Josh Keyes was born in 1969 in Tacoma Washington. Keyes graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and later received his MFA in painting from Yale University. Josh’s work brings to mind the detail and complexity of natural history dioramas, and the color and diagrammatic complexity one might find in cross section illustrations from a vintage science textbook. His work has developed over the past years into an iconic and complex personal vocabulary of imagery that creates a mysterious and sometimes unsettling juxtaposition between the natural world and the man made landscape
He weaves his personal mythology through fractured and isolated landscapes that are either overgrown with vegetation or underwater, and often depict historic or military monuments covered with graffiti. The imagery functions as a way for Keyes to express his personal experience and also allows him to comment and interpret events in the world. His work has been featured in numerous publications and exhibited in galleries in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Denver. Keyes currently lives and works in Portland Oregon.
Josh Keyes
New Orleans Arcology Habitat
Last summer, Inhabitat stumbled across a massive architectural project that brought us back to our days of wasting away inside Sin City. Those who are familiar with the popular game franchise will undoubtedly recognize the term arcology. For the rest of you, an arcology is essentially “a mega city which packs a ginormous population into one hyperstructure – think Death Star, Zion in The Matrix or the Anthill of Antz fame. Now, a real-life group of ambitious designers has taken their looming pyramidal arcology and placed it smack dab on the Mississippi River as a proposal for the rebuild of New Orleans which is currently in progress. This 30 million square foot beast-building with an array of green features is aptly named the New Orleans Arcology Habitat, aka NOAH (Get it? Noah and the Arc-ology?).”
“NOAH is meant to house 40,000 mostly human residents, while it boasts 20,000 residential units as well as 3 hotels and 1,500 timeshare units. But that’s not all. Also housed within the triangular walls of this one-stop-building will be commercial space (stores), parking for 8,000 cars, cultural spaces, public works, schools, an administrative office, and a health care facility. This means that you could live your whole life within NOAH if you wanted to. Although that doesn’t sound very fun, it may be prudent, since NOAH has been specifically designed to withstand the hurricanes that have ravaged the city on the Mississippi in the past. Its floating base and open-wall structure are meant to allow “all severe weather /winds to in effect blow through the structure in any direction with the minimum of massing interference.”
“In terms of sustainability, we were at first skeptical as we are with most supermassive structures, but the fact that so many inhabitants are meant to occupy the space offsets NOAH’s giant footprint. Another plus is that NOAH will supposedly “eliminate the need for cars within the urban structure” via vertical and horizontal internal electric transport links, creating a pedestrian-friendly community. Other eco-friendly elements include secured wind turbines, fresh water recovery and storage systems, a passive glazing system, sky garden heating/cooling vents, grey water treatment, solar array banding panels, and river based water turbines. And if NOAH truly is hurricane-proof, that will make the city more sustainable than any wind turbines or solar panels ever could.”
CL!CK: A LEGO Short Film
CL!CK is a newly launched website from Lego that encourages people to share their love for the iconic, multi-coloured building blocks. The CL!CK site welcomes inventors, explorers, tinkerers, artists and ideas from people of all ages. It’s a little place on the Internet devoted to the moment when your brain suddenly finds the answer you’ve been seeking. The instance where all of the pieces come together. In an effort to help promote CL!CK, Lego commissioned filmmaker Thibault Choayto create a short film depicting that “aha moment”. The end result is the a masterful blend of stop animation, Lego models, creative juice and playful humour. Be sure to check it out Choayto’s short by hitting the play button below.
Unwrap a Mini Cooper
Just in time for the 2009 holiday season, Mini Cooper strategically distributed massive cardboard cartons with torn gift wrapping in trash heaps all over the city of Amsterdam. Each box had a large diagram of the car with the words Mini Cooper displayed across the top as if the car had been packaged inside. Naturally, consumers and car enthusiasts were intrigued with the ad campaign and their reactions were caught on video. This idea is rather similar to the Smart Car vending machine we featured a while back, and it’s also an extension of the oversized product trend we’ve noted on occasion. It’s very creative concept from a car company that thrives on being different.
