Nestle’s Kit Kat chocolate bar is synonymous with the catch phrase, Give me a Break. However the slogan was recently turned upside down by Greenpeace, who were chastising Nestle for purchasing ingredients such as palm oil from companies that are clear cutting the forests of Indonesia. Greenpeace argues that the use of palm oil, and ultimately the consumption of Kit Kat bars is threatening all species of wild fauna and causing the extinction of orangutans from their natural habitat. Greenpeace released a bizarre, and somewhat grotesque video and website to get their point across and encourage the world to find out about the situation.
Give us a Break
The Strata
Via Inhabitat: Prepare to be blown away: the latest addition to London’s skyline is a striking modern skyscraper that is heralded as the world’s first building with wind turbines built in! Nicknamed “The Razor”, the 148 meter-tall Strata tower is topped with a trio of turbines that will produce enough power to meet 8% of its energy needs. We’ve seen skyscrapers studded with wind turbines before, but the Strata is the first building to integrate turbines directly into its facade. Developed and contracted by Brookfield Europe, the tower is a tricky engineering feat indeed, especially granted the gusty blasts of wind that construction crews had to deal with while raising it.
Measuring in at 42 stories tall, the Strata tower has enough height to eclipse the buildings surrounding it, allowing it to take full advantage of the area’s 35mph wind speeds. The tower is also designed to utilize the Venturi effect created by nearby structures to force wind through the turbines at accelerated rates, generating an expected 50MWh of electricity annually.
According to The Guardian, each of the building’s 19KW turbines will have 5 blades rather than 3, which will reduce noise during operation. Meanwhile a five-ton base outfitted with vibration dampers will keep the building securely anchored to the earth. The skyscraper will also boast other green building strategies such as the exclusive use of natural ventilation, high-performance glazing, and other energy efficiency measures that will keep the building’s power use 6% below current building requirements. The Strata tower cost £113 million and is set to complete construction this April. The skyscraper’s revolutionary design makes bold steps towards meeting the UK’s requirement that all new buildings be zero-carbon by the year 2019.
Hodgson Sinnett
We’d been providing web hosting to Hodgson Sinnett for a few years before they decided that it was time to revamp their website. They expressed a strong desire for the new site to maintain the same look as the previous version, which was achieved by incorporating a similar colour scheme and site structure. In an effort to ensure that their new online presence was viewed as professional, we designed a sleek logo for Hodgson Sinnett, which is a significant element of the site. This key component, along with updated firm photos, client testimonials, and an anti-spam contact form, puts this criminal law firm ahead of the local competition. See for yourself, by visiting: hodgsonsinnett.com.
Maison Monday: W+W
Created by the Roca Innovation Lab. together with the designers Gabriele and Oscar Buratti, W+W, Roca Innovation Lab, W+W is a truly exciting new product revelation from Roca. The washbasin and WC are two essential elements in every single bathroom. Highlighting its commitment to design and innovation, Roca has combined these two elements to create W+W – an all-in-one washbasin and WC made from vitreous china, designed to maximise space and conserve water. This ground breaking idea, incorporating Roca’s new ‘water-reuse’ technology, uses waste water from the basin to fill the WC cistern, thereby reducing water usage by up to 25% compared to a standard 6/3 litre dual-flush WC. The basin in W+W has two wastes – the basin waste and one further down the waste pipe. Once the basin has been used and filled with water, the user has the option of either diverting it to the mains (e.g. if the basin is being used for shaving, or brushing teeth), or recycling it by storing it in the cistern ready for the next flush.
Marco Zamora Interview
Via Fecal Face: Marco Zamoda, a 28 year old, LA-based artist, describes his process and work as follows:
I usually I figure out what size of paintings I want to make. Build the panels. Then go out and shoot a ton of photos. I’m always observing and creeping out on my surroundings. After that I sort through what I have collected then get to work.
I make art. I work with my surroundings and what I am involved with at that time in my life. At the moment I am making paintings and have been playing with installation and peoples neglected treasures and trash.
Logorama
Logorama was written and directed by the French team of François Alaux and Herve de Crecy, and it just so happens to be the Best Animated short from the 2010 Oscars. Logorama features a make believe world that’s overrun by brands, logos and corporate mascots. While a majority of the represented corporations are real, the short also features fictional companies like the Buy N Large logo from Pixar’s Wall-E. No need for any more commentary really, so hit the play button above (for part one), then below (for part two). Language, violence warnings if you need them.
The Ads of Lady Gaga’s Telephone
Product placement is nothing new in major music video productions. As such it should come as no surprise that the new, extended single from Lady Gaga titled Telephone is a true showcase of brands, selling out, and cashing in. The video is just over 9 minutes in length, which is more than enough time for Gaga to use an LG cell phone that’s connected to Virgin Mobile, use empty cans of Diet Coke as hair rollers, give a shout out to PlentyOfFish.com, and escape from jail in a Silverado SS (aka the Pussy Wagon from Kill Bill). Then there’s the soon-to-be famous kitchen scene where Lady Gaga touts Wonder Bread and Miracle Whip, while the word “Let’s Make a sandwich” float across the screen. With outfits that include sunglasses made from smoking cigarettes to something we’re calling Wonder Woman on crack, this video is much more than a commercial. Despite all of the brands, I thought that the ads were generally presented in a subtle, non-obtrusive way. That said, this video has to set some sort of record for product placements in a music video. I wonder what she made on the back end?
Capture the Rain
Polish architectural students Ryszard Rychlicki and Agnieszka Nowak of H3AR received a special mention for their proposal in the 2010 Skyscraper Competition. ‘Capture the Rain’ skyscraper is a building whose roof and external shell, which consists systems of gutters, are aimed at capturing as much rainfall as possible to meet the daily needs of its inhabitants. Average daily consumption of water per person is 150 liters, out of which 85 liters may be replaced by rain water. Within the last thirty years water consumption has significantly increased. There are lots of factors that contribute to such an increase such as increasing number washing machines and dish washers, increasing popularity of garden showering devices and flushing toilets. A third of water being used in households in western countries is flushed in toilets. Since 1900 the total water consumption in the US has increased by 1000%. At present, an average American uses five times more water that a citizen of developing countries. Such an increase is related to among others improved living standards. On the other hand, a national hobby of the danes is collecting rain water for washing and watering plants. Within the last ten years average use of pure water in Denmark dropped by 40% and inhabitants of the so called eco-villages use a third part of the national average.
In view of this data, H3AR decided to design a tower, whose structure will allow for capturing and processing as much rainfall as possible to provide with water for its inhabitants. Millennia plants have been developing systems of capturing and processing rainfall. Such systems helped them to deal with water deficits or surpluses. similarly, they wanted to copy their simple mechanisms of rainfall capturing and processing. Initially, in designing the tower, we focused at shaping and modelling the surface of the roof to capture as much rainfall as possible. under a roof’s surface, there are water reservoirs in the form of a large funnel and reed fields, which serve as a hydro botanic water treatment unit. The unit processes water into usable water that is further transmitted to apartments. A network of gutters on the external surfaces of the building is designed to capture rainfall flowing down the building. Such flowing rainfall is transmitted to floors and its surplus is stored in a reservoir under the building. Water captured and processed by the building may be used for flushing toilets, feeding washing machines, watering plants, cleaning floors and other domestic applications. Having analyzed rainfall in several large cities in developed countries, we obtained a formula that shows what percentage of daily pure water consumption may be replaced with rainfall thanks to the technology applied in their building.
Fast Food in America
Weather Force recently ran an interesting story and infographic which compared the forces applied by fast food burger franchises throughout the United States of America. Since the infographic resembles a star map, this led to numerous Star Wars analogies. This is especially appropriate when you consider the fact that the McEmpire is represented by black, and the rebels, BK, Wendy’s, Sonic etc… are the other blotches of colour. Just how was the map created?
Each individual restaurant location has equal power. The entity that controls each point casts the most aggregate burger force upon it, as calculated by the inverse-square law – kind of like a chart outlining the gravitational wells of galactic star clusters, but in an alternate, fast food universe.
By far, the largest pocket of resistance is Sonic Drive-In’s south-central stronghold: more than 900 restaurants packed into the state of Texas alone. Sheer density is the key to victory!
Stefano Boeri’s Floating Void
On the occasion of the museum’s 50th anniversary, the Guggenheim has invited approximately 250 artists, architects, and designers to imagine their dream intervention in Frank Lloyd Wright’s rotunda. A salon-style installation of two-dimensional renderings of their visionary projects will emphasize the rich and diverse range of inspired proposals. One of our favourites thus far is Italian architect Stefano Boeri’s proposal titled ‘Floating Void’, which is an external space that floats above the Guggenheim Museum. It could very well be the world’s coolest, and most expensive floating tree house.
Maison Monday: High-Res Photo Rug
Hardwood is in, while wall-to-wall carpet is way out. But how long until the pendulum swings back and brings fluffy shag back into your dining room? While we wait for that glorious day to come, perhaps you’d consider overlaying a small area rug on top of your laminate or hardwood. For those of you have severe allergies around carpets, or are otherwise deterred by extraordinary costs, perhaps you should consider a high-resolution photographic rug. These rugs are huge pictures of floor mats that are sold by trend setting folks at Urban Outfitters. For a fraction of the cost of a real rug, you can jazz up your living space with a laminated, easy to clean, photo of anything from bricks, to grass and Zen-flavoured stone.
OFIS’ Earthquake-Proof Solar Powered Volcano Towers
Via Inhabitat: At a time when earthquakes dominate the headlines, we think it’s more important than ever to highlight architecture that keeps potential quakes in mind. So it goes with OFIS Architecture’s All-Seasons Tent Tower, a concept project that features two solar powered, cylindrical towers filled with restaurants, apartments, shops, a business center, spa, pool, bar and garage.
OFIS’s Tent Tower is ultra energy-efficient. The towers’ external facades are covered in a mesh skin outfitted with a shading device to keep sun out in the summer, while a concrete slab-embedded pipe system provides cooling in the summer and heating in the winter. Solar cells are embedded into the atrium’s roof for year-round power production. During the summer, the mesh facade is covered in greenery planted on the tower terraces.
The most important part of the Tent Tower, which is an entrant in the Mercedes Benz hotel tower competition for Yerevan, Armenia, it its resistance to earthquakes. The structure resists quake shaking using a system of concrete cores and composite columns that supposedly ensure structural stability. Regardless of whether the Tent Tower is actually earthquake resistant, we have to give kudos to OFIS for taking Armenia’ quake risks seriously. Because as we’ve seen, that can be the difference between life and death.
Viagra’s 11th Birthday
When I came across this advertisement I was both amused and taken aback. Has Viagra really been around for 11 years? Thankfully I am in an age bracket that does not have to rely on such magic little pills, however that doesn’t stop advertisers and spammers from filling my inbox with promises of the cheap discount and imitation Viagra. Getting back to the matter at hand, TAXI recently created a tongue and cheek party blower in celebration of the blue pill’s birthday. The imagery and double meaning is smart, funny and playful all at the same time. Exactly the sort of sentiment Viagra’s many other ad campaigns have driven home.
ErgoMed
This is the second website we’ve developed for Renfrew-based ErgoMed, an industrially oriented company that specializes in occupational health services. This site details ErgoMed’s services, projects, partnerships, and offers associated resources and links. The clean lines and soothing colours lend the WordPress-based site a professional yet inviting veneer. In conjunction with their website redevelopment, HC2 overhauled ErgoMed’s logo, to give it an updated, professional feel. For a closer look, please visit ErgoMed.ca.
Andres Duany’s Shelter for Haiti
Via ArchDaily: In just a short period of time since the earthquake hit Haiti, designers have been proposing possible housing solutions for the country. We will share a variety of these housing schemes with you throughout the week, with the hope that they will encourage more people to get involved to help not only Haiti, but also Chile. The first proposal is designed by Andres Duany, a Miami architect. Duany, with the help of sociologists and anthropologists, has designed four different versions of a temporary structure to relieve the urgent need for housing in Haiti. The differences in the homes respond to the varying ways Haitians live, so that each home is tailored to their specific needs.
Innovida, a composite panel manufacturer, has teamed with Duany, and has announced that they will donate 1000 of these homes to Haiti. Innovida imagines that factory to build such houses could be located near Port-au-Prince-providing work for close to 1000 Haitians. With $15 million in investment capital, the proposed factory should produce 10,000 houses per year.
