Well if this isnt special i dont know...

BTech Conceptual Walk Through

this is the coolest ever!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bitbangerlabs/pixelstick-light-painting-evolved

who says money doesnt grow on trees...

Scientists Find Gold in the Leaves of Australian Eucalyptus Trees! 

For the first time, scientists have found gold naturally incorporated into a living organism. Published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers from Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) have confirmed that particles one-fifth the diameter of a human hair have been discovered in the leaves and branches of eucalyptus trees.

During the search for water, the gold finds its way into the eucalyptus from the soil via its root system. Since the gold can be toxic to the plant, scientists hypothesize that the tree moves the metal into its leaves and branches in order to sequester and expel the material. The gold cannot be seen with the naked eye but can be detected with the help of special x-ray technology.

The eucalyptus trees themselves are unlikely to incite a gold rush. Research leader Mel Lintern told the Brisbane Times that even if 500 trees grew over a gold deposit, they would only produce enough metal to fashion a small wedding ring. However, the presence of the element could help drillers detect seams of gold without having to cut into the earth.

According to the Daily Mail, discoveries of gold deposits have halved in the last decade, and the quality of the metal has decreased. Planting eucalyptus trees could be a more environmentally-friendly and cost-effective way to search for gold hundreds of meters below the surface.

Interesting soundproofing tiles from kvadrat!

Kvadrat’s modular North Tiles combine an ingenious folding system with eco-friendly textiles to create a stunning interior element limited only by imagination. Flexible and easily reconfigured, North Tiles define space with sensuality and warmth, brought to life with materials and high standards of the indelibly green Danish company and the talent of French design brothers extraordinaire Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.

The system, with tiles available in over 100 colors, offers infinite form possibilities, both geometric and organic. Modules can create walls, hallways, egress or canopies. In addition to their captivating visual and structural qualities, North Tiles provide soundproofing to the spaces they create and uphold Kvadrat’s environmental philosophy.

Textiles from Kvadrat abide by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency “list of undesirable substances” including AZO dyes, heavy metals, bromide (flame-retardant), chlorine or PVC. The company assesses paper and energy consumption quarterly, electronically monitors power consumption and is currently getting their manufacturing building “energy labeled” for heat, ventilation, light and hot water use. Waste is minimized, packaging is recyclable and transport companies are required to provide an environmental policy, have an environmental manager on staff and use EU 3 engine vehicles (low fuel consumption and minimal pollution).

Read more: KVADRAT Eco-Friendly North Tiles kvadrat_3.jpg - Gallery Page 0 – Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building 

Encore - Treatise Abstract

This is my treatise abstract for the moderators, it's getting scary close to the end of the year :( stressed !

Pyramid House by Juan Carlos Ramos

Mexican architect Juan Carlos Ramos designed his Pyramid House for a competition that called for design ideas based on simple geometry, and his subsequent proposal is worthy of a modern-day pharaoh.

The Pyramid House features glass walls that offer exceptional views of the surrounding landscape and allow natural light to penetrate its deepest corners. The openings vary from narrow slits to large glass planes and alternate in a way that gives the building a dynamic appearance that contrasts the static look of the geometry. Distributed across several levels of the pyramidal volume are two bedrooms, a library, kitchen, bathrooms, garage and even a recording studio. A cantilevered balcony is situated near the top of the building between the bathroom and library.

Read more: Juan Carlos Ramos Unveils Amazing Pyramid House Worthy of a Pharaoh | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building 

Tree or ...?

Known for their gorgeous leather goods and travel accessories, and more recently their black walnut furniture, last weekend the artisans at Moore & Giles extended their range even further with Tree Art rugs. The made-to-order, hand-crafted, vegetable-tanned leather rugs debuted at LA's West Edge Design Fair, in the 1973 Airstream trailer Moore & Giles customized to serve as their roving showroom. A visually stunning display, the interior was staged to reflect Moore & Giles' adventurous spirit and lifestyle, and features rows of supple leather samples complete with aBulleit Bourbon bar.

Each Tree Art rug is laid by hand to create unique pieces inspired by the organically occurring patterns found in the horizontal cross section of a tree trunk. One seven-foot rug takes around 10 days to make, since only one foot can be added to the diameter per day. To begin, the leather is precision cut into straps and then hand-tapered. The rings are formed by the ancient process of "cuir bouilli," a French term that literally translates to boiled leather. This method, traditionally used to make armor and shields, has been adapted into a weaving process that employs hot water to permanently bond and form the leather. Each rug is then air-dried before receiving a quarter inch pad for cushioning, and is finished with a non-skid backing

New Room Decor :)

Local decorator friend of mine :)
she's pretty awesome and really knows she isnt a designer and fully claims the decorator role!
one day when i'm all grown up we will do great things together :) :)
check out her facebook page https://www.facebook.com/newroomdesign

Erin Goldrick-Kinesphere: Multi-Use NYC Space for Professional Dancers

Here's an old thesis abstract of a guy that did s dance school.. just fun to see his take on it all :) Lovely!

