. . . and what, pray tell, do we have here?

Generally the formShapes are pretty much recognizable - a mini Cooper, a Jaguar XKE, a Mercedes gullwing - but there is something decidedly different about each one.

Yikes! Are they all drowning? Or about to? Curiouser and curiouser . . . . . 

This, be a clue - it do be. . . . . boat(s), floating vehicles on water......yes Victoria, 
​that's IT!

How  c o o l  is that? Think about it - one only has to find a vehicle whose engine no longer is operational - which would surely make it a cheaper buy. And then - and then, this:

Although the models shown above are all on pontoons, there is the option of a hydrofoil configuration. Neat-OH!

Resto-Floating 
In the automotive world, a resto-mod is a classic car that has been restored, but modified with modern parts and technology.

 Aesthetically, the vehicle looks the same until you look under the hood, because owners will upgrade the engines on a classic car so as to enhance performance and increase fuel efficiency. 

Regardless of what features are changed or added, the ultimate goal is to modify the classic car without significantly altering its outward appearance.
​
Floating Motors envisions a new concept of boating, for the first time bringing into the water the shapes of the most legendary cars of the automotive history, inventing a new water mobility trend which we like to call “Resto-Floating”. Similarly to resto-mod, we strictly respect the original car model proportions and sizes, applying the most modern nautical techniques for the floating hull (catamaran, conventional or foil), and delivering an exceptional quality concerning construction materials and applied technology, for the longest durability into harsh conditions.

Yeah....right! Moshe Sadie - one of the greats - keeps on being great.

From Architect.com:

By Josh Niland  Aug 14, '21 9:00 AM EST

Safdie Architects has an update on three ongoing projects it says are direct ties to the lineage of founder Moshe Safdie’s seminal work that opened
54 years ago in Montreal. 

New buildings in Ecuador and Sri Lanka are nearing completion, and a new development is about to break ground on the next phase of a contemporary version of the Habitat in Qinhuangdao, China.

The three projects together represent “the realization of more than 50 years of study on how to improve urban living.” Each development is marked with the same stepped profile, privacy, and garden terrace design taken from the original Habitat. The sum total is a reflection of the eye-opening realizations about urban life the 83-year-old Safdie says were brought on by the pandemic.

Per the architect: “Over the past year, there has been a rediscovery of the interdependence between nature and society. We have seen an outcry for our basic human needs to be met — access to daylight, outdoor space, connection to nature, and the ritual of public life at all scales. After a year in relative isolation from one another, and the urban habitat at-large, the ideals of Habitat ’67 have become ever more relevant as we reimagine the urban landscape.”

The Altair Residences in Colombo, Sri Lanka for example, are designed for a tropical environment and feature column-less interior layouts meant to maximize freedom of movement and light balance inside the 400-unit building. The inclined, Beira Lake-adjacent two tower blocks topped out as the nation’s highest residential structure and will offer over 600,000 square feet of public space in addition to the residential units.
​
The Qorner Tower in Ecuador features a similar look albeit with double-height terraces in a smaller, single-tower envelope fronting Quito’s La Carolina Park. The project will top out in September with an opening set for early next year.
The firm has also begun work on the second phase of Habitat Qinhuangdao, which opened in 2017. Added garden space and two new 30-story residential blocks will double the size of the site’s littoral footprint with another pair of towers and retail complex still being planned. Phase II is expected for completion in 2024.

The trio offers statements on the legacy of Safdie's idealistic vision. Looking back 50 years to prove the efficacy of the lifestyle improvements created by the architecture, something design partner Jaron Lubin feels has plenty of leftover for future projects.

“Moshe has held steadfast with his thesis for over 50 years, that designing to improve our quality of life must be a priority for the profession,” he said. “We are now seeing many of the ideas, once held as mere utopian dreams, becoming a reality. Habitat’s legacy has so much more potential yet to explore.”

​

Ed note: Just to put this all into perspective, this is where it all began in 1967 - pre CAD, computer tools etc. H A B I T AT

​Samsung’s home appliance showcase at the virtual CES 2021 event focuses on many technologies designed to make lives easier for its user. If we were to sum up the highlights of its CES keynote, there were stylish refrigerators, smarter appliances with better ecosystem integration, and a few robots. Maybe we are closer to The Jetsons kind of life.

Bespoke refrigerators
First, we have the company’s line of Bespoke refrigerators, which it launched in Korea in 2019. Samsung is bringing this flagship refrigerator series to the US with different types of modules—1-Door, Bottom Mount Freezer, and 4-Door—allowing for modular configurations that can grow to fit each household’s unique needs. These come in various colors and finishes to customize your kitchen and match it to your interiors.

Samsung claims it’s been a “game-changer” for the brand as it drove two-thirds of refrigerator sales in its home country.

The 4-Door Flex model, with its flat-panel design and recessed handles, is the latest model of the Bespoke line. It comes in eight unique colors and glass or steel finishes, including Grey Glass, Sky Blue Glass, Navy Steel, Champagne Steel, Matte Black Steel, Navy Glass, White Glass, and Rose Pink Glass.

The 4-Door Flex model has the new Beverage Center accessible inside the upper-left door. It provides quick access to drink in two ways: through an internal, filtered water dispenser and a built-in AutoFill water pitcher, which you can add flavor to if you want. It also has a Dual Ice Maker that makes regular ice cubes and small “ice bites” meant to chill drinks faster.

The improved Flex Zone allows you to turn compartments from fridge to freezer temperatures, depending on your needs. There are five different temperature settings: Freeze, Soft Freeze, Meat/Fish, the new Fruits/Veggies, and Beverage. There is also a Flex Crisper that stores meat or fish at the optimal temperature and Crisper+ that keeps your fruit and vegetables fresher for longer.


Samsung is also looking to add customizable elements for its other appliances, including air purifiers and its clothing care device, AirDresser. We’re going to keep our eyes peeled for those.

SmartThings Cooking
Samsung is bringing this popular Family Hub feature to the SmartThings app. SmartThings Cooking recommends recipes that fit your tastes, dietary restrictions, and what you have on hand, and then it will build weekly meal plans to match. 

When you’re cooking, it sends recipe instructions directly to synced Samsung cooking devices. Family Hub can order groceries, and the Front Control Slide-in Range can automatically preheat, while SmartThings Cooking guides you through every step of meal prep. All of these are accessible through the SmartThings app on your Family Hub or your smartphone.

You can even browse the categorized recipe collections to match your craving, ingredient, or mood. But from the coverage we’ve seen, SmartThings Cooking won’t let you add recipes you already have. We hope Samsung will offer this option in the future. In the US, they can enjoy convenient one-stop grocery shopping through Walmart, Kroger, Instacart, and Amazon Fresh, using the Whisk network.

SmartThings Cooking lays out the recipe to guide you through the simplified cooking process. You learn about timing and have the steps explained to you like you’re at an at-home cooking class. You can also manage meal prep with one-touch control over cooking modes, temperatures, and time settings. Plus, you can monitor the entire process at a single glance.

SmartThings Cooking is powered by Whisk, a smart food platform acquired by Samsung NEXT. Whisk’s Food AI brings together user preferences, intent, and environmental factors to deliver personalized cooking experiences. 

While SmartThings Cooking is a standalone service accessible via the SmartThings app, Family Hub owners can also enjoy meal planning conveniently from their fridge. It has a full-screen dedicated board optimized for SmartThings Cooking, which works with Family Hub to understand what’s inside the refrigerator and add missing ingredients directly to your online grocery cart for at-home delivery.

The Holy Grail : : something that is extremely difficult to find or get

The, or, a, Holy Grail in building design, in architecture, has been to design structure with, as it is known, 'column-free' space.

In other words, no intermediate load-bearing walls or supporting columns. Think of a basketball court, or an arena.Bit in almost all private homes, the architect and engineer need to carefully consider where the load-bearing supports are going to be. Even in the most elaborate and costly condos - sumpin's  gotta hold it all up.

And so look more closely at the photograph above - it is, column-free space. And it is truly liberating, both visually and psychologically. One open and clear landscape - nothing to impede views. column-free space. And this house, has it!

The massive beams (would that they were smaller even. . . ) support the whole of the structure.

5 BEAMS HOUSE
Situated on a hillside on the coast of Chile, the 5 Beams House bridges the gap between the land and sea. The concrete dwelling is nestled in the contours of the terrain and features five beams held up by walls to the east and west. These supports create a connection from the hill to the sea while offering privacy from neighboring houses. Internally, private spaces are semi-submerged into the site on the lower level and capped with a wall of sea-facing glazing. Public areas are located on the upper level and wrapped entirely in glazing for full views of the landscape. Sliding doors expand the rooms onto a terrace where a pool and lounge area overlook the incoming waves. 

Photos: Sergio Pirrone /
​Gubbins-Polidura Architects

Ed note: This IMHO, is a perfect example of determined design. What, is determined design? Simply, as I see it, it is the relentless pursuit of a design expression that unflinchingly, with no compromises, seeks to, produce a solution/resolution to otherwise taken-for-granted compromises of a lesser voice.
​Kudos to the firm and the principals who travelled this path!

