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Devil’s Slide: Deserted Bay Area WWII Bunker Hovers in Midair

14 Apr

[ By WebUrbanist in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

devil slide pillbox

Built on Devil’s Peak (along a promontory known as Devil’s Slide), this obsolete base end station was designed to spot, triangulate and radio in sightings of enemy ships approaching the San Francisco Bay.

devils slide mound

Rounding the bend along California’s scenic coastal State Route 1 from either north or south, it is impossible to miss the incredible bunker, which appears to float over the earth around it. While the area is fenced off, a parking zone nearby is used by some explorers as a place from which to venture closer to the structure, located just south of Pacifica and past a hillside highway tunnel.

devils slide

Though this is neither safe nor recommended, it is also possible to climb into the viewing slot on the first level then walk the stairs to the top – unofficially: the view is incredible. Meanwhile, the edges of the bunker have turned from supports to supported, cantilevered precariously over their surroundings, allowing you to walk up and sit under thousands of pounds of reinforced concrete.

devils slide cantilever

devils slide behind

While it looks like the work of nature, the apparent erosion surrounding the lone structure is reportedly a man-made effort designed to pave the way for further development, presumably by the military. At the same time, natural causes would not be too much of a surprise or stretch, considering that this section of highway has been known to close due to everything from earthquakes to landslides – the next disaster very well might take this abandoned building with it. The land and bunker are meanwhile owned by a private party and officially off limits (though with limited fencing).

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Devils Slide Deserted Bay Area Wwii Bunker Hovers In Midair

[ By WebUrbanist in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

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Mesmerizing Motion Capture: Dance as Point Cloud Data

14 Apr

[ By Steph in Art & Photography & Video. ]

motion capture 1

The graceful movements of a professional dancer are rendered as a cloud of flickering metallic dots using inexpensive Xbox Kinect sensors and 3D tools. Constantly shifting and changing even as the dancer stands still, the data points create a ghostly impression against a black backdrop, seeming to embody motion itself.

motion capture 8

motion capture 6

motion capture 4

Asphyxia is a collaborative experimental film project by Maria Takeuchi and Federico Phillips, performed by Shiho Tanaka, combining various technologies to stress “the desire to be expressive without limits.” The sensors scanned data points on Tanaka’s body, which were then combined and used as the basis for the creative development of the film.

motion capture 3

motion capture 5

motion capture 2

The filmmakers rendered the data into this hauntingly abstract form, placing it in a photorealistic environment to add to the eerie quality of the finished product. Check out the behind-the-scenes process above to learn more about how it was made.

[ By Steph in Art & Photography & Video. ]

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Wired Wood: 13 Handmade Versions of Electronic Gadgets

14 Apr

[ By Steph in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

wood gadgets record 1

Anyone who longs for the days of simpler, longer-lasting gadgets will love these lo-fi wooden versions of modern tech, including a pixel display made of blocks, laser-cut wood records, an orb-shaped computer mouse and even an all-wood version of a classic arcade game system.

Lo-Fi Pixel Display

Wooden blocks measuring 1.5 inches across stand in for digital pixels in this analog version of a display screen created by Han Lee. The 64 blocks were laser-cut and connected to an Arduino Uno, which controls the imagery.

Laser-Cut Records

Designer Amanda Ghassaei programmed a laser cutter to turn round slices of wood into playable records. Audio data is ripped from a WAV file and then turned into a PDF of a vector graphic containing all of the little bumps and grooves needed to reproduce the music on a record player.

White Fruit Radio

white fruit radio

Inspired by the way biological organisms organize their internal and external components, the ‘White Fruit Radio’ makes use of sycamore’s acoustic properties. There are no buttons or knobs on the outside – instead, it’s controlled by rubbing your finger across the ripples on the side.

Tiny iPhone Speakers

wood gadgets iphone speaker

Measuring less than a cubic inch each, these cute little ‘i-Dear’ speakers can hang from your keychain until you need to plug them in to your iPhone or other portable media player. Powered by built-in rechargeable batteries, they’ll play for about five hours before they need to be plugged into a USB power source again.