3.6 Zettabytes
Do you remember the days when the standard, consumer measurement for data was the megabyte. With the rise of the personal computer and subsequent popularity of digital media devices such as cameras and mp3 players, we began to measure everything in gigabytes. Then came data centres and external hard drives, which put the word terabyte on the tips of our tongues. Future generations will include petabyte, exabyte, zettabyte, zottabyte and brontobyte. Just how much data are we consuming nowadays? This is the question posed by the University of California, San Diego who’ve determined that:
from 1980 through 2008 the total number of bytes bitten by Americans has upped by 6% per year and now stands at an incredibly huge sounding 3.6 zettabytes. Or one billion trillion bytes, if that’s easier to imagine. The Upswing is, of course, interested in unlikely economic indicators of good news and this is surely one. How lean, after all, can the times be when we continue to gorge on data? And someone has to produce all this content, which means the future of electronic innovation appears to be rather secure.
Rob Vargas’ infographic that’s displayed above, breaks down what 3.6 zettabytes (or 34 gigabytes a day) means in terms of daily consumption.
Liz Hickok’s Jell-O Project
Liz Hickok is a San Francisco-based artist working in photography, video, sculpture, installation, and more recently, gelatinous treats. Now, food artists aren’t a new thing, as we’ve featured a few of them here in the past. That said, none of our past culinary composers utilized Jell-O as their media. Hickok received her Masters in Fine Arts from Mills College in Oakland, California. She earned a BFA and BA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts. Hickok lived and worked in Boston for over ten years before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area.
I create glowing, jellied scale models of urban sites, transforming ordinary physical surroundings into something unexpected and ephemeral. Lit from below, the molded shapes of the city blur into a jewel-like mosaic of luminous color and volume. The gelatinous material also evokes uncanny parallels with the geological uncertainties of San Francisco’s landscape. While the translucent beauty of the compositions first seduces the viewer, their fragility quickly becomes a metaphor for the transitory nature of human artifacts.
Maison Monday: Rambler Socket
In light of the cola-powered cell phone as well as the miniature hydrogen-based charging system we featured last week, this week’s edition of Maison Monday is devoted improving your in-home electrical needs. Designer Meysam Movahedi has helped solve all your power outlet problems with the Rambler Socket, a device which conceals 5 feet of power cable behind the wall. Whether you need a measly inch or a couple of feet to help with the vacuuming or to reposition a floor lamp, Movahedi’s Rambler Socket is the answer. When you don’t need the extra length, the extension cord recoils, and hides until you need it again. While the Rambler Socket is simply a concept design at the moment, we’re hopeful that it will eventually make it to market.
America by Zoe Strauss
Zoe Strauss is 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. In a recent interview, Zoe described her craft, as well as her newest series America We Love Having You Here. When asked about her process, and whether or not the subjects of her works are aware that their being photographed, Zoe responded:
The people who I make photos of are strangers, and occasionally I get to know them after I’ve asked to make their photo… but for the most part I make the photo and that’s the end of our relationship.
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. Regarding the gravity of these scenes, and the possibility of emotional transference, she responded as follows:
Almost all of the people who I make photographs of are just going about their daily lives and there’s a whole range of things happening, some great, some horrible, most completely ordinary. When I make a photo of someone I usually get a lot out of the meeting and it’s almost always a positive encounter, even if it’s in a difficult situation.
Be sure to check out more of Zoe’s work, as well as the rest of the interview.
The RZA’s Life or Death
Planned in some secrecy, George Washington led a column of Continental Army troops across the icy Delaware River on the 25th of December 1776 in a logistically challenging and potentially dangerous operation. This scene was immortalized by German American artist Emanuel Leutze, whose 1851 oil-on-canvas painting now hangs in The Met. I’m guessing that’s where the RZA may have first laid eyes on Washington Crossing the Delaware. Fast forward to 2009 where the RZA commissioned someone to alter the iconic painting, inserting members of the Wu Tang Clan, samurai warriors, and 50 other hidden elements. There are two different versions of the RZA’s Life or Death, while only 300 numbered and signed copies of each will be printed.