Maybe I'm cranky - just cranky . Maybe I'm jaded - it happens. But although I admire and applaud the ingenuity that has gone into this product I have grown, oh-so-weary of solutions looking for problems - and this is what - IMHO - this is.

Is it wonderful? As a design statement - as a realized figment of the festered mind of a truly creative designer? Yup! 'Tis - 'tis wonderful.
Is it dumb? Yup - 'tis - just dumb.......but, lovely dumb. At 90" x  144" it is smaller than the smallest second bedroom in the smallest ever apartment - somewhere.

Does it solve a problem? Not that I can see.

Is it an indulgence - most certainly.......most definitely.

One cannot get a cost of this 'miracle' unless one registers, signs up and goes through the process of a marketing follow-up call. Sorry - life is too short - but you guys can.

But, let me guess - guess at the cost - I'm gonna say $12,000.00 - delivery and setup additional.

But hey - you got the bucks - you got the space - you got nuttin' better to do with $12K - go for it.......let me know if you is in a sweat after about an hour isolated and cooped up - even if it's in the midst of wonderful redwood trees - let me know....how you feel. Or has the heat made you groggy and sleepy? Yes, yes, I know - it claims to have built-in HVAC - sure - sure it does.

DENIZEN ARCHITYPE OFFICE POD
Denizen Architype is reimagining the work from home environment with its smartpods. The prefab office allows remote workers to get away from the distractions and amp up productivity with a private workspace immersed in nature. Made with 3D printing, the arched volume features a 90-square-foot interior with 10-foot ceilings and warm wood paneling. Equipped with every workday essential, the micro cabin includes a desk surrounded by privacy glass, a whiteboard for brainstorming, a 27-inch 4K display, a 4K webcam to conduct meetings, and a bench with a mini-ridge to relax during breaks, as well as heating, cooling, and air filtration.

C'mon guys - get real. Seriously. 

​Marc Benioff thinks remote work is here to stay — and that workers are just as successful working from home as they are in offices.

The Salesforce CEO appeared CNBC's "Mad Money" with Jim Cramer to discuss a noticeable change he has seen in office culture during the coronavirus pandemic. 

"[Employees] can do their job at home. They can be successful from anywhere," Benioff told the news outlet. "The companies and our customers are successful. It's incredible, but the way they're being successful has completely changed."

The cloud-based software company, which powers services like
Slack
, did better with remote work conditions than other companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Benioff's comments came as Salesforce stock rose following higher-than-expected second quarter earnings.
The remarks are also counter to the thinking of some of Benioff's CEO counterparts, like Apple's Tim Cook and JP Morgan's Jamie Dimon. Both are requiring their employees make full returns to the office despite workers' desires and continuing concerns of the coronavirus Delta variant.

"The phenomenon that I see happening globally is not as many employees are coming back into their offices locally as any CEO expected," Benioff told Cramer in the interview. "You're really starting see some very low attendance numbers in offices because employees are so productive at home."

Many full-time, office-based workers got a taste of remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and their biggest desire as workplaces begin to reopen is increased flexibility. A survey from PwC saw an increase in remote workers never wanting to go back to the office, from 29% in January 2021 to 41% in August. Two-thirds of Americans are even considering looking for new jobs where they can have more a flexible work-life balance and less in-person office interaction.

Tech companies like Salesforce and Google, which can adapt more easily to remote work conditions, have been largely supportive of their employees continuing office-home hybrid models and opportunities for employees to request to work from different locations.

​To disappear to a remote house off grid requires both technology and tenacity. First there’s energy use and battery storage to consider, adequate rainwater collection and, of course, bushfire planning and design. For practice director, Simon Anderson, eight acres of native bushland in the Blue Mountains proved an irresistible temptation for research and development. Testing a skillful combination of passive and environmentally sustainable design methods on his own 8-star bush block house has helped Simon to minimise his family’s energy. Importantly, the project also served as a significant early prototype for the practice’s mounting expertise in off grid house design.

​To capture views of the escarpments to the south, the open plan kitchen, living and dining zone would need to turn its back on the sun. Not an ideal launch pad for passive solar performance. But a site’s chief problem should always be the source of its key innovation. The solution for Off Grid Cabin was to split the house into two steeply pitched skillion-roofed boxes, oriented in opposite directions, and performing in entirely different ways.

The sun-lit box would serve as the sleeping quarters, maximising comfort at night via optimal passive thermal performance during the day. The escarpment-facing box would have little of this solar benefit, but this was happily traded for an ideal roof surface on which a 6.7KW solar system could be installed for power generation. Double glazing, under-floor heating and high levels of insulation mean a small wood fire provides more than enough additional heat here through the cooler months, with firewood sourced exclusively from the site. 

​Inspiration for the design of the living area was found in the escarpments with their grey weathered outer faces and luminescent sandstone undercrofts. Glass doors slide away on two faces of this room, creating a similarly cave-like cantilever and blurring the indoor/outdoor boundary with the sunlit deck beyond.

Of course there are other practicalities to consider in the bush. With timber heavily prone to termite attack, and bushfire planning essential, we opted for a fireproof concrete house that would be resistant to insect attack as well. Low-carbon fibre cement board cladding and decking gives the added appearance of timber with the durability of a high bushfire attack BAL 40 & BAL FZ house design performance. Keen to trial additional weather protection measures, we designed an experimental 2.4m external metal screen here. This acts as a wall that can be winched away out of sight, is deployed as heavy rain protection, or could be lowered completely as a BAL FZ (flame zone) barrier in the event of a fire. Motorised screens add further fire protection on other windows. Conversely, when it rains, both roofs feed water tanks with a capacity for 30,000L. These regularly overflow but future plans for further tanks under the deck will help cater for stretches of drought.

. . . . and, to use a much over-used phrase, 'That's a wrap'

It is - as in done, finitio, terminado.

There is, however, a plan. Firstly, any of you who truly had the faith and subscribed you now have two choices - hang in there and enjoy a lifetime membership to however I may continue and/or resuscitate DR•I - or its possible successor, 
Design Preview International - or I will issue you a pro-rated refund - your call.

But you need to know, my energies are now turning to the development of a podcast - yes - a DR•I podcast. Haven't made final decisions yet - mostly as to frequency - but, stay tuned.

Furthermore, I know you all don't know, but in 2010-2011 I had an earlier designBlog - DesignPlanOnline. It was a weekly effort - also with no advertising. If you are at all interested it is still mostly available in the Wordpress archives:
https://designplan.wordpress.com/2011/01/02/1-1/

That was Issue #1. You can advance through the following issues.

I thank you all for your continuing interest - I thank some of you for the honest enthusiasm....be healthy, be well - God bless

Michael Moore M.A.
(DGC, ASID, APDIQ, IDC, RGD)

michael@DesignReview.International

BTW - DR•I is now also on the open market inviting prospective purchasers should there be any interest.

Oh! One final word - I have been developing and producing a multi-week lecture series for McGill University (MCLL - McGill Community for Lifelong Learning) on the life and works of Edward and WS Maxwell. Here is the web-site I designed as the introduction to the lectures :: www.EdwardMaxwellArchitect.com

For far too many reasons, this issue is a double issue - as will be the August issue.
Of course, the content reflects this.

By the way : : if you click on the sunset to the right you can send us an email.

​

DAVID BURDENY
David Burdeny (b. 1968. Winnipeg, Canada) graduated with a Masters in Architecture and Interior Design and spent the early part of his career practicing in his field before establishing himself as a photographer. Burdeny translates his intimate appreciation for the structure, details and metaphorical value of space into sublime observations on how the contemporary world is still pregnant with mystery and potential. His early work of square-format black and white images rendered space in stark, elemental terms. The spare landscapes seemed modeled to serve as liminal spaces - as thresholds and portals and points of departure that lead the viewer to a complex intimacy with the expressive force of empirical awareness. In subsequent series, Burdeny has explored both opulent and austere interior scenes that use the sensuality of colour to full effect. Whether focused on ordinary spaces or iconic settings, Burdeny's photographs occupy an artistic middle ground between the physical and the atmospheric, the concrete and the spiritual, the actual and the idealized. They represent not strictly what he found but his personal experience of these enigmatic and luminous locations.

Burdeny has featured his photographic series in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Canada, the US and throughout Europe. His work has also been widely published - including most recently  Casa Vogue, The Guardian, The Corriere Dela Sera and the Moscow Times - and has been recognized with multiple International Photography Awards.  In 2016, David  was selected as International Nature Photographer of the Year for his series Salt.

David Burdeny lives in Delta, B.C. and works from his studio in Vancouver. 

Leonardo can be found at:
https://leomore.it/editorial-style-magazine

https://leomore.it/bookstars

https://leomore.it/graphic-design

https://leomore.it/

architect: ennead architects
lead architect: thomas j. wong and v. guy maxwell 
management principal: grace chen
LDI: shanghai institute of architectural design and research
location: shanghai, china
photography: arch-exist

Interesting?
To me - yes, interesting . . . . . 
A couple of issues ago - if you recall - I blathered on about the need for commercial office space landlords to face the reality of the distressing deterioration of the office space market. I invested a massive amount of time in preparing a summary, an analysis - even to the extent of developing a whole design study of how a landlord might segué office space into residences.

