Welcome friends, the final piece of HC2′s year in review showcase. We’ve seen some truly amazing designs this year, and while our 12 part series features the best and the brightest, admittedly it only scratches the surface. Today we’re proud to unveil our favourite artistes of 2010, while this category is one that we’ve included since our premiere year in review four years ago. Before you take a look at this year’s shining stars, please check out the best from 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Mike Mitchell loves Legos more than someone his age should, and spends as little time as possible writing bios about himself. While we’re captivated by his playful art, which features lovable characters such as Sponge Bob, Captain Planet, Stormtroopers as well as his own other demonic creations, we’re equally as fascinated and addicted to his blog. Admittedly his blog does not always feature his works, but it’s sure to make you laugh, cry, cringe, or something. His new online store has been a huge success, with many items selling out. Now if only we could decide which of his works we want to display in our HQ.
Lee Price paints extremely intimate scenes where people indulge in secret, unhealthy habits of consuming mass quantities of sugary, fatty and otherwise not so healthy foods foods. While some of the subjects are locked in bathrooms with massive quantities of junk food, others are surrounded by colourful towers of doughnuts. These are delicious but painful images of probable eating disorders in progress. That said, I can’t help but also feel a sense of youthfulness shine through in all of the images. Easily one of the best artists we came across last year.
Finally, allow me to re-introduce you to James Hopkins. James is best known for slyly transforming familiar objects, converting them into different items and nudging them towards a state that produces an unexpected response from those who behold them. From one perspective, characters appear recognizable with all their parts aligned. However, another viewpoint reveals their individual components, which are an abstract jumble of shapes and colour. Truly amazing.
Best Artiste of 2010
Best Photog of 2010
In our second last episode of our year in review series, we’re continuing a featured category which was new to the list last year, photographers. While we lauded the efforts of Michael Hughes, Jing Quek and Shannon Taggart in 2009, this year we’ve got a new trio of noteworthy photogs.
Imagine if every cook book was like the work produced by Marina Aurora. Her creative photographic series incorporates ingredients as they appear at every step in the cooking and preparation process. From eggs and flour to a roll of dough and the final cinnamon bun. We think there’s no photographic trickery at work here, but we could be wrong. Looks to be all one shot. The only thing missing is the actual ingredients, and names of dishes. In some cases, it’s a bit hard to determine what exactly we’re looking at.
Take a good look at photographer Andrew McConnell’s latest series on E-Waste. The series focuses on the suburb of Agbogbloshie in Ghana’s capital, Accra, which has become a dumping ground for computers and electronic waste from Europe and the US. Hundreds of tons of e-waste end up here every month as countries in the West attempt to unload their ever increasing stockpiles of toxic junk. Of the 20 to 50 million tons of electronics discarded each year 70% will end up in poor nations, and in the EU alone 6.6 million tons of e-waste are unaccounted for every year.
Our final shutterbug worth mentioning is Zoe Strauss, an installation artist and photographer from Philadelphia. The primary subjects in her photos are the people, buildings and street scenes in the less than posh neighbourhoods of south Philly. Zoe’s photos are real, gritty, and oftentimes depressing depictions of life in America. That said, there are also traces of hope, as her photos involve real people dealing with real situations.
Best ArchiBuild of 2010
Today, we’ve reached the big, final three categories of our 12 part year in review show. Thus far we’ve showcased home design, transportation, threads, ads, fonts, gadgetry, community ideas, environmental, as well as video shorts. Before we embark on the best architectural concepts of 2010, please check out our picks for 2007, 2008, and 2009 respectively.
Perceptual Twist is an art gallery for a Single Stage Architectural Ideas Competition for the city of Maribor, Slovenia. This proposal sets to create a dynamic relationship between the old city of Maribor and the new Art Gallery by creating a constant state of fluidity through the site, becoming a vital cultural hub along the Drava River. The building is composed of four continuous loops that merge into one space. Each loop contains it own separate program-the Children’s Museum, the Architecture Museum, the Creative Industrial Museum, and the Digital Arts Museum.
The Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida was greatly inspired by the surrealist as it combines elements of the classical and the fantastical. The design speaks to the essence of Dalí while incorporating functional elements to combat Florida’s tough weather. In fact, the museum can protect the prized collection from up to a Category 5 hurricane storm surge and 165mph winds. Both inside and outside, this structure is truly special and I cannot wait to see it up close and personal.
Solid Waves generates a residential urban park; living, green and service spaces combined into a single neighbourhood where programs and nature live off each to create a new model for a symbiotic urban organism. The housing development scheme for Astana, Kazahkistan also operates on a multiplicity of scales. While the towers are visible from a distance and take advantage, in terms of the views, of the position of the complex within the city, a system of courts provides protected spaces that shelter inhabitants from the harsh weather elements while maintaining a close relation to the open.
Best Short Video of 2010
In episode 9 of our year in review show, we’re taking it to a new level and showcasing some of the best video shorts we came across in 2010. Again, this is a new category which was facilitated by our new site’s ability to easily embed videos. This year’s collection has something for everyone, while the contenders are equally creative, thought provoking and deserving of repeat viewings. Here are three of our favourite shorts from our most recent trip around the sun.
BIG BANG BIG BOOM is described as “a short unscientific about evolution and his consequences”. After months of tedious work and hundreds of buckets of paint, the wall-painted animation extravaganza by Blu is truly something we’re proud to share with you today. It’s the sort of independent, self-published effort that few people will ever lay eyes on, and that is quite possibly one of the saddest things ever. Hit the play button below, be amazed, and tell all your friends.
Second up is the short by the Vancouver Film School students Amanda Healey, Jesse Lang, Juan Carlos Arenas and Roberta Ramalho who created an outstanding animated piece explaining what is biodiversity. What is biodiversity, and why should you care? We found this to be not only informative, but also a visual treat.
Bringing up the rear is Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education expert and recipient of the RSA Benjamin Franklin award. Sir Robinson gave a speech a while back on the state of today’s education system, which RSA applied typical animation treatment to. Like a lot of RSA’s other videos, Changing Education Paradigms this has a great DIY-feel, but this one really hit the spot thanks to the insightful analysis of the state of today’s education machine.
Best EcoGreen Idea of 2010
Welcome back to episode 8 of our best of, year in review show. Today, we’re falling back on a topic that we’ve featured since our inaugural year in review. There was MIT’s Stackable Car in 2006, Aptera in 2007, H2OG in 2008, and Pocket Planters and a few other gems in 2009. What great EcoGreen ideas were there this year?
The Aerogenerator is twice the power and half the weight of Wind Power’s original Aerogenerator design. It is considered one of the only real alternative solutions available to help deliver the UK’s offshore wind strategy in a reliable and cost effective manner. Aerogenerators do not have the same weight constraints as a normal wind turbine and the blades do not suffer weight-induced fatigue. This new design is half the height of an equivalent horizontal-axis turbine and its weight is concentrated at the base of the structure.
Blending right in with your soap bubbles, the Waterpebble sits at the bottom of the shower and measures the amount of water that passes by. On the first use, the Waterpebble takes note of how much water is used and stores the information. The next time you get in to wash your locks, the Waterpebble glows a series of colors to let you know how much water you are using in comparison to your previous shower. It starts out green, but then turns yellow to warn when you have used half as much water as the previous bathing. When it begins to flash red, you know that you must finish up quickly so as to not go over your previous usage. The goal is simply to finish before you see the red light, so that your new, faster shower time is recorded.
Last but not least is the Feeder Elevated Highway Farm. This project would populate the underutilized open highway space in Chicago and other American cities with urban greenhouses and gardens where the public can grow their own produce and green space for even those with browner thumbs to enjoy. This project magnifies and exposes the important aspect of food production as a necessity for urban living and it offers a useful and productive gateway architecture that reinvigorates the city as an urban habitat.
Best Community Ideas of 2010
Community and group centred projects have been highlighted in our design news year in review in 2007, 2008, and 2009 respectively. It’s kind of a hodgepodge of projects and ideas that don’t fit elsewhere, but the core principal behind all ideas are altruism, community involvement, and social betterment.
Palas por Pistolas is the brainchild of Pedro Reyes, who set out to reduce the number of automatic weapons on the dangerous streets of Culiacán, Mexico. Of the weapons that Reyes collected 40% of them were automatics of military calibre. After the collection the guns were taken to a military base and publicly smashed with a steamroller. They were then melted, recycled into shovels with wooden handles that tell the story of the project and distributed to art institutions and public schools where people in the community are using them to plant over 1,527 trees.
Second on the list is Improv Everywhere, who staged a reenactment of the first Princess Leia and Darth Vader scene from Star Wars on a New York City subway car. If you recall, these are the same jokers behind No Pants Day, which was one of our selections during last year’s community roundup. The white walls and sliding doors on the train reminded us of the rebel ship from the movie, and you can imagine the look on unsuspecting people’s faces when they get on board beside Darth, Stormtroopers and Leia.
Our last, fantastic community-centric feature is none other than the friend to urban travellers known as Eye Stop. Produced by MIT’s SENSEable City Lab, EyeStop is features state-of-the art sensing technologies and a variety of interactive services. Riders can plan a bus trip on an interactive map, surf the Web, monitor their real-time exposure to pollutants and use their mobile devices as an interface with the bus shelter. They can also post ads and community announcements to an electronic bulletin board at the bus stop, enhancing the EyeStop’s functionality as a community gathering space.
Best Gadgetry of 2010
Merry Christmas! On day six of our journey through the best design ideas of 2010, it seemed appropriate to tackle electronics and gadgetry, as many folks are likely opening up new toys this morning. This category is one we’ve been featured since the beginning, while you can review 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009‘s selections at your leisure. And now, we present the best of the best gadgetry from 2010.
Microsoft’s Arc Touch Mouse was created for folks who need something better than their laptop’s touchpad, as well as those who hate that little nubby pointer device embedded in keyboard. The cool, convertible mouse goes from flat and compact to curved and functional with one simple bend. Add to that the virtual scrolling wheel, it’s minimalist feel and you can easily see why it’s one of our fave gadgets from 2010.
In the age of over-sharing, here comes a device that is going to take it to the next level, for better or worse. Looxcie is a wearable camcorder that hooks onto the user’s ear and records video of whatever they are looking at. The camera is fitted over the ear like a Bluetooth head set and the lens matches the user’s eye level so that when the user turns their head, the camera turns too. Whether you’re a video blogger or aspiring member of the paparazzi, Looxie has you covered.
One of the most amazing devices we discovered last year was created by Daizi Zheng, who manufactured a conceptual mobile phone for Finnish cell phone giant, Nokia. What’s different about this concept device is that it is powered by sugary soft drinks. Zheng phone runs on a battery that uses enzymes to generate electricity from carbohydrates. So rather than running out of juice, literally, a user could simply refill the tank with a bit of cola or root beer. Great, just what we need, another reason to stockpile soft drinks.
