HC Concepts (HC2)

Asterisk

HC Concepts — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:00:09 +0000

The project is a building which on a floating island in the lake, with an area of 2,000 sqm. Including ground floor and basement. Wine showroom, restaurant and underground winery are included. The space separated by five different functional blocks, and setup as one integral building which is direction relative and continuity connected with the central multifunction space. The respective functions are connected through a space, the large openings in the exterior wall, form the interior and outdoor overall sense. There are five different functional plazas between each block, wedding or wine exhibition and other activities can be held here.

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Energy-Generating JF-Kit House

HC Concepts — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:05 +0000

Via Inhabitat: The Jane Fonda Kit House — aka JF-Kit — is an experimental home of the future that explores ways people can produce their own household energy while keeping fit. The house enables residents to turn their kinetic energy into power for cooking, watching TV or cleaning the house! Designed by Spain-based Elii studio, the off-grid JF-Kit is made for the citizen of the future who is healthy, active and energetically self-sufficient.

JF-Kit is part pop-up gym, part self-sufficient off-grid home. The interior features a line of ‘domestic fitness furniture’ that enables residents to produce energy by pedaling a bike, doing sit ups, or even watering the plants. Kinetic energy generators turn exercise into energy that is used to power appliances. It’s a win-win situation – by being active and exercising, the residents can generate their own power.

The JF-Kit House is a great project that raises awareness of the energetic and economic costs involved in mundane activities. The power producing home could also monitor domestic energy consumption and eventually create ‘community energy networks’.

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3D Printed Sculptures of Your Flights

HC Concepts — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:00:42 +0000

Via Sound+Design: Each loci is a unique 3D printed sculpture bespoke to someone’s flights spurring recollection, reflection and conversation about their travels.

It is a working prototype made for my final project while studying at CIID. I am not releasing the software yet as we are aiming to include loci directly in an iPhone app I co-created called Flying. A big part of the app, is the ability to track one’s flights, so it would be fantastic to be able to create a loci directly from whithin Flying!

Through custom software built in Max/MSP, the user is able to select specific flights that matter to them, such as a honey moon, a summer vacation through Europe or all of their flights from a given year. To ease this process, the user can connect to Tripit or Foursquare and import their past flight data automatically.

Each loci comes with a card highlighting on a map all the airports flown to. The sculpture can be placed on this card to help visualize their travels. Additional information is displayed on the card, such as the title chosen by the user, the total distance travelled, the number of airports visited, and the number of flights taken.

The software generates a file suitable for 3D printing, so that the user can either print it themselves or use a service like Shapeways that prints for them.

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Velokafi

HC Concepts — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:10 +0000

The number of bicycle riders expecting to double in Switzerland’s largest metropolitan area by 2025. Because of these staggering statistics, Zurich’s City Council has created the stadtverkehr 2025 program, which aims to improve the pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure, and reduce the increasing motorized traffic flow. Part of this initiative includes the opening of the Velokafi – a sort of ‘drive-in’ for bicycles. Now cyclists can pull right up to the table, and grub down. The temporary facility has been installed by Zurich’s city council on the terrace of the Rathaus Café – a popular local riverside cafe. The velokafi consists of two specially designed wooden docking stations with a table top, and which are constructed as such that cyclists can park their bike and remain seated. Anyone who checks in gets a cup of coffee, courtesy of Rathaus Café and coffee brand Gipfelstürmer.

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Salora PowerMaxx: Last Longer

HC Concepts — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:12 +0000

Salora PowerMaxx features a gargantuan 3200mAh battery which makes it last really really really long. The tagline: “Lasts longer than you think” is accompanied by characters from Temple Run and Subway Surfers.

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Maison Monday: Cloud Rainwater Pipe

HC Concepts — Tue, 14 May 2013 01:50:53 +0000

Russian designer Dmitriy Kulyev created a cloud that produces rain from rain. Attached to your downspout, this Cloud Rainwater Pipe attachment will make everyone smile, even on the rainiest of days.

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White Dry Erase Tool Chest

HC Concepts — Sun, 12 May 2013 12:00:48 +0000

The Craftsman 4-Drawer Limited Edition Top Chest has a white dry erase finish which allows you to label the contents of each drawer with a magic marker. Custom details include gas cover struts, black drawer trim, nameplate, bail side handle and limited edition badging.

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Stoopidtall 14-Foot-Tall Bicycle

HC Concepts — Sat, 11 May 2013 12:00:08 +0000

Richie Trimble rided this hand-built 14.5 feet tall bike at last Sunday at Los Angeles’s CicLAvia. Trimble recorded his nerve-wracking 20 mile ride to Venice Beach with a GoPro camera that was attached to his chest.