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Wired Wood 13 Handmade Versions Of Electronic Gadgets

[ By Steph in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

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Commuter Olympics: Indoor Running Tracks Link Japanese Airport

13 Apr

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Guerilla Ads & Marketing. ]

japanese airport terminal tracks

Combining a novel form of wayfinding with a nod to the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, this new airport terminal trades moving walkways for a color-coded circuit of racetrack paths.

japan indoor running track

japan domestic international terminal

The airport extension to Narita International anticipates the additional capacity needed in a few years for the upcoming event but also reflects a limited budget for expansion, together driving a design that needs no illuminated signs and skips people-moving devices.

japan walking running

japan olympics promotion

japan wayfinding system

Blue leads to departures and red takes people to arrivals – a simple scheme but easily visible when set against the more monotone surrounding interiors. The collaborative project featured contributions by PARTY with consultants from Nikken (photography by Kenta Hasegawa).

japan airport furniture

japan blue red departures

japan race track path

Of course, we all know the experience of being late for takeoff – beyond its aesthetics, it could indeed prove quite useful to have fast and slow lanes during busy times and for those whose commutes demand they make their plane in time.

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Guerilla Ads & Marketing. ]

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Wrap It Up! 10 Creative Building Scrims & Scaffolds

12 Apr

[ By Steve in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

Scrim Scaffold 0
These artistic wraps, scrims and scaffolds creatively conceal the ugly truth of building construction, remediation and restoration.

Scrim Scaffold 1b

Illusion of justice? OK, that was too easy but restoring the United States Supreme Court Building was anything but. Designed by Cass Gilbert, the building’s classical marble facade has fronted the inner workings of the SCOTUS since 1935. The white Vermont Imperial Danby marble has aged gracefully for the most part but after 75 years of Washington weathering, a comprehensive restoration of the columned West Facade was deemed necessary… and it was going to get messy. What to do?

Scrim Scaffold 1a

Scrim Scaffold 1c

The solution employed by Rockville-based Forrester Construction Co. was a clever combination of inner rigid scaffolding wrapped in a decorative scrim depicting a photo of the facade in its forecasted finished state. Derived from practices commonly used in Europe, the scrim kept the dirty work of cleaning and restoring the facade under an attractive cover for the better part of two years, being removed upon the project’s completion in late 2013.

Dutch Treat

Scrim Scaffold 2

Sometimes less is more and conversely, more may seem like less. That was the case on Kettingstraat in The Hague, when Dutch architecture office Archipelontwerpers installed a Gehry-esque golden scrim to camouflage restoration and renovation work. Who’s going to notice the construction with a shimmering curtain of gold to distract their eyes?

Meat-Wrapping District

Scrim Scaffold 3a

Scrim Scaffold 3c

Scrim Scaffold 3b

In 2012 when the Whitney Museum of American Art dedicated a retrospective to 83-year-old Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, they decided to promote it in a big way. Take “Yellow Trees”, a building-sized art installation doubling as a practical scaffolding scrim on West 14th Street at 9th Avenue, near the Whitney‘s new location in NYC’s trendy Meatpacking District.

OZ-some!

Scrim Scaffold 4

Scrim Scaffold 4b

Scrim Scaffold 4c

Sydney Town Hall was an Australian showpiece when it opened in 1889 but over a century’s worth of grime can’t be removed in a day or for a dollar. It took $ 33 million and quite a few days, in fact, and the use of a custom 30m (66ft) tall scrim for the clock tower and 20m (44ft) tall screens for the front facade helped preserve the old gal’s dignity while her cosmetics were being applied.

