the k:fem department store by wingårdh architecture is located in the vällingby development, just outside
of stockholm. the store was conceived as a new beacon for the community serving to inject new life into
the area. the exterior is covered in a milky glass which get increasingly see through toward the top,
merging into the red overhang above. the list of stores inside are displayed on the overhang, all in white
on red. a pedestrian street cuts-through the department store, dividing it from the adjoining solo retailer.
inside the store, the semitransparent theme continues. the most unique features is the light filled central
core which is open to the sky.

http://www.wingardhs.se










via arch daily

Slight change to our weekly Meta MoCo survey post, we've decided to split it into two parts; Best MoCo Architecture This Week and Best MoCo Objects This Week. With the number and quality of design blogs steadily growing, the quantity of design objects and architecture has virtually exploded. The name change also more aptly describes the content we are presenting. Best MoCo Architecture This Week will be posted every weekend and Best MoCo Objects This Week will now be posted on Mondays.

+ Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter's prefab Read-Nest, "Measuring only 10 m2, Read-Nest is a small pre-manufactured structure that is designed to sit in the landscape like an architectural folly. Being flexible in both situation and use, the owner can place Read-Nest where he or she feels would best suit their needs, whether for study, relaxation or both.". At Arch Daily.

+ Also from Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter; Summerhouse in Jørlunde at Arch Daily. "Raised above the ground by concrete pillars, the house extends over the sloping terrain with interior spaces and terraces filtered from the outer landscape by movable fabric screens stretching along the perimeter.".

+ Splitterwerk's 32 sq. meter "Ivory and fresh Shell" apartment # 1 in Black Treefrog, Bad Waltersdorf, Austria. Converted from an old farmyard and a fire station, "The new interior envelope is conceived as a continuously active media surface - Projections, enlarged picture screens or TV - that makes the spatial divisions into virtual phenomena.". Via Judit Bellostes and We Make Money Not Art.

+ Jan Konings and Droog Lab's Hotel Experimenta*. "a temporary hotel at the northern IJ-river front in Amsterdam. It can be seen as an inverted hotel - the neighbourhood as a whole functions as a hotel, the streets are the hotel corridors, and the inhabitants are the hosts that offer the guests services, activities and excursions.". Via Judit Bellostes, Droog lab and Frame magazine.

+ Allied Works Architecture's Dutchess County Guesthouse profiled in the NYT's Style Magazine. "A cool guesthouse for a pair of art collectors upstate New York by the firm that redid 2 Columbus Circle.". Via Materialicious.

+ "Koji Tsutsui Architect & Associates design a house for an industrial designer in a quiet residential area in Tokyo." at World Architecture News.

+ Curiosity, Inc.'s C-2 House at rolu | design, with "a dash of something 70's here. picture the exterior covered in cedar shakes.".

+ Swedish designer Jonas Wagell's Mini House, "a 15 square metre house that can be built in a weekend". At Dezeen.

+ DeMaria Design's Redondo Beach House, "constructed with a combination of prefabricated shipping containers and traditional building materials". At Inhabitat.

+ Morten and Andrea's Gotland island sommarhus at Hemfeber.

The work on the interior of the New Mexico EcoSteel House is progressing. Today we share more photos taken by the owner.



Click through the link below to see a photo browser with more images of the interior and the site.

Technorati Tags: 6030 House, 6040 House, ecosteel, modern design, modern house, prefab house

It is interesting how these two different products are packaged in such similar form factors. The only differentiating factor seems to be the graphics. Right? Some things to think about… 1) Why does the package on the left cost $80 and the one on the right $12? 2) Why do we implicitly know that the [...]

Dr. Owen Geiger and I have collaborated on a new article posted at earthbagbuilding.com that describes how to use earthbags filled with various natural insulating materials to insulate ceilings or roofs.
There seems to be a general lack of interesting ceiling options using sustainable building materials. For instance, when touring otherwise beautiful straw bale homes one often sees sheetrock covering conventional industrial insulation. Instead of using fiberglass batts or even manufactured cotton batts to insulate a roof, it is possible to use earthbags that are filled with a variety of insulating materials. These materials include rice hulls, crushed volcanic rock (such as scoria), vermiculite and perlite.

The insulating value of these ranges from about R-2 to R-3, so they are quite effective, and can also be quite inexpensive to install.

