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China’s Smog-Devouring Vacuum Tower Looks Crazy, But Actually Works

24 Nov

[ By SA Rogers in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

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What sounded like a long shot attempt to literally suck some of the suffocating smog out of China’s sky is actually working, according to updates on the Smog Free Project, which installed an air-vacuuming tower in a Beijing square. Created by Studio Roosegaarde, the tower has been up for over 40 days with China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection keeping track of the results. This week, they announced that the air around the tower is 55 percent cleaner than before, scrubbing 30 million cubic meters of air – equal to the volume of 10 Beijing National Stadiums.

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The Smog Free Tower made its debut during Beijing Design Week 2016, with Studio Roosegaarde announcing plans to compress collected smog particles into ‘smog free’ jewelry as a tangible souvenir of the project. Standing 23 feet (7 meters) tall, the tower is the world’s largest air purifier, capable of capturing and collecting more than 75% of the pm2.5 and pm10 airborne smog particles and emitting a circular zone of clean air.

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Six vents on each side of the super-sized purifier suck in air at a volume of 30,000 cubic meters per hour, about the size of 100 swimming pools, through a patented ionization technique that captures tiny particles without creating ozone in the process. The first tests in Rotterdam earlier this year showed that the filter cleaned surrounding air by 75 percent. Smog is much less of a problem there than it is in Beijing, so it’s no surprise that the machine didn’t do quite as well in China.

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Daan Roosegaarde sees his creation as the beginning of a war on smog, indicating that larger towers are planned in the future and will be expanded to additional cities. One potential limitation may be that the filters are reportedly so expensive, the firm won’t reveal their cost – but all technology has to start somewhere, so maybe there’s a solution for that somewhere down the line.

[ By SA Rogers in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

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Against All Odd (Shapes): 12 Homes Tailored to Tiny & Difficult Plots

24 Nov

[ By SA Rogers in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Plots of land long considered too small and strangely shaped to build upon prove to be more valuable when they seem thanks to some creative thinking. Across the world (put particularly in cramped Tokyo), architects are rising to the challenge to expand available living spaces in heavily populated cities, designing structures that fit these ‘odd lots’ without sacrificing privacy, comfort and outdoor spaces.

Wedge-Shaped Home by Oof! Architecture

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The geometry of this triangular site in a residential neighborhood in Melbourne presented a major challenge for OOF! Architecture, especially due to strict building rules. The architects created a three-story structure full of split-level living areas to avoid wasting space on internal walls, doors and hallways.

House in Horinouchi by Mizuishi Architect

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One of Tokyo’s most distinctive odd-shaped houses, ‘House in Horinouchi’ by Mizuishi Architect Atelier had to fit within a strip of land roughly the size of a parking spot while still having a place to store bikes outside. The ultra-narrow result features a tapered cantilevered end, a slightly wider area containing the living spaces, and a play loft for the owner’s children.

Grass Cave House by Makiko Tsukada

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This plot is squished between several existing houses in the suburbs at an odd angle, which could easily have resulted in a dark structure with very little privacy and no outdoor spaces. Instead, Makiko Tsukada Architects built a step-shaped structure consisting of three grass-covered volumes, including a carport roof and the home itself. Large windows face these elevated lawns to bring sunlight inside.

Mountain House by Hiroki + Tomoko Sekiguchi

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Monolithic and windowless from outside, ‘Mountain House’ by Hiroki and Tomoko Sekiguchi Architects has to accommodate a large four-wheel-drive car on its lowest level and contend with the prying eyes of neighbors. The result frames views of the sky and accesses daylight via skylights.

Triangular House by H.ARCHITECTS

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Strict Japanese setback requirements prevent architects from building right up to the edge of the plot, including roof overhangs, yet the typical Japanese plot is incredibly small. This one was considered too awkward to build on and used as a parking lot for many years, but H.ARCHITECTS found a solution that makes the most of the adjacent park. A z-shaped interior layout allows for the creation of a few outdoor spaces, like the third floor balcony.