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Wrap It Up 10 Creative Building Scrims Scaffolds

[ By Steve in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

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IKEA to Produce & Ship 10,000 Flat-Pack Emergency Shelters

12 Apr

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

ikea shanty village

With 40 test units created and deployed since 2013, IKEA is now ready to begin mass-producing its $ 1,000-per-unit temporary flat-pack house to destinations in need around the world. Much like IKEA’s everyday products, these shelters are ready to use right out of the box – some assembly required but all assembly tools included.

ikea flat pack home

ikea emergency housing

Recognizing the need for more robust shelters in refugee camps and disaster areas, where temporary housing often has to hold up to severe weather and longer-than-expected durations, IKEA developed Better Shelter as a low-cost alternative to conventional equivalents.

ikea modular solution

Supplied to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) by the Ikea Foundation, these new units will find homes in places they are currently used (like Ethiopia and Iraq) as well as other destinations.

ikea emergency shelter design

ikea house interior

At close to 200 square feet per unit, these are perhaps not spacious but some standards but are much larger than most emergency housing solutions. Panels, pipes, connectors, wires as well as solar power panels for the roof are all packed flat in boxes for easy shipping. While standardized, the modules are also designed to be adapted to regional climate conditions.

ikea house parts

ikea flat pack house

Shaun Scales, UNHCR’s chief of shelter and settlement, said in a statement: “The refugee housing unit (RHU) is an exciting new development in humanitarian shelter and represents a much needed addition to the palette of sheltering options mobilised to assist those in need. Its deployment will ensure dramatic improvement to the lives of many people affected by crises.”

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Jungle in the City: Wild Urban Biome Skyscraper Design

11 Apr

[ By Steph in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

jungle skyscraper 1

Suspended aquariums, snowy landscapes, jungles and caves can all be found in the heart of the city, steps away from dense urban housing, in the middle of this wild skyscraper concept. Winner of eVolo magazine’s 2015 skyscraper competition, ‘Essence’ by BOMP re-introduces nature to heavily developed areas with eleven diverse landscapes built right into its core.

jungle skyscraper 3

The futuristic urban tower design aims to be a secret garden in the middle of the city, combining architecture and nature within an environment where wildlife and greenery are rarely found outside of parks. “The main goal of this project is to position non-architectural phenomena in an urban fabric,” say the designers.

Screen Shot 2015-04-10 at 11.00.49 AM

The eleven natural landscapes overlap each other within the vertical structure, including a jungle, a cave, a waterfall and even an ‘ocean.’ The landscapes were chosen for their complex range of “visual, acoustic, thermal, olfactory and kinesthetic experiences.”

Screen Shot 2015-04-10 at 11.00.41 AM

Open to the public, this series of natural spaces includes fish tanks lifted 30 meters above the floor and other natural features, with different paths offering different adventures. Each is positioned beside large glazed walls overlooking the city, offering a strange juxtaposition of environments. See the rest of the contest entries at eVolo.

[ By Steph in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

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Assembled in 3 Days: Biggest Cargo Container Restaurant in US

10 Apr

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Offices & Commercial. ]

cargo container riverside building

Comprised of 19 shipping containers, this record-breaking restaurant has reclaimed a riverside wasteland in the River Arts District of Asheville, North Carolina, turning a brownfield site into an eatery accessible by boats, buses, bikes, pedestrians and, of course, cars.

cargo container assembly process

The Smoky Park Supper Club was put together in just a few days, its various modules modified offsite then shipped in by truck for assembly. The project’s architects boast that energy cost of melting down used containers is close to 20 times what it takes to simply adapt them for reuse.

cargo container module assembly

cargo container space enterance

Aside from the cost and power savings, using cargo containers as building blocks makes them easy to transport and obviates the need for construction workers, material trucks and other traffic that can cause consternation in the neighborhoods through which the building pieces pass.

grilling riverfront

shipping container restaurant design

The restaurant itself features a “local farm-to-table menu built around wood-fired based cooking and classic American fare that chef Rosenstein describes as simple, direct, and live-fired.” It will also showcase local art.

