It took 18 months just to install the robotically manufactured exterior panels on the 322,000-square-foot museum, which is spread out over seven column-free floors. The unusual structure is a torus shape with an ovoid cutout in the middle, described by some observers as a massive eye. Its structural design relies on a network of 2,400 steel tubes intersecting diagonally in the outer frame, which supports slabs of concrete flooring and 183,000 square feet of cladding.

Designed by Emirati artist Mattar bin Lahej, the three-foot-tall text on the outside is a message of hope for the future from Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. It’s incised into the panels, allowing sunlight and LED lighting to outline the shapes by day and night.

“Standing 77 meters tall, the avant garde facade is made of stainless steel and glass, consisting of 1,024 separate panels, each one specially created by robots and algorithms,” explains a press release by the Museum of the Future. “The number of panels has its own significance. It represents a basic unit of the digital information storage system of computers, which is a kilobyte, and each kilobyte is equal to 1,024 bytes. The Arabic script windows cast light into the interior by day and at night illuminate the city’s iconic skyline with 14 kilometers [8.7 miles] of energy-saving, resource-efficient LED lights.”

“Due to the building’s complex geometry and flowing calligraphy, each separate panel is unique. No two are alike. Each piece had to be individually precast and produced, with numerous prototypes designed and manufactured before a winning formula could be achieved. Every single panel was produced using automated robotic arms. Each panel is made up of four layers and was created following a complex 16-step process. The precision and focus required to create each panel meant that only several could be produced per day.”

Inside, visitors will find a mix of traditional exhibitions, immersive theater, and themed attractions. It’s also home to Dubai’s “Great Arab Minds” initiative, which aims to identify 1,000 exceptional Arab talents across key fields. The museum is envisioned as “a gateway to the world 50 years from now,” demonstrating how next-generation solutions like artificial intelligence and augmented reality can enhance our lives. Each floor is designed like a movie set brought to life by storytellers, technologists, and artists, focusing on topics like space travel, climate change, ecology, health, wellness, and spirituality.

Tickets for adults are 145 AED (about $39 USD) and free for kids under three years old.

The post Dubai’s Museum of the Future Offers a Message of Hope first appeared on Dornob.

Designed to be used in the home, Kara Pure is an air-to-water filtration system that also happens to dehumidify and filter the air while it’s producing clean water. If you’ve ever owned a dehumidifier, you’re probably familiar with the way these machines produce large quantities of water that has to be drained away. The water usually isn’t drinkable or reusable due to the way the machines process it, which seems like a waste. It was just a matter of time before somebody came up with a way to change that. Kara Pure operates much like a conventional home dehumidifier, but it puts the water through a filtration process that not only cleans the water, but makes it healthier to drink, too.

How the Kara Pure Works

The Kara Pure water machine draws air through a four-level filtration system to remove impurities, heavy metals, and particles while extracting water. The purified air is released back into the room, and the contaminants are trapped by the filters. Smart sensors turn off when the humidity in the room drops below a comfortable 25 percent. The water then goes through a multistage filtration and purification process, including a UV-C sterilizer in the water reservoir to keep the water fresh and clean. The water is automatically sterilized every four hours.

A built-in ionizer separates water into its acidic and alkaline parts, which improves the taste. The machine also adds seven essential natural minerals to the water: calcium magnesium, lithium, zinc, selenium, strontium, and metasilicic acid. This mimics the natural components of spring water. Alkaline water is believed to have health benefits like neutralizing acid in the bloodstream and slowing bone loss, though scientists are still divided on these claims.

“Only by bringing together a team of professional engineers and advisors from different industries was it possible to develop a technology that can produce up to 2.5 gallons of safe drinking water from the air,” the startup explains. “We want to decrease dependence on groundwater by fully tapping into air-water with Kara Pure to provide everyone access to premium quality local alkaline drinking water.”

Always Have Clean Water on Hand

If you already have access to good quality drinking water from a tap, a machine like the Kara Pure might not be necessary, though it’s a great alternative to having bottled water delivered for a drink cooler. Since it only produces 2.5 gallons a day, it’s not ideal for community spaces like offices, but it can augment fresh water supply in the average home. If more people relied on machines like these instead of bottled water, we could eliminate a lot of plastic waste.

The stainless steel machine is about the size of a standard water cooler. During a recent round of crowdfunding on Indiegogo, the Kara Pure raised over $1 million USD, unlocking some handy new features like hot and cold water taps. Backers scored their own units for as little as $599, but it looks like the retail price will ultimately be quite high at $3,499. That’s probably the biggest drawback of the machine: it would be most useful for people who can’t afford those prices.

For those who can afford to spring for the machine, the Kara Pure offers an environmentally friendly way to dehumidify and purify the air while producing clean drinking water, essentially replacing three separate household appliances. That’s definitely not a bad deal, and though it requires power and thus wouldn’t work in a power outage, it would also offer the security of access to clean water in the event of a water outage.

Like similar machines in production all over the world, the Kara Pure offers additional proof that this kind of technology works. It would be great to see more companies using it to produce larger machines for communities dealing with issues like contaminated water or too little water to go around.

The post This Home Appliance Makes Fresh Drinking Water Out of Thin Air first appeared on Dornob.

The result is the ASB Nautilus, which the company calls “the world’s first whirlpool made entirely out of glass.” The design is as simple as can be: just four sides made of transparent glass and a solid floor. That allows it to virtually disappear during the day, so you barely even notice it’s there. But at night, it “becomes the protagonist at the touch of a button,” as built-in lighting turns it into a visual focal point even when it’s not in use.

That means instead of tucking it away in a corner or sinking it into the ground so it’s less of an eyesore, you can put it on full display. Measuring about six by six feet wide and three feet tall, it offers a minimalist silhouette framed with stainless steel and features an array of lighting schemes that start simple in the MK I model and get more complex with the MK II and MK III versions. The MK I has an RGB LED strip running around the perimeter of the tub, the MK II can be illuminated across the whole surface of the floor, and the MK III has a full LED screen with video content to offer “an incredibly immersive spa experience.”

All three models can be programmed to light up in your preferred colors, but the MK III gives you the most options. You can even livestream to the screen if you want, watching programming through the water. The company imagines this feature being particularly valuable for logos and other brand content. It’s kind of weird to imagine trying to watch anything more than some ambient visuals, but it could be cool to project custom creations for parties and events, too.

The Nautilus hot tub also comes with a heating system that can be placed as far as 15 feet away from the tub and three easy-fix pipes that supply water and air. The connections are hidden beneath steps providing access to the tub on all sides. The standard tub heats up by one to two degrees Celsius per hour, taking up to eight hours to be ready to enjoy, while the premium version heats up in half the time. The premium versions also include a high-end UV cleaning system, and every tub comes with an insulated cover in your choice of color.

Some users might miss the molded plastic seating that makes standard hot tubs comfortable to sit in. The Nautilus doesn’t have jets, either. “We believe that the concept of limiting the user to present seating configurations takes away from the experience the Nautilus is designed to provide,” the company explains. “An experience much closer to the Japanese Onsen culture where one floats in hot water admiring the view or relaxing the weary body along the way. It is a ritual of indulgence and immersive-ness. For this reason we believe the lighting aspects of the Nautilus are of superior nature over the gimmicky massage jets and plastic benches.”

The ASB Nautilus is currently custom-made to order, so you have to contact the company if you want to purchase one.

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Available in either unfinished steel or black, this modern kitchen system is designed to be just as functional as it is beautiful. The hard-wearing surface is a thin, embossed stainless steel sheet on top of an MFC board framed with extruded profiles of anodized aluminum. The handles of the drawers and cabinets are integrated within those profiles to eliminate the need for hardware, placing all the visual emphasis on the metal.

REFLECT marks an unusually minimalist project for Nouvel, whose works are typically complex and highly ornamental. But like his architecture, the thoughtfully designed kitchen system has a way of adapting itself to its environment, changing throughout the day as its reflective surfaces softly mimic the various colors and shapes found throughout the space.

One could also say that REFLECT is a new high point for Reform, a brand first founded in 2014 to offer upgraded cabinet fronts designed for IKEA base cabinets. Aiming to bring quality design to all, regardless of budget, Reform collaborates with architects and designers to create modern kitchen spaces that are stylish, accessible, and able to stand up to everyday use by everyday people.

It’s Nouvel’s “gift for conceptualizing light” that makes REFLECT stand out. The renowned Pritzker Prize-winning French architect has demonstrated a love for shimmering surfaces throughout his career, as seen in such projects as the Philarmonie de Paris, Gasometer A in Vienna, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Torre Agbar in Barcelona. In fact, while most of his works are strikingly different from each other, the continuous threads that run through his entire repertoire might be the way the building facades play with light and shadow, and the sensitivity and responsiveness with which the structures interact with their surroundings.

About architect Jean Nouvel, via Reform:

“Jean Nouvel is one of the most important architects of the modern era. His strong stances and somewhat provocative opinions on contemporary architecture in the urban context together with his ability to inject originality into all the projects he undertakes have formed the decorated architect’s international image. Jean Nouvel’s work does not result from considerations of style or ideology, but from a quest to create a unique concept for a singular combination of people, place, and time. His contextual approach and ability to infuse a genuine uniqueness into all the projects he undertakes have consistently yielded buildings that transform their environments and indelibly mark the cities in which they are built.”

