vdodan / weblog » ArchiNews

Rousseau and INSA Classic Bubble Chair

Vlad — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 10:57:51 +0000

Unul din scaunele care n-ar trebuii sa lipseasca din portofoliul unui fotograf. Pe cat de simplu, pe atat de sexy. And it glows!

35H Relaxation Armchair, by Frédéric Sofia

Vlad — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 22:11:36 +0000

News: 20.12.2008

Vlad — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 18:56:36 +0000

BBVA headquarters by Herzog & de Meuron

, via Deezeen

Library and Learning Centre at the University of Economics & Business by Zaha Hadid Architects

, via Deezeen

News: 16.12.2008

Vlad — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 22:50:01 +0000

Dubai Outdoes Itself With a Universe of Islands

,by Mike Chino

If we ever harbored the sentiment that Dubai’s dubious construction blitz would slow in times of economic unrest, the astronomical scale of the UAE’s latest project will surely dispel these qualms. Dubai’s largest developer, Nakheel, recently revealed plans for an entire archipelago of universe-themed islands at a $20 million dollar opening party for the Atlantis Resort. The cosmic string of strands will feature a sun, stars, and planets, and will be situated inshore of the already constructed World Islands.

As if Dubai needed to further justify its status as an out-of-this-world tourist destination, the emirate has decided to step things up by constructing a universe-themed chain of islands. The Universe will comprise 3,000 hectares of land and will take 15 to 20 years to build. Curiously, the astronomical project was launched as part of Nakheel’s recently debuted Blue Communities initiative. The program promises cleaner water, less pollution, and claims that developments like the universe are designed to help maintain and protect the world’s coastlines.

Dubai has already drawn a considerable amount of ire for its supermassive “green” projects that boast a questionable degree of sustainable credibility. Although man-made seawalls can certainly play an important role in preserving coastal ecology, it’s hard for us to justify a swirling archipelago of amoeba-shaped islands as the most efficient way to protect the world’s coastlines. Additionally, the techniques used in the construction of the World Islands have raised concerns over beach erosion, damage to coral reefs, and biodiversity.

+ Nakheel

Oculus

De vreo 3 zile tot incerc sa prezint chestia asta ca NEWS, dar tot uit de ea si o dau la o parte.
Ei bine, astazi m-am decis ca TREBUIE prezentata.
Cred ca Zozo ar fi foarte incantat de chestia asta, mai ales ca are in plan sa-si cumpere un Yaht…

Oculus is the first “design launch” of Schöpfer Yachts LLC. This 250-foot vessel was designed by E. Kevin Schöpfer, founder and owner of his namesake company.

Designed to accommodate 12 guests in extraordinary comfort and style, Oculus is a long distance cruising yacht capable of speeds upwards of 25 knots.

The exterior styling is representative of the jaw and eye socket bone structure of large oceanic fish and mammals. Featuring a dramatic reverse bow configuration, the yacht’s armature balances an elegant expression of symmetry and structure.

In addition to the bow, Oculus also features a “low rider profile”. This slightly lowered surface allows for new side recreational areas, alternate dockage access and light cruising openness. Lateral retractable side panels close this area when heavier wave action is indicated.

The interior features of Oculus focus on a 12 foot high ceiling in the main salon, a cylindrical double height dining room, central stair and elevator tube, and seemingly anatomical ceiling and floor lighting extensions giving definition to the seating areas.

The second level is the dedicated Owner’s suite. Living areas and bedchambers are divided by a series of four freestanding tubes, which house bath and storage necessities.

In addition to the main common stair, the second Owner’s stair connects to the third level aft private salon and deck / water feature.

The third level also contains the forward pilothouse and separate captain’s quarters. The generous open decks with separate water features are located forward and aft for convenient guest use. Specifications and plans are in the final stages of completion and will be posted at a later time.

News: 15.12.2008

Vlad — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 23:53:02 +0000

20+ really thin buildings and houses in Japan

In cazul in care aveati impresia ca stati intr-un apartament claustrant … take a look at those Japanese people. Sunt sigur ca o sa va mai descretiti fruntile…

The Beauty Of Street Photography

(click the title)

By Andrew Gibson and Smashing Editorial Team

Street photographers strive to capture the life and culture of city streets, searching for what Henri Cartier-Bresson, probably the most famous street photographer of all, termed the ‘Decisive Moment’.

When it comes to street photography, many photographers traditionally choose to work in black and white, focusing the viewer’s attention on the subject by eliminating the distraction of colour. Wide angle lenses are used by photographers who like to get in close to the action, a method that encourages interaction between the photographer and subject. Another technique is use a lens with a long focal length to take photos from a distance and throw the background out of focus.

Smashing Magazine celebrates the diversity and livelinesss of the world’s streets by presenting you 50 excellent examples of street photography, urban photography and photojournalism. There are links to the photographers’ websites and also some useful links to articles and tutorials at the bottom of the post.

New iPod In-Ear Headphones reviewed: Apple’s best yet

Macar au facut un efort si s-au gandit mai bine la cei care chiar folosesc castile alea. Nu cred ca o sa ma despart de Creative-urile LP640 care imi stimuleaza receptorii auditivi, dar macar cei care chiar folosesc functia de hands-free a IPhone-ului au o alternativa care chiar incearca sa stea in urechi si nu undeva la o distanta semnificativa de ele.

Cand o sa apara .v3 la castile Apple, probabil ca o sa ma uit mai atent peste ele … din ce se aude pe internet, calitatea sunetului nu este una care sa incante audiofilii.

News: 09.12.2008

Vlad — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:27:06 +0000

Daniel Libeskind’s Soaring Glass Sky Garden for NYC

,via Inhabitat

10 Modern Chairs that Revolutionized Furniture Forever

“From the mid 1920s to the late 1950s, a revolution in furniture design was happening from the US to Europe. Considered art in their own right, these 10 modern chairs revolutionized the way we sit– and turned the act of rest into a thing of beauty.” [...]

The Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Barcelona Chair

The Eames Lounge and Ottoman

The Le Corbusier Chaise Longue

(pentru celelate 7 piese cititi intreg articolul – click pe titlu sau direct -> aici!)

You Know You’re An Architecture Student When…

The alarm clock tells you when to go to sleep.
You’re not ashamed of drooling in class anymore, especially during Structures lectures
You know what Superglue tastes like.
You celebrate space and observe your birthday
Coffee and Red Bull are tools, not treats.
People are nauseated just by smelling your caffeine breath.
You are surprised when you see a new building in your school.
You think it’s possible to create space.
You’ve slept more than 20 hours non-stop in a single weekend.
You fight with inanimate objects.
You’ve fallen asleep in the bathroom. (pe tastatura)
Your brother or sister thinks he or she is an only child.
You’ve listened to all your CDs in less than 48 hours.
You’re not seen in public.
You lose your house keys for a week and you don’t even notice.
You’ve brushed your teeth and washed your hair in the university’s bathroom.
You’ve discovered the benefits of having none or very short hair, and you’ve started to appreciate inheriting baldness.
You’ve used an entire role of film to photograph the footpath.
You know the exact time the vending machines are refilled.
You always carry your deodorant.
You become excellent at recycling when making models.
When you try to communicate, you make a continuous and monotonous whine.
You’ve danced YMCA with excellent choreography at 3 am and without a single drop of alcohol in your body.
You take notes and leve messages with a rapidograph and colour markers.
You combine breakfast, lunch and dinner into one single meal.
You see holidays only as extra sleeping time.
You’ve got more photographs of buildings than of actual people.
You’ve taken your girlfriend (boyfriend) on a date to a construction site.
You’ve realised that French curves are not that exciting.
You can live without human contact, food or daylight, but if you can’t print it’s chaos.
When you’re being shown pictures of a trip, you ask about the human scale
You can use Photoshop, Illustrator and make a web page, but you don’t know how to use Excel.
You refer to great architects (dead or alive) by their first name as if you knew them (Frank, Corbu, Mies, Norman).
You buy 50 dollars worth of magazines that you haven’t read yet. (250$ deja )
When someone offers you a Bic pen, you feel offended.

Architectural Terms (and what they really mean)

Sense of Entry = The front door is big and far away.
Human Scale = Less than 400 feet tall.
Skewed Grid = The design looked too boring with a regular grid.
Pedestrian-Oriented = Doesn’t have enough parking.
Contextual = Is surrounded by a lot of other buildings the architect couldn’t tear down.
Theoretical = Nobody in their right mind would ever consider building the crazy thing.
Signature Building = You can’t afford it.
Less Is More = The designer ran out of ideas.
Classically Proportioned = Traced out of a book of Greek architecture.
Postmodern = Traced out of a book of Roman architecture.
International Style = No country will take responsibility for it.
Deconstructivist = The backhoe ran into it during construction—and they liked it.
Seismically Designed High Rise = In an earthquake, the structure will not collapse, but will drop all of its glass and stone panels into the street turning pedestrians into a stew-like mush of pureed flesh.
Jury = Firing squad.
Design Review Board = Failed architecture majors.
Architecture Student = Egotistical masochist with no money.

News: 08.12.2008

Vlad — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 07:09:24 +0000

Philippe Starck’s SLS Hotel, Beverly Hills

“The carnival of visual texture and layering leads all the way up to the rooms and suites with whimsical chairs made out of shiny red lips, a ‘saints and sinners’ mini-bar, and egg shell shaped plunge tub – or as Chief Creative Officer Theresa Fatino calls them, “Sweet little moments and delightful little nuggets.”" (Carole Dixon)

Steampunk Hijacks Hi-Tech Design, Art and Fashion

“Steampunk art, fashion, design and mods are seen by some as a reaction to today’s generic, plastic gadgets that all look the same until one gets very, very close – practical yes, pleasing no. So polish up that monocle, bring on the brass and banish cookie-cutter clutter as Steampunk artists find thirteen more ingenious ways to redesign and refashion the world by hijacking hi-tech back to the future (past)!”

(for the whole story … just click the title)

News: 02.12.2008

Vlad — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:19:15 +0000

News: 25.11.2008

Vlad — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 08:10:09 +0000

Banyan Tree Corniche Bay

by Foster + Partners

Museum of Middle Eastern Modern Art

by UNStudio

News: 21.11.2008

Vlad — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:24:22 +0000

What The Duck

Wireless Router vase by STC

(click the picture and follow the jump)