RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘Modular’

Branch Up: Modular Spiral Staircase Wraps Trees for Climbing

01 Jul

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

canopy tree staircase addition

Providing an elegant, robust, accessible and tree-friendly alternative to ladders or branches for climbing trunks, this spiral step solution lets you scale trees without harming them.

canopy spiral staircase desgin

Developed by Thor ter Kulve and Robert McIntyre, the CanopyStair uses lightweight birch plywood, adjustable ratchet straps for leveling on uneven trunks and neoprene padding for soft contact points with the tree itself.

canopy stairs from above

As the creators of this system point out, tree canopies are some of the least-explored places on Earth, in some ways as mysterious as the deep oceans or outer space.

canopy steps from below

canopy steps closeup

The design was inspired in part by a stay off the coast of Portugal in a place with high walls blocking views. The designers found themselves turned into tree climbers in an effort to get a better look at the surrounding vista, then trying to figure out a way to take that approach to the next level, so to speak.

tree canopy staircase context

A curved top tread, wooden poles and plastic guidelines all help make the experience smooth and straightforward, letting those who may not normally be able to scale trees still climb them. The team also consulted arboriculturalists to make sure their approach would not damage or harm the trees being employed. The system takes a few hours to set up and as little as 30 minutes to deconstruct.

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Living Staircase: Spiral Stairs Wrapped in Organic Greenery

Boldly curved and cantilevered into midair, these plant-wrapped stairs are designed to provide more than just a means of moving from one floor to another. …
Click Here to Read More »»


Marvelous Mystery of Britain’s Money-Making Trees

Money doesn’t grow on trees anywhere in the world, but some trees in Britain are laden with the coins of people who have passed by through the years.
Click Here to Read More »»


Branch Out: 20 Organic Tree Houses Are Naturally Amazing

Woven huts made of living saplings, artistic hotel rooms resembling bird nests are among these stunning organic structures built from, in, and onto entire …
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Branch Up: Modular Spiral Staircase Wraps Trees for Climbing

Posted in Creativity

 

Mobile, Modern & Modular: 15 Capsules for Off-Grid Living

04 Jun

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

off grid open roof 5

Why stay tethered to the grid in a fixed location when you could live in a compact mobile pod that can be transported to the location of your choice? These modern capsules are what 21st-century off-grid dreams are made of, ranging from spacious self-sustaining retreats to accordion-like expanding shelters that are lightweight enough to tow behind a bicycle.

Tricycle House

off grid tricycle house

off grid tricycle house 2

off grid tricycle house 3

off grid tricycle house 4

off grid tricycle house 5

Made mostly out of folded polypropylene, ‘Tricycle House’ by People’s Industrial Design Office is lightweight enough to be towed around like a bike trailer. The house can be expanded like an accordion to increase the space inside or make it more compact for travel. Translucent walls let in daylight and all amenities within – including a sink, stove, bath tub, water tank and transforming furniture – is manually powered. The firm also makes ‘tricycle gardens’ to tow alongside the house.

Egg-Like Ecocapsule

off grid ecocapsule 5

off grid ecocapsule 1

off grid ecocapsule 3

off grid ecocapsule 2

off grid ecocapsule 4

Shaped like a massive egg, the Ecocapsule by Nice Architects is a tiny off-grid living pod that’s equipped with all the comforts of home, including a bed, hot showers, flushing toilets and the capability to cook. Powered by solar panels and a built-in turbine, with a back-up battery for cloudy and still days, it can be shipped, air-lifted or towed and fits into a standard shipping container.

Diogene Hut by Renzo Piano

off grid diogene 3

off grid diogene 2

off grid diogene 1

Designed by architect Renzo Piano for the Vitra campus in Weil-am-Rhein, Germany, the Diogene cabin offers 80 square feet for an individual occupant as a “voluntary place of retreat.” Photovoltaic panels and a rainwater retention tank make it self-sufficient, and it’s highly portable. There’s just enough room inside for a bed, table and chair.

Portable Retreat with a Roof Hatch

off grid open roof 1

off grid open roof 2

off grid open roof 3

Three hinged panels open this two-level off-grid retreat to the sky on both the top and bottom floors, enhancing the occupant’s connection to whatever environment they’ve chosen. This mobile wooden shelter by Allergutendinge features a bunch of fold-down elements, hidden storage and a bed that doubles as a staircase to the loft.