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Tasty Sweatshirts

HC Concepts — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:00:10 +0000

Hungry? Then check out these “all over” printed crewneck sweatshirts by Beloved. Made by using a special sublimation technique to provide a vivid graphic image throughout the shirt, they come in a variety of designs to suit discerning styles and picky appetites. Whether you want to sport a cheeseburger, stack of colourful doughnuts or syrup-covered pancakes, gummybears, pickles or a selection of junk food from a vending machine, these tasty sweats are sure to get you noticed.

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DIY Chocolate Bowls

HC Concepts — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:30 +0000

Looking for a way to jazz up dessert or the spread at your next hosted gathering? Then perhaps the DIY chocolate bowl is for you. As described by Fine Dining Lovers, all you need is chocolate, balloons and a bit of patience. Simply pour melted (cooled) chocolate over inflated balloons, wait for the chocolate to harden, then deflate the balloons to reveal your one-of-a-kind creations. Perfect for serving fresh fruit, cheese, chocolate-covered bacon or whatever treats you’re looking to pair certain wines with. A great conversation starter and project for those with idle hands.

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GOPR Rescue Snowmobile

HC Concepts — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:51 +0000

Nowadays, a lot of families do winter sports, eg.: snowboarding, skiing and trekking. However, as we all know, accidents often happen on slopes or tourist routes for variety of reasons: avalanches, bad weather, inexperience or recklessness. In most cases these result in less or more serious fractures of limbs or the spine. Enter the Rescue Snowmobile by GOPR. The aim of the project is to fill the gap in the life saving equipment owned by GOPR and other mountain rescue teams around the world. Designing a vehicle which offers protection against difficult weather conditions allows for the immediate medical rescue action right where the incident took place and during the transportation of an injured person. The vehicle is mobile, manoeuvrable and gets easily to places which are difficult to access. It is good value for money in terms of its capabilities.

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Maison Monday: Numi

HC Concepts — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Kohler has unveiled its most advanced toilet, dubbed the Numi, which has added new features, including a Bluetooth receiver for users to stream audio from their mobile devices, an SD card to access custom playlists or personalized welcome messages, a USB port for software updates, and ambient lighting that features seven different colors to choose from. The toilet combines unmatched design, technology and engineering to bring you the finest in personal comfort and cleansing. From its striking form and features to its unrivaled water efficiency, the Numi toilet marks a new standard of excellence in the bathroom.

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La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science

HC Concepts — Sun, 05 May 2013 12:00:32 +0000

The La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS) is a major new building on La Trobe University’s Bundoora Campus, which will meet the University’s long-term needs in terms of student learning and research in the science disciplines. Lyons were appointed following a design competition sponsored by the Australian Institute of Architects. An integral part of the brief was for the project to have a ‘transformative’ effect in terms of the architecture and identity of the campus, which had previously been built within the strict guidelines for materials and heights. The building is designed around the University’s specific model for creating a pathway for students in science; an environment where students can develop into student researchers and ultimately into lead researchers.
The lower levels of the building accommodate first to third year undergraduate learning spaces – with large open flexible labs (accommodating teaching cohorts for 160 students) connected with ‘dry’ learning spaces. This allows students to move between laboratory based project work, to digital and collaborative learning activities within the adjacent spaces. At ground level, these learning spaces breakout to new landscaped spaces, extending the idea of placing students at the centre of outside social and learning areas. The upper three levels of the building are research focused and based around a highly collaborative model. All laboratories are large open flexible spaces where teams are able to work together, or expand and contract according to research funds. These large ‘super labs’ are located immediately adjacent to write-up spaces, allowing a very direct physical and visual connection between all research work areas.
A series of further shared spaces, including a major conference room, staff ‘college’ lounge and informal meeting spaces, are also located on the research levels. The design is fully integrated with the adjacent existing building, which accommodates a number of other LIMS research staff and laboratories. The project design also responds to the unique attributes of the University’s Bundoora Campus, with its elevated ‘concourse’ at the first level. The primary reception to the building is, in fact, located at this concourse level at a ‘cross roads’ of the campus circulation in a north/south direction. A major stairway rises through the centre of the building, connecting the student and research levels – as a form of representation of the ‘pathway’. The cellular exterior of the building is derived from ideas about expressing the molecular research that is being undertaken within the building, and is adjusted via the materiality of the building itself.

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Edible Spoons

HC Concepts — Sat, 04 May 2013 12:00:45 +0000

Tired of throwing your plastic fast food spoons away only to have them rot in a landfill for 50 years? Or maybe green-varieties of utensils are more difficult to recycle than you’d previously hoped? Whatever your disposition may be, you need a formal introduction to Edible Spoon by Triangle Tree. These spoons are constructed mainly of organic corn flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, milk, eggs, sugar, salt, plus various herbs and spices. Diners can choose from 3 different flavors: plain, spicy, and sweet. It’s yet another tool in the arsenal of those looking to curb waste.

