RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘Blocks’

Instant Cities: 3D-Print Your Favorite NYC Blocks on Demand

29 Jun

[ By WebUrbanist in Gaming & Computing & Technology. ]

3d printing

We are accustomed to being able to click a few buttons and get 2D prints of cities, blocks or buildings, and now a new web app allows you to create your own 3D model just as easily, picking and printing your favorite parts of Manhattan.

Inspired by Terrafab, a similar app that lets you print out custom selected, scoped and scaled sections of Norway’s gorgeous natural topographies, ibldi uses a similar approach but turns it toward America’s largest cityscape.

terrafab 3d print norway

For now, Terrafab offers more functionality and versatility, spanning an entire country, letting users customize their viewport and allowing selections ranging from tiny to gigantic. It is not hard to imagine, though, similar open map APIs in the near future allowing any section of the planet to be likewise selected and printed.

terrafab 3d printed landscape

From Terrafab: “Arguably, Norway has one of the top five most incredible terrains in the known universe. Now you can create your own 3D-printed genuine gypsum heirloom mantelpiece display replica of your favorite part of this formidable landscape in two easy steps.”

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Origami Shelter: Instant Flat-Pack Architecture on Demand

Take a structure, strip away all of the non-essentials, and squeeze out every last unused bit of air space, and what do you get? Essentially, a flat-folded …
Click Here to Read More »»


8 On Demand Social Shopping Sites You Need to Share

Social shopping, online marketplaces that revolve around innovative communities, is one of the greatest developments spawned by the social media revolution
Click Here to Read More »»


Crawling Cities: 3D-Printed Shells for Hermit Crabs

Hermit crabs carry crystal-clear cityscapes on their backs, thanks to a series of 3D-printed shells by Aki Inomata. The artist scans the insides of hermit crab …
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Gaming & Computing & Technology. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Instant Cities: 3D-Print Your Favorite NYC Blocks on Demand

Posted in Creativity

 

ARCKIT: Reusable Model-Making Blocks Built By & For Architects

27 May

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

architectural model blocks design

Positioned between robust LEGO-style systems made for easy reuse and refined architectural models that are fragile but permanent, this modeling kit is both a design tool for professionals and rendering mechanism to convey space and materiality to clients.

architecture bricks lego like

arckit imagine built it

Using 1:48 scale, the modular pieces that come with ARCKIT are compatible with conventional imperial measurements (easy inch-to-foot conversions) but also close to 1:50 for metric purposes and compatible with scale trees, furniture and figures already sold to architectural professionals. Different textures can be overlaid on surfaces to create realistic material effects, simulating wood panels, tile floors, stone walls and more.

modular house block system

architecture arckit box design

 

Easy to attach then disassemble, the pieces strike a balance between process and product, letting users reshape them as a design evolves. The physical blocks also have SketchUp-compatible digital analogs, allowing designers to shift back and forth between 3D modeling software and physical construction.

architect simulated space design

architecture material craft model

Anyone who has spent time on an architectural model knows that so much effort goes into measuring, cutting, gluing and waiting – the idea here is to reduce that frustration but also free up designers from feeling too committed to a lovingly-crafted physical model, reducing incentive to iterate. At the same time, this system is also accessible to non-professionals, both kids and adults, already being compared by many to physical toys (like LEGO) and digital games (like Minecraft).

arckit modes

arckit model

“ARCKIT is a freeform model making system that allows you to physically explore designs and bring your architectural projects to life. The system uses interconnecting components that are completely modular and based on modern panelled building techniques, making it possible to create a diverse range of scaled structures that can be quickly assembled and endlessly modified.”

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Augmented 3D Printing: Architectural Model Overlay App

Augmented reality meets architectural modeling in a remarkable best-of-both-worlds hybridization for architecture designers, builders and clients.
Click Here to Read More »»


Itty City Blocks: Build Your Own 3D-Printed Physical SimCity

At a scale of 1/1,000, these beautiful little models bring famous buildings to life but can also be fitted into whole blocks or assembled to form …
Click Here to Read More »»


Upgrading the Future: Reusable Green DIY Building System

This eco-friendly building system requires no special skills or tools and lets homebrew engineers create infinitely upgradeable structures and machines.
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on ARCKIT: Reusable Model-Making Blocks Built By & For Architects

Posted in Creativity

 

No Exit: Bricked Train Door Blocks German Subway Commuters

01 May

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

brick blocked train car

Presumed a prank at first by online skeptics, authorities have since confirmed that these precisely-stacked cinder blocks were indeed carefully assembled and bonded together to fully block the door of an S-Bahn train in Hamburg.