Best Fonts of 2010
Last year we included a new feature as a part of our year in review, which showcased fonts. It’s kind of a no brainer that we promote some of the best fonts we come across, as we are always appreciative of discovering exciting, new typography on other design sites. Here are three of our favourite fonts from 2010.
CREO is a customizable stamping device that generates geometric letterforms. Designer Charissa Rais was drawn to the combination of basic geometric forms due to their simplicity and effectiveness. CREO allows people to explore basic shapes, deconstruct and rebuild their own anatomy of letterforms to communicate. A conventional stamp is designed to create one identical mark for repetitive use, but CREO has transformable head that could be modified anytime according to our own preferences. While it’s not the most traditional font, I think that it’s pretty self-explanatory why we chose this as one of our favourites.
Second up is the Pradalphabet, which was designed by M/M Paris. Initially, the Pradalphabet was solely based on the letters P-R-A-D-A-M, creating an ephemeral Prada logo printed on limited edition t-shirts. Since then, due to the popularity of the original design, M/M was commissioned to complete the full alphabet, and thus the Pradalphabet came to be. While this is also not the most traditional, or easily transferred font, the originality and application deserve recognition.
Last but not least is Weave Type, which was carefully crafted by Zim and Zou. This font is based on the arts and crafts practice of making intricate designs out of thread and nails. While none of the letters are perfect, that’s part of the artsy charm. We’re holding onto this font for when the right project comes along.
Best Ads of 2010
This is the third year we’ve included advertising as a special category in our year in review. While it’s interesting to note what we selected back in 2008 and 2009 respectively, this year, we’ve got a brand new crop of ads we’re proud to celebrate. Further, our new site design has afforded us the ability to easily embed videos, while we’ve gone on to show off many commercials this year. Accordingly, here are the best ads of ’10.
First off is Chef Boyardee’s commercial, which boasts that their ravioli has the saucy, meaty taste you never outgrow. The best part of this commercial is the fact that the message is delivered by Blankey, who saucily steals the entire scene, back talking Brigitte and searching for a snuggle. No matter how many times I watch this commercial, I still get a laugh. Still though, I’m not about to eat Chef Boyardee anytime soon.
Second out of the gate is Amnesty Interational, whose take on the Death Penalty really struck a somber cord. As the graphic commercial describes, there are still 58 countries in the world who still practice this barbaric form of punishment. The fantastic visuals and symbolism make for a lasting impression that not only gets the point across, but also makes you think about the issue well after the fact.
To end on a less serious note, Hi-Tec shoe company came at us with a viral advertising campaign that centred around the impossible sport known as Liquid Mountaineering. This fictitious activity involves enthusiasts running full tilt into a body of water, attempting to stay on the surface for as many steps as possible. It is both amazing to see and hilarious to watch the runners in action, as well as the documentary that provides insight into the genesis and development of the sport. This is easily one of the most talked about ads of 2010, and far better than the Old Spice commercial that everyone was talking about.
Best Threads of 2010
In HC2′s third episode in our ‘best of’ series, we’re moving to the catwalk to showcase not only threads, but other clothing-related finds from 2010. Before you read on, perhaps a review of last year’s best threads is in order. No matter how many times I see the t-shirt issue, it still has that an awesome wow factor.
Does our first pick honestly fall into the realm of clothing? Maybe not, but it’s a definite accessory you’d be proud to sport. Amazon, the online merchandise giant, recently started a new program in which consumers could get their packages delivered, in a stylish reusable tote bag. Amazon totes are only delivered once a week, so if you’re in a hurry to get your item, this might not be the best option. Even so, this packaging option is free, and of course reusable for when you need to carry around essentials, groceries an so forth.
Welcome to the future of cleaning your clothes according to Michael Edenius, creator of the Clean Closet. This system employs air that is loaded with molecules, which trace and remove dirt particles from textiles. The washing process only takes a few minutes and the patent molecules regenerate automatically for future washes. Clean Closet does the environment a great favour since it does not use water, and it also reduces the consumption of clothing by always having clean laundry. This is what the Jetson’s would use.
Regular readers will not be surprised that we’re lauding something Star Wars-related as a part of our best threads of 2010. When Adidas announced the release of their Star Wars collection, we were cautiously optimistic that they’d made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs. We were right. Each product takes inspiration from a respective aspect of the Star Wars lexicon, from legendary characters and crafts to classic scenes, and fuses them with iconic Adidas silhouettes. With shoes that nice, who could honestly wear them out and risk getting them scuffed? May the force be with you my young padawan.
Best Transportation Ideas of 2010
Welcome back to the second instalment of HC2′s best design ideas from 2010. Last year we created a new category to highlight the best transportation innovations, and this year we’re continuing the series with three new faves from the world of transportation, with a considerable slant towards sustainable and fun concepts.
Strange as it may appear, the Traffic Straddling Bus holds up to 1,400 passengers and could cut traffic jams by as much as 30 percent. The partially solar-powered system can travel up to 50 mph, straddles up to two lanes of traffic, and allows regular vehicles to go under what is essentially an above-ground subway system. It’s a radical take on modern day buses, and different from streetcars, it requires zero alteration of existing infrastructure. This isn’t simply a dream project, as China’s order will be delivered in 2011.
