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Möbius Strip: Plans to Build World’s First 3D-Printed House

19 Feb

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

3d printed house

An unlikely and unique collaboration is in the works between an architect, an inventor and a mathematician-plus-artist to produce a first-of-its-kind printed house in a single shot using cutting-edge 3D construction technologies.

3d house form detail

Janjaap Ruijssenaars of Universe Architecture has teamed up with, Enrico Dini, the developer of D-Shape, with help from Rinus Roelofs to design and implement a looping wonder home made of a kind of concrete. It will use sand as the primary aggregate, and be based on huge panels (nearly 20 by 30 feet) with infill.

3d mobius strip home

This connected-panel system will be three-dimensionally complex – incredibly difficult for normal manufacturing processes, and consequently an amazing illustration of the potential of 3D printing for architectural applications. The Möbius strip shape, suggesting infinite possibility, seems an apt one for the project.

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Nest-Like 3D Printed House Will be Assembled in a Day

19 Feb

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

3D Printed House 1

Dutch architects Universe Architecture hope their möbius strip ‘Landscape House’ will be the first home constructed with 3D printing technology, but London’s Softkill Design aims to beat them to the punch with this nest-like design. Made of plastic, the organic-looking ProtoHouse 2.0 could be built off-site in three weeks and assembled in a single day.

3D Printed House 2

Softkill Design plans to have the first prototype out by this summer. The single-story house will be 8 meters (26 feet) wide and 4 meters (13 feet) long, with prefabricated sections small enough to transport in vans and snap together on-site. The lightweight pieces fit together like velcro or buttons, without the need for bolting, screwing or welding. Once assembled, the structure looks like a spider’s nest.

3D Printed House 3

Gilles Retsin of Softkill Design told Dezeen of the competing Landscape House, “We actually don’t even consider that a 3D printed building because he is 3D printing formwork and then pouring concrete into the form,” Retsin said. “So it’s not that the actual building is 3D printed.”

3D Printed House 4

The original ProtoHouse 1.0 represented the first prototype for a 3D-printed building, in which all elements of the house – structure, cladding, interior and finishing – were printed. “When we started this research, it was kind of science fiction,” says Retsin. “It’s not actually that far off any more.”

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Surreal La Balade des Gnomes Hotel Offers Fantasy Getaway

19 Feb

[ By Steph in Boutique & Art Hotels & Global. ]

Surreal La Balade des Gnomes Hotel 1

If your idea of a romantic getaway is to sleep in surreal, vaguely medieval rooms within a Trojan horse, perhaps you should be spending your Valentine’s Day at the bizarre La Balade des Gnomes Hotel in Belgium. ‘The Walk of the Gnomes’ offers ten themed rentals made of natural materials – the polar opposite of typical sterile, cookie cutter hotel rooms.

Surreal La Balade des Gnomes Hotel 2

Surreal La Balade des Gnomes 4 Surreal La Balade des Gnomes Hotel 6

Architect Mr. Noel created the hotel on what was formerly an ordinary farm in the charming historic town of Durbuy, to complement his restaurant next door. The most stunning suite, from the outside, is the Trojan Horse, but the hotel also offers a troll’s lair and a Macquarie Island room with a boat-shaped bed.

Surreal La Balade des Gnomes 3

The natural building material cob, which is mud mixed with lime and straw, provides an ideal medium with which to sculpt irregular walls inlaid with mosaics and twisted branches. Some rooms look like castles straight out of Game of Thrones while others resemble alien landscapes.

Surreal La Balade des Gnomes 5

Surreal La Balade des Gnomes Hotel 7

No matter which room you choose, staying at this highly unusual hotel is bound to be an experience to remember. Rooms start at just €115 ($ 153).

[ By Steph in Boutique & Art Hotels & Global. ]

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Expand on Demand: Secret Deck Spaces for Small Dwellings

19 Feb

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

When it comes to tall apartment and condo buildings, the idea of adding more space is almost always out of the question – but what if you could push a balcony outward on demand, rather than adding an entire deck or patio? Here are three designs to expand outdoor space in creative ways.

The Bloomframe is a Dutch architect-designed system that turns a simple set of windows into a spacious exterior extension that can be electronically deployed and retracted – like a convertible top, you can experience the outdoors during nice weather, take out the grill, then close the unit as desired.