This article also describes how one might use mats made of natural fibers to cover and finish these earthbag ceilings.

Suspended ceilings, as described in this article, have a number of benefits. They conceal the roof structure, plumbing, venting and electrical wiring, as well as improve acoustics and insulation. And they can also greatly enhance the ambiance or hominess of a room.

A combination of factors underpins rapid growth in the Chinese mobile commerce sector.

Trend Description

China is rapidly emerging as the global capital of m-commerce applications, driven by an increasingly high-tech digital environment, the world’s largest mobile phone subscriber base (nearly 600 million), and the recent launch of the country’s own 3G standard (TD-SCDMA).

Although China currently lacks the advanced mobile applications of Europe, North America, Japan and Korea, many cellular players are now launching sophisticated mobile applications, and analysts predict the country may leapfrog more traditional m-commerce markets in the near future.

Penetration of new markets, including retail, ticket purchases and person-to-person transactions, is predicted to result in increasingly high volumes of small payments to Chinese m-commerce service providers. Because this type of transaction costs businesses far less than retail or other forms of transaction, the demand for m-commerce solutions is expected to grow and result in tremendous opportunities for these SPs.

Cases

UFIDA’s hapigo

The “hapigo” platform developed by UFIDA Mobile is China’s first large-scale, multi-functional m-commerce platform. With a strong focus on mobile internet technology, hapigo provides retailers and consumers with an efficient and effective  one-stop m-commerce shop. Last year hapigo became “the first brand of mobile e-commerce in China”, serving 200,000 retailers over 1 million mobile consumers.

UFIDA Mobile is a recently created US$13.42 million joint venture between the Beijing-based Ufida Software Company and Japan-based wireless heavyweight NTT DoCoMo.

Taobao’s WAP Site

Alibaba’s Taobao, the Chinese version of eBay, has recently launched a WAP version of the site at wap.taobao.com., in an effort to expand its reach to China’s huge mobile phone subscriber base, many of whom do not have net access of their own.

More interesting still is the way in which the site is served by a mobile interface for Alipay. Payment for most m-commerce in China so far has been processed by mobile service providers as part of the consumers’ bill. Although China Mobile may not be too happy with Alibaba’s move to cut them out of the loop with its “m-Alipay” service, its hard to imagine they can stop it in the long term.

Trend Impact

While the future for m-commerce in China looks rosy, there are still many obstacles to overcome. China is still largely a cash-based economy, with m-payment support structures only recently being developed. The rate of mobile phone uptake is also very  biased toward urban areas, especially when it comes to smartphones / PDAs.

Since voice is still the dominant application, decades-old mobile technologies are still some of the most profitable, and many mobile operators will need to upgrade large parts of their networks to the 2.5G and 3G technologies needed for most m-commerce applications. Still, with m-commerce proving increasingly popular and profitable, the financial incentives will surely continue to drive investment in both infrastructure and applications.

Find the original blog at CScout China blog.

Still playing around with trying to make the drawings for the Hus1 appear like they came out of a magazine from 1957.



which is a halftone filter run over a black and white image of the model. More variations below the fold.



maybe sunset yellow?



or working with an image that approximates an old blueprint

Technorati Tags: house plans, Hus1, modern design, modern house

Nokia demonstrates how it's leveraging insights gleaned from the developing world into products. The mobile phone is made to work a lot hard in developing countries; it becomes the mobile office and primary computer for many of its users. In response, Nokia is launching Life Tools; software included in its phones that can help those involved in agriculture better understand market and weather conditions.


Posted by Ed Cotton

Outside of Rio de Janeiro, on a beautiful little beach with amazing blue water, sits a little house with a flowering roof that shades and protects like a big tropical banana leaf. Designed by Mareines + Patalano, the open air abode is meant to encourage interaction and connection between man and nature. With verandas and open spaces in between rooms and no corridors, the tropical beach house is an ideal place for social gatherings and parties. The open layout also takes advantage of trade winds that blow in from the sea, providing natural ventilation and passive cooling.

(more…)

When they were first commissioned to create a “Bahaman” seaside cottage on secluded South Stradbroke Island, Brisbane-based Arkhefield was faced with a few interesting challenges. The design had to be livable all year round, made from materials strong enough to withstand the harsh climate conditions, yet remind its inhabitants of memorable vacations spent on exotic islands. The resulting design stands out as a modern, sustainable interpretation of a Bahaman cottage that capitalizes on the site and celebrates volume but is also capable of isolating, re-orienting and shutting down against inclement weather when necessary.

(more…)

Wolf Prix of Coop Himmelb(l)au will be speaking to Sylvia Lavin about his soon to be completed high school of visual and performing arts in Los Angeles. Wednesday, Nov. 5th, @ 7PM. (via LA Forum)

‘sleep’, 2008 (source imagery: jean-bernard restout)

deitch projects, new york
november 1 - december 20, 2008

‘down’ is an exhibit of new paintings by kehinde wiley which opened earlier this month at new york’s
deith projects. a wide selection of wiley’s large-scale works will be on show including four new works
each referencing images of fallen warriors, saints, and classical mythology. using source imagery
from classical paintings, wiley contemporizes them with elements of other painting styles including
graffiti. wiley also examines the notion of ‘the master painter’, while also casting young black males
in the role of the subject.

http://www.deitch.com
http://www.kehindewiley.com

all photography by max yawney


‘morpheus’, 2008 (source imagery: jean-antoine houdon)


‘christian martyr tarcisius’, 2008 (source imagery: auguste falguiere)


‘the virgin martyr st. cecilia’, 2008(source imagery: stefano maderno)


‘femme piquee par un serpent’, 2008 (source imagery: auguste clesinger)


‘lamentation over the dead christ’, 2008 (source imagery: mantegna)


‘a dead soldier’, 2008 (source imagery: velasquez)


‘down’ by kehinde wiley, installation view at deitch projects

Image Source: Listen to ME! One of the key skills I noticed great designers have is the ability to engage in Active Listening. I was lucky. I managed to pick up this skill 6-7 years ago in a training seminar and it has been vital in helping my access situations quickly, make good decisions, [...]

the lounge and bookshop areas of bologna's new fabrica store

after seven years of being located on via rizzoli, the bologna fabrica features shop has moved to another
historical part of city's centre at strada maggiore. designed by fabrica's young designers, valentina carretta
and sam baron, the atmosphere is low-tech and uses elements which are typically associated with
the construction industry: wooden boxes, concrete quarterdecks, pallets and electrical devices, alongside
other furnishings. the walls are decorated with hand-drawn graphics by marta teixeira.


wooden palettes are used to display products, with interactive clock by tomonaga tokuyama right

designboom snapshots: fabrica at milan design week 2007
designboom snapshots: fabrica at milan design week 2008

fabrica: http://www.fabrica.it
sam baron: http://sambaron.blogspot.com

dutch designers frank tjepkema, janneke hooymans, tina stieger and leonie janssen were commissioned
by the dutch beer maker heineken to design their first shop. the studio at tjep settled on a theme of pouring,
translating the idea into displays the blend from floor to wall to ceiling, in wave-like forms. a sub-theme for
the retail outlet was coldness. this theme can be spotted in the cool colours and 100% led lighting system.
coldness is also literally seen in the three- story fridge that holds heineken bottles form around the world.
the store is divided into four sections, the aforementioned fridge, a fashion department, a ticket and travel
section and a fully equipped recording studio for young music artists.

http://www.tjep.com

new public space furniture for amsterdam's amstel station designed by frank tjepkema











via archdaily

This is the first coffee table I've seen in ages that I actually like. Pretty cool, though not cheap at $3,500.

Via Inspire Me, Now!

I just wanted to take a minute to share a little furniture shopping experience I had this week. I have two small children, Owen (5) and Parker Jane (3). P.J is way overdue on getting out of her crib, and Owen needs a bed frame to spruce up his room. We've been putting off a lot of other furniture purchases in order to save up and buy some nice beds for the kids. The time had finally come.

We wanted something modern and cool, and a little more substantial than a regular "kids bed." There are a lot of neat beds on the market but the modern offerings tend to be really pricey and are too often the kind of thing that will look silly in your kids' rooms by the time they're ten. My wife and I finally settled on a pair of these great-looking platform beds from TrueModern. They cost more than we wanted to pay, but were priced reasonably compared to a lot of other modern offerings on the market (many not as nice), and I think they look great, look well made, and will last the kids a long while.



