Hasta La Ideas

Design Indaba 2013: glow-in-the-dark roads and responsive street lamps were among the concepts to make highways safer while saving money and energy presented by Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde at the Design Indaba conference in Cape Town earlier this month.

The Smart Highways project by Studio Roosegaarde proposes five energy-efficient concepts that will be tested on a stretch of highway in the Brabant province of the Netherlands from the middle of this year.

The first of the concepts developed by studio head Daan Roosegaarde and infrastructure firm Heijmans is a glow-in-the-dark road that uses photo-luminescent paint to mark out traffic lanes. The paint absorbs energy from sunlight during the day the lights the road at night for up to 10 hours.

Temperature-responsive road paint would show images of snowflakes when the temperature drops below zero, warning drivers to take care on icy roads.

There are two ideas for roadside lighting: interactive street lamps that come on as vehicles approach then dim as they pass by, thereby saving energy when there is no traffic, and “wind lights” that use energy generated by pinwheels as drafts of air from passing vehicles cause them to spin round.

Finally, an induction priority lane would incorporate induction coils under the tarmac to recharge electric cars as they drive.

Roosegaarde presented the Smart Highways concept at the Design Indaba conference in South Africa earlier this month, where he received a standing ovation from rapt guests – see more from Design Indaba as part of our Dezeen and MINI World Tour.

Last year the studio built a dome of metallic flowers that appear to come to life as they sense the presence of visitors, while their earlier projects include a dress that becomes see-through when the wearer gets excited or embarrassed – see all design by Studio Roosegaarde.

Other street lighting we’ve reported on includes Ross Lovegrove’s solar-powered lights shaped like trees and a sharply faceted LED street lamp – see all street lighting.

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Studio Roosegaarde appeared first on Dezeen.

Italian car company Pininfarina unveiled a two-seater concept vehicle without a windshield at the Geneva Motor Show last week (+ slideshow + movie).

Named after Sergio Pininfarina, the designer who led the company for 40 years and died last year aged 85, the car has no side windows either, but does come with a pair of crash helmets.

A Ferrari 458 Spider provides the structural base for the car, while its body is inspired by one of Pininfarina’s early designs, the 1965 Dino Berlinetta Speciale.

A vintage Dino is on display alongside the Sergio at the Geneva Motor Show, which continues until 17 March.

“My father would be proud of this concept car because it expresses the aesthetic values that always inspired him – the purity of the lines, the harmony of form, and balance,” said company chairman Paolo Pininfarina, adding that the car could feasibly be produced in limited numbers.

We’ve recently reported on a tiny two-seater with wings that shoot out to form brake lights and plans to get a fuel-efficient 3D-printed car on the road – see all car design.

Here’s some more information from Pininfarina:

At the Motor Show world debut for the Sergio, a modern interpretation of the 2-seater barchetta. As a tribute to the Senator, the stand is also displaying one of his most beloved masterpieces, the Dino Berlinetta Speciale, 1965.

It is named Sergio after the man who led Pininfarina for 40 years and conceived some of the greatest car legends. It is the new, amazing concept car created to celebrate the Life Senator Sergio Pininfarina. At its world debut today at the Geneva Motor Show, the Sergio joins the brand that has so marked the history of Pininfarina: Ferrari.

Universally known as Master of Italian style, the signature of Sergio Pininfarina left its imprint on the whole history of design with his creative genius, from the age of the great bodyworks to modern industry, often anticipating trends. The concept car dedicated to him renews the spirit of the extraordinary achievements under his leadership, translating it into a modern vision in the name of exclusivity, innovation and passion.

The Sergio, in fact, is a two-seater barchetta that looks to the future, very compact, very sporty, racy, pure and sensual. An exercise that Pininfarina decided to undertake on Ferrari 458 Spider mechanicals. Its formal interpretation is absolutely free, in the best tradition of the Pininfarina research which has produced so many Ferrari-based concept cars or unique models now recognised as masterpieces. Its exclusivity and development on the basis of a production car, in fact, sets the Sergio in the tradition of the great Pininfarina custom-made cars specifically designed for “special” clients. It is therefore a real car that can easily be produced in limited series of a few units.

