Lauren Dias | Dornob - Feed

SPYSCAPE Museum Invites Patrons to Be Undercover Agents

Lauren Dias — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 16:43:39 +0000

Have you ever wanted to unleash your inner spy? You’re in luck, because British architect David Adjaye has recently made this possible by designing a 60,000-square-foot museum that invites visitors to live out their wildest spy fantasies. The SPYSCAPE Museum, located on West 55th Street in midtown Manhattan, is comprised of seven unique exhibition spaces, all of which offer hands-on experiences. These spaces are respectively dedicated to deception, encryption, surveillance, hacking, intelligence, cyber warfare, and special ops.

“We hope this will be a really empowering experience for people to start to see their world differently, see themselves differently, and understand how the types of skills that spies use can be relevant to their daily lives,” says Shelby Prichard, SPYSCAPE’s Chief of Staff. “We show how the world of espionage is all around you.”

Adjaye Associates consulted former members of renowned hacking collectives, station chiefs, and intelligence directors when designing the museum. The goal was to have visitors catch on to its mysterious atmosphere as soon as they walked through the door. The resulting space boasts a highly futuristic aesthetic, as characterized by dark concrete walls, polished concrete floors, dim rooms illuminated by LED lighting, and high-tech information displays. Smaller interior features like weathering steel drums, smoked glass, gray acoustic paneling, and mirror-polished steel only serve to further connect patrons with their inner undercover agents as they explore the various exhibits.

The museum has been open to the public since February 17th, 2018. Upon arrival, visitors are handed “identity bands,” digital wristbands that allow patrons to take part in a series of interactive, multisensory challenges meant to put their spy skills to the test. Once the tour is complete, the crowd is moved to the debriefing room, where everyone is given an assessment on which of ten total spy roles they would be best suited for.
“We worked for a couple of years on our profiling system with [a] former head of training for British intelligence, as well as some top industrial psychologists,” explains Prichard. “So it really is a very authentic look at how the spy world thinks about what it takes to be different types of spies.”

Before players are given their respective spy roles, they’ll watch a briefing on secret intelligence in the central theater. From there, they’ll move to an interrogation booth, where they’ll “learn the art and science of spotting lies,” and a room filled with 360-degree projections of both live and pre-recorded CCTV footage, which itself is meant to mimic a surveillance mission. Later on, the visitors’ agility and reaction times will be tested as they creep through a laser tunnel.

Apart from participating in the spy games themselves, guests are also encouraged to peruse a selection of spy gadgets and smart tech in the gift shop. If you’re feeling hungry, you might stop by the museum’s café, where you can enjoy a cup of coffee and a bookshop with over 1,000 rare and first-edition spy books. There are also multiple event spaces on-site, where organizations can host private parties for as many as 600 guests.

Admission currently costs $39 for adults and $32 dollars for children. If you’re planning on visiting, head on over to SPYSCAPE’s official website for more information.

The post SPYSCAPE Museum Invites Patrons to Be Undercover Agents first appeared on Dornob.

The Farmer’s House by AR Design Studio

Lauren Dias — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 16:43:38 +0000

An exceptional renovation has just taken place on a private estate in the westernmost part of England’s South Downs National Park. The team over at AR Design Studio was approached by the owners of “The Farmer’s House” after a series of previous alterations and mismatched extensions left the home feeling unbalanced. The existing property required a self-sufficient yet adjoined annex that would provide a space for their children and grandchildren to “take over” when they visited.

The studio suggested both a large extension and a makeover that would transform the entire property into a futuristic farmhouse. They were able to wrap everything together by blending the structure’s traditional geometry with new upscale architecture. Today, the house boasts a contemporary look while staying true to its agricultural roots.

From the onset of the project, the team knew exactly what was needed to transform the disordered farmhouse into a welcoming home: a visible contrast. This is apparent all throughout the new design. Inside, the finishes are kept minimal with cool gray tones, while natural light from a few strategically-placed skylights serves to warm up the furnishings. Outside, warm touches of linear timber cladding are mixed with a cool-toned rural material. The house’s remaining original facades have been clad in Kebony wood to match those of the extension, while the north elevation has been covered in zinc, which itself continues out over the roof to create an overhang.
Andy Ramus, the director of AR Design Studio, explains: “Without Kebony we would not have been able to achieve our intended design for The Farmer’s House. This incredible material enabled us to unite a modern extension with a traditional building that now sits perfectly in its idyllic countryside setting. The natural aesthetic of the Kebony cladding, alongside its high-quality credentials, proved Kebony was the right material for the job, and we can’t wait to see how it adapts over time.”

On the east side of the house, you’ll find the annex surrounded by a large covered alfresco dining and lounging area. The terrace and pool, on the other hand, are placed directly in front of the house. Just above them, a large sweeping canopy extends to the west of the plot and provides cover for yet another seating area. To minimize the construction’s effect on its natural surroundings, this canopy has been fitted with a few openings for a few existing trees to pass through.

The new extension houses a kitchen/living room, a dining area, a utility room, and two of the ground floor’s three bedrooms. Small punctuations have been made in the timber cladding to let in natural light, but their scale has been kept relatively modest to protect the rooms from the reflection of the exterior driveway.

The ground floor was intentionally structured to sit above ground to prevent darkness from overwhelming the rooms. A double floor-to-ceiling window sits in the third bedroom to take advantage of natural light, while an enclosed outdoor wall allows it maintain a sense of privacy. A plant room and a garage space are also located on this level.

Adrian Pye, the International Sales Director at Kebony, adds: “The Farmer’s House is an extraordinary project which perfectly demonstrates both the visual and practical quality of Kebony wood. AR Design Studio has created an architectural masterpiece, which we anticipate will become an award-winning project for years to come; we can’t wait to see what the future holds for this exceptional farmhouse.”

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Feldman Architecture Builds Yoga and Art Studios in the California Forest

Lauren Dias — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 11:49:11 +0000

Feldman Architecture is known for creating scintillating structures that sit gracefully among their surroundings. Their interiors facilitate floods of natural light and help their clients feel truly connected to mother nature. The firm’s latest residential work was built for a couple who needed two spaces that spoke to their respective recreational pursuits.

On a forested site in the San Francisco Bay Area sit two quaint yet charming wooden builds called “The Mill Valley Cabins.” The owners collaborated and shared their visions with the firm to bring these two sustainable studios to life — one being an artist’s sanctuary, the other a yoga retreat surrounded by greenery to embrace the outdoors. Both spaces can also serve as guest houses if need be.

Seeing as Feldman specializes in respecting and resorting the natural environment, it seems like this pairing was the perfect fit. It was clear that the owners also aspired to fulfill this project while conserving resources.
“The clients for the Mill Valley Cabins wished to add some accessory structures to their existing hillside home,” the firm notes.

Walking along the home’s stone pathway, you’ll find that the two cabins seamlessly blend in with the surrounding redwood and pine trees. Situated on a steep hillside, the design team was able to minimize the project’s impact on the environment by separating the studios into their own structures.
“Dividing the programmatic needs into separate cabins allowed the two small structures to be placed lightly between existing trees with minimal re-grading of the site” they explain.

The artist’s cabin was intentionally positioned higher up, allowing for a view of never-ending forestry. In the distance, both the Muir Woods National Monument and the Pacific Coast can be spotted. The yoga studio is planted deep in the forest to make the people inside feel as if they’re standing on the soil itself.
Since the artist’s cabin looks on the 380-square-meter yoga studio, a garden covered with a multi-colored array of plants was strategically laid on the roof of the latter. This way, the roof could also blend into the hillside, allowing the artist above to be fully immersed in tranquil greenery. Coincidentally, the client is an avid gardener and can use this space to facilitate that passion, too.

Both abodes boast large windows and sliding glass doors. Sticking to the theme of nature, the roomy structures allow natural light to pour in with the help of skylights, strengthening the bond between the indoors and the outdoors.

Feldman Architecture was able to create a great design by sticking to interiors that scream simplicity. The cabins’ wooden floors and white walls enhance the clients’ lives by creating a tranquil atmosphere. Decor and finishes were kept to a bare minimum to extenuate their secluded and peaceful focus.

The post Feldman Architecture Builds Yoga and Art Studios in the California Forest first appeared on Dornob.

30 Cars for 50 Years of History: Italdesign Celebrates 50th Anniversary in Turin

Lauren Dias — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 21:00:09 +0000

Development service company Italdesign recently threw a big shindig in Turin, celebrating 50 years of working alongside the world’s leading car manufacturers. Founded by Georgette Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani, the company assists their clients in the process of creating vehicles from conception to the start of production.

“We are proud of what we have achieved in these fifty years,” says CEO Jörg Astalosch. “Italdesign has always stood out for its ability to dare, to be ahead of its time and anticipate the industry’s needs, working daily to raise the bar of quality standards. If we look at the many prototypes we are proud to have at our Moncalieri headquarters, which were inspirational for many successful projects for our customers, this attitude for innovation — never an end in itself — is evident even after many decades.”

30 prototypes and production models that have marked significant points in Italdesign’s history were showcased inside the courtyard of the Castello del Valentino during the fourth edition of the Turin Auto Show.

1968 Bizzarrini Manta

The Bizzarrini looks as bizarre as its name suggests. With a shuttle-like build, this car looks better suited for outer space than it does for the everyday commute.

1971 BMW M1

This made-to-race car was personally designed by Italdesign’s Georgette Giugiaro and is entirely hand-built. At the time of its launch, it was one of the fastest and most dynamic cars on the market.

1974 VW Golf

The 1974 Golf was introduced as Volkswagen’s successor to the iconic Beetle. As a test of the car’s durability, two Golfs were driven over 30,000 kilometers from Alaska to Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego in 1974.

1978 Lancia Megagamma

The Lancia Megagamma was released during a time when cars were mainly judged by their lengths. This small concept van was the perfect vehicle for a family.

1981 DeLorean DMC 12

The Delorean was a sports car manufactured by John Delorean and his motor company. The car was purposed for the American market but only lasted from 1981 to 1983. Of course, the car was later made famous by the movie Back to the Future, in which it could travel through time.

Panda 4×4 Strip

This Fiat was a concept vehicle with a completely open seating area, no doors, and pick-up truck-like storage.

1984 Capsula

The body of the original Capsula could separate, allowing for different upper cabins to be placed over the same chassis. The vehicle was also made with extra storage space to serve those with tool-based careers.

1986 Machimoto

The 1986 Machimoto was created on the Volkswagen Golf platform. Designed with an open cab to mimic the sensation of riding a motorcycle, this car’s flexible seating platform allowed up to nine people to sit in it!

1988 Aspid, Asgard, and Aztec

With the Aztec, the driver and passenger are seated separately, but at least there’s a handy electronic communication link between them!

1992 Biga

The Biga is an eco-friendly model that can be mass-produced rather easily. It leaves no room for anything superfluous, as it was made to be the minimalist car of its time.

1992 Lucciola

The Lucciola was created to be hybrid, compact, light, and eco-friendly. It’s made out of recyclable materials and boasts an aluminium body.

1993 BMW Nazca C2

The C2 was made as an upgrade from the M12, with only a few changes actually worth noting. This project never made it beyond its prototype phase.

1998 Chiron

This deep blue two-seater sports car was a popular choice when entering races. Buggati named the Chiron in honor of Bugatti racecar driver Louis Chiron.

1998 Structura

The Structura was designed with a view to the future and was the official car for Turin’s candidacy for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games.

2000 Maserati Buran

This luxury, ultra-high performing range leader took inspiration for its general layout from hatchback limousines. The Buran offered sophisticated services with its elegant interiors.

2001 Aston Martin Twenty Twenty

The 2001 Aston Martin was the first of its kind to offer an open top. As you can probably tell from its name, the car was designed for the year 2020, with its sleek aesthetic giving off ultra-futuristic vibes.

2001 Volkswagen W12 Nardò

This Volkswagen is about as fast as it looks. On February 23rd, 2002, the W12 shattered world records for vehicular speed, covering a distance of 7740.576 kilometers at an average speed of 322.891 km/h.

2002 Alfa Romeo Brera

Brera took the 2004 Compasso d’Oro Award for its excellence in performance. Contemporary, elegant, refined, and essential — this car has it all.

2003 Corvette Moray

It goes without saying that this iconic American sport car pays attention to every detail. The Moray offers wave-like indents and long tapering headlights to keep you and your passengers intrigued.

2004 Alessandro Volta

The production of the Volta was dedicated to Alessandro Volta, the Italian physicist who invented the battery. As a matter of fact, the car was invented to promote a new approach to building eco-friendly automobiles.

2005 Ferrari GG50

“To celebrate 50 years working in car design, I wanted to make a Ferrari for myself that I could use with my family”, says Giorgetto Giugiaro. GG50’s name comes from Giugiaro’s initials, boasting the number 50 to celebrate the length of his design career.

2006 Mustang

Modeled after a standard fifth-generation Ford Mustang, this upgraded model by Giugiaro changes the styling and design of both the car’s interior and exterior.

2008 Italdesign Quaranta

Quaranta takes on a single-volume shape and provides step-in access to its cabin. Instead of opening the door to exit, you just have to push an electric on/off button. After that, the doors should swing open upwards in a downwind direction.

2009 Giugiaro Namir

The Namir was unveiled during the 79th International Motor Show in Geneva, being billed as the fastest and most ecological hybrid in the world. This release was a major turning point for sports cars fueled by hybrid systems.

2012 Brivido

“This is a quest for a genuine four-seater,” Giugiaro says, “to offer comfort and visibility, especially for the rear passengers, which are usually sacrificed in this type of vehicle.” The fancy sports car allows optimal natural light to pour through and provides far more leg room than usual.

2013 Parkour

“Parkour was devised as a new way of living and experiencing a metropolitan route creatively,” explains Giugiaro. “Parkour enthusiasts, who are referred to as traceurs or plotters, adapt their body to the surrounding environment, pursuing, through their movements, not just spectacle but instead mainly maximum efficiency. The purpose of parkour is to move around as efficiently as possible. By efficiently I mean: simply, quickly, and safely, [all of] which are characteristic features of our car.”

2016 GTZero

Keeping the environment’s future state in mind, the GTZero was built as a zero-emissions vehicle. Its clean design includes a comfortable passenger compartment, which can seat either two adults and two children or three adults and one child.

2017 Audi TT

The Audi TT is a compact two-door sports car. Its sporty aesthetic is perfect for everyday travel.

2017 Zerouno

The Zerouno debuted at Geneva’s 87th International Motor Show in 2017 — the first car under the new brand Italdesign Automobili Speciali. The vehicle’s racecar features have been adapted to accommodate normal commuting conditions.

2018 Zerouno Duerta

The Zerouno Duerta is phase two for Italdesign Automobili Speciali. Its carbon fiber body was chosen to promote lightness and aerodynamics as the core elements in the new design.

The post 30 Cars for 50 Years of History: Italdesign Celebrates 50th Anniversary in Turin first appeared on Dornob.

Knister Grill: A Handlebar-Mounted Barbecue for Any Bike

Lauren Dias — Wed, 04 Jul 2018 21:00:37 +0000

The warm weather is encouraging all of us to get out of our homes and take part in the festivities summer has to offer. Things like picnic lunches with friends, biking around town, and barbecue season are on most of our minds.

Barbecuing in particular has a special way of bringing friends and families together, although it does restrict us to our backyards or the nearest park. This can be blamed on the excessive weight and size that the typical barbecue has to offer. But what if we were able to place a barbecue on a bike and take it anywhere? Lucky for us, a Kickstarter campaign has just brought this idea to life.

German entrepreneur Carolin Kunert has created a bike accessory that can be easily transported anywhere you want. Knister Grill is an extendable charcoal barbecue that’s meant to be mounted onto the handlebars of your bike. The mount fits any bike, is tool-free, and can be quickly removed when not in use. If you don’t feel like riding your bike or simply don’t have one, you’ll be happy to hear that the barbecue’s legs double as handles, allowing you to just carry it around with you. Once you reach your destination, you’ll have the choice of using the grill in its collapsed form (26 x 30 cm) or extending it to nearly twice its traveling size (26 x 49 cm).

Knister encourages its users to store their uncooked food and utensils inside of the barbecue. This makes transporting your grilling necessities extremely simple. While the thought of placing food on top of leftover grilling residue may alarm you, Kunert worked hard to make sure her product was cleaning friendly. Open up your Knister Grill to wash it by hand, or just place it in the dishwasher.

“I first developed a transportable barbecue in the third semester of my industrial design studies in Munich,” Kunert explains. “Back then, it was super-heavy and mounted on the bike rack — I wasn’t able to use it because I had a basket on my bike. In November 2017, during my Erasmus semester, I continued the project intensively, won the competition ‘Startup Weekend,’ and created the first prototypes. I created a team behind Knister Grill and developed the product to get it into serial production.”

You’ll only have to wait a few minutes for the Knister Grill to cool down before heading home. The strategic placement of the barbecue on the bike was designed to prevent any dust or coal from flying into your face while you cycle. This is further prevented by having the two racks slide over one another as it closes.

“There are already small, high-end camping products and transportable barbecues on the market,” Kunert admits. “We don’t exactly compete with them. We offer a lifestyle product, where the spontaneous ‘barbecue-with-friends’ is the most important thing.”

The Knister original is available at the early-bird price of $135, while a customized model will run you $200 (or more). When all is said and done, the retail price is expected to be $250. Check out the Knister crowdfunding page for more information.

The post Knister Grill: A Handlebar-Mounted Barbecue for Any Bike first appeared on Dornob.

Robot Builds First 3D-Printed House at Milan Design Week

Lauren Dias — Wed, 23 May 2018 21:00:33 +0000

This year’s Salone del Mobile design fair in Milan showcased new modes of home living that incorporated cutting-edge design trends. Manufacturers and designers from all over the world took part in the event in hopes of gaining recognition from its 430,000+ attendees.

World-renowned engineering firm Arup and Italian architecture studio CLS Architetti were just two of many to exhibit their work at the fair, collaborating to build a 3D-printed house called “3D Housing 05” on site. Located in the Piazza Cesare Beccaria near the Duomo di Milano, this one-bedroom structure was completely assembled by a portable robot in an effort to raise awareness on how 3D printing can be used to reduce construction waste.

“We want 3D printing to be taken more seriously. It’s potential to disrupt the construction industry has been seriously underestimated. Our ultimate aim is to bring about a shift in the way the construction industry operates — for us all to move away from a ‘make, use, dispose’ mentality,” commented Guglielmo Carra, the European Materials Consultation Lead at Arup.

3D Housing 05 is described as the “first 3D-printed one-bedroom house in Europe” and covers 100 square meters. The firms developed a plan for the house over the course of a week, but the actual structure was printed in just 48 hours. Made up of 35 modules, the structure consists of a living space, a bedroom, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

“My aesthetic vision for concrete 3D printing is to integrate new, more organic shapes in[to] the surrounding landscapes or urban architecture. I wanted to show a different way of using a printing machine and explore how a concrete house could create a dialogue with our memories of interior design, made of references to archetypes of the past,” explained Massimiliano Locatelli, an architect at CLS Architetti.

CyBe Construction, a 3D printing company founded in Poland, and Italcementi, an Italian cement supplier, were also brought on to bring the project to life. CyBe designed the robot that printed the home while Italcementi supplied the robot with a special mixture of concrete and additives to do so.

“The peculiarity of the concrete mix is to be made so that the curing time is much faster than in traditional cases, so as to allow the bottom layers of any printed part to withstand the load created by top layers,” explained Carra.

“Each section of the wall takes around an hour to build, and the concrete cures in five minutes. There are possibilities to program the robot to make them larger or smaller or maybe even different shapes. You can also print furniture” said CLS.

At the end of it all, CLS was presented with “2018 Best Sustainability” award. The house was then transported to Italcenmenti’s headquarters, where it is currently being displayed.

“We really hope to move the project on to build a real house, as this one is only a prototype. We want to study the foundations, joints, and connections and understand how it can last not only for just one week but for years,” said Carra.

Arup claims that 3D printing helps make the world less wasteful. More specifically, they say that this method of construction reduces waste by increasing efficiency during the building process.

“We’ve shown with this building that 3D printing technology is now advanced enough to take on more complex structures and design buildings to be repurposed or reused at the end of their life,” Carra continued. “This technology is critical to helping our industry become far more accurate, efficient, and less wasteful.”

The post Robot Builds First 3D-Printed House at Milan Design Week first appeared on Dornob.

Bert’s Boxes: Luxurious Modern Living Spaces

Lauren Dias — Tue, 15 May 2018 15:00:33 +0000

Portable houses are popping up all around the country as a luxurious solution to the ever-rising cost of living in major cities. These eco-friendly mobile spaces allow you to downsize your life while giving you the opportunity to live absolutely anywhere in the world. Bert & May Group was previously known for their beautiful and trend-driven handmade tiles, but now they’re taking all interior magazines by storm with their new collection of prefabricated homes.

“Bert’s Boxes” incorporate thoughtful, innovative designs to bring a simpler yet fuller life to their users. These affordable and tactile living spaces feature stunning rustic wood cladding, rooms embellished with intricate tiles, and green roofs paired with trendy factory style windows and doors. Surprisingly, the aesthetic of these box homes isn’t even their best feature. The Bert & May Group aims to give you new experiences that your current home can’t compete with, like a deep connection to nature, a closer bond with your friends and family, and the heavenly feeling of living mortgage free.

Bert’s Boxes strike the ideal balance between high-end modern construction and eco-friendly luxury aesthetic for those interested in a living, work, or play space. Each box easily meets environmental standards, using reclaimed materials and insulated panels to keep its inhabitants warm during the winter and safe from the unpleasant heat during the summer. Buyers can also choose to equip their home with an eco-friendly add-on package. One of these packages boasts a 2-kW photovoltaic system from SunEdison, which uses carbon-friendly solar energy to generate up to a quarter of the home’s electricity and hot water consumption.
The mobile eco-home consist of two bedrooms, with a spacious master suite and an en-suite bathroom that comes with a fully retractable wall, enabling you to shower in the open air. Watermark partnered with the Bert & May Group to create a sense of contrast in the bathroom by installing handcrafted lead-free brassware on top of the reclaimed black and white encaustic tiles.

The kitchen and dining area is the most texturized part of the home thanks to Red Deer Architects, who were brought on to combine the box’s timber surfaces with polished marble. But this rustic and eclectic style wouldn’t be complete without a few strategically-placed industrial light fixtures and upcycled furniture. An abundance of natural light is also available to the homeowners, as the living room and kitchen open up to an outdoor patio surrounded by a small garden.

The four-step ordering process starts with you picking your box. You’re able to select a one-bedroom, two-bedroom, or office box. Leasing a box is also an option. Once you’ve picked out your box, a representative from Bert & May Group will assist you in picking out your materials — cladding, tiles, flooring, kitchen, and paints are all discussed. A 50-percent deposit is then required before the company begins manufacturing your selection. Your new space should be all finished and delivered to you in just 12 to 14 weeks’ time.

The post Bert’s Boxes: Luxurious Modern Living Spaces first appeared on Dornob.

Humanscale Saves the Oceans by Making Office Chairs from Recycled Fishing Nets

Lauren Dias — Wed, 09 May 2018 21:00:15 +0000

In 2016, a company specializing in the creation of functional and comfortable office products partnered with Bureo to decrease the ever-growing deluge of plastic in our oceans. More specifically, Humanscale plans to make a difference by manufacturing their new Smart Ocean task chair through Bureo’s “Net Positiva” program.

This recovery and recycling initiative facilitates the reuse of discarded fishing nets by breaking them down and transforming their plastic into nylon pellets. In order to do this, the plastic must first be cleaned and mechanically shredded. The resulting pellets are then used to create quality products like skateboards, sunglasses, and now, the Smart Ocean chair.

Bureo is working directly with fishermen across the coast of Chile to promote the collection and recycling of fishing nets. The Net Positivia program teaches these fishermen about the materials that go into fishing nets and the proper way to dispose of them. On top of that, the program also provides the locals with opportunities for employment and collects funds for their communities.

Fishing nets are considered to be one of the single most harmful pollutants out there, with some 640,000 tons of them being left in our oceans each and every year. The Bureo team claims to have already recovered more than 10 tons of discarded fishing net material.

At its core, the Smart Ocean task chair is a clever reinvention of Humanscale’s “Diffrient Smart” model. Smart Ocean offers the same timeless design and functionality as Diffrient Smart while adding a new “Form-Sensing Mesh Technology” to the mix. This material was designed to instantly adjust to and move with every individual user. Each chair is made using two pounds of recycled fishing net material and is Living Product certified, which means that it lives up to the most rigorous sustainable manufacturing standards around.

Humanscale’s partnership with Buero continues to yield innovative solutions for getting plastic out of our oceans. Both companies recognize the tremendous impact this issue has had on both human health and the health of the environment. The number of plastic objects being dumped into the ocean will surpass the number of fish in it by 2050 if we don’t make a change soon. Recycling and reprocessing those plastics keeps them from ever going into the water in the first place.

Humanscale is also a founding partner of the NextWave initiative. Spearheaded by Lonely Whale, this program hopes to successfully evolve into the world’s first international ocean-bound plastic supply chain. They give courageous ideas a platform by building useful products out of materials collected from river and coastal areas. NextWave is also supported by companies like Dell and GM.

While Humanscale continues to promote their eco-friendly Smart Ocean chair, they also encourage us to play a part in saving the oceans. They advise that we recycle or donate unwanted plastics, avoid the use of micro-beads, reduce our usage of disposable plastics, participate in cleanup projects, and spread the word on plastic’s negative impact. Together, we can keep plastics circulating in the global economy and out of the oceans.

The post Humanscale Saves the Oceans by Making Office Chairs from Recycled Fishing Nets first appeared on Dornob.

UNDO: The Cushion that Solves Meditation Struggles

Lauren Dias — Thu, 03 May 2018 15:00:01 +0000

Most Americans spend an average of 13 hours sitting every day. While that fact should inspire us to get outside and move around more, it also makes us wonder — what are we sitting on for all that time?
A modern mindfulness company has recently taken the internet by storm by asking exactly that question. UNDO has been flooding our newsfeeds as it invites those with busy work schedules and buzzing social lives to take a second, sit down, and meditate.
If you asked someone ten years ago what meditation was, they probably wouldn’t have been able to give you a very good answer. Today, true meditation is easily achievable, as multiple apps offer guided sessions that range from five minutes to an hour in length. The only issue is staying comfortable and allowing all of our daily tasks to slip from our minds.

The key to meditation is finding a comfortable position that you can stay in for a decent amount of time. Most people find this surprisingly difficult, as one can easily become anxious when staying in one spot. Lucky for us, UNDO has collaborated with LEADOFF STUDIO to design the perfect meditation pillow, which is guaranteed to keep you relaxed in an ergonomic position for the duration of your session.
The cushion is comprised of multiple layers of foam, which compress when you sit and support your posture by gently rocking you forward to align your hips and back. The science behind this design allows users to sit close to the ground for prolonged period of times without experiencing any discomfort.

UNDO helps us realize that using our bodies and minds at the same time isn’t as hard as we thought. “We are more than our inboxes, to-do’s, and titles. We are human beings not human-doings. And we’re here to bring the benefits of mindfulness to the masses, one inhale at a time. We’re a movement grounded in stillness, encouraging a new generation to pursue the present. We believe that being enhances doing, that life is best lived in the present moment, and that stillness is for all. We’re ready to slow down, rise up, and take back our calm,” explains the company on Facebook.

The featured cushion only comes in neutral-colored fabrics, as it was important to UNDO and LEADOFF to steer clear of the “hippie” vibe that is often associated with meditation. This allows you to place your cushion anywhere in the house without disrupting your existing color scheme. The cushion’s small size also makes it perfect for meditating on-the-go.

“A meditation pillow like the UNDO Cushion is the perfect blend of design and science for a seat that is aesthetically pleasing and extremely functional. The cushion promotes perfect posture, which makes clearing the most cluttered of minds fairly easy,” writes HelloGiggles.
This is a cushy essential for any home meditation space. You can purchase your own UNDO Cushion online for just $150.

The post UNDO: The Cushion that Solves Meditation Struggles first appeared on Dornob.

10 A’Design Architecture Award-Winning Buildings That Will Instantly Win You Over

Lauren Dias — Tue, 01 May 2018 21:00:26 +0000

Each year, the A’ Architecture Building and Structure Design competition receives entries from individual architects, architecture firms, real estate developers, and construction companies all over the the world. The contest’s “Grand Award Jury” then evaluates each presenter on their project’s innovation, uniqueness, social impact, environmental friendliness, and energy utilization.

Architecture is known to be one of the most popular categories at the awards. Thousands of people enter each year in hopes of capturing the attention of world-renowned companies, professionals, and interest groups. Above all else, an A’Design Award is an indicator of a structure’s quality and commitment to perfection in design. Here are ten of our favorite winners from the 2017-2018 period:

“Light Waterfall Sales Center” by Kris Lin and Jiayu Yang

This building in Wuhan, China embraces its green surroundings using the large pool that’s been built in front of its entrance, which makes the entire thing look as if it’s floating on water. Built in the front of a park, the building’s overall design both elevates the beautiful environment and attracts a lot of new customers.

“Malangen Retreat” by Snorre Stinessen

Stinessen’s approach here was holistically inspired, with his retreat featuring multiple volumes and spaces that connect to nature and it’s specific function. The design seeks to emphasize a closeness to the outdoors while also shedding light on the transition between spaces and activities that we usually are too busy to acknowledge.

“Baan Nong Bua School” by Jun Sekino

Baan Nong Bua is a local school in the Pan district of Chiang Rai, Thailand. The project was initiated after an earthquake demolished the original building back in 2014. This new building can withstand much greater forces, since the flexibility of its material and its skeleton frame both serve to absorb the impact of an earthquake.

“Solar Egg” by Jun Sekino

This public sauna, which itself is made of stainless golden mirror sheeting, was inspired by its location’s (Kiruna, Sweden) arctic climate and all the struggles that come with it. Solar Egg provides its community with a space where they can relax while admiring the snowy landscape around them.

“Shenzhen Energy Renovation Project” by Hayer Design Ltd.

This transformed power plant was made to look like a waterfall cascading down from the high mountains. Located in the Yantian district of Shenzhen, China, the building was redesigned to keep up with modern times. Of course, it still gives plenty of attention to nature and its importance.

“Square Architecture Design” by Mei-Lin Hsu

This 150-square-meter space is located along a mountain road, welcoming all passerby to admire the structure while sipping on a delicious cup of tea. Inspired by the lantern-like shape of the Taiwan Pavilion, which itself was set up for the 2010 World’s Fair in Shanghai, the building’s underground floors represent the “roots” of tea, with individual spaces dedicated to processing, examining, storing, packaging, and developing it.

“Qingdao Wanda Victoria Bay Xifeng Bridge” by PT Landscape

The Xifeng Bridge was designed to resemble the open wings of a phoenix. The phoenix is an auspicious bird and a symbol of peace and harmony. It’s even been said that a phoenix would fly overhead during times of peace and prosperity. Featuring a polyline shape and made from a red, wooden material, the Xifeng Bridge embodies simplicity while creating a stylish atmosphere.

“Zhao Hua Xi Shi Living Museum” by IAPA Design Consultants

This luxury-resort-tunred-museum is located at the foot of the Great Wall of China. Offering an art exhibition, catering services, and leisure and office spaces, the wellness resort is built around an open central garden and captures traditional Chinese culture while endowing it with a sophisticated modern twist.

“The Heart of Yiwu” by Aedas

A Chinese symbol for “river” (川) has informed the design of this shopping mall. Symbolically, the river is meant to bring wealth, trade, and culture. The design hopes to bring these elements to the city and people of Yiwu. Aedas’ urban mall will unite large-scale retail, dining, and entertainment facilities in a single complex.

“The Twist and Shout” by Revano Satria

Combining the purest and most elementary architectural knowledge with an unorthodox approach to design was how this project was born. Revano Satria built a private residential house for his client by recognizing the need of a house to stand out from its environment. The Twist and Shout House is visually stunning and unique yet maintains the conventional features of a Semarang, Indonesia home.

The post 10 A’Design Architecture Award-Winning Buildings That Will Instantly Win You Over first appeared on Dornob.

rOcean: The World’s First All-In-One Smart Water Maker

Lauren Dias — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 21:00:48 +0000

Plastic may have transformed our lives, but it has also created a major environmental problem in our oceans. For instance, did you know that 1.5 billion plastic water bottles are consumed every single day? Because of this, an estimated eight million tons of plastic is dumped into the seas every year. By 2050, it’s predicted that there will be more plastic than fish in them. Plastic pollution continues to be a global epidemic, and rOcean wants to put a stop to the toxic impact that it has on our ecosystems.

How do you cut people’s monthly consumption of plastic drinking bottles? By creating a smart and sustainable device that provides its users with the most advanced water customization and filtration technology in the comfort of their own homes. rOcean One connects straight to your tap while giving you the choice to filter, carbonate, or flavor your beverage at the push of a button. Not only are rOcean’s consumers getting their hands on the most efficient drinking system on the market, but they’re also playing a major part in saving our oceans.

rOcean’s featured in-app analytics will track your water consumption and cost savings over time, allowing you to see the benefits on the spot. No more time spent refilling pitchers, dragging out recycling, or dashing to the store. Better yet — no more unnecessary plastic bottle waste.

The device lets you customize every beverage to your preference while simultaneously filtering out over 75 contaminants for you. Other leading industry pitcher filters remove less than 10. The rOcean One’s submicron carbon black filter is environmentally friendly and removes arsenic, asbestos, chlorine, microbial cysts, lead, mercury, and much more form your water. Moreover, you can filter up to 400 gallons before you need to replace it. When you do need to, the rOcean Smart Alert system will let you know.

Feeling parched? That’s okay, because the rOcean One is compatible with cups and bottles of all sizes. Either prepare your beverage on the device, through the accompanying mobile app, or let Alexa know what kind of water you’d like. rOcean’s flavors range from subtle hints of fruit to healthier versions of your go-to sodas, but all of its beverages are enhanced with essential vitamins and minerals. You can make flavored drinks using rOcean’s all-natural electrocyte-enriched rPods or mix your own recipes. What’s more, the eco-friendly rPods are reusable and dishwasher safe, and each recyclable refill pack can produce up to 50 liters of flavor-enhanced drinking water, saving the average person upwards of $2500 a year.

Adjust the carbon dioxide levels to your liking and save your personal carbonation preference for next time. The rOcean One carbonates inside of itself rather than in a bottle, allowing you to drink from any bottle or glass and ultimately resulting in a much smaller environmental impact. The less packaging and transportation that’s needed, the less carbon dioxide is being put into the atmosphere.

“We created rOcean because we wanted to help people kick their plastic bottle addiction and make better, more sustainable choices. Every step of our design process is informed by rigorous research, so we’re able to make thoughtful choices that minimize our carbon footprint and net environmental impact. We know we can’t be perfect, but we believe in always trying to do our best, sourcing materials that range from recycled aluminium to bamboo and other ecologically mindful components,” said Sunjay Guleria, Co-Founder and CEO of rOcean.

“But it doesn’t stop there. We also want to give back to our oceans. We’ve partnered with nonprofit The Hydrous to help clean up our oceans and educate consumers on the importance of our coral ecosystems. In addition, a percentage of our proceeds will go toward global coral restoration”

The post rOcean: The World’s First All-In-One Smart Water Maker first appeared on Dornob.

Loba House: A Tiny Concrete Home by the Sea

Lauren Dias — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 13:00:11 +0000

Architects Mauricio Pezo and Sofia von Ellrichshausen have recently completed a tall rectangular home made of raw concrete in Chile’s Coliumo Peninsula. The rigid structure was strategically embedded into a rocky cliff and faces a sea lion reserve on the Pacific Ocean.

When developing “Loba House,” the design team worked with perceptions of proportion before ultimately wedging the structure into the terrain. The industrial exterior is adorned with opaque finishes to complete the home’s equivocal, almost surreal aesthetic.

Loba House appears as a wall emerging from the majestic coastal landscape. “In its under-dimensioned thickness, in its narrow and tall proportion, the building could be read as an inhabited wall that runs perpendicular to the natural topography. The height of this inhabited wall is determined by two lines: a continuous horizon, and a stepped sequence of six platforms that descend towards the sea,” explains Pezo.

The architects consider their work to be “more than a hut but less than a house,” since it’s footprint isn’t exactly large or comfortable enough for full-time living. Because it only offers 70 square meters of living space, the building acts more like a cottage to its inhabitants.

Those who favor breathtaking views won’t be disappointed by what Loba House has to offer. The horizontal rooftop terrace invites you to look out over Chile’s western coast as it stretches out towards the sea. A minimalist concrete chimney with a stepped profile is also present here, adding a sense of character to the home. Loba House also has a good view of the Poli House Cultural Center, which the same architects built back in 2005.

Upon stepping inside the home, guests are greeted by a bare space separated by three large concrete columns and two bridges. Sleeping is meant to take place on the upper levels, which can be found beneath the lowest section of the roof, while the spaces on the lower levels house the main living areas.

Amenities have been worked into the large concrete columns, which themselves accommodate the kitchen, bathroom, and a spot for the fireplace. Any additional storage is meant to be placed under the home’s interior platforms to achieve an uncluttered aesthetic.

In such a cold space, lighting becomes extremely important. Strategically-placed skylights allow natural light to warm up the house’s harsh material palette. Elsewhere, a few holes in the walls guide the sunlight onto the furnishings.

Another sunlight entryway comes in the form of a corner window articulated around a round pillar, which also offers panoramic views to anyone resting in the living area.

Pezo Von Ellrichshausen specializes in working with geometric forms. Their work been published in three different magazines and won them a total of four different grand prizes. Museums in Venice, London, and New York all exhibit their work. Make sure to check out their website to browse through their 50 unique projects.

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Livin: A Sleeker, Smarter Shower Experience

Lauren Dias — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 13:00:41 +0000

Imagine starting your morning shower with just the press of a button, after which the water comes out at exactly the right temperature. Thanks to a smart new shower system, the anxiety we all experience while waiting for our showers to warm up will no longer a part of our rushed morning routines.

Livin was first launched on Kickstarter on January 23rd, 2018. This technologically-advanced shower was created by a small team of designers and engineers in San Fransisco, California. Combining software robotics with modern hardware, Livin provides a holistic shower experience while considering unintuitive temperature controls that would otherwise lead to careless water waste.

Turn on your shower with a voice command or from the accompanying mobile app, and it’ll immediately begin warming up the water for you. The Livin then saves water by auto-pausing the shower stream once the ideal temperature has been acheived. At this point, you will receive a notification to remind you that your shower is ready.

What’s better than a preset temperature? Being able to pause the water mid-shower! Livin further helps reduce unnecessary water flow by allowing you to pause and resume your shower with a single click. All you really have to do is bathe, cleanse, decompress, and have a great experience.

The Livin’s incredible temperature control algorithm works by calculating your shower data in terms of how the temperature is mapped in relation to the opening of the mixer valve. The result is a much faster heating time and about 1,875 gallons of saved water per year for the average household, which is equivalent to some 30,000 glasses of water.

Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we learned that the valve also uses Bluetooth to sync with your music apps and give you total control of your tunes. Connect to Spotify or Apple Music and scroll through your shower playlist in total relaxation. Use the shower controls to play, pause, and skip songs.

Livin’s developers really went above and beyond for their users by coming up with “shower recipes.” These preprogrammed recipes consist of set temperature patterns that are meant to trigger certain responses in the body. For instance, the “wake-up recipe” graudually cools down the water over the course of your shower to leave you feeling alert and more refreshed.

Of course, setting up your shower through Livin’s mobile app isn’t the only way to do things. You can also let your Amazon Echo or Google Home know that you’d like them to prepare your morning shower for you. If you feel like getting extra cozy, you can even let Nest warm the room up for you based on your shower temperature to prevent that awful after-shower chill.

Worried that your spouse or sibling will mess up your preset temperature? Don’t be! Livin takes into account that everyone has different preferences when it comes to showering, which is why it allows every member of the household to create a personalized setting for themselves. You can create up to ten profiles, each one of which can be programmed to remember a person’s ideal shower temperature, favorite music, and most commonly used Bluetooth devices. Each person will then have access to the tracking of their shower temperature, water usage, and the duration of each shower. If a profile is created for an infant, the Livin will recommend a safe water temperature and put a “safety lock” on it to keep it from getting too hot or too cold.

The Livin’s design is definitely a thoughtful one, even when it comes to installation. “You don’t have to tear down walls or call a plumber, just 15 minutes with household tools and you are done,” the team explains. To top it all off, it’s compatible with most of the single-handle valves that are currently the market.

The post Livin: A Sleeker, Smarter Shower Experience first appeared on Dornob.

The Oak Refuge Cabin Offers a High-End Rustic Experience

Lauren Dias — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 15:00:07 +0000

Rustic charm and the incorporation of warm modern amenities seem to be ongoing trends in the design world as of late. Today, we’ll take a look at a beautiful design that blends both of those elements. Corpus Studio recently tackled a project in upstate New York’s Catskill Mountains, designing a cabin-style home with a cozy, luxurious interior. The “Oak Refuge” is a getaway dream home that all nature lovers will be able to appreciate.

The home was largely built to reflect the surrounding area’s rugged natural beauty, displaying nature-inspired textures and earthy colors all throughout its interiors. Each room is filled with natural sunlight thanks to the home’s large oversized windows, which also provide each resident with a view of the nearby forest.
Every designer knows that the key to a good modern rustic space is an open floor plan. The Oak Refuge, however, takes things a step further by home giving residents the option to either embrace a large public area or get extra comfortable in a more compact one. Made up of five connected units, the cabin boasts large sliding doors, which can either be opened to create a sense of fluidity between rooms or closed to keep them sectioned off from each other. Each room is lined with wide, rough cut boards, which themselves provide a nice contrast to the concrete slabs, blackened steel, and brass framework used throughout the decor.

At the heart of the cabin is the living area, in which most of the entertaining and relaxing takes place. This room screams character, with cowhides hanging off of indoor bench cushions, fluffy fabric chairs, nice little wooden touches, and a central textured rug to tie it all together. Of course, the room’s fireplace is its true centerpiece. Described by the designers as a “glorified pit,” it boasts a suspended ceramic smoke canopy that resembles the buttressed trunk of a great forest tree. Overall, the heavy use of wood in the ceilings and the fantastic selection of furnishings serve to compliment the living room perfectly.

You’ll note a minimalist influence the second you first look at the kitchen. A dark slab of marble has been placed in the center to form an island. Attached to that island is a series of exposed shelves, which itself has been adorned with a few plates and bowls. These gold-stained shelves bring warmth to the room and beautifully juxtapose the black marble. Of course, no room in this house would be complete without a few wooden accessories — which is exactly what makes the kitchen’s stools and cutting boards so perfect.