And guess what? Down the street from me, the Yellow Pages building - which has been a fixture
of Ile des Soeurs for 20+ years, has announced it is being converted to residences.

In point of fact I designed the space for a new Computervision showroom and offices in that very building. It was probably in the mid-80's.

If anyone is interested, it turns out, that some forward-looking landlords read the future as far back as
3 - 5 years ago - here is some additional background : :

Converting Office to Residential Is Complicated
Posted: 10:46 am October 4, 2017 by Rick Liu
https://montgomeryplanning.org/blog-design/2017/10/converting-office-to-residential-is-complicated/
 
Economics, location, architectural design and zoning regulations play important roles in determining new uses for vacant office buildings

In a previous blog post, we explored trends likely to impact the adaptive reuse of office buildings, as illustrated through the Octave 1320 office-to-residential conversion in downtown Silver Spring. With its final unit now sold, the successful project prompted us to think about the future of office conversions in Montgomery County.

As cited in the 2015 Office Market Assessment and noted in countless other reports and news articles, the Washington region’s office market currently faces stiff headwinds that are likely to continue in the foreseeable future.  Montgomery County is no exception. As of July 2017, the office vacancy rate in the county was 14 percent, far higher than the 9.2 percent vacancy rate during the 10-year period before the Great Recession (1998-2008).

Even as job growth recovers, the demand for office space returning to previous levels is questionable, as disruptive forces like telecommuting, technological advances and more efficient work spaces are all reducing the need for conventional office space. Finally, while auto-dependent, suburban business parks comprise about 37 percent of Montgomery County’s office market, they’re responsible for 46 percent of its vacancy, quickly losing favor to mixed-use, walkable environments with transit access.

With challenges such as these, coupled with the still-strong residential market, could we see market momentum for the conversion of existing office buildings to residential? What factors are critical to such transformations?

Economics of Opportunity Cost: The owner of a struggling, but high-quality, Class A office building in an unfavorable location has several options, many of which are less expensive than adaptive reuse. The owner can wait to try to sign up a large tenant or federal government lease before subdividing and marketing the building with smaller spaces. He or she can renovate the property to make it more competitive for re-leasing. Finally, the owner can lower rents to attract tenants in the Class B office market. These options are considerably cheaper than a conversion. Many owners of office buildings in the Rock Spring and Executive Boulevard (White Flint 2) business parks are pursuing these paths because the buildings are still too valuable to be converted to other uses or demolished outright. Often, the most viable candidates for conversion are aging, obsolete office buildings with little to no opportunity costs.

LYON GARAGE CONVERSION
Converted from a former garage, this loft in Lyon, France is a worthy abode for both design and car enthusiasts. The 2,163-square-foot residence showcases its industrial roots with exposed brick walls and wood beam ceilings. Floor-to-ceiling steel frame windows add to the aesthetic while flooding the opening living space with warm, natural light. The ground floor contains most of the living space and expands out to the garden courtyard through folding glass doors. A spiral staircase leads to the mezzanine that contains three guest bedrooms and access to the rooftop terrace. To maintain the building's rich heritage, original items were salvaged and used for the new space, including the cabinets in the kitchen and the old car lift.

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM MODEL KIT  /  $98
​Known for its signature spiral design, the Guggenheim Museum is one of Frank Lloyd Wright's most recognizable works. The iconic monument is equally as impressive at a 1:500 scale. This detailed model recreates the New York City landmark with an Aspen wood shell while contrasting American Cherry constructs the tower expansion. The kit is ideal for beginners and can be completed in 3 hours.
Length: 6" / Width: 4.5" / Height: 3.5"

Pisco House // PAULO MARTINS ARQ&DESIGN
Agueda, Portugal
​© PAULO MARTINS ARQ&DESIGN

Text description provided by the architects.

This home is located in a rural environment, far enough from the urban center to enjoy the quiet of the countryside, but just a few minutes from it. With an implantation facing south, it takes advantage from an orientation that allows the house to turn back on the road that gives the access, safeguarding its experience and intimacy, protected by a wall and a wide garden cover, which separates two spaces, the “public” and the “private”.

On the “private” side, the house is divided into two distinct volumes, one completely open and full of light that embraces the social areas and another, more opaque and closed, more buried and illuminated by patios, for the rooms and intimate areas. The social area is an open volume, whose only separation between the interior and the exterior are the glass panels that form the facades, allowing a direct connection between the interior and the exterior, diluting the boundaries that separate the two spaces, extending the interior areas by the terraces facing east and west.

The sloping roof that crowns the social area, is the most striking element of the house, assuming dominant contours over the space, which is intended to be synonymous of protection and shelter, under where the whole experience takes place. Through the biophilic design, a greater connection of the human being with nature is achieved, at the same time that it allows to protect the house from the neighbours views.
​
The main reason with which this house is sculpted and with which the desired modus vivendi is based on, is its free and fluid spaces where spatial freedom enhances a greater spiritual and mental freedom. Searching on a balance between form and plasticity, the materials used in the house are minimal and vary between fair-faced concrete, white plaster and ipê wood, in exterior coating, and exposed concrete and walnut, in interior coating.

​At the furthest southern tip of China in the South China Sea, just across from Vietnam lies Hainan, an island province where the warm, humid climate surrounded by a forested, mountainous interior envelopes all who come to get away to this tropical destination. The Sanya EDITION on Hainan Island is one of the region’s premiere resorts lining the coastline, a sedately grand resort spanning a lush 50 acres.

​With architecture and a scale somewhat reminiscent of the modern monolithic oceanside resorts lining the Pacific coast in Los Cabos in Mexico, this South China Sea Ian Schrager helmed resort embraces a contemporary organic design, with neutral hued textiles and wood-clad surfaces throughout. The resort’s teak lattice combing with an immersive tropical landscaping contains the Sanya’s horseshoe-shaped grandiosity from becoming imposing, instead operating as a structural framework to the oceanside landscape hosting 900 different tree species across the terraced hillside site.

The Sanya EDITION’s 501 guest rooms are tastefully appointed, thankfully leaning into comfort rather than simply presenting an exercise in projecting a style. Oak furnishings are thoughtfully paired with subtly textured limestone floors, with the better options – suites and lofts – offering guests white stone freestanding baths sensuously hidden behind dramatic curvaceous white divider curtains. Best yet are the 17 glass-boxed villas overlooking the water, each 1,614 sq. ft. and appointed with their own large private pool.
​
The southern city of Sanya is renown for its beaches (as beautiful as it is, the strong currents make beaches here a “look, but don’t touch” affair), a coastline that ranges from 22km-long Sanya Bay to the crescent-shaped Yalong Bay.

​Along with the pools, beach and purpose-built ‘ocean’ for guests to escape the tropical humidity, those aching for more strenuous adventures are invited to ascend hilly hiking trails threading into the Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone, a route hyphenated with suspension bridges and punctuated with waterfalls.
Amenities include an ESPA skincare spa, an expansive gym and exercise space, gallery, bar and restaurant – the most notable being Xian Hai By The Sea, a restaurant where guests are transported by boat to dine within glass-boxed floating platforms covered in the resort’s characteristic teak lattice detailing.

How much: From $360 per night, double occupancy
Highlights: Every one of the Sanya EDITION’s 501 guest rooms offer a waterfront view. Dining takes a theatrical center stage, with floating platform dining rooms and an enormous artificial “sea” giving guests an abundance of water sport options.
Design draw: China’s southern resort island Hainan recently announced the launch of the province’s first Hainan Design Week, scheduled for this November in partnership with Italy. The four-day design expo is expected to attract more than 200,000 visitors.
Book it: Sanya EDITION on Hainan Island

Photos courtesy of EDITION Hotels.

​The Vessel May Close for Good After Another Suicide
What’s Happening: After a 14-year-old boy leapt to his death from the Thomas Heatherwick–designed structure last week, Related chairman Stephen Ross said the art installation may permanently close.

The Download: In March 2019, when the Vessel opened as the centerpiece of Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s Far West Side, visitors lined up to climb the 150-foot-tall tourist attraction’s Escher-like web of staircases to capture coveted selfies backdropped by a billion-dollar view of the New York skyline. Despite the hype, critics immediately noticed a major design flaw in Thomas Heatherwick’s structure: waist-high railing heights along its 2,500 stairs and connecting walkways, which they predicted would lead to suicides.

The first such incident happened in February 2020; two more would follow in December and January. The Vessel closed for three months while developers consulted with suicide prevention experts to implement new safety regulations, including mandatory group admission and guards trained in suicide prevention. Unfortunately, the new measures weren’t enough to prevent a 14-year-old boy from leaping to his death from the structure’s eighth floor this past Thursday. The site was immediately closed to the public again; in an interview with the Daily Beast, Related chairman Steven Ross said the structure may never reopen.

