Bathroom Furniture By Nuvist

Here is one of the most beautiful WC pan designed by Nuvist. It's interesting how the clean line and color in this piece suggests purity and cleanliness, some essentials for the bathrooms. As they explain in their website:
"At this level, after we have designed Charme bathtub, Pare and Monotip washbasin, we wanted to complete the bathroom furniture series with Denovo wall-hung wc pan design. 
So we also wanted to stick to the previous design formations and keep the specific formal language. Curvilinear geometries allow us to design blending smooth continuous form in the three dimensional space. This continuous form provides ergonomic quality. And also we wanted to use new advanced technologies for the toilet seat cover part. We have designed full or semi-automatic cover system to open or close the cover part. So Denovo will be ergonomic, functional, singular and clear."

Source: http://www.nuvist.com/wp/2011/07/denovo-wall-hung-wc-pan-design-by-nuvist/

Small Kitchen Idea

"This beautiful and smart kitchen design is made by Fevzi Karaman a designer from Turkey, Ankara who made the kitchen cupboard “silverline” which won a prize at a contest student. The colors of the kitchen pechues with a green apple that gives a sacred Deco touches to the kitchen. The modular furniture is very advanced with a work plan to be drawn into a table. This kitchen design is very clever, and when is not used as a kitchen it can be a sleek piece of furniture."
 

Source: freshome

Bent Hands Clock By Giha Woo

Up Up to now, we were used to contain single time in a watch. However, it is possible to see the global time at a glance by differentiating the size of the circle. The edge of the angled hand which was designed out of the attachment that the hands of the watch are usually straight shows the times in each country. It implicates the message that the world is moving together without break even though they are living in a little bit different time frame.

Each city on the clock is represented by the dot on the hand. For example: London is furthest out from the center, so the dot at the end of the arm is the one you want to look at to find out which hour it is. Wellington is also furthest out, so it’s the same time, but while London is in the AM, Wellington is in the PM.

 

 Source: Giha Woo Design, Yanko Design

Villa Chi in Phuket Island, Thailand

"With an extravagant design and inspiring opulence throughout, Villa Chi is one of the nine exclusive accommodation units making up Cape Sienna Resort, a holiday retreat located in an area known as Millionaires’ Mile on Phuket island in Thailand. Perched above the sea, on a spectacular rocky ground, the villa offers great views and a high level of privacy.

The interiors of the mansion showcase a variety of modern elements, mixed with decorative items inspired from the local culture: “a bold black and white theme is enhanced with Asian design details including Buddha statues and Apsara dancers reminiscent of an ancient Hindu temple. Each of the three bedrooms is an ultra private oasis with generous sea views, king-sized beds and en-suite bathrooms, two with double jacuzzi bathtubs. Romantic movie nights can be enjoyed in the master suite, which features a large, retractable LCD projector screen“.

Other features of the villa include a generous swimming pool with sea vistas, a spa, a fitness center, yoga and Pilates sessions.

In case you are planning an escape in Thailand, here is where you can book a stay at Villa Chi, with prices ranging from $1,150 to $2,300 per night."

Source: freshome

New Upper Class Suite for Virgin Atlantic

"London studio Pengelly Design has created an airline seat that converts into a 2.2-metre-long bed for Virgin Atlantic.

Created in collaboration with the Virgin Atlantic design team, the seats were arranged four-abreast in a diagonal configuration that means all passengers have an aisle seat.



Simon Pengelly claims that it is is the longest flat business-class bed ever made.

Carbon-fibre screens surround the chairs to integrate storage, reading lights and touch-screen monitors.

The cabin design will be rolled out across all new Airbus A330 and Boeing 787-900 aircrafts.

Here’s some more information from Pengelly:

New Upper Class Suite, Virgin Atlantic
We are proud to introduce Virgin Atlantic’s new Upper Class Suite designed by Pengelly Design in partnership with Virgin Atlantic Design. Together we’ve immersed ourselves in every aspect of the Suites’ development over the last four and half years and we’re thrilled with the result which is already on selected flights and will be installed on all of Virgin Atlantic’s new Airbus A330 aircraft throughout 2012 and on the new Boeing 787-900’s.
The team was tasked with designing a new passenger environment – a blank canvas with which to invigorate the flying experience with more luxury, comfort and a sense of discovery. The aim was to create a sophisticated and uplifting product developed to include some revolutionary features.
The development of the unique 4 abreast herringbone configuration has allowed us to fully optimize cabin space, giving more room to each passenger whilst actually increasing the amount of seats within the cabin, providing every passenger with their own aisle access, ensuring an uninterrupted journey.
The new Upper Class Suite has been designed with a ‘furniture aesthetic’, our speciality, moving it away from the traditional aircraft feel towards a more domestic and familiar experience, providing a secure, wonderfully private and calming space.
We’ve spent months shaping and reshaping the form of every surface and curve of the carbon fibre chair-surround to encapsulate all the functional features a traveller needs whilst ensuring each surround is as thin as possible to maximise personal space.
Every effort went into the provision of intuitive and easily accessible passenger elements in seat and bed mode in addition to providing as much individual storage as possible.
The chair itself features an innovative comfort system for aircraft seating that provides an unparalleled level of repose for long haul flight. This system also provides an equally high degree of comfort to the bed which at 87 inches is now the longest fully flat business class bed ever developed.
The Suite contains nothing superfluous, quietly understated it’s an environment in which to explore and discover your own space, the materials used are designed to enrich your journey and give you the sense of being looked after. Every feature cleverly designed, positioned and blended into the surround such as the flexible reading light, fold out cocktail tray and fully adjustable touchscreen monitor for ease of viewing in every chair and bed position."
Source: Dezeen Magazine