Second up is a bit of a feel good story, as the initial concept design was so well received by the Internet, it propelled the product into actual production. The Freerider Skatecycle is a two wheeled recreational vehicle that combines the foot control of snowboarding, the balanced turning of skateboarding, and the nimble, undulating movements of casterboarding. At an astonishingly affordable $149 a pop, the Freerider Skatecycle carves circles around the competition, and makes wheelie shoes a laughable relic of the past.
Our final transportation nod of 2010 goes to a vessel of the sea, whose hull was constructed out of 12,500 empty plastic bottles that are filled with pressurized with air. The Plastiki Expedition Boat was designed to be recyclable at the end of its journey, produce all its own energy and create zero pollution. With estimations that there is an island of plastic and waste floating around in our oceans with a landmass larger than the state of Texas, it’s reassuring to see forward thinking ideas such as Plastiki. More ideas such as this please!
Newburgh Canal Bash
We were there in 1994 for the very first Canal Bash, so it seems fitting that we stepped up 18 years later to help promote the annual skating party in Newburgh, Ontario. As the logo suggests, this family oriented event takes place next to the Newburgh Conservation Area on a popular pond that has been maintained by a neighborhood family for over two decades, and enjoyed by the entire community for generations. The day-long Canal Bash includes a pancake breakfast, horse drawn wagon rides, chili cook off, bonfire, and of course, ice skating. We chose the latter as the prominent theme for the logo treatment, while the tall trees in the background also bring you closer to the wondrous natural setting of this historic event. This logo shall be applied to both print and online media, including a website that is being developed for the event in 2012.
Best Home Ideas of 2010
Welcome one and all to HC2′s fifth annual year in review show. Over the next week and a half, we’ll be featuring the best finds from 2010 in categories including transportation, architecture, modern art, fonts, as well as today’s theme, home design. This year, we decided to forgo a ranking system, in which case we’ll simply exhibit our top three faves in each respective category in no particular order. So strap on your holiday helmet, and get ready to relive the best and brightest design discoveries of twenty-ten.
Ekokook is a futuristic kitchen, with a water and waste management system that brings an innovative shift to the storage and processing of waste and liquid in your kitchen. It incorporates micro-plant systems, earthworms, glass crushing, paper shredding and grey water to maximize eco-friendliness to the tune of saving upwards of 15 litres of water per day. Ekokook is a radical move towards total kitchen systems, and it easily one of the most inspirational, in-home super appliances of 2010.
Expanding upon the concept behind origami, Light Form is a beautiful modular lighting system consisting of wood panels that can be flipped back to expose energy-efficient electroluminescent lights. The system can be easily affixed to any wall, creating a luminous mosaic that balances modern design with with a grand nod to traditional Japanese art. Honestly, who wouldn’t want one of these in their house?
Last but not least is Resource Furniture, a company that offers a complete line of convertible, awe-inspiring furniture. Space saving pieces ranging from coffee tables turned dining room sets, to wall mounted desks that convert to single, and in some cases, bunk beds complete with safety rails and ladders. After watching a video detailing numerous pieces from their product line, we simply could not pass on an opportunity to acclaim Resource Furniture’s products as some of the best home ideas from 2010.
Tween the Sheets
Sadly, today is our last new post of 2010. After this, we’ll be embarking on a 12 day journey to recap the best and brightest ideas from our last trip around the sun. Our last post of 2010 is a collaboration between GOOD and Column Five, who’ve created an amazing infographic titled Tween the Sheets. As you can see, it creatively depicts condom use by most recent contact across variables such as gender, race, age and type of ahem, deed. Whatever you’re up to over the holidays, don’t forget to bring a towel, or in this case a condom, or from your mom’s point of view a spare pair of mittens.
Sunflower Seeds
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has covered the floor of the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern in London with more than 100 million individually handmade replica sunflower seeds. Commissioned for the The Unilever Series, the installation invites visitors to walk over the porcelain pieces, which cover 1000 square metres of the hall. Each seed was moulded, fired, hand-painted and fired again in the Chinese city of Jingdezhen over a two year period. For Ai, sunflower seeds – a common Chinese street snack shared by friends – carry personal associations from the Cultural Revolution (1966-76). While individuals were stripped of personal freedom, propaganda images depicted Chairman Mao as the sun and the mass of people as sunflowers turning towards him. Yet Ai remembers the sharing of sunflower seeds as a gesture of human compassion, providing a space for pleasure, friendship and kindness during a time of extreme poverty, repression and uncertainty. There are also contemporary resonances in the work, with its combination of mass production and traditional craftsmanship inviting us to look more closely at the ‘Made in China’ phenomenon and the geopolitics of cultural and economic exchange.
Ikea Assembly Service
Most of us can relate to needing more instructions, or even an extra set of hands while assembling flat-packed furniture, such as that which is sold by Ikea. From past experiences with Ikea products, I know for a fact that their instructions are purely illustrations, which saves them the hassle of having to translate instructions into umpteen different languages. The problem on the consumer end is that we have to decipher pictures to determine the next possible course of action. The solution, according to Ikea’s latest service, is for you to bring them home to take care of assembly.
Zayed National Museum
Foster + Partners‘ designs for the ‘Zayed National Museum’ in Abu Dhabi was revealed by his highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice-president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Conceived as a monumnet and memorial to the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding president of the UAE, the museum will be the centrepiece of the Saadiyat Island Cultural District and will showcase the history, culture and more recently the social and economic transformation of the Emirates.
