“This is one of the most famous chairs in the world, and it’s so disconnected from its original heritage,” Concepcion told Curbed. She learned that it originated at the Bilibid Prison in Manila in the early 1900s, where it was made by incarcerated people. “I literally just stopped in my tracks. This was such a strong cultural symbol. How could I not know about its history?”

A graduate landscape architecture student at the time, Concepcion was seeking historical references from her own culture that she could incorporate into her designs. She found herself magnetically drawn to the classic woven rattan Peacock chair (seen here in a version by Kouboo) with its high, round back. Featured on dozens of album covers by artists like Al Green, James Brown, and Drake, the chair also famously appeared in a portrait of Black Panther Party co-founder Huey Newton.

“To me, it’s about more than designing a collection; I’m inventing a style,” Concepcion says. “Within Asian culture, there is a hierarchy of whose history gets recognized, who gets to have cultural heritage, and who gets to sponsor diplomatic engagement because of their cultural heritage. The Philippines has been left out of that. Because of colonization and assimilation, there has been a loss of direct connection between our Indigenous past and where we are today. My dream is to bring visibility to our story.”

The tale of exactly how the chair came to be designed and manufactured in a Philippine prison is a fascinating one. The country was already known for its long tradition of basketry made of rattan and bamboo, but the popularity of rattan furniture that first exploded in the early 20th century is a product of American colonialism. Furniture — particularly chairs — was not common in the Philippines, where floor-sitting was the norm.

Chinese and European colonists occupying the country at the time wanted chairs, and actually believed that getting prisoners to make them would help “civilize” them. The throne-like Peacock chair made its design debut at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition and quickly captured the public imagination. In the United States, people saw it as a symbol of exotic foreign royalty. It has remained a part of the cultural consciousness ever since, and helped drive a renewed interest in woven cane design in recent years.

With her RECLAIM collection, Cheyenne Concepcion pays tribute to the Peacock chair’s cultural history as well as the broader traditions of Philippine weaving. The beautiful four-piece collection includes the Doña Lounge Chair, the Coco nesting table set, the Lolo mirror, and the Anak Totem sculptures.

For the Doña, Concepcion lowered the height of the Peacock chair, gave it a more relaxed posture and brought in accents of wood, brass, and steel. The bronze-tinted smoked mirror has a tropical vibe with its loose strands of cane streaming out like fringe. The collection truly feels like a new paradigm for tropical Asian-Pacific design, and a lovely nod to the feminine art of weaving.

The post Cheyenne Concepcion Reclaims the Philippine History of the Iconic Peacock Chair first appeared on Dornob.

The Cagbalete Sand Clusters, designed by Carlo Calma Consultancy Inc., was created for a client looking to build a second home during the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020. With a goal of “farm leisure,” the 9.4-acre property will contain a four-bedroom residential unit for the owner, a farm-to-table restaurant, ponds for growing and harvesting mud crabs, a garden for fresh vegetables, a lighthouse, multi-story walkways and performance spaces, and lower-level swimming grottos.

“Since this is an agricultural land, the project has to be built in an ethical way with a faster and less wasteful construction method,” said chief architect and firm founder Carlo Calma in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “Looking at the site, we set up a mud crab farm to prevent soil erosion. The mud crabs will eventually be part of the restaurant’s menu.”

Not only will the food be grown and caught on site, but the energy needs will also be self-sustained. Traditional solar panels are incorporated into custom sun umbrellas to generate the power required for the residence. “There are things in market that don’t have quality in design. We are turning these panels into sculptural pieces that are functional and sustainable even on a small scale. Its application of technology starts with the house,” Calma explains. Open-air ventilation will also help keep energy costs to a minimum.

The actual structure is made up of a series of hyperbolic pods that can assembled in multiple configurations. “The units can be stacked like LEGO blocks or pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle. One unit consists of five modules that you can rotate, flip, or move around in different ways. You can make different spatial arrangements out of them. Every unit will be unique,” added the London-trained Calma. The curving shape was inspired by the ocean coral found just off-shore from the property.

Each module will be fashioned from noncorrosive materials, including glass fiber reinforced concrete and glass fiber reinforced polymer rebar, to combat the destructive influence of salt air. The design also integrates local hapa nets as shade, sunbathing hammocks, and mosquito protection. “They have elevated the humble hapa net into something beyond its utilitarian origins,” the project’s official press release states. “It is now both part of the structure’s construction membrane, a tool for food production, and a web that facilitates the daily activities of the structure’s inhabitants, enmeshing time, culture, and space.”

Construction of the Cagbalete Sand Clusters is underway, with the residential unit on track to be completed in December 2021. Mud crabs have already been planted in the area for cultivation.

Carlo Calma Consultancy Inc. was founded in 2009 in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, Philippines, as an art and architecture firm that aimed “to push boundaries in design thinking, architectural practice, and construction.” The developer has created dozens of residential and commercial buildings to date, best known for their geometric and organic shapes, as well as their art installations throughout the country.

The post Stackable Sand Clusters Blend Farming and Fishing with Tourism first appeared on Dornob.

On the surface, floating cities seem like a far-out, somewhat unrealistic approach to dealing with climate change. Can we really be self-sustaining without immediate access to land? In the Netherlands, a thriving community of floating homes has proven that it really is doable. Each individual home is equipped with rainwater collection, solar panels, geothermal heat, green roofs for food gardens, and a small wastewater bio-refinery that produces additional power.

This model could potentially be scaled up, too, introducing all sorts of new possibilities to the contemporary design world. And when you look at its success, it’s a lot easier to imagine a futuristic concept like “Current for Currents” by DADA Studio becoming a reality. Based in Manila, DADA’s team of architects has dreamed up an unusual solution to the ever-present threats of natural disasters, storms, and rising sea levels facing the Philippines.

“Current for Currents” is a circular arrangement of modular housing units floating on the surface of the water. Each dwelling is made of molded plastic in a shape reminiscent of ships, anchored to the sea bed and powered by both tidal and solar energy. With the motto of “blue is the new green,” this floating coastal community connects residents to essential resources and services in a way that’s difficult to do using conventional boats.

Equipped with multiple sources of renewable energy, the structures have clearly been designed with flexibility in mind, still capable of powering up whether the seas are unusually calm or the sun isn’t shining. Computer renderings also show hydropower turbines just under the surface of each unit. Some scientists say that harnessing the power of ocean currents could provide “a clean and limitless form of renewable energy,” though the systems must be designed to minimize threats to marine life.

In this case, DADA envisions each turbine providing more than enough power for the individual homes, and even becoming a potential source of revenue for the community at large. Inhabitants who own and maintain these structures could then sell the excess energy to communities on the mainland, reducing the need to go ashore for work.

The city’s molded plastic construction makes it exceptionally durable and easy to reproduce, and the uniformity and simplicity of its modules avoids creating an eyesore in beautiful natural areas valued by the public for universal recreational access. While DADA may have designed these particular units specifically for the Philippines, it’s easy to see how they could be adapted to other locations around the world, perhaps even with slight changes to their shapes to reflect the local vernacular.

We’ve seen lots of similar concepts over the years. A decade or so ago, architects like Vincent Callebaut kicked off a trend of floating city concepts that seemed just as untethered to reality as they were to land, but maybe that’s just because it had never been accomplished before. It’s highly likely that coastal cities grappling with unstoppable rising sea levels will eventually have to abandon their attempts to “shore up” against the problem and learn to similarly live with the influx of water. DADA’s concept is just one way to pull it off.

The post Ship-Shaped Floating Houses Form a Self-Sustaining Community first appeared on Dornob.

Cobonpue told the Philippine Star, “At first, I said, you don’t need me for this because I don’t make replicas of machines and Star Wars fans will only buy something if there’s the face of Darth Vader on it — I don’t do that. They said, ‘No, no, no. We want you to interpret through the lens of a Filipino designer.'”

That was enough leeway to convince him to design a line based on his childhood recollections of the 1970s, when he was a big fan of the movies. The resulting take embodies his talent for designing unique high-end pieces, the likes of which have previously been purchased by movie stars like Jackie Chan, Harrison Ford, and Brad Pitt.

The Collection

Cobonpue’s Star Wars collection is comprised of the Vader, Sidious, and Imperial Wings Easy Armchairs, the Chewie Rocking Stool, and the Little Jedi Hanging Lamp.

Vader Easy Armchair

Modeled after one of the most famous Star Wars characters ever, this chair can be placed in both compact offices and cozy nooks. Its canopy is an airy open weave, and the attached table folds away at your leisure. The seat cushion features a scrupulously stitched image of Darth Vader’s daunting mask.

Sidious Easy Armchair

You’ll feel power surge through your veins as you sink into the Sidious armchair. The backrest is heightened and slightly curved to look like a hood, and the chair’s legs are slightly arched forward as if they’re ready to pounce. Sit there long enough, and you may start channeling the Sith Lord’s commanding and terrifying persona.

Imperial Wings Easy Armchair

The remarkable Imperial fleet TIE fighter emblem was the inspiration for the Imperial Wings armchair. The handwoven polyethylene construction so vividly instills feelings of dexterity and power that you’ll feel like an ace fighter pilot in no time.

Chewie Rocking Stool

In this design, Chewbacca and his famous bandolier are embodied in brown microfiber strips and encircled with a fabric sash. Cobonpue chose a rocking stool to emphasize the whimsy of the Wookiee warrior and steadfast friend, Han Solo.

Little Jedi Hanging Lamp

This distinctive lamp is pretty much a story made furniture. Made from salago fiber painstakingly applied by hand to the body, the lamp is adorned with tiny Jedi knights raising light sabers, which themselves provide the actual light. A Sith Lord in combat with the Jedi represents the lofty goals that can be attained when warring forces unite and battle for a greater good.

Pieces from Cobonpue’s Star Wars collection were recently made public at AsiaPOP Comicon 2018 in Pasay City. Cobonpue has showrooms in Manila, Cebu, New York, and Munich, but his Star Wars furniture is currently only available in the Philippines.

