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Social Structure: Apartment Tower Fosters Community Creation

24 Aug

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

Tall residential complexes often share very little common space, leading to a relatively solitary living experience despite the density of dwellings – this design aims to change that paradigm dramatically.

Indeed, helping people get to know their neighbors the driving concept behind this building in Antwerp, Belgium, where similar units are clustered around shared balconies and gardens.

Communal dining, rooftop deck, bike repair and indoor green spaces also encourage further interaction, increasing opportunities for chance encounters. As Black Swan author Nassim Nicholas Taleb writes, “This makes living in big cities invaluable because you increase the odds of serendipitous encounters — you gain exposure to the envelope of serendipity”

Designed by C.F. Møller Architects and Brut Architecture and Urban Design, the idea is to increase interactions both within smaller sets of apartments and throughout the complex.

All of this is meant to help residents form bonds more quickly, beyond the one-off greetings in elevators and periodic meetings in one-per-building community rooms.

The conceptual intent is also cleverly legible on the exterior of the building, with a facade that is broken down into different sections to create a series of scales showing small individual units and collections thereof within the framework of the larger structure.

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Industrial Silos to Public Art: Massive Mural for Vancouver

23 Aug

[ By Steph in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

Silo Mural Vancouver 1

Six industrial silos along the heart of Vancouver’s waterfront have been transformed into colorful, towering human figures in a massive mural project by Brazilian street artist duo Os Gemeos. The identical twins, known for large-scale and often politically-charged urban art, raised funds via IndieGoGo to complete the project for the Vancouver Biennale.

Silo Mural Vancouver 2

The silos are a landmark for the city, sitting within an ocean cement manufacturing and distribution plant on Granville Island, but they’re not exactly nice to look at. While the rest of the island is brimming with colorful plants and costumed buskers, the silos stand as the final tie to its industrial past.

Silo Mural Vancouver 5 Silo Mural Vancouver 6

The Sao Paulo-based brothers raised over $ 25,000 for the 2014-2016 Biennale exhibition celebrating art in public spaces, helping to offset the total cost. The finished work, which will be the team’s largest yet, will be unveiled on September 7th, 2014. The mural will measure a total of 23,500 square feet and stand 75 feet tall.

Silo Mural Vancouver 3

“We have an ongoing project called ‘Giants’ that has been realized in several places in the world such as Greece, USA, Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil and England, and we will continue now in Canada, but with a difference. As the proposed Biennale has a strong connection with sculpture, we decided to find a place where the painting can be transformed, creating a dialogue between the two-dimensional and three-dimensional worlds.”

Silo Mural Vancouver 4

Silo Mural Vancouver 7

“Another aim of this project is to bring new characters to Vancouver while sharing perspectives and cultures and establishing a relationship between the people who frequent this site and integrate this work into city scenery. The connection between water and land on Granville Island, on the false creek margins, also had a lot to do with the choice of location – for us, the water acts as a vein, symbolizing life, and it is very present in our work.”

[ By Steph in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

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Windowless Flights: 2 Planes to Stream Live Panoramic Views

21 Aug

[ By WebUrbanist in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

windowless jet panoramic projection

The latest contender for ‘most scary yet exciting passenger cabin ever designed’ has trumped its predecessor – the first version boasted horizontal strips of screen on both sides of the plane’s interior while this latest one features effectively see-through ceilings as well as walls.

windowless plane in flight

windowless jet interior view

The S-512 being developed by Spike Aerospace boasts a four-hour flight time from New York to London, in part due to the reduced engineering requirements of a windowless cabin (and leading to at top speed of 1375 MPH).

windowless jet plane shot

windowless plane both sides

In this audacious private jet, the windows and their supporting infrastructure are instead being replaced with view screens that stitch together live footage being shot of the plane’s surroundings while it is in flight.

windowless concept cruising altitute

windowless plane city view

windowless plane mountain view

Meanwhile, six months later, Technicon Design has released concept drawings of Ixion, which likewise uses cameras mounted on the fuselage and wings to capture images for interior high-resolution display, but with an added dimension of also disappearing the rooftop of the cabin.

windowless jet night cruising

windowless plane architectural section

windowless plane walls roof

windowless plane space view

The nearly-continuous visual experience would be segmented by strips providing lights and air conditioning, and in theory the projections could be shifted on demand, from realtime scenery to other full-surround displays. For now, though, only the first is a series proposal for a real private plane – the latter is a conceptual design pushing the idea further but with no plan for actual deployment.

[ By WebUrbanist in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

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Guerrilla Kindness: Add-Ons Make Cities more Convenient

21 Aug

[ By Steph in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

Hacktion 1

Three designers sneak around Paris, quickly installing brightly-colored machine-fabricated objects onto public chairs, phones, vending machines and other urban surfaces to make them more convenient to city residents. They call it ‘Fabrique-Hacktion,’ taking extra steps beyond what city officials are willing to fund with tax dollars to create a more comfortable and welcoming place to live.