“My father would be proud of this concept car,” said Chairman Paolo Pininfarina, “because it expresses the aesthetic values that always inspired him: the purity of the lines, the harmony of form, and balance. Furthermore, he would be happy with this latest concept on Ferrari base, a brand to which we are related by a history that has helped define the most beautiful cars of all time in an evolution that has lasted 60 years and shows no sign of ending.”

On its stand in Geneva, Pininfarina has placed the new Sergio next to one of the Senator’s most beloved Ferraris: the Dino Berlinetta Speciale, a unique model presented at the 1965 Paris Motor Show, which led to the lines of subsequent Dino production cars. Since 1967, the Dino has been part of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest Collection and is exhibited along with other historic prestige cars in the Musée de l’Automobile of Mans.

With the new Sergio, Pininfarina confirms its excellence in design, the cutting edge of a Company deeply involved in engineering services, research applied to sustainable mobility and brand enhancement activities.

“This concept,” says the CEO Silvio Pietro Angori, “is the best way to confirm the role of Pininfarina as a bearer of the aesthetic values of Italian design in the world and to strengthen the brand name, the Company’s real distinguishing feature. Together with design, Pininfarina is highly focused on all the traditional activities aimed at providing vehicle manufacturers with an all-round service: engineering: product development, testing, prototype construction. The enhancement of production assets and know-how is expressed in the creation of unique pieces like the Sergio or limited edition cars realised thanks to unique craft skills gained in over 80 years of activity”.

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by Pininfarina appeared first on Dezeen.

A curving slab-like roof oversails the glazed elevations of this new airport terminal in Gibraltar by London firms Bblur Architecture and 3DReid (+ slideshow).

The architects designed the building as a gateway to the British overseas territory, as it is the first structure that visitors will see when arriving by plane, car or on foot.

Fully glazed elevations were added to take advantage of the views in every direction. To the west and east, passengers can look out over the Mediterranean Sea, while the landmark Rock of Gibraltar flanks the building from the south.

The roof overhangs each side of the building, creating a canopy that shades the windows from direct sunlight. An integrated cleaning system also rinses the facades periodically to keep the glass free from corrosive sand particles.

The interior of the terminal is organised over two floors, with a double-height concourse for check-ins and arrivals. The departures lounge occupies the first floor and extends out onto a balcony terrace that spans the building and branches out to the west.

“I feel that the building arrangement is particularly successful in creating a graceful and elegant and calm resolution to a very demanding brief,” lead designer Daniel Bérubé told Dezeen.

He added: “There is a type of narrative that unravels in the building, culminating in the departures lounge where there is finally a full view of the striking north face of the Rock of Gibraltar. Its full breadth and setting can be further appreciated by stepping outside the departures lounge onto the airside terrace.”

Another benefit of the glazed elevations is that they bring natural light through most spaces in the building. Roof lights were also added and help to aid orientation through the terminal.

Bérubé first developed the design for the airport whilst working for 3DReid, but continued working on the project after leaving to set up his own firm, Bblur Architecture, with partner Matthew Bedward.

Since launching in 2008, Bblur Architecture has also completed a bus station with an undulating aluminium canopy and collaborated with Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners on a fabric walkway on the roof of the O2 Arena in London.

Other airports to complete in recent years include Bodrum Airport in Turkey, which topped the transport category at last year’s World Architecture Festival, and Carrasco International Airport in Uruguay by Rafael Viñoly. See more airport design on Dezeen.

Photography is by Hufton + Crow.

Here’s some text from the design team:

New Gibraltar Airport Terminal

Gibraltar Airport’s uniquely situated new terminal building is modern, dynamic, transparent and airy. Designed by bblur architecture with 3DReid and NACO, it is a world class facility which has created opportunities for flights from Spain and the rest of Europe to Gibraltar.

