered to release trace amounts of water vapor and clean air. This at-home solution transforms food waste into nutrient-rich compost for gardens or disposal, mitigating environmental harm caused by landfill decomposition.

6. Stainless Steel Compost Bin

Designer: Adrian Moro

Kamoro’s Compost Bin is crafted with a streamlined airflow design that both dries out waste and provides essential oxygen for microbial survival, ensuring the effortless cultivation of a healthy compost batch. Its double-walled construction consists of an outer stainless-steel container and an inner plastic bucket. The stainless-steel container incorporates a perforated base to establish an airflow pattern, and an activated carbon filter on top effectively filters outgoing air, reducing any odors generated during the organic breakdown process.

The post How To Make Compost At Home first appeared on Yanko Design.

AMDL Circle and Iart wrap Basel pavilion in energy-neutral media facade

Novartis Pavilion - The Novartis

Italian studio AMDL Circle and interdisciplinary design studio Iart have created the Novartis Pavilion in Basel, Switzerland, which is wrapped in an energy-neutral media facade.

Located alongside the Rhine at the campus of the Novartis healthcare company, the pavilion, which was recently shortlisted in the Dezeen Awards, has a communicative skin made from photovoltaics and LEDs.

Novartis Pavilion - The Novartis
The media facade features a total of 10,000 solar modules with 30,000 embedded LEDs

Designed by AMDL Circle, which is led by Michele De Lucchi, the round pavilion was wrapped in a media facade created by Switzerland-based Iart. The media facade has a total of 10,000 solar modules with 30,000 embedded LEDs and consumes only as much power as it can produce.

“With this project we want to show that a media facade not only consumes electricity, but can also generate it itself,” Iart founder Valentin Spiess told Dezeen.

Organic solar modules were chosen over silicone-based counterparts for their lower grey energy footprint, aligning with Novartis’ sustainability principles.

“They require less grey energy in production and need little light to start generating electricity,” he continued. “They can be used in areas where light conditions are not ideal, such as a facade.

Novartis Pavilion - The Novartis
It was inspired by the shapes and colours of cells and molecules

According to Iart, the design was based on the idea of an organism with the buildings skin made up of individual cells.

The multi-layered membrane reflects the artistic works displayed on the facade, which “embody constant change and research,” Spiess said.

Novartis Pavilion - The Novartis
AMDL Circle worked closely with local architect and general planner Blaser Butscher Architecten AG

The works covering the pavilion were created by artists Daniel Canogar, Esther Hunziker and Semiconductor in collaboration with Novartis scientists.

Their collaboration with Novartis scientists was inspired by the shapes and colours of cells and molecules, as well as the themes of sustainability and the convergence of art and science.

“It communicates the themes of Novartis, through the digital artworks, into the urban space,” Spiess told Dezeen.

“The aim is for curiosity and fascination to arise in the viewer; for the medium, for the content and for the subject of life sciences.”

AMDL Circle worked closely with local architect Butscher Architecten AG for the planning, tender, technical design, construction and delivery of the pavilion.

“The floor plan of the Novartis Pavilion was inspired by the universal symbolism of the circle, considered a powerful field of psychophysical energy, a sort of sacred area where all physical and spiritual forces are concentrated,” added Michele De Lucchi.

Novartis Pavilion - The Novartis
Organic solar modules were used for their lower grey energy footprint

The interiors feature whitened, laminated wood and ceiling slats combined with a continuous light grey terrazzo floor. Providing a background for the dark green division curtains and details in natural oak wood, the internal material palette was chosen to create a “luminous and humanistic appeal”.

Other pavilions recently featured on Dezeen include an ice-block pavilion in China and the Parallel Histories in Chicago.

The photography is courtesy of Iart and Laurids Jensen.

The post AMDL Circle and Iart wrap Basel pavilion in energy-neutral media facade appeared first on Dezeen.

John Ellway staggers series of indoor-outdoor spaces at Cascade House

Dining room with sliding doors

Australian architect John Ellway has renovated an early 20th-century cottage in Queensland into an open family home intended to encourage indoor-outdoor living.

Named Cascade House, the residence in Paddington required minimal renovations but was overhauled by Ellway to create more playful spaces for the family’s three children.

It has been updated with a staggered interior arrangement defined by level changes and open spaces that aim to evoke the feeling of living in a garden.

Cascade House by John Ellway in Australia
Cascade House is a renovated cottage in Queensland

“The stepping plan allows the living spaces to open onto grass and across the pool, creating an uninterrupted connection to the garden,” Ellway told Dezeen.

“The addition creates a place to gather for conversation, meals and games.”

Ellway’s goal for Cascade House was to keep alterations as light-touch as possible, updating the home with improved insulation, freshly painted walls and a lean-to extension at the back that contains two bathrooms and a laundry room.

