The Freedom Ship would be home to 50,000 people and have its own airport, casinos and shopping centers. The Florida-based company behind the city of the sea says it is hopeful it can raise the $1 billion needed to begin construction on the massive vessel. — nydailynews.com
For help designing the College of Human Ecology's newest community space at Cornell, college leaders turned to a team of in-house experts: 10 senior interior design students in its Department of Design and Environmental Analysis. The 5,000-plus square foot Human Ecology Commons, which connects Martha Van Rensselaer Hall and the new Human Ecology Building opened . . . and has quickly become the hub of the college. — Cornell University
Design and Environmental Analysis at Cornell University is doing some amazing things that bring architecture, engineering and the sciences together through the lens of Human Ecology. The DEA department is a very impressive program at the College of Human Ecology, an... View full entry
The simple logic: Individuals who collaborate are creative. Consequently, all boundaries must disappear, including floors and walls. Private offices no longer exist, not even for top management. The open creative playground is the prevailing fundamental design of the digital economy. Those who don't already have it, have to create it. Stragglers like Microsoft, Yahoo and SAP are gutting their buildings and eliminating many offices. — spiegel.de
Read more about workplace design in the knowledge economy in Archinect's latest Aftershock feature, "Serendipity Machines" and the Future of Workplace Design. View full entry
MODU's competition-winning Outdoor Room creates a visual experience while raising awareness on Beijing's persistent air-quality issues.
Recently installed in Beijing's Olympic Park for the 5th China International Architecture Biennial, the 5,000 sq.ft pavilion functions as urban public space and a barometer for Beijing's air quality levels — which are documented as much as the daily weather report.
— bustler.net
All images courtesy of MODU, photography: Matthew Niederhauser. View full entry
SolarCity, the Silicon Valley solar installer, has quietly begun to offer some homeowners a lithium-ion battery pack made by electric carmaker Tesla to store electricity generated by their rooftop photovoltaic arrays. Stem, another Silicon Valley company, will sell or lease a $100,000, 54-kilowatt-hour battery pack to businesses so they can arbitrage the grid by storing electricity when rates are cheap and then using that energy when they’re high. — qz.com
Google today launched an interactive map featuring Street Views of over 65 mass-transit hubs. The map features some locations you may have already explored, like Emirates' A380 or London's Gatwick Airport, alongside some new sites across Europe, South America, and Asia. — theverge.com
Click here to view the interactive map. View full entry
Now here's a little weekend inspiration. "Lucid Stead" is an art installation by Phillip K. Smith, III in the beautiful desert landscape of Joshua Tree in California.
With some mirrors, LED lights, custom built electronic equipment, and Arduino programming, Smith transformed a 70-year-old homesteader shack into an architecture piece that complements and contrasts with its peaceful environment throughout the entire day.
— bustler.net
All images courtesy of Phillip K. Smith, III; photographers: Steve King, Lance Gerber, Lou Mora (see image gallery below for details) View full entry
[...] London’s mayor, Boris Johnson, who yesterday announced that almost all ticket offices on the London Underground transport network would close by 2015 [...]. There are 268 ticket offices on the network in total, and around 260 are set to close [...] Ecommerce giant Amazon is reportedly in talks with Transport for London to use the closed ticket offices as “drop off” points for deliveries. — techcrunch.com
It makes plenty of sense for Amazon to be eyeing up prime Tube real-estate — which could enable it to build out a whole conveniently-sited network of its delivery Lockers in the U.K. Capital — giving London’s commuters a handy stop-off point to get their goods. View full entry
The Spacemaker VR by Digital Physical is a virtual reality software system that can add some new perspective to the entire design process. The Spacemaker lets designers export their 3D files and test out their creations, even during the design process. The software also includes customizable... View full entry
Seven projects have been shortlisted for the World Design Impact Prize 2013-2014. The nominated projects were unveiled during the 28th General Assembly of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) in Montreal, Canada from Nov. 18-19.
The World Design Impact Prize raises awareness to the value of industrial design to provide solutions that address challenging global issues and social well-being.
— bustler.net
The shortlisted projects are: ABC (A Behaviour Changing) Syringe BioLite HomeStove Family By Family Laddoo Project Leveraged Freedom Chair Potty Project Refugee Housing Unit View full entry
The results are in for the Workplace of the Future Design Competition, presented by Metropolis and Business Interiors by Staples. The design competition questions the blurred definition of the workplace and the present-day possibility that work can be done just about anywhere now, with wireless and cloud technology readily available. With this in mind, entrants were challenged to design an ideal workspace fit for the mobile work environment. — bustler.net
The jury, which featured Tom Krizmanic — a principal at STUDIOS Architecture — and other esteemed members in leading corporations, selected three winning projects: ↑ First place: Vertical Flux: The Office Tower as Fluctuating Atmospheres by Joseph Filippelli ↑ Runner-up... View full entry
This sponsored post is brought to you by Digital-Tutors: You are a Progressive Designer. Seeking out new ways to grow your skills and push your creative limits is what you do. When you need to learn a new design software or subject, watching random YouTube videos or paying hundreds of dollars to... View full entry
The latest market opportunity for entrepreneurs in China? Polluted air. For nearly as long as pollution has been a salient, public issue in the country, foreigners and locals have been devising ways to help residents avoid the worst of smog—and in some cases make a little money in the process. Here are some of the most notable ones. — qz.com
CalArts two-day symposium on “The Politics of Parametricism” opened last Friday with a conversation between Reinhold Martin, associate professor at Columbia University’s GSAPP, and Patrik Schumacher, partner at Zaha Hadid Architects. Their debate, while at times tending more... View full entry
Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and Make It Right honored the winners of their Innovation Challenge on Nov. 15 at the Innovation Celebration in New York City. The challenge was established in 2012 as a chance for innovators to reinvent and respond to the issues on how building products are designed, manufactured, and consumed. — bustler.net
Starting from 144 applicants to 10 finalists, the jury chose four winners:1st place: bioMASON biobrick2nd place: Ecovative Mushroom Insulation3rd place tie: ECOR Universal Construction Panels and ROMA Domus Mineral PaintsEcovative is also the winner of the 2013 Buckminster Fuller Challenge. View full entry