Hacktion 2

Hacktion 3

Little slides shoot coins out of the receptacles in vending machines to make them easier to retrieve. Coat hooks hang helpfully from rock walls near bus stops. Tension bands hold newspapers against the wall of the subway, offering them to each new rider in turn.

Hacktion 5 Hacktion 4

Highly recognizable in bright shades of orange, blue and green, these thoughtful conveniences even go so far as hand-crank phone chargers and reflectors on top of the red and green lights of metro ticketing machines so users can tell from far away which machines are working and which aren’t.

Hacktion 6

Hacktion 7

Beyond just installing these items themselves, the designers offer up an explanatory video, manual and all construction plans and files for download on their website so anyone can take the project to their own city.

[ By Steph in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

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LEGO Architecture: 12 Sets Explore Buildings Brick by Brick

21 Aug

[ By Steph in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

LEGO Architecture Main

Whether official or fan-created, LEGO architecture sets enable wannabe builders to understand just how some of the world’s most iconic structures come together in terms of architectural elements, form and lines. The brand has created an architecture series exploring “the fascinating worlds of architecture, engineering and construction,” and LEGO enthusiasts – including architects – have come up with a few of their own.

Monochromatic Architecture Studio Set

LEGO Architecture monochromatic 3

LEGO Architecture Monochromatic 2

Luring in architects with its monochromatic color scheme that enables the focus to be on form and shape, the LEGO Architecture Studio set is an all-white series containing over 1,200 pieces. An accompanying 268-page book includes the work of famous architecture firms like Sou Fujimoto, MAD Architects and Safdie Architects and covers principles like modules and repetition, creating surfaces, working in context and symmetry. Not only can it strengthen design skills in an average person, it can actually be used by working architects to create 3D models.

Limited Edition Marina Bay Sands Hotel

LEGO Architecture Marina Bay Sands

Rumored to be set for release only in Asia, the limited edition Marina Bay Sands Hotel set recreates Singapore’s striking cantilevered resort. It’s unclear exactly when this set, which was teased in the back of a LEGO instruction booklet, might be available to the public. Marina Bay Sands is the world’s most expensive building and contains a hotel, convention and exhibition facilities, theaters, restaurants and a 150-meter infinity pool on the roof (which is replicated with translucent blue bricks in this set.)

LEGO Towers by Bjarke Ingels Group

An architecture concept that was inspired by LEGOs is fittingly rendered in the little plastic bricks with this model from Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG.) The model uses conventional LEGO bricks to show off the design for LEGO Towers, a proposal for a residential, retail and hotel development in Copenhagen. It’s at 1:50 scale, uses 250,000 bricks and took five weeks to build.

Fallingwater

Perhaps the most well-known private residence in America created by an iconic architect, Fallingwater seems like it was made to be recreated in LEGOs, with its blocky stacked silhouette. Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous design was completed in 1937 and is considered a feat of engineering, its cantilevered floors jutting out over a waterfall.

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Lego Architecture 12 Sets Explore Buildings Brick By Brick

[ By Steph in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

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Audio Hop: Best NYC Art Gallery Tour You Have Ever Heard

20 Aug

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

nyc gallery audio tour

A new way to experience galleries, their artwork and the city they inhabit, even calling it a tour sells short this extremely impressive multimedia experience. Complete with props and layered audio recordings, all interspersed with civic trivia and high-speed humor, the whole Audio Hop production feels like an well-executed piece of dynamic performance art, in which you can play any number of parts. Launching next month, this hop is well worth a stop, a look and a listen.

David_Chelsea

earbuds on the sidewalk

miroslaw balka_gladstone gallery

David Behringer, the curator of this experience, is exuberant, knowledgeable and very dedicated, visiting over 250 galleries in Chelsea each month to find the five most worthy ones to show any given group (and rotating with each tour). From start to finish, his personality and enthusiasm make it work. For an simple sample, check out his video recap below showing ten of his favorite exhibits from 2013 – then click here to buy tickets for the program starting next month.