The Oak Refuge strikes us as the ideal place to take in some fresh mountain air and unwind in front of a roaring fire. On top of creating a beautiful rustic-modern aesthetic, Corpus Studio has managed to design a home that is truly liveable. It goes without saying that this organically warm space is the ultimate escape from everyday life.

The post The Oak Refuge Cabin Offers a High-End Rustic Experience first appeared on Dornob.

“Self-Healing Skin” Brings Feeling to Robotics

Lauren Dias — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 13:00:10 +0000

Researchers have recently created an electronic skin — e-skin, for short — that’s malleable, self-healing, and fully recyclable. The idea is to make electronics more environmentally friendly and reduce the amount of e-waste people create by throwing away devices that have been cracked or otherwise aesthetically damaged.

Developed by scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder, the e-skin takes the form of a thin, semi-transparent material that can mimic both the functional and behavioral properties of actual human skin. While it’s intended to give prosthetics the ability to provide sensory feedback to their users, the technology has also been touted for its potential among robots. More specifically, the e-skin could allow robots to experience human sensations by way of touch. These sensations are triggered by sensors embedded in the skin, which themselves will be able to gauge temperature, pressure, humidity, and airflow.

The e-skin boasts several unique properties, including its incorporation of polyimine, a polymer base known for its strength and electric conductivity. It also contains silver nanoparticles for chemical stability. When compounds found in ethanol are mixed with these materials, the e-skin is able to miraculously repair itself. On top of that, it’s completely recyclable — which is exactly why researchers are saying this material is so unique.

“What is unique here is that the chemical bonding of the polyimine we use allows the e-skin to be both self-healing and fully recyclable at room temperature,” says Jianliang Xiao, the mechanical engineer at UCB who led the study. “Given the millions of tons of electronic waste generated worldwide every year, the recyclability of our e-skin makes good economic and environmental sense.”

Another benefit of the e-skin is that it can easily conform to curved surfaces like robotic arms and hands. All one has to do is apply moderate heat and pressure to it without introducing any excessive stresses. If the e-skin is wrapped around a prosthetic hand, it will allow the prosthetic to sense for pressure when picking up an object, such as a glass of water. The skin would then tell the hand how much pressure to use, thereby preventing people from accidentally crushing the cup.

“If you think about what real skin can do, real skin can prevent people getting burned [and] can prevent people getting hurt,” says Wei Zhang, a chemistry professor at the university and the co-author of the study. ”E-skin can basically mimic those [preventative] functions. At least that’s one big part of the electronic skin.”

Should robots ever have to handle babies in some capacity, they would find the e-skin immensely helpful, as it would allow them to feel out the appropriate pressure and temperature. “Sensing is critical because when human beings interact with robots, we want to make sure that robots don’t hurt people,” Xiao explains. “When the baby is sick, the robot can just use a finger to touch the surface. [Then] it can tell what the temperature of the baby is.”

He adds: “I think we are the first group to demonstrate recycling of such multifunctional e-skin.” To recycle the skin, it must be soaked in recycling solution, which causes the polymers to degrade into smaller molecules like oligomers and monomers. “The recycled solution and nanoparticles can then be used to make new, functional e-skin. What drives us to make such devices to be recyclable is because, nowadays, we are facing very serious environmental pollution due to tens of millions of tons of electronic waste.”

The post “Self-Healing Skin” Brings Feeling to Robotics first appeared on Dornob.

Man Builds Beautiful Log Cabin from Scratch

Lauren Dias — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 22:00:06 +0000

Though the world is becoming increasingly obsessed with technology, there are still a few people who yearn for a more traditional life. If the prospect of escaping your densely-populated community and disconnecting from all things electronic excites you, then living off the grid may be the thing for you. When asked to think about living “off the grid,” most people picture a weekend away at a cottage with no cell phone service. Others might think of a cabin deep within the forests of Canada, living with only a lake as their water source and a wood stove to keep themselves warm.

We all dream of being somewhat self-reliant — but what if we actually took matters into our own hands like outdoorsman Shawn James did? Working under the Youtube name My Self Reliance, James has released a series of videos detailing his building a of cabin in a Canadian forest. Using only his hands and a few tools, James’ incredible skill has allowed him to construct an authentic liveable log cabin.

As the time-lapse begins, you see James chopping down a balsam fir tree (the first of many) on his wooded lot in central Ontario. Then comes the building up of the walls, the formation of the roofline, and finally the installation of rooftop panels in double layers. The first layer supports the structure, and the second protects it from the elements. The latter has been subjected to an ancient Japanese method called shou sugi ban, a torching process meant to waterproof and preserve the wood by hardening it. A process known as chinking comes next, in which James mixes and stuffs the gaps in the logs with mud for insulation. Later, he cuts out the floorboards and even installs a bushcraft-style fridge in the subfloor. A brushcraft-style front door is also installed at this point, complete with a rustic wooden handle. Next thing you know, James is warming up a beverage on his wood burning stove and relaxing with his golden retriever.

James does this all by himself, from the first tree he cuts to the last floorboards lays. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, he does it using primitive techniques and almost entirely without electric or power tools. The time-lapse makes the process seem quick and easy, but James has since explained that this was a truly difficult and time-consuming project to complete. He “spent a month reassembling the cabin on a foundation of sand and gravel,” according to his video description on YouTube. “Once the log walls were up, [he] again used hand tools to shape every log, board, and timber to erect the gable ends, the wood roof, the porch, the outhouse, and a seemingly endless number of woodworking projects.”

Of course, modern convenience had to be used once or twice, like when James made a trip to Home Depot and purchased a triple-wall metal stove pipe and an aluminium ladder for the roof. But other than that, hand tools and James’ dedication are the only things that transformed a foundation of sand and gravel into a beautiful log cabin. Since it’s completely off the grid, James says it’ll exist without any source of power for the foreseeable future. The wood stove will be used for both heating and cooking purposes. The project is still being completed, with a video of James installing a sink uploaded as recently as last week, so stay tuned to his Youtube channel for updates.

Why are people so attracted to the image of the cabin in the woods? Is it an innate, powerful drawback to nature and natural materials, or is the log cabin a symbol of the simple life: one free from modern stresses like noise pollution, over-population, crippling debt, and information overload? For Shawn James, it’s the thought of escaping a job that doesn’t make him happy, a sea of buildings, and far too many people.

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