Bubbles Project : A Sealed Canopy Offers Clean and Fresh Air

Bubbles project offers an installation of an area that sealed with canopy and filled with clean air. This is a great idea for Beijing with its toxic pollution problem, Orproject, a London based architect, would do a great favor for the city. It can be constructed of an enclosed park inside the city where there’s a botanical garden, temperature and humidity controlled all the year, and of course, the air inside is clean and fresh. Even the surrounding buildings can also take advantage of this fresh air. The unique geometry of this light weight structure system has been designed and generated using special algorithm that simulates the development of veins in leaves or butterfly wings. All heating and cooling of the air is done using a ground source heat exchange system, the canopy surface is integrated with solar cells so that Bubbles can also generate electricity from solar energy.

Designer : Orproject

Ideally, this canopy is installed to cover botanical gardens in many cities so that those gardens are protected even when the city has to deal with toxic pollution. This can also be a great attraction for tourists, the garden can become recreational facilities, a place for local people to hangout. Both children and adults can learn about plants and experience nature, the humidity level and temperature are controlled to allow the growth of plants from any climate.

The basic idea of Bubbles is actually not new, it was famously proposed by Buckminster Fuller with his dome over New York, unfortunately, the concept proposal is not practical to construct. This time, Orproject is working together with a specialist contractor to proposes a new concept which is lightweight, affordable, and highly practical. It can be applied to various places not just a botanical garden, it can enclose playgrounds or school yards, even office building complex and shopping mall.

Bubbles Project : A Sealed Canopy Offers Clean and Fresh Air is originally posted on Tuvie

The State of Infographics at SxSW 2014

The State of Infographics at SxSW 2014

Ölhafen Bridge by schneider+schumacher

schneider+schumacher have designed a bridge for pedestrians and cyclists at the entrance to the

oil terminal harbour, along the River Main in Raunheim, Germany.

Project description

The new white Ölhafen Bridge is an elegant, curved structure. It spans the 70 m wide entrance to the oil terminal harbour in Raunheim with a spiralling access ramp. This sculptural bridge design stems from Frankfurt architects schneider+schumacher. The clients appointed SchüsslerPlan as structural engineers for the bridge.

The bridge’s location is, on one hand, influenced by the industrial character of the harbour, and on the other, by the River Main that runs parallel to it, with its attractive embankment and mature trees. The bridge will primarily be used by cyclists and pedestrians. The location of the bridge so close to the harbour’s storage tanks was of particular concern at the design stage.

The oil depot is used for the transfer and storage of highly flammable substances. For this reason, the bridge had to be designed to prevent people on the bridge gaining access to the passing tankers, or at least to make it difficult. In view of these exacting circumstances, a solution was developed that not only fulfils all the safety requirements, but also takes into account the specific location of the bridge on the River Main.

The objective was to emphasize the bridge’s leisure use, and above all to provide unobstructed river views from the bridge despite all the safety issues. “A swiftly-rendered stroke of a paintbrush, connecting the two sides of the Raunheim Ölhafen” is how Prof. Michael Schumacher (architect and owner of the practice) describes the design approach.

The combination of design strategy and safety requirements has resulted in a bridge with an elegant, curved and sculptural form. The construction, with a total length of approximately 170 m, consists of a continuous five-part girder, which allows some 70 m to be spanned at the harbour entrance. Viewed from above, the bridge appears as a lightly undulating S-shape, which, at its north end, culminates in a circular access ramp: a 14-metre spiral, constructed of white concrete. On the side facing the oil terminal harbour, for security reasons, the ramp becomes a gently curving white wall, thus fulfilling the stringent safety requirements. By contrast, towards the River Main, the bridge opens up to allow unobstructed views of the river.

The bridge fits elegantly into its surroundings. Both its colour and shape create a subtle connection to the harbour context.