An Underwater Hotel To Be Built in Dubai

Ship repair, conversion and construction firm Drydocks World has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with BIG InvestConsult AG, a Swiss company representing Polish firm Deep Ocean Technology (DOT) which has developed highly innovative designs for an underwater hotel. The proposal still needs to be refined but currently suggests a Water Discus Hotel in Dubai with disc-shaped volumes both above and below the waterline."

"One disc will be above water, the other 21 stories under, so the rich of the world can wake up in the morning and look out at the goings on of the Persian Gulf’s aquatic life. This luxury playground will let people go diving, take off on submersibles, and do all the other stuff that James Cameron likes to do when he isn’t releasing 3D movies. Entertainment will consist of SpongeBob Squarepants and Patrick Star singing Billy Ocean’s greatest hits. Possibly.
If you’re worried about safety, they make assurances that “the structure sits up on three sturdy legs fixed to the seabed, and the upper disc is suspended above the water surface. These two technical solutions will ensure that Water Discus remains safe even in the event of a fairly high tsunami, which can normally flood the nearest coastal areas.” Good to know.
Whether it will actually be built in Dubai remains to be seen, but the modules can be adapted to different sea levels, so who knows, maybe one of the world’s dilapidated seaside towns could dip their toes into the future of luxury underwater accommodation."



Source: World Architecture News & the creators project

Water, New Fuel for Your Mobile Battery

"Wouldn’t it be cool if you could recharge your Android phone with water? Powertrekk by myFC is a new fuel cell charger that does just that. This innovate charging system uses Powerpukks that contain sodium silicide which produce hydrogen gas when combined with any kind of water.

“PowerTrekk Water Charger gives your mobile phone power anywhere at any time,” says Björn Westerholm, CEO at myFC. “From now on, you do not have to rely on having an electricity grid nearby.”

The Powertrekk charging system was first introduced last year at Mobile World Congress, but it should be available soon at retailers across the US, as myFC will showcase the product at CES next week.

 

Overseas, the Powertrekk charging system has a suggested retail price of €199 and the Powerpukks go for €1.99 apiece. That means you can recharge your smartphone for less than the cost of a 4-pack of AA batteries.

The Powertrekk system might not be for everyone with its bulky size, but it should appeal to outdoor enthusiasts and people who spend time away from the electricity grid.

 

Source: Interesting Engineering

Night Biking Gloves with LED-Arrows

"If you ride a bike, then you know how hard it is to get the respect you deserve on the road. And if you drive a car, then you know how annoying it is when people on bikes wear all black and don’t signal. Here’s an idea that everyone can get behind: Night Biking Gloves. Designer and cyclist Irene Posch created these clever gloves with built-in LED arrows. Conductive fibers are knit into the fingertips and palm so the circuit closes when you make a fist, causing the LED arrow on the back to light up. As a bonus, the conductive fingertips also make the gloves touchscreen friendly."

As Irene Posch  writes: "The Early Winter Night Biking Gloves aim at augmenting established movements while riding a bike with a layer for personal security.
Raising visibility is a big issue for urban bikers. The Gloves aesthetically and functionally translate this need: Winter nights come early, thus there is more need for extra lighting; at the same time it is cold, so wearing gloves is necessary anyway. Preserving the look and feel of normal gloves, LEDs showing a turn signal light up when the hand is stretched out and a fist is formed are a strong signal for following cars.

The Early Winter Night Biking Gloves consist of knitted wool gloves having conductive areas on each fingertip as well as on the palm of the hand. When forming a fist they close an electric circle, causing the LED-arrow at the back of the hand to light up. A 3V coin cell battery needed to power the LEDs is hidden in the cuff of the gloves.

In the design process it was important to me to keep gestures to turn the lights on as natural as possible and the technology behind it just as complex as necessary. I experimented with a few interaction scenarios (you can see some examples here). Choosing gloves as the basis allows to have the signal actually at the further most extension of your body, being for following cars not just an indication that you are turning, but also what distance they should keep from you. Also, risks that the signal is covered by a backpack or similar, as possible when directly mounted in a jacket for example, are kept minimal.