Hydrofill Fuel Cell
The Singapore based Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies is showing off the Hydrofill, a fuel cell system designed for charging electronic gadgets at CES 2010. The product will be released later this year and allows users to charge up their favourite mobile or small electronics with a hydrogen fuel cell. The device extracts the hydrogen from water and stores it in special cartridges, which fit into the pocket size minipak. The minipak uses a USB port to charge everything from iPods and cameras to rechargeable batteries and GPS devices. The process of turning water into hydrogen is very clean too, since its only produces water vapour as a result.
Meredith Dittmar Interview
Fecal Face recently sat down with flash designer Meredith Dittmar for an interview that touched on everything ranging from the creative process to upcoming projects and the composition of her pieces. Regarding the development of new sculptures, Meredith responded:
My process is always changing. Typically I collect images, diagrams, math and words and surround myself with them before I begin a set of pieces – though once I start working I only refer to them rarely. I throw it all into the brain blender and see what comes out. I usually work on several pieces at a time because creating certain effects in clay is labour intensive and then when something doesn’t fit it usually get used somewhere else. I try to sculpt freely, creating parts, using them or not, and see what begins to appear. I sketch the larger overreaching ideas as they come and maybe use them or not. I’m always playing with the balance of tackling the technical challenges the clay poses, with the desire to keep moving forward with more immediate techniques. Most importantly though, I try to keep my head out of it and work from a open & quiet state.
Meredith creates her pieces using polymer clay. Common themes in her work include both biology and technology, while human-animal-plant energy and patterns are equally as prevalent. Otherwise, Meredith was asked how she would describe her work to a stranger, while she responded as follows:
I usually say I sculpt relief-like works in polymer clay that hang on a wall. Wow that’s really bad. I need something better than that. You got something? I wrestle with verbal communication a lot – that’s why I love being an artist. I can communicate this big “idea” without saying a word. Words overcomplicate and frequently attach unintended meanings to things.
Be sure to check out the entire interview, and more of Meredeth’s work on Fecal Face.
Graphic Nothing’s Art For Sex Maniacs
We’re big fans of both subtlety and minimalism. That’s why we’re showing off Graphic Nothing’s Graphic Art for the Sex Maniac. Graphic Nothing is actually the “nom de plume” of British graphic designer Gary Clarke. While he sometimes describes his work as retro futuristic, this titillating piece can be categorized as geometric goodness. While it doesn’t necessarily require much imagination to enjoy, it goes to show that simplicity is capable of standing out.
Daizi Zheng’s Coke Powered Phone
Chinese designer Daizi Zheng has created 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.
Zheng provides additional information on the project as follows:
Through out my research, I found that phone batteries are an expensive power source, consuming valuable resources on manufacturing, and are harmful to the environment. This new concept uses a bio battery to replace the traditional battery, thereby creating a pollution free environment. Bio battery is an ecologically friendly energy, which generates electricity from carbohydrates (currently sugar) and utilizes enzymes as the catalyst. By using bio battery as the power source of the phone, it only needs a can of your favourite sugary beverage to generate water and oxygen while the battery dies out. Bio battery has the potential to operate three to four times longer on a single charge than conventional lithium batteries. The by-product is fully biodegradable.
Maison Monday: Office Pod
While we’ve been featuring new bits of design news for almost a week, today’s spot is your first helping of Maison Monday in 2010. Most office types will acknowledge that working from home is a serious challenge. Kids, pets and housework can put a significant strain on progress, so some tele-commuters have opted to seperate their work from their home– with a separate office elsewhere on their property. The OfficePOD is a prefab home office unit that provides nearly 7′ x 7′ of office space and storage in a curvy, contemporary package. Plop the OfficePod on your property — be it your back yard or even a separate lot in a woodsy setting — and you’ve got a full-service modern office without the household distractions.
The OfficePOD is powered by a discrete electrical connection to your home, while web and phone connections can either be hard-wired or operated via WiFi. The unit is lit by recessed lighting in its ceiling and with reflected light hidden within the walls. To the right of the desk is a series of attractive, wood-slatted storage options from closeted shelving and large drawers. While pricing wasn’t readily available on the OfficePOD website, we can’t imagine this would carry the same cost as office space within your area.