Design: schneider+schumacher

Photography: © Joerg Hempel

Modern Steam Stove-Top Tea Maker by DesignNobis

Reflecting upon tea culture in east, Steam features stacking teapots specially designed for tea preparation. It is a stove-top tea maker that brews tea by passing hot water pressurized by steam through stacked kettles. When desired amount is collected in upper part, switch on top is turned to stop water transfer. Serving is made using two kettles to dilute the tea and water, therefore allowing the user to adjust the strength of the tea. Since tea is steeped with steam, it offers a full flavor tea brew. The transparent glass teapot also comes with matching gorgeous transparent glass cups. Aluminum and glass materials are used along recycled plastics; including stainless steel base in which all parts are fully recyclable. Harmonizing elements from traditional craft teapots and naturalist art, Steam has been designed to create a modern, sculptural tea serving set.

Designer : DesignNobis

Tuvie has received “Steam Stove Top Tea Maker” project from our ‘Submit A Design‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their design/concept for publication.

Modern Steam Stove-Top Tea Maker by DesignNobis is originally posted on Tuvie

Morgan Penn - Arte

Recojo una muestra de las obras de "Morgan Penn", si te gustan y quieres ver más pásate por su web.

Awkward Situations You Can’t Avoid (14 Pics)

These are some awkward situations Source

The post Awkward Situations You Can’t Avoid (14 Pics) appeared first on Seriously, For Real?.

The Mad Effects of Bee Stings on Faces (19 pics)

The Kooyong House by Matt Gibson Architecture

Matt Gibson Architecture designed the Kooyong House in Melbourne, Australia.

Project description

The existing site contained a grand Victorian double front dwelling badly in need of repair. Upon persuasive encouragement and expert advice the client agreed to retain the front elements of the building.

Following the removal of a previous addition, the extensive brief requested an upper level addition, garage & pool. Our choice (given depth of the site) was to separate rather than attach the new works to the rear of the existing building which availed textured areas of external space between old & new objects. 2 levels of new ‘L’ shaped floor area are stacked on top of each other at the rear utilising the limits of the site.

Ground level links are made via a Garage and a circulation ‘bridge’ extending off the existing hallway. This hallway continues as a main axis through new and old to the rear of the site. Presented as a corridor of archways this ‘journey of time’ sets up a series of delayed thresholds or framed scenes. Although the new work is deliberately set apart as new ‘pavilion’, it is deliberately recessive from the street adding to the sense and cognitive interest once one reaches the end of the axis leaving little memory of the original Victorian dwelling.

The interior spatial logic of the original was flipped. The formality of the existing dwelling was deliberately used for adult (sleeping and greeting )uses whilst the rear of the ground level converts to more informal Living purposes with Children’s facilities upstairs. Small extensions off the ground floor ‘L’ and nips and tucks to the first floor enable a series of separate individual & private light courts that spill off the internal spaces.

The warmth & sensuous use of the timber cladding and the employment of radii/curved corners within the apexes of the stacked ‘L’s also help to enhance a more sculptured and playful point of difference to the rigidity and masculinity the existing building. The central courtyard area could have presented as the rear faces of the front and rear buildings however these spaces perhaps instead provide the most interestingly spatial experience & reading of the history of the site. A glass prism openable to the elements links in a metaphorical bridge between old and new and provides an important temperature regulator. The ‘stacked’ floors of the timber façade wall combine and separate in opposite directions in a ‘paper tearing’ action accentuating the more sinuous and organic drama of the rear building.

At the rear 70 solid blackbutt timber fins functionally address overlooking and solar emission concerns as they disperse gradually from east to north & break down a seemingly solid façade at one end to be completely permeable at the other. In contradiction the floor beneath act in the opposite way setting up dichotomies of weightleness and groundedness.

As opposed to other dwellings in the street that present the Victorian notion of villa on green field this house celebrates nuances of both with additions acting as urban oasis that reaches out and embrace their environment.

Architect: Matt Gibson Architecture

Photography: SMG