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Against All Odd Shapes 12 Homes Tailored To Tiny Difficult Plots

[ By SA Rogers in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Sketch in 3D: Remarkable Drawing App Gives Doodles Depth & Dimension

23 Nov

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Graphics & Branding. ]

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Programs like Sketchup have allowed amateur artists and architects to sculpt and design in three dimensions for years, but this app facilitates far more informal works that really look like sketches in 3D.

Mental Canvas is part of a suite of software for Microsoft Surface that takes more conventional sketched forms and allows users to navigate and expand them in three-dimensional space, retaining the character of rough drawings.

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The infinite-depth approach of this digital canvas software lets users zoom in and rotate their view, adding layers along the way and inspecting their work from various angles. The effect is remarkable as these illustrations show.

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From its creators: CAD modelling “comes at a cost. The cost is that one, you have to have a fully resolved three-dimensional model, even if it’s just a cube; second it’s very hard to edit a CAD model, it’s not fast and fluid like a sketch. At any given moment when you’re sketching, the designer or artist has full control over everything in that representation, but with a CAD model, that’s defined by the computer.”

This clever approach liberates an artist from the ordinary constraints of a physical page or even a drawing tablet, letting them shape worlds that maintain the character of a sketch but can be used to tell and frame stories in new ways.

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As with programs like Sketchup, a bookmarking tool allows users to save and store various views then retrace their steps, creating potential for 3D storytelling. It also lets a user pick the perfect shot, navigating three-dimensional space to select an ideal perspective. A dynamic dial tool, meanwhile, lets the artist rotate between colors and line qualities without backing out of the drawing.

As any good architect knows, an unfinished-looking drawing can be an asset: “A sketch has a quality when it’s unfinished; there’s so much possibility, there’s so much room for interpretation, and [Mental Canvas] expands the idea of a sketch. It makes it less flat. In architecture you always want that “Wow” design that gets everyone excited in the room, and [Mental Canvas] enhances it.”

One can see a lot of similarities here between Mental Canvas and tools being developed for augmented and virtual reality platforms. In a way, this program closes the gap, allowing users with more ordinary tools, devices and interfaces to accomplish something wonderful in 3D space.

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Graphics & Branding. ]

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Art Hacker: Famous Masterpieces Recreated with Painted Human Bodies

22 Nov

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Photography & Video. ]

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Chinese body painting artist Liu Bolin explores the concept of ‘art hacking’ through reinterpreting two of the world’s most famous paintings with human figures as canvases, and manipulating image search results on Google and Baidu to replace the originals with his own. Dozens of painstakingly painted human bodies faithfully recreate both Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Pablo Picasso’s Guernica with all subjects remaining perfectly still to complete the illusion for a photo.

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The two works of art are juxtaposed with an image depicting the devastating Tianjin explosion at a container storage station in 2015, and large-scale prints of the three photographs are currently on display at Klein Sun Gallery as part of the Art Hacker exhibition. Neon signs hung throughout the space display URLs so visitors can see the internet ‘hacking’ aspect of the show.

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Bolin is best known for his ‘disappearing acts’ carried out through camouflaging himself and additional models into urban environments around the world. This is his first foray into the digital realm, but the questions he raises in his work continue to work within similar themes.

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“Recreating the imagery of human suffering and devastation of war symbolized in the painting Guernica, Liu Bolin’s relives the history of the Spanish civil war, making a plea for humanity and freedom,” says the Klein Sun Gallery in a statement about the exhibition. “In Mona Lisa (2016), Liu Bolin imbeds himself into the masterpiece as well as its historical legacy. Touching upon the fact that the world was stolen from the Louvre more than 100 years ago, Liu Bolin aims to reenact the ‘disappearing and reappearing’ of the work through techniques behind the network.”

“Provocatively challenging the viewer to question what is above and beneath the surface, the work intends to reflect upon the complex relationship between the past and present, the reality and the illusion, as well as individuality and history.”