The REFLECT kitchen system is now available to order in the U.S., and integrates with Reform’s own base cabinetry system as a series of fronts, cover panels, and plinths.

The post Reflect: Luminous Steel Kitchen Design by Architect Jean Nouvel first appeared on Dornob.

Designed by the Foshan branch of the Topway Design architecture firm, the new headquarters of ZCMetal was created to highlight the versatility and beauty of metal, as well as its connection with the natural world.

“As designers, we’re living in an environment with cold reinforced concrete buildings and fast-paced lifestyles, thus we are increasingly desiring to return to nature,” explains the Foshan Topway team. “Through this project, we intended to create a free, refreshing space where visitors would feel like they’re brought to nature and liberated from fatigue and burnout. Based on the design concept of ‘naturalism,’ we tried to integrate environment with nature to create a people-centered and personalized space.”

ZCMetal itself aims to endow its products with “artistic aesthetics, natural forms, and humanistic spirit.” Those products include customized metal furniture, decorations, and art installations, all fashioned using the powerful combo of modern carving technology and traditional craftsmanship.

The entry way/exhibition hall of the new HQ is designed to “wow” visitors as it leads them through a giant curving cavern, with layers of reflective steel mimicking the weathered texture of ancient canyon walls. LED lights from above allow the surfaces to change color, from blazing reds to icy grays. The ceiling can even be programmed to appear like a shimmering blanket of stars or a veil of billowy clouds. In one bend of the cavern, a metallic seat rises organically from the polished steel floor.

“We hoped to return metal to its original state and simplicity of nature,” add the architects. “Nature nurtures mankind’s creativity, while we give back to nature with creative thinking.”

Once outside the canyon, the view opens up to a two-story high reception area, complete with a lobby bar and conversation space. The reception desk is made from delicately molded steel, with a backdrop of artistically brushed metal surrounding an oval of geometric shapes and shadows. Giant metal water droplets are suspended mid-fall above the desk.

To the right, visitors can view the spiral staircase, itself enclosed by dark walls filled with neon LED polka dots. While the initial impression is reminiscent of a disco-era dance floor, the subsequent reflections created against adjacent walls produce echoes of trees and rivers of light. Just outside the space are a series of descending drops that suggest the idea of a waterfall.

Perpetuating the water theme is the landscaped area between the stairs and the reception desk, where Topway has sculpted a splash of metallic water backlit by more frosty blue LEDs.

Overall, the ZCMetal Headquarters exudes a feeling of modern power and wonder, with a nod toward the nature that sustains today’s technology.

Founded in 2002, Topway Design began in Shanghai and has since expanded across 24 Chinese provinces and Canada. They specialize in the architectural planning and design of real estate development projects. Some of their larger undertakings include Dalian Jinzhou Greenland Center and the Taiyuan Tsinghua Science Park.

The post Foshan Topway’s Giant Metal Canyon Recreates Nature Through Technology first appeared on Dornob.

According to Pela, food waste creates 330 billion pounds of garbage in North America each year (not including associated food packaging or plastic). While composting has long been a great way to recycle all that rubbish, the traditional method is messy, time-consuming, and foul-smelling. Lomi promises to make the process ultra-fast, easy, and most importantly, stench-free.

Wrapped in a sleek white shell, the machine can hold up to three liters of food waste. Once turned on, it mimics the labor normally done by earthworms, quickly breaking down food scraps, boxes, cloth, and bioplastics into fragmented biomass. That material provides more surface area for growing microbes, the organisms responsible for transforming the organic trash into nutrient-rich soil. While all this is going on, any associated rotting smells are completely eliminated by the Lomi’s replaceable charcoal-activated filters.

And it works fast. While typical composting systems require weeks, the Lomi can turn food scraps into valuable dirt within just four hours in its Express mode. Users can also choose the slower Eco mode, which takes roughly 20 hours but maximizes the nutrient yield. The device also sports an additional Bioplastic mode for breaking down approved plastic garbage.

About the size of a bread maker, the organic recycler is much quieter than other small kitchen appliances, operating in a range of 40 to 50-db frequencies. It’s also easy to clean, thanks to the dishwasher-safe stainless steel inner pail.

“To create Lomi we spent over 3 years, including over 1000 compost tests, and endless hours of design and prototypes,” says Matt Bertulli, CEO and Co-Founder of Pela in the IndieGoGo campaign video. “Lomi isn’t just beautifully designed. It is the world’s best home composter, period.”

Pela, the company known for creating the first compostable plastic phone case, hopes that their new compact unit will eventually become ubiquitous in homes around the world.