Kingston Criminal Lawyers Association
When we were approached to develop a new online presence for the Kingston Criminal Lawyers Association (KCDLA), we decided to showcase the city’s most recognizable judicial landmark. We set out with our camera and captured stunning images of the Frontenac County Court House, a building which is emblematic of the historical limestone buildings that Kingston is known for. Drawing upon the palette of these photos, we created an overall colour scheme for KCDLA’s new website, with has a calm and soothing feeling. The final product also incorporates a crisp new logo, updated search feature as well as a content management system to permit easier updates. For a closer look, please visit: kingstoncrimlaw.com.
Kareem Black’s The Scent of Seduction for BK
Back in my more formidable years it was all about Tribe and CK One. You may be too young or old too remember either, but these perfumes were the most desired scents for tweens and teenagers back in the early 1990s. They were the scents of awkward school dances, our first boy-girl parties, experiments with the liquor cabinet, and for a lucky few, other memorable firsts. Nowadays when I get a whiff of something that smells like either Tribe or CK One, I’m instantly transported back to a time that seems less complicated. It’s funny how powerfully intertwined our senses and memories are.
With that principle in mind, Burger King is betting that The Flame will remind you of your love for their Whopper. The Flame is a new beef-scented body spray, which smells like a Whopper. Kareem Black shot the associated photography for the print ad for BK’s Scent of Seduction campaign. Bernstein & Andriulli described Black’s experience on the project as follows:
During the initial creative talks, Black was incredulous about the entire concept. “They asked me to shoot an ad for a beef-scented body spray, I figured that they were just joking around,” says Black. Putting his disbelief aside, Black flew out to Boulder, Colorado to shoot “The King.” Since this was the debut of “The King’s” bare chest, a special casting was done in order to find a model with the right mixture of chest hair and muscles. Explains Black, “We were trying to design the scene like the Burt Reynolds Playgirl spread from the 70′s. The story was that this was The King’s love den and he was inviting the viewer to come-hither.”
Frank Gehry’s Brain Institute
Frank Gehry, you either love him, hate him, or just don’t understand him. The native of Toronto has created architectural gems around the world including the titanium-covered Guggenheim Museum in Spain, the Experience Music Project in Seattle, as well as the Dancing House in Prague. One of his more recent projects sits on the outskirts of Sin City, but rest assured that Mr. Gehry has not resorted to designing Vegas casinos. Instead, his latest creation is the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, which is comprised of two different styles that crash and reverberate at a point of connection.
While some may interpret the building’s design as a the typical sort of chaos, which Gehry has become famous for, the Lou Ruvo Center was created with an eye towards the left and right hemisphere’s of the brain. Upon further inspection, you should notice the left side has clean lines, and is organized by vertically stacked compartments. This balances off the melted chaos of the right, but how does all this represent the brain you ask? As reported by Edward Lifson of Hello Beautiful!:
The left side of the brain processes information in a linear manner. It takes pieces, lines them up, and arranges them in a logical order.
The right side of the brain processes more holistically, from the whole to the parts. The right-brain sees the big picture first and breaks it down into the details. It works in a more random way; and the right-brain is color sensitive.
To oversimplify: the left-brain is more reality-based; the right-brain processes using fantasy.
I wonder which side dominates the mind of Frank Gehry?
Jonathan Bartlett
After the slightly delayed launch of our new, flagship site (the one you’re looking at), and 11 days spent reviewing the best designs from 2009, HC2 is finally ready to explore 2010. Before we begin, in case you haven’t noticed, our Design News now has a voting feature, which allows you to love or hate accordingly. Hopefully you’ll love today’s featured artist as much as us. Jonathan Bartlett is a New York based illustrator with a knack for metaphor and clever stories. As you can see, his work has a great vintage feel thanks to 50’s style characters as well as light, pleasing colours.
While you might know him as SeeJBdraw, Jonathan’s vintage illustrations are often populated by popular heroes, Circus performers, jugglers, and magicians. These characters often find themselves in precarious, and otherwise humorous situations throughout his work. His client list includes: Small Can Be Big, Digital Temple, and the Harvard Business Review, just to name a few. SeeJBdraw cites his influences as being:
the great outdoors, growing up far away from the cities, Norman Rockwell, pattern, symmetry, faces, music (loud, soft, fast, slow), clever lyrics, a cold drink, exercise, Achille Mauzan, Bo Bartlett, and Claude Monet.
Best Artiste of ’09
We’ve finally reached the end of the line. We set a record this year with eleven categories in our best of 2009 review, and as always, we’ve saved the best until last. Our third favourite artiste of 2009 was AJ Fosik, whose colourful, intricate animal masks will leave you awestruck. Our second favourite artiste was Ryohei Hase, whose work is dark and disturbing, but strangely appealing. His illustrations will ensure that you never again think of rabbits as cute and cuddly. And finally, the artiste we enjoyed above all others was Xavier Veilhan, whose displayed his Contemporary Art at Château de Versailles. The works ranged from abstract purple horses of Le Carrosse to the deceased astronaut, aka Le Gisant Youri Gagarine. All in all, the crisp modernity of Veilhan’s pieces were perfectly contrasted by the historic surroundings of The Palace of Versailles.
Thanks for reading, and be sure to come back tomorrow where HC2 will start combing the globe in search of what 2010 has to offer in all realms of design.
Best Photog of ’09
Today we’re diving into our second last category of our best of 2009 review, which is actually a new, spin-off category. In past year’s we’ve included photographers within the artiste category, but since we featured so many solid photogs last year, we had to pay them proper respect. Coming up in third place is Shannon Taggart, a freelance photographer based in Brooklyn, who frequently focuses her lens on spiritual and supernatural themes. Our first runner up is Michael Hughes, who’s concept just doesn’t seem to get repetitive. Essentially he takes photos of miniature, souvenir landmarks, carefully positioning them properly in their natural landscape. Last but not least is our favourite photographer from 2009, Jing Quek. Jing’s photos are sexy, playful works that usually include large groups of folks, and everything from flying bras to girls pouring milk on their near naked bodies. His appreciation of cultural references and authentic environments, coupled with strong conceptual direction, help to create contemporary fictions, alternate realities and mythologies in our urban social narratives.
Best ArchiBuild of ’09
We’re nearing the end of our review of the freshest designs of 2009, while thus far we’ve covered traditional themes including advertising, fashion, environment, community and gadgetry, as well as new categories: fonts, transportation and in-home ideas. Today we’re looking at another category we’ve featured in past years, specifically ideas from the wonderful world of building design and architecture. For 2009, our favourite design was Mixed Use by Moho. This unnamed landmark is destined for San Jose, while it has a stunning, jagged top, and achieves new standards in LEED architecture. HC2′s second favourite building concept from 2009 is the proposed transformation of Toronto’s Gardiner’s Expressway into a greenway. While the ageing, major transportation artery is in desperate need of repair, Quadrangle Architects’ believe that a little bit of TLC could provide the city with a new, Green Ribbon of parkland and recreation space. Last but not least is a futuristic-looking concept design, which coincidently finished third place in the overall design competition for the Taipei Performing Arts Center. The plan consists of eight connected, circular structures, which offer unbelievable panoramic views of the surrounding cityscape. Tune in tomorrow for our second last review of 2009.
Best EcoGreen Idea of ’09
The countdown of our most admired creations from 2009 continues today with a look back on environmentally oriented, and green friendly ideas. In third place we’re tipping our hap to the RITI Coffee Printer, which uses your discarded coffee grounds as an environmentally friendly form of ink. Simply empty your used java into the printer cartridge and forget about buying black ink cartridges ever again. Our second place finisher comes from Eric Cheung and Sean Martindale, whose Poster Pocket Planters were a big hit in Toronto. The pair used expired event posters on notice boards to create temporary planters, which added greenery within the city. Finally, although it may seem ridiculous, but our favourite idea came from the world of fast food, specifically McDonald’s. While statistics on the annual volume of waste produced by McDonald’s varies, it’s safe to say that Ronald and his fast food friends could benefit from organic waste recycling, and environmentally friendly packaging. Regarding the latter, Andrew Millar’s biodegradable packaging for McDonald’s is derived from grass paper. The packaging is grease resistant, and is designed to unfold like a tray (or table cloth if you want to be fancy) to eat off of. Although higher costs will likely deter this packaging from being implemented across Micky Dee’s franchises, we’re hopeful that it will serve as inspiration for future, environmentally friendly packaging.