Unlike a traditional audio walking tour, this one features both live and prerecorded sound, all delivered wirelessly to an inconspicuous device, letting its guests meander through the galleries but also break away from the group. The clips include carefully curated and edited interviews with artists and other soundbites related to a given work or its context. “A hidden radio transmitter allows you to hear your guide from any distance (in total secret) AND listen to insightful audio clips of the artists themselves while you’re in the gallery.”

installation art rebar piece

olafur eliasson_tanya bonakdar gallery

Effectively, you and your fellow half-dozen tour-takers feel both empowered to enter galleries that might seem open or feel welcoming you but also liberated from the the feeling of being tied to a traditional clustered bunch of gawking tourists. You can fall behind and linger, or stride ahead to the next stop, all while absorbing auditory input in the background.

nyc gallery wall art

andreas gursky_gagosian gallery

30 out of 30 reviewers on TripAdvisor rated David’s private tours as ‘Excellent’, effectively a unanimous a 5-star recommendation. WebUrbanist’s own Executive Editor had the opportunity to a sneak peak at his new and more-public offering this summer and was beyond impressed – what were individual tours are morphing into something suddenly more accessible.

audio hop chelsea tour

mark di suvero_paula cooper gallery

If it was not already clear: we would strongly recommend taking a trip with David to anyone who wants to get a glimpse of the art world … or simply wishes to take a artfully curated walk through New York City, learning about the neighborhood, its architecture and artwork alike. Even if you are not in the area, you can still check out the blog to learn about fantastic new works.

new york audio tour

rain room gallery installation

Above: The Mots Amazing Art of the Year in NYC, 2012 edition. From TheTwoPercent.com: “New York City contains the highest concentration of contemporary art galleries in human history. The result is the opportunity to enjoy the best art on the planet in a museum-like environment, without the crowds, for free, IF you can sort through the ever-changing 500+ galleries to find the most unique, jaw-dropping experiences. Good news, we found them. You’re invited on an unprecedented live audio experience of the most cutting-edge art in the world. It’s a secret tour that takes you to the best, lets the artists speak for themselves, and give you complete freedom to wander.”

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

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Cargo Home Videos: 10 Films on How to Build Container Houses

20 Aug

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

cargo shipping container home

You see them all the time as polished finished products, but for those looking to try the ultimate do-it-yourself home-building project, these videos will help show you how various ISO container houses were really built in different environments and at various budgets and scales. From timelapses and diagrams to interviews and walkthroughs, they will help introduce you to what someone attempting a similar endeavor could or should expect along the way.

cargotecture home finished design

In this HGTV segment, you can get an overall sense of how the Seattle architects of Cargotecture shifted two containers to create a livable container retreat of their own. The result is as much an experiment and demonstration model as a working residence, and a good introduction to what is possible and what can be problematic.

modulus shipping container home

In this timelapse footage and subsequent tour, you can see a whole multistory house, designed by David Fenster (filmed by FairCompanies) for the Redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountains, coming together in a single day. The structure celebrates the industrial aesthetic of its containerized components, but also reflects the difficult reality of moving building materials out to such a remote location.

cargo home exterior build

shipping container home build

Part of the building is cantilevered over one side, supported by a hollow concrete column below (that in turn also contains an outdoor shower). The layout uses the space between shipping containers to let in light and widen spaces beyond containers while also framing views. The steel shells also make the building more robust, resistant to natural disasters like falling trees and forest fires.

The Kuziel Residence consists of a series of shipping containers set around a central space on concrete foundations, taking a half-year in total to build – the video above shows photos throughout the process. On the builder’s website, you can “read about the idea, all required prep-work, creation of the foundation, six months long endeavour of making of a chassis, build of the timber roof structure and pouring of lots of concrete for floor slab, work on the house exterior and interior and [all the other] things happening along the way.”

Perhaps one of the most audacious shipping container structures ever attempted, this dream ‘Sea Can’ home of Bill Glennon will have 31 total containers when it is completed, using solar for heat and electricity and boasting a windmill as well. Amazingly, some containers are turned vertically, creating turret-style protrusions making the whole thing look like a modern-day castle in its early stages. In the first film, Bill introduces the project. In the second, he gives a brief tour of the interior and explains some of the passive and other sustainable strategies going into the design. In the third, you can see how massive the almost-finished project turns out to be.

Meanwhile, a series of videos from ContainerHomes.net shows the step-by-step process of constructing a small-sized, single-shipping-container abode DIY-style in Costa Rica, highlighting the actual tools and time required for such an undertaking. After all, a container is made of metal and can require a great deal of additional work, particularly when it comes to adding doors and windows, even if it is in a location that does not require a foundation or insulation. Unlike some of the other video series shown here, this is a start-to-finish look at a low-budget cargo home solution, including a walk-through of the modest final product.

Not sure where to look next for inspiration on what or how to build your own cargo container home? Here are 30 additional cargo container homes, 30 container offices, 20 cargo city and container shelter concepts, and some additional cargotecture. Whatever you do, keep in mind that building codes vary between cities, states and countries, and climactic demands also impact what degree of finish your shelter may require.

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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CityCharge: Solar Gadget Charging Stations Installed in NYC

19 Aug

[ By Steph in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

CityCharge Solar Charging Station 1

Anyone passing through New York City’s Bryant Park can avoid the headache of searching for free outlets at coffee shops to juice up their phones, powering up at outdoor tables with built-in solar charging stations. Solar company Green Barrel Energy Inc. teamed up with street furniture manufacturer Landscape Forms and the Bryant Park Corporation to provide free power with cables that fit most electronic devices.