Camouflage Stacked Wood Cabin

off grid yeta log cabin 1

off grid yeta log cabin 2

off grid yeta log cabin 3

This ‘invisible hut’ looks like no more than a stack of logs when it’s all closed up, but a hatch on one side drops down to become the terrace for a rustic cabin. The Yeta Log Cabin by Lab Zero can be set up virtually anywhere, and as small and minimal as it is, it comes complete with a kitchen, shower, toilet and solar panels.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Mobile Modern Modular 15 Capsules For Off Grid Living

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Offbeat & Off the Grid: 15 Surprisingly Mobile Solar Gadgets

Solar power projects go truly off-the-grid in mobile applications that range from practical if goofy solar panel-equipped Ray Bans to donkeys that stroll …
Click Here to Read More »»


Pop-Up Office: 14 Modern Mobile Studios for Creatives

Whether you’re an artist looking to work in the most inspiring environment possible or just want to break beyond the cubicle, these mobile and pop-up …
Click Here to Read More »»


Extreme Mobile Living: Garbage Trucks to Luxury Campers

There’s nothing like the freedom to move and live where we want. Perhaps the greatest expression of postmodern mobility is when transportation devices are …
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Mobile, Modern & Modular: 15 Capsules for Off-Grid Living

Posted in Creativity

 

Space Hacking: Modular Joints Connect IKEA & Everything Else

13 May

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

ikea modular home

This kit-of-parts solution draws on the do-it-yourself ethos as well as the modular furniture movement, allowing savvy homeowners to combine off-the-shelf designs with custom connections and modifications. The implications are subtle but powerful: buy only the elements you need that are too hard to personally construct, then use this system of joints, legs and beams to bridge the gaps.

ikea hacka additions connections

modular parts framework concept

ikea support structure

On display at Milan Deign Week, the IKEA HACKA toolbox consists of a key set of metal joints that create connections between modular wooden beams, all using regular dimensions for ease and consistency of construction. Cutting beams down to size, users can effectively create new hybrid furniture or built-ins styled and fit to their own unique spaces, stacking, supporting and hanging things between. Minimalist, modern, funky, the connectors are neutral enough to suit all personalities and approaches, as illustrated in the examples below.

modular minimalist kitchen design

modullar kit of parts

modular joint system

Together, these parts allow for the construction of support systems that turn individual elements into part of a network, allowing personalized touches and enabling space-saving solutions. They can also be re-hacked into new shapes as your needs grow or change.

ikea joint system design

ikea triple corner joint

space saving ikea hack

An effort to bridge the gap between purely hacked-together creations and existing products, IKEA HACKA was developed as a collaboration between IKEA, IDEO and a group of industrial design and technology students. It is intended to be part of a “future kitchen that bridges the gap between the hacking movement and the modular systems of today. Its flexibility helps people to create their own solutions, and makes it easy for them to hack it to suit their unique needs and style.”

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

IKEA 2014 Small-Space Set: 51 Designs from Cool to Kitsch

The sales pitch for this new 2014 series is compelling: 51 inexpensive designer objects made for young city dwellers, people who may be on the move more often …
Click Here to Read More »»


ZIG: Modular Furniture Lets You Build to Suit Your Space

Assemble rectangular furniture components like building blocks to create the exact arrangement of seating, tables and storage to suit your space and lifestyle.
Click Here to Read More »»


Magnetic Furniture: Modular Blocks Connect via Unseen Forces

Magnetized to stick together when you arrange them, these boxes take LEGO-style furniture construction to a new level by leaving exposed surfaces …
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Space Hacking: Modular Joints Connect IKEA & Everything Else

Posted in Creativity

 

IKEA 2025: Futuristic Modular Kitchen Caters to Food Drones

29 Apr

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

futuristic interactive surface design

In a world of increasing automation but decreasing resources, these kitchen concepts include interactive surfaces, flexible storage for on-demand food and responsive innovations to teach people how best to cook, prepare and store meals either made at home or delivered by drone.

