Creativity « 360Photography

RSS

Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

East Coast Greenway: Longest Bike Trail in US to Span 2,900 Miles

30 Dec

[ By WebUrbanist in Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

east coast greenway

The East Coast Greenway is already a third of the way to completion, and when finished will stretch from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida, passing through 16 states and 25 cities along the way.

ecg

Developed by the non-profit East Coast Greenway Alliance, the aim is to provide a continuous and ever-changing set of views and experiences to travelers on foot or in non-motorized vehicles.

east coast trail

Its creators note that the “route has been chosen to provide the traveler with an ever-changing, interesting and scenic landscape, whether urban, suburban, small town, industrial or rural,” accessible to cyclists, walkers, joggers and runners. Along the way, the Greenway also syncs up with public transportation at key spots, allowing easy access and egress for people seeking to pursue one stretch of it or another.

“It’s about seeing America at the right speed, where you can take in all of the culture around you. And you don’t have a windshield between yourself and the community.” While the project has been in the works for years, new funding and permissions gained in the last year have propelled it forward more quickly, helping its facilitators connect the dots along the nearly 3,000-mile route.

[ By WebUrbanist in Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

WebUrbanist

Comments Off

Posted in Creativity

Cargotecture Travel: Shipping Container Hostel Opens in Vietnam

29 Dec

[ By SA Rogers in Boutique & Art Hotels & Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

ccasa-shipping-container-hostel-5

You might not want to live in a shipping container permanently, but now you can test-drive one for a night or two at the affordable, streamlined and modern Ccasa Hostel in Vietnam. Colorful cargo containers are stacked on top of each other to create a tower of rentable rooms, set within an open air framework that takes advantage of the tropical local climate. Located in Nha Trang just a three-minute walk from the beach, it’s intended for backpackers who flock to the area to enjoy local mineral spring resorts and temples.

ccasa-shipping-container-hostel-1

ccasa-shipping-container-hostel

ccasa-shipping-container-hostel-2

The design of the hostel is based on that of a family home, with lots of beds sharing bathroom, kitchen and living room facilities. Some of the converted shipping containers offer private bedrooms, while others are packed full of bunks in traditional hostel fashion. The containers are seen as just a place to sleep or rest in between adventures or socializing in the common areas.

ccasa-shipping-container-hostel-8

ccasa-shipping-container-hostel-9

ccasa-shipping-container-hostel-10

ccasa-shipping-container-hostel-11

Ccasa Hostel contains three functional blocks: the sleeping block, the washing block and the serving block. The serving block is made of steel frames and black painted metal sheets, and the washing block mimics typical Vietnamese architecture with white-painted bricks and concrete. The three colors of the shipping containers denote different kinds of bedrooms.

ccasa-shipping-container-hostel-7

ccasa-shipping-container-hostel-4

ccasa-shipping-container-hostel-5

ccasa-shipping-container-hostel-12

Instead of the dank, dark corridors you’d usually find in a cheap hostel, there are breezy open-air walkways looking down onto the courtyard below, which is filled with trees. A system of ropes and steel framing encourages climbing vines to obscure the shipping containers on the rear of the building, and as it grows, it’ll create a living screen that filters air, light and noise.

[ By SA Rogers in Boutique & Art Hotels & Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

WebUrbanist

Comments Off

Posted in Creativity

Made for Introverts: 13 Furniture Designs & Wearables That Prioritize Privacy

29 Dec

[ By SA Rogers in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

Nothing says ‘don’t talk to me’ like a soundproof helmet, a cocoon-shaped desk or a chair that basically swallows you when you want to disappear. Designed for introverts and people who just want some dang peace and quiet in a noisy open-plan office, these furniture designs and wearables offer hiding places for the busiest and least private of environments, like airplanes, coffee shops, hostels and even city sidewalks.

Tunnel Chair & Bed by Noga Berman

privacy-designs-tunnel-1

privacy-designs-tunnel-2

Can you find privacy within existing furniture? Designer Noga Berman has come up with a way to incorporate ‘hiding places’ into relatively ordinary-looking functional furniture pieces, including a chair and a sofa. Wrapping elastic bands around the frames creates ‘tunnels’ within the furniture that you can hide part or all of your body inside.

Brody Desk by Steelcase

privacy-designs-brody-1

privacy-designs-brody-2

null

This desk by workplace furniture manufacturer Steelcase feels enclosed yet open at the same time, with a design that offers some privacy and minimizes distractions without cutting you off from the entire office. It might look like tight quarters in there – and it is – but the design is intended as a sort of break from your regular desk, for periods of time when intense focus is required.