An alternative from Fakro works with existing frame sizes on angled roofs, and provides you both a way to lean out (a form of Juliet balcony, with window frame doubling as front rail) as well as overhead shelter from the rain. This system is also simpler and entirely mechanical, so deploying it is as easy as opening a normal glass window.

And for those who already have a deck, but not enough room to put any furniture on it, this space-saving furniture solution (Spaceless) by Sandy Lam is a great source of inspiration: her designs for a table and seat set that fold up for use and hide, camouflaged amid wood decking, when tucked back away.

From the designer: “the average price of residential buildings in downtown Vancouver BC has reached $ 800 per square foot. Many people have to give up their garden living and move into concrete buildings because of this increase in housing prices. Even though living space is expensive, there is one space rarely used in condo buildings—the balcony. The goal of having “Spaceless” is to use the condo balcony to maximize living space and to improve the building environment by enhancing the functionality of the balcony space.”

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Going Postal: 12 Stamped Out & Abandoned Post Offices

19 Feb

[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

Since the only thing rapid about “snail mail” is the speed it’s fading into disuse, no one should be surprised at the growing number of abandoned post offices. These once-proud centers of commerce and communication are, one by one, following video rental stores and record shops into irrelevance and extinction.

United States Post Office – Gary, Indiana, USA

abandoned Gary Indiana post office (images via: American Urbex and RickDrew)

Like the 800-pound gorilla in the room, we need to get the enormous abandoned Gary Post Office out of the way… something the (remaining) residents of Gary would love to do in actuality. Opened in 1936 as a milestone of FDR’s New Deal construction program, this rambling wreck closed in the 1970s and is now a millstone around the long-suffering city’s neck.

abandoned Gary Indiana post office (image via: RickDrew)

Located at 601 Massachusetts St. at Sixth, this awesome Art Deco colossus was designed by architect Howard Lovewell Cheney. The building boasts a marble base marred by graffiti and the partial loss of its roof has allowed decay to rapidly accelerate inside. At least the trees have more light now.

Post Office – Glenrio, Texas/New Mexico, USA

abandoned post office Glenrio Texas (images via: JuneNY)

The unincorporated community of Glenrio sits astride the Texas – New Mexico state line with the now-closed post office on the New Mexico side. Built in 1935 when bustling Route 66 was funneling Dust Bowl refugees westward, the post office’s fortunes faded fast after September 1973 when I-40 bypassed the community to the north. Thanks go out to Flickr user JuneNY for documenting Glenrio’s long-shuttered post office as well as other features of the National Register of Historic Places-listed historic district.

Post Office – Kelso, California, USA

Kelso California abandoned post office (images via: l_c_m_tt_ and Drycyclist.com)

The Mojave Desert ghost town of Kelso regained some life in 2005 when the circa-1923 restored Kelso Railroad Depot re-opened as the Mojave National Reserve’s visitor center. This explains why the street separating the Depot and the Kelso Post Office is in a reasonable state of repair sporting freshly painted lines.

Kelso California abandoned post office (image via: Wikipedia)

A popular subject for photographers both amateur and professional, the Kelso Post Office closed in 1962 and looks as weatherbeaten as a half-century in the high desert would lead one to expect. This image, courtesy of Pierre Camateros, shows the warts-and-all rugged beauty of the structure, which still proudly displays Kelso’s original 90920 zip code.

[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

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Sleek Internet Logos Echo Metal-Etched Japanese Cameras

19 Feb

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Graphics & Branding. ]

camera style logos

There is something simply elegant about type-embossed metal – in part the association with classic high-end manual cameras. This logo series takes that typology and applies it to a series of contemporary companies.

camera japanese vintage metal

Antrepo was inspired by brands like Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Minolta, greatly impressed by how simple (effectively logo-free) lettering made a bold and compelling statement in each case.

camera inspired internet logos

From the firm: “Canon AE-1, Nikon FTn, Ashai Pentax ESII, Minolta XG-1 – these cameras are some of the Japanese 35mm SLR cameras from the vintage ’70s and ’80s, the “Made in Japan” era, when Japan set the global standard of producing quality.”

camera metallic etched logos

In these remakes (featuring Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google, YouTube and more) some of the typographic styles and logo figures are still present, but in every case there is something breath-taking about the simplification to a monochrome, black-on-steel look. Not to mention: this also follows the existing apparent trend toward re-simplifying logos throughout online industries.