Each premise of IKEA’s Concept Kitchen 2025 seems like a sound extrapolation of current trends: easy-to-order ingredients and automated meals mean less need for conventional storage space and greater attention to rising demand for modular storage, water use and recycling.

temporary futuristic kitchen design

Fast (sharing economy or drone) delivery of food and automated repurchasing means pantries can be slimmer, reducing spatial as well as energy needs. At the core of the design is a multi-functional kitchen surface that includes an induction cooking element and other fancy features: “as the world changes, so will our needs. That means that the table of the future will be designed to do so much more: it’s our preparation surface, hob, dining table, work bench and children’s play area.”

responsive kitchen tabletop design

It is not too much of a stretch to imagine a Kinect-like device hovering over your kitchen island, sensing and responding to your movements below, whether you are in the process of cooking, working or playing with your kids.

kitchen overview

graywater system

It also seems like a logical extension of current conditions and technology to assume kitchens will be better equipped to sort out our recycling and help save water through graywater systems and other measures.

kitchen trash concept

futuristic kitchen pantry concept

Presented in Milan for Design Week in collaboration with IDEO and dozens of industrial design students, this IKEA “exhibition is just one part of an ongoing investigation by IKEA into how people’s relationship to food is changing. It serves to tangibly show what we might be doing in 2025: how we’ll be growing our food, storing it; how we’ll be cooking, eating, living and working in the kitchen.”

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Compact Cooking: 15 Modular & Multipurpose Kitchen Designs

Most of us only use our kitchens a couple times daily, so why should they take up an entire room of valuable space? Compact, modular kitchens that can be …
Click Here to Read More »»


Livable Luxury: 14 Creative Kitchen Interior Designs

The best in modern kitchen design isn’t just minimalist and visually appealing, but fits the most function into the smallest space possible.
Click Here to Read More »»


5 Inventive Kitchen Furniture & Interior Design Concepts

When you think of interesting design in the home, the kitchen typically isn’t the first room that springs to mind. It is the heart of the home and requires …
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on IKEA 2025: Futuristic Modular Kitchen Caters to Food Drones

Posted in Creativity

 

Desert Cities: Modular Nodal Network Idea for the Middle East

30 Jan

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

desert city social organization

A combination of contemporary regionalism and sustainable urbanism, this design strategy proposed by an Italian architecture firm involves a series of modules for living, working and interacting at different scales. Notably different from most models of urban design is the intentional lack of density, raising the question: is the premise that good urban strategies revolve around dense centers a universally valid one?

desert city expanse

desert city different scales

desert cities node network

Connected by lines that serve as both dividers and connectors, the smallest modules are family-sized units, the mid-sized variants working as cultural, research and service centers and the largest operating as micro-cities with more complex communities.

desert city concept rendering

desert city individual community

By spreading these out, maximum use can be made of minimal rainfall (water capture) as well as sun exposure (solar power), rendering each unit relatively or entirely self-sufficient. Internally, composing, recycling and other sustainable strategies would be employed as well.

desert city design urban

desert city layout strategy

desert city streets connectors

desert city angled view

Luca Curci Architects describes the approach as follows: “The project-plane is made by a series of identity-places with symbiotic interconnections among them which create an organic and articulated system. The identity-places can be divided in 3 macro architectural types, different for dimension, function and inhabitants. Each identity-place is developed following residential and architectural solutions which respect the environment’s tradition, climatic condition and resources.”

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Modular Cities: 13 Expandable Solutions for Urban Growth

As urban populations flourish, cities typically expand outward into suburbia or suffer growing pains with static infrastructure that just can’t keep up. …
Click Here to Read More »»


Futuretecture: From Sea Cities to Space Colonies

What will cities look like in the future? Will we begin to colonize space? These 8 fantastical ideas might be the beginning of the architecture of the future.
Click Here to Read More »»


Cradle to Graveyard: 7 Abandoned Wonders of the Middle East

Eerie ghost towns, villages abandoned after shocking massacres, the palaces of deposed dictators and mansions so well preserved they’re like 1950s time …
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Desert Cities: Modular Nodal Network Idea for the Middle East

Posted in Creativity

 