CityCharge Solar Charging Stations 5

CityCharge Solar Charging Stations 6

Each small round table is set on swiveling wheels (lockable, so they can’t be stolen), making them portable enough to move out of the way for special events or to keep the rotating panels in the sun throughout the changing seasons.

CityCharge Solar Charging Stations 2

CityCharge Solar Charging Station 4

The round design promotes social interaction, encouraging people to gather around and have a conversation as their gadgets charge. The six prototypes are currently being tested in Bryant Park, and six additional tables are coming soon, along with more in other areas throughout New York City and eventually, the United States.

CityCharge Solar Charging Station 3

The compact footprint makes it easy to fit the tables into existing public spaces, working with a variety of seating, umbrellas and ground surfaces. Waterproof and weatherproof, it can be left outdoors full-time without needing any special storage during rain or snow.

[ By Steph in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

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Topographic Tables: 12 Terrain-Inspired Furniture Designs

19 Aug

[ By Steph in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

Topographic Furniture Abyss Duffy 4

Meandering rivers, icebergs and a deep blue abyss are invoked in layers of blue-green glass, burled wood and cast concrete and translated into tables. Ranging from self-taught artists crafting each piece by hand to high-end designers using precision laser-cutting machinery, these three sculptors and furniture makers take inspiration from the natural world to make practical pieces that mimic topography.

River Collection by Greg Klassen

Topographic Furniture River Klassen 2

The naturally wavy edges of discarded lumber, considered too imperfect for standard usage in construction and furniture, are aligned just right and joined with strips of pale blue-green glass to become watery landscapes.

Topographic Furniture River Klassen 3

Topographic Furniture River Klassen 4

Taking inspiration from the beautiful natural scenery of his home in the Pacific Northwest, theologist-turned-furniture-maker Greg Klassen sources his wood at construction sites and from fallen trees in the forest. “I Love the idea of taken a discarded tree and giving it a new life,” he says.

Topographic Furniture River Klassen 5

“The collection is inspired by the exciting edges and vivid grains found in the trees sustainably taken from the banks of the Nooksack River that twists below my studio.”

Topographic Furniture River Klassen 7

Topographic Furniture River Klassen 8

Topographic Furniture River Klassen 10

Designs include the striking River Console, with its undulating ribbon of water, the Pond Table carved from a massive maple trunk, and Folded River, an asymmetrical L-shaped design in which the glass trails down one side.

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Topographic Tables 12 Terrain Inspired Furniture Designs

[ By Steph in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

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‘RePack’ Name & Concept Copied, Repackaged by Design Student

18 Aug

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

repack

The strange ongoing controversy around RePack has reached a conclusion, with Royal College of Art determining that the accused student is technically guilty of plagiarism and misconduct. While the subject is arguably a revolutionary innovation for the future of sustainable retail, RePack turned out to be repackaged (pardon the wordplay) copy of an existing brand’s idea, in all but name, which remained the same.

repack carrying under arm

repack original package design

RePack (as shown in the two images above) is a reusable packaging startup based in Finland, boasting a “sustainable system for online retailers and shoppers whereby delivery packages can be conveniently and easily returned, and then re-used.”

repack design packages plain

Meanwhile, design student Yu-Chang Chou developed a thesis project (pictures above and below) with not only the same name and concept but even some of the same descriptive text, which came to the attention of the RCA after its publication on Dezeen.

repack different sizes instructions

Similar to its Finnish counterpart, “The customer would opt for for the packaging when they make their purchase. Once they receive the product, they simply fold and reseal the Repack bag and post it back to a central address, in exchange for a refund of the deposit they paid when ordering.”

repack concept diagram

The oddest part of the whole affair is the school’s declaration that the plagiarism was inadvertent, which seems a stretch in this situation. One could imagine that a brand name and concept could be accidentally duplicated, but additional text suggests that the student must have had some knowledge of the original project. Regardless, the institution has reached its conclusion and removed the project from their website, declaring the investigation at an end – the student, meanwhile, has already graduated.

repack post box return

The Finnish RePack seems to have reluctantly accepted the situation, and affirms that, regardless of the specifics of this case, they are glad that students are exploring sustainable packaging designs along similar (if not exactly the same) lines. Either way, wherever one weighs in on the plagiarism part, these ideas could give rise to a renewed usefulness of post boxes turned into de facto recycling centers, and may allow packages to be reused up to hundreds of times without having to be discarded. And, in the end, ideas get recycled a lot – perhaps it is the execution that matters.

360Photography

Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

Industrial Silos to Public Art: Massive Mural for Vancouver

Windowless Flights: 2 Planes to Stream Live Panoramic Views

Guerrilla Kindness: Add-Ons Make Cities more Convenient