Privacy Pop Bed Tent

privacy-designs-bed-tent

privacy-pop-bed-tent-1

Worried about privacy while traveling, or stuck in a dorm room with several roommates? The ‘Privacy Pop’ bed tent may not offer much in the looks department, but it’s highly practical, offering a room-with-a-room that sets up in minutes and blocks out light.

Desk Chair Hoodies by Bernotat & Co

privacy-designs-desk-chair-hoodie

privacy-designs-desk-chair-hoodie-2

‘Chair Wear’ is a series of textile chair add-ons by Bernotat & Co that bring a little extra functionality, like pockets, without requiring an additional piece of furniture. The ‘Hoodini’ has an oversized hood that you can put over your head while reading or talking on the phone.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Made For Introverts 13 Furniture Designs Wearables That Prioritize Privacy

[ By SA Rogers in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

WebUrbanist

Comments Off

Posted in Creativity

Architectural Polychrome: Vintage Interactive Color Guidebook by Le Corbusier

28 Dec

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

corbusierbook

Created by Le Corbusier, one of the most famous architects of the Modern movement, this vintage Polychromie Architecturale: Die Farbenklaviaturen book features interactive pop-up and pull-out pages to illustrate ideal color combinations for architectural and interior designers.

color-book-interiors

Developed for and published by a Swiss wallpaper company, a rare first edition of the 1931 original volume is being auctioned in New York, its paper sliding elements and color sample storage pockets still functional and intact.

color-book-cover-le-corbusier

Like much of his work, which treated architecture as “machines for living in,” Le Corbusier saw color as something that could be systematized for the modern era. These, in turn, could effect the health and happiness of building occupants. His polychromatic custom color systems included a “color keyboard” for matching hues and shades across the spectrum.

interactive-pallette-color-book

Also as with his other systematic efforts, Corbu boiled down color selection to key components like mental effects, weight and depth, perception and unity – these parallel the logical and reductive approach of his “five points” for designing architecture. Color combinations were designed to take advantage of the positive potential in mixing and matching.

interactive-book-auction

Lighter and more natural colors could warm rooms while darker shades could camouflage parts of a space. He also designed wallpapers that took his color theories into account, combining them with rational geometries to form modern patterns. Despite the rarity of the volume and fame of its author it is expected to sell for only a few thousand dollars at the Swann Auction Galleries.

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

WebUrbanist

Comments Off

Posted in Creativity

Book and Bed Hostel: Your Dream to Sleep in a Library Came True

27 Dec

[ By SA Rogers in Boutique & Art Hotels & Travel. ]

book-and-bed-hostel-7

Every true bibliophile has gazed up at the seemingly endless shelves of books in a good bookstore or library and imagined gathering up a stack, finding a quiet nook and turning in for the night. In Japan (where else?) you can actually do just that in a library-themed hostel, though you might be too excited about your reading materials to get much sleep. The Book and Bed Hostel by Suppose Design Office features semi-private sleeping nooks built right into the bookshelves, so you can climb out and look for more books as often as you want.

book-and-bed-hostel-3

book-and-bed-hostel-6

The hostel has two locations – Tokyo and Kyoto – with rates starting at just $ 40 (4,445 yen) per night. In the true spirit of a hostel, everything is set up dorm style with shared bathrooms and nothing but curtains separating you from your neighbors, but considering the theme of the place, you probably don’t care. Book and Bed isn’t really about enjoying privacy or getting a good night’s sleep.

book-and-bed-hostel-1

The Tokyo location features over 1,700 titles to choose from, stacked on floor-to-ceiling shelves. Climb the library ladders to reach the highest ones, and check out the featured books that have been hung from the ceiling as decor. Each sleeping nook is fitted with a backlight and an outlet, and there’s wifi, though you’ll probably be too busy reading to use it.

book-and-bed-hostel-2

The Kyoto hostel is located just steps from many popular local attractions, like the Yasaka Shrine and the Nanzenji Temple. There’s a special selection of Kyoto-centric books in both English and Japanese. Both hostels offer striped robes and totes reading ‘Have a Book Day’ for purchase as souvenirs. You can see more photos on the Book and Bed Tokyo Instagram account.

book-and-bed-hostel-4

“Book and Bed is an ‘accommodation bookshop.’ The perfect setting for a good nights sleep is something you will not find here. There are no comfortable mattresses, fluffy pillows nor lightweight and warm down duvets. What we do offer is an experience while reading a book (or comic book.) An experience shared by everyone at least once: the blissful ‘instant of falling asleep.’ It is already 2am but you think just a little more… with heavy drooping eye lids you continue reading only to realize you have fallen asleep.”

book-and-bed-hostel-9

“Dozing off obliviously during your treasured pastime is the finest ‘moment of sleep,’ don’t you agree?”