Mixed use spaces for niche groups are a growing sector of interior design.  Our mobile lives now demand that spaces provide total support with everything at our fingertips wherever we go. Professional touring dancers, with their high-performance and demanding schedules, became the focus for one recent NYSID MFA-1 graduate, Erin Goldrick, who imagined the special needs of world traveling classical and contemporary ballet dancers who come to Manhattan to perform, audition, and seek opportunity to collaborate with other dancers.

Goldrick designed a space she calls, Kinesphere. This 80,000 square-foot, seven floor facility provides various accommodations to suit dancers including guest suites, a restaurant and bar, a retail area, dance studios, lounges, a theater, as well as areas dedicated to physical therapy, massage, and counseling.

We spoke with the designer about her multi-use one-stop space for dancers.

How did you get the inspiration to design Kinesphere, are you or someone you know a dancer?
Yes, I am a classically trained ballet dancer and I have danced my entire life. I wanted to design a space that is sensitive to the various needs of dancers and accommodates their physically and often emotionally strenuous lifestyle as they pursue their career.

Can you speak about the “resistance/tension” metaphor you used to describe your project and how it translated into the design elements?

The resistance/tension concept is derived from how the dancers work with and against the floor and with and against their partner to achieve a certain balance and stability on the ground, and suspension in the air. There is also a concept surrounding the illusion of ease.  There's an image of a dancer I found, who had her leg lifted at a 180 degree angle, that really summed up the raw power and strength I wanted to depict in this space. Without that raw power and strength, dancers would not be able to perform as "delicately" and as "gracefully" as they do.

These design concepts were translated into the space in various ways.  There is a tension that exists in the layout of the circulation space, which is created by a long, angular void that runs vertically through the entire seven floors. There are bridges that cross this void and appear to overlap one another as you look up to the very top.  There is also a long, tilted wall that penetrates all seven floors of the building.  

The materials I used depict a solid environment of power and illusion – an illusion exposed, in a way, but with a beautiful feeling of strength. For example, I used undulating metal meshes that look soft at a distance, but are actually hard to the touch; frosted glass and resins; metal rope that sliced through one floor to the next, visually connecting the floors together.  The metal meshes and frosted resins were used as scrims, so outsiders can see a glimpse into the dancers lives, but not completely. 

Your illustrations show dancers stretching in the midst of various public or shared places that are not a studio per se, do you actually envision that the space would encourage that? Can you share with us some of the design decisions and materials that supported this kind of activity?

The objective of this facility is not only to provide the primary users with spaces to rehearse, perform, eat, drink, shop, sleep, maintain good health, etc., it is also intended to encourage networking and collaboration when the dancers are in between classes. Dancers often look for any open floor space they can find to warm up, stretch and simultaneously socialize. The bridges and lounge spaces allow the dancers to transverse one side of the floor to the other with ease, while creating an interpersonal connectivity between the dancers themselves. The bridges have the same vinyl flooring as the flooring in the dance studios and there are ballet barres and seating attached to the railings.  They can stretch, work on technique, or just hang out!

What inspired you to choose interior design as a career?
There were a variety of experiences in my past that opened my eyes to interior design.  A college internship with Hunter Douglas Contract and taking my first interior design class while studying in Florence, Italy as an art history major, are just two examples.  My ultimate inspiration to study interior design occurred when I worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a security guard. As a guard, I had the opportunity to explore the spaces and think about everything I observed on a day-to-day basis.  While I had a responsibility to protect the patrons and the art, I couldn't help but study the architectural detail of the space around me, and the creativity in design of the special exhibitions.  I came to the realization that I was more interested in sculpting the space around the art, than studying the art pieces themselves (although, still a great interest of mine!) As I paced back and forth, guarding the art, I got excited about the prospect of positively impacting interiors and people. 

What has the reaction been to your project?
I think overall, people have reacted to my project with positive feedback, as well as a genuine curiosity and interest about why a dancer would benefit from such a "one-stop-shop" facility. My dancer friends however, immediately connected with the description of my project and expressed great desire for such a place to exist! 

Turning Weapons Into Instruments by Pedro Reyes 'Disarm'

Box by the Creators Project

London Design Festival

someone please take me next year :) would be the bestest gift ever! #hint hint!

trippy geometrics

I don't know if i'm really tired or what, but i enjoyed this 

CALOUETTE PERPETUAL CALENDAR

a modern perpetual calendar that is marriage of two very different materials, a salvaged timber beam and colorful transparent acrylic. Printed on each acrylic tag is the date, and to mark the current date, simply move the tag forward. You can even mark the acrylic tags with notes or doodles to signify important dates.

