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Hovering via electromagnets, the key innovation is the laser-guided stabilization system that keeps it floating in one place rather than tilting one way, tipping another or flying off entirely … a definite upgrade from those childhood hovercraft toys that were always impossible to remote control correctly.

While not a direct duplicate of the movie classic version, the zig-zag pattern and use of pink and other atrociously 1980s-era colors clearly makes this a direct homage to the original – but perhaps the next version can look a little more timeless.

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This project is rooted in an entertaining exercise: clients ‘from the future’ seeking a multi-functional abode that can be configured to fit their needs. The quirkiness does not end with the design itself, though, as even if the finished-layout photographs feature curiously pixelated occupants.

Created by Dash Marshall, there are four core components to this futuristic “space age” project – first, some space-saving strategies: (1) replacing hallways with sliding walls to eliminate relatively-useless circulation areas, (2) a flexible living-plus-bedroom with a walk-in closet, all enabled by a thick pivoting wall, giving the feel of secret rooms.

Next, things get futuristic – (3) flush-fitting, easily-vanishing, built-in storage the recedes from view when not in use and (4) a reflective, glossy, and rounded interior to bounce light throughout and make the entire residence feel more open.

As engaging as the apartment is in and of itself, this entire sequence from concept to realization to representation also shows a level of consistency not always found in design work – every step reinforces and reflects the core ideas that went into the process and final product. The story is told in part by the choice to computer-blur people in the final pictures, and even to round the corners of the photographs themselves.

“This client came to us with an apartment in the Kips Bay complex designed by IM Pei in the 1960s. We responded by designing a space capsule temporarily docked here on earth.”

“They wanted a home to charge up between missions: a place where every boot and book, every single little thing could be hidden away. They wanted something that would make the most out of their 715 square feet.”

“We measured and labeled the total volume of possessions (569 cubic feet) so we would have the necessary data to design a place for each and every thing to be hidden away.”

“Central to our strategy is a rotating storage wall called the Transformer. By moving a series of translucent sliding panels the floor plan to be reconfigured easily for different levels of privacy.”

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Building an above-ground pool is not the most intuitive choice when designing a home – after all, you can save space rather than displace it by burying the pool underground. In this case, though, the exception turns out to be much cooler than the rule.

This backyard pool-plus-patio combination manages to define the space next to it, while also creating an elevated deck platform aside from the sunken green garden to which it is adjacent. Moreover, for a family with small children it provides multiple views down to the pool level and into the deep end for the sake of safety.

A set of wooden benches in the lower garden area reprise the dark-stained wood decking of the pool area, while an overhung part of the house hovers over and connects the main structure with the pool (while also providing shade).

All in all, this house by Andres Remy Architects is conventionally modern, but the creative swimming pool does a lot to set it apart from its stylistic peers. Now, if only you could also see into it from inside like in the Slice House (indoor view of the outdoor pool).

“This project was a great challenge for the Studio, considering that it was going to take part of the urban structure. The lot of 18 x 24 meters is located in Devoto. It is between two existing buildings that threatens the project when the problem of isolation and view.”

“For this reason this project is leaning towards its neighbor, creating an introspective posture that creates the views from the inside rather than from the outside. An architecture that generated its own views. In this manner the Project was able to solve the basis of isolation and views from the garden. This was a constant worry from the clients since the beginning of the Project.”

“The living, kitchen and dining rooms expose the garden that penetrates all the volumes in the house. The spaces distort the conventional plans of an urban house. The stone wall guides the inhabitant within the house, therefore, the rough texture of the streets are soften by the water that flows down the stone wall, a walk that is colored by the different qualities the water gives the space.”

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As Kevin Kelly, (co-founder of Wired Magazine) once wrote: “the internet is a copy machine.” It has proven its ability to spread information and media of all kinds, from music to movies, animation, graphic designand more … but how do you send furniture out over the wire? One German design group is working that out.

Open Design works with industrial and furniture designers who develop an array of abstract modern and cool contemporary home objects, all with flat-pack, folding and bending properties suitable for CNC machines, laser cutting and/or three-dimensional printing. From model to prototype is a quick and easy step, and from there: global distribution is a cinch.

The resulting plans are then licensed under Creative Commons so people can download the design and print it out locally via a 3D printer or laser cutter (more and more places have these – and you can bet there is one near you or coming soon).

DIY designers can potentially modify these works and ‘share alike’ – and it saves the hassle (not to mention questionable legality/morality) of reverse-engineering high-end pieces of furniture.

Metal is one of the more obvious candidates for its combination of strength and flexibility, though there is no reason why CNC-cut wood and other materials would not work for some pieces as well.

Perhaps it is still ahead of its time, but this project will hopefully push furniture forward on the digital frontier, and have things ready and waiting for the day when we all have our own personal 3D printers at home (or at least a publicly-accessible laser-cutter at the local copy shop).