Modular Micro-Pad: 85 Sq Ft Loft Full of Slide-Out Surprises

26 Nov

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

paris modular home tiny

Using a system of large sliding doors and functional-filled drawers to transform a maid’s quarters into a whole home, this small-footprint apartment in Paris gives a (much more positive) new meaning to the phrase ‘hole in the wall’.

paris micro apartment home

paris home shelves drawers

paris dining room set

Sleeping, cooking, eating, washing and storage are all packed into 8 square meters using a system of unfolding flat-pack furniture items, hidden spaces and dual-purpose built-ins, custom-designed by Kitoko Studio.

pairs kitchen sink window

paris kitchen smal lview

paris other angle view

Like a Swiss Army Knife writ large, many items serve more than one use, like a staircase for climbing up to bed that also has built-in shelves that tuck back into the wall.

paris apartment mini tiny

paris bathroom shower combo

paris micro bathroom sink

The kitchenette and bathroom are as compact as can be, packing essential plumbing into the tightest spaces possible in order to maximize the still-limited open space at the center of the design.

paris home compact minimalist

paris modular apartment design

paris cabinet storage stairs

paris shelves drawers storage

paris tiny wall bedroom

paris house plan diagram

paris view from above

paris house plan tiny

Bright white walls with minimal decor help the space feel lighter and more open despite its necessarily-cramped nature and odd wedge-shaped configuration.

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Split & Slide: Modular Dividers Make 3 Rooms in Single Space

Complimenting a flexible open area on one side of this apartment are a series of suspended separators that provide storage but also move along rails, opening …
Click Here to Read More »»


Modular Retrofit: Bamboo Micro-Homes in Deserted Factories

A pragmatic twist on visionary plug-and-play architecture, this project combines a cheap and fast-growing material with existing (abandoned) infrastructure to …
Click Here to Read More »»


Elastic Living: Sliding Shelves Hide Modular Rooms

Slide out the kitchen or bedroom when you need it and file it away when you’re done with this clever transforming modular interior series.
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Modular Micro-Pad: 85 Sq Ft Loft Full of Slide-Out Surprises

Posted in Creativity

 

Blocks Camera features modular design with swappable components

18 Nov

Blocks Camera of California has introduced its Blocks+ multi-functional camera. The Blocks+ features a modular design allowing photographers to swap in components, referred to as ‘blocks’, for various types of recording like 3D and 360-degree video. The blocks also include battery modules that can be added for extra battery life. Learn more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Blocks Camera features modular design with swappable components

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Split & Slide: Modular Dividers Make 3 Rooms in Single Space

12 Nov

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

modular room system design

Complimenting a flexible open area on one side of this apartment are a series of suspended separators that provide storage but also move along rails, opening up a variety of additional functions on demand. If the system looks familiar: it is based on the sliding stacks often used to save space in libraries.

modular-osb-oriented-board

modular space kitchen view

modular space bedroom

modular bedroom configuration open

Designed by PKMN Architectures in Madrid, Spain (with images by Javier de Paz García), this cost-and-space-saving solution employs relatively cheap materials including engineered particle wood boards (composed of glued wooden flakes) and a ceiling-hung system of industrial rails.

modular living room space

modular room shuffle sliding

modular room system

modular osb oriented board

The three suspended sections offer shelves and cabinets and variously create a kitchen, dining or living room depending on how they are configured and positioned relative to the room and one another.

modular murphy folding bed

modular living room blackboard

modular apartment sliding rooms

modular cooking kitchen closeup

Fold-down tables and a fold-out bed are able to be accessed as needed while the walls are variously occupied by storage, openings or unique decorative, fun and functional touches (like a blackboard for sketching ideas during meetings).

modular room changing gif

Sliding panels can also provide privacy when desired, separating the more open space from the modular-room side of the apartment. The fixed-in-place spaces are reserved for open living and dining areas as well as a bathroom in one corner of the unit.