One of the models, entitled Le Cabanon homes, is a simple structures that can sleep 8 people in an open floor plan with bunk beds. The construction would only take a few days, and the structure is earthquake proof and will withstand 155mph winds. The units do not have a bathroom, as it is expected that water will not be available in many areas to use for a toilet. A shared feature of the four designs is their insulating panel system which would be made from materials commonly found in the aviation and windmill industries. The load bearing systems will have structural skins made of high-strength E-Glass fiber fabrics impregnated with a fire-resistant polymeric epoxy resin and a core made of a construction foam material and would be good for the conditions in Haiti, because they resist moisture, mold, and insects.
Under the Influence: He-Man
I am Adam, prince of Eternia and defender of the secrets of Castle Greyskull. This is Cringer, my fearless friend. Fabulous secret powers were revealed to me the day I held aloft my magic sword and said, “By the power of Greyskull! I have the power!” Cringer became the mighty Battle Cat, and I became He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe! Only three others share this secret — our friends, the Sorceress, Man-at-Arms, and Orko. Together we defend Castle Greyskull from the evil forces of Skeletor.
In case you haven’t figured it out, the text above is the opening monologue from He-Man: Masters of the Universe. Back in my youthful days, I like so many others, was a He-Man-aholic. I had Castle Greyskull, Snake Mountain, and more than 3 dozen collectible characters ranging from Clawful to Triklops, Teela and many others. I’ve long since forgotten about He-Man, although the mythology behind the series has stayed with me, and been the inspiration for many others. Take for instance all this awesome He-Man art we’re featuring today. It’s all part of a massive collection recently exhibited by Gallery 1988. Take a look for more awesomeness straight from pages of Eternia.
Lexus’ Milestones
When Lexus launched its first hybrid car in 2004, Facebook statuses did not have to be updated, YouTube had not yet been established, people were more mobile than their phones and wi-fi did not exist. Now Lexus already has 190,000 hybrid cars running around the world, which have collectively traveled more than 5.5 billion miles. Focusing on this concept, Lexus launched their newest campaign focused on all the 4 models of hybrid cars: RX 400h, GS 450h, LS 600h and HS250h (CT 200h was announced recently missed). Milestones, Lexus’ new TV spot, shows thousands of their Hybrids walking and forming designs while the story is told. The video debut on March 6th, and the campaign will be supported in print, online banners and billboards, as well as shares in online channels, such as Current TV. Check it out this fantastic commercial below.
When Sea Levels Attack!
A fantastic infographic via The Guardian’s DataBlog: Another day, another set of bewildering climate figures. Today, key climate scientists withdrew their predictions. of a metre sea-level rise by 2100. Other scientists meanwhile claimed the 1m figure was way too conservative anyway. They predict anything up to 2m sea level rises over the next century. It’s difficult to keep track of all this shifting research. And, in the midst of this reporting, there is one consistent but bewildering assumption made of us: that we understand what a one metre sea level rise means in reality.
So, in this diagram, David McCandless has tried to sum up all the current research on sea level rises. What will happen, when it will happen, and where the sea water is coming from. You can see the data and sources in this spreadsheet. In an effort to make the information easier to relate to, McCandless also included which key cities around the world will be most affected by the rises.
Maison Monday: Underfull
At first glance, Kristine Bjaadal‘s Underfull resembles a traditional tablecloth with a white floral damask, however a hidden pattern is revealed when it is exposed to moist spillage. This conceptual piece draws on the idea that every negative situation should be turned into a positive experience. Everyone at some point is bound to spill a drink, however, instead of feeling embarrassed, spillers can now feel fortunate. Bjaadal believes that this creates stories and can contribute in giving the products sentimental value – important in a society where we seem to have an increasingly superficial relations to the objects we surround ourselves with. Through her designs, she tries to make the user sense another human being behind the product, and focuses on giving the user positive experiences over time.