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Straws by Francesca Pasquali

HC Concepts — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:00:01 +0000

Francesca Pasquali is an artist who lives and works between Bologna and Brescia, Italy. She combines contemporary materials with timeless techniques and construction logic, relying on elastics, balloons and straws. Regarding the latter, her straw-based works and delightfully colourful, 3-dimensional and strangely topographical.

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Chaac Ha Water Collector

HC Concepts — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:00:44 +0000

Via Inhabitat: World Water Day may have come and gone, but the importance of preserving water remains. There are some amazingly innovative ways to harvest water out there, like this award-winning Chaac Ha Water Collector designed by students in the Yucatan region of Southern Mexico. This portable water harvesting concept can collect both dew and rain, accumulating 2.5 liters of water each night from dew alone. The idea behind the design was to provide consistent, clean water to rural Mexican communities where access is limited.

The Chaac Ha design, named after the Mayan god of rain, was inspired by observing natural processes. The form and material of the membrane that captures the water, for example, mirrors the way in which bromeliads derive moisture and nutrients from the air. As bromeliad leaves are hydrophobic, their microscopic irregularities encourage water to channel into a single reservoir. In the Chaac Ha design, Teflon is used to create the same effect. The structure of the design takes inspiration from a spiderweb and is collapsible for full portability.

Using state of the art software from 3D design and engineering software company Autodesk, the Chaac Ha system was recognized with the Autodesk Sustainability Workshop award last year. Students rewarded for their work were Diana Carolina Vega Basto, Luis Didier Cox Tamay, Andy Francisco Arjona Massa, Cindy Beatriz, Shirley Molina, and Álvaro Jesús Buenfil Ovando, from the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida.

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Gibson: Groupies, Campfire, Angels

HC Concepts — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:30 +0000

Check out this trio of print ads for Gibson by Miami Ad School, Berlin. Featuring Slash and Keith Richards, the taglines are snappy and humorous, driving home the point that Gibson is a cut above the competition.

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Videtur

HC Concepts — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:00:03 +0000

Via I Love Typography: In the 1980s, the German Democratic Republic’s state television broadcasting service commissioned Axel Bertram to develop a custom typeface. The result was “Videtur,” a remarkably independent serif design that was intended to define the on-screen graphics of East German television for years to come. But by the beginning of the 1990s, the GDR no longer existed. With it went its state broadcasting service – and Videtur, too. Another 20 years in the now reunified Germany would have to pass by before Andreas Frohloff could finally help bring a modernized FF Videtur to market.

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Maison Monday: The Butler

HC Concepts — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:00:59 +0000

The Butler is designed to fit your wallet and keys in the top sleeve, your iphone on the side slot with a concealed space for your charging cord, and glasses/hat/scarf or whatever other go-to item on the slide out walnut piece. It measures 10″ wide x 9″ tall x 2 1/4″ thick and is lovingly made of solid walnut and baltic birch ply.

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Bubba’s Hover

HC Concepts — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 12:00:59 +0000

A project by Bubba Watson and Oakley, which has a lot of people wondering if it’s real, an elaborate prank or disguised advertisement. Whatever you choose to believe, it’s basically the most awesome Hovercraft Golf Cart you’ve ever seen, which moves on land, water and greens, and gets you noticed on the links.

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Cooking Simulator

HC Concepts — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 12:00:52 +0000

This cooking simulator calculates the heat transfer from the pan to the meat or vegetables that are being cooked, and displays the visible changes caused by heating. The fry pan interface allows for three dimensional input, and as well as moving the fry pan to aid the cooking process, the simulator can feed back the weight of ingredients combined with the tactile feeling of the ingredients cooking.

When you move the frying pan, the actual movement is input, and you can feel the ingredients through the pan. Also, the upper part of the system is a screen. When you look into the pan, you can see what’s in it through a half-mirror. So this simulator lets you experience looking into the frying pan while you hold it. This technology combines a rigid-body physics engine library and a heat conduction simulator. The heat conduction state changes in line with the amount of physical contact, and the simulation is achieved by combining them.

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Efterklang “The Ghost”

HC Concepts — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:00:57 +0000

Spanish director Victor Carrey’s take on a ghost story, for Efterklang. Wonderful work here!

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Fake Food Accessories

HC Concepts — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:00:50 +0000

Hatanaka’s new line of Fake Food Accessories includes everything from pancakes, French fries, meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and cheeses, to even bacon. You can wear earrings, rings, necklaces and hairbands; all made to look like your favorite foodstuff. These creations are so authentic looking that at first glance you are sure to mistake them for the real thing.

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