A unique and complex location

The new terminal is the first building visitors will see when they enter Gibraltar by air, road or on foot and is located immediately at the frontier, with the Rock as a backdrop. Sited within an extraordinary and spectacular landscape, it is bound by very tight constraints on all sides with the frontier with Spain to the North, the existing airport runway to the South, Winston Churchill Avenue to the West and tapering land with RAF restrictions to the East. The building is 2-storeys high and covers 19,600sqm.

A refined and elegant design solution

With over 20 years experience in aviation the design team approached this commission with consideration and empathy, and created an important public space both around and inside the terminal.

A large over-sailing roof, providing shade and shelter to the fully glazed walls which maximise views to the Rock and across the straits toward Africa and the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, reflects the terminal’s aviation function and maritime location.

The forecourt creates a new landscaped park providing a generous welcome to Gibraltar and the airport and an identifiable ‘place’ at the frontier, a place to meet and greet whether on a local or extended journey.

There are double height spaces within the terminal and an extensive airside roof terrace, designed as an extension to the departures lounge. The terminal which operates over two levels with an area of 19,600sqm has a primary check in and arrivals concourse at ground floor on the West side of the terminal. The terminal was also designed to accommodate entry and exit of passengers directly at the frontier.

The airport’s airside areas have also been reconfigured to provide 5 aircraft stands and a new airside facilities building.

Key design attributes

» Takes advantage of fantastic views over the airfield towards the rock

» Dramatic roof overhang and solar shading create a building which is architecturally significant and environmentally sensitive

» The use of glazing achieves transparency between the interior and exterior, allows the terminal to be predominantly naturally lit and provides extensive views out of the terminal.

» The fifth elevation (roof) very important as seen from the rock – use of roof lights which are laid out to visually guide passengers through some of the more internal routes. The roof lights generate subtle animation of the space throughout the day from throwing disks of diffused sunlight onto the floor to capturing the blue glow in the early evening.

Energy efficient

Energy efficiency has been a key consideration. The design incorporates a large roof overhang to provide a high level of solar shading which maintains a cool environment. High performance double glazing and automated roller blinds contribute to enhanced energy performance.

Certain features of the design result from the building’s proximity to the sea. In addition to the need for close attention to detailing and specifications for external elements because of the corrosive marine environment, there was also concern about maintaining the appearance of the glazing, not just from salt-saturated air but also wind-borne sand and dust particles. The design solution includes a special external cleansing system that intermittently rinses the façades to eliminate accumulated material. The de-ionised water used in the system further improves the effectiveness of the rinsing process.

Buro Happold’s Fire Engineering developed a holistic fire safety design that integrates a combination of passive and active fire safety measures, along with management measures to combine to give a simple but robust fire strategy for the building. This provides several benefits: offering life safety protection to the large numbers of passengers and staff using the terminal, containing fire and smoke to limited areas, and reducing operational disruption in the event of an incident.

Team definition and roles

Daniel Bérubé and Matthew Bedward led the 3DReid design team from concept to planning scheme design until they left to form bblur architecture in 2008. bblur architecture and 3DReid agreed to collaborate throughout the design development and delivery phases of the project with Daniel Bérubé leading the project as concept guardian and lead designer working with 3DReid and the contractor to deliver the Terminal and associated infrastructure. This was to ensure that Dragados S.A., the Spanish contractor who was awarded the design-build contract of the Terminal and associated infrastructure works, remained faithful to the original design intent.

During the course of the project delivery bblur architecture was also commissioned to design the interiors of the terminal, and to redesign the terminal forecourt and adjacent public realm with Spacehub. In addition to the main terminal building, bblur architecture and 3DReid have designed the Park & Ride facility, a 6 level multi-storey car park, on the opposite side of runway.

Client: Government of Gibraltar
Architect: bblur architecture and 3DReid
Engineers: Buro Happold
Main contractor: Dragados S.A.
Aviation Consultants: NACO B.V.
Landscape Consultants: Spacehub
Project Management Gibraltar Land Reclamation Company

Above: site plan – click for larger image

Above: ground floor plan – click for larger image

Above: first floor plan – click for larger image

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and 3DReid appeared first on Dezeen.

This conceptual see-through bike by German studio Designaffairs would be made from the same strong and lightweight plastic used in fighter jet canopies.

The frame of the Clarity Bike would be made from a polymer called Trivex, according to Designaffairs. First developed for helicopter windscreens and fighter jet canopies, Trivex is extremely lightweight but can also withstand high impacts.

The polymer is resistant to very hot and cold temperatures and can also be injection moulded, which would enable mass production at an affordable price and in a variety of shapes and colours.

Trivex is one of more than 2000 material samples collected by Designaffairs to provide a resource for manufacturers, designers and engineers. “What sets our library apart from the other material libraries is the fact that all materials and technologies presented are tailored to meet production-processes’ needs,” explained Designaffairs’ Stefan Ulrich.

Lots of bicycles have been published on Dezeen, most recently a bike with a cardboard frame and wheels and a bike that carries heavy loads front and back.

We’ve also featured a couple of other projects by Designaffairs – a conceptual hearing aid that forms a flesh tunnel through the wearer’s earlobe and an inhaler designed for a future scenario where oxygen is scarce.

The images are visualisations by Designaffairs.

Here’s some more information from the designers:

No, this bike is not made out of glass. The Clarity Bike is the next project within the material focus of designaffairs studio projects which focus on using amazing materials of our library in new contexts. We believe that the Clarity Bike could be a giant leap forward in bicycle frame engineering and production. The design takes advantage of an advanced polymer which combines high impact resistance, lightweight properties and a gentle flexibility that usually would only be expected on an old Italian steel frame.

The polymer is injection moulded, which allows affordable and precise mass production while enabling unique form factors and a multitude of possible colour combinations. Initially the polymer was used in military applications. Even though the compound has a lower density than polycarbonate & acrylic its advanced performance includes exceptional impact resistance and ultra-lightweight performance. It also offers outstanding chemical resistance and thermal stability as it is virtually unaffected by most organic and inorganic chemicals and withstands very hot and cold temperatures.

In our understanding the perfect material match for creating a low cost bicycle characterised by convenience and an unmatched unique style.

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by Designaffairs appeared first on Dezeen.

American fashion designer Jeremy Scott has designed a special edition for car brand Smart, with wings that shoot out from the back to form the rear and brake lights (+ slideshow).

Wings are a common motif in Jeremy Scott‘s designs and the pair he has added to the car are made from translucent carbon fibre.

“For me, wings mean freedom, a sense of weightlessness,” says Scott. “Because of this, I definitely wanted to have them for the Smart electric drive in order to convey the way it frees the environment of noxious emissions and symbolises the new lightness of mobility.”

Based on the current Smart Fortwo Electric Drive, this version has wider rear tyres and wheel arches, custom wheel rims and chrome protrusions above the headlights.

White is used throughout the interior, with nappa leather covering the instrument panel, seats and door trim, and chrome door handles and details.

The white steering wheel is open at the top and racing seat belts clip into chunky chrome buckles.

The car will be launched as a limited edition later in 2013.

We’ve recently featured concepts for driverless cars and shape-shifting headlights by Audi and ran an interview with their head of exterior design Achim Badstübner. We also recently interviewed MINI’s head of design Anders Warming.

Jeremy Scott was in the news last year when trainers with shackle-like ankle cuffs he designed for sportswear brand Adidas were withdrawn.

See all our stories about car design »

Scroll on for more information from Smart:

An electrifying encounter between the internationally renowned fashion designer Jeremy Scott and the smart fortwo electric drive has produced a fascinating smart fortwo. An electric car, ready for lift-off into a new era of mobility – full of lightness and joie de vivre. The unique smart forjeremy has wings – a familiar trademark of the American star designer. The wings light up like igniting rockets to form avant-garde rear lights. The smart forjeremy showcar, which will be launched next year as a limited special edition, was unveiled on the eve of the LA Auto Show at Jim Henson Studios in Los Angeles, with music provided by the artist M.I.A.

“We were totally enthusiastic about the first sketches that Jeremy presented to us”, said Dr. Annette Winkler, Head of smart, during the world premiere. “Both smart and the wings represent a bit of freedom on the crowded streets of major cities. In their respective disciplines, both the fashion designer Jeremy Scott and the smart brand are pioneering trendsetters, venturing into uncharted territories and challenging the status quo.”