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Offices & Commercial. ]

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Collaborative Construction: Aerial Drone-Built Architecture

10 Apr

[ By WebUrbanist in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

weaving architecture in air

Unmanned aerial vehicles can do more than just take pictures, pick up and drop off objects – they can also work together to create solid structures, built brick by brick or even woven in midair.

drone architectural construction structure

drone finished wall project

In this first example, titled Flight Assembled Architecture, roboticist Raffaello D’Andrea Swiss architecture firm Gramazio Kohler Architects to create a complex 3D wall from lightweight blocks. Far from an end product, the idea was simply to show what drones could be programmed to do. While this remains an impressive feat, the next and more recently-executed demo (below) is even more so.

woven structure drones

With help from ETH Zurich’s Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control, these autonomous flying vehicles are coordinated by computers to wrap, weave and intertwine support cables to create various tensile structures.

wweaving drone space

A simple set of vertical supports provides the framework with which the cable-deploying drones interact, first wrapping these columns then beginning to form ever more complex structures in the air.

drone building flight assembled

drone flying block design

drone building block wall

The possible future applications for such techniques range from rapid prototyping and structural integrity tests in physical space, replacing computer models, but drones could also become construction tools, able to safely weave in and out of buildings at higher altitudes to deliver materials or even deploy them in place.

[ By WebUrbanist in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

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Gamer Geek Wearables: 12 8-Bit Fashion & Decor Designs

09 Apr

[ By Steph in Gaming & Computing & Technology. ]

8-bit sleeve 1

If you’ve always wished you could step inside an old 8-bit game or computer, outfitting yourself and your home in these pixelated designs is about as close as you’re likely to get. Make your own post-it mural, throw on a pair of extra-geeky glasses, strap a clock icon watch to your wrist and even assemble a real-life replica of an early Microsoft Windows trash can.

8-Bit Fashion by Kunihilo Morinage

8-bit fashion 1

8-bit fashion 3

8-bit fashion 2

Designer Kunihilo Morinage of Anrealage unveiled a collection of 8-bit fashions at Tokyo’s Japan Fashion Week in 2012, featuring pixelated dresses, tights, shoes, masks, jackets and more. As the models walked at the show, a pianist played music reminiscent of ‘80s video games.

Key Holder and Hanger

8-bit key holder hand

Meninos Design offers a hand-shaped 8-bit hanger and magnetic key holder for under $ 20.

Superhero Mural Made of Sticky Notes

8 bit sticky note mural 2

8 bit sticky note mural 1

A group of employees at an office used 8,024 colorful post-it notes to create a series of 8-bit portraits of superheroes and comic book characters including Batman, Captain America and Wonder Woman. The use of sticky notes makes it look as if the murals are made of tiles from afar, but get close up and you’ll see that they’re actually paper. This idea would be easy to reproduce at home, if you’e so inclined.

‘Gary’ Costume by Toshiba

8-bit costume 2

8-bit costume 1

Artists Kiel Johnson and Klai Brown created this relatively creepy wearable 8-bit sculpture for a Toshiba commercial. ‘Gary’ is made of thousands of pieces of high-density foam glued to an articulated cardboard suit structure.

Pixelated Glasses Concept by Dzmitry Samal

8-bit glasses 2

8-bit glasses 1

Parisian designer Dzmitry Samal created ‘6 DPI,’ a series of 8-bit-style eyewear made of acetate, available in a range of colors. According to Samal, the design is an homage to ‘our age of informational esthetic.’

8-Bit Sleeves by Big Big Pixel

8-bit sleeve 3

8-bit sleeve 2

“Is retina display too much for you? Go backwards! You define your resolution!” says Big Big Pixel, the designer of this 8-bit sleeve made from waterproof kraft material and a soft microfiber material. It’s available in a range of sizes for MacBooks, iPads and iPad Minis.

Secret Video Game Stairway Sticker

8-bit video game stairway

Pretend like you’ve got a secret portal to another game level with this fun vinyl floor decal by JamesBit, available on Easy for $ 30.

Geek Wear: Matching Watch & Tie

8-bit watch and tie

8-bit watch

Go into full-on gamer geek mode with this matching 8-bit watch and tie set. The ‘Icon Watch’ by Japanese firm &design is made of ABS and stainless steel, and comes in black and white, while the tie is available in red or blue at ThinkGeek.

Pixelated Bed by Cristian Zuzunaga

8-bit bedding 2

8-bit bedding

Sleep in a pixelated dreamscape with this bed set by Spanish designer Cristian Zuzunaga, created for Swedish bed manufacturer Hastens. The limited edition upholstered bed frame, headboard and bedding set is pretty cool but comes with a steep price tag of $ 58,430.

Real-Life Microsoft Windows Trash Can

8-bit trash can

Just what you’ve always wanted: a three-dimensional replica of the trash can icon from early versions of MS Windows. Codeco offers a PDF so you can print sections onto pieces of paper and assemble them into your very own can.

8-Bit Sculptures by Shawn Smith

8-bit sculpture smith 2

8-bit sculpture smith 1

Made of tiny plywood cubes, Shawn Smith’s pixelated creatures look like they climbed right out of a video game screen. “My work investigates the intersection between the digital world and reality,” says Smith. “Specifically, I am interested in how we experience nature through technology. When we see images of nature on TV or on a computer screen, we feel that we are seeing nature but we are really only seeing patterns of pixelated light.”

360Photography

Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

Devil’s Slide: Deserted Bay Area WWII Bunker Hovers in Midair

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Devils Slide Deserted Bay Area Wwii Bunker Hovers In Midair

Wired Wood: 13 Handmade Versions of Electronic Gadgets

Lo-Fi Pixel Display

Laser-Cut Records

White Fruit Radio

Tiny iPhone Speakers

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Wired Wood 13 Handmade Versions Of Electronic Gadgets

Commuter Olympics: Indoor Running Tracks Link Japanese Airport

Wrap It Up! 10 Creative Building Scrims & Scaffolds

Dutch Treat

Meat-Wrapping District

OZ-some!

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Wrap It Up 10 Creative Building Scrims Scaffolds

IKEA to Produce & Ship 10,000 Flat-Pack Emergency Shelters

Jungle in the City: Wild Urban Biome Skyscraper Design

Assembled in 3 Days: Biggest Cargo Container Restaurant in US

Collaborative Construction: Aerial Drone-Built Architecture

Gamer Geek Wearables: 12 8-Bit Fashion & Decor Designs

8-Bit Fashion by Kunihilo Morinage

Key Holder and Hanger

Superhero Mural Made of Sticky Notes

‘Gary’ Costume by Toshiba

Pixelated Glasses Concept by Dzmitry Samal

8-Bit Sleeves by Big Big Pixel

Secret Video Game Stairway Sticker

Geek Wear: Matching Watch & Tie

Pixelated Bed by Cristian Zuzunaga

Real-Life Microsoft Windows Trash Can

8-Bit Sculptures by Shawn Smith

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Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

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Concrete Retreat: 100 Sq Ft Home in WWII Dutch Defense Bunker

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1 Trillion Frames-per-Second Photos Capture Light in Motion

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Lo-Fi Pixel Display

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Tiny iPhone Speakers

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Wired Wood 13 Handmade Versions Of Electronic Gadgets

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Dutch Treat

Meat-Wrapping District

OZ-some!

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Wrap It Up 10 Creative Building Scrims Scaffolds

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Project Wing: Google Testing Drone Delivery Service

Radiocative Chernobyl: New Aerial Drone Footage of ‘The Zone’

Works of Impossible Architecture Built from Found Photos

8-Bit Fashion by Kunihilo Morinage

Key Holder and Hanger

Superhero Mural Made of Sticky Notes

‘Gary’ Costume by Toshiba

Pixelated Glasses Concept by Dzmitry Samal

8-Bit Sleeves by Big Big Pixel

Secret Video Game Stairway Sticker

Geek Wear: Matching Watch & Tie

Pixelated Bed by Cristian Zuzunaga

Real-Life Microsoft Windows Trash Can

8-Bit Sculptures by Shawn Smith

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Digital Decor: 12 Geeky Computer-Inspired Home Designs

Geek Tattoo Designs: Wish Your Social Life Goodbye

Geek Evolution: Histories of 10 Essential Gaming Systems

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Devils Slide Deserted Bay Area Wwii Bunker Hovers In Midair

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Wired Wood 13 Handmade Versions Of Electronic Gadgets

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Wrap It Up 10 Creative Building Scrims Scaffolds