henderson waves by RSP architects planners and engineers, IJP corporation nov 30, 2009 henderson waves by RSP architects planners and engineers, IJP corporation henderson bridge in singapore a new elevated walkway that connects mount faber park and telok blangah hill park image © designboom henderson waves, jointly designed by RSP architects planners & engineers and IJP corporation, is singapore’s highest pedestrian bridge and was awarded this year’s design of the year for the president’s design award at the singapore design week 09. standing at 36 meters above the ground, in an iconic, sculptural leap spanning across singapore’s henderson road. based on the principle of parametric design, this new visual symbol has attracted the community to its walkways and shelters. its three-dimensional surface integrates structure and form in a unique wave that undulates dramatically over and under the bridge deck and creating sheltered seating areas inside every upward curve. image © designboom image © designboom image courtesy the architects timber: venturer pte ltd
Designers Spin Spidey-Worthy Webs From Packing Tape Packing tape has gotten MacGyver out of many a jam, but he never managed to make an entire home out of the stuff. So he could probably learn something from Viennese/Croatian design collective For Use/Numen. The team uses nothing but packing tape to create huge, self-supporting cocoons that visitors could climb inside and explore. Installed three times in the past year, the next deployment will be next week from June 9–13 at DMY Berlin's International Design Fair, which is now in its 8th year. The installations, which look like the work of horrifyingly large arachnids, grew in scale and scope as the year progressed, first deployed inside a small Croatian gallery, then an abandoned attic during October’s Vienna Design Week. At the last installation inside Odeon, a former stock exchange building in Vienna, the group used nearly 117,000 feet and 100 pounds of tape.
Sundial Ring 15 Cool Urban Art Projects and Dreamy Product Designs Chilean artist and designer Sebastian Errazuriz never fails to amaze viewers with his offbeat and sometimes bizarre designs and art installations. His urban art has been seen all over Santiago, while his innovative product designs have long been a favorite of design blogs. His projects have won numerous awards, and Errazuriz himself has received a Fulbright grant, a Chilean Presidential scholarship, a New York University scholarship and a Deigo Portales University scholarship. “The Crane” was a large-scale art project erected in Santiago. The twenty-story crane was decorated with 1200 light bulbs as a kind of massive night light, in the tradition of espanta cucos (children’s lamps that frighten away monsters). “The Tree” was a rather beautiful public art project in the middle of Chile’s National Stadium. Errazuriz’ “The Cow” was a public spectacle that caused many people to leave their places of work just to see it. But Errazuriz’ talents don’t lie only in urban guerrilla art.
20 Tree House Pictures: Play-Club Plans to Big-Kid Houses Treehouses are more popular than ever, as play spaces for children but also as luxury hotel (and even house) designs for adults. Some of the most fantastic plans and ideas can be traced to specialist designers and builders – and pictures of their work can provide some of the best inspiration (as well as an informal visual guide) for do-it-yourself recreational, residential and commercial tree buildings. Blue Forest is one such company, but far from the only one. Their specialty seems to lie somewhere between playful little fantasy structures and big educational spaces for children engaged in wildlife observation, forest ecology and related nature-oriented pursuits. The trick is to find a balance between safe and fun – railings are a must, as are sturdy supports, but whimsy and asymmetry help make these places feel more organic and engaging for younger visitors in particular. Some are like mansions, fortresses or castles – just set up on stilts instead of sitting on the ground.
Natural Pools or Swimming Ponds Natural Pools or Natural Swimming Ponds (NSPs) Let nature clean the water... Chemical-free water garden and swimming pool. The plant portion, or regeneration zone, is separated from the swimming area by the wall seen a few inches below the water’s surface. www.naturalswimmingpools.com The pools have skimmers and pumps that circulate the water through the regeneration zone and back into the swimming area. The aquatic plants filter out contaminants and use nutrients from the water as food which helps prevent algae. There are many options as to design. A gradual slope contains the plants, gravel and loamy sand, a wall keeps them separate from the swimming area. Vacuum but twice a year and tend to the plants as needed. The regeneration zone can be along the perimeter of a natural pool or a pond unto itself but connected to the swimming area. www.gartenart.co.uk Plants steel the nutrients away from algae. www.gartenart.co.uk Half regeneration area, half swimming pool. www.living-pool.eu Builders:
Patchwork Orange: Art of Fixing Buildings with LEGO Blocks A missing brick here and chipped stone there show the normal marks of wear and tear on the structures and streets of a city, but filling them in with multi-colored LEGO bricks makes them stand out in sharp relief with their surroundings – especially in a place like Berlin. Titled ‘Dispatchwork’ (a linguistic play on ‘dispatching’ and ‘patching’ the holes), this is part urban art installation, part historical highlighting (since many of the gaps date back to World War II) and part method of calling attention to buildings that could use some help. Jan Vormann has been toying with LEGO pieces for a long time in various artistic capacities – as well as infilling structural holes with mirrors and other attention-getting materials. It may look haphazard at first, but there is an art to the process: identifying gaps is naturally subjective, and filling them in is both a creative and crafty act that can involve turning corners and working with existing structural details.
A long time ago something existed that was not defined by name or A long time ago something existed that was not defined by name or known in its form. It blocked the sky and the earth. Hindu architecture from India From the 1969 book Living Architecture: India by Andreas Volwahsen Will 50 Watts My collection of funny emails from my inbox. Subject: 5 MINUTE MANAGEMENT COURSE Lesson 1: A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings. The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs. Before she says a word, Bob says, "I'll give you $800 to drop that towel." After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob. After a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves. The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. "Great!" Moral of the story: If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure. Lesson 2: A priest offered a Nun a lift. The priest removed his hand. Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way. On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. Moral of the story: If you are not well informed in your job, opportunities for advancement will pass right by you. Lesson 3: