Indoor greenhouse by Smeg
"Manufacturing a greenhouse / household appliance is an original, useful idea that is in no way odd. Made of steel and tempered glass, Serra Domestica by Smeg offers a new way to enjoy greenery in one’s home. In the Serra Domestica, aromatic herbs can be planted in pots, along with cactus plants and green and flowering plants that are acclimatized to an apartment. Temperature, humidity and luminosity sensors recreate environments that are suitable for the growth and upkeep of plants of all types, whether extant or seedlings. A special function allows the user to heat the earth in the pots, thus making it easier for cuttings to take root. Serra Domestica can be placed on any top or on its own pedestal."
Via: Domus (Registration Req'd)
Design: Piano Design
"The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) announced the recipients of its 2003 Professional Awards. Of the 436 entries submitted, the nine-member jury selected 33 projects to receive awards. The awards were presented during the ASLA Annual Meeting, October 30-November 3, in New Orleans."
The rising cost and decreased quality of lumber for traditional "stick" framing is forcing the construction industry in the United States to look towards alternative materials and methods. This flexible concrete finish system has many benefits.
"Rashid was born in Cairo and raised in London and Toronto. With a career that began at age nineteen, Rashid is now forty and the author of more than five hundred product designs, ranging from coat racks to mailboxes, perfume packaging to lighting, tableware to high fashion. His Garbo trashcan has become a design icon, with more than two million units sold. His extraordinary commercial success has been mirrored by critical acclaim. His work is in the collections of museums worldwide, including The Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and The Montreal Museum of Decorative Arts." "Among the projects featured in this book are those designed for Nambe, Sony, Issey Miyake, Umbra, Tommy Hilfiger, Leonardo, Yahoo!, and many more. This, the first comprehensive book on his designs, has been written and designed in collaboration with Rashid and includes essays by a stellar list of contributors."
"The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) unveiled plans for a Frank Gehry-designed building that will expand the total space of the museum by 20 percent or 190,000 square feet over its present 486,000. Gehry's $194.8 million scheme is part of Transformation AGO, a $500 million initiative to invigorate the institution with new art, a new building, and a new push for greater public visibility. Groundbreaking is scheduled for early 2005 with completion by 2007."
Sculptor Adam Distenfeld uses reclaimed rock from construction projects in New York City for his creations; custom fountains and sculptures for indoor and outdoor spaces.
"Rift sawn white oak framed table with reversible top. Top is rift sawn white oak on one side and white high pressure laminate on the other. The table top rotates easily and it locks into place with a steel tube. It's a perfect multifunctional solution to get the most out of your space."
"A square-shaped armchair with epoxy powder coated steel frame. The seat was made by hand-plaiting 650 metres of cotton-covered acrylic cord. The deliberately irregular plaiting makes the padding even more comfortable."
"Free by Babel lends every bathtub a level of aesthetic experience never seen before. An innovation: the translucent non-reinforced acrylic, which allows the bathtub to shine with a new radiance. As a contrast, fine wood. The intelligent solution of the wall adapter means that the tub can be fitted at any time. Free by Babel: new freedom for bathroom interiors. Also available as a fitted bathtub with whirl systems."
Dan Hill reposted his sketches of Gehry's Guggenheim:
Made from Ipe (a high quality sustainable wood), stainless steel and natural composite materials, Modern Outdoor has three lines of chairs, tables, benches, carts and planters.
The Netherlands has been leading the charge in the world of architecture over the last several years, and the landscape work of this firm is right out in front as well producing some of the most interesting contemporary landscapes.
"Simplicity and rounded edges reveal the distinctive stamp of James Irvine, while the bentwood frame of this chair spells out Thonet. A660 stands on a polished aluminium base - your choice of disc or cross - on which an aluminium bracket is mounted. Polyester netting covers the continuous beech frame resting on this bracket. The chair is available with and without armrests, and the frame can be colour-stained or varnished. Seat height is 46 cm, chair width 51 cm. Irvine has clearly swept Thonet into the 21st century."
"Ecoshack (Headed by SCI-Arc faculty member Stephanie Smith) is sponsoring a competition to design an environmentally sustainable camping shelter - a 'green' tent - that explores nature, culture and experience. Open to anyone with innovative ideas inspired by Southern California's 'green' lifestyle. Winners will be prototyped on a 5-acre site in Joshua Tree, California."
"Rob slewe designed BLOOM! for the new terrace of the Parnassia beach pavillion in the Dutch seaside resort of Bloemendaal. BLOOM! is characterised by its simple but classy design and versatility: a flowerpot doubling as light! Its cleverly designed dimensions make BLOOM suitable not only for flowers and plants indoors as well as outdoors, but also for use at (garden) parties, filled with ice to chill champagne or other mixed drinks, for example.
The double-walled, waterproof flowerpot is made of high-grade plastic. Inside the pot are two 11 watt energy-saving light bulbs that can be connected to both outdoor and indoor lighting systems."
Clever designs for the home by Nicolette Brunklaus. Those Dutch know how to design, don't they?
"Nationwide our modern built landscapes are in danger. The designs of Lawrence Halprin, a leader in landscape architecture for decades, are particularly vulnerable at this time. Halprin recently received the National Endowment for the Arts gold medal from the President Bush. Despite this national recognition for design excellence, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts included demolition of Halprin's sculpture garden in its $100-million building expansion plan designed by London-based architect Rick Mather."
Hanging lamp from moooi. Made from epoxy and fiberglass.
Elaine Louie of the NY Times writes:
FlapFlap - floating lamp
The gardens and landscape of the Getty Center are easily the largest and most easily accessible example of contemporary landscape design in the Los Angeles area, if not the western United States.
"A fascinating piece in Metropolis about The Ironwork Lofts, a rather dismal collection of executive homes in Colorado masquerading as pseudo factories, canneries and warehouses. The architects responsible are Terra Verde, who are seemingly able to turn their hand to anything, from the style that should be known as Prairie Golf, through to Neo Adobe and Steroidal Ranch. The developers, Cornerstone Homes ('we build livable art'), have identified a niche - people who want the space and style of city living without the actual city."
"Although it's 'currently on home trial,' (so don't expect to purchase it anytime soon) this Dyson DC06 robotic vacuum cleaner looks to humiliate all the Roombas and Electrolux robots currently out there eating up cat hair with its 'Dual-Cyclone' action. I'm not sure how I feel about a powerful sucking robot having a 'mood indicator light,' though. Nice robot. Gentle robot. No dreamin' of the overmind for you, love."
Construction of the Dwell Home - a design contest sponsored by Dwell Magazine back in 2003 - is nearing completion. The contest winning home was designed by Resolution 4 and is expected to be completed mid-2004.
Jennifer Siegal's Office of Mobile Design (OMD) has designed two prefabricated lines of modular dwellings, and has begun production of the "Portable House."
"Since Edith Heath became the first non-architect to win the prestigious AIA Gold Medal Award for the exterior tile on Pasadena's Norton Simon museum, Heath tile has been known for its high quality and design leading aesthetics. Heath tile stands out for the handcrafted feel of its glazes that contrasts with the crisp modern lines of its shapes."
"Designed by Anders Nørgaard this wine rack can also be considered as furniture due to its beautiful, sculptural shape. The wine rack can hold up to 18 wine bottles and minimalistic in its design, the wine bottles themselves form part of the design. The wine rack is made from polished aluminium."
"DURAT is a polyester-based solid surface material that withstands wear, humidity and chemicals. It is used to create various furniture surfaces for restaurants, cafés, shops, hotels, ships, domestic and institutional kitchens, bathrooms and public sanitary facilities. DURAT contains recycled plastics and is 100% recyclable."
"One of the central figures in modern landscape architecture, Garrett Eckbo (b. 1910) has been a major influence in the field during an active career spanning five decades. While most of the early American designers concentrated on the private garden and the corporate landscape, Eckbo's work demonstrated innovative design ideas in a social setting. This engagement with social improvement has stayed with Eckbo throughout his life, distinguishing both his intentions and achievements, from his early work for the Farm Security Administration to his partnerships (including one of the most prominent landscape firms in the world, Eckbo, Dean, Austin, and WilliamsEDAW) and his years as chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley. In an elegant and detailed book that includes more than 100 of Eckbo's designs, Marc Treib examines the aesthetic formation of Eckbo's manner, and by implication the broader field of landscape architecture since the 1930s. Dorothe Imbert writes about Eckbo's social vision, including his belief that ultimately, landscape design is the "arrangement of environments for people." The book also contains a biographical and professional chronology and a complete bibliography of publications by and about Garrett Eckbo."
David Trubridge is one of New Zealand's best-known designers of contemporary furniture. He has designed some very nice indoor/outdoor pieces, and we like his general philosophy.