Design Milk - Architecture

May 10, 2017

For Sofa Comfort, Go Deep: New from Sancal

                                <em>The following post is brought to you by <a href="http://bit.ly/2gh3Txs"  rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Sancal</a>. Our partners are hand-picked by the Design Milk team because they represent the best in design.</em>
                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/for-sofa-comfort-go-deep-new-from-sancal/deep_rgb_5/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://0.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/deep_RGB_5-810x414.jpg" alt="For Sofa Comfort, Go Deep: New from Sancal" /></a>
                                Scientists <a href="http://www.distractify.com/old-school/2015/01/07/astounding-facts-about-how-we-actually-spend-our-time-1197818577" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external" >tell us</a> that we spend nearly 1/3 of our lives in bed. While that may be true, I’d venture to guess that most Americans spend an equal amount of time on their sofas. The sofa is so woven into our lives, that it’s hard to imagine a home without one. After all, your sofa can be your bed, your dining room chairs, your movie theater seats… you see where I’m going.

I’ve thought a lot about this as I’ve been spending the last several months (or maybe year) sofa shopping. At the top of my list of priorities has been to find an ultra deep sofa. Depth is the unsung hero of comfort. I found that out the hard way by making do with

May 10, 2017

Tokyobike Launches Series of Limited-Edition, Designer Bicycles

                                To launch its first Designer Series, <a href="https://www.tokyobikenyc.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">tokyobike</a> enlisted three award-winning designers – <a href="http://calicowallpaper.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Calico Wallpaper</a>, <a href="http://www.everything-elevated.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Everything Elevated</a>, and <a href="http://joedoucet.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Joe Doucet</a> – to each create a bicycle that reflects their unique design aesthetic. Each designer took a different approach and the results are a trio of limited-edition bikes that you can proudly sport around town knowing you’re one of the few that owns one. Each bicycle is available in limited edition via custom order in tokyobike’s Nolita store or <a href="https://www.tokyobikenyc.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">online</a>.
                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/tokyobike-launches-series-of-limited-edition-designer-bicycles/tokyobike-designer-1-calico/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/tokyobike-designer-1-Calico-810x540.jpg" alt="Tokyobike Launches Series of Limited-Edition, Designer Bicycles" /></a>
                                Brooklyn-based Nick and Rachel Cope of Calico Wallpaper translated their Aurora collection of wallpaper, which has an ombre finish representing dusk and dawn. The frame is designed for a comfortable, everyday ride with added details meant to pay homage to French porteur bikes of the 30s.

Using a special chemical passivation process, Everything Elevated’s bicycle features a gold-ish, chromated color pattern, which they’ve used on some of their products, that also strengthens the

May 10, 2017

Minimalist Outdoor Gym Inspired by a Mountain in Sweden

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/minimalist-outdoor-gym-inspired-by-a-mountain-in-sweden/kebne-outdoor-gym-nola-1/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://0.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/Kebne-outdoor-Gym-Nola-1-810x567.jpg" alt="Minimalist Outdoor Gym Inspired by a Mountain in Sweden" /></a>
                                Inspired by Kebnekaise, Sweden’s tallest mountain, <a href="http://www.johankauppi.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Johan Kauppi</a> and Nina Kauppi designed a minimalist outdoor gym for Nola that lands somewhere between sculpture, public furniture, and landscape architecture. <a href="https://nola.se/products/kebne/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Kebne</a> consists of five individual, peak-like structures built for various types of exercise, strength training, and stretching, for the entire community to enjoy.

The three-dimensional frames become stations for the different types of exercises with diagrams attached showing how each one is to be used. Since each of these components are fixed, there’s no continued maintenance as with regular gym equipment that contains weights, cables, and counterweights.

Kebne can be used as a destination or meeting spot for people of all fitness abilities to use and enjoy, from the beach, park, school, or recreational area. Just like the mountain that inspired the collection, it’s meant to be inclusive.

Kebnekaise mountain in Swedish Lapland

From Johan and Nina Kauppi:

We wanted to create an intuitive, informal

Continue reading "Minimalist Outdoor Gym Inspired by a Mountain in Sweden"

May 9, 2017

Conduct by UM Project x Flavor Paper

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/conduct-by-um-project-x-flavor-paper/um-flavorpaper_conduct-1/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/UM-FlavorPaper_Conduct-1-810x810.jpg" alt="Conduct by UM Project x Flavor Paper" /></a>
                                Leave it to <a href="https://www.flavorpaper.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Flavor Paper</a> and <a href="http://www.umproject.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">UM Project</a> to turn a product/project on its head. Both brands always have a way of doing the unexpected – and doing it well – and now they’ve partnered up on an innovative collaboration called <a href="http://www.umproject.com/conduct"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Conduct</a>. When you think of wallpaper, I imagine you think of patterned paper that decorates your walls, right? Well, scratch everything you thought you knew about it and check this out.

Conduct brings wall coverings to an entirely new level by throwing in an interactive experience that merges design with electricity – but this time not buried behind the walls. Using wallpaper that’s decked out with conductive ink and a series of five functional devices, the experience begins when a user closes the electrical loop and turns the display on with sounds, lights, and motion. What typically is a two-dimensional design is suddenly a tech-infused, completely unexpected, three-dimensional experience with

May 9, 2017

SOLAR EGG: A Public Sauna for Locals to Meet

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/solar-egg-a-public-sauna-for-locals-to-meet/solar-egg-sauna-bigert-bergstrom-1/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/Solar-egg-sauna-Bigert-Bergstrom-1-810x540.jpg" alt="SOLAR EGG: A Public Sauna for Locals to Meet" /></a>
                                The town of Kiruna in Sweden’s Lapland is set to begin an urban transformation project with the help of developers <a href="https://www.riksbyggen.se/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Riksbyggen</a>. To celebrate the occasion, artists Mats Bigert and Lars Bergström, of <a href="http://www.bigertbergstrom.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Bigert & Bergström</a>, were commissioned to create a social structure where townspeople and visitors could meet and discuss the upcoming changes for the area. Their design? A faceted golden sauna known as <a href="https://www.riksbyggen.se/solaregg" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">SOLAR EGG</a>.

SOLAR EGG takes inspiration from Kiruna’s Arctic climate, where it goes from 24-hour-a-day darkness in the winter to the opposite with the sun around the clock in summer. The duo utilized an egg shape for its symbolism of rebirth, as that’s what the community is doing with its citywide relocation due to its history of iron ore mining.

The egg spans five meters tall (approx. 16.5 feet) by four meters wide (approx. 13 feet) and features a gold-plated stainless steel shell that magically

May 9, 2017

Karimoku New Standard Previews Collection At Salone Del Mobile

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/karimoku-new-standard-previews-collection-at-salone-del-mobile/karimoku-salonedelmobile-15/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/Karimoku-SalonedelMobile-15-810x540.jpg" alt="Karimoku New Standard Previews Collection At Salone Del Mobile" /></a>
                                <a href="http://www.karimoku-newstandard.jp/en/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Karimoku New Standard</a> is a Japanese furniture company that specializes in wood furniture. Started in 2009, they aim to preserve Japanese forests and restore a balance between supply and demand. All their products are made with sustainably sourced Japanese wood, including wood pieces that are discarded or turned into paper pulp. This year, at Salone del Mobile, they previewed new pieces that are soon to be added to the collection.

They worked with Scholten and Baijings to add the Colour Wood Chair to their iconic Colour Wood Table collection. Both challenge traditional ideas of carpentry, and with the chair, different laths of oak wood are assembled to form a chair without any obvious fixtures. It comes as a side chair and arm chair, and is upholstered to provide maximum comfort.

Christian Haas worked on the Elephant Sofa, a simple yet stunning sofa with soft curves inviting the user to sit. Despite

May 9, 2017

British Designer Tom Raffield Is Steam Bending His Way to Success

                                <em>In the first of a new monthly series of profiles of designers based in the UK and Europe, our Editor at Large <a href="http://design-milk.com/author/katie/" data-wpel-link="internal">Katie Treggiden</a> talks to steam bender extraordinaire Tom Raffield.</em>
                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/british-designer-tom-raffield-steam-bending-way-success/design_milk_tom_raffield_04/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://0.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/Design_Milk_Tom_Raffield_04-810x810.jpg" alt="British Designer Tom Raffield Is Steam Bending His Way to Success" /></a>
                                It’s hard to know where to start a profile of British furniture designer <a href="http://www.tomraffield.com/"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Tom Raffield</a>. Based in Cornwall, the far southwesterly tip of the UK, he invented a new technique for steam bending wood while still at university and has built a business around the complex forms it enables him to create. Not content with making furniture and lighting, he and wife Danielle have recently built a family home, entirely clad with steam-bent wood, so impressive that it was featured on <a href="http://www.channel4.com/programmes/grand-designs"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Channel 4’s Grand Designs</a> and was described by presenter Kevin McCloud as “Tom’s masterpiece; the summation of his life’s work.”

He has invested in his local community, working with Cornish craftsmen and training apprentices from the local

May 9, 2017

My Cat Posts by Aelfie x Michael Yarinsky

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/cat-posts-aelfie-x-michael-yarinsky/mycatposts_aelfie_7/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/mycatposts_aelfie_7-810x854.jpg" alt="My Cat Posts by Aelfie x Michael Yarinsky" /></a>
                                <a href="http://yarinsky.net/lessthan/#/cat-posts/"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">My Cat Posts</a> are a series of cat scratchers created by <a href="https://aelfie.com/"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Aelfie</a> and <a href="http://yarinsky.net/"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Michael Yarinsky</a>, which are being shown as part of the <a href="http://www.cooler-gallery.com/odd-experiments/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">ODD Experiments</a> show at <a href="http://www.cooler-gallery.com/"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Cooler Gallery</a>. Before launching her rug business, Aelfie, Aelfie Oudghiri worked in fashion, drummed in punk bands, dropped out of medical school in Budapest, and lived in Morocco. She now resides in Brooklyn with her husband, daughter and cat, The Shah. Michael <span class="il">Yarinsky</span> is an interdisciplinary designer working in architecture, interiors, furniture, and runs Brooklyn’s Cooler Gallery.

The idea with the series was to fall somewhere between cat furniture and sculpture. They wanted to make show pieces people actually would want in their homes - even if they didn’t have a cat. Inspiration came from designers that fell on the cusp of art and design - artists like Ettore Sottsass, Isamu Noguchi, and Peter Shire. The pieces are CNC milled ash plywood and

May 9, 2017

Kate Duncan’s ADDRESS for the Home

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/kate-duncans-address-home/address_storefront-1/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://3.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/ADDRESS_Storefront-1-810x540.jpg" alt="Kate Duncan’s ADDRESS for the Home" /></a>
                                Our store(y) today takes us to Vancouver, BC where furniture designer <a href="http://kateduncan.ca/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Kate Duncan</a> will be hosting the annual <a href="https://addressassembly.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">ADDRESS</a> event now in its fourth year and taking place this May 25-28, 2017. If you haven’t heard, ADDRESS is a four-day show that features emerging designers and makers from the Pacific Northwest and from all disciplines including furniture, lighting, and accessories.

In lieu of a usual convention hall, ADDRESS looks to places that don’t require an exhibitor to build a booth so that the focus can be on the designer’s actual products. This year, ADDRESS is taking up shop at the historic Ellis Building in Downtown Vancouver. Read on to see why Kate decided to create a showcase like ADDRESS and stay tuned until the end where she’ll impart some good life lessons to take away (spoiler alert: it’s really good advice).

ADDRESS 2017

Kate Duncan at ADDRESS 2016

Why did

Continue reading "Kate Duncan’s ADDRESS for the Home"

May 8, 2017

Sebastian Errazuriz Designs His 2nd VIP Lounge for Audemars Piguet

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/sebastian-errazuriz-designs-his-2nd-vip-lounge-for-audemars-piguet/second-nature-sebastian-errazuriz-1/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://3.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/Second-Nature-Sebastian-Errazuriz-1-810x540.jpg" alt="Sebastian Errazuriz Designs His 2nd VIP Lounge for Audemars Piguet" /></a>
                                Just <a href="http://design-milk.com/sebastian-errazuriz-designs-audemars-piguets-lounge-art-basel-hong-kong/"  rel="noopener noreferrer" data-wpel-link="internal">last year</a>, designer <a href="http://www.meetsebastian.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Sebastian Errazuriz</a> was invited to design watchmaker Audemars Piguet’s VIP lounge at Art Basel shows in 2016 in Hong Kong, Basel, and Miami. After that success, they brought him back to do it all again for the launch of Art Basel Hong Kong 2017, where he found inspiration from the forests of the Jura Mountains. Visiting Brassus back in 2015, Errazuriz was taken with the native trees in the Vallée de Joux region and felt their connection to Audemars Piguet. This led to ‘Second Nature’, a sculpture of a tree that pays homage to the spruces that grow close to where the brand’s watches are manufactured.

The sculpture was a long, arduous process that began with the cutting down of a live tree, removing the bark, cutting it down into pieces, gluing it into giant blocks, and then sculpting it using a combination of digital technology and precise

May 8, 2017

A Compact Apartment in Kiev with a Glass-Enclosed Bedroom

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/a-compact-apartment-in-kiev-with-a-glass-enclosed-bedroom/kiev-apt-martin-architects-1/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://3.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/Kiev-Apt-MARTIN-architects-1-810x493.jpg" alt="A Compact Apartment in Kiev with a Glass-Enclosed Bedroom" /></a>
                                Spanning a mere 45 square meters (approx. 484 square feet), this <a href="http://martins.com.ua/en/portfolio/dizain_kvartir/all_small/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">compact apartment</a> in the center of Kiev was designed by <a href="http://martins.com.ua/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">MARTIN architects</a> for clients who were looking to use it as a rental property. Their requirements were for the space to be functional while also visually appealing to the masses that might seek to rent it out. While each necessary function gets its own designated place within the apartment, the open layout keeps it light and open so it appears larger.

The bedroom was partitioned off with framed glass so light still passes thought while also offering the space privacy when the curtains are closed.

The palette was kept fairly neutral with gray, black, and brown being the primary colors, while a blue/green was brought in for the accent color.

The kitchen wall was outfitted with brick that was painted black to contrast the light wood floors.

            <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/design-milk/~4/uq9aIS1tgpw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

May 8, 2017

How the Mash-Up Exercise Encourages Creativity in Wilsonart’s Student Chair Competition

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/how-the-mash-up-exercise-encourages-creativity-in-wilsonarts-student-chair-competition/wilsonart-chair-mashup-1/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/Wilsonart-chair-Mashup-1-810x808.jpg" alt="How the Mash-Up Exercise Encourages Creativity in Wilsonart’s Student Chair Competition" /></a>
                                In the continuing series of posts on the <a href="http://www.wilsonart.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Wilsonart</a> Challenges Student Chair competition, we asked Design historian and organizer of the program Grace Jeffers and Matthew Hebert, SDSU Associate Professor to tell us more about the Mash-Up, one of the exercises the students explored to help encourage their creativity in design chairs for the competition.

Grace explains: “Design thinking is about solving a problem, but art thinking is about feeling your way to a solution. Students put themselves under a lot of pressure to design a winning chair and that pressure often paralyzes them. In planning the chair class I include an exercise to combat the paralysis by encouraging experimentation and play. Each year I select a hands-on exercise using either an art making or crafting technique. This year’s exercise Matthew Hebert and I referred to as ‘The Mash-Up’. “Years ago, I spent a bit of time with Marcel Wanders,

May 8, 2017

DeskView Standing Desk Instantly Converts Windows Into Workspace

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/deskview-standing-desk/deskview_hero/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://3.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/DeskView_Hero-810x601.jpg" alt="DeskView Standing Desk Instantly Converts Windows Into Workspace" /></a>
                                Walk into any creative studio or office these days and chances are you’ll discover someone has decided to forgo the traditional desk for higher aspirations. Standing desks are a common sight…but unfortunately due to the space they take up, usually also an eyesore. <a href="http://shopdeskview.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">DeskView</a> aims to eliminate this trade-off between form and function by improving how and where people work while standing up in a manner that purposely sucks (but in a good way).

The DeskView quickly converts an expanse of window into a minimalist workspace minus the clunky obstructions of other standing desk set ups. The “attach it anywhere” portable design frees users from the confines of perpetually facing toward coworkers, or worse, towards a wall. Instead, every large window becomes potentially a new workplace to enjoy the view while working from a standing position. Designed in partnership with MINIMAL – the San Francisco/Chicago design firm founded by former Nike Global Design Director, Scott Wilson – the DeskView’s gravity-defying act is

May 8, 2017

Flexible, Movable Furniture Inspired by Hand Trucks

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/flexible-movable-furniture-inspired-by-hand-trucks/cl3-lim-lu-cornell-furniture-1/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/CL3-Lim-Lu-Cornell-Furniture-1-810x540.jpg" alt="Flexible, Movable Furniture Inspired by Hand Trucks" /></a>
                                You know those hand trucks that movers and delivery drivers use to transport heavy boxes and furniture? Architecture firm <a href="http://cl3.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">CL3</a> and <a href="http://limandlu.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Lim + Lu</a> joined forces to design a range of furniture inspired by those making the pieces both flexible and movable. The clever collection was created for Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Arts, and Planning, for which CL3 founder, William Lim, and Lim + Lu co-founders, Vincent Lim and Elaine Lu, are all graduates of, making the project particularly special.

Each piece of furniture works as a hybrid with two functions depending on how it’s positioned. Attached to each design is a hand truck, which doubles as the base, as well as the way the furniture is moved fro place to place.

            <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/design-milk/~4/L8TYC5UCp7A" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

May 8, 2017

The Essential Travel Shoe: Allbirds Wool Loungers

                                <em>The following post is brought to you by <a href="https://goo.gl/iBwLNC" rel="nofollow external noopener noreferrer" data-wpel-link="external" >Allbirds</a>. Our partners are hand picked by the Design Milk team because they represent the best in design.</em>
                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/the-essential-travel-shoe-allbirds-wool-loungers/allbirds-designmilk-nanettewong-24/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/Allbirds-DesignMilk-NanetteWong-24-810x540.jpg" alt="The Essential Travel Shoe: Allbirds Wool Loungers" /></a>
                                As I travel more and more, traveling light and efficiently have become my main priority. Gone are those days of lugging giant suitcases filled to the brim with clothes that are never worn. Instead, I’ll now go to Europe on a ten-day excursion with just a carry-on and my backpack.

However, that does mean one thing—I can no longer bring excess clothing or multiple pairs of shoes for those “just in case” situations. You know—one ‘stylish’ pair, one everyday pair, one pair for in case my everyday pair starts to hurt my feet, and one more just for fun. Like furniture, I need shoes that combine form and function—all day comfort, and can be worn from daytime sightseeing to nighttime bar hopping. I have multiple

May 5, 2017

Jupiter 10 Launches with its First Collection of Modernist Wallcoverings

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/jupiter-10-launches-with-its-first-collection-of-modernist-wallcoverings/jupiter10-wallpaper-1-detroit/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/Jupiter10-wallpaper-1-DETROIT-810x692.jpg" alt="Jupiter 10 Launches with its First Collection of Modernist Wallcoverings" /></a>
                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/?attachment_id=304642" rel="attachment wp-att-304642" data-wpel-link="internal"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-304642" src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/Jupiter10-wallpaper-1a-DETROIT.-810x1080.jpg" alt="" width="810" height="1080" srcset="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/Jupiter10-wallpaper-1a-DETROIT.-810x1080.jpg 810w, http://2.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/Jupiter10-wallpaper-1a-DETROIT.-800x1067.jpg 800w, http://2.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/Jupiter10-wallpaper-1a-DETROIT.-768x1024.jpg 768w, http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/Jupiter10-wallpaper-1a-DETROIT.-500x667.jpg 500w, http://0.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/Jupiter10-wallpaper-1a-DETROIT..jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px" /></a>

Design brand Jupiter 10 was recently founded by Bruno Basso and Christopher Brooke, who both spent over 10 years in the fashion industry laying the groundwork for the digital print revolution there. The duo transitions their innovative aesthetic to their brand new endeavor, which brings bold, graphic prints to the world of wallcoverings. Their first collection merges eye-catching color palettes with a modernist feel by putting a fresh spin on mid-century modern ideas.

            <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/design-milk/~4/JctdzmJK7NM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

May 5, 2017

Experience Modern Architecture in Japan with the Contemporary Art + Architecture Tour

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/experience-modern-architecture-japan-contemporary-art-architecture-tour/9-teshima-museum-interior/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://2.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/9-Teshima-Museum-interior-810x608.jpg" alt="Experience Modern Architecture in Japan with the Contemporary Art + Architecture Tour" /></a>
                                Every year, <a href="https://artandarchitecturetour.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">CA+AT (Contemporary Art + Architecture Tour)</a> brings a select group of creative people on a curated journey to discover the best contemporary art and architecture sites in the world. This sort of “retreat for creative minds” (as they like to call it) is not merely a vacation—it’s an inspiring learning experience through an on-site exploration of what <em>open air museums: </em>places where architecture, art, landscape blend together in a unified project linked to a specific site, stimulating an exchange among tour guests on creative processes, social change, and environmental regeneration.

