KONSORTIUM

Google Goggles - I Can't Wait

 

LAS PALMERAS PERU | GREG WRIGHT ARCHITECTS

Las Palmeras is a breathtaking project by Greg Wright Architects. These 2 holiday houses on the coastline of Peru which sit prominently at the top of a rock cliff overlooking the beach and ocean, are anchored into the rock with a stone sculptural plinth rising up to the living levels, concealing a basement floor below.

 

Free Charging Station @ Changi Airport Singapore

 

Design: Studio Alhadeff Architects

 

The international perspective at Studio Alhadeff Architects lends to the distinctive structures produced by the Italian firm. Recently, the Milan-based studio has developed a modern stucco and stone home on the Turkish Mediterranean coast, a 100-year old log cabin outside of Moscow and a series of land-marked buildings in London.

Principal Giancarlo Alhadeff founded the firm in 1991, drawing from his own multi-national background. Alhadeff was born in Egypt and spent a large part of his childhood in Japan. “The element that informed me the most is having lived in Japan for seven years,” he says about his design influence.

With a cosmopolitan pedigree, he has long incorporated sustainable principles into his approach. “In Europe we’ve been doing it far longer. It’s something that we use as a guiding principle.” That process includes working with a structural and mechanical engineer in the early stages of development. For the home he constructed in Turkey, he used local Hatay stone, coated with thermal insulation that aids the cooling process, eliminating the need for air conditioning.

At the root of Alhadeff’s process is a desire to compliment the character of his clients. “Listening to the client’s story is an important element to what I do.” (Studio Alhadeff Architects)

LEVEL 10 M MOUSE

BMW's cars are generally pretty elegant, so we'll forgive you if you fail to see the car maker's influence on the Level 10 M Mouse ($TBA). The latest result of the collaboration between Thermaltake and BMW's Designworks USA, the M Mouse is designed to go great with the Level 10 PC Case, it sports a highly breathable design, a wired connection to eliminate lag, side A, B and trigger buttons, and an overall look that should be far 

 

YOTEL | AIRPORT HOTEL

The Yotel is a new concept hotel, inspired by the existing capsule hotels in Japan. This concept was created by Simon Woodroffe, whose idea was to create cabins with the comfort of a luxury hotel, but with an affordable price. The Yotel offers small rooms but comfortable and modern. The beds are of reasonable size and transform into couches at the touch of a button. All rooms have access to free wireless internet, fully equipped bathroom, desk and tv. The Yotel targets customers with several hours of waiting between flights, the minimum stay required is only four hours. Reservations are made online and check-in is done on interactive multimedia kiosks at the airport. You can book for London and Amsterdam airports, more should be available soon.

 

What A View

Kanye West (@kanyewest) Launches Design Company DONDA

 

Kanye West took to his twitter account to make an announcement about him Launching a design company called DONDA. I have started a new company and I’m so excited about the name…. it’s got the best name ever of all companies of all time!!!” he wrote. “The name of the company is DONDA.”

Named after his late mother Dr. Donda West, the startup will be comprised of creative individuals from different fields. “DONDA is a design company which will galvanize amazing thinkers and put them in a creative space to bounce their dreams and ideas,” he explained.

“I am assembling a team of architects, graphic designers, directors musicians, producers, AnRs, writers, publicist, social media experts, app guys, managers, car designers, clothing designers, DJs, video game designers, publishers, tech guys, lawyers, bankers, nutritionist, doctors, scientist, teachers.”

Taking inspiration from Michael Jackson, Alexander McQueen, and Steve Jobs, Kanye laid out his mission. “DONDA will be comprised of over 22 divisions with a goal to make products and experiences that people want and can afford,” he said. “We want to help simplify and aesthetically improve everything we see hear, touch, taste and feel. To dream of, create, advertise and produce products driven equally by emotional want and utilitarian need.”

If you’ve got what it takes to join the team, you can email contactDONDA@gmail.com. “I want to put creatives in a room together with like minds that are all waaaay doper than me,” said ‘Kanye West

Louis Vuitton Wooden Sunglasses Spring/Summer 2012

the new wooden sunglasses.combining the wooden frame with an inner metal frame, holding the lenses. The sunglasses come in two colorways and should release soon at LV stores around the globe.

 

Jaeger-Lecoultre

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As Aston Martin reconsiders its AMR-One LMP1 sports car racing project, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new AMVOX5 World Chronograph LMP1 ($20,900) continues waving the green flag. Engineered with an easy-to-read, highly accurate chronograph paired with a world time function, the 250-piece limited edition is the latest model to emerge from the seven-year collaboration. Legibility was a priority for designers, who positioned two carbon fiber chronograph counters tracking hours and minutes at 3 and 9 o’clock, while seconds are counted off with a central hand. The dial, which evokes the air-vent grilles on the Aston Martin LMP1 prototypes, is highlighted with a Gulf Oil color scheme of orange and blue. And playing off the cars’ extreme technical features, the case is composed of robust high-tech ceramic mixed with zirconium and yttrium, which is subjected to heat and pressure to yield a material so hard that it can only be shaped with special diamond-tipped tools. (www.jaeger-lecoultre.com)

—Laurie Kahle