AB 21 Domoset by Dietrich Lubs for Braun

An unambiguously future oriented rendering of a ‘traditional’ clock and barometer combination (no reason to suppose that the future should not contain inconstant atmospheric conditions). Figures set in Akzidenz provide a connection to the earliest phase of the Braun programm, when it was first adopted as the corporate typeface. Beautifully sealed up within these perspex vitrines. Domoset is wall-mountable. Clock and barometer swivel in their cases to permit a vertical or horizontal arrangement; they can be removed altogether and hung independently. A detachable stand allows use as a desk set. The domoset forms part of the first analogue wall clock series, formed of domodisk, domo fix, domo flex and domo desk.

Braun AB 21 domoset, by Dietrich Lubs, Available at das programm

Villa Veth by 123DV Architects

Between forest and meadows lies a varied landscape. High, dry, sandy dunes interspersed with heather, willow bushes and grasslands. An ideal setting if you like the outdoors, like the inhabitants of this villa in Hattem. The living area of this bungalow with woodland is orientated to the south. So lovely, that sun out on the terrace. The glass wall of the living area towards the spacious patio is designed transparent to minimize the boundary between inside and outside. From the inside of the house this provides a maximum experience of the garden and the rest of the surroundings. Because of the large canopy and floor heating, it is also nice to be on the terrace on autumn days.

From the entrance side the carport of the bungalow appears to be hovering. It is a simple architectural approach with a great visual effect. The house looks sleek and abstract on the outside, but has a warm and cozy interior. The furniture in the living room is all custom designed. The kitchen, storage space, fireplace, piano and audio equipment form an integral part of the wall unit.

Villa Veth, Hattem, The Netherlands, by 123DV Architects, Photography by Christiaan de Bruijne, via: contemporist

Celato Storage by De Castelli

Monolithic storage units with birch drawers and surfaces available in maistral copper, acid-etched iron and acid-etched brass–an object so desirable you may need house insurance. As a living object, its material is cut by the nature which emerges from it. And so nature turns into the main character.

Celato, R&D De Castelli, for De Castelli

Private House by Strom Architects

The client was aiming for country house – ‘a dream in a wood’, a peaceful place to relax, regenerate, and think of new ideas. So the architects created with a linear design that has picked up on the building form – the ‘long cottage’ found along Iken Common, and one can see the design as an evolution of the longitudinal cottage. The site is located in Suffolk two miles inland from Aldeburgh, and lies within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The site itself forms part of an overall land ownership of 2.5ha surrounded by agricultural land.

The current site has foundations, ruins and some low walls from a house that burned down eight years ago. There is also an existing outdoor pool. Immediately to the west of the pool and ruins, there is a small area of open grass that runs up to the edge of a beautiful copse of mature oak trees. The site is located on the edge of flood zone 2 and 3, and requires a raised floor level 1.5m above the old cottage. The existing site with the pool, its ruins and low walls has a very strong presence, and we wanted to keep this as an important part of the site.

The building sits above the ruins and the edge of the pool, as to respect the current site, but also to deal with the floor level that is required, due to the potential flood risk. The building is also set like this so that it can be read on its own, and thus touch the existing site lightly. The building is orientated towards the west-south-west, and sits on an angle above the existing ruins facing the best views as well as creating a clear juxtaposition of geometry to the ruins.

Private House, Suffolk, UK, by Strom Architects, Rendering © Peter Guthrie, via: ArchDaily

Books: Alexander Girard by Oldham & Coffee

Renowned designer Todd Oldham and writer Kiera Coffee have created this massive monograph on seminal designer Alexander Girard as the ultimate tribute to this design icon.

This 672-page book covers virtually every aspect of Girard’s distinctive career. As one of the most prolific and versatile mid-20th century designers, Girard’s work spanned many disciplines, including textile design, graphic design, typography, illustration, furniture design, interior design, product design, exhibit design, and architecture. Exhaustively researched and lovingly assembled by designer Todd Oldham, this tome is the definitive must-have book on Girard’s oeuvre.

Girard’s repertoire includes an incredible list of projects, including his bold, colorful, and iconic textile designs for Herman Miller (1952- 1975), his typographic designs for La Fonda del Sol restaurant (1960), his celebrated retail store Textiles and Objects (1961), his own Girard Foundation (1962) that houses his own extensive, personal collection of folk art from around the world, and his complete branding and environmental design for Braniff International Airways (1965).

Alexander Girard, by Todd Oldham & Kiera Coffee, Published by Ammo Books, ISBN: 9781934429846, 16 x 12 inches, 672 pages.
Buy it here: Amazon

The Zoo by Jaime Hayon for Baccarat

“The Baccarat Zoo reinvents the art of collecting animals while giving them a real function. Receptacle or Art Toy, every character exudes its optimistic narrative strength, full of magic and imagination.”
– Jaime Hayon

The Zoo , by Jaime Hayon, for Baccarat

Alvar Aalto: In the Master’s Home

NOWNESS invited Finland’s top contemporary design talent to showcase their work in the home of the country’s greatest most celebrated aesthete, Alvar Aalto. Today preserved as an atmospheric museum, the Alvar Aalto house, which was the architect’s domicile and studio from 1936 until his death, is an intimate memorial to the modernist master. The clean lines, functionality and unpretentious nature of classic Finnish design pioneered by Aalto, Ilmari Tapiovaara and Kaj Franck still permeates much of the work by the discipline’s current stars. Here we select our top Finnish designers for further scrutiny.

Jussi Takkinen “Untitled” folding chair and “Osio” wall clock, Matti Syrjälä “Riuku” stool and “Loiste” storm lantern, Hannu Kähönen “Kapeneva” bench, Ville Kokkonen “White 4″ table lamp, Ilkka Suppanen “Kaasa” lantern, Klaus Haapaniemi “Rabbit Throw”, Marko Nenonen “Lounge Chair”, Harri Koskinen “Remain in Light”

Alvar Aalto: In the Master’s Home, via: NOWNESS

BE Light by QisDesign

The BE Light, is an LED desk lamp that folds and sports a unique articulated design. With its clever hinge design, it can be fully extended to a height of 33.4 cm, and an angle of up to 135 degrees. It also provides adequate task lighting with white LED. When not in use, it can be folded down flat to a minimum height of 1.8 cm, taking up the least amount of space on a desk.

BE Light, LED Task Lamp, by QisDesign

Pitched Roof House by Chenchow Little

The Pitched Roof House evolved from a strict interpretation of planning codes that require new houses to have pitched roofs. The new house reinterprets the traditional pitched room. Unlike a traditional pitched roof, the triangles not only pitch up, but also invert to form a faceted roof plane. The triangular geometry of the roof is continued down onto the facades of the house, and became the basis for articulating openings. The variability of the triangular geometry gave us the freedom to push and pull the building form as required to suit the brief of the client, the local town planning codes, the scale of the neighbouring roofs, and the requirement for solar access to the living rooms. The living rooms are located on the top floor to take advantage of the sculptural roof plane, the views across Sydney harbour, and sunlight. Bedrooms are located on the lower levels were outlook and solar access are compromised by neighbouring houses.

Pitched Roof House by Chenchow Little, Sydney, Australia, Photography by John Gollings, Via: archdaily

Primer V2 by Masahiko Yamaguchi

Japanese roboticist Masahiko Yamaguchi has designed a robot capable of riding a fixed gear bicycle without brakes.

Primer V2, by Masahiko Yamaguchi