The Superplexus
Oh to be a kid again! Seriously though, today’s generation must laugh at what we, and our parents had to play with. I mean how can Tinker Toys, Meccano, Capsella, or even the oringal Nintendo compare to what today’s youths have at their fingertips. Take for instance the Superplexus. It’s a three-dimensional spherical labyrinth that challenges the limits of your manual dexterity and spatial understanding as you maneuver a 5/8″ wooden marble through its entire course. The Superplexus is a complex network of chicanes, multi-planar hairpin turns, spirals, and staircases–even a vortex. Hand made from 3- and 6-ply Finnish birch that form the track, over 400 hours are involved in its construction. The labyrinth is set inside a 36″ diameter acrylic sphere affixed to a Jatoba base using a stainless steel gimballed mount that allows you to tilt the sphere in any direction to guide the marble. The entire track laid out on a straight line is 31 feet longer than a football field. In addition to the track, the ball must travel on a 1/16″ diameter stainless steel wire pathway at eight points along the journey. A series of directional arrows indicate the course to follow, and successful completion requires a minimum of 425 turns (plane changes) of the sphere–without letting the marble fall off the track (check out this video of the first finished Superplexus in action). Now that you are in love, it’s time for a bit of heartbreak. The Superplexus can be yours for the low price of $30,000. Yikes. I think I’ll stick with the Nintendo Wii for my youthful kicks.
Sayaka Kajita Ganz
I oftentimes hate trying to dissect a piece of art, or even attempt to re-word the artists inspiration, process and such. This is certainly one of those times, as I would hate for my words to influence your enjoyment of Sayaka Kajita Ganz’s recycled sculptures. I’ll let her do the talking instead.
My working process is reminiscent of my experiences growing up in several different countries, of being disconnected from the place I was born. Then, I began searching for a new community where I truly belong. I find discarded objects from peoples’ houses and give them a second life, a new home. For my sculptures I use plastic utensils, toys and metal pieces among other things. I only select objects that have been used and discarded. The human history behind these objects gives them life in my eyes. My goal is for each object to transcend its origins by being integrated into an animal form that seems alive. This process of reclamation and regeneration is liberating to me as an artist.
By building these sculptures I try to understand the human relationships that surround me. It is a way for me to contemplate and remind myself that even if there is conflict right now, there is a way for all the pieces to fit together. That even if some people don’t feel at home here and now, there is a place where they belong and that they will eventually find it.
Nick Gentry’s Floppy Disk Paintings
Via Inhabitat: A look at Nick Gentry’s paintings offers insight not only into the bold and soulful faces he paints, but of the stories locked in his medium. By salvaging discarded media storage ranging from floppy disks to VHS tapes for his canvas, Gentry emphasizes that not unlike oral tradition, pieces of stories are often lost as we transition from one generation of storage to the next.Gentry assembles obsolete tech materials into a workable canvas for his portraits, letting the shape and labels of the floppies peek through the painting to give character to the faces he paints. The writing on the labels are often left readable, provoking the viewer to wonder about the information trapped within.
While we can’t deny the convenience and security that has come with massive hard-drives and severs, you can’t help but think of how many anecdotes have been lost when trading in one seemingly sufficient innovation for the next. And on a more nostalgic level, how likely future generations will casually call up a document or image on a CD the way we filter through yellowed love letters and family photo albums. The final sentiments may vary, but one thing is certain, Gentry’s paintings are breathing new ideas and a renewed purpose into things that we thought belonged in the trash.
Fitness First
The next big epidemic to strangle the western world is projected to be obesity. It’s the direct result of our reliance on fatty, fried, overly processed and otherwise convenient nutritional options. Additionally, the widespread lack of participation in proper recreation and fitness programs has created a sedentary generation of couch and mouse potatoes. Sure there’s WiiFit, the Slow Food Movement, and hot yoga, but these “solutions” are simply trends followed by a minority. Some of us need to be reminded to shape up before it’s too late. And for that, Fitness First has created a bus stop advertisement, which employs a scale embedded in a bench that is connected to a large digital display. It’s extremely invasive, but it undeniably drives home the point that more people need to think about the lifestyles they lead.
MVRDV’s Water Cube
Via ArchDaily: World expos are fantastic. In the literal meaning. They show man kinds fantasies. They allow for this great opportunity to express excitement and admiration. The past has given a series of true world wonders that express that rare combination of entertainment and education, of research and achievement, like the Eifel Tower in Paris, the Sphere at the NY expo, the Montreal Habitat building, Buckminsterfullers dome in Montreal. What to add to this history? Can the chosen theme lead to a new powerful object?
