Style of Design

PACT underwear was created by yves behar's san francisco-based design studio fuseproject
and entrepreneurs jason kibbey and jeff denby. the organization is a social movement whose motto is,
'change starts with your underwear'. their aim is to support organic cotton farmers, and encourage
responsible labor practices and businesses, forming partnerships with nonprofit organizations
dedicated to positive change. this is done through the sales of environmentally, fashionable undergarments
which are 95% organic cotton, 5% elastane, machine washable and responsibly manufactured at
egedeniz tekstil in turkey.

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a percentage of PACT underwear sales are given to selected causes including:
forestethics, 826 national, oceana and global green USA. their latest partnership for
earth week 2010 is with the green belt movement in which they hope to plant a forest.
for the collaboration they commissioned UK-based african architect david adjaye to design
a special 'green belt' print for PACT unmentionables. from now until april 25th,
100% of the proceeds from 'green belt' undergarment sales will go to planting trees.
for each pair sold, 20 trees in africa will be planted – the aim is to reach 10, 000 trees.

adjaye's 'green belt' print is set against a jewel-toned green background.
with yellow-stemmed fig leaves which echo the shape of the african continent,
the print evokes the spirit of renewal and hope. 'green belt' printed underwear is available
in three styles for women (bikini, boy short and thong) and men (boxer, boxer brief and trunk).

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'green belt movement' pattern boxer brief

the green belt movement was founded by environmentalist and nobel peace prize winner
dr. wangari maathai in 1977. the organization began in kenya as a grassroots treeplanting program
to address environmental damage. today, it has evolved into an international vehicle for
empowering women, advocating human rights and supporting good governance and peaceful
democratic change. to date, they have planted more than 40 million trees throughout africa.

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'green belt movement' pattern bikini

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'green belt movement' solid boxer brief

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'green belt movement' solid bikini

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image: honda

honda has announced it will bring the ev-neo electric scooter concept to the japanese market this year.
the peppy two-wheeler is the first electric scooter honda has introduced in japan and will probably be
the first of many. the company has designed the vehicle for commercial use, ideal for making deliveries
in japan’s crowded urban streets. a lithium ion battery will power the ev-neo, providing a driving range
of around 30 km. this short range is offset by a rapid 4-hour full recharge that will get the bike back on
the road in no time. the bike will have performance that compare to similar sized bikes that use 50cc
engines.

http://honda.com

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image: honda

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image: honda

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image: honda

via autoblog green

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messenger dog is a digital messaging system for use in disaster relief efforts developed by mary huang,
laura boffi and li bian. the informal system aims to connect people who may have been displaced during
a crisis such as an earthquake. messenger dog enables people to record video messages to loved ones and
send them through the dog wearing the device. messages are geo-tagged and time logged so that people
can track where messages originated from, hopefully reuniting loved ones. the dogs are deployed from
a single point such as a refugee camp and sent out with the device on their back. the dogs return to the
point of origin at the end of the day, where any recorded video can be downloaded for users to watch.

http://dkds.ciid.dk/idp09/graphical-user-interface/projects/messenger-dog

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'cocoa' by marc sadler for danese

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'cocoa' by marc sadler for danese


'cocoa' by austrian born milan based designer marc sadler is a dynamic seat influenced
by the sailing realm. it is composed of a light and resistant ergonomic fiberglass frame
mounted on a see plywood structure. the wooden structure consists of three elements
appropriately cut so that you can easily make them fit one into the other.

the rotation of the frame on the structure ensures three different but steady, well regulated
seat positions. 'cocoa' can therefore be used as a seat, chaise lounge or bed. in the upright
position, more people can sit and socialize or rest. it is suitable for outdoor spaces, due to
the endurance of its material and the conformation of its shape, that makes the water slide
away without stagnating.

'cocoa' has been created for italian company danese.


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wooden structure – consists of 3 elements

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in the danese store

'archetype' with ceiling connection


…but where is the bulb?
'archetype' can be considered as a symbolic passage to LED lighting.
its classic silhouette, which is body and lamp source at the same time, screws into
the lamp holder like a traditional incandescent bulb, even though it features a modern
diode technology.'archetype' draws from the traditional scandinavian design, adopted by
danish company goodmorning technology for luceplan.

its exterior structure is in painted aluminium and the internal diffuser is in transparent
polycarbonate. integrated between these two elements is a warm white LED and an E27
screw attachment for connection to any standard-size traditional bulb holder.

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'archetype'

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this reflector-only version is combined with a rose, cable and bulb holder for ceiling
connection. the floor-standing version has an aluminium structure for vertical height
adjustment.

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the energy saving LEDs are characterized by long life, high output and no maintenance
cost, a reflection luceplan's commitment to environmental sustainability.

'archetype' was on presentation at luceplan as part of milan design week 2010.

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'archetype' with floor stand

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luceplan storefront

'sonnenhof' by j.mayer h architects
all images courtesy j.mayer h architects

construction has now begun on 'sonnenhof', a landmark development consisting of
four new office and apartment buildings extending over several allotments in the historic
center of jena, germany. designed by j.mayer h architects the four-building complex
leaves a large part of the space open for public use during the day, permitting a free flow
of pedestrian traffic across the area. the buildings, situated on the edges of the lot, frame
a small, urban courtyard typical to medieval city structures. passages between the individual
buildings connect them to the surrounding public-use areas, making it an important junction
in the urban network. the mixed-use concept supports a small scale, seamless integration
into the existing urban fabric, while the design of the outer buildings takes up the geometry
of the polygonal shapes in the facade, continuing their graphics across the floor. the resulting
surfaces are often extended and 'programmed' into the third dimension, forming a sculptural
set of wedges and steles integrating such functional elements as flower beds, ventilation
openings, seating and lighting fixtures and thus transforming the open
areas into attractive, urban leisure spaces.


courtyard

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courtyard

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view from above

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site plan

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model of 'sonnenhof'

'arnolfini', is a new chandelier designed by dutch design duo studio job for italian glass
works manufacturer venini. by using beaded pots and pans on a typical chandelier framework,
this prototype transforms trivial everyday objects into an elaborate design. moreover, a new
vocabulary is established in materials as these archetypal icons of everyday living become
the cubes, spheres and pawns giving the chandelier its final form.


3m (height) x 2m (diameter)


the chandelier draws its reference from the classic 'the arnolfini marriage' by jan van eyck
created in 1434.

'in the original version of the painting of the flemish pair of newlyweds, you can find many
symbols related to their level of social welfare and religion. all metaphors are represented
accurately. one of them is the famous chandelier suspended by a single candle, an allusion
to a divine eye. the 'arnolfini chandelier by venini in the twenty-first century refers to this.
this time it is fully lit for all to see …' – SJ




'arnolfini' features an LED light source with a complex technological and handwork
of glass. meanwhile, the frame features a polished gold finish.

the first prototype of 'arnolfini' was exhibited at museum bagatti valsecchi as part
of salone del mobile 2010.

'NARA' chair
83.5 cm x 43.5 cm x 49.5 cm x 53 cm


the initial concept for the ‘NARA’ collection by japanese designer shin azumo was to create
minimal structure while providing a maximum level of comfort. in this series created
for danish furniture manufacturer fredericia, azumi wanted to express the sculptural beauty
of solid timber and create comfortable furniture from a simple wooden structure.
thus, the 'NARA' series pays homage to traditional scandinavian design while at the same
time creating a new aesthetic language of its own. the word ‘NARA’ is taken from
the japanese historic capital city which is famous for its free roaming, sacred deers.

when designing the 'NARA' chair, azumi first defined the top edge and vertical supports
of the backrest to get the best level of comfort and to create maximum support. all superfluous
material from the backrest was then removed. the 'horns' of the backrest provide the perfect
place to hang a jacket or bag. although initially designed from a functional and structural
perspective, as an end result the image of the chair resembles that of a deer.


'NARA' chair


'NARA' chair


'NARA' table and chairs
180 cm x 90 cm x 72cm ('NARA' table dimensions)


simple detailing and a classic aesthetic mean that the 'NARA' table can be subtly used
in combination with the 'NARA' chair. however, the versatility of the table design also
allows it to sit comfortably in any environment and alongside any dining chair without
being too overpowering.




'NARA' table

the corners of the table have been cut off to soften what would usually be sharp edges.
to create a more spacious and inviting feeling between the table legs, their internal faces
are angled at 45 degrees.



'NARA' coat stand
180 cm x 32 cm x 42 cm


'NARA’ coat stand resembles a tree like structure, where each branch provides a place
to hang an item of clothing. during the manufacture of other furniture, large amounts
of waste are usually produced.  many small but good quality pieces of timber are often
discarded. this design maximizes on those otherwise wasted pieces, creating a coat stand
with minimal wastage of materials.

all three furniture pieces – the dining chair, table and coat stand – was on show during
milan furniture fair 2010.


'NARA' coat stand

'luceste' – toshiba LED lighting


'luceste' = luce (light) + celeste (of sky) was an installation created with toshiba LED lighting
by japanese architect makoto tanijiri of suppose design office, on display during
milan design week 2010.

the installation explored the original beauty of light itself. visitors got to experience
toshiba's lighting, perhaps changing preconceived images of LEDs. visitors were surrounded
by gentle light once they entered the space, in which colors continually changed as clouds
moved over the ceiling.


the brand concept of  their new lighting system business, 'lighting the way to warmth
and harmony with people and the environment', conveys toshiba's changeless determination
to enrich and brighten people's lives and to make them more comfortable. as a 'corporate citizen
of planet earth' they seek to create a better global environment, and for this reason, they halted
production of general purpose incandescent bulbs in march this year.

toshiba have entered a new phase in their mission of developing environmentally friendly
products. through promoting their new LED lighting they are pursuing their dream
of creating new lighting values together with everybody.


















drawings of installation


drawings of installation

installation credits:
creation: makoto tanijiri (architect, suppose design office)
technical support: izumi okayasu (lighting designer, izumi okayasu lighting design),
shinichi sakamoto (technical adviser, graphica inc), seigen ono (composer/ recording engineer)
creative direction: nobuhiro fushiya (toshiba corporation).

'leek' lampshades


dutch designers kathy ludwig and florian kräutli have designed 'for the birds',
a series of lampshades made from tapioca, vegetables and wafers. the three different lamps
are made from beet root, blue cabbage and leek respectively. production follows similar processes
to that of paper making in which the materials are thoroughly combined and pressed into
a mould to set.

when hung indoors, the aromas of the vegetables can be experienced within the space,
giving off an earthy smell. when the vegetable lamps are no longer wanted for the
domestic environment, they can be brought outside, hung in a tree and serve as food for animals.
the transition from inside to outside starts a transformation in the product which can't be reversed,
changing its original purpose.


up close



detail



'red cabbage' lamp



underside of the lamp



detail


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'beet root' lamp


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installation view


'for the birds' was on show at tuttobene during milan design week 2010.