Sunday, February 27, 2011

Ubicycle : Bike Share Transporting System

The Zurich based architect and designer Rafael Schmidt submitted a new bike sharing system to a competition organized within last year’s International Climate Conference in Copenhagen. Quite different from a transporting system, raffas new design will contribute not only to the stocks and flows of people, but also to its user and to the city itself.
















Colourful JOIN Cutlery by DING3000



join cutlery

German design studio DING3000 in collaboration with Konstantin Slawinski has created plastic cutlery called Join. The pieces of this cutlery have little sections cut out in the middle, which allow them to slot into each other and clip together to form little sculptures at the dinner table. The cutlery are availiable in a variety of colours. It was awarded with the “design plus award” and the “interior innovation award”;.

join cutlery

join cutlery

join cutlery

join cutlery

join cutlery

join cutlery

join cutlery

join cutlery

join cutlery

join cutlery

join cutlery

join cutlery

join cutlery

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Puzzle Coffee Table

Loving this simple coffee table called 1×3. Three wood beams and a 10mm think tempered glass top are all you need. The wood beams are notched in the center to all meet and lock in place; no glue or nails required. It even flat packs beautifully. Brills!

Designer: Petar Zaharinov









Glide for a Pose

The aerial camera is not a new concept to us. The trend started with the Flying Stick and moved on with a Balloon to the Boomerang! This time around we have the camera disguised as a Glider. It takes videos and stills but to take flight, you slingshot it into the air. At its peak, the glider’s folded wings bounce back into shape and aid in its casual glide.

Designer: Xiaofei Wang











Friday, February 25, 2011

Superb Structural design : QuaDror


'QuaDror' by dror
all images courtesy dror


we're reporting directly from this year's design indaba in cape town, south africa, where designboom participates as media partner
- on now until the 25th of february, 2011. at the opening of the conference, studio dror has debuted 'quadror' - a new structural truss
system, that the studio has been developing for the past four years. the story of QuaDror started in 2006.
when experimenting with the geometric configuration, dror benshetrit was initially interested only in its aesthetic and flexibility
but soon recognized the structural integrity of the assembly. the simple geometry and interlocking members - four identical L-shaped pieces,
either thin, resulting in a trestle structure or thick, resulting in a solid panel - allowed for a very flexible and versatile design.

the building block allows for rapid assembly, transitioning from closed and flat to open and self-standing.
specific site conditions and requirements can be accommodated through a multitude of different configurations
and arrangements. serving as a new tool suitable for many outlets of architecture and design, possible applications
include relief structures, space dividers, acoustic barriers, and artistic installations.

QuaDror from Dror on Vimeo.
a team of collaborators and consultants collaborated in the research and development work of QuaDror, including metalab,
structural engineer at arup, and stuart brodie from inneall technology limited.

QuaDror from Dror on Vimeo.



Building the QuaDror Wall from Dror on Vimeo.



QuaDror from Dror on Vimeo.


dividing wall

it functions at several scales, from the small - a table base or room divider - to the large - a wall, a bridge support or structure for a house.


highway barrier

when used in multiples, these forms are not only as stable as a solid cube (dror states that the finished structure can attain the strength
of a correspondingly wide concrete or steel structure while using only 20% of the material), but also have acoustical properties,
as in a highway sound barrier.


'QuaDror pop-up museum' in cape town
design proposal



'pop-up dwelling'

the application about which the new-york-based israeli designer dror enshetrit is most excited is that of emergency housing.
the QuaDror system allows the shipment of 1750 QuaDror kits to build 1750 QuaDror relief houses in one 40 foot container only.
the QuaDror home is a kit that includes instructions, tools and universal joints, to which structural parts of wood and bamboo can be attached.
dror plans to release the joint as a shareware license for distressed areas.


'QD 01-06'
prefabricated dwelling


the housing units employ the QuaDror interlocking frame technology comprised of eight laminated wood beams.
taking advantage of the collapsibility of the framess, the modular housing units are pre-fabrictaed and shipped to the site flat.
to erect, the corners are secured to form four triangular trusses, which will support the downward and lateral forces acting on the dwelling.

the QuaDror house options range from 900 ft2 to 3000 ft2 and are able to be on grade or elevated.
due to the separation of skin and structure, different options are available for the type and location of solid and glazed walls,
allowing for a variety of configurations and appearances.

the first QuaDror Home kit is just beginning production, and the studio hopes to build its first houses in sierra leone and brazil next year.
read more here.


'volume.MGX' light piece

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Flip to Switch: Minimalist Clock Solves Daylight Savings Time






Digital clocks have come so far – great features, bright easy-to-read numerals and multi-functional alarms … but on many, switching to or from daylight savings time still involves buttons, adjustments and double-checks.



Not so with this super-simple design solution: just tilt the table clockfrom one small flat side to the other and be done with it. For one half of the year it leans left, and the other half it sits slightly to the right.



The resulting slightly-asymmetrical shape shows off its one core bit of creativity functionality, while otherwise-minimal white and black (alternately used for the hands and ticks or background) make a subtle-but-stylish design statement.



But wait, you want a watch instead? Other designs by Denis Guidoneare also fun, simple and abstract in various ways … include a watch that follows the same style and single-turn principle for moving forward or back by an hour