“A revolution in product development, production and distribution is imminent due to the Internet’s disruptive nature and the easy access to CNC machines. Open Design is a proposal to make this happen. It’s aim is to shift Industrial Design to become relevant in a globally networked information society.”

“In Open Design a design is CAD information published online under a Creative Commons license to be downloaded, copied and modified and is produced directly from file by CNC machines and without special tooling.”

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It started with a single shack on a remote plot of rural farmland. This one-off project turned out to be the prototype for a larger-scale venture – a modular housing system celebrating the bare-bones simplicity loft living in a natural setting.

The award-winning Shack at Hinkle Farm was designed to be as basic as possible – it was ultimately built by friends of the family, not a professional construction crew.

A vacation home for architect Jeffrey Broadhurst, the Shack is “simplicity embodied,” perched on a 27-acre mountaintop property in West Virginia. It can only be reached on foot or by off-road vehicle, and there’s no electricity – but the views are incredible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL0gavxH_-g

In turn, The Crib evolved to be a flexible solution for similar site conditions with different elemental variables – the elevation, for instance, lending itself to flood-friendliness.

“This prototype building is made with sustainable and recyclable materials that can be fabricated off site then transported and quickly assembled where desired. The Crib, takes its basic form from traditional American corn cribs, which were common farm buildings that served to store and dry corn. However, here the form is realized as a more sophisticated kit of parts. The simple but exceptionally sturdy structural concept allows considerable flexibility in the length of the building and degree and type of outfitting.”

It is essentially a traditionally-made, wood-frame structure that sits up on stilts with walls on three sides and a glass-and-metal garage door facing down the hill, looking out over the landscape.

The evolved version, however, comes with a variety of optional additions, such as a first-floor brick facade, additional shading and fenestration options and so forth. A wood-burning stove, small kitchen, space to sleep and area to sit out on the deck make this a modest residence for full-time purposes but a great little vacation retreat.

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Like a Chinese puzzle box (or in food terms: an onion), each sliding block peels back to reveal another hidden layer – some walls double as doors, and each element serves more than a single purpose (or person).

A single square meter is displaced by the Small Type Kitchen, containing everything from cooking and preparation surfaces to a dinner table, stove, cooktop, refrigerator, suspended shelves, slots and drawers.

The sequence unfolds with consideration for work flow as well as saving space, starting with a blank slate in its most compact form and then unfolds, offering areas to prep, cook and dine.

There is also a balance between multi-functional elements and use-specific spaces – general hooks and platforms on the one hand and subdivided drawers on the other. Prototype by designers Kristin Laass and Norman Ebelt.

“Small type adapts to the space and habits of humans. The focus on a smooth working cycle and the intuitive operation characterize the monolith as a transparent kitchen. On only one square meter, when closed, there is a full kitchen with fridge, induction hob, oven, sink, storage space and a dining table. The interaction between the static kitchen element with the connections in the floor and the mobile element of the dining table, which also serves as a panel, have their special spatial appeal. The 360 ​​° usage promotes communication when several people cook together.”

“When the user rolls the table and pulls out the cooking unit, he brings small type to life as the inner wood structure becomes visible. The kitchen offers the ergonomically optimal working heights for the respective areas and by double-sided full extension all utensils are best accessible. small type stimulates conscious cooking and promotes the sensual experience by focusing on the essentials.”

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Who says you can’t bottle (and distribute) genius? Developed in Brazil to address under-illuminated slums, this simple design idea for a DIY solar lamp has been adopted by MIT students and expanded to other developing areas where many low-income homes lack access to either daylight or electricity.

The physics of the concept are straightforward: the bottles are placed in roofs – half outside, half inside – and their lower portions refract light like 60-Watt light bulb but without the need for a power source. A few drops of bleach serve to keep the water clear, clean and germ-free for years to come.

In total, one of these do-it-yourself lights takes maybe an hour to install, cutting an appropriate hole, inserting a bleached-water-filled bottle, and resealing around the resulting gap. Even where clean water is rare, a little can generally be spared for a half-decade of lighting.

We take for granted our electric lights, windows and skylights to access the sun’s glow, but for those living in close-together shacks with corrugated-metal roofs, a stray ray is welcome, and something that can spread light to the darkest interior corners can be a dream come true.

Want to make your own? Check out these instructions from Matter of Trust:

“A solar bottle light bulb, an innovation introduced in the Philippines by Illac Diaz of MyShelter Foundation, as a cheap alternative to other light sources. It was an ingenious invention by an engineer in Brazil. It is called “bottle bulb” because it is made of an empty 1.5 liter soda bottle and in it is a liquid bleach and purified water that can be used as an alternative electric powered light bulb. However, it is only useful during daytime but its luminance was tested and shown to produce as much light as a 50W incandescent bulb.

How to make your own Solar Bottle Light Bulb?

The materials are the following: 1.5 liter soda bottle, 1’x1’ roof sheet material, purified water, camera film dispenser, chlorine and a rubber sealant.”

Get the rest of the tutorial here.

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