ISSUE #2 : : JUNE 2021

Panal House / Estudio Dikenstein Arquitectos

MATANZAS, CHILE
Architects: Estudio Dikenstein Arquitectos
Photographs: Cristobal Palma / Estudio Palma
Construction: Estudio Dikenstein

From Arch Daily : : Curated by Agustina Coulleri

Text description provided by the architects.
Panal House, located in Condominio Quebrada Matanzas, poses itself as an astonished viewer by the Pacific Ocean, raised 90 meters above sea level, seeking the best views that naturally lead us towards the southwest to make the most of its breathtaking surroundings.
This project’s first hurdle seemed challenging enough. It required to settle a structure over a 55° sloped hill with poor ground quality and a 15 to 25 knots south-blowing yearlong wind. Amidst a hostile yet charming setting with great views of the ocean, simultaneously calling upon us to connect and reflect on the best way to inhabit this coastal area.

Structured with a mixed system of naked concrete bare loading walls appearing in three levels, which are set-in the hill, steel, and wooden elements, it is that the house seems to be suspended, as well as being able to have a high percentage of windows on its facades.

The project consists of two separate levels divided by a 40-meters-long red stripe that
runs from the lower access and acts as a connector between both.
This gesture allows for the development of individua​l facades in which both
 structures benefit from a sea view and the most favorable 
hill levels, creating a visually pleasing break.
​
The upper level hosts the main entrance, via a space-organizing hall that houses one
bedroom, bathroom, and a common room that works as kitchen, dinner,
and living room, as well as the staircases that lead to the other levels.
The fireplace was thought and designed as a sculptural element,
and therefore placed in a central spot. Presenting two glass sides,
it grants the possibility to be reflected on the surrounding window panes,
reaching every room and both floors. From the north-facing terrace, the roof is
easily accessed, adding a third level from which the full scope of the house is truly appreciated.
​A portion of this roof remains uncovered, allowing the sun to filter into the lower levels.

Panal House offers at the same time a radical experience and an experimental way of living as it integrates all spaces: the outside and the inside, vertical and horizontally. The ocean, the moon, the sun, the stars, fire, and earth are the main elements that make us reflect on this experiment on living through open and permeable spaces, sensitive to perceptions and willing to connect with those who inhabit them.

Shack in the Rocks / Sean Godsell Architects

Text description provided by the architects : : [from ArchDaily.com]
 The site is in country Victoria approximately one hour’s drive west of Melbourne. A previous scheme for this site was shelved due to cost. In reappraising the problem we suggested to our client that they might consider a simple farm shed to provide rudimentary accommodation on a different part of the site from the previous scheme. They had already erected a large machinery shed with solar panels and rainwater collection tanks uphill from where we agreed a very simple adaptation of a hayshed might occur.
n our discussions we noted the primary requirement in rural and outback Australia for shelter - a roof parasol that provides some shade and protection from the rain as well as a place to enjoy outdoor activities - cooking, eating and engaging with and framing the spectacular landscape that exists on this particular site.

In the end we adapted a hayshed structure and modified it by including a translucent roofing material for light and adapting some industrial walkway grating to make a louvre for shade. Two translucent 'sheds' are positioned to the east end of a monolithic concrete plinth - one shed for cooking and eating and the other for sleeping and ablutions.
​
Two houses by Riken Yamamoto and Field Shop - Yamakawa Cottage (1976) and the Ishii house (1977) - disassemble conventional residential programmes and then reassemble them in a highly creative way. I remember being intrigued by these projects as a young architect. In the case of the Yamakawa Cottage the functional programme is distributed in an ordered and logical way across a single level timber platform.

​This highly poetic scattering of spaces is controlled by a large shallow gable roof which shelters not only the rooms but the outdoor or 'other' space in the building. This 'other' space is intriguing to me and I certainly had the Yamakawa Cottage in mind when I designed this shack in the rocks. 

Rounded-edge furniture and curvaceous interior architecture create a comforting, tactile design aesthetic. Rounded furniture makes it possible to fashion layouts with a soft and easy flow, no matter what the size of the room. In compact spaces, rounded edges are the perfect solution for avoiding awkward corners and knocked shins. In a large living space, a curved furniture piece can make a distinct and eye-catching focal point. These smooth individuals work beautifully when teamed with elegant architectural arches, round feature windows and snaking partition walls for a cohesive theme. Alternatively, sharp geometric outlines can make a crisply contrasting option. 

There is something, oh-so-very soothing about this space - and mostly as a result of the sinuous, sensuous, curvaceousness of the furniture. It is all appropriate - it all speaks the same language and the same dialect. And more than anything else it just all feels effortless - chill, hang out, lounge easy......
I think I could do that here - how about you?

Apple Converts 1920s Downtown LA Theatre
into Show-stopping Store

by Elly Parsons

Apple Tower Theater in downtown Los Angeles brings the roaring 20s into the 2020s
​
Apple has raised the curtain on its new Los Angeles flagship, Apple Tower Theater. Open from Thursday (24 June 2021), the historic art deco theatre has been painstakingly renovated into a creative hub for the 21st century, that echoes Apple’s global commitment to historical renovation.

A short history of Tower Theater

Opened in 1927, beloved local landmark Tower Theater has quite a history. Designed by renowned theatre architect S. Charles Lee, in what was his very first project of its kind, the first film showed was comedy The Gingham Girl. After entertaining LA for over half a century, Tower Theater finally closed its doors in 1988, becoming a protected piece of architecture the following year.

In its glorious heyday, the historic Broadway theatre district in downtown LA would have been ‘the place to go; full of life’, says Stefan Behling, senior executive partner at Foster + Partners, longtime Apple design collaborator. He continues, ‘The area has since retained its edge, and relation to the arts.’

Apple: The Sequel
Working with a team of preservationists, the Apple design team, alongside a taskforce of local artisans and craftspeople, used innovative techniques like 3D laser scans and forensic paint studies to understand and replicate the original colours and textures found in the old theatre. More traditional techniques were used too, including ‘tipping’, a stippling method used to prevent brush marks. ‘This project has been a true labour of love,’ says Doo Ho Lee, director of retail design at Apple.

‘Everything was covered in this delicious brown,’ says Behling, of the long-shuttered space, pre-renovation. Though the nicotine sheen gave a certain charm to the art deco crystal chandelier, it certainly dazzles now, since being lovingly cleaned in a process that took months of work and dedication. ‘You have to approach the restoration as you would approach the restoration of an old master painting, carefully peeling back the brine’.

Detailed bronze elements were discovered throughout, nowhere more impressively than the lobby staircase, the glamorous bronze handrail of which steals focus. Glance up, and a once cherub-filled ceiling mural has been toned down with a more minimalist blue-sky-and-cloud painting, created to mirror the California sky beyond. Elsewhere, plush leather seating is similar to that of the theatre in Apple Park, while also nodding to the cinema-style seating that archival photographs reveal once occupied the space.

Design collaboration
Despite designing during a pandemic, which forced many of the conversations online, the 12-year-long creative relationship between Foster + Partners and Apple continues to showcase results. ‘Apple will go all the way with the design details of a space; they treat their store design with the same love and care as they do a product,’ says Behling.

As well as a collaboration between Apple and Fosters + Partners, there’s a sense that this is also a form of partnership with original architect S. Charles Lee, whom Behling refers to as ‘my esteemed colleague’. ‘We always ask, "What would the original architect think?"’ As with all contemporary Apple retail architecture which is housed in historic buildings (see Washington DC, Rome, and Paris examples) preserving the charm of the original space is of great importance.

Introducing Today at Apple Creative Studios LA
Using the new downtown Los Angeles flagship as its first base (before rolling out in Apple stores in locations globally), a new community-centric initiative developed by the Today at Apple programme is also launching. The project will provide hands-on experience and mentorship to young creatives.

In collaboration with the nonprofit Music Forward Foundation, as well as Inner-City Arts and the Social Justice Learning Institute, Creative Studios LA will provide access to technology, creative resources, and hands-on experience, along with a platform to elevate and amplify up-and-coming talents’ stories over nine weeks of free programming. Noah Humes and his mentor, Maurice Harris – two artists who worked on a mural that spans one exterior wall of Tower Theater – will teach a virtual session.

10-Story Apartment Building
​Assembled in 1 Day


Broad Sustainable Building is at it again with its new 5D folding modular system
​
By Lloyd Alter

Broad Sustainable Building has been developing factory-built structures since 2009, usually with headlines noting a hotel was built in a week or an office tower in a month. However, this is the first time we have ever seen a 10-story building put together in just one day. Turn down your sound (for some reason the soundtrack is a version of Scarborough Fair, made famous by Simon and Garfunkel, and it doesn't work for me) and watch the video:

It is built with the company's latest 5D system that has the advantages of shipping container housing: It can be transported inexpensively using standard shipping container handling equipment—at least when shipping prices get back to relative normality. But it does not have the hopelessly limiting interior dimensions of shipping containers, because walls and floors fold out to double their width, resulting in a clear span of 39.3 feet by 15.75 feet by 9 feet high. Treehugger has shown this system before, but never in a building this tall.

This offers the best of both modular and panelized worlds. Because half of the unit is shipped in 3D form, one can have the kitchens, baths, and mechanical systems all in place, without shipping a lot of air for bedrooms and living spaces, which are in the foldout sides. Broad explains:

"Floors, walls, windows, and glass; electrical and mechanical equipment; AC and DC power, lighting, water supply, and drainage; as well as sanitary facilities, are all completed in the factory before transport. Because 95% of the producer is preassembled, there is minimal work to be done on site. After bolts are tightly connected, and water supply and drainage among modules and electricity are ready, the structure can be occupied immediately."

It's all done in the factory
Broad has developed a series of building systems, and a well-known structural engineer once told Treehugger the only reason these buildings got built so quickly was that Broad threw so many people at them and made them work all night. But the 5B system is built almost entirely in the factory; the only thing done on-site is the unfolding of the walls and making the connections. Engineer Brian Potter of Construction Physics is not thrilled with the B-Core stainless steel panel system, but when it comes to the 5B:

"I actually find this system fairly compelling. It’s arranged for long-distance shipping intelligently, maximizing the amount square footage shipped in smart ways (folding) without adding a ton of extra complexity or field work. It doesn’t allow the layout to change for future use, but it is theoretically demountable and movable. It’s highly repetitive, making large-volume production easier - it actually resembles the “kit of parts'' idea, an endlessly alluring concept in building design where a relatively small number of basic components gets combined in a variety of building configurations."
It is indeed compelling, combining the economy of containerized shipping, the 3D configuration of modular construction, and the space-saving benefits of panelized construction, picking and choosing the best of these different systems.

And hey, you can buy an entire 20 unit apartment building for less than the cost of a modest house in San Francisco or Toronto—shipping not included. Who wouldn't find that compelling?

G'wan wit' ya!
Ya cain't be serious like. . . .
Is this sumpin' like that black magic stuff?
 

You mean to tell me it's really a desk inside a closet like an accordion?
Yup!
Exactamundo. . . . . . . .

THIS SLIM WALL CABINET OPENS INTO A SLEEK, MODERN, FUNCTIONAL WORKSPACE!
BY Ruchi Thukral  06/11/2021

As a child, every time I opened a wall cabinet or wardrobe I expected to find an entry to Narnia. As an adult who is working from home for over a year, I expect to open a wall cabinet or wardrobe and find a home office. Turns out dreams do come true because Nils Holger Moorman has designed ‘der Vorstand’ – a slim wall cabinet that hides a functional home office!

​The black slender cabinet opens into a multifunctional work setup that creates a space for productivity while respecting your interior layout. The minimal structure features a back wall on wheels that rolls out with a simple pull and just like a pop-up book you get a work desk that comes with integrated bookshelves and a top light. The convenient workstation maximizes your floor space and minimizes distractions. The fold-out ceiling creates a sense of a private cabin with essentials. The back wall is mounted on wheels for effortless movement with a magnetic exterior. Every element has its designated place which is a Moorman design principle – from pens to the books, even electronic devices can be charged with hidden cables which helps maintain a clean visual aesthetic. You can also add a curtain to the side and the ceiling light can be adjusted to suit your needs.

Fun fact: ‘der Vorstand was initially made to be submitted to a design competition and now the winning model become a popular (and much needed!) independent room-in-room solution. Surfaces and materials are reduced to the basics – solid ash wood and light beige linoleum are used where hands and eyes rest/work in concentration; while black surfaces and quiet restraint are used where nothing should be distracting. Every detail is thoughtfully designed for storing, cabling, and locking the fold-out mechanism that stands for integrity and performance.

​“We are in search of furniture creations based on a special idea. Sometimes absurd, sometimes brilliant, sometimes a detail, sometimes a revolution. Typically a minimalist formal language with a high level of experience – but always with a subtle twinkle in the eye,” says the Moorman team. Think of ‘der Vorstand’ as a sleek convertible meets a minimal office pod to give you the best of functionality in an elegant form.

Designer: Nils Holger Moorman

Hello all. . . . .

Days of the month, months of the year : : tomorrow, June 1st, 2021.
Is today a 'corner' day? As in, turning a corner? As in are we now, or soon, to resurrect normalcy?
In some senses, normal will never be, normal again.

Love this : : there is NoNormal - NotNo more.

So true these past 16 months or so. 
I, sense change - but I sense nervous change. How long will it take until we no longer 'look over our shoulders', conditioned to the possible onset of yet another viral hybrid - one even worse that he others. There have been recent reports of new and frightening avian flus being discovered in research centres.

Horrifying - feels like 'ALIEN', the movie. Remember that?

I have been accused of being, shall we say, hysterical, in some of my concerns. But here's the deal - for the rest of my life (maybe another 20 - 25 years if I'm really lucky) - I will never completely relax my personal vigilance in regards to new and frightening invaders lurking just beyond the dark rim of the horizon.

​Better safe, than sorry  . . . .    .        .           .             .

EMBASSY GARDENS : : Suspended 35m in the air, the Sky Pool has captured imaginations across London and far beyond. The world’s first floating pool is exclusively for Embassy Gardens residents and their guests.
This crystal clear, 25-metre-long pool seems to float in the air. Dive in and there’s nothing but clarity between you and the world below. There’s no other pool in the world like the Sky Pool.

​Embassy Gardens is putting all rooftop pools to shame with the unveiling of its Sky Pool. Anchored between two 10-story buildings, the 82-foot-long, 10-foot deep swimming pool is suspended 110 feet off the ground. its constructed from possibly the world's largest single piece of load-bearing acrylic, creating a transparent basin that appears to magically float in the air. Swimmers will get a full view of the streets below as they take laps, as well as glimpses of the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, and the Thames at night. Opening soon, the Sky pool will be available to Embassy Gardens residents with Eagle Club memberships and their guests.

Photos: Embassy Gardens

Text description provided by the architects. (From ArchDaily.com)
​        This project was born as a holiday home on the coast. The two cabins for two people each are located in Matanzas, Navidad, approximately 2 ½ hours from Santiago. Placed 80 meters above sea level on the Lagunilla hill, the cabins rise in front of the “Lobera”, a large rock mass jutting out of the sea, home to sea lions and other native species.
Matanzas has become a world capital for Windsurfing and Kitesurfing, thanks to its outstanding wind and wave conditions. Both these elements were purposefully incorporated into the development of the project. 

The design process was conceived as an opportunity for experimentation, looking for a way to both ‘dominate’ the steep slope and blend in with the surrounding nature.

​“La Loica” & “La Tagua”, both named after bird species native to the region, are placed on the ravine using a wooden pilon structure that supports the main platform, over which the programme is developed. 

Each structure is resolved in few square meters, 20m2 for “La Loica”, and 25m2 for “La Tagua”.

A large loft connects the interior premises both visually and spatially. The dining room, bathroom, and kitchen are laid out on the access level, using furniture that merges with the architecture, to optimize space. Large windows are mounted on the western façades, enhancing the feeling of ‘hovering over the ocean, dominating the horizon.

In both cabins, the master bedroom is located on the upper level and can be accessed using a vertical ladder. The bedroom is connected with the rest of the space through the double-height living room, a disposition that seeks to frame and direct the view, pointing towards the wooded hills to the south, and the rocky “Lobera” to the north.

​The access doors on each cabin can be opened wide into the northern façade terraces, as a way to connect and interact with the exterior, and ultimately extend the interior spaces. This also allows the main structure to act as a shield against the strong winds coming from the southwest, consolidating the terrace viewpoint.

Both buildings are built entirely in wood, using impregnated, chamber-dried pine on the main structures to improve long-term performance. For the interior finish ½”x 3” pine board was used, and the exterior timber cladding was manufactured from reclaimed oak sleepers. This inert material was treated with petroleum oils, which provides stability and resistance against marine corrosion, and gives it a look that blends in with the landscape.

Some very good advice:
 ‘It’s important to have good communication between designer and client from the start. A clear brief should be agreed up front and then a detailed proposal with costs should follow, so that all parties are clear on how and when the project will be achieved and what it will cost,’
advises Gilly Craft, the president of the British Institute of Interior Design

If you’ve ever tried photographing the moon with your smartphone camera, you know what a terrible job it does. Smartphones, as incredible as they are, just aren’t good for long-distance shots like the moon… which is why TikTok users have apparently taken to using Moon Lamps instead. A Moon Lamp is much easier to photograph since it’s closer to you, and with a little visual trickery, it can look exactly like the real deal! Besides, when you’re not photographing away at it, it serves as a neat ambient room light too!
Dim the lights and switch the Gingko Smart Moon Lamp on and it quite literally looks like you’ve got a supermoon inside your home! Its gravity-defying levitating design completes the illusion, creating a pretty remarkable-looking prop that’s great for decor as well as photography! The floating moon comes 3D printed from translucent PLA, complete with craters and undulating surface details to make it look like the real thing, and it floats on its base too, gently rotating as a planetary object would. 140mm (5.5 inches) in diameter, the moon floats on a wooden base made of dark walnut or light ash wood, suspended in place by a strong rare-earth magnet. It comes with built-in LEDs that give the moon its signature glow, with 3 light temperatures to choose from – warm white (3500k) and white (5000k), and a special yellow warm (2700k) for that rare blood moon effect!
Each Smart Moon Lamp comes with its base and a 12V- 1A AD adapter to power the entire experience. Plus, Gingko offers a cool 2-year warranty that should quite literally send you ‘over the moon!’
Designer: Gingko Design
Click Here to Buy Now: $175.

​The elevated topography of Little Island was designed to create a sense of escape from Manhattan, according to designer Thomas Heatherwick in this interview with Dezeen.

Designed in partnership with global engineering firm Arup and landscape architects MNLA, Little Island rests on 132 concrete columns over the Hudson River near New York City's Meatpacking District. It opened to the public last week.

Heatherwick was originally asked to design a pavilion for a traditional flat pier, but his studio pitched the idea for an undulating island away from the mainland.

By building a park out over the Hudson, accessible only by gangplank-style bridges, Heatherwick hopes visitors can experience "the feeling of actually leaving Manhattan behind".

​"[It's] somewhere that would give a sort of emotional permission to look back at New York from somewhere other than New York," he told Dezeen.

Originally called Pier 55, the park sits near the remains of Pier 54. The historic structure, where survivors of the Titanic disembarked in 1912, is now reduced to clusters of wooden piles sticking out of the water.

Little Island's design was informed by "ghost piers" such as this, according to Heatherwick.

"Normally there's a lid put over them," he said. "The reason that the old piers are interesting is that they've had the lid lifted away and that exposes these piles."

Little Island's forest of concrete columns pays homage to these structures by making a feature out of its undergirding, Heatherwick said.

"We let the piles that we need to have become the containers for the earth and plant material," he explained. "It was our version of minimalism, to not add another ingredient, we just focus on that one ingredient."

​Little Island design altered after Hurricane Sandy

According to Heatherwick, Little Island was originally going to be built closer to the water.

However, the design was altered after Heatherwick and his team presented early designs for the structure on the day in 2012 that Hurricane Sandy hit New York, engulfing parts of the city in a deadly storm surge.

"As we walked out for the presentation, the wind was growing, the rain was increasing," Heatherwick recalled. "That night, the flooding really kicked in and did further damage to Pier 54, which was where it was originally planned for the project to go."

"It gave an extra mandate to strengthen any new structure being built extremely sturdily and lifting it that bit further from the water level to ensure that its chances of being flooded are hugely reduced," he added.

Little Island was raised around 13 feet (four metres) further above the waterline in response, Heatherwick estimates. The design team embraced this change, he said, exaggerating the elevation to capitalise on the sense of separation from the mainland.

Glad you asked! Here’s a few basics to get you started.What is a QR Code?QR Code is a two-dimensional version of the barcode, typically made up of black and white pixel patterns. Denso Wave, a Japanese subsidiary of the Toyota supplier Denso, developed them for marking components in order to accelerate logistics processes for their automobile production. Now, it has found its way into mobile marketing with the widespread adoption of smartphones. "QR" stands for "Quick Response", which refers to the instant access to the information hidden in the Code.

​What is a QR Code and how does it work?The quick response, or QR, Code is a two-dimensional version of the Barcode able to convey a wide variety of information almost instantly with the scan of a mobile device.

Able to store up to 7089 digits or 4296 characters, including punctuation marks and special characters, the Code can equally encode words and phrases such as internet addresses. One thing to always keep in mind, especially when it comes to designing the Static QR Codes aesthetic is that the more data is added, the more the size increases and its structure becomes more complex.

Even when damaged, the QR Code’s structure data keys include duplications. It is thanks to these redundancies that allow up to 30% of the Code structure to take damage without affecting its readability on scanners.

The QR Code: A brief history. In 1994, DENSO WAVE, a subsidiary manufacturing company, required a better, faster, stronger technology to the Barcode to process higher amounts of characters and to aid them in tracking vehicles and parts. Masahiro Hara with a team of two, undertook the task of developing what we now know and recognize as the QR Code.

Some of the most challenging problems for Hara and his team were figuring out a way to make 2D codes read as fast as possible, while preventing false recognition once the shape of the position detection pattern was added. It needed to be unique, which meant the development team spent the better part of a year doing a survey of the white to black areas’ ratio after reducing them to patterns on printed material. The results? They identified the ideal ratio as 1:1:3:1:1.

By identifying this number, they were able to determine the black and white areas in the position detection pattern which enabled the Code to be detected regardless of the scanning angle. In short, this unique ratio simply meant you could scan it from up, down, left or right.

Though the initially targeted field for QR Code use was the manufacturing industry, with the rise of smartphone use and the fact that it remained without a patent meant it became an open-source technology, available to anyone and everyone.
​
You can now find QR Codes stylishly delivering great amounts of information and redefining the print to digital marketing scene.

- Darktable - free
Affinity Photo - $50.00 desktop $20 iPad
Luminar 4- $89.00
Pixelmator Pro $40.00
GIMP- Free
Photopea-  Free

• • • are generally not without, pain, yes?

And, yes, I imply the word 'panes' purposefully.

Why? We understand panes to be generally panes of glass, as in windows. Windows suggest vision or views - perhaps even viewpoints. Views then also suggest horizons - seen as one gazes through the panes that enclose us, even protect and shelter us from winds, rains, sleet, etcetera.

Thus, it is that - and thus it purposeful as we gingerly feel our way back outwards and ever so cautiously towards normalcy. Is it too much, or perhaps too soon, to allow ourselves to hope for such? No one has that answer - that is the one known fact. 'Steady as she goes', 
    What means that? - is a logical question. By definition, 
Describing someone or something that is progressing in a stable manner. This nautical phrase was originally used in reference to a ship that was sailing steadily. (Ships were traditionally referred to as female.)

And so, we do know, that all of us - globally, are more than just a little bit hopeful that our lives - our families, our friends, will once again revert to normal orbits. 

​Wait, and, see  . . . . . . . . . . 

We will, wait - and we will          see.

Over the course of these past months there have been many opinions about the overall effects of the pandemic in regards to the seriousness of the financial impact, the resulting economic fallout.
One of the least talked about topics has been, what is happening, what is going to happen to all the commercial office spaces that are now sitting, dormantly vacant. 
Not abandoned - not as yet - but empty, largely, of people, workers. Many such premises are restricted to a maximum staff presence of 25%. All for good and understandable reasons.
But - what happens next. There is, a next - an ominous next. I have been trumpeting, for much of the last year, the need to be aware of and become familiar with the dire situation regarding commercial properties. In part, for us all to understand that the long-term repercussions of this tragedy will have effects lasting generations in that the core of our cities will irretrievably be changed - that major office towers will sit, mostly empty. There needs to be a strategy to develop a plan for the use, the alternative re-purposing of all that empty space. Frankly, building owners, landlords are quite likely going to soon declare bankruptcy. They cannot possibly susrtain the ongoing costs of supporting non-performing cost centers. And then what? Honestly, no one in the real estate world has any kind of an answer.

But the core article was prompted by this in the March 21st Forbes issue:

Ford Gives 30,000 Employees The Option To
​Work From Home Permanently      by  Stephanie Sarki

As the ensuing analysis reveals, the abandonment of millions and millions of square feet of commercial office space is, the unseen 'elephant in the room.' 

Insofar as this is a very complex subject, the complete article I have written is
​ contained on this linked page : :

• • • and speaking of ships, how about this one?

​Benetti Yachts
M/Y Lana Is Longer Than a Football Field

Socially distance in style on board Benetti’s magnificent new 107-metre gigayacht.

​It’s always good to get away from it all, and it’s even better if you can do that in over-the-top luxury and style. So what better way to beat the COVID blahs than spending a bit of time socially distancing aboard the M/Y Lana—a majestic 107-metre gigayacht.

Swimming pool? Check. Beach club? You betcha. Sweetheart of a wine cellar? Yup. Spa? Absolutely. That’s because Lana is a veritable floating palace with every imaginable luxury, and it can be all yours on charter for a mere €1.7 million or around $2.5 million Canadian per week.

Completed in 2019 and crowned 2020 yacht of the year at the World Yacht Trophies in Cannes last September, the Benetti-built gigayacht utilizes a “supercruiser” design by naval architect Pierluigi Ausonio, with an emphasis on efficient long-haul travel across the oceans of the world. Powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce 2,800-kilowatt engines that push the vessel to a top speed of 18.5 knots, Lana still cruises comfortably at 16 knots for up to 5,500 nautical miles between fuel stops—enough to travel nonstop from Vancouver to Tahiti or from Toronto to Rome. And do it all in superlative comfort.
Longer than a football field and a full five decks high, there’s no shortage of personal space for guests onboard Lana. A total of eight luxurious VIP staterooms accommodate a total of just 12 guests, while a crew of 33—including a master chef and a masseuse—caters to their every need right around the clock.
Lana’s fresh and contemporary interior showcases exquisite design work in a sophisticated, modern palette, keeping with the yacht’s sleek white hull and stylish plumb bow. Generous ceiling heights of 2.7 metres throughout combine with a luxurious 14.4-metre beam to further augment that exaggerated sense of space and scale.

​The main deck is highlighted by an inviting salon with enormous floor-to-ceiling windows and multiple large sofas, creating an ideal environment for conversation while watching the world drift by or enjoying a movie on the high-definition widescreen TV. Aft of the salon, a wonderful cockpit lounge with even larger sofas, a huge coffee table, and eye-popping wrap-around views invites relaxation. Feel like an after-dinner stroll? Lana’s wide promenade circles all the way around the main deck, providing an ideal place to take that evening passeggiata.

When it’s time to come inside and unwind over a film, guests can either relax in the salon or head to the on-board cinema, complete with an audiophile surround sound system and a range of oversized armchairs and sofas that take movie night to an entirely new level. There’s even a grand piano for pre- and postfilm entertainment.
Adjacent to the salon is the main deck foyer with its magnificent spiral staircase leading to Lana’s formal dining area. If you feel like dining al fresco, then head up that spiral staircase to the sundeck, where there is a large swimming pool located forward, a spacious sundeck far aft, and a second dining space in between, dominated by a magnificent hand-sculpted onyx table.

Guest accommodation is located far forward back on the main deck, with seven VIP staterooms each tastefully appointed with its own unique style and decor. Massive windows with one-way glass allow breathtaking views without forsaking privacy.
​
The owner’s suite occupies much of the upper deck, accessed via a pair of private staircases. Stretching the full 14-metre width of the vessel, the suite is exceptionally spacious, bright, and airy, creating an instantly homey and welcoming space. Elegant wood panelling and a range of modern objects d’art bring further warmth to the suite and the adjoining owner’s lounge, which provides an ideal spot for a relaxing nightcap or that first cup of coffee in the morning.

Möbius,  influenced by water and ideas of eternity, the double-ended Möbius sofa by Lauren Colquhoun for Bazaar offers space for two people to sit and contemplate.

Colquhoun, an interior designer, originally created the Möbius loveseat for a London riverside project by design studio Accouter.

The riverside setting led Colquhoun to consider symbols of flow and eternity, which in turn led to the möbius strip — a band with one edge and one side that is non-orientable.

​It is available exclusively through Bazaar London.

Product: Möbius
Designer: Lauren Colquhoun
Brand: Bazaar
Contact: veronica@bazaar-london.com

tahhhh!  mexico!  personally, have been to mexico only once - and that was to Cancun.....a different kind of mexico.

This kind of Mexico is the realDeal, I think

TACO Architects took this tiny little hacienda and converted it into a most charming village restaurant.

​Mexican architecture firm TACO taller de arquitectura contextual has converted a small rural house into a restaurant and place that can serve for multi-use facilities for the local community in Mérida, Mexico.

Named Al Modar Founders Pavilion, the 75-square-metre building, which is also described as a pavilion, is located in one of the corners that contain the foundational square of Cholul, a community of pre-Hispanic origin belonging to the city of Mérida, southeast of Mexico.

The goal of the project was to create "a casual, cool and relaxed meeting place where users could live a sensory experience through coffee, food, nature, the built environment and social interaction," as the studio highlighted.

"This received a modification 25 years before, in which the original roof and openings were lost." 

The architects demolished the added covers and recovered the original structure of the stone masonry walls, which were prepared to support a double-height reinforced concrete barrel vault over the main access.

​The main access is extended to the covered area as well as a flat slab over the service area that supports an open terrace at the top, from which a new way of appreciating the public square is generated. 

The two-storey house contains a small secondary floor and an outdoor stair climbing up to a small terrace. The terrace also includes service tables for customers. Inside of the restaurant, guests can see a large clerestory which has a double height with vaulted part. 

"In the overlapping of the slabs, a north-facing window is created that evacuates the hot air, introduces light and frames views towards the treetops," added the firm. 

"Both the vault and the murals on the façade, made from the scraping of layers of paint that it has received during its history, refer to the vault and characteristic murals of the 16th century Church, cataloged as a Historical Monument, that is located in front of the building."

"85% of the tables are outdoors due to sanitary dispositions." 
"These are divided between the backyard and the raised terrace. The interior space works with cross ventilation and is made up of a small area for diners, the service bar, the toilets and the storage and support areas," added the studio.

For material choice, the studio used materials that are warm and simple referring to the character of rural Yucatecan architecture. The studio preserved and restored the stucco paintings of the original walls

The interior floors are made of devastated white concrete with ecocrete joints to release moisture from the floor. Non-slip hammered concrete floor was laid on the raised terrace and staircase. 

The architects created a leveling for the backyard with local walkable and permeable gravel. "In the same way, blacksmithing elements with encapsulated oxide, stainless steel, apparent concrete lattice, stone blocks from the region, transparent glass and yellow screen-printed glass were used," the team added.

The studio used cedar hardwood and regional Tzalam for doors and tables (respectively) while the chairs were made of white plastic. The landscaping takes cues from the aesthetics of Mayan plots that stimulates the senses. 

"The plant proposal dignifies the pre-existing trees and is consolidated by means of concrete pots, produced in the locality with endemic vegetation, concrete benches attached to the stone low walls and a water garden with a recirculation fountain," added the architects.

Project name: Al Modar Founders Pavilion

Architects: TACO taller de arquitectura contextual
Location: Mérida, Mexico.
Size: 75m2 
Date: 2021                                             All images © Leo Espinosa

From WALLPAPER
 : : BY JONATHAN BELL  -  Transport & Technology Editor
In the two years since Ian Callum left his post as director of design at Jaguar, the Scottish designer has had to contend with a lot. Launching a new design agency in the teeth of the pandemic was his first challenge. Seeing his beloved alma mater pivot away from the design direction he was instrumental in defining has also been tough to watch from the sidelines. His new agency, CALLUM Designs, is free from the complexities that can come with working for a major car company.
That’s not to say that the new agency is a free for all. CALLUM’s first project harked back to pre-Jaguar days, and the first-generation Aston Martin Vanquish, one of Ian Callum’s most famous car designs. The result was a limited edition that revisited the Vanquish with fresh eyes, new technology and a new level of sophistication. Although it’s still finding its feet in an uncertain working landscape, Callum and his team have several other projects on the go, including the much-anticipated Kincsem ‘Hyper-GT’, as well as a design for Prodrive’s BRX T1 desert racing car.

​In the two years since Ian Callum left his post as director of design at Jaguar, the Scottish designer has had to contend with a lot. Launching a new design agency in the teeth of the pandemic was his first challenge. Seeing his beloved alma mater pivot away from the design direction he was instrumental in defining has also been tough to watch from the sidelines. His new agency, CALLUM Designs, is free from the complexities that can come with working for a major car company.
That’s not to say that the new agency is a free for all. CALLUM’s first project harked back to pre-Jaguar days, and the first-generation Aston Martin Vanquish, one of Ian Callum’s most famous car designs. The result was a limited edition that revisited the Vanquish with fresh eyes, new technology and a new level of sophistication. Although it’s still finding its feet in an uncertain working landscape, Callum and his team have several other projects on the go, including the much-anticipated Kincsem ‘Hyper-GT’, as well as a design for Prodrive’s BRX T1 desert racing car.

From cars to chairs
The company is also keen to go beyond automotive design and we spoke to Callum and creative designer Aleck Jones, about their next steps. Callum spent much of 2020 working remotely from his home in Scotland but the team is slowly getting back to their Warwickshire HQ. ‘Most creatives are people people – we like to communicate,’ the designer admits over the ubiquitous Zoom link. Even when they’re back at full strength, it’ll still be a relatively small outfit. ‘This studio size is right for me now,’ says Callum. ‘Our team are much younger than me, and maybe my objectives are a bit different to theirs – but I just want to do things I enjoy.’ 

Which is it? Look a little further before you make a decision - and answer this question honestly.

Could you live here?

Let's examine what we see. An A-frame structure, virtually free-floating in space. No part of this house actually touches the earth. It's a space capsule, more or less.
​The whole dwelling is suspended by heavy duty cabling from the monolithic structural wall at the cliff edge. Note the suspended 'deck'- everything is transparent.

THIS DAREDEVIL HIDEAWAY CABIN DEFIES GRAVITY USING FIVE SUPPORT
CABLES FOR THE ULTIMATE THRILLING EXPERIENCE!
BY SHAWN MCNULTY-KOWAL  04/29/2021

​Milad Eshtiyaghi, an international architect based in Iran, designs escapist dream homes stationed in faraway cliffs and shorelines to evoke feelings of wanderlust and nostalgia. Committed to sustainability and green design, Eshtiyaghi’s buildings typically gleam with a minimalist polish, offering a striking contrast to the epic environments where Eshtiyaghi chooses to place them. Milad Eshtiyaghi aimed to achieve this same air of duality with Suspended House, a reinterpreted A-frame cabin that hangs off a California cliffside with the help of five high-tensile support cables.