Wings – the symbol for carefree driving fun

True to form, the cooperation itself was out of the ordinary, smart being the first car brand to permit a fashion designer to make changes to the vehicle’s body. As Head of Mercedes-Benz and smart design Gorden Wagener explains: “Cooperations with fashion designers are normally limited to selecting interior materials and interior and exterior colour schemes. With Jeremy Scott, however, we wanted to go one step further and integrated the typical wings as a central design element in the vehicle body. This was quite a challenge, because it was not just a case of creating a showcar, but rather of creating a near-series study with the potential for licensing it for road use in the future.”

Wings are one of the recurring design elements used by Jeremy Scott to great effect. Be it sweatshirts, sunglasses or sneakers, winged motifs crop up again and again in his collections. “For me, wings mean freedom, a sense of weightlessness. Because of this, I definitely wanted to have them for the smart electric drive in order to convey the way it frees the environment of noxious emissions and symbolises the new lightness of mobility”, explains Jeremy Scott, who, in addition to his fashion collections, also creates unique costumes for pop stars such as Lady Gaga, Madonna, Katy Perry and Rihanna.

smart forjeremy – an electrifying love story

Within eight months, Jeremy Scott had developed the smart forjeremy together with designers of the “smart Design Division” at the Mercedes-Benz Cars Advanced Design Studios in Carlsbad, California. Gorden Wagener says: “Working with Jeremy was fantastic – he is a veritable fireball of creativity”. With the typical stylish design of the smart fortwo to inspire him, the international fashion giant came up with a whole host of visionary ideas.

All of which results in an avant-garde and futuristic smart with loving details based on the overriding wing theme. The smart forjeremy is painted in bright white, against which the chrome-plated tridion cell glistens like a jewel. On either side of the vehicle is a wing made of transparent fibreglass and decorated with rocket-shaped elements that light up red, serving as rear and brake lights. “Transparency was a very important factor for me, since it represents lightness and space”, explains the designer. The vehicle’s dynamic, self-assured look is further enhanced by means of wider rear tyres and wider rear wheel arches. The wheel rims are shaped like aeroplane propellers, giving the impression that the electric smart might take off at any minute. With the elegantly curved “eyebrows” above its front headlights, the smart forjeremy conveys both untamed curiosity and unbridled joy. Complementing the tridion cell, the eyebrows are bright chromium plated, as are the top half of the mirror caps and the frame around the radiator grille.

Luxurious interior – a dream in white

The exclusive and elegant marriage of white and glistening chrome accents is continued in the interior of the vehicle, creating an undeniably luxurious look. Together with interior designers of the “smart Design Division” in Sindelfingen, Jeremy Scott chose fine white nappa leather for the instrument panel, seats and door trim. Whilst the instrument panel features minimalist seams, the seat insert areas and the centre panels in the doors boast extravagant diamond stitching. The gleaming chrome surfaces of the main door trim and typical smart elements such as the closing handles, the side boomerangs of the instrument panel and the characteristic rings on the dashboard instruments form an elegant contrast to the matt white.

Shaped like a jet engine, the bright chromium plated side air inlets complete the wing theme on the exterior. The white steering wheel with two chrome spokes is open at the top, further enhancing the sporty, sweeping impression of lightness. “We will also launch a limited special edition of the smart forjeremy in 2013″, Winkler said. “And I really look forward to cruising the city in this item of haute couture.”

Exciting and stylish driving fun – without any emissions

The smart forjeremy is based on the current production version of the smart fortwo electric drive. With its 55 kW electric motor the smart fortwo electric drive accelerates from 0 – 60 km/h in 4.8 seconds, and with a maximum speed of 125 km/h driving pleasure is also guaranteed on urban motorways. The 17.6 kWh lithium-ion battery enables the urban two-seater to travel approximately 145 kilometres in city traffic without producing any local emissions.

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by Jeremy Scott appeared first on Dezeen.