The design of the museum aims to combine a highly efficient, contemporary form with elements of traditional Arabic design and hospitality to create a Museum that is sustainable, welcoming and culturally of its place. Featuring a landscaped garden around its base, the museum’s display spaces are housed within a man-made mound. The interior conditions are regulated passively through five solar thermal towers, which host the galleries. The towers heat up and act as thermal chimneys, drawing cool air currents throughout the museum. Fresh air is captures at the low level and drawn through buried ground-cooling pipes and then released into the museum’s lobby. Air vents open at the top of the wing-shaped towers taking advantage of the negative pressure on the lee of the wing profile to draw the hot air out.
Balancing the lightweight steel structures with a more monumental interior experience, the galleries are anchored by a dramatic top-lit central lobby, which is dug into the earth to exploit its thermal properties and brings together shops, cafes, and auditorium and informal venues for performances. throughout, the treatment of light and shade draws on a tradition of discreet, carefully positioned openings, which capture and direct the region’s intense sunlight to illuminate and animate these interior spaces. Lord Foster said, ‘it has been a great privilege to work on the Zayed National Museum, to carry forward Sheikh Zayed’s vision and to communicate the dynamic character of a contemporary United Arab Emirates. We have sought to establish a building that will be an exemplar of sustainable design, resonating with Sheikh Zayed’s love of nature and his wider heritage.’
Skinny Player
Christmas is but 10 days away, and if you’re still looking for that amazing must have item, look no further. Well actually, today’s post is more of a dream gadget than anything else, as it hasn’t hit the shelves quite yet, but there’s always hopes for next year. Via Inhabitat: MP3 players are getting smaller and smaller, but this Band-Aid shaped one is the thinnest we’ve seen! Ideal for fitness enthuiasts, the Skinny Player sticks to peoples’ arms meaning no need for clips, belts or player holsters. To make matters even more interesting, the device runs on human body heat.The Skinny Player was designed by Chinese engineers Chih-Wei Wang and Shou-His Fu to be both innovative, re-usable and simple to use – take a look at some of the applications above. However, while it’s ingenious in its design, it’s also limited in many ways. Firstly, there is no display screen and the player only has one button – a Play/Stop button. There is also nowhere to plug in headphones, so the user listens to the music via a pair of flexible speakers. While the Skinny Player certainly is innovative, the technology that has yet to be perfected, so don’t expect it to be on store shelves any time in the near future.
RSA’s Changing Education Paradigms
With our 5th annual “year in review” less than a week away, we’re making each and every post from here on in count. This year we’ve added a new category to feature our favourite short videos from 2010, while today’s selection from RSA Animate is a very strong contender for inclusion. Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education expert and recipient of the RSA Benjamin Franklin award, gave a speech a while back on the state of today’s education system, and it’s shortcomings. I won’t spoil anything else about what Sir Robinson has to say, but as you’ll see, RSA took the liberty of animating his narrative, to help get the point across. While this video has been slowly making the rounds online, I suspect a great number of folks have yet to see it, and so, we’re helping spread the word. The video has a great DIY-feel, while the illustrations and timing are spot on. Hit play below, and enjoy.
Maison Monday: FOKI
Sadly, the time has come for our very last episode of Maison Monday for the current calendar year. A week from now, we’ll be kicking off our best of 2010 review, and keeping with the home design theme we’ve been successfully running on Mondays for the past year and a bit, we’ll be showing off three of the best household products and designs we discovered this year.
Today, we’re proud to feature FOKI, the latest creation of Adika Titut Triyugo, which is best described as shoes that clean your floors. These devices are equipped with two rotary cleaners underneath, which sweep up dust and kill bacteria. They’re cordless, and have an LED display on the side to indicate battery levels. While this may sound a bit too much like the Jetson’s for some of our readers, keep in mind there are some low tech solutions to this such as modified Swiffer socks, anti-dust covering for pet paws, and who could forget the Roomba.
Apple Destroyed Products
A series of smashed, mangled, shot up and melted Apple products are the subject of a recent photography project by a San Francisco-area graphic designer who said he’s trying to make people think about their relationship with these universally beloved gadgets. Michael Tompert said he had spent the last several months purchasing the newest in Apple consumer technology and then creatively destroying the pricey toys. Tompert said the idea for the project came to him after he gave each of his two sons an iPod Touch for Christmas. He said the two boys fought over one of the devices, which had a certain game on it. Fed up with the quarrel, Tompert said he grabbed one of the iPods and smashed it on the ground.
They were kind of stunned – the screen was broken and this liquid poured out of it. I got my camera to shoot it. My wife told me that i should do something with it.
In all, Tompert created 12 images of destroyed apple products, working with his friend Paul Fairchild, a photographer. His methods of destruction varied by gadget. To destroy an iPhone 3g device, he used a Heckler & Koch handgun to blow a hole through it. To obliterate a set of iPod Nanos, he placed the devices on a train track so that a locomotive would run over them.
Sand Glass
The Sand Glass traffic control system re-imagines the look and experience of modern day traffic lights. Sand Glass makes use of its namesake to advise how much time you have to safely and legally pass through a given intersection. LED lights trickle down like grains of sand, and when the time runs out, the colour changes to red, and the process repeats. It also displays amber between red to green as well as green to red transitions, but that’s somewhat confusing if you ask me. While it would be nice to see how long one has to wait at a red light, I think that the hour glass format would translate into a bit of a game for some people who would be tempted to stomp on the gas just to get through an intersection before the last grain falls. Whether you’re city has vertical or horizontal traffic light displays, at least there’s a common element.
Taiwan Tower Competition
Via Inhabitat: This ultra-futuristic solar skyscraper by Romanian firm Dorin Stefan Birou Arhitectura was recently crowned the winner of the Taiwan Tower Competition. The 390-meter tower is designed to serve as an observation deck, office tower, museum, and urban park. The out-of-this-world skyscraper seems almost too far-fetched to be real — it even includes helium blimp elevators, a facade covered in photovoltaic panels, vertical axis wind turbines and a whole slew of sustainable strategies.
Dorin Stefan Birou Arhitectura collaborated with Mihai Bogdan CRACIUN architect from the USA as well as upgrade.studio to design the iconic tower for Taipei. The project was inspired by the leaf, the shape of the island of Taiwan, the money tree, and other Taiwanese symbols. Eight zeppelin-like elevators serve as observation decks for the tower and run on a track positioned vertically in a strong electro?magnetic field. The floating observatories will be constructed out of lightweight materials including PTFE, and the balloon is filled with helium. Each deck can carry from 50 to 80 people up to the top for stunning views of the city.
The lower 85 meters of the tower provide space for a museum and offices, while the upper portion of the tower houses vertical axis wind turbines and a facade covered in photovoltaic powers for renewable energy generation. Geothermal heat pumps help reduce the energy needed to heat and cool the facility, while the small building footprint encourages cross ventilation and the tower’s height creates a stack chimney effect. Fiber optic cables bring natural light into the museum, and the photovoltaics produce energy for an electromagnetic field that provides heating for the floating observatories.
Wonderbra 3D Billboard
Leave it to Wonderbra in the UK to unveil the first 3D billboard to correspond with the launch of their new Full Effect bra. The poster features a busty female model wearing their new bra, which can be viewed with specially designed 3D glasses in the shape of the bra. The campaign was created by Iris to generate buzz around the new bra, which can boost busts by up to two-cup sizes. While it’s sure to turn heads and get people talking, my real concern is how motorists will perceive it. On one hand, the ad won’t appear right without the 3D glasses, however if they were to sport the correct eye wear they’d put others on the road at risk of collision.
Lucas Soi
Vancouver based Lucas Soi’s work focuses on suburban teenagers and the dark undertones prevalent. Fecal Face caught up with Lucas for a quick interview, where they asked if the artists work was meant to be a comment on the Millennial Generation’s self-destruction?
I think being young, you’re closer to conception than to existence. Meaning you’re really closer to death than life. If you’re fourteen years old, surrounded by your parents who are, say, triple you’re age, you’re closer to “just being born” than to “everyday life”. So destruction, which is a kind of creation in reverse, is closer to your understanding, maybe? When you’re growing up you’re always looking backwards, comparing what you can do now to what you couldn’t do before. There’s not a lot of forward thinking, no matter how many adults are helping you navigate the way. So maybe the darkness that you see in these drawings is just the connection all youths have to that unknown place where we come from, and where we go when we die.
Fecal Face went on to ask: The landscape format you use is similar to that of 19th century French painters. But I see some really distinctive contemporary elements in there.
Totally. I wanted to reflect where we’re at in our culture right now, but show that we’ve always been here. We haven’t changed that much. Ancient myths are really eternal truths, you know? But I love the old school painters. Since I’m self-taught I didn’t learn about contemporary art until about three years ago, so my whole concept of pictorial composition and narrative was informed by these old dead white guys. Thinking about this project I looked back through art history for contemporary takes on society in painting. My favorites were guys like Courbet and Manet, who just painted their surroundings without editorializing. They painted regular people doing everyday things: farmers, bartenders and prostitutes took center stage instead of the aristocrats. The panoramic format I stole from Courbet’s “Burial at Ornans”; I saw it in person in the Musee d’Orsay in Paris in 2004 and physically experiencing it changed my life. It’s a painting the size of a movie screen. So then I thought, our culture is so influenced by Hollywood, and show business is so influenced by books, particularly by graphic novels right now. So the drawings are made out of multiple sheets of paper, symbolizing the pages of a book.
Looxcie
This might be a bit too Truman Show for some, but this is the age of video blogging, and over capturing and sharing way too much personal information after all. Capturing quick videos is possible on a many mobile devices, from cameras to mobile phones, however they all require the user to put forth a bit of effort and actually hold the device. Looxcie takes away that pesky burden as it is a wearable camcorder that hooks onto the user’s ear and records video of what they are looking at. The camera records short clips and can upload the video online through an accompanying mobile app. The camera is fitted over the ear like a bluetooth head set and the lens matches the user’s eye level so that when the user turns their head, the camera turns too. So far the app is only available on android phones while blackberry, windows and iphone apps to follow. I can see this ending up on a lot of people’s Christmas lists, but I think this is going to be one of those hard to find items.
Maison Monday: Cardboard Furniture
Back in June of 2010, we featured Don Lucho’s Casa de Karton, an artsy project involving rooms clad in cardboard that dawned a sketch-like feel. Who would have thought that his work would have inspired or otherwise appear in the wild? Enter today’s Maison Monday gem, a hipster’s fantasy: cardboard furniture. Nikki from WhiMSy Love cut out cardboard shapes, outlined them with black paint & filled in the details. She even printed out a photo of her hubby, 3 sons, and stuck them in a cardboard frame. Everything is adhered to the wall with duct tape. She also wrapped a smaller box in brown paper before painting it & created a nightstand she could actually use to set stuff on. This would perfectly compliment dorm room furniture, and otherwise it could be easily stored or recycled when the coolness wore off.
iDropper
iDropper is a stylus pen that affords a “new” level of connectivity on your mobile devices. Hand held toys like smart phones, laptops, and PDAs are the norm nowadays, while the iDropper permits you to transfer data between two devices in a jiffy. Clearly mimicking the eyedropper, this new-age mobile peripheral allows you to “suck in” and “drop out” information such as a mobile application, text, or an image. While it’s an interesting concept, and the visuals are admittedly cool, I can’t help but wonder if the designer forgot about Bluetooth, IR, WiFi, or even pre-existing flash drive solutions that permit information sharing. While these modes of connectivity and storage are not available on all devices, I can’t see the iDropper concept as something that could actually bridge the gap and become the next standard in sharing information.