[ By SA Rogers in Boutique & Art Hotels & Travel. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

WebUrbanist

Comments Off

Posted in Creativity

City of Ice: 20 Photos of China’s Amazing Annual Snow Sculptures

26 Dec

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

city-of-ice-illuminated-2015-jarod-carruthers

Dozens of large-scale snow and ice sculptures are once again on display in Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, for the Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo. By day, the massive sculptures depicting folklore, mythology, classical art, cartoon characters and castles almost blend into their icy surroundings like natural formations, and after dark, everything is illuminated with a rainbow of glowing lights. Here are some of the festival’s most impressive sculptures that visitors have captured over the years.

Wild Hair Statue, 2012

city-of-ice-hair-statue-cdschock

Harbin has long, cold winters with temperatures dropping to -36 degrees Fahrenheit, making it cold enough to pack snow very tightly, mold it into place and expect it to stay put. Otherwise, statues with elements like this hair would be difficult to make (photo by cdschock.)

Illuminated Ice Architecture, 2009

city-of-ice-illuminated-architecture-2009-ian-carvell

The annual winter festival is the largest ice and snow festival in the world, drawing international participants to show off their sculpting skills. The ‘Ice and Snow World’ portion, featuring full-sized buildings made from blocks of 2-3 inch thick ice, is best experienced after dark (photo by Ian Carvell.)

Goddess Statue, 2016

city-of-ice-goddess-statue

Each year, the event has a ‘trial run’ between December 22nd and January 4th, officially open to the public between January 5th and February 25th. Every year has a different theme, with 2016’s revealed to be “The Wonderland in the Land of Snow, The Grand View in the World of Ice and Snow.” Not clear on what that means, but we’ll find out when photos are released in early 2017 (photo by Time Travelo.)

Snow Sphinx, 2013

city-of-ice-snow-sphinx-la-priz

city-of-ice-sphinx-la-priz-2

Maybe it’s not quite as large as the original, but this ‘snow sphinx’ photographed by Priscilla Dorresteijn is impressive nonetheless.

Illuminated Ice City at Dusk, 2015

city-of-ice-illuminated-2015-jarod-carruthers

The combination of reflective ice and snow with colored lights creates a pastel scene at dusk (photo by Jarod Carruthers.)

Massive Santa, 2009

city-of-ice-snow-santa-morgann

city-of-ice-santa-ran-zxzzy

This large-scale Santa is downright mountainous, looming over life-sized snow sculptures of architecture and trees (photos by Morgann and rdog)

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
City Of Ice 20 Photos Of Chinas Amazing Annual Snow Sculptures

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

WebUrbanist

Comments Off

Posted in Creativity

Google Sunroof: Search to Save Money With Home Solar Power

26 Dec

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

Google has rolled out a search engine with a specific target in mind: your house, more specifically how much area of your roof could be covered in solar panels, what that would save you and where you can look for companies to install a system for you.

Interested homeowners can input their addresses and get realistic illustrations of how many solar panels would fit and what their potential cost savings on energy bills are likely to be.

A complex data comprising everything from your home’s location and orientation to the presence of shade from adjacent trees or buildings – but this set is broken down into simple information for users.

Google, of course, is well-positioned to make this Sunroof tool effective, combining its Google Maps and Earth data that can sort out not just the footprint of a building but its 3D space too, and thus shadows. It also has all of the other information at hand, like average temperatures, sun exposure, cloud cover.

Users of the tool can tinker with variables, but ultimately are given a recommended installation that maximizes the potential output and thus puts more back in homeowner pockets long-term. For now it is limited to the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston and a few other locations, but they have plans to expand around the country.