brick blocked train line

Placed inside the actual sliding doors, the bricks proved a surprise when the aperture slide open to reveal the blockage. Passengers who managed to board before the intervention was reported were forced to exit at an upcoming station while an investigation was performed and the problem ultimately fixed.

bricked train interior view

While some may be amused and no one was trapped inside the car, blocked by blocks, the impacts were significant for those faced with cleaning up after this vandalism. The train was routed to a depot and the wall carefully broken down piece by piece, the story ending 12 hours and an estimated 10,000 dollars later.

bricked subway car line

With no sign of the perpetrators, the biggest clue is the professionalism with which the wall was assembled, apparently by a team of people with construction expertise. With no one claiming credit, overtly or anonymously, one is left to wonder whether some reference to the Berlin Wall was intended or if this was an attempt at some other kind of art or message.

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Subway Parasite: Stealth Projector Lights Up Train Tunnels

Here to lighten the mood a bit during the duller parts of your nighttime or subterranean transit is a quirky little projector that suctions to vehicular shells.
Click Here to Read More »»


Graffiti Sites: Train, Wall, Street & Subway Photos

Though it’s found all over the world, graffiti tends to accumulate on the same spaces in each location. Most commonly: trains, walls, city streets, and subways.
Click Here to Read More »»


Transits Of Venus: 8 Women-Only Subway & Train Cars

Subway sandwich: good if you’re hungry, bad if you’re a female commuter. These 8 women-only transit cars offer groups of gals a grope-free rail road trip.
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on No Exit: Bricked Train Door Blocks German Subway Commuters

Posted in Creativity

 

Itty City Blocks: Build Your Own 3D-Printed Physical SimCity

15 Feb

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

itty city modular blocks

At a scale of 1/1,000, these beautiful little models bring famous buildings to life but can also be fitted into whole blocks or assembled to form micro-metropolises.

itty block plug play

itty modular block shapeways

itty model roadway ramps

Car fanatics got Micromachines, but architecture enthusiasts have few options for collecting their favorite models – sure, there are great LEGO architecture sets, but those are more about the building process than the aesthetic of the finished product.

itty nyc city block

itty city simcity block

itty model lit up

Available on Shapeways, IttyBlox features everything from stereotypical New York townhouses to world-renowned works of architecture, including a lovely rendition of the Guggenheim at a thousandth the size of the original. Illumination from below and different thicknesses of materials above combine to allow these neat buildings to light up at night as well.

itty bitty guggenheim museum

itty city block park

Parks, highways and on/off ramps are also available to provide connective tissue between the core structures – sidewalks and streets are effectively built into the base plate pieces.

itty blocks world cities

itty city model hand

Where the real fun comes in, though, is in mixing and matching – using a modular base plate, you can remix blocks to your liking, picking favorite structures from London, New York or anywhere else and seeing how they might work when set side by side on the same street.

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Virtual LEGO Blocks: Build with Chrome, Set on Google Maps

Build with Chrome is the new, fast and simple model-maker in town, and this one lets you create structures faster than digital SketchUp or physical LEGOs ever …
Click Here to Read More »»


Textscape: 3D-Printed Typography Stretches Up Like City Blocks

Like braille for the seeing, this 3D-printed text raises off the page to add an extra dimension of physicality and meaning to its subject matter, the end …
Click Here to Read More »»


GoGo & Multiplo: Modular Building Blocks for Kids & Adults

Two very similar designs with somewhat different audiences one emphasizing forts and mazes for kids, the other suggesting beds or chairs for adults.
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Itty City Blocks: Build Your Own 3D-Printed Physical SimCity

Posted in Creativity

 

Textscape: 3D-Printed Typography Stretches Up Like City Blocks

20 Jan

[ By Steph in Design & Graphics & Branding. ]

type landscape 1

Like braille for the seeing, this 3D-printed text raises off the page to add an extra dimension of physicality and meaning to its subject matter, the end result resembling a cityscape made of typography. The ‘Textscape’ project by Hongtao Zhou includes actual braille, as well as various languages and alphabets, calligraphies and number systems.

type landscape 2

The intent is to connect the text to its visuality in architecture, landscape, portraits and ‘abstract matters,’ profiling it in a way that can be consumed both literally and intuitively.

type landscape 3

Says the artist, “Printing technology was first created in ancient China to reproduce text using woodblocks, however today’s definition had been widely adopted in 3D printing, an additive process more often to create objects instead of duplicative text.”

type landscape 4

In this project, the text itself retains a legible meaning, while other letter-centric works often focus solely on the beauty of the typography. One example is Jaume Plensa’s monumental typographic sculptures. See 12 more works of typography art.

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Chalkboarding: Applied Art of White & Black Typography

A Brooklyn-based artist applies her outstanding typography skills to ephemeral chalkboard creations that bring to mind the lost art of intricate sign painting.
Click Here to Read More »»


Temporary Legacy: Large-Scale Ice Typography Installations

Ephemeral messages ranging from eight inches to eight feet in height stand in public settings for just hours before they begin to disappear, melting into the …
Click Here to Read More »»


Twisted Typography: Barbed-Wire to Cigarette-Pack Fonts

Beyond the most basic fonts in your favorite word processor, there is an entire artistic movement pushing forward the quality and variety of typographic styles.
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By Steph in Design & Graphics & Branding. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Textscape: 3D-Printed Typography Stretches Up Like City Blocks

Posted in Creativity

 

Blocks Camera features modular design with swappable components

18 Nov

Blocks Camera of California has introduced its Blocks+ multi-functional camera. The Blocks+ features a modular design allowing photographers to swap in components, referred to as ‘blocks’, for various types of recording like 3D and 360-degree video. The blocks also include battery modules that can be added for extra battery life. Learn more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Blocks Camera features modular design with swappable components

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Magnetic Furniture: Modular Blocks Connect via Unseen Forces

19 Sep

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

bob modular magnetic boxes

Magnetized to stick together when you arrange them, these boxes take LEGO-style furniture construction to a new level by leaving exposed surfaces connector-free in any configuration.

cube box chair design

Dubbed the BOB system by its creator, Paul Kelley, the component cubes themselves are durable but light and clad in copper that will weather differently over time depending on which surfaces are exposed.

magnetic cantilever

The magnets inside them are designed to let you create anything you can imagine, from chairs, benches, stools and tables to interior space dividers or simply abstract sculptures. Their attraction is strong enough (and the boxes sufficiently lightweight) to allow limited cantilevers as well.

bob magnet box system

bob modular boxes stacked

This work is being publicly displayed as part of the London Design Festival (via Inhabitat)- hopefully its creator will also allow the public to play with and reconfigure the exhibit, keeping it fun and interactive. Fans of magnetic furniture designs should be sure to check out this tensile floating table as well, which works on similar but reversed principles, repelling rather than attracting the constituent boxes.

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

GoGo & Multiplo: Modular Building Blocks for Kids & Adults

Two very similar designs with somewhat different audiences one emphasizing forts and mazes for kids, the other suggesting beds or chairs for adults.
Click Here to Read More »»


3D Cat Furniture Set: Modular Hangouts for Walls & Ceilings

Furnishings for felines are nothing new, but this one-stop shop provides modular bridges, beds, posts and platforms designed as a kit-of-parts solution to turn …
Click Here to Read More »»


Modern, Modular & Transforming Kids’ Furniture: 13 Designs

Why spend a fortune on a virtually endless array of aesthetically questionable kids’ furniture, from birth to their teen years, when you could choose …
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Magnetic Furniture: Modular Blocks Connect via Unseen Forces

Posted in Creativity

 

Smart Bricks: Life-Size LEGO-Style Blocks for Human Habitats

09 Jul

[ By WebUrbanist in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

kite bricks building blocks

Aiming to revolutionize the most basic material units of construction, these building blocks snap together like LEGO bricks while leaving space for insulation and infrastructure inside and between them.

kite building block prototype

kite wall construction detail

Designed by Kite Bricks, a startup company with lofty aspirations, these Smart Bricks offer “high thermal control, full passage of pipes, wires, cables and the like, finishes for both indoors and outdoors, extraordinary tensile strength, ease of construction, safety of materials, and total application throughout a structure—floors, ceilings, and walls.”

Among other ecological and cost advantages, a core idea is to reduce the difficulty of construction and the equipment and debris associated with the building process. The bricks can be stacked by hand and are self-supporting from the start – no scaffolding needed.

kite brick window wall

kite lego like building block

As for applications: “The brick is amenable for building houses, buildings, bridges and more.. The block is constructed of high-strength concrete with unique properties that allow for … large savings in electricity expenses associated with seasonal heating and cooling. The block allows for faster, cheaper, more precise, and stronger building than is available through traditional building methods.”

kite life size lego

robotic construction blocks

Whether this approach will replace bricks as we know them remains to be seen, but the next step will certainly involve full-scale prototypes, albeit hopefully ones more creative and attractive than the rough-and-ready examples shown in the video above.

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

LEGO House: Experience Center Made of Interlocking Blocks

Fans wanting to fully experience the land of LEGO will be able to visit this huge hometown headquarters being build up like a giant stack of LEGO bricks.
Click Here to Read More »»


LEGO Brooklyn: Artist Recreates Borough with Plastic Blocks

Familiar scenes from Brooklyn, from the local flower shop to the train station, are lovingly rendered in pixelated plastic by local resident and artist …
Click Here to Read More »»


Brass Meets Bricks: 20 Steampunk LEGO Art Creations

It may seem an incongruous combination but legions of LEGO-maniacs have employed the versatile bricks to create stunning scenes of plasticized steampunk glory.
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Smart Bricks: Life-Size LEGO-Style Blocks for Human Habitats

Posted in Creativity

 

Living Legos: Build Your Own Robot with TinkerBots Blocks

15 Apr

[ By Steph in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

TinkerBots Custom Robots 1

High-tech and low-tech come together with this set of not-so-basic building blocks connected to a central ‘Power Brain’ cube that turns your creation into a working robot. TinkerBots is a building kit that comes with all sorts of mobile and immobile components that snap together around the central cube so you can create an endless array of custom toys that walk, crawl, roll or or perform other movements.

tinkerbots

The red ‘Power Brain’ cube provides energy and contains an Arduino-compatible microcontroller, Bluetooth connectivity, a USB charger, an LED button interface, a speaker and more. Kinetic components include twisters, pivots, motor-modules and grabbers, while static components are simple building blocks in various shapes. The kit is also compatible with Legos.

TinkerBots Custom Robots 3

TInkerBots Custom Robots 4

Put them together any way you like – there’s no need to wire or program your creation, so even a five-year-old can get creative with it. Once you put it together, you ‘teach’ the robot what you want it to do. Hit the record button and move the robot the way you want it to move. Then, when you press play, it’ll repeat the action.

TinkerBots Custom Robots 2

TinkerBots Custom Robots 5

TinkerBots is currently raising money on IndieGoGo to distribute the kit and add even more parts like renewable energy-producing modules, wind engines, and generators with crank handles. The more money you donate to the fundraising campaign, the more advanced of a kit you receive to start on your own robotic creations.

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Virtual LEGO Blocks: Build with Chrome, Set on Google Maps

Build with Chrome is the new, fast and simple model-maker in town, and this one lets you create structures faster than digital SketchUp or physical LEGOs ever …
Click Here to Read More »»


LEGOs Bring Historical Figures to (Miniature Toy) Life

LEGO artist Jamie Spencer created over 90 historical figures, from Charlemagne to Elvis, using only official LEGO parts.
Click Here to Read More »»


Robot Tattoos: Awesome Works of Mechanical Body Art

We give life to our robot visions in the most permanent means at our disposal: ink. Here are some of the most creative and well done robot tattoos around:
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By Steph in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Living Legos: Build Your Own Robot with TinkerBots Blocks

Posted in Creativity

 

Virtual LEGO Blocks: Build with Chrome, Set on Google Maps

05 Feb

[ By WebUrbanist in Gaming & Computing & Technology. ]

build with chrome page

Build with Chrome is the new, fast and simple model-maker in town, and this one lets you create structures faster than digital SketchUp or physical LEGOs ever could.

build lego google maps

Of course, this Chrome Experiment project would not be complete without Google Maps integration, allowing you to deploy your creations around the world and interact with others.

build lego online browser

Architecture seems the most obvious, but infrastructure, ships and other complex shapes are all ultimately possibilities as well.

build lego pirate ships

Like SketchUp (previously owned by Google), the tool set is relatively simple, except in this case the learning curve is even faster, making it possible for anyone to participate with ease.

build lego house architecture

Users can select blocks, change colors, rotate with a key click, drop them into place then keep on stacking, then save or reset at any time. From private estates to pirate ships, anything is possible.

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

If You Believe, They Put Google Maps on the Moon. Mars?

Google has conquered Earth and apparently looking for new frontiers – too bad they haven’t develop Google Moon very much since releasing it.
Click Here to Read More »»


Google Maps-Inspired Birdhouse Guides Birds Home

Just as the Google Maps icon shows us where our destination can be found, it leads birds to their homes in a playful birdhouse design by Shuchun Hsiao.
Click Here to Read More »»


Test Your Geography Skills with Google Maps Game

Guess what city – or even what continent – the geography game GeoGuessr has dropped you into using nothing more than images from Google Maps.
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Gaming & Computing & Technology. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Virtual LEGO Blocks: Build with Chrome, Set on Google Maps

Posted in Creativity

 
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »