Category: DesignBOT
Posted by Adriean on 11/28/2005 12:06:00 PM
Proving there's power in numbers
Based in London, FuseDesignCollective was formed over a
year ago by a group of design graduates from the University of
Brighton. It has now grown to incorporate graduate members
from other universities around the UK with each member bringing in new style, skills and personality to the group.
Fuse represents a new mode in contemporary British design. The Fuse designers form the nucleus of a shared network of specialist knowledge and experience.
The Collective is not a business, company or a "non-profit
making organization", it is a group set up by its member designers
to help each other to create better design, for themselves and
their clients.
Link: FuseDesignCollective
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Category: Furniture
Posted by Deborah on 11/24/2005 3:49:00 PM
Bean Bags for the 21st century
Ambient Lounge has redefined bean bags for an upscale urban market that wants style that is casual and sleek.
The new online retailer Ambient Lounge has revolutionised the bean
bag market in the UK and Europe by introducing new shapes that are not only
quantum improvements in comfort and function, but reflective of the modern
style, colours and tastes of home wares today. Rather than being an
embarrassing luxury shoved into the cupboard when guests come around,
Ambient Lounge bean bags are now a centerpiece of style & quality in many
people’s living rooms. With the outstanding new designer range developed by
their interior design team, this is set to accelerate exponentially into
2006 and beyond, both in the UK and ‘style driven’ European markets such as
France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden.
Link Ambient Lounge
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Category: Furniture
Posted by Deborah on 11/21/2005 8:47:00 AM
Engineering storage
The Sinimet Collection from Cortex Design is designed to provide attractive, functional and durable storage. The Sinimet storage cart is ideal for office and studio use. It has an automotive coating on the top and bottom that provides a unique finish and quality detailing. The ample storage and strength of drawers can handle everyday items, but it is also suitable for bulkier pieces like power tools. The Sinimet credenza and filing cabinet are a nice companion with beautifully engineered details and corners that are currently available in three retro colours. Cortex Design is a an industrial design company located in Toronto that provides functional prototypes and new products for the consumer, industrial and contract furniture markets.
Link: Cortex Design
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Category: Bath
Posted by Deborah on 11/21/2005 4:59:00 AM
Stainless steel bathtubs
Looking for a bathtub that is sustainable, easy to maintain and drop dead gorgeous? Stainless steel might be just what you are looking for. Stainless steel tubs come in a variety of shapes and styles that can be paired with other materials like enamel and wood. They are a good conductor of heat, and will keep the water warmer for an extended period of time. They are also corrosion resistant and should not rust. Stainless steel tubs are not mass produced, so they can be expensive and many people opt for having them custom made to suit their needs. Stainless tubs are generally in the $7,000 to $17,000+ (US) range, which is not exactly pocket change, but if you are looking for something sustainable, durable and different it might just be worth the investment.
Link: Agape
Link: Diamond Spas
Link: Neo-Metro
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Category: DesignBOT
Posted by Adriean on 11/17/2005 11:12:00 PM
Ron Arad dreams up paradise
Situated in the historical Italian city of Rimini, designer Ron Arad plans to make history of his own.
Scheduled for an early 2006 opening, the revamped duoMo hotel is set to reintroduce itself as a modern icon within these historical surroundings.
looking back at the dream, to what, to how we would have wanted the duoMo hotel to become, we were sure that we wanted something that embraced the past but looked towards the future, something different, something international that reflected our need for dynamism, design, and creativity on one hand while on the other could also be a place to unwind, meet people and conduct business.
The standout for me thus far is the amazingly over the top (but rightfully so) reception desk......Ron you got me at hello.
Link: duoMo hotel
Firm: Ron Arad Associates
Link: City of Rimini
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Category: Architecture
Posted by James on 11/17/2005 2:33:00 PM
A centerless center rooted in the landscape
 A free-thinking women's college, Wellesley features a campus that is the antithesis of traditional academic hierarchical form. Buildings are clustered and scattered across the wildly varied Massachusetts landscape, exemplifying the ethos of the school.
It has been argued that "no single building on the Wellesley campus can claim as much historical significance and general admiration as does the landscape itself, and the buildings best loved within the Wellesley community have aesthetic properties which blend with those of the landscape."
Link: Wellesley College Wang Center
Firm: Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects
Firm: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
Article: Boston Globe - Center of attention on a centerless campus (BugMeNot)
Via: The Dirt
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Category: Furniture
Posted by James on 11/15/2005 3:44:00 PM
Laminated plywood coffee table
 Fellow SCI-Arcian Jon Racek recently got in touch with us, and while I was familiar with his company, Stew Design Workshop, I didn't know that we shared an alma mater. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: for such a small school, it's amazing how SCI-Arc people seem to be everywhere doing interesting work. Jon and his brother Kevin, who is also an architect, are based in Burlington, Vermont, and design everything from furniture to architecture to graphics etc.
Jon was kind enough to share with us their new design for coffee table that they showed at ICFF this year. The 5050 Table is made from 540 three-inch pieces of laminated plywood. I'm not sure if the Stew guys have ever considered OCD medication, but their compulsiveness sure produces some exceptional furniture. I really like the striated surface and the table's woven, almost malleable appearance.
Link: Stew Design Workshop
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Category: DesignBOT
Posted by Adriean on 11/15/2005 6:30:00 AM
The Works of Eva Jiricna
Czech born / London based architect, Eva Jiricna , is represented quite nicely in a recent publication of her projects titled 'In/Ex Terior'. The book showcases a selection of 39 projects and designs which includes over 250 photographs and drawings to really get the point across as to how much of a talent she really is. It's a well layed out portfolio of retail, hotels, night clubs and much, much more.
Over the last decade Jiricna´s contribution to architecture and design has been recognised with personal awards, including being made a Royal Designer for Industry, a Commander of the British Empire for Services to Interior Design, election as a Royal Academician by the Royal Academy of Arts, and induction in the American Hall of Fame. She holds honorary doctorates and professorships at several universities (e.g., Southampton Institute, Technical University in Brno, University of Sheffield, Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague). In 2003 she was elected a President of Architectural Association of London. She participates on international juries and lectures widely on her work.
Link: Eva Jiricna Architects
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Category: DesignBOT
Posted by Adriean on 11/14/2005 2:44:00 PM
Design Rises in the East
The first annual Singapore Design Festival takes flight this month with a truely broad range of design avenues such as furniture, photography, graphics, toy design, textiles and many, many more. All of which is meant to celebrate the best of design that the city has to offer.
The inaugural Singapore Design Festival, scheduled for 9 to 23 November 2005, is a multifaceted experience focusing on the design process and the conceptualisation of ideas. In essence the Festival aims to build upon the design culture in Singapore and around the world, making it an interactive and “live” experience of the design process and its end products.
From designers to design policy makers, agencies, schools, media, related industries, businesses and the general public - all are welcome to participate, enjoy and learn.
This event has great potential in only it's first year. I really like the fact that they chose to display so many diciplines of design and help create a 'community' atmosphere. Definitely one to keep an eye on every year.
Link: SDF
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Category: Architecture
Posted by James on 11/12/2005 4:34:00 PM
About being on the slope
 It would seem that former pro snowboarder Marc Morisset selected the site for his home the way he would pick a line. Sited on a steep wooded hillside in Whistler, B.C., the house nearly rides the site; carving and floating down the slope while grabbing exhilarating moments of big air.
The house is about being on the slope... composed of crevasses and plateaus.
Designed by San Francisco based Studio (n-1), the firm of Dutch transplants Christos Marcopoulos and Carol Moukheibe, the three bedroom house is set in an Intrawest planned subdivision. The architects pushed and pulled at the stringent Design Guidelines to create a modern mountain home in contrast with the more typical neighbors, but in harmony with its environment.
An article in the NY Times provides other interesting tidbits in talking with the owner and architects, though they can't seem to keep all their facts straight... Squaw Valley is in California, and I could split some other hairs as well... but I won't.
Firm: Studio (n-1)
Article: NY Times - The Boarding House
Photos: NY Times
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