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Slices of Home: Modular Mobile House-Shaped Micro-Rooms

Spatial separation can be as much about a feeling of enclosure as a physical divider, like this set of portable lounge structures that provide a semi-secluded …
Click Here to Read More »»


Transforming Furniture: Fitting 5 Rooms into 640 Square Feet

With a mostly-open floor plan tucked into 60 square meters of space, the design challenge was to effectively fit the functionality of five rooms into the …
Click Here to Read More »»


Borrowed from Libraries: Mobile Shelving for Modular Rooms

To save space, libraries employ a rolling stack system that allows access to only one or a few aisles needed at one time. How about the same in homes or …
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Split & Slide: Modular Dividers Make 3 Rooms in Single Space

Posted in Creativity

 

Modular Minimalism: 5-Part Kit to Create Infinite Furniture

02 Nov

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

modular living room set

Beds, tables, shelves, chairs, couches and loveseats can be created in effectively any configuration using this series of essential elements in all sorts of stacks and arrays.

modular stacked furniture design

Created by Austrian designer Matthias Dornhofer, the FREI_RAUM (or: free room/space) system is primarily composed of cushions, wooden legs and plywood platforms as well as a single mobile light.

modular used as seating

modular bedroom configuration layout

Aligned in a row, cushioned platforms can create various seating arrangements or even a single-person bed with headboard and footboard. Placed vertically, the same platform elements become a shelving system.

modular playful furniture arrangements

modular infinite variety furniture

Given the ease of transforming the system, part of the fun is presumably being able to change a room on a whim without much thought, experimenting with various layouts or shifting things around for guests.

modular minimalist furniture system

modular furniture system complete

The pass-through pegs are set halfway into surfaces above (and/or below) provide additional stability and to obviate the need for connectors, at least in theory – in practice one has to wonder if there is some structural risk in the horizontal direction at these points of connection.

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Modern, Modular & Transforming Kids’ Furniture: 13 Designs

Why spend a fortune on a virtually endless array of aesthetically questionable kids’ furniture, from birth to their teen years, when you could choose …
Click Here to Read More »»


Resource Furniture: Convertible Designs for Small Spaces

Multifunctional and convertible furniture solutions from Resource Furniture unfold and expand in unexpected ways, fitting lots of function into tiny rooms.
Click Here to Read More »»


3D Cat Furniture Set: Modular Hangouts for Walls & Ceilings

Furnishings for felines are nothing new, but this one-stop shop provides modular bridges, beds, posts and platforms designed as a kit-of-parts solution to turn …
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Modular Minimalism: 5-Part Kit to Create Infinite Furniture

Posted in Creativity

 

Magnetic Furniture: Modular Blocks Connect via Unseen Forces

19 Sep

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

bob modular magnetic boxes

Magnetized to stick together when you arrange them, these boxes take LEGO-style furniture construction to a new level by leaving exposed surfaces connector-free in any configuration.

cube box chair design

Dubbed the BOB system by its creator, Paul Kelley, the component cubes themselves are durable but light and clad in copper that will weather differently over time depending on which surfaces are exposed.

magnetic cantilever

The magnets inside them are designed to let you create anything you can imagine, from chairs, benches, stools and tables to interior space dividers or simply abstract sculptures. Their attraction is strong enough (and the boxes sufficiently lightweight) to allow limited cantilevers as well.

bob magnet box system

bob modular boxes stacked

This work is being publicly displayed as part of the London Design Festival (via Inhabitat)- hopefully its creator will also allow the public to play with and reconfigure the exhibit, keeping it fun and interactive. Fans of magnetic furniture designs should be sure to check out this tensile floating table as well, which works on similar but reversed principles, repelling rather than attracting the constituent boxes.

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

GoGo & Multiplo: Modular Building Blocks for Kids & Adults

Two very similar designs with somewhat different audiences one emphasizing forts and mazes for kids, the other suggesting beds or chairs for adults.
Click Here to Read More »»


3D Cat Furniture Set: Modular Hangouts for Walls & Ceilings

Furnishings for felines are nothing new, but this one-stop shop provides modular bridges, beds, posts and platforms designed as a kit-of-parts solution to turn …
Click Here to Read More »»


Modern, Modular & Transforming Kids’ Furniture: 13 Designs

Why spend a fortune on a virtually endless array of aesthetically questionable kids’ furniture, from birth to their teen years, when you could choose …
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Magnetic Furniture: Modular Blocks Connect via Unseen Forces

Posted in Creativity

 
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »