Design for a Living World now open at the Cooper-Hewitt
The latest Cooper-Hewitt exhibition, aptly titled Design For A Living World, combines the thoughtful material research of an environmental scientist, the sexy design aesthetics of the highest end showrooms, and the celebrity and travel itinerary of a reality TV series. Curated by Ellen Lupton and Pentagram’s Abbott Miller, Design For A Living World sends renown designers, including Yves Behar and Hella Jongerius, to locations ranging from Central America to rural Idaho to explore the qualities of a natural material, then produce a design inspired by the material. The exhibition showcases this “material + design quest,” documenting the entire process from cacao bean to kitchen tool (Behar) and chicle tree to vase (Jongerius). The show goes so much deeper than the usual “green materials are great” credo, combining a deep understanding of the ecologies from which we build our physical environments, with sensitive design thinking that brings the true beauty of such materials to life.
Via & more: core77
The Chair for Venice
On May, 20th 2009 at 12.30 in the frame of Ca’ Farsetti, seat of Venice town council, a press conference will take place to present the international design competition “The Chair for Venice”, promoted by Magis, Sms Venice Onlus (the association created in 2008 and having as its mission to collect funds for protection and restoration of Venice) and the Venice town council. The press conference will be attended by Venice mayor Massimo Cacciari, by Magis president Magis Eugenio Perazza and by various delegates of Sms Venice and of the Venice town council.
Via & more: Magis
Dollar Redesign Project by Richard Smith
Graphic designer Richard Smith thinks designers can help kick-start the US economy with ‘a thorough, in-depth, rebranding scheme – starting with the redesign of the iconic US dollar’. Smith recently created the designs featured here and is asking the public to contribute their own dollar designs to his blog.
‘The american dollar has not truly been redesigned since about the 1930s. The dollar redesign project is your opportunity to theoretically ‘change’ that. Yes, technically there are many limitations and complications when
it comes to bank note design, but if the swiss can do it on a regular basis, why can’t we north americans too. Besides our great ‘rival’, the euro, looks so spanky in comparison it seems the only clear way to revive this global recession is to rebrand and redesign. Why not? It seems to work for everyone else …’ RS
Via & more: designboom
Varier Furniture’s “intelligent sitting”
Norway-based Varier Furniture’s “intelligent sitting” philosophy is simple and alluring: “If humans can move in a natural way, even when sitting, the body will feel better and possibly also last longer.” The company combines Form & Function with Movement & Variation, resulting in beautiful chairs that allow the freedom to sit in a variety of positions and still remain comfortable.
Via & more: core77
Incheon International Design Awards 2009 call-for-entries
Incheon Metropolitan City, KOREA, together with designboom promotes an international design competition. Participation is open to applicants from every country in the world, to professionals, students, and design-enthusiasts. free registration required.
The subject of the international competition is green life.
21st century design is the philosophy that suggests harmony of humanity and nature.
21st century design is the imagination that enables sustained urban life.
21st century design is actions that buffer radical changes in society.
21st century design is a beautiful link between business activities and consumer activities.
21st century design is a tool that expresses beautiful imagination of people.
The philosophy of the 21st century design is the philosophy of ‘iida.’
Via & more: designboom
The Afra Armchair by Francesco Rota for Paola Lenti
Italian designer Francesco Rota has created the Afra armchair for Paola Lenti. The armchair is designed for outdoor environments, and is inspired by an overturned African basket, featuring a braid designed to provide a draining effect for quick drying.
Via & more: Contemporist
Consolacion hotel by Camprubi i Santacana
It will no longer be so easy to overlook Monroyo, in the heart of the county of Matarraña in Teruel (Spain). The usual stopovers to buy some of its ham or pick some wild mushrooms or truffes in season can now be lengthened thanks to a striking new hotel on the outskirts of the town, next to the Consolación Hermitage.
The hotel designed by the frm of Camprubí i Santacana Arquitectes is an innovative project comprising a central house containing the services and communal areas, plus ten rooms built independently.
Via & more: ArchDaily
Cabaret Voltaire by Designliga
Munich designer agency Designliga have created Cabaret Voltaire, a gallery project in Berlin that combines an event space with a parallel digital space. The sparsely-furnished space is described as “a homage to historical Dadaism”, hosts a series of cultural activities which can be experienced remotely as abstract patterns by web visitors. Activity in the space is linked to the project’s website, where viewers experience patterns created from data recorded by sensors on the ceiling of the venue measure changes in activity.
Via & more: dezeen
House in Chihuahua by PRODUCTORA
The House In Chihuahua is part of a golf club community in the desertlike northern region of Mexico. The dwelling was designed to accommodate the special climatic circumstances of the area: in winter temperatures can fall to minus ten degrees Celsius, while in summertime temperatures can rise to above forty degrees Celsius. The differences between daytime and nighttime temperatures can vary by as much as twenty degrees. To balance the extreme temperature differences, we partially buried the house into the mountain slope to take advantage of the soil’s thermal mass. The colder soil around the house absorbs heat accumulated during the day, and at night the ground gives off heat to the building.
Via & more: ArchDaily
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