Every year in June, New York City’s Governors Island plays host to FIGMENT, an art and cultural festival that transforms the island a large-scale collaborative artwork. The 2013 edition will feature this winning sculptural entry from Studio Klimoski Chang Architects called "Head In the Clouds." Riffing on the image of daydreaming in the park, designers Jason Klimoski......read more
This compact glass form, designed by Toronto's gh3 architects, sits on a granite plinth at the edge of Stoney Lake, Ontario. With a transparent, north-facing facade that's continuously bathed in diffuse light, the structure is perfectly suited for its intended use as a photographer's studio. From the outset, ecological considerations factored into the design. The granite’s......read more
With "Nest," Paris-based architects Studio 1984 have created a nature retreat that would make Thoreau and Emerson proud. Designed for the Archi 20 competition, the small pavillion pays homage to traditional agricultural structures in the French Alsace region where it was built. But while the reference to rural heritage is strong, the building features future-forward technical innovations in......read more
Berlin-based architectural outfit Studio Aisslinger has created what may be the most stunning modular home ever built. The conceptual building, dubbed Fincube, is "nomadic" in the sense that it can be easily dismantled and reassembled on a new site. The prototype, pictured above, has been constructed near Bozen in Northern Italy, almost 4,000 feet above sea level, with the Dolomite......read more
Just fill the tank with tap water, add a splash of natural lemon juice, and you’re set for 8 to 12 weeks of accurate timekeeping. Fun, functional and eco-friendly, the Bedol Water Powered Clock is ideal for home or office, or as a great little gift item. Don't ask us how but something about the acid in the lemon juice works like a battery. Sure. Whatever the ways, we like the means. ...read more
Designed by Shepard Fairey's Studio Number One, the SHFT X Klean Kanteen water bottle comes with a cause. Ten percent of bottle proceeds goes to Water.org, so each purchase contributes to the development of sustainable water projects in the places they are needed most. ...read more
Studio Swine, the cross-disciplinary design duo made up of Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves, has released a video to document its Can City project. While in Sao Paulo, the pair built a mobile foundry that smelts aluminum cans using waste vegetable oil as fuel. With the ability to make both moulds and finished pieces on-site, Can City turns the street into a local factory. In Sao Paulo, over......read more
San Francisco-based architecture and design studio Kyu Che developed a sustainable and portable capsule unit called ‘Lifepod’. The concept design is based on the Mongolian ger, a round tent covered with skins typically used by nomads, it also takes a page from automotive RV technologies. Conceived in 1997, the idea aims to let users escape into a forest, lake or beach in a......read more
In this inspiring clip from Discipline Design, we are granted access to the shared NYC studio space of creative power couple Ana Kras and Devendra Banhart. Kras, who we've featured before, makes beautiful objects, furniture and works on paper in the massive space she shares with Banhart, a musician and all-around creative dude. The video nicely reveals not only the benefits of a good studio......read more
Londoners will have a freshwater, natural pool at their disposal in King's Cross beginning in May. Designed by Rotterdam Studio, Ooze architects and artist Marietica Potrc the chemical-free outdoor pool is the first of its kind in the UK. The King’s Cross Swimming Pool is a manmade, freshwater pond kept clean and filtered through natural processes. At forty meters long, the pool will......read more