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

WebUrbanist

Comments Off

Posted in Creativity

Strange Manger: The World’s Weirdest Nativity Scenes

26 Dec

[ By Steve in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

nativity-scene-1a

No room at the inn? No kidding – the denizens of these strange nativity scenes would get even the kindest innkeeper flipping the switch on the No Vacancy sign.

nativity-scene-1b

The Modern Nativity Hipster Nativity Set throws tradition out the window and recasts the original nativity in a modern mold. “We started joking about how religions would be different if their sacred texts were set in modern times,” explains creator Casey Wright, who whipped up the concept while enjoying a few beers with his buddies. How hipster-ish is The Modern Hipster Nativity Set? Well, Joseph sports a man-bun and wears a denim shirt while he takes a selfie with Mary, who’s holding a coffee from a certain popular java purveyor as she puckers up with her best duck-face.

nativity-scene-1d

nativity-scene-1c

Meanwhile, the fashionably sunglassed Three Wise Men roll in on Segways bearing gifts bought online at Amazon. The shepherd captures the miraculous event for posterity by posting it on Instagram using the hashtag #babyjesus. Clean green electric power for his tablet provided via solar panels on the manger’s roof because global warming.

That Ain’t Kosher

nativity-scene-9a

nativity-scene-7b

Y’know, we liked The Last Supper a lot better when Leonardo da Vinci painted it but hey – not everyone’s a vegetarian. Flickr user quik86 uploaded this iconic image of a baking bacon and sausage nativity back in December of 2010 but some things never get old, especially when they’re smothered in bacon.

Kitty Nativity

nativity-scene-3a

nativity-scene-3b

For over ten years, sisters Annette and Sue Amendola have been setting up a classic nativity scene outside their home in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The scene itself wasn’t out of the ordinary… at least it wasn’t until a bunch of stray cats arrived and made it their own.

nativity-scene-3c

The clowder of kittehs was first attracted by food the Amendola sisters would leave out but then stayed to enjoy the replica manger’s comfy bales of hay. “When the figurine of baby Jesus does finally appear on the hay bale,” explains Annette, “the cats usually push him right off to take their rightful spot.” Cats: doing the devil’s work since 0 AD.

Praise Cheeses

nativity-scene-10a

We’ve got your cheesy nativity scene right here, highlighted by a Babybell Jesus and an Emmental angel personifying Oh Hole-y Night. Not suitable for the lactose intolerant.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Strange Manger The Worlds Weirdest Nativity Scenes

[ By Steve in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

WebUrbanist

Comments Off

Posted in Creativity

Angling for Warmth in Winter: 21 Ice Fishing Hut Designs

25 Dec

[ By SA Rogers in Culture & History & Travel. ]

Maine fishing hut

Not just cold comfort, these portable shacks designed to be towed out onto frozen lakes come in a variety of forms, from the practical and resourceful to the funny and artistic. These ice fishing hut designs demonstrate how surprisingly warm and cozy the simplest of shelters can be – and prove that people who live in the world’s coldest climates (happily spending their spare time engaging in recreational outdoor activities in subzero temps) are way hardier than the rest of us.

Fishing Hut & Hot Tub Combo

fishing-huts-hot-tub

A group of local anglers in Calgary came up with a pretty brilliant way to stay warm while out on the ice: a towable hot tub, which they pull out onto frozen lakes alongside their fishing hut. It takes a couple hours to heat up, but the waiting time has got to be worthwhile once you get in. “We weren’t catching any fish, so we thought we’d do something else,” says the tub’s creator, Scott Chesterman.

Ice Fishing Hut with Frozen Walls

fishing-hut-ice-walls-1

fishing-hut-ice-walls-2

Rather than hauling a pre-made hut out onto the water, you could work with what’s already there. This mobile fisherman’s hut design by Norwegian architecture studio Gartnerfuglen is made of a wooden frame and wire mesh, used as a form for ice. Once the walls freeze into place, the inside is insulated. In the summertime, it can be used as a garden shed, with the wire supporting climbing plants.

The Art Shanty Project: 8 Creative Hut Designs

fishing-huts-art-shanty-2

fishing-huts-art-shanty-project-2

fishing-huts-art-shanty-3

fishing-huts-art-shanty-4

fishing-huts-art-shanty-5

fishing-huts-art-shanty-6

fishing-huts-art-shanty-7

fishing-huts-art-shanty-8

Is this the polar opposite of Burning Man? Over 1,000 artists have designed and built creative ice shanties for the annual ‘Art Shanty Project’ over the last decade, covering the frozen surface of a Minnesota lake like an iced-over version of the popular desert festival. The creations include wooden stick-framed shacks, geodesic domes, tipis, sculptural structures and mobile shanties of all kinds, put on display for thousands of tourists to see for an event that’s uniquely Minnesotan.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Angling For Warmth In Winter 21 Ice Fishing Hut Designs

[ By SA Rogers in Culture & History & Travel. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]

WebUrbanist

Comments Off

Posted in Creativity

Urban Agrihood: Detroit Produce Project Feeds 2,000 Households for Free

25 Dec

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

mufi-initiative

The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative (MUFI) has developed a multi-acre urban agricultural campus in Detroit with gardens and an orchard designed to feed thousands of local residents.

This so-called “agrihood” reflects a different approach to neighborhood planning and growth centered around urban agriculture — it provides fresh and locally-grown produce to local households. In the case of Detroit, disused land has been repurposed to realize this farm project.

farm-aerial

“Over the last four years,” explains MUFI cofounder Tyson Gersh, “we’ve grown from an urban garden that provides fresh produce for our residents to a diverse, agricultural campus that has helped sustain the neighborhood, attracted new residents and area investment.”

The program is about more than just feeding people — it addresses food deserts but also nutritional illiteracy, teaching residents about healthy eating as well as sustainable and local agriculture.

michigan-urban-farming-initiative

MUFI is currently working to convert an old deserted building into a new Community Resource Center as part of its non-profit educational initiatives. From there, they aim to build a local healthy food cafe and other amenities for serving and connecting with the community. They are also working on a basetern project (turning basements into cisterns) to provide water for the food they grow.

“We’ve seen an overwhelming demand from people who want to live in view of our farm, says Gersh. “This is part of a larger trend occurring across the country in which people are redefining what life in the urban environment looks like. We provide a unique offering and attraction to people who want to live in interesting spaces with a mix of residential, commercial, transit, and agriculture.”

360Photography

Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

East Coast Greenway: Longest Bike Trail in US to Span 2,900 Miles

Cargotecture Travel: Shipping Container Hostel Opens in Vietnam

Made for Introverts: 13 Furniture Designs & Wearables That Prioritize Privacy

Tunnel Chair & Bed by Noga Berman

Brody Desk by Steelcase

Privacy Pop Bed Tent

Desk Chair Hoodies by Bernotat & Co

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Made For Introverts 13 Furniture Designs Wearables That Prioritize Privacy

Architectural Polychrome: Vintage Interactive Color Guidebook by Le Corbusier

Book and Bed Hostel: Your Dream to Sleep in a Library Came True

City of Ice: 20 Photos of China’s Amazing Annual Snow Sculptures

Wild Hair Statue, 2012

Illuminated Ice Architecture, 2009

Goddess Statue, 2016

Snow Sphinx, 2013

Illuminated Ice City at Dusk, 2015

Massive Santa, 2009

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
City Of Ice 20 Photos Of Chinas Amazing Annual Snow Sculptures

Google Sunroof: Search to Save Money With Home Solar Power

Strange Manger: The World’s Weirdest Nativity Scenes

That Ain’t Kosher

Kitty Nativity

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Strange Manger The Worlds Weirdest Nativity Scenes

Angling for Warmth in Winter: 21 Ice Fishing Hut Designs

Fishing Hut & Hot Tub Combo

Ice Fishing Hut with Frozen Walls

The Art Shanty Project: 8 Creative Hut Designs

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Angling For Warmth In Winter 21 Ice Fishing Hut Designs

Urban Agrihood: Detroit Produce Project Feeds 2,000 Households for Free

Pages

Archives

Categories

Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

Tunnel Chair & Bed by Noga Berman

Brody Desk by Steelcase

Privacy Pop Bed Tent

Desk Chair Hoodies by Bernotat & Co

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Made For Introverts 13 Furniture Designs Wearables That Prioritize Privacy

Wild Hair Statue, 2012

Illuminated Ice Architecture, 2009

Goddess Statue, 2016

Snow Sphinx, 2013

Illuminated Ice City at Dusk, 2015

Massive Santa, 2009

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: City Of Ice 20 Photos Of Chinas Amazing Annual Snow Sculptures

That Ain’t Kosher

Kitty Nativity

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Strange Manger The Worlds Weirdest Nativity Scenes

Fishing Hut & Hot Tub Combo

Ice Fishing Hut with Frozen Walls

The Art Shanty Project: 8 Creative Hut Designs

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Angling For Warmth In Winter 21 Ice Fishing Hut Designs

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Made For Introverts 13 Furniture Designs Wearables That Prioritize Privacy

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
City Of Ice 20 Photos Of Chinas Amazing Annual Snow Sculptures

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Strange Manger The Worlds Weirdest Nativity Scenes

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Angling For Warmth In Winter 21 Ice Fishing Hut Designs