​Peeking out from the cliffs of Mendocino, California, Suspended House hovers in midair. In his rendering, Eshtiyaghi conceptualized Suspended House after choosing its cliffside location. To ensure that the structure would hold tight and remain in place, Eshtiyaghi looked to using five high-tensile support cables and a large foundation mast. The large mast works by balancing the forces of gravity and gently ‘tugging’ the A-frame cabin towards the mast for it to remain upright. In addition to the large foundation mast, five high-tensile support cables securely lodge the cabin in place from all sides.

​The land-locked parts of Suspended House remain stable in place and offer a cozy respite from the more daunting facades of Suspended House. For the most part, the entire cabin remains on solid ground except for a hanging living area, left dangling above the Pacific. The living area’s glass floor and furniture only work to steepen this daredevil’s hideaway and turn it into an oasis for those braver than the faint of heart. Sitting near the precipice of the glass floor, hanging above the ocean’s floor, guests can take it one step further and play on the cabin’s swing to soar over the Pacific.

Furniture brands Herman Miller and Knoll announce merger
   by Cajsa Carlson ​                     

​Furniture brand Herman Miller is acquiring fellow manufacturer Knoll in a transaction that will see the two American design companies combined into one.

Herman Miller is set to acquire Knoll in a cash and stock transaction valued at $1.8 billion that has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies, the brands announced on a new, combined website.

Merger to create "leader in modern design"

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021. When completed, Herman Miller shareholders will own approximately 78 per cent of the combined company. Knoll shareholders will own approximately 22 per cent.

The merger will create the "preeminent leader in modern design," the two brands claimed in the release. Between them, Herman Miller and Knoll have 19 brands and a presence in more than 100 countries.

Both companies have a number of iconic designs under their umbrellas, with Herman Miller producing the Eames lounge chair and the Aeron chair by Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick. Knoll has Marcel Breuer's Wassily chair and Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich's Barcelona chair.

"This transaction brings together two pioneering icons of design with strong businesses, attractive portfolios and long histories of innovation," said Herman Miller CEO Andi Owen.

"As distributed working models become the new normal for companies, businesses are reimagining the office to foster collaboration, culture and focused work, while supporting a growing remote employee base. At the same time, consumers are making significant investments in their homes," she added.

"With a broad portfolio, global footprint and advanced digital capabilities, we will be poised to meet our customers everywhere they live and work."

Expected annual revenue of $3.6 billion

The coronavirus pandemic was one factor in the merger, with the companies explaining that it will allow them to "catalyse the transformation of the home and office at a time of unprecedented disruption".

The brands said the merger will also create a broader product portfolio, build on Herman Miller's digital transformation to expand the new company's digital capabilities, and deliver "significant financial benefits".

Within two years of its closing, the deal is expected to generate $100 million of run-rate cost synergies, savings that occur when duplicate costs for two companies – such as supply chain costs – are merged.

The combined company will have projected annual revenue of approximately $3.6 billion and projected adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) of approximately $552 million, based on the two brands' last financial reports as well as the cost synergies.

It will be led by Owen, who will serve as its president and CEO. Knoll chairman and CEO Andrew Cogan will leave the company when the transaction closes.

​Text description provided by the architects.
The project aims to create an invisible path that stretches into the forest from the edge of the city. Conforming to the origin terrain, the path meanders freely along the sleepers and the big tree. The old container building opens through the path, and the uncertainty of the boundary permeates with surrounding environment instantly.

People, sunlight and air jointly flow in this natural place.This is a single but not monotonous space. The coffee shop is converted from old containers using the rust iron that corresponds to the original material, and the continuously extending bar completely presents the barista’s posture. The free flow of these elements give the shop a unique appearance.Through the creation of individual terrains and the creation of tiny corners, we would like to create a special walking experience like in the nature, carrying out a rich and diverse spatial experience.A path of “feeling”, extending from the street of the city.

​From the moment of slipping in, the scenery along the path is the emphasis we care. Taking advantage of the subtle changes between the continuums, we make the nature becomes more plentiful.

YUP!

That be   s n o w ! Today, 04/21/21

​Ahhh,  SPRING -  

I love circular house designs, they are so out of the box…literally! Usually, I see them in cabins and rarely at a larger scale but Circle Wood by Mobius Architekci has taken it to the next level. This stunning circular home is clad in okume wood which was chosen to make the structure blend into the surrounding pine forest. The Warsaw-based architectural firm drew inspiration from a large cut tree trunk for the shape of the home.

Circle wood is a 400 sqm building complete with an overhanging oval frame that encloses the garage as well as an open spa area – all very well ’rounded up’ so the zones seamlessly flow into one another. Every part of the design from its form, the material, and the color palette was carefully chosen so that it would merge into the landscape and also offer privacy to the residents. The exterior features elegant and knotless panels of okume wood that were sourced from West Africa. This choice of cladding material was also instrumental in making the residence naturally blend into the pine forest.

“I thought of the house as a big piece of a tree trunk. Designing through reduction looked like hewing pockets of rooms and cozy, semi-private, glazed alcoves into the wood. Consequently, users can feel as if they are continuously strolling through the trees. It is full of glazing that blurs the boundaries. The plot offers the freedom, or rather intimacy of communing with nature and architecture,”
said Przemek Olczyk, lead architect and founder of Mobius Architekci.

The modern home has been designed for an art lover and collector who did not wish to hide away from the surroundings but also wanted it to be an intimate space. The interiors have been inspired by the flow of a private art gallery. Every element was picked out keeping the beauty of nature in mind so that it would complement the location while creating a visual harmony between the outside and inside. One of the most beautiful parts of this house is the central atrium which rises up towards the sky and brings in plenty of daylight and forest views. Another striking piece in the house is the ribbon-like, white, gigantic staircase which adds to the artistic aesthetic. This is going on the list of my dream homes and if I ever happen to get one, you best believe ill be running in ‘circles’ around it!

Perhaps one of the most simple and smart details I’ve ever seen on furniture, Bjarke Ballisager’s Together and Apart Table uses a sawtooth cutout pattern to turn the unassuming wooden block into a table that can adjust its height on the fly! “The primary unit consists of two wedges that interlock at a saw-toothed surface, allowing them to fit together at any of many different levels”, says Ballisager, a New York-based designer and architect.

The two wedges, made out of solid white oak, can be interlocked in a variety of ways, allowing the product to function as a stool, laptop stand, or even a bedside table, thanks to its ability to match the height you need. The sawtooth design detail cleverly borrows from mechanisms like the rack and pinion, often seen in elevators, or even in the car’s steering system. What Together and Apart does is simplify them in a way that allows you to easily appreciate the mechanism’s workings while also marveling at how robust the locking is! Besides, given the sawtooth shape’s angular detail, it works in both landscape as well as portrait, allowing you to have a table that spans a variety of heights… just using two cleverly designed blocks of wood!

Designer:  ​ Bjarke Ballisager

Have you ever wished you had a way to print photos, documents, and notes on-the-go? This inkless printer is pocket-sized and connects to your smartphone, letting you print any of your mobile creations. Check out this blog post to find out how this printer can save you money and make you more organized.
​
You love your smartphone. But the photos, lists, and documents you create there just stay on the device, never seeing the light of day unless you access them on the screen or print. But since ink is so pricy, you’re likely to print only the essentials. But that’s about to change. The PoooliPrinter L1 Inkless Pocket Printer uses no ink whatsoever, and you can fill it with a variety of printer paper types for things like photos and sticky notes. This inkless printer gives you a physical copy of pretty much anything you’d like to actually hold in your hand.

The PoooliPrinter L1 looks like a cute bird with its beak, eye, and feather design. And the beak isn’t just for aesthetics. It’s a detachable magnet that you can use to display your notes, lists, art, and more. It comes in pastel color options like yellow, pink, blue, and green and the entire printer measures just 3.25 inches square. It’s a fun, whimsical design that’s sure to brighten your mood. But most of all, its size is portable, and fits easily in a handbag or backpack. This is ideal for creative professionals, small business owners, busy students, and parents. With these design elements in mind, let’s take a closer look at this cool new gadget.
​
How does this innovative printer work?
If you’re wondering how this printer prints without ink, you wouldn’t be alone. In fact, this inkless printer uses a process called inkless thermal printing to imprint the image of your choice on the specially designed paper rolls. So no ink is used, and you reduce costs. According to the company’s website, the printer supports black color printing, but with the pink and blue paper rolls, you can also print pink and blue.

​How does this portable printer connect and charge?
The PoooliPrinter L1 connects to your devices via Bluetooth with its free app. It has a Micro USB port and comes with a USB recharge cable. A full battery should last you for 24 hours. So you won’t have to constantly worry about recharging this inkless printer.

The PoooliPrinter L1 is an innovative printer, perfect for people on-the-go or who want to be more organized. Its thermal printing process is economical and fast, printing out photos, documents, notes, and more in mere seconds. The wide assortment of paper rolls gives you flexibility depending on what you want to print. Finally, the Poooli app makes editing your work easy and fun.

The PoooliPrinter L1 Inkless Pocket Printer costs $59.95, and you can buy it on the company’s official website. Would you use a portable, inkless printer? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.