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Photography & Video. ]

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The City is a Canvas: 31 Murals Transforming Urban Spaces

22 Nov

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

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Psychedelic portals beckon you to enter another dimension, sea monsters lurk at the bottom of the stairs and illustrated figures playfully interact with urban infrastructure in works of art that bring color, levity and natural imagery to urban environments.

Sea Monster Stair Steps by Skurk

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The creepy sea creature lurking at the base of these stairs is enough to make anyone nervous, even in broad daylight – but just wait until the sun goes down. Street artist Skurk used two existing lamps affixed to the building’s exterior as the eye and lure of an anglerfish to terrifying and delightful effect.

Site-Specific Wheatpastes by Levalet

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Paris-based artist Levalet (Charles Leval) works with existing textures, colors and fixtures in urban environments to create playful site-specific works of art. Some are playful, some are a bit disturbing, but all of them pair sketched human and animal figures with fountain heads, drains, windows, utility boxes, staircases and other elements of the city.

Massive Murals in Italy by Millo

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An illustrative black-and-white style accented by carefully chosen splashes of bold color characterizes the ground-to-roof murals painted onto buildings by Italian street artist Millo.

Giant Bees by Matthew Willey

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50,000 bees now adorn surfaces around the world as part of the Good of the Hive Initiative, a project by artist Matt Willey aiming to raise awareness about the plight of the honey bee. Willey traveled all over the globe to paint a few dozen bees at a time in each location, with the goal number representing how many bees it takes to sustain a healthy hive.

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The City Is A Canvas 31 Murals Transforming Urban Spaces

[ By SA Rogers in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

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Camouflaged Solar Panels: Tesla Roof Tiles Power Home Batteries & Electric Cars

21 Nov

[ By WebUrbanist in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

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Elon Musk is attacking the question of energy storage and consumption at home, first with electric cars, then with home batteries and now the final piece of the puzzle: solar panels people will actually want to show off.

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Developed in collaboration with 3D, their semi-translucent Solar Roof tiles cost less than ordinary roofs, insulate better and best of all they generate energy to charge your electric batteries (Powerwall) and automobiles (Model X). This is effectively the final missing piece from the ultimate sustainable-power smart house.

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The three-layered design features a normal solar panel at the bottom with a film on top that renders it invisible from below but operational under the sun’s rays coming from above. At the top is a tempered glass that is shatter-resistant, making it more durable than conventional clay (with a lifespan well beyond the typical 20-year roof).

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Aside from these benefits, perhaps the single biggest selling point is the array of material styles: Textured Glass, Slate Glass, Tuscan Glass and Smooth Glass. It may sound superficial but looks matter — neighbors complain and residents shy away from too-overt solar tech attached to their house.

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And people trust Tesla to do more than make better technology: they expect a high level of visual design as part of the package. Also, since they are all coming from the same collection of companies, one can expect superior installation and integration options tying Tesla cars, Powerwalls and Solar Tiles together. Between the tech and its brand backing, this development promises to boost solar adoption to new heights.

[ By WebUrbanist in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

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Tee’d Off: A Dozen Abandoned Golf Driving Ranges

21 Nov

[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

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Golf isn’t the hit sport it used to be and one consequence is the proliferation of abandoned driving ranges closed due to changes in recreational pursuits.

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The good thing about abandoned driving ranges – at least, for those who photograph and/or write about them – is that they’re usually outdoors and as such, are often overgrown with invasive vegetation. Kinda adds to the post-apocalyptic vibe if you know what we mean (and we think you do). In any case, Flickr user Josh Lightbody visited one such overgrown abandoned driving range in Northern Ireland just this past summer. “No Golfing”, in my abandoned driving range? Indeed, it’s more likely than you think.