“The arrival of Lomi is the beginning of a new era for Pela, further positioning the brand as a leader within the waste management space,” Bertulli said in an official press release. “Similar to having a dishwasher, our goal is for every household to have a Lomi. Its contemporary design and seamless function will make it easier than ever for consumers to shift the way they approach household waste, and composting.”

Pela is one of the first-non-governmental firms to make a dent in the waste management movement. Since its beginnings in 2010, the company has prevented the creation of the equivalent of 48 million plastic bags. Their eventual goal is to stop one billion pounds of potential plastic from being manufactured.

With just under a day to go, the Lomi Indiegogo campaign has raised over $6.5 million from 17,700 backers. Interested consumers can still order one for a special price of $379 – a 24-percent discount from the listed MSRP -– with an expected ship date of December 2021.

The post Pela’s Tabletop Composter Recycles Food Waste in Under 4 Hours first appeared on Dornob.

Located in the trendy, architecturally stunning department store PARCO (itself located in Tokyo’s Shibuya district), the company tapped Toronto-based design firm UUfie to create a stunning design concept to showcase their fashion-forward brand.

UUfie is no stranger to exciting, eclectic, minimalist design. Their past projects have yielded connective, almost visceral architectural experiences made to be as awe-inspiring as they are thought-provoking. And the Marcomonde space is no exception. Eye-catching and unique, sparse and angular, its seeming contradictions are both intriguing and inspiring. Here, the minimalist elements are almost futuristic in their simplicity, with a stark palette of industrial grays and whites beautifully accentuating the retailer’s bright and colorful clothes and accessories The final result is a store that also feels like an immersive work of art – a place where the shopper is both a participant and an admirer.

But that’s not the only eye-catching element to this new space. In another section, artfully arranged freestanding stairs climb upward, drawing the eye and giving the room a strong sculptural vibe that is aesthetically sparse yet pleasing. Anyone familiar with the works of the Dutch artist M.C. Escher will appreciate the similarity between this design concept and the artist’s famed work “Relativity.” In that piece, Escher focused on creating a work that looked beyond the ordinary, explored hidden realities, and challenged physical laws like gravity. In the Marcomonde store, you can find all those concepts echoed and lovingly recreated through UUfie’s chosen design elements.

The similarities don’t stop there. As Escher’s print delves beneath the surface of things, so too do the stairs in the Marcomonde space. So much more than a place to display product, UUfie’s stairs are functional, not frivolous. Deceptively hollow, they’re also ideal for storage — keeping the space clutter-free and sparse to maximize the impact of the pieces on display.

The industrial look is not only present in the space’s color scheme, but also in its shelving choices. The combination of stainless steel frames and clear glass shelves creates an almost chrome-like appearance that mirrors the space’s aesthetic perfectly.

Even better, the retail space also fits beautifully with the overall look of PARCO’s design concept, making it the ideal location for the brand to integrate fashion, art, culture, food, technology, and entertainment all into an architectural retail marvel. The Shibuya PARCO’s clean lines, creative balance, and inventive design choices are all echoed in Marcomonde’s exciting new space.

No one understands the impact of design built upon both connection and abstraction better than UUfie. The small 215 square-foot retail space is minimalistic, stark, and artful, evoking the angular geometry of M.C. Escher, while the industrial color scheme and futuristic simplicity of the racks and shelves further emphasize the bright and beautiful merchandise. The overall effect is hypnotic, and one sure to keep shoppers coming back for a long time to come.

Marcomonde Shibuya images courtesy of Takumi Ota

The post UUfie Brings Surrealist Form and Minimalist Function to Marcomonde’s New Retail Space first appeared on Dornob.

But the firm actually consists of over 450 other architects, designers, urbanists, landscape professionals, interior and product designers, inventors, and researchers based in Copenhagen, New York, and London, so there’s a lot of talent in many different specialities to draw from.

For a collaboration with Danish furniture design company Skagerak, BIG translated its larger-than-life design sensibilities to a new medium, resulting in a unique collection of outdoor furniture that’s just as refined and minimalist as you’d expect from the firm. Launched on March 1st, 2020, “Lilium” consists of a bench, dining table, chair, lounge chair, and lounge table.

The materials are beautiful in their simplicity, and in fact, there’s just two of them: untreated teak and bare stainless steel. The designers say they wanted to work with “honest materials,” which can be unforgiving, requiring a detail-oriented manufacturer to make every last piece perfect. The workshop in Indonesia that produces these pieces uses templates to make sure every detail is identical, and sources FSC-certified wood to ensure both quality and sustainability.

The wooden backrests and seats are gently curved to create a “lily pad-like” effect, hence the name of the collection. But it’s the “X” detail of the stainless steel frame at the base and across the backrest that make the pieces stand out. The wood will age and weather over time, gaining an attractive patina, and also comes in a limited range of neutral colors.

Skagerak’s official website explains that “the initial idea of the Lilium project came from one of BIG’s many architecture projects where the surroundings and location inspired them to design a furniture family. They needed a brand of durable quality, and Skagerak was singled out as a furniture partner that combined with BIG’s architectural vision would be an excellent match for the maritime setting of the project at hand.”

“The studio took inspiration from the waterfront and the industrial heritage of the city of Aalborg and the idea of casual interactions and social gatherings, where the Lilium collection would provide the tools for people to socialize, work, and dine together. BIG was on board with the thought of creating a modern and versatile furniture family in a democratic design language that was compatible with both outdoor patios, indoor living, and flexible workspace environments.”

“We’ve always admired the collections put forth by Skagerak, combining Danish sensibilities with the responsible and sustainable production of furniture,” says Bjarke Ingels Group. “We believe that together we can create a long-lasting furniture collection.”

For BIG’s first time designing outdoor furniture, “Lilium” is a home run. And unlike a lot of other high-profile collaborations, this one is actually for sale to the public. You can find each piece on the Skagerak website for prices ranging from 995 DKK (about $145 USD) to 9995 DKK ($1466 USD).

The post Bjarke Ingels Group Debuts Outdoor Furniture Collaboration with Skagerak first appeared on Dornob.

But there’s a different kind of face mask out there that will have benefits long after the dangers of coronavirus have come and gone. Designed primarily with pollution in mind, the AusAir was created by a trio of travelers who wanted something effective, comfortable, breathable, and stylish to protect themselves from unhealthy air.

The AusAir face mask features a washable, form-fitting design with changeable filters that last up to four weeks and marine grade stainless steel ventilation valves. Memory foam and a hidden aluminum nose clip help keep it snug up against the face for an ideal fit, while the botanical filter layer works in tandem with an active carbon layer to filter over 97 percent of small airborne pollution (PM2.5).

Those still hoping it might work to prevent virus transmission will be interested to hear this recent update from the AusAir creators:

“Our filter has undergone preliminary testing by replicating viruses that are in the 0.1-0.5 micron range. We are happy to say that preliminary testing has been shown to bloc over 97 percent of airborne viruses replicated. We have contacted third-party labs for independent testing, [but] these independent tests are pending.”

The masks were already in early stages of testing when Australia’s catastrophic 2019 bush fires killed at least one billion wild animals, burned over 46 million acres of land, and pumped 350 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. People living all over the continent dealt with smoke and fine particulate inhalation as the fires raged, which isn’t exactly good for the lungs. AusAir says their filters are extremely effective at filtering those particles, while the added carbon layer blocks organic vapors and odors.

The botanical filters are a nice touch, coming in lavender, eucalyptus, tea tree, and unscented varieties to make breathing polluted air a little less unpleasant.

The mask’s official Kickstarter page reads: “Featuring twin marine grade 316 stainless steel valves for an unrivaled breathing experience [and] engineered to maximize exhalation and prevent hot air buildup. We’ve sourced strong yet flexible PU material that offers unmatched comfort and ease of use. Designed and tested to last and maintain shape for over 100 washes. Ear loops tailored to fit your experience. No hard-to-adjust buckles or straps. Plush memory nose foam which molds to the shape of your facial contours effortlessly. A seamless fit which offers full protection, not allowing air to escape in through the sides.”

“The simple click and switch design allows you to swap and replace filters with ease. Auto-align the filter and skin every time so you know you are wearing the mask correctly. Utilizing the latest in material science technology, we’ve developed a pollution filter that will exceed Australian respiratory protection standards. Our filter range embeds botanicals sourced from Australian farms which offer subtle flora scents and other botanical benefits. Each filter harnesses the naturally evolved properties of the embedded botanical.”

A crowdfunding campaign for the AusAir mask recently raised nearly $775,000 USD. Backers will receive their masks for as little as $36 by June 2020, with single masks retailing for $59 after that.

The post AusAir: Anti-Pollution Face Mask Infused With Botanicals first appeared on Dornob.

Thankfully, more and more gyms are starting to take ambiance into account, working in fun and stylish details that can make working out feel like less of a slog.

In Beijing, architecture and design firm STUDIO RAMOPRIMO have created a facility that looks more like a theme park than a gym. Located inside the Indigo East Hotel, MFIT SPACE 01 is a two-story, 6,500-square-foot fitness center that allows users to shape their own individual training paths during one-on-one classes, giving them the freedom to choose the exercises and equipment that feels right for them.

