Google announced the 40 regional finalists in its annual Doodle 4 Google competition, which challenges school children to create their own version of the Google logo The winning logo will run on Google’s home page for a day. Over 33,000 students in grades K-12 submitted entries, competing for a $15,000 college scholarship, a $25,000 technology grant for their schools, and other prizes.
Article on Interactive Architecture
In January 2010 the Cologne based design agencies Grosse8 and Lichtfront presented their cross-media installation titled Augmented Sculpture. The core of the installation is a 2.5m tall wooden form that builds the screen for a 360° projection. In constant transformation over a score by Jon Hopkins, the 2:32 minute performance is described by Svenja Kubler of Lichtfront as a “mirror of changing realities… a kind of real virtuality arises to confront virtual reality.” I’m not sure what that all means but I really like it.
The Halbo is an electric bike concept that has been specially designed for BMW to be an ultimate and environmentally friendly next generation bike by featuring high end technologies and great aesthetics. The main idea was to create a transportation means that can run efficiently in the busy traffic of the future roads, while making it eco-friendly enough to contribute to the environment. This single-seater gets the energy from the electric power source and features an all-way rear axis with which the innovative sphere shaped wheel is attached. The front wheel is assisted by gyro and contains a space efficient baggage under the holo-screen panel. Design by Pierre Yohanes Lubis.
A-cero presents a single-family, two-story house on the Mediterranean coast that is designed to be used for the summer holiday. White is the main element in the house’s decoration to provide clarity and relaxation. The ground floor has all public rooms while the second floor has private dwellings.
Article on Yanko Design, Design by Konstantin Datz
Article on ChicTip
The swimming pool was built above ground, along with the residence’s other private areas, such as the bedroom, with the general living areas built at or below ground level. As Vancouver is a risk area for seismic activity, the notion of a pool situated above the home’s main living areas presented an architectural challenge that required the house to be built entirely out of reinforced concrete.
An entry at Ideation Award 2010 in conjunction with Malaysian International Fair, the “Go” by Indonesian designer Rizki Tarisa is a piece of multifunctional furniture that makes use of advanced technology, so you could lead a sustainable lifestyle while accomplishing your daily tasks in style. Combining the functions of a lounge chair, exercise bike and desktop into a single unit, the multi-tasking furniture also harnesses human power to generate green energy, when you pedal the bike to burn the extra layer of fat from your body, to juice up your gadgets. Users can browse the internet and listen to music while lounging in utmost comfort. Furniture will never be as functional and sustainable as the Go.
Article on Tuvie
“Unforgetablet is another functional gadget that utilizes bar codes that is used on almost all the food people buy from supermarket and warns consumers about their expiry date by storing all their information before placing them in the refrigerator. All the food and beverages are registered along with the expiry date in the device before they are kept into the refrigerator; even users can set expiry dates for certain foods if they want. The device remains fixed on the refrigerator, showing necessary information on its black, glossy screen, and alarms whenever a food reaches to its expiry date.”
Article on Yanko Design
On 25 January Asymptote Architecture, a New York based architecture practice led by principals Hani Rashid and Lise Anne Couture, has been awarded the Millennium Tower World Business Center (WBCB) in Busan, Korea through an international competition organized by the Busan International Architectural Culture Festival (BIACF) and sponsored by the Municipality of Busan City and the Solomon Group.
The announcement was made on January 23 in Busan after a unanimous decision by jury members selecting Asymptote’s ground breaking design of three separate tapered towers rising out of a robust and powerful base. The Solomon Group, a private Korean developer, intends to move forward with Asymptote’s design for a 560m tall tower, which upon completion will be the tallest building in Asia.
Another interesting article on Design (dot) fr
“Those who stay in apartments crave for spacious bungalows and those who live in landscaped acres dread the maintenance and wish they had lesser rooms to clean! So what really is the ideal size for a home?”
A Project by Studio Octopi is an extension of a Victorian home located between Crouch End and Muswell Hill in London. It was recently recognized with an Architects’ Journal Small Projects Award 2010.
From the architects: “The original builder was also the house’s first resident, and made the most of his triangular plot by allowing the side of the building to fan out to meet the line of the adjacent public footpath. On the ground floor this resulted in an additional fillet of space splitting the living and dining rooms. It was the divisional nature of this space (used as a utility room) that the client asked studio octopi to resolve. By relocating the utility room, the plan was reordered and paved the way for an extension that linked the living spaces.”
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Logos represent the brand image, traditions and origins of a company. It is not just a visual badge on the car’s bonnet but represents what people think about the brand and the cars themselves. Somebody driving a Mercedes is perceived as prosperous, mature and of course rich. On the other hand, somebody with an Aston Martin is likely to be a more flamboyant personality.
Read full article on Instant Shift
In the late 20th century many new concept was included in the compass of both structure and function. Now days, before performing any action we keeping future in our visions. it also applies in Architecture as well.
Article on Instant Shift, Dkumar M presents over 80 Strange & Fantastic Buildings Architecture of modern world. All photographs are linked and lead to the source – the respective photographers.
Electric Bike by Yuji Fujimura
“The key purpose of the EBIQ Electric Bike concept is to complement the environment by reducing the amount of CO2 unlike traditional cars or motorcycles and offering a battery powered bicycle to ensure convenient short distance commuting in city/metro areas. To make it even more functional, the bike enables the rider to charge their laptop, cellphone and other personalelectric gadgets. Moreover, the built-in screen at the steering can provide direct access to the user’s laptop to gain necessary information at any moment. To make it space efficient, all the extended components can be folded down, resulting the bike to fit in narrow spaces.”
Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic started last Friday and the first medal has been distributed on Saturday morning, now lets take a look at the Podium which is designed by James Lee & Leo Obstbaum.
The podiums are made from wood donated by communities, businesses, individuals and First Nations from across British Columbia. Size from 4.8 metres to 15.3 m in length, 1.7 m to five m in depth and half a metre tall at their highest point ― the spot reserved for gold medallists. The lightest podiums weigh approximately 200 kilograms while others range up to 260 kg. They will be used in 86 Olympic and 64 Paralympic Victory Ceremonies and are easily accessible for all athletes.