From Swing to Sting

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Welcome to Kejonuma Leisure Land, or maybe “unwelcome” is more apropos. Located in northern Japan, KLL opened in 1979 as a sort of pay-as-you-go themeless theme park: visitors could partake in amusement park rides, a campsite, a six-hole golf course and last but not least: a driving range. The shattered clock in the first photo, by the way, now houses a nest of suzumebachi… “sparrow bees” in the direct Japanese translation, Giant Asian Hornets to the rest of us. Yep, the fun never stops at Kejonuma Leisure Land even though the park itself has.

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The intrepid urbex explorers from Abandoned Kansai visited Kejonuma Leisure land – with the owner’s permission – in May of 2014. We would have gone during the winer, what with the Giant Asian Hornets and all, but that’s what makes those guys so intrepid… and presumably unaffected by extreme pain.

Magnum PEI

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Flickr user Brett Sanderson took the strikingly detailed HDR photos above at an abandoned driving range in Charlottetown, PEI, Canada in mid-September of 2013. Bud the Spud unavailable for comment.

Ball’s-Eye View

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Driving ranges can be so large it takes, say, a camera-equipped drone to take them in properly. Cue YouTube Eric Milewski, who accommodatingly brought just such a device to an abandoned driving range in Burnaby, British Columbia in the summer of 2015. Milewski employed his ZMR250 250mm Carbon Fiber Mini FPV Quadcopter drone at the now-closed Hastings Golf Centre. Watch the entire 4:13 video here.

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Teed Off A Dozen Abandoned Golf Driving Ranges

[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

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Urban Agritecture: Terraced Townhouse Supports Series of Green Roofs

20 Nov

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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A stepped-roof residence recently completed in Vietnam combines architecture and agriculture, inspired by the terraced rice fields found in the countryside.

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Designed by H&P Architects, the accessible platforms overhead serve a variety of purposes simultaneously. Slotted windows at each incremental level allow in light while the natural vegetation helps filter dust, noise and heat in the tropical climate. These plants, in turn, are supported by a built-in irrigation system as well as channeled storm water.

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A series of small staircases connect each of the exterior decks, stepping over planters that span the length of the house across multiple levels.

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At grade and on the floor above are living accommodations including a play area, lounge and kitchen as well as multiple bedrooms. A workshop and study are located on the third and top level. The whole house is also designed to maximize airflow across levels, bringing cool air in from the shaded side and venting it along the horizontal rooftop windows.

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From the architects: “agricultural cultivation helps bring city dwellers closer to the nature by giving them interesting first-hand experience in planting, taking good care and sharing harvested produce from their own farmland plots with their neighbors.”

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This home “serves as a constant reminder of the origin of paddy rice civilization in a flat world context threatened by various types of pollution currently at an alarming level. it is, at the same time, expected to promote the expansion of farmland plots in urban areas with a view to securing food supplies for future life.”

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Evolution of Decay: Watch American Buildings Fall Into Ruin Over 40+ Years

19 Nov

[ By SA Rogers in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

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Architecture that was at its prime in the 1970s has slowly fallen into decline and often ruin thanks to decades of neglect, especially in America’s poorest and most racially segregated communities, including Gary, Detroit, Camden and Harlem. Many of these structures were historically significant, built between the late 1880s and the 1920s, but when no budget exists to care for them and entire cities are left behind by economic progress, the forces of nature and decay take over.

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In a potent visual representation of poverty in America’s urban centers and the loss of historic architectural character via demolition, Chilean-born photographer Camilo José Vergara has spent the last 40+ years documenting the downfall of dozens of structures and city streets. The resulting series, ‘Tracking Time,’ is a time-lapse in slow motion, photographing the same buildings once every few years.

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One old shop in Harlem gets painted several times over, has its stained glass windows knocked out, loses a facade to an ugly garage door and is split up into multiple smaller businesses before finally being boarded over and transformed into a mini-mall-style church in 2014.

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A massive brick building in South Bronx becomes modest row houses, while The Ransom Gillis House in Detroit (top) sinks into the ground, its bricks falling in clumps, the roof caving in, ivy and trees taking over. It’s almost completely obscured by greenery before a restoration brings it back to its former glory.