Aesthetically, the gym has a bit of a futuristic edge, taking inspiration from space exploration facilities for its metallic surfaces, geometric room dividers, and built-in LED strip lighting. Its primarily silver and white color scheme is accented with different shades in various rooms and spaces, including metallic pastels, soothing blues, and motivating monochromatic red. The latter is particularly striking in the locker room, with its striped ceiling lights.

The fitness center’s iron blue lattice structure adds more than just visual flair. It’s also a permeable surface offering support for hanging ropes, hooks, and doing exercises. Elsewhere in the gym, a stark black room decorated with illuminated emoji-like symbols contains a water fountain, and the shower rooms are finished in black textured Bisazza mosaic tiles.

But the two features that really make MFIT SPACE 01 feel like a playground for adults are located within the double-height atrium: a climbing wall and a tubular stainless steel slide that wraps around a white spiral staircase. So if you’re just way too tired to take the stairs by the time you’re done working out, you can simply hook your bag over your shoulder and slide right down to the main level.

STUDIO RAMOPRIMO explains that their “design projects range from urban planning to architecture, interior design, and graphics. The main focus of the studio is the interaction between the social and built environments, offering at different scales vibrant design solutions for any contemporary urban living need. [The studio is also] involved in the INSTANT HUTONG project, investigating [the] contemporary process of rapid urbanization in China, relations between social and physical aspects of everyday environments, and ways for people to reinterpret the urban landscape.”

The firm adds that their name “refers to the way they call in Venice some hidden lane, and it’s the Italian translation of the Chinese term Tou Tiao, which indicates the first lane of a series of hutong alleys in old Beijing carrying the same progressive name. It marks the beginning of a newly born urban process.”

Loving these chic gym designs? Check out the Waterbeat Society, an aquatic sports center decked out with lots of fun neon lights, and Paris Pilates, an LA fitness studio that’s unapologetically feminine and glam.

The post MFIT: Space-Inspired Gym Features a Spiraling Slide first appeared on Dornob.

The home is impossible to ignore from the moment you set eyes on it, largely thanks to the stainless steel squares on its geometric, flat-roofed exterior. These were fabricated by Los Angeles architectural firm Marmol Radziner, while the architecture of the house was designed by Tomas Osinski. The brushed steel gleams without being too irritatingly reflective, a welcome consideration in a sunny environment.

The front door might just be the high point of the entire house, with its sculptural metallic textures complementing the material of the facade. This is where the influence of the firm Mark Weaver & Associates comes into play. Brought on to create a cohesive, harmonic feeling for the home, the firm went bold for this beach house, bringing in some attention-grabbing elements while sticking to the silhouettes that are common in the Malibu area.

They wanted to introduce a “futuristic edge” to the design, so they commissioned local artist John Krawczyck to craft an entranceway that would set the mood for the rest of the residence. After visiting the original structure for inspiration, he came up with this fluid design, which nods to the oceanic setting while also adding an extra layer of protection against the elements.

Inside, the home is minimalist, yet warm — a fittingly blank canvas for the sights, sounds, and smells of the sparkling Pacific Ocean just beyond the windows. It’s never a bad idea for a beach house to make the landscape the star of the show, organizing everything else around it. That is the point of living here, after all. Accordingly, the walls are clean expanses of white, the wood floors are a beautiful echo of the deck, and operable glazing provides opportunities to eliminate the barriers between the interiors and the ocean.

If the house seems a little gallery-like in nature, that’s intentional. The owners wanted to showcase their collection of art, including a watery diptych on the living room wall and one of Damien Hirst’s famous “spot paintings.”

Every element in the home was carefully considered, principal designer Mark Weaver tells Interiors Magazine. “We love simplicity. When you have people in a room, I think the people, the flowers, and the art should make the statement, but it can’t eclipse the people in the room.”

Ultimately, the home is a refuge, a role that shines its brightest in private spaces like the bedroom and bathroom. Who wouldn’t want an enormous master bath that’s almost as big as the master bedroom itself, featuring a glass wall that turns from transparent to opaque at the flip of a switch? Oh, and by the way, the glass skylight overhead retracts on demand, so you can take a bath under the open sky. Not bad, huh?

The post Metallic Modern Malibu Beach House Makes for a Marvelous Marine Refuge first appeared on Dornob.

While there are still brands like Aesop that put a lot of effort into the presentation of their products and shops, most contemporary drug stores and retailers specializing in personal care products have lost that old apothecary charm, giving into the conveniences of fluorescent lighting, cheap metal shelving, and plastic containers instead. But who’s to say that a space can’t recall those classic aesthetics while also feeling decidedly modern?

In the heart of Hong Kong, cosmetics pharmacy HARMAY takes the feel of an apothecary in a whole new direction. The company initially hired AIM Architecture to complete its flagship store in Shanghai in 2017, and this new brick and mortar location expands upon the first one’s streamlined metallic look.

HARMAY is primarily an e-commerce business, and it wanted its retail locations to feel like spaces that exist somewhere between the real world and cyberspace.

“Picture this: a bustling, winding, narrow Hong Kong street, packed with shops, restaurants, and food stalls,” says AIM Architecture. “Shutter gates open and close each storefront; inside, the shelves teem with packages and products. You almost don’t notice it. But still, a second glance — a perforated steel facade, LED lighting, an organized, almost austere unexpected interior, inviting you in from the outside… culturally, we are at an intersection. Consumers want convenience but crave experience. Online shopping will never lose its allure, but there’s a real challenge for brands to experiment with the dynamics of modern consumption.”

AIM took inspiration from old-school chemists for HARMAY’s Hong Kong apothecary, translating it into a mixture of old and new surfaces, with ancient bricks meeting concrete and mirrored steel all throughout. The point isn’t to come here looking for one specific product, getting in and out quickly. You can do that a lot more easily online. Instead, the architects want the space to encourage discovery, with customers opening drawers and examining bottles as if they might contain hidden treasures.

They call the new space “an elegant counterpoint” to the click-and-receive dynamic of online shopping, “designed for the curious and engaged consumer, and the casual passerby who walks in expecting one thing and finding the unexpected.”

“Walking up towards the second floor, space is left untouched, as found. It is rough and even raw to the senses, immersing you in the tactile experience of traditional shopping. Here, stainless steel mirrored cabinets are suspended from the ceiling, [while] reflective surfaces hide their existence. With their rubber insides and the found space, they engage in a powerful dialogue creating an intimacy with the products, placing them straight into the hands of our shoppers.”

“Hong Kong is notoriously cramped, but despite its smallness, the two floors are spatially connected through the omnipresent rough brick walls, concrete ceilings, and continuous floor, creating an unanticipated and spacious illusion. The stainless steel powder room echoes this. With its glass wall, guests might second guess its function, but then a well-placed curtain creates playful privacy, leaving just feet exposed.”

Ultimately, the space feels like a secret subterranean laboratory thanks to the textural stone and exposed brick, labyrinthine layout, and of course, all those mirrors. The illusion only breaks when you emerge into a room on the upper floor with a wide window overlooking the street, finding yourself at the same level as the branches of trees outside.

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Scheduled for release sometime in early 2019, the multi-cooker is capable of baking, slow cooking, roasting, braising, steaming, stewing, sautéing, sous viding, warming, and making rice, with built-in adjustable presets giving the cook as much control over the cooking experience as possible.

The 11-in-1 also boasts a heat-resistant glass lid (so you can check on your food without having to release any warm air), stainless steel sous vide rack, LCD display, nonstick interior pot (which means rice won’t get stuck to the inside), and fun recipe book to fuel your new culinary hobby! All of Gourmia’s products are ETL Listed, so we can assure you that they’re completely safe even when they’re performing the most intensive of tasks.

The mobile app is free to download on any iOS or Android device and allows the user to automate their countertop kitchen appliances from almost anywhere in the world. Mia is Gourmia’s equivalent to Alexa, and when they’re working alongside each other, you start to feel like you’re in the virtual assistant version of Three’s Company. You’ll find yourself saying things like: “Hey Alexa, ask Mia to turn the temperature up on the slow-cooker.”

The multi-cooker’s sleek and simple stainless steel design means it seamlessly works with most kitchen decors without drawing too much attention to itself, making it ideal for those who are aesthetically conscious. Boasting a carrying capacity of six liters (six-and-a-half quarts) and an additional 120-volt heating plate, the 11-in-1 is also the perfect solution for on-the-go chefs, Even if you don’t have the time or patience to continuously meal prep, it’s no worries: you can always tell Mia to craft a delicious dinner for you while you’re in the office or out running errands!

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IAQ?

The “healthy home plan” in question revolves around indoor air quality, or “IAQ.” According to the Consumer Public Safety Commission, “the air within homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities.” Why? Mostly because natural gas stoves release fine particles of nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide — compounds that are heavily regulated by the EPA when they’re released by fuel-burning cars — whenever they’re used. Electric stoves release pollution to a lesser extent. Most surprisingly, just the act of combustion in cooking produces pollution, and it even leads to more noticeable issues like excess moisture, foul odors, and grease buildup.