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Graphics & Branding. ]

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Modern Design Meets Tradition in 12 Japanese Homes

19 Feb

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

Rustic Modern Japan Main
Modern architects preserve the traditions of Japanese residential architecture while meeting 21st century needs in these 12 strikingly well-balanced homes. Adaptable rooms that can change size or function with room screens, transitional spaces between outdoors and in, shapes that recall ancient architectural typologies and insulating earth berms provide the privacy, serenity and connection to nature that have characterized Japanese homes for centuries.

300-Year-Old House Wrapped in a Modern Exterior

Rustic Modern Japan 300 Year Old 1

Rustic Modern Japan 300 Year Old 2

The original portions of this beautiful Japanese home date back over three centuries. Architecture firm Katsuhiro Miyamoto & Associates wrapped the historic wooden gate house in a modern facade, protecting it and making it a part of the interior. The new exterior walls are burnt cedar with curving contemporary forms, literally embracing the aged part of the home.

Ultramodern Triangle Monolith

Rustic Modern Japan Monolith 1

Rustic Modern Japan Monolith 2

Rising like a massive monument from a grassy hill, this incredible black pyramid home by Suppose Design is rooted in ancient traditions of Japanese home building. The technique surrounds the lower level of the home in an earth berm to provide privacy, green space and insulation. Though certainly ultramodern compared to the more contemporary homes that surround it, this house pays tribute to the history of the nation in which it was built.

A House by Hirokyui Fukuyama

Rustic Modern Japan A House

This glossy white home by Hiroyuki Fukuyama is undeniably modern, with a minimalist aesthetic and a highly unusual shape leading to asymmetrical rooms. But within that shape is the suggestion of a boulder, and the inside has a comforting cavern-like feel.

Meme Experimental House by Kengo Kuma

Rustic Modern Japan Meme House

A modern reinterpretation of Japanese earth and grass architecture, the Meme Experimental House in Hokkaido by Kengo Kuma lights up at night like a lantern. The home is modeled after Japanese Chise homes traditionally built of natural materials, but built from a semi-transparent membrane with recycled PET insulation. This allows natural light to penetrate the home during the day. Built partially into the earth, the home maintains a stable temperature.

House in Kohoku by Torafu

Rustic Modern Japan House in Kohoku

The House in Kohoku by Torafu has a similar look to the A House, but its rough concrete exterior makes the mountain association even clearer. Located in a quiet residential region on a hill in Yokohama, the home makes use of a small flag-shaped site. The shape, with its three volumes topped by enormous skylights, lets in maximum daylight while retaining privacy.

T House by Sou Fujimoto Architects

Rustic Modern Japan T House

Sou Fujimoto Architects envision the cavernous T House as one volume that has had its walls stretched to create separate but unified spaces. Describing it as ‘primitive’, the architects sought a simple home inspired by stepping stones in Japanese gardens. “That is, steppingstones are usually placed at those alleyways, and the scenery keeps changing while one stepping across by the stones. Each one step renews relationship of things around.”

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Retro Hover Cars: Editing Photos to Float Vintage Rides

19 Feb

[ By WebUrbanist in Technology & Vintage & Retro. ]

hover car

One of the most common concepts for the future has long been the wheel-free automobile, even before it was popularized in Back to the Future – but always, these looked almost shockingly familiar to our everyday rides.

hover floating retro cars

Renaud Marion is well established in the realm of realistic photo editing, splicing everything from architecture to wild animals into ordinary city street scenes and letting the strange juxtapositions speak for themselves.

hover vintage car photoshop

In this new series, he simply (albeit carefully) edits out all trace of wheels from various vintage vehicles, resulting in surreal portraits of apparently-flying cars. Even the dingiest rusting old 70′s-era auto seems somehow wonderfully otherworldly after he is done.

[ By WebUrbanist in Technology & Vintage & Retro. ]

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Travel Photography Inspiration Project: Argentina

19 Feb

From the seemingly timeless Southern areas to the modern heart of Buenos Aires, Argentina is a lively county with wide spaces, soaring peaks and a unique culture.

Let’s wander around Argentina in today’s installment of the DPS Travel Photography Inspiration Project.

And if you would like to be involved in the next country’s post, drop me a line here.

PageImage-512483-3672802-FloridaStBuenosAiresJuly2011

Street Tango in Buenos Aires by Anand Gopol

Tango dancers strike a pose on Florida Street in Buenos Aires.