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But other stories aren’t so positive, since people care more about mansions than they do about public housing projects, row houses, and modest residential neighborhoods. Occasionally, Vergara ventures inside to show us that even though the facades still look beautiful, like that of the former Camden Free Public Library, the interiors are utterly destroyed.

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It can be a heartbreaking journey but also a fascinating one, watching some of these structures remain the same for many years while the world changes around them before transforming into something new. And some do manage to endure.

[ By SA Rogers in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

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Chinsekikan: Japanese Museum of Found Stones that Look Like Human Faces

18 Nov

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

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An unusual collection of found-object art in Chichibu, Japan is home to nearly 2000 rocks that naturally feature what appear to be facial expressions.

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A jinmenseki (or: rock with human face) can look like anything from an abstract emoji to a famous figure, including ones in this array that are purported to resemble Donkey Kong, Nemo and Elvis Presley.

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The founder of the museum, Shozo Hayama, passed away after 50 years of collecting and left the space and its collection to his wife Hayama six years ago. The key criteria: nature is the only artist in the mix (no modified rocks allowed).

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Some of the rocks are named while others simply set on the shelves, left open to interpretation. Visitors can simply show up but are advised to call ahead since the hours of opening are not entirely consistent or predictable (h/t Spoon & Tamago).

360Photography

Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

China’s Smog-Devouring Vacuum Tower Looks Crazy, But Actually Works

Against All Odd (Shapes): 12 Homes Tailored to Tiny & Difficult Plots

Wedge-Shaped Home by Oof! Architecture

House in Horinouchi by Mizuishi Architect

Grass Cave House by Makiko Tsukada

Mountain House by Hiroki + Tomoko Sekiguchi

Triangular House by H.ARCHITECTS

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Against All Odd Shapes 12 Homes Tailored To Tiny Difficult Plots

Sketch in 3D: Remarkable Drawing App Gives Doodles Depth & Dimension

Art Hacker: Famous Masterpieces Recreated with Painted Human Bodies

The City is a Canvas: 31 Murals Transforming Urban Spaces

Sea Monster Stair Steps by Skurk

Site-Specific Wheatpastes by Levalet

Massive Murals in Italy by Millo

Giant Bees by Matthew Willey

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
The City Is A Canvas 31 Murals Transforming Urban Spaces

Camouflaged Solar Panels: Tesla Roof Tiles Power Home Batteries & Electric Cars

Tee’d Off: A Dozen Abandoned Golf Driving Ranges

From Swing to Sting

Magnum PEI

Ball’s-Eye View

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Teed Off A Dozen Abandoned Golf Driving Ranges

Urban Agritecture: Terraced Townhouse Supports Series of Green Roofs

Evolution of Decay: Watch American Buildings Fall Into Ruin Over 40+ Years

Chinsekikan: Japanese Museum of Found Stones that Look Like Human Faces

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Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

Wedge-Shaped Home by Oof! Architecture

House in Horinouchi by Mizuishi Architect

Grass Cave House by Makiko Tsukada

Mountain House by Hiroki + Tomoko Sekiguchi

Triangular House by H.ARCHITECTS

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Against All Odd Shapes 12 Homes Tailored To Tiny Difficult Plots

Sea Monster Stair Steps by Skurk

Site-Specific Wheatpastes by Levalet

Massive Murals in Italy by Millo

Giant Bees by Matthew Willey

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: The City Is A Canvas 31 Murals Transforming Urban Spaces

From Swing to Sting

Magnum PEI

Ball’s-Eye View

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Teed Off A Dozen Abandoned Golf Driving Ranges

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Against All Odd Shapes 12 Homes Tailored To Tiny Difficult Plots

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
The City Is A Canvas 31 Murals Transforming Urban Spaces

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Teed Off A Dozen Abandoned Golf Driving Ranges