This Old House Idea House

This Old House’s fourth-annual “Idea House” kitchen spotlights the WhisperHood. The project aims to provide the multiplatform brand’s audience “with fresh takeaways, innovative products, and how-to instruction that home enthusiasts can incorporate into their own remodels and new-builds.” Construction of the 2,700-square-foot structure began in April 2018 in Narragansett, Rhode Island. The entire build was captured on a webcam and livestreamed on the This Old House website, and now, the home is being featured in the November/December issue of TOH magazine, as well as in segments of the This Old House TV series. Panasonic Eco Solutions is listed as one of nearly 30 sponsors whose products are included in the house, many of which focus on using advances in technology and design to make homes healthier and more efficient.

A lot of people simply don’t bother running their kitchen exhaust because their systems are notoriously noisy, ineffective, or both. Together, Panasonic and TOH paint a new picture of the kitchen as the “epicenter of your home,” touting the WhisperHood as the ideal solution to quickly clear the air of pollutants caused by cooking. The companies have also placed a lot of emphasis on the hood’s ultra-quiet operation noise, which apparently can’t even compete with the volume of a normal conversation.

The Technology and Design of Reinvented Ventilation

The wall-mounted, chimney-style hood is incredibly sleek, consisting of stainless steel, minimal lines, a low-profile control panel, and energy-efficient LED lighting. TOH notes that it’s design complements both the modern elements of the Idea Home kitchen and the traditional ones, like the custom-crafted walnut shelves. But how exactly is it innovative?

A range hood’s performance is measured in terms of CFM (cubic feet per minute, or how much air the fan can move) and sones, a unit of measurement for loudness. The hood’s HushFlow Technology reportedly allows it to be 86 percent quieter than other hoods — though this is a fairly subjective measurement. Moving air at 390 CFM, its real innovation comes in the form of a “capture efficiency plate.” Simply put, it uses a limited suction area to create more power. You can see this by watching cooking steam being drawn up into the plate. To keep everything clean and tidy, these plates have been designed to be both removable and dishwasher safe.

Panasonic’s Ventilation FAQ page literally reveals the nuts and bolts of their reinvention efforts, reading: “tip speed, blower wheel, exhaust outlet, and motor all combine to form a uniquely quiet design. Panasonic fans feature AC and DC four-pole condenser motors. The four-pole design helps the AC motor fan rotate smoothly and evenly. Not only does this mean reduction in noise, [but] it also makes Panasonic motors among the most efficient fan motors around.” The same design enables the fan to operate at a lower RPM (rounds per minute), which reduces its overall energy consumption.

The WhisperHood promises consumers safe, quality kitchen time, and a lot of it at that. The system is designed to run “about 11-and-a-half years without ever shutting off.”

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The Mother of Invention

Yu Li, the inventor of the kitchen-in-a-case called “Assembly” and a graduate of the Royal College of Art, was inspired by the quandary of a friend who had lived in an urban industrial space for several years. Since there was no kitchen in his makeshift apartment, he survived on a portable inductive cooktop and a utility sink mounted on a cart for cleanup. Li’s heart went out to him, and as she actively helped him move into a fancier place with a proper stove and sink, her mind started churning out solutions for all the other appliance-challenged renters out there.

The Components

Li started by listing out the bare necessities of cooking, dining, and after-meal cleanup. Each component had to be portable, small, and lightweight — not to mention effortlessly capable of being returned to the main carrying case to be stowed out of sight in a closet or cabinet.

“The idea is to trim the original kitchen space down to a few minimal elements so space can be designed simpler, neater, and transformed into other purposes to increase the space utilization,” said Li.

The kitchenette’s inductive cooktop had to be ultra-thin to allow other components to fit in the carrying case too. The cooktop itself features an ignition switch, temperature controls, and a timer. Also included in the case are one stainless steel pot, one shallow stainless steel pan, a serving plate, eating utensils, and a dish drying rack. Pulling double-duty are the serving plate, which also houses a wooden cutting board, and panhandle, which can easily be transformed into a pair of serving tongs. You may have to wash the dishes and pans in an actual kitchen sink, but at least you have the luxury of a drying rack. The entire set is bright white with a cherry red trim, and that includes the coated cookware.

Alternate Scenarios

Of course, Li’s design is perfect for lots of other scenarios, too. You may have a kitchen, but if you also have multiple roommates utilizing it, you’ll be thankful to have an Assembly on hand. Don’t care for balancing campfire cookware on disintegrating hot coals at dusk whenever you want to eat in the great outdoors? Just set up your Assembly and carry on. Even a solo trip to the beach can include a delightful meal as long as you have a few ingredients, a bottle of wine, and Assembly at your side.

The Future

With any luck, Li’s design will inspire other innovations in the kitchen and help make cooking in absurdly small spaces both feasible and fun. Some culinary experts even see Assembly as a boon to preparing and consuming healthier meals, since it’ll allow so many people to stop relying on fast food and take-out.

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