The post Yub Nub! Kenneth Cobonpue Reveals New Star Wars-Inspired Furniture Collection first appeared on Dornob.

With a spare tire, a motorist can rest assured that they will not be left stranded in the event of a flat. But if the whole car were to get completely wrecked, most people would not have a back-up to replace it. The same goes for homes destroyed by natural disasters. In both of those cases, replacement only comes through insurance — and that’s far from immediate.

If a house cannot be immediately replaced after a natural disaster, what about a city? If something catastrophic happened in Washington D.C., London, or Paris to the point where the city was inoperable, where would the federal establishments in that city continue to function? Most national governments do have back-up plans that would allow them to continue working from a remote location should the capital be devastated. Toyko considered the idea back in 2011, and now, Manila is actually going through with it. At a cost of $2 billion, New Clark City will be home to some 1.2 million residents in the event that a natural disaster makes Manila uninhabitable and inoperable for the government of The Philippines.

Only 62 miles north of Manila, New Clark City is indeed a very close back-up, but it will still be disaster proof. If there is an earthquake, none of it structures will crumble. If there is a typhoon, the winds will feel like nothing more than a breeze. When the summer and winter monsoons come, the water will drain out in a way that makes flooding impossible. If the nearby Mount Pinatubo volcano erupts 25 miles away, the hot ash and gases will hardly be a big deal. Of course, this all sounds nice, but it’s all very doubtful. Having a back-up city is not a crazy idea, but claiming that it will also be disaster-proof seems unlikely, no matter how much advanced technology and engineering are being used. After all, even the Titanic sank.

Once you get over the incredulity of the idea of a disaster-proof metropolis, New Clark City actually looks like it would be a sustainable place to live. The natural landscape of the surrounding areas is already being preserved as much as possible. The main building material will be locally-sourced lahar, a volcanic mudflow that cools into a type of rock, which in turn can be mixed with concrete. New Clark City is also being planned as a pedestrian and cyclist city first, a mass transit city second, and a vehicular city third. Photovoltaic energy and energy-from-waste will be used to power the city, which will consist of government buildings, housing for public servants, a sports complex, and many other amenities.

Why was this location in the country’s Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone chosen for a 23,400-acre back-up city? For one thing, it’s said to be protected from the fierce typhoon winds because of the mountain range around it. The location’s high elevation is also thought to make it flood-proof, not to mention the fact that the area already has an expansive drainage system in place. Sure, there is still the possibility of of an earthquake or Mount Pinatubo erupting like it did in 1991, but New Clark City is as close to disaster-proof as it realistically could be. The first phase of construction is estimated to be completed by 2022, but we will have to wait until 2048 to know how exactly how disaster-proof New Clark City will be as a fully developed metropolis. For the sake of the people of the Philippines, we hope Manila will be free from any devastating natural disasters for much longer than that.

The post Can a City be Disaster-Proof? first appeared on Dornob.

Bahr realized that simply donating the bags from his company wouldn’t work — he’d be taking business from local sellers and also affecting the job market locally. His solution? “We select an area where there are children in need and work with local businesses to manufacture ‘give bags,’ buy school supplies from local businesses and work with the local schools,” says the Just Porter team. “Together, we support communities, families and children.” And investing in education pays impressive dividends in the fight against poverty.

Just Porter customers play a vital role in the whole process, of course. They buy a high-quality bag with a lifetime warranty, and also know they are helping children thrive in school.

So what sets Just Porter backpacks apart from other bags on the market? We’ll let the designers explain: “We redesigned the backpack from the ground up,” they say. “We stripped the unnecessary pockets, zippers and bad materials from our bags to create a bag with clean design that delivers efficiency for you.”

The company sources its materials from the US and other countries that are known for top-notch products and keeps a close eye on the manufacturing to guarantee consistently high quality in the backpacks.

There are several backpack styles. The large Sable Rucksack Travel Backpack works well for travel or day-to-day commuting. It’s weatherproof, and the lined interior keeps everything in its place. The roll-top lets you grab what you need quickly, and also keeps unauthorized hands out, and there’s a padded laptop pocket that’s big enough to protect a 15-inch Macbook Pro. The top flap features convenient magnetic buckles for speedy access. For colors, you have the choice of black, gray or army green.

The Logan Square Laptop Backpack is designed for students or commuters. It has a slim-line profile and holds pens, wallet, tickets… pretty much everything you’ll need while you’re out and about.

The Hazen Professional Backpack can go from briefcase and laptop bag to stay-overnight bag, depending on your schedule. It has side compression straps to let you stow plenty of stuff without looking as if you are.
Other styles include the Streeter College Commuter and the little Piko Backpack, which comes in yellow, camo, red, black and blue.


The bottom line? Just Porter makes it easy to navigate town with all your gear and also do your part in helping to fight poverty through education.

The post Just Porter Backpacks Blend Quality and Kindness first appeared on Dornob.