Some images possess the 5D powers. Like these out-of-the-world renderings of the award-winning Wadi Rum Resort in Jordan by super-talented team of Oppenheim Architecture + Design.
We all know what 3D is, so the 4th D is for the sound and feel of the swooping sand between the mountains which I can swear you get just by looking at this presentation. And the 5th D I give for the incredible peaceful and relaxing after-taste that is left with you, it’s almost like going on a mini vacation. Don’t you agree?
<images via www.oppenoffice.com>
Living in LA one has to use AC on the regular basis, there’s just no way around it. Period. But am I the only one who hates the stream of dry air pouring straight in you face (not even talking about all the dust and allergens it brings with it)?
Well, apparently I’m not alone in the AC-loath. A product design company Studio Kahn developed a new cooling system called Ecooler, which not only looks great but works without any energy.
How do they do it? The Ecooler system is constructed of interconnecting modular three-dimensional tile made of hollow, twisting ceramic piping that can hold water. The system combines two traditional elements – the jara and the mashrabiya. The mashrabiya is a characteristic element of Islamic architecture, found mostly in Arab countries, including in many of the traditional homes of Cairo. It serves as a breathing screen between the street and the inner courtyard or home and enables the passage of air and light. The jara serves to cool the water in clay containers by water seepage and evaporation from the outer surface, as with the human body’s perspiration system. By integrating both of these systems, increasing the inner surface and use of traditional materials, they have created a screen that serves as a natural, ecological cooling system.
Sounds great to me. Wonder if it would work for crazy hot summers in LA.
<images via www.ecooler.yolasite.com>
Urban land artists, Guerilla gardeners, Green graffiti extraordinaires…however you call this two, the art that comes out of this collaboration is simply unbelievable. It’s deep, it’s inspiriting, it’s beautiful and, yes, they do it by hand. Spreading the eco-message and sparkling questioning El&Abe, as the duo is known, have been showcasing their work all over Europe.
<images via www.crosshatchling.co.uk>
It’s impossible not to like ABC carpet and home. Mixing fresh and old, ethnic and international, the New York-based Company has something for everyone. And with the new restaurant opened in New York, they are going beyond pleasing our style cravings.
abc kitchen with jean-georges focuses on delivering everything organic, local, sustainable, humanely treated, fair traded, free of pesticides, hormones and synthetic fertilizers and all other good stuff. And they do it with chic, too earning spectacular reviews on both design and food. Integrating different natural textures with a little New York sparkle, the space lures with warmth and welcome.
abc kitchen taps into the leadership and expertise of the abc home curation, featuring sustainable, local, artisan indigenous, salvaged, recycled and goodwood stories. these include found, salvaged, reclaimed & recycled building materials; handmade porcelain dinnerware
by local artisan jan burtz; bread baskets handcrafted by the indigenous mapuche people of patagonia;
salvaged wood tables handcrafted by local artisan jim denney; steel and concrete installations
by local artisan eric slayton; a venetian plaster wall and mirrors painted, etched, and collaged by local artisans;
a rooftop garden that provides herbs and micro-greens; soy-based candles that are free of pesticides,
GMOs & additives; and all organic cleaning products.
<images via www.abchome.com>
As I’m working on my Thesis project, I’ve been awfully drawn to all sorts of inspirations from nature. Here’s another one, which have influenced me a LOT. Patrick Blanc, a French landscape architect, is a developer of the concept of the vertical garden. Quoting his website, vertical gardens “rely on the new way of growing plants without any soil. … The vertical garden can be implemented outdoor or indoor, in any climatic environment. For indoor location, an artificially lighting is usually required. Watering and fertilization are automated. The Vertical Garden acts as a phonic and thermal isolation system. It is also an air purification device”.
And it’s GORGEOUS. A much-needed oasis in our hectic lives.
<images via www.verticalgardenpatrickblanc.com>