Best Community Ideas of ’09
With six best of 2009 features down and five to go, there are still plenty of amazing ideas to relive, and revive over the next few days. Today the focus is on community, social cooperation and the hive mentality. While we saw a great deal of socially-driven projects this past year, our favourite was Raumlabor’s SpaceBuster. This concept consists of an inflatable bubble that can be assembled anywhere to permit a wide range of activities ranging from dance parties to lecture series and meals for the homeless.
Our first runner up goes to Eco-neighbuzz, which was developed as a part of Core 77’s Greener Gadgets Design Competition. This application allows members within a defined geographic area to advertise what they are willing to share, and what they are in need of. Whether you need a ride downtown, or have a cordless drill you’re willing to share, Eco-neighbuzz encourages cooperation within the community. Our third favourite is a bit of a joke as it humorously demonstrates people coming together to accomplish a common, pants-less goal. While No Pants Day may not cure world hunger, it sure is keeping NYC’s subways sexy. And wouldn’t you know it, what a coincidence, today is No Pants Day 2010.
Best Gadgetry of ’09
Today’s post represents the official half way point in HC2′s annual review of the greatest ideas to come out of 2009. While 2009 will likely be remembered for gadgets such as the iPhone, our favourite gadgets are equally as good, with quirky niche appeal. For the treehuggers and eco-conscientious consumer there’s Macaluso’s Recompute, a desktop computer case that’s constructed entirely out of cardboard and held together with non-toxic glue. With vertical and horizontal configurations, this eco-case is our most desired gadget of 2009, as it strives to establish new standards in electronics recycling.
Our first runner up will appeal to gamers and the open source community. Martin Lihs’ Wii Spray is essentially a sexy, modified Nintendo Wii-mote that can create virtual graffiti. Combined with Lihs’ communal, virtual graffiti wall, Wii Spray is the best independent Wii hack we noticed last year. Last but not least is an amazing personal computing device created by Asus is dubbed the Eee Keyboard. While it may look like a keyboard, it’s actually a highly compact computer that has a myriad of inputs on the front side that allow for connections to everything from monitors to USB devices and LANs. This is an outstanding alternative for people on the go, who don’t want to be constrained the size of the original Asus Eee.
Best Fonts of ’09
Many designers and artists have a love-hate relationship when it comes to fonts. When embarking on a new project, identifying the right typeface to execute one’s vision is often a painful process. But the hard work doesn’t end upon finding the perfect font, as premium typeface’s can drive up the budget, and require an additional buy-in from the client. On the heels of our review of the most creative home, transportation, fashion and advertising works of 2009, we’re pleased to showcase our favourite fonts. While our first selection is more of a collection than a single typeface, HC2 simply could not get enough of The League of Moveable Type. The League offers well-made, free & open-source, @font-face ready fonts, while our favourites include Flaminia Type System and Blackout, just to name a few. Our first runner up, Fresh Fonts, were painstakingly created by the Dutch collective known as Autobahn. Autobahn painstakingly made tasty typefaces out of toothpaste, ketchup as well as other fun condiments and personal care gels. A close second runner up was Dylan Mulvaney’s 3D Font, which were made for the inaugural issue of Manhattan Magazine. Their colour, and chic retro appeal makes them an easy favourite, which we hope to use in one of our future projects.
Best Ads of ’09
In episode four of our review of the best creative ideas from 2009, we’re looking at amazing print advertisements. Before we get started, I must admit that selecting the top three was not an easy task. That said, our favourite print ad from last year was undoubtedly Rios Illustration Studio’s We Put Anything on Paper. This series mixed 3D and 2D elements, depicting everything from dinosaurs, to the Titanic and the Eiffel Tower getting flattened by a bulldozer. Our first runner up belongs to BBDO’s transparent offering for Bring Your Kids To Work Day. Sure it’s not paper, but we’re counting it as printed media. In any case, the playful design incorporates crayon scribbles, which can be overlaid on top of an unsuspecting employee’s computer monitor. Last but not least, although this feature may be extremely simple, and low tech, it also hits home on the emotional front. Crisis.org.uk utilized simple marker on cardboard to ask passersby to put themselves in the shoes of a homeless person. Love the snow? Try sleeping with it.
Best Threads of ’09
By now you should know the drill, but in case you missed our first few episodes, HC2 is presently reliving the best designs of 2009. Thus far, we’ve celebrated the greatest home and transportation achievements of the past year, while today we’re threading the needle with a look at fashion. Without further delay, our favourite threads of 2009 go by the name of the T-Shirt Issue, which was created by designers Mashallah and Linda Kostowskihe. The pair employed a laser to transform 3-D data into 2-D sewing patterns. The resulting sculptures appear to be impossible, while they are undeniably works of art. Our first runner up is similar in that the clothing serves as media, rather than a wearable garment. Bela Bordosi’s Fashion Mutations play with our perception as they lend clothing unique, anthropormophic personalities. Our third section from the fashion industry could eventually be the successor to Crocs, but we think they’re too classy for such a terrible fate. Le dd are soft, elastic, breathable, anti-bacterial and anti-allergenic slippers. Who wouldn’t want to have a pair of these on their feet?
Best Transportation Ideas of ’09
Welcome back to the second instalment of HC2′s best design ideas from 2009. Today we’re featuring our faves from the world of transportation, with a considerable slant towards sustainable and fun concepts. The most amazing design that caught our eye last year was the Rolling Stone Capsule, however these beauties aren’t meant to be driven. Instead, Nice Studios designed the capsules as tow-able living and creative spaces. Skinned in solar panels and sporting a wind turbine on top, the Rolling Stone Capsule gathers no moss, and incurs no energy bills. Our first runner up is an amazing cycling gadget named LightLane, which improves safety by creating a virtual, and highly visible bike lane in the most critical situations. Last, but certainly not least is a recreational device that’s more suitable for an amusement park than in your average city. Shweeb is world’s first human powered monorail cycling racetrack, but don’t expect to take a ride unless you live in New Zealand. Stay tuned to HC2 tomorrow, where we’ll be looking at some of the coolest threads from 2009.
Best Home Ideas of ’09
Two months ago, HC2 set out to completely overhaul our flagship site, which involved a transition from Joomla to WordPress. After the initial smoke settled, feature creep kept us busy until the wee hours of last night. This morning, we awoke to unveil our brand new site to the world. In the coming days we’ll go over some of the new features, but presently we have more important business to attend to. While we were diligently crafting our new online presence, we missed out on one of our favourite, annual traditions. For 2009, our year in review will feature a cast of design categories that has grown to include 11 distinct areas of interest. Without further adieu, get ready to bid 2009 a proper farewell, and welcome back our regular feature, Maison Monday. And now, our Best Home Ideas of ’09.
Of all the home designs we reviewed in 2009, no concept blew our minds greater than Spin Wash. In an effort to balance the need for both a shower and bathtub, Spin Wash is a luxury bathroom fixture for small spaces, which was designed by Ron Arad and Teuco. With a unique 180 degree swivel, the unit can function as either a bathtub, or a shower with a simple turn. Although equally stunning, our second runner up is the ribbon staircase by the Czech architecture firm, HSH Architects. This concept is clearly ridiculous and not suitable for most homes, but it is also an outstanding and creative example of modern contemporary design. Last but not least is Cista, a rainwater harvesting system designed by Carolyn Moss of Moss Sund Architects, Lee Fletcher and Terence Woodside. Cista naturally blends into your home, and utilizes wasted rainwater to produce a climbing garden. While we’ve ranked Cista third, it is the most affordable and do-able home idea from 2009.
Stay tuned tomorrow where we’ll be featuring the Best Transportation Ideas from 2009.