Additionally to increasing the safety of cyclists, conductive areas on the fingertips also allow to use your smartphone while wearing the gloves."
Source: fashioningtech, Interesting Engineering

The Lightbulb Made of Plastic Bottle & Water

"We have lightbulbs made from glowing metal filaments, fluorescent gas, and LED diodes. And now we have one made of water. There is also a virtually unlimited supply since the "bulb" is composed of nothing more than one-liter plastic bottle, water, and bleach. The simple technology can be installed in less than an hour, lasts for five years, and is equivalent to a 60-watt bulb.
It works simply: The water diffracts the light, letting it spread throughout the house instead of focusing on one point. The bleach keeps the water clear and microbe-free."

"The Brazilian engineer who came up with the idea did so in the midst of an energy blackout and crisis in 2002. The 2-liter soda bottle lights are actually rated at 50-60 watts. Not bad. The lights have gotten the attention of normal folks and engineers alike, and have caught on a bit in some places. The idea has spread to the slums of Philippines, where every penny counts, through a program called “a liter of light.”

"The solar bottle bulb is illuminating poor settlements across the Philippines, where the organization Isang Litrong Liwanag ("A Liter of Light") has already installed 10,000 of them. “With the Solar Bottle Bulb project, a brighter Philippines is going to become a reality,” Illac Diaz, a social entrepreneur installing the bulbs, told a Filipino publication.
Millions of poor homes in Manila--and far more around the world--are left in the dark because metal roofs block all light and there are no connections to the electrical grid in cramped informal settlements. This simple bottle bulb, installed through a sealed hole cut in the metal roofs, provides a surprising amount of light by deflecting sunlight into gloomy interiors."

Source: Clean Technica (http://s.tt/12X58) , fastcoexist , https://phys.org/news/2011-11-philippine-solar-bottles.html & A Liter of Light

Lasercut Seaweed for Rolling Sushi

"developed by international ad agency I&S BBDO for the umino seaweed shop, 'design nori' is a series of intricately laser-cut seaweed for rolling sushi. each sheet of five designs-- 'sakura' ('cherry blossoms'), 'mizutama' ('water drops'), 'asanoha' ('hemp'), 'kikkou' ('turtle shell'), and 'kumikkou' ('tortoise shell')-- is based on an element of japanese history or symbology, meant to bring beauty, good fortune, growth, happiness, and longevity.
because of the precision required in the cutting process, the seaweed itself is a thicker variety from the sanriku region of miyagi. umino plans to use the leftover clippings to sell as furikake topping or recompile into other sheets.the project was commissioned to respark the sale of nori following the tsunami in japan of 2011, at a time when umino director hiroyuki umino notes that japanese are eating less seaweed than in the past.
'design nori' s on exhibition through may 27th, 2012, at 'katagami style' of 19th century japanese stencil artwork, at the mitsubishi ichigokan museum in tokyo. the pieces themselves are available for sale only through the retail locationin ibaraki prefacture and at the exhibition, currently for the price of 840 yen (approx. 10 USD) each. in the future, umino hopes to produce the nori on a larger scale and at lower cost."



closer view, 'kumikkou' ('tortoise shell')


https://phys.org/news/2011-11-philippine-solar-bottles.html
one-off special seaweed designs, on exhibition at the 'katagmi style' show in tokyo
image courtesy rocketnews24








via: The Inspiration Room , designboom

Adorable Brick Habitats in London Design Festival

"Imagine having flora and fauna living inside the bricks of your building! A snow-white style fantasy? Not according to the designers of ‘Brick Habitats’ – bricks that have a little pocket for plants to grow and birds to hang out in. While most of the other entries into our massive  new solutions to fix up suburbiaReburbia competition to find bold,  propose large-scale solutions for the re-organization of housing or land use, Brick Habitats by Chooi-leng Tan envisions a much subtler change to the suburban landscape. These built-in brick coves are like mini-condos that attract native wildlife back to the suburbs!

Tan imagined an easily-customizable system that would allow suburban residents to arrange their vertical garden so that it becomes functional and useful to every user. Top, middle, and bottom pieces are available to create containers of various sizes. Bowl-shaped bottoms allow rainwater to run-off to create bird baths, while pieces with a small cavities carved out allow for birds to build nests. A bottom with a cavity is fitted with a middle “filler” piece to create a container for ornamental plants or for herbs — a perfect way for anyone to start their own herb garden, right outside their window!

A system that is easy to understand and put together, Brick Habitats is an encouraging proposal that allows residents to take environmental change in their own hands by participating in suburban habitat restoration."

via: Chooi-leng Tan and  inhabitat