Now, you can get these from a lot of places but for whatever reason we ordered ours from Design Public. I'd never bought anything from them before, but I'm one of those people who shops online a lot and it's not a really big deal for me to try a place completely new, even for a big purchase - throw caution to the wind, reckless abandon, all that jazz. I really don't recall why I picked them for my order.

So anyway, the beds get ordered, it takes about two weeks for them to ship, and then I get the call from the freight company who will deliver them. Long story short, there is a problem, possibly some confusion, and I am concerned about it. The problem was the freight company, not Design Public or TrueModern, but rather than tackle it solo I decide to call Design Public for help.

I must say, I was absolutely impressed by the extremely friendly and helpful response. I won't get into the details, but I thought that the Design Public staff went above and beyond the call of duty in helping me. I spoke to Jonathan, who was unfailingly courteous and diligent in his follow-up on my issue. I felt like they really cared, that I was valued as a customer, and that Design Public genuinely wanted to take care of me. It was really nice!

Like I said, I shop online a lot without giving it much thought. And I guess I've learned not to expect too much. But really, I thought Design Public were wonderful to deal with. If you want some really cool modern stuff, check out their site. It is loaded with amazing furniture, accessories, lighting, gifts, etc. - you name it. Very nice. It's a small company that's really living up to its mission. I was totally impressed.

Bravo and thanks!

Image credit - Design Public site

Everyone's been talking about Frank's yet-to-be abode in Venice for years and years, but instead the office has decided to move to El Segundo, CA. "Frank Gehry and the 160 professionals of the world-renowned architectural firm Gehry Partners, LLP will relocate to the coastal California community in early 2009." - Thanks, Paul (via archinect)

The Damn You rubber telephone by Mingyu Jeung is an excellent tool for venting anger and the usual telephone frustration, but the Peep Show bookshelf by Alice Naylor is a civilized way of hiding one's low (or high) brow taste from the wrong prying eyes. Or just good for plain old tidying up. Seongyong Lee 's Colour Space is certainly sleek, but might not hold quite as many books. A folio storage option, perhaps? The Tea Handkerchief by Miho Kaneko is just as dignified, and an elegant way to enjoy tea anywhere. Pixie Vases from Wik & Walsøe were faves from the 100% Norway section, and the Wine Bottle Speakers by Sante Kim were a hit with everyone.

+ designersblock.org.uk

Several of my favorite blogs posted interesting homes yesterday.

On the ever-cool BLDGBLOG Geoff Manaugh points out the compact Single Hauz from front architects. They remind him of the billboards outside his LA home. You can put them practically anywhere, even in the middle of a lake, which is what Manaugh says he'd go for. Personally, I've always wanted to live in a meadow.






Jetson Green brings us a sleek Cape Cod beach house by Independence Energy Homes. At 7,000 square feet it's probably not quite in my price range. I also usually frown on very large homes, but this one uses geothermal heating and photovoltaics to meet all its energy needs. It also has an air exchange system and low or no VOC materials for good indoor air quality, a permeable driveway, water conserving fixtures, and is built from "rapidly renewable materials." Very nice. Still, give me a 2,000 square foot, $200,000 home with all these features. Now that would be an accomplishment.






Finally, on the LamiDesign blog, Greg La Vardera shows off a final pic of the completed Vermont Plat House. You can follow the entire process of building this house, from start to finish, on Greg's blog. I think it turned out really well.





Image credits - architects sites

Custom Concrete fireplace installation by Solus Decor, photography provided by Solus

"Block" Concrete surround display at Solus Decor Studio on 3rd

We decided quite early in the process to excavate under our garage and take advantage of the 200 sqft that would have otherwise sat unused. I don't believe this is particularly common, but it's a relatively inexpensive way to maximize the space on a small lot. Our original intention was to use a product called Insul-Deck to support the garage floor, however we've since had to abandon this approach in favor of a straightforward concrete & rebar structural slab.

+ 360winnett.com

Well, in contrast to the usual news that happiness is THE key to a better living I found that this article share some interesting sources on quite the contrary. Similarly have you ever thought about how our world would look/feel like if everything is 'designed' well? For me this triggers quite a few follow up questions like: How about Design's role as 'styling' then in contrast to 'Design' as a source for innovation? And re-phrasing Naish's words: 'Bad Design is the driver of human endeavour'! What do you think?

Wow! That was quick, according to the program, I should be now into my 6th and final week. The last week before the big 100 push-ups attempt! The reps in week 3 and 4 were getting really tough. I was having a lot of trouble getting through all the sets. [...]

• B_E_E | New Zealand | Branding Cleaning Products
  More and more I find that simple, clear & intenlligently designed concepts are the most convincing ones in our world of increasingly plurivalent and confusing messages: I'll make it all white!
  (tags: brands branding brandchannel typography design)

When I initially designed www.greenhomebuilding.com I intentionally avoided advocating the use of much wood in building, because of my concern for the health of our forests and their ecosystems, with all of the over-harvesting of timber that has occurred around the globe. There is also the fact that forests help sequester CO2 (a greenhouse gas) from the atmosphere.

This was a difficult choice for me, since my father was a wood worker and I grew up learning many of these skills; I love working with wood and I worked for years as a carpenter. It is certainly one of the most versatile of all building materials, and is a renewable resource, when harvested sensibly.

I have finally come to realize that building with wood (at least partially) can still be a sound ecological choice, which is particularly true in regions where forests have regenerated to the point that they can be harvested sustainably. This means that the trees are carefully monitored to make sure that the health and character of the forest is maintained; only certain trees are culled periodically, leaving the remaining trees to grow and contribute to a healthy ecosystem. It is possible to buy wood that has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), but if this means that you are buying wood shipped great distances, then this becomes a less ecological choice; use local materials!

Furthermore, with timber framing it is possible to use large wooden posts and beams in such a way as to create strong and versatile load-bearing structures, which can then be completed by either in-filling between the wooden structural members, or completely wrapping the timber frame structure with a variety of other materials (as is recommended in colder climates). Since this method of building has been recognized and approved by most code authorities, it is a way of approaching a natural building project that would otherwise be difficult for the authorities to sanction.

So I have now created a page about Timber Framing, greenhomebuilding.com/timber, with lots of media resources and informative links listed. I have also enlisted the gracious assistance of a preeminent timber framing specialist to answer questions from the public about this ancient art.

Will Beemer is a charter member and co-Executive Director of the Timber Framers Guild, and is owner of the Heartwood School for the Homebuilding Crafts in Washington, MA. For over 30 years, this school has been offering students a chance to improve their woodworking and timber framing skills. Will helps teach many courses at Heartwood and has been designing and building houses for over 35 years. He was a construction foreman at the Arcosanti project in Arizona, and design instructor at Cornell University. He has organized and taught building workshops around the world, including timber framing courses through the Guild and at Palomar College in San Diego, the North House Folk School and at the Colorado State University Mountain Campus. He has written for Fine Homebuilding, Joiner's Quarterly, and Timber Framing magazines.

You are invited to visit the new page about Timber Framing and to seek guidance about this art from Will Beemer.

“As real as it gets” by advertising firm, Bates 141 Jakarta. A very clever representation of, I dare say, one of our design software’s most recognizable user interface. Even the tag line is great. I love it! Check out their production process and the full size (obviously photoshopped) final print image on their [...]

We are pleased to announce a new promotion for November and December of 2008 - Order Design Prints in Nov or Dec 08 and receive double your Design Prints back on your qualifying Construction Print Order in 2009. Its our Kick the Crisis promotion and this is how it works:

Anybody who buys Design Prints in November or December 2008 will be eligible for a rebate equal to twice the value of the Design Prints if they order the corresponding Construction Prints before the end of 2009. So if you purchase a set of Small Design Prints in November for $100, and purchase Construction Prints in 2009 your prints will come with a rebate of $200. If you buy regular Design Prints for $200 and follow up with a Construction Print purchase in 09 they will come with a rebate for $400. Its double your design prints back! I hope that's not too confusing, its really quite simple. If you are kicking around the idea of building in 2009 or even 2010 or 11 then make sure you order Design Prints for the house you want in November or December 08 and purchase your Construction Prints by the end of 2009 to earn the rebate.

Jump over to our site to read the details. Well, actually we just copied all the details from our site and posted them here, but you should go and read the fine print on the offer.

Kick the Crisis Promotion

Technorati Tags: modern house

Architecture by TEZUKA ARCHITECTS
Location: Japan
Specialty: Residential, Educational, Commercial
Project Highlights: Floating Roof House
Interior Photography: TEZUKA ARCHITECTS

To view more images of their work, see slideshow.