With this idea in mind, for the past two years CA+AT has been exploring the experimental projects in the Seto Inland Sea in the Kagawa Japanese Prefecture south of Osaka (the next journey is scheduled May 8th-13th). The place is home to both a project called Benesse Art Site Naoshima and an international Art Triennial called Setouchi, with

May 5, 2017

Ambassador Lighting Installation by Stickbulb and RUX

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/ambassador-by-stickbulb/ambassador_stickbulb_8/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/ambassador_stickbulb_8-810x566.jpg" alt="Ambassador Lighting Installation by Stickbulb and RUX" /></a>
                                <a href="http://stickbulb.com/"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Stickbulb</a>, a sleek, modular lighting brand committed to using sustainably sourced materials, have debuted the ambitious installation <a href="http://stickbulb.com/"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external"><em>Ambassador</em></a>, designed in collaboration with creative agency <a href="http://ruxdesign.net/"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">RUX</a> for <a href="http://collectivedesignfair.com/"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Collective Design Fair</a>. Both a large-scale sculpture and optical illusion, it re-adapts 300-year-old redwood reclaimed from New York City water towers into an 8-foot-tall, half-moon of ethereal light. The form and scale are intended to reflect the majesty of the world’s largest and most ancient trees.

Stickbulb was co-founded in 2012 by Yale School of Architecture graduates Russell Greenberg and Christopher Beardsley of RUX design as a way to combine their mutual love of architecture, modular systems, and sustainable manufacturing. Born from a pile of scrap wood, Stickbulb had the original objective to “build with light,” which has since been fulfilled in collaborations with brands like Google, Facebook and Wholefoods, as well as in private commissions for hotels, offices, and residences across the

May 5, 2017

Ambassador Lighting Installation by Stickbulb and RUX

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/ambassador-by-stickbulb/ambassador_stickbulb_8/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/ambassador_stickbulb_8-810x566.jpg" alt="Ambassador Lighting Installation by Stickbulb and RUX" /></a>
                                <a href="http://stickbulb.com/"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Stickbulb</a>, a sleek, modular lighting brand committed to using sustainably sourced materials, have debuted the ambitious installation <a href="http://stickbulb.com/"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external"><em>Ambassador</em></a>, designed in collaboration with creative agency <a href="http://ruxdesign.net/"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">RUX</a> for <a href="http://collectivedesignfair.com/"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Collective Design Fair</a>. Both a large-scale sculpture and optical illusion, it re-adapts 300-year-old redwood reclaimed from New York City water towers into an 8-foot-tall, half-moon of ethereal light. The form and scale are intended to reflect the majesty of the world’s largest and most ancient trees.

May 5, 2017

The Architects Behind Google Headquarters and Hyperloop One Designed This Smart Lock

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/friday-labs-smart-lock/friday_product/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://1.design-milk.com/images/2017/05/Friday_Product-810x608.jpg" alt="The Architects Behind Google Headquarters and Hyperloop One Designed This Smart Lock" /></a>
                                How many door locks can claim they were designed by an architectural firm, let alone the one behind Google’s new headquarters and also Hyperloop One? That’s the design pedigree delivered with the <a href="http://www.fridaylabs.net/views/home-page.html" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Friday Lock</a>, “the world’s smallest retrofit lock”, the design work of the Danish architects of <a href="https://www.big.dk/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Bjarke Ingels Group</a>.

Smart door locks come in two flavors: complete replacement and retrofit. The Friday Lock goes the way of retrofit, installed using a Universal Baseplate mount that allows the Friday Lock to fit right over most previous lock’s footprint, eliminating the expertise (and costs) of hiring a locksmith for installation. Just as importantly, subjectively speaking, we consider the Friday Lock is the most attractive retrofit smart door lock design available.

Despite being designed by BIG, the acronym representing Danish architects Bjarke Ingels Group, the resulting work produced is refreshingly small – a 2.7″ diameter footprint with an elegantly tapered and ribbed turn handle that