Light Well House, Kyoto
This exquisite private house in Kyoto brings together two key concerns of the contemporary Japanese architect: space and light. Unlike earlier residential projects by Keiichi Hayashi, like the UK house and House for a Couple, the proposed site for the Light Well House was small and hemmed in. This left little space for the long, linear floorplan that characterized his earlier residential projects.
Via & more: Wallpaper*
Houseboat Colony For Oslo
Now I know that houseboats are a specialty of Amsterdam, but designer Espen Erikstad thinks otherwise. He feels that something like the Loup de Mer is what Oslo needs and that too for the student community. Ha! I can picture all the boys and girls getting all studious and cramming for their term papers over a round of fish and chips! I don’t buy this story one bit!
Via & more: Yanko Design
Arpa Offices and 100,000 Euro House win AR Future Project award
This is a 5000m2 building complex of offices and research laboratories designed for the maximum level of sustainability. A new building surrounds a central courtyard, the hub of the complex. The roof of the building is a feature of the project with a series of chimneys that are skylights filtering light, promoting natural ventilation and reducing the need for mechanical cooling.
Via & more: WAN
FRAME magazine issue #67
Issue #67 focusses on hotels, featuring Frame’s Hotel Concept Guide, an interview with Claus Sendlinger on concept hotels and an overview of 17 new hotel ideas by Philippe Starck, Marcel Wanders, Herzog and de Meuron and others. Furthermore: an interview with artist Esther Stocker, Wolfgang Gussman’s set design for Die Frau ohne Schatten and shops by Roger Hiorns and Sterling and Formavision. 224 pages.
Via & more: FRAME
Droog New York by Studio Makkink & Bey
Here are some photos of the new Droog design store in New York, designed by Makkink & Bey, the Dutch design studio headed by Jurgen Bey.
Via & more: Dezeen
Behind the Ceiling – book by Marcel Wanders
Marcel Wanders is the highly anticipated first monograph on one of the most influential, prolific and celebrated international designers today. Wanders’ designs are characteristically buoyant and imbued with his signature irony and quirky dry wit that evoke imagination; nevertheless all of the featured examples of furniture, lighting, interiors, textiles, tableware, decorative porcelain and ceramic vases as well as his personal art editions are unpretentiously urbane. This book showcases his body of work and stellar career through stunning photography, sketches, copious texts and quotes from the designer himself, offering a first-hand account of Wanders’ irresistible universe.
Author: Marcel Wanders | Language: English | Release: April 2009
Via & more: Gestalten
The Coral-200: A Solar Powered Phone for the Masses
Just last week we brought you news of the Blue-Earth, Samsung’s new solar powered touch phone. Well, it turns out that they are not the only company with solar dreams. Chinese mobile manufacturer ZTE recently revealed the Coral-200, a solar-powered handset with one very unique characteristic that sets it apart from its competitor: it will only cost 40 dollars!
Via & more: Inhabitat
Magis at Milan Design Week 09
The Italian manufacturer Magis has sent us a preview of some of the new designs they will be showing off at this year’s Milan design week. First up is a yet-to be named storage system by Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa. Made of ABS plastic the multi-functional piece will feature customizable front panels in a variety of colour-tinted plastics. Second is the ‘360°’ stool by Konstantin Grcic. This piece is part of a full collection that will be unveiled at the show. The other pieces are by finnish artist Oiva Toikka. Toikka designed ‘Dodo’ a bird toy and ‘paradise tree’ a coat hanger for Magis’ ‘Me Too’ children’s furniture collection.
Via & more: designboom
Naoto Fukasawa: Hiroshima Series for Maruni Collection
Designer Naoto Fukasawa has designed a new series of furniture for Japanese company Maruni Collection part of their Hiroshima brand. The range includes a lounge chair, a side table, and three variations of sofas, constructed with beech and oak wood. The products have just been released.
Via & more: designboom
NBBJ L.A. – designed Chinatrust Bank Headquarters Breaks Ground
After an international design competition and nearly two years of design, the high-profile, 2.5-million-square-foot Chinatrust Bank headquarters has broken ground in Taiwan. Designed by the Los Angeles office of NBBJ, in cooperation with the local firm Fei & Cheng Associates, the project is slated to reach completion in 2012.
Via & more: Bustler
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