The world expo in Yeosu focuses on the power and beauty of the oceans. How to express that the best? Could it be done by – simply- making a pure visible block of water that obviously expresses the beauty and the power? A block that is extracted from the ocean. This block is hollowed out, to create a great water space, where one is surrounded by water. Along the sides, above and below. Where light filters through and give every activity a glance. That can be used for the exhibitions, the gatherings, during and after the world expo. One is in the water. MVRDV’s water cube is constructed out of a surrounding wall with a series of water basins that are stacked on top of each other. Based on the maximum structural capacities of the glass facades and floors. It allows showing all the different aspects of the oceans! The façade turns into a mini museum, into a library of the oceans!
Baptiste Debombourg
Baptiste Debombourg’s creates incredibly detailed art that is only fully appreciated up close and personal. Using just a white wall as his canvass, Debombourg spent over 75 hours meticulously placing over 35,000 staples to create two pieces of staple art. The pair are titled Air Force One and Air Force Two. Baptiste descibes the work as follows:
The protagonist Icarus, the Mannerism of the Renaissance and the symbol of sublime power Air Force One -the plane of the American President- are the main points in this work. The combination of pathos, beauty and unnatural movement of Italian Mannerists concealing some aggression. Is it why this “Superman” flies straight down towards the earth? Here it’s used the tacker as a material and media, which plays with the contemporary agression and the profanized utility of the everyday life.
Turbo (way up at the top/left) is another one of Debombourg’s works that we were instantly drawn to. It resembles the damage you’d expect to find as the result of some severe flooding. Debombourg provides some strange context:
the turbo wave of the 80′s left its mark on the industry and on the whole cultural situation in Western Europe. It became a model of behaviour. The sound effect gives sensation of real physical power. To advance, the people from East Europe put some more “tuning” everywhere – for example in their folk music.
Maison Monday: Less Lamp
Who doesn’t love unique and customizable pieces of highly sought after home decor? Today’s Maison Monday feature shows off Jordi Canudas’ Less Lamp, which is essentially a lamp shade in the shape of an oversized eggshell. The fun and customization comes into effect as the buyer pokes big and little holes into the shade, shearing off entire pieces and otherwise making it their own. The end result, well, it’s whatever you want it to be. Less Lamp is described by the MoMa Store as follows:
An innovative design concept, the Less Lamp is a sealed lamp shade made of plaster. In order to use, the lamp must be “broken” to release the light within. The lamp’s included pickaxe is used to crack the lamp’s shell, allowing the user to decide on the appearance and position of the lamp’s holes and the direction of its light emission. Uses one standard incandescent light bulb
The T-Shirt War
Two-hundred and twenty-five t-shirts, two days of shooting, one fire extinguisher and a lot of talent is all you need to make a movie like this. The T-Shirt War is a short created by web video masters Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal, aka Rhett&Link. Not only are all of the t-shirts used in this video available for sale on their accompanying online store, but Rhett&Link have also posted a behind the scenes video showing off how they pulled it off. If you already haven’t done so, be sure to hit the play button on the video above.
Aircruise
Via Inhabitat: In the hurried and fast paced lives we lead, travel can be just one more stressful, cramped and environmentally unfriendly activity. What if you could slow it down, take some time, and relax – all while aboard a zero emissions luxury cruise that travels not on the water but in the air?! That’s what London-based designers, Seymourpowell, are proposing with Aircruise, a solar and fuel-cell powered airship designed for luxury travel.
It may seem a little over the top, but it is a zero emissions means of travelling, and the idea of spending more time relaxing while getting from point A to point B does sound rather appealing compared to the typical frenzy of flying. The concept actually shows some promise and has even attracted the attention of the leading Korean firm Samsung Construction & Trading; who happens to be the leading contractor for the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Inside, the luxury cruise liner would be a combination of hotel and zeppelin, with luxury apartments, a bar, lounge, and other areas to rest, relax and take in the skies.
The airship would float by means of hydrogen filled into 4 air pockets in the craft. In case of a rupture on the external membrane or any of the envelopes, each one is capable of self-sealing to minimize disaster. Powered by solar panels and Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) hydrogen fuel cells that utilize hydrogen stored on board and oxygen from the air, the airship is capable of travelling at 90 mph. At that speed, a trip from London to New York City would take 37 hours and a trip from LA to Hong Kong would take a little under 4 days.
The Gyre
The Gyre Seascraper is a floating zero emissions eco-development from Canadian-based Zigloo Design, and a conceptual underwater skyscraper created to bring together scientists and tourists to better understand the ocean. The Gyre Seascraper concept design was created for the Evolo Skyscraper Design Competition. The 212,000m2 (52.3 acre), multi-level design, uses wind, solar, and tidal energy generation technologies while providing adequate space for living and working, shops, restaurants, gardens, and recreation activities.
The inverted underwater skyscraper features four radial arms extending out from the central area that stabilize the structure while also creating a 1.25km (0.78 mile) long port, large enough to accommodate the world’s largest ships. The centre column of the Gyre Seascraper features multiple floor levels within a double-hulled vortex with glass windows. The top two levels are dedicated to restaurants, shopping and community activities. The intermediate levels are designed to accommodate long-term residents, ocean experts, and hotel guests, with room for more than 2000 people. The lower levels are dedicated to oceanographic research and also features space for a public interpretive centre.
Sandisk Micro
The idea behind BBDO’s latest set of advertisements for SanDisk is simple, and memorable. The print ads show off exceptionally large figures, specifically a fish, Elvis, and a ship. Beside each figure is a miniature counterpart, fish-can, Elvis-jump suit, and ship-bottle. The end result suggests that something considerably large is meant to fit inside something so small, it defies the laws of physics. While this idea would work for almost any portable media device, BBDO claims it for SanDisk.
Facecrook
If you’re a member of the online social stalk-fest known as Facebook, chances are you’ve spent more than an acceptable amount of time selecting that perfect profile picture. Don’t feel bad, we’ve all done it. Most of us want our profile pictures to be fun, witty, unique and otherwise overblown representations of the looking glass self. That’s where Anton Mircea comes into the picture, as his Facecrook series takes the pain out of picking an entertaining profile picture. The set of 5 pictures are essentially deviations of the original, faceless profile image. The same one you’d see if you refused to upload your own image. Anton describes the series as follows:
I’ve always found the no profile pictures really fascinating. I believe we can enrich visual contexts that are supposed to be standardized or flattened into a template, even transform them into something popular although they were supposed to be the opposite – no profile pictures.
Vapur Anti-bottle
Over the past few years, it seems as though bottled water has fallen from grace. Once heralded as a safe and clean source of H20, the industry is constantly under attack from environmentalists, who focus attention on the dirty little secrets of the industry. In response, many bottling companies have begun to purchase carbon offsets, as well as incorporate more recycled materials into their plastic bottles. With that in mind, I suppose it was only a matter of time until someone came up with the anti-bottle. Enter Vapur, which is the first flexible, BPA-free water bottle that’s designed to fit in your pocket, purse, backpack or briefcase. Unlike traditional rigid water bottles, Vapur can be rolled, folded, flattened and tucked away. The minds behind Vapur describe their idea as simple, while their task is otherwise great.
Refillable water bottles are a great way to help fight the global water and environmental crisis. But let’s face it, carrying bulky water bottles around everyday can be a pain, especially when empty. So we designed the Vapur flexible bottle to “fold-and-go”— which means it can be rolled, folded or flattened when empty—making it the most portable and convenient water bottle on the planet. We hope this simple idea will help put an end to the use of bottled water.
Maison Monday: La Bande
Regular visitors should know by now that Monday’s are devoted to the wonderful world of in-home designs. Be it funky furniture, trend setting technology, or eco-friendly advancements, we do our best to cover it all. Today’s find comes to us from designer Sarah Lovgren, who has created a modular lounge dubbed la Bande. This ultra modern piece can be used as both a seat or a recliner. La Bande splits up into two independent sections at one end, while the longitudinal split and the flexibility of the material allows the two sections to bend separately to form space.
Both the sections of the bande are hooked into a slot in the base, which gives stability of the furniture to rest the users in utmost comfort. This project was a result of the designer’s bachelor thesis, which is summed up by her Lovgren’s desire to illustrate space in the context of its sensual perception. While this may be a bit too advanced or otherwise out there for most homeowners to pull off, it undoubtedly demonstrates the promise of this talented, up and coming product designer.