Tip: While in Buenos Aires, walk, walk, walk. It’s a great walking city and downtown is drizzled with street artists and dancers. On many street corners, one can find a tango troupe such as this one with a speaker busting out some music and a hat that’s being passed around.

Local young couple in colourful La Boca, Buenos Aires by Joshua Raif

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This is Buenos Aires’ iconic national historic monument, the obelisk, located in Plaza de la Republica by Ken Duquaine

We were in Argentina for a few days between Christmas and New Years Day this past year before leaving on a trip to Antarctica. There is a considerable difference in weather conditions between Buenos Aires (very warm) and Ushuaia (much cooler), so anyone traveling to Argentina and planning on seeing both areas would do well to pack clothing that will accommodate a fairly wide range of temperatures.

Glacier

Glacier trekking at Perito Moreno by Will Villiers-Tuthill

ARGENTINA-michael-robert-powell_1

rain-clouds over bariloche by Michael Robert Powell

I was above the town of Bariloche in Patagonia; bad weather can bring nice shots, too. The image was a bit flat so I tweaked it to make the image pop more (without getting too HDR).

Enjoying the local Mate by Joshua Raif

Colourful local characters on San Telmo square are usually happy to be photographed. In good weather the square is full of action: crafts stands, musicians, tango dancers, and is surrounded by old and beautiful architecture.

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A window with character in La Boca by Ken Duquaine

Right Whale Breeching

Right Whale Breeching: Puerto Madryn by Will Villiers-Tuthill

ARGENTINA-michael-robert-powell_4

girl staring into rainbow – iguazu falls by Michael Robert Powell

A lucky few seconds, in which I took a few shots and this was the best. Simply, have your camera ready.

Upsala Glacier Viewpoint, Patagonia by Joshua Raif

Since boat access has been blocked by the melting glaciers, this remote site now requires a full day trip which combines a boat ride on Argentina lake together with a 4X4 dirt road drive from Estancia Cristina. This full day trip contains a wide variety of photo opportunities which include icebergs on the lake, the old ranch itself, sculptured trees, rock formations recently sculpted by the melting glaciers and the panoramic viewpoint itself.

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Plaza de Mayo, the scene of the May 25, 1810, revolution leading to Argentina’s independence, and a major center for political activity in Buenos Aires by Ken Duquaine

Nest Building

Birds building nests outside Ushuaia by Will Villiers-Tuthill

quiet streets of downtown – buenos aires by Michael Robert Powell

A modern neighborhood of Buenos Aires by Joshua Raif

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Ushuaia, known in Argentina as the “End of the World” owing to its being the southernmost city in the world and the staging area for boat trips through the Drake Passage to Antarctica by Ken Duquaine

Ushuaia

Ushuaia – the coordinates are on the signposts by Will Villiers-Tuthill

ARGENTINA-michael-robert-powell_3

changing the guards – buenos aires by Michael Robert Powell

Get low for some shots. This was taken years ago on a video camera and hence is only a low-res still image (but better than nothing). I played with the lighting later.

A 19th century coffee shop on San Telmo square, still in operation by Joshua Raif

Buenos Aires still boasts 19th & early 20th century architecture and establishments which appear more authentic than those found in Europe or the U.S.

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The very colorful La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires where the sights, smells and activity complement the “over the top” colors of the buildings by Ken Duquaine

HDR tonemapped

snowy mountains behind ushuaia by Michael Robert Powell

Apart from the great scenery, the inclusion of a person (bottom left) gives it a real sense of scale. This is close-to straight out of the camera; a near-monochrome shot.

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Thank you again to all the DPS reader-contributors who participated. If you would like to be involved in the next country’s post, drop me a line here.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Travel Photography Inspiration Project: Argentina

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Retro Hover Cars: Editing Photos to Float Vintage Rides

19 Feb

[ By WebUrbanist in Technology & Vintage & Retro. ]

hover car

hover floating retro cars

hover vintage car photoshop

360Photography

Archive for February, 2013

Möbius Strip: Plans to Build World’s First 3D-Printed House

Nest-Like 3D Printed House Will be Assembled in a Day

Surreal La Balade des Gnomes Hotel Offers Fantasy Getaway

Expand on Demand: Secret Deck Spaces for Small Dwellings