The Cave
Architecture student Gonzalo Vaíllo Martínez of the Universidad de Alcalá, Spain has designed a conceptual auditorium for the Tate Modern gallery in London. Called The Cave, the design features a series of overlapping planted ramps, which would form the foyer and access routes into an underground auditorium. The proposal intends to connect the Tate Modern with other landmarks in the area and incorporates the creation of a new park.The project begun during an exchange programme with the Bartlett School of Architecture in London.
The project is focused on three essential parameters of London: the green areas, the icons and landmarks and the pedestrians. What it is searched is to recover the figure of the pedestrians and involve them again in the city. The public space is the basic network for getting it. Focused on the Tate Modern as an icon which is isolated in its environment (particularly its back side), the project works in two overlapped scales: the necessity to connect the Tate with others landmarks and its own renovation and adaptation for the new social demands.
Beings Packaged in Light
‘Beings packaged in Light’ by Spanish artists Luzinterruptus is an installation of human shadows. Using 100 inflatable dolls dressed in black and packaged inside gigantic white garbage bags, Luzinterruptus strategically placed points of light to achieve the effect of authentically trapped shadows. Installed inside the interior garden of the V&A Museum in London as part of the winter light commissions, the original idea was to have the figures standing so that they seemed to be living beings in distinct postures. However, the strong night winds gave an unexpected aspect to the installation, and it was instead converted into a dramatic cemetery of shadows waiting to be buried.
Chewing Gum Art by Ben Wilson
Via Inhabitat: These gorgeous little gum-splat artworks are lovely, but they won’t let you off the hook! While artist Ben Wilson has been hot on your trail – literally crawling on his hands and knees, making little tiny paintings on the flattened spats of gum you’ve left behind – this does not make it okay to spit your wads out on the sidewalk. But we won’t harangue you too much, you’re allowed to read on and learn more about Ben’s work. After you’ve properly disposed of your gum, of course. Mr. Wilson has been featured on BBC and a variety of other British media outlets for his meticulous works on chewing gum. Once he’s set his sights on a sidewalk, he doesn’t pass up a potential canvas, painting on every flattened blob for hours on end. While we’re featuring all but a sampling of his work here, a proper Flickr gallery can be viewed here, where one can find strawberries, cityscapes, tributes, memorials, commissioned ads and confessions of love – some signed by the artist and some lost in swirls and details. And while this may make you want to leave your gum for him on the sidewalk, don’t jump the gun – Wilson already has plenty to work with, so let’s not go making more blotches, eh?
The Soul Pancake Book
Christmas is but weeks away, and if you’re like me, you probably haven’t figured out what you’re buying for other people, let alone what you want. Today’s feature could easily constitute a gift for you or that someone special. From the minds of Rainn Wilson, of The Office fame, comes The Soulpancake Book, which encourages you to “speak your mind, unload your questions and figure out what it means to be human.” This book is filled with the work of over 90 visual artists, and includes inspiring and thought provoking commentary from the likes of Amy Sedaris, David Lynch, Harold Ramis, Josh Ritter, and Saul Williams. The jacket reads:
Somewhere over the course of history, chewing on Life’s Big Questions lost its cool factor. Fortunately for mankind Rainn Wilson and a bunch of his friends are on a mission to change that. Based on the wildly successful website SoulPancake.com, this book urges you to explore philosophy, creativity, spirituality, love, truth, science, and so much more. With bold questions, intriguing challenges and mind bending art, SoulPancake creates a space for you to stimulate your brain stem, speak your soul, and figure out what it means to be human.
Moustaches Make a Difference
Today the moustaches proudly grown by men during the Movember campaign are being shown off for the last time. Tomorrow, they come off. For those who’ve never heard of Movember, it’s a fundraising initiative that encourages men to grow a moustache and collect funds that go towards prostate cancer and testicular cancer research. In recent years Movember has spread throughout Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Spain and Ireland, while it is known for its irreverent humour and marketing. For 2010, they came up with a series of ads for “Moustaches Make a Difference“, where big names like Che Guevara, Einstein, Gandhi, Dali and Super Mario are depicted with and without moustaches. Respect the power of the ‘stache!
Maison Monday: Ekokook
The Ekokook futuristic kitchen by Faltazi is a complete water and waste management system that brings an innovative shift to the storage and processing of waste and liquid in your kitchen. Through an intricate, eco-friendly system you can reduce your ecological footprint and enhance the earth’s environment. This kitchen solution effectively turns each waste element into a new resource and each drop of water into reusable liquid. Ekokook has three micro-plant systems that help to reduce the environmental footprint: microplant 1 used for solid wastes, microplant 2 used for liquid wastes and microplant 3 used for organic wastes. The kitchen has machines that use a small steel ball to break glass for the reduction of waste, a shredder to shred paper then turn it into briquettes, and an endless screw to crush cans and water bottles. A built-in double sink with a water reservoir and two pitchers that collect kitchen water helps you to recycle clean water by using it to water your flowers and plants. A filter also comes with the kitchen, allowing you to remove unclean particles. The water device can save up to 15 litres a day. Finally, the drum-shaped earthworm composter, which is a part of microplant 3, utilizes earth worms to break down organic wastes such as left-over’s, fruit and vegetable peelings, and scrapings. The futuristic Ekokook system will truly bring a healthy and appealing change to your kitchen as well as the community and world around you.
Skyroom
The Skyroom is a new rooftop venue to host events programmed by the Architecture Foundation. Sitting above their offices on Tooley Street, the structure offers a range of rooms, both covered and open to the sky, for different occasions and uses ranging from lectures and performances to dinner parties and sun-bathing. The project opened to coincide with London Design Week on 20th September 2010. The project features a central courtyard open to the sky, framing the rising form of The Shard being built high above London Bridge Station. A balcony cantilevered over Tooley Street offers breathtaking views through the More London development to the Thames and the Tower of London beyond.
Akin to a small theatre space, the proportions of Skyroom enable it to be occupied in a variety of different arrangements. Four niche spaces extend from the courtyard to provide an intimate setting for meeting and relaxing. On the south facade a louvred screen frames a Black Tupelo tree with purple autumnal leaves which will eventually turn an intense bright scarlet, affirming the rooftop as a new ground and a site available to be colonised by nature. With a bespoke structure constructed of steel with copper mesh facades and larch flooring, Skyroom is topped with six Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) cushions.
The structure and materials used throughout the scheme have been chosen for their lightness and varieties of transparency: the white steel structure is like a drawing in space, marking out the territory of the rooftop and framing key views of the site and sky. The stainless steel and copper mesh panels create moiré patterns that lightly obscure their surroundings. ETFE, a material originally designed by NASA to create enclosures on the moon, is used here in sizes ranging from 2m sq to 8m x 3m. Stippled with sun-blocking silver dots, this continues the fabric-like quality of the enclosure across the roof. The design of Skyroom is a response to a number of major constraints: the limited structural capacity of the existing roof; location of the building within a conservation area with strict guidelines on the appearance of developments; building to a limited budget; and access to the roof for construction.
37 Posters
And wouldn’t you know it. The moment we come across 37 Posters, a fantastic movie and pop culture centred series by Jerod Gibson, they are no long available for sale due to copyright restrictions. Although Jerod is willing to send you hires jpegs for you to print out the works on your own, it’s sad that his works can’t be sold and given proper credit in a financial sense. In any case, as you can see, each poster includes a shape from the respective subject matter, but it Homer Simpson’s head, the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars, the briefcase from Pulp Fiction and much more. Each iconic shape is constructed out of various quotes from the movie or TV show, using a standard Arial-esque font. Simple and awesome. Great work Jerod, we’d gladly pay for ours.
Barcode Book
The Barcode Book by London-based product/sound designer Yuri Suzuki tells a story through illustrations made with barcodes. Sound is played using a barcode reader, connected to a speaker. This project is technically based on 80′s old texas instruments toy ‘magic wand reader’. A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data, which shows certain data on certain products. Usually barcodes represent data in the widths (lines) and the spacings of parallel lines. They also come in patterns of squares, dots, hexagons and other geometric patterns. Suzuki applies an ‘audio barcode’, a technology that allows data such as text information to be carried and transmitted on sound waves in the audible range (music and spoken word). Barcodes appear frequently in advertisements and magazines, and allow users to access related websites by scanning these figures with mobile phone cameras. Audio barcode represents and transmits data in a similar way. Data embedded in sound waves are picked up by target devices with a microphone, analyzed by special software, and then extracted. Data to be transmitted is embedded by acoustic OFDM (the technology behind audio barcode).
Crooked House
Via Arch Daily: Check out this small dwelling located in the countryside of Switzerland. Designed by FOVEA Architects, the residence boasts a strong aesthetic with a sharply angled facade. The titled upper volume (it is inclined at 40 degrees) faces south, and its geometry balances the need for privacy and light.
The lower level is a simple rectangular floor plan with a patio; an outdoor area that seems contained by the angled volume above. Large windows allow natural light to illuminate the interior, and also provide great views of the surroundings. The home was prefabricated and is clad in painted pine planks that allow it to blend in with the rural architecture of the area.
Do the World a Favour
“Do the world a favour”, is a wonderful animated 30 second spot by Tendril to promote the new electronics recycling program in Ontario, Canada. The piece has a very 80′s feel to it, from the colours to the clean and simple recycling process. I love the conveyor belts, robotic claws, and gigantic vacuum tubes that sort and guide the little bricks of metal, glass and scrap along the way. The only question is whether or not such videos will help the Ontario Electronic Stewardship realize any gains. Hit play below to bask in the glory.
Lipstick Enigma
Lipstick Enigma is a sculpture by Janet Zweig that consists of 1200 resin lipsticks, powered by 1200 stepper motors and controlled by 60 circuit boards. So what does it do? Well it’s kind of like an LED display sign, except it uses lipstick instead of LEDs. It’s probably best to let Janet Zweig explain, then you get to see Lipstick Enigma in action via the video below.
This computer-driven sentence-generator, using rules and lexicon written by the artist, invents and writes a new line of text, and displays it on the sign when triggered by a motion detector. The sentences mix the language of engineering with the language of beauty advertising.