2020 Olympics National Stadium of Japan by Zaha Hadid Architects

Set to become the main sporting venue for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic games, following the news that Tokyo will be the host city.

The new 80,000-seat stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2020 games, as well as athletics, football and rugby events.

"The stadium will become an integral part of Tokyo's urban fabric, directly engaging with the surrounding cityscape to connect and carve the elegant forms of the design," said Zaha Hadid, after winning a competition to design the stadium in November.

"Our three decades of research into Japanese architecture and urbanism is evident in our winning design and we greatly look forward to building the new National Stadium," she added.

Set to replace the existing Kasumigaoka National Stadium, the new building will join Kenzo Tange's iconic 1964 Olympic stadium in Yoyogi Park, which will function as a handball arena this time around. Zaha Hadid Architects will also work on this building, renovating the structure and adding a retractable roof.

Walkie Scorchie

Rafael Viñoly's Walkie Talkie skyscraper in London is reflecting a beam of light intense enough to melt cars, according to a series of recent reports.

Claims surfaced over the weekend that the glare from the curvaceous glass facade of the 37-storey tower - currently under construction at 20 Fenchurch Street - have caused vehicle paintwork to melt and bodywork to distort.

Engineer Eddie Cannon, who parked his Vauxhall Vevaro beneath the building, told local newspaper City AM: "The van looks a total mess – every bit of plastic on the left hand side and everything on the dashboard has melted, including a bottle of Lucozade that looks like it has been baked."

Tiling company director Martin Lindsay suffered a similar fate, claiming that the panels surrounding his Jaguar XJ had been warped. Attacking property developer Land Securities, he said: "They're going to have to think of something. I'm gutted. How can they let this continue?"

Land Securities has acknowledged the claims and is promising to look into the matter. "As a precautionary measure, the City of London has agreed to suspend three parking bays in the area which may be affected while we investigate the situation further," said a spokesperson.

The skyscraper, nicknamed the Walkie Talkie due to its distinctive profile, is set to be the first London building completed by Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly, who is based in New York. This recent controversy has prompted critics to rebrand the building "Walkie Scorchie".

The skyscraper is scheduled to complete in 2014 and will feature an elevated garden and observation deck that will be open to the public.

light bulb made of wood

it really lets off light and creates such a beautiful texture. It's still in concept fazes but its pretty! 

This wooden light bulb by Ryosuke Fukusada merges traditional craftsmanship with a modern LED device to create what appears to be a solid piece of wood shaped like a light bulb but which actually radiates light. The inside of the wood is chipped out until light can shine through. 

Drawing sounds - Looks Like Music by Yuri Suzuki.

Sounds, drawn lines and robots come together in Yuri Suzuki's latest interactive installation. 

Japanese media artist Suzuki has developed an audiovisual installation titled "Looks Like Music" for Luxembourg museum, MUDAM, earlier this year. 

The interactive installation follows in the footsteps of Suzuki's previous project, "Colour Charter", which aimed at creating engagement amongst viewers and sparked social interaction.

WATCH THE VIDEO ON THIS LINK >>>>> http://vimeo.com/72853276  

"Looks Like Music" consists of a series of oddly-shaped miniature robots designed by Dentaku, which detect and follow a designated circuit – a black line traced in marker pen – scattered among colour reference points that the mobile objects are able to translate into sound. The installation aims to engage visitors by inviting them to participate in the creation of an orchestra. This is done by extending the circuit drawn on paper with coloured markers. 

The installation sees a total of five different colour chasers that translate the drawing into a symphony of music composed by Mark Mckeague. Each shape produces unique sound content such as drum samples and computer noise percussion to create playful audible chaos.

I'm missing restaurant and kitchen design :(

I really just want to be designing anything else except what i'm busy with right now .. sigh 92 days..

too bad

Puppy Products

Today i was talking to my dear friends +Gail Stock and  +Jennifer Baybut about life after university and how we do not want to pursue interior design further. 

Gail says she wants to be a make up artist (i think it was, correct me if i'm wrong) and i honestly cant remember what Jen said (sorry Jen :( think it was something to do with Meth :P ) and my latest crazy dream if i don't want to do Interior Design anymore i want to be a puppy breeder :P my brain is in full puppy mode, and i was thinking since you can only breed once a year with the same female, i should develop a range of puppy products too! there are such fun toys, beds and kennels and pet products out there! and the puppy clothes are fun, yet slightly ridiculous too! 

i see so many possibilities in this!