Dining room at Cascade House opening onto a garden
The home features several indoor-outdoor spaces

“The existing cottage received minimal intervention,” said Ellway. “Really only having its floors sanded, walls painted, insulation added and electrical replaced,” he continued.

“This was partly to manage cost, but mainly because its original hardwood structure and wall linings were still in great condition as they were protected from rain and sun by deep verandahs which had extended its life.”

White kitchen in Cascade House by John Ellway with glazed doors leading to a garden
There is a courtyard with planted trees

Cascade House’s updated entrance leads onto a long open-plan kitchen and dining space with grey cement-coated walls. Here, a series of birch-plywood units topped with a granite worktop wrap around the end of the room and overlook an outdoor swimming pool.

Set into the lowest level of the site, this open space also features a wall of folding glass doors that allow it to open up to a tree-lined courtyard outside.

“The choice of interior finishes, particularly with the kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, ended up as a collaboration with my client and designer Jacqueline Kaytar,” said Ellway. “The birch plywood was a direction she wanted to head in from the very start.”

A set of concrete steps leads up to the next level of the house, where a living space fitted with a built-in corner sofa offers views over the rooms and pool nestled a metre below.

Kitchen overlooking an outdoor home swimming pool
The kitchen overlooks a swimming pool

“With a four-metre level change across the site, breaking up the sequence into a series of split levels mediated this topography creating spaces to pause as you move higher,” said Ellway.

“Changes in level manage privacy, with the cottage being the most private. Bedrooms within can be left messy,” he explained. “There is an implied permission to be sought before a visitor is invited to continue stepping up further.”

Interior of Cascade House arranged around courtyards
Split levels animate the interior

Stepped up from the living area, a porch that opens onto an L-shaped veranda connects the more communal side of the home to the private spaces. These are contained within the cottage’s main volume, bordering the opposite edge of the central courtyard.

Four bedrooms branch from the hallway, each featuring white-painted timber surfaces and high ceilings that help to brighten them.

L-shaped bench sofa
John Ellway aimed to create playful spaces that could be enjoyed by the family’s children

Cascade House is complete with a playroom, laundry room and a pair of bathrooms coated in white tiles at the other end of the cottage.

Other Australian houses recently featured on Dezeen include a Melbourne home that uses perforated brickwork to create private spaces and a cottage extension fully coated in Australian hardwood.

The photography is by Toby Scott.

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OnePlus 12 wood texture leak fires off Internet debates on bold design choice

Although it seems to have become a bit quieter and more business-minded of late, OnePlus was a brand that boasted bucking trends both in the way it designed phones and how it conducted its business. The first OnePlus phone, for example, sported a removable back cover and cover designs that included uncommon materials like sandstone and wood. More recent OnePlus designs have become less daring and more conventional, though the company does offer unique variations or accessories from time to time. Such a time might be coming later this year with the new OnePlus 12, which might don a wooden back yet again, whether as an integrated rear panel or an aftermarket accessory.

Designer: OnePlus (via Digital Chat Station)

The OnePlus One was quite the rebellious teen when it launched back in 2014. It carried flagship specs but dangled a price tag that sounded too good to be true. It brought back removable batteries and back covers that you could swap to your heart’s delight. The latter was an important detail that appealed to a style-conscious market, a market that tends to make things go viral on the Internet, which is probably what helped make OnePlus an overnight sensation. Those days are long gone, but the company might be making a throwback soon, depending on how you interpret this latest leak.

According to a reliable tipster, the OnePlus 12 will feature a “classic wood grain shell,” a phrase taken from an auto-translation of the original text. The image below shows proof of that, complete with all the unevenness and imperfections that give wood its natural beauty. Naturally, with only one part of the phone’s back shown, the revelation sparks plenty of discussions and speculations on what that “shell” really means.

On the one hand, it could be a completely new variant that uses wood or “faux wood” as the material for the OnePlus 12’s back panel. This is a possibility if you consider that OnePlus no longer makes its back covers removable, just like every other smartphone in the market today. On the other hand, it could simply be a special edition of protective cases, though it would seem to be extra slim if that were the case (no pun intended).

What makes the guessing game a bit more complicated is that OnePlus has actually done all of those over the course of its history. The OnePlus One, for example, was notable for its SwitchStyle covers that included bamboo, walnut, and sandstone textures. More recently, it launched a limited “Marble Odyssey” edition of the OnePlus 11 5G that employed 3D microcrystalline rocks to achieve the unique look and feel of marble. Suffice it to say, OnePlus is at least still keen on pushing the boundaries of materials, textures, and designs that give its smartphones more personality than your average handset.

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