Kindergarten Centered Around a Legendary Tree At the Fuji Kindergarten in Japan, Tezuka Architects created a unique environment that, as a tool for learning, promotes freedom of movement. "Ring Around a Tree" is the extension of an existing kindergarten that consists of a wood and transparent glass volume spiraling upward, enveloping a Japanese Zelkova tree. The project creates spaces for play and foreign language instruction, while also providing a fun area for the children to wait for the school bus. Though, to the average adult, the space appears to have just two floors, for the children it has six with some areas being just three feet (one meter) high. Elements like railings and handrails are very slender, while the interior floors are made of wood. Planted more than 50 years ago, the Zelkova tree has quite the storied past. via [Domus]
The Sifter's Top 10 Homes of 2010 If you’re a regular reader of the Sifter you’re familiar with my real estate fascination. I love posting all types of homes. From the unique and interesting to the grand and opulent. Below you will find a collection of the Sifter’s Top 10 Homes from 2010. Click any picture or link to be taken to the original post, enjoy! The Biggest and Most Expensive Home Posted in 2010 This staggering 48,00 square foot mega-mansion in the Cayman Islands was listed at a jaw-dropping $59 million USD! The Best Use of Limited Space [500 sq ft] Architects Darrick Borowski and Danny Orenstein show us that it’s possible to live quite comfortably in 500 square feet (46 sq m). The Most Exotic Home Posted in 2010 Located in gorgeous Phuket, Thailand, this stunning property boasts over 8,000 square feet of interior space and over 8,500 square feet of outdoor terrace space as well! The Craziest Penthouse Posted in 2010 The Coolest Retrofit Property of 2010 It’s a 1965 Boeing 727 converted into a hotel room.
1938 Phantom Corsair Images. Photo: 38-Phantom-Corsair-DV-09-AI_b02.jpg Rust Heinz, heir to the Heinz 57 ketchup fortune, was a young designer who had the means to put into reality his car of tomorrow, better known as the Phantom Corsair. Based on a 1936 Cord Westchester Sedan with a Granatelli modified 192 horsepower supercharged Cord motor, the body was constructed by Maurice Schwartz of Bohman & Schwartz Body Company. Designed in a wind tunnel, the radical fastback body incorporates modern items such as a climate control system and crash padded dash. It starred in the 1938 movie The Young at Heart where it was called the 'Flying Wombat.' Originally intended to be produced in limited numbers for $12,500, the project ended with Heinz' untimely death in 1939. Less is the New More: Making the Most of Small Spaces Good Design For Living in Small ApartmentsAs people migrate to smaller spaces, good design helps a lot. This is something they figured out in Europe long ago, that if you don't have a lot of horizontal room you can go vertical. Tumidei in Italy makes some of the nicest stuff, like this unit with lots of storage under the bed. This unit just raises the floor high enough for beds to slide under. This one looks a bit clinical, but has two single beds plus a pull-out double bed in between. None of this stuff is cheap, nor, as far as I can tell is it available in North America, but there are ideas here that demonstrate how people can share a space and still get a little privacy, a good place to work and a lot of storage in a very small envelope. Like this?
Blog Archive & Holman House by Durbach Block Jaggers A Picasso painting inspired this cliff-top house near Sydney by architects Durbach Block Jaggers. Above photo is by Brett Boardman The curved forms of the kitchen and living room, which project over the sea supported by four angled stilts, are derived from the torso of Picasso's The Bather. Above photo is by Anthony Browell The two-storey Holman House was completed atop the 70 metre-high cliff at Dover Heights back in 2004. Stone walls surround bedrooms on the ground floor, which nestle against the rock face. Terraces surrounding the house at different levels provide two patios, a top floor garden and a lower level swimming pool. This project is the third Australian house published on Dezeen in the last week, following one residence with an oversailing glass roof and another that incorporates cantilevering concrete slabs - see all our stories about projects in Australia here. Photography is by Peter Bennetts, apart from where otherwise stated. Here's some more information from the architects:
Alice of Magic World – Tokyo Whimsical places exist all over the world. And We Heart is just the place to discover some of them. Check out this awesome new Tokyo restaurant designed by Fantastic Design Works Co. Alice of Magic World – the fourth in a series of eateries based on Lewis Carroll’s creation – is a decidedly trippy affair, complete with custom made heart shaped chandelier and table, playing card tables and its own forest. via We Heart Share this post
Luxury Villa Amanzi, Thailand by Original Vision Studio Luxury Villa Amanzi, Thailand by Original Vision Studio The Villa Amanzi by Architect firm Original Vision Studio is a stunning modern vacation residence located in the exclusive Cape Sol on the West coast of Phuket, Thailand. Villa Amanzi is a stunning six bedroom residence with a 15m infinity pool and breathtaking views over the Andaman Sea. This luxury villa enjoys a spectacular headland location along Kamala’s exclusive Millionaires Mile and captures cool gentle breezes all year round with uninterrupted sea views from every vantage point, in one of the most breathtaking locations Phuket has to offer. About Richard Barker Love Interior Design & Exotic Travel? May 19, 2011 | Phuket Thailand Travel | View comments Contemporary design at Nest and Cave House, Croatia Croatian architect and interior designer Idis Turato has designed the Nest and Cave project. Luxury wellness retreat Aro Ha opens in New Zealand
Lofted Forest Home: Organic Curves & Natural Materials | Designs &Ideas on Dornob - StumbleUpon Good things come to those who wait – particularly in a work of uniquely detailed and highly curved architecture. Nearly a decade in the making, this structure by Robert Harvey Oshatz is much like a tree house – lofted toward the top of the canopy around it – only bigger, grander, more complex and curved than most any tree house in the world. The perimeter of the structure is pushed out into the forest around it, curving in and out to create views as well as a sense of intimacy with the coniferous and deciduous tree cover. The wood and metal detailing is incredible in its variety and customization – each piece designed to fit a particular form and function. Wood and stone carry naturalistic themes from the outside in and even the metal looks naturally rusted. The curved, organic mix of materials continues to the interior of this elevated forest home – a conceptual play on the fluidity and complexity of music (the source of inspiration for the architect and client in the design).
Zombie ants have fungus on the brain, new research reveals New research has revealed how infection by a parasitic fungus dramatically changes the behavior of tropical carpenter ants (species Camponotus leonardi), causing them to become zombie-like and to die at a spot that has optimal reproduction conditions for the fungus. The multinational research team studied ants living high up in the rainforest canopy in Thailand. A paper describing the research was published in the BioMed Central open-access journal BMC Ecology on May 9. To see photos related to this research, visit online. "The behavior of these infected zombie ants essentially causes their bodies to become an extension of the fungus's own phenotype, as non-infected ants never behave in this way," said David P. Hughes, the first author of the research paper and an assistant professor of entomology and biology at Penn State. In addition to Hughes, other members of the research team include Sandra Andersen and Jacobus J.
peugeot ex1 nov 23, 2010 peugeot ex1 to celebrate their 200th anniversary, the french car maker peugeot developed a new concept car that merges its motorcycle and automotive expertise in the ex1. the lightweight car features two seats and no top with power coming from 4 wheel mounted electric motors that add up to 340 horsepower. the exterior design is quite dramatic with a large front air intake, side scoops and low-profile wind screen. while the car won’t likely see a production line, the prototypes constructed by peugeot are said to have achieved excellent results. nate archer I designboom
Energy Seed by Sungwoo Park & Sunhee Kim Trashing Batteries for Brighter Sidewalks We all know alkaline batteries are really bad for the environment if you don’t dispose of them properly. The right thing to do is send them to special recycling centers but hundreds of tons end up in landfills where their toxic innards seep into the earth. Perhaps a good solution is the Energy Seed, an LED lamp post powered by trashed alkaline batteries. The idea is to encourage people to throw their batteries away into the Energy Seed. Of course once the bins are full, we’re left with the same original problem. Designer: Sungwoo Park & Sunhee Kim Tangga House by Guz Architects By Eric • Mar 23, 2011 • Selected Work The Tangga House is another Singapore’s dream home designed by Guz Architects. Completed in 2009, the 7,663 square foot residence is located in Holland Village, an elite district of Singapore that is famous amongst the expatriate community. The luxury single-family home gives the owners the opportunity to live in harmony and comfort with nature, in Singapore’s hot tropical climate. Tangga House by Guz Architects: “The house is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional courtyard house, laid out around a central green courtyard with a double height stair and entry area forming the focal point of the project. The L-shaped plan creates open spaces which encourage natural ventilation and offer resident’s views over the courtyard to the veranda, roof gardens and beyond. The large roof above the courtyard creates an indoor and outdoor space leading to the gardens and swimming pool which wraps around two sides of the house. Photos by: Patrick Bingham-Hall