IKEA Unveils Solar-Powered Flat Pack Shelters for Easily Deployable Emergency Housing IKEA Refugee Shelter - Gallery Page 7 We’ve all seen IKEA’s innate ability to transform any area into a cozy, homey space (just look at how comfortable their store displays are), and taking on disaster and refugee relief is a no brainer for the company. Until the IKEA collaboration, the UNCHR was only able to provide tents or converted mass-shelters for the influx of refugees into countries around the world. Prior to the IKEA collaboration, the UNCHR was only able to provide tents or converted mass-shelters for the influx of refugees into countries around the world. Now, with IKEA’s help, these displaced citizens will not only have privacy and comfort, but the dignity of having their own place. IKEA’s shelters come flat packed, making for the easy transport of lightweight plastic shelters at once. Assembly of the 188 square foot hut is easy and can be built in just four hours. The new IKEA/UNHCR shelters will make their first be deployed in Ethiopia next month. + IKEA Foundation Via Fast Company
Cut Feather Shadowboxes by Chris Maynard Using feathers acquired from zoos and private aviaries, artist Chris Maynard creates delicately constructed shadowboxes that play with aspects of light and negative space. The artist admits to being “feather obsessed” and is fascinated not only with birds and flight, but with the color and texture of their plumage which he explores through his small dioramas. You can see much more on his website and Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe will soon be showing some of Maynard’s larger work. (via Colossal Submissions) 300+ Mind Expanding Documentaries Source: www.diygenius.com | Original Post Date: January 12, 2014 – I watch a lot of documentaries. I think they are incredible tools for learning and increasing our awareness of important issues. The power of an interesting documentary is that it can open our minds to new possibilities and deepen our understanding of the world. On this list of mind expanding documentaries you will find different viewpoints, controversial opinions and even contradictory ideas. Watching documentaries is one of my favorite methods of self-education. I hope you find these documentaries as enlightening as I did! [1] Life In The Biosphere Explore the wonder and interconnectedness of the biosphere through the magic of technology. 1. [2] Creativity and Design: Learn about all the amazing things that people create with their imaginations. 1. [3] The Education Industrial Complex: The modern school where young minds are moulded into standardized citizens by the state. 1. [4] The Digital Revolution: 1. 1. [6] Politics: 1.
Hivehaus Inspired by the hexagonal honeycomb structures built by honey bees to store honey and pollen within a beehive – HIVEHAUS® has been designed by Barry Jackson to be an ultra compact but extremely comfortable living space suitable for a wide variety of applications. Identically proportioned hexagonal cells can be joined together at any time by any or all of their six sides to create a modular cluster of connected cells or ‘Hive’. Each cell has an internal floor area of 9.3 m2 and is designed to be used as a specific work/live space i.e. office cell, lounge cell, Kitchen cell, sleep cell or bathroom cell, uniform internal partition walls (with or without pocket doors) can be added or removed as required allowing airy open plan spaces to become cosy individual rooms and vice versa.The flexibility of the HIVEHAUS® modular system permits easy bespoke expansion of the ‘Hive’ allowing it to grow with the individual users requirements. Photos by Barry Jackson. More info. here.
The Bizarre Street Art of Daan Botlek Street artist and illustrator Daan Botlek is based in Rotterdam, Netherlands and is known for his strange form of character-driven street art. His generally simplistic, site-specific figures often interact with the space around them, passing in and out of unseen dimensions, shedding skin in the process. Kind of like morbid Keith Haring, no? You can see much more of his work over on Flickr. (via Lustik) 40 websites that will make you cleverer right now The indexed web contains an incredible 14 billion pages. But only a tiny fraction help you improve your brain power. Here are 40 of the best. whizzpast.com – Learn about our awe inspiring past all in one wonderful place. khanacademy.org – Watch thousands of micro-lectures on topics ranging from history and medicine to chemistry and computer science. freerice.com – Help end world hunger by correctly answering multiple-choice quizzes on a wide variety of subjects. artofmanliness.com – Blog/site dedicated to all things manly, great for learning life skills and good insights. unplugthetv.com – Randomly selects an educational video for you to watch. coursera.org – An educational site that works with universities to get their courses on the Internet, free for you to use. mentalfloss.com – Interesting articles guaranteed to make you smile and get you thinking. feelgoodwardrobe.com – Find out how the world of fashion really works and what you can do to combat it. lifehacker.com – Learn to hack life!
Hivehaus » Modular Living Space An Aerial Kinetic Sculpture with 256 Helium Balloons Embedded with LEDs Cyclique was an aerial light and sound installation created by audiovisual artist Nohista and Collectif Coin for Nuit Blanche 2013 (previously). The array of 256 large white balloons was embedded with LEDs that blinked in sequence with various audio tracks and was further enhanced by the impact of wind which altered the layout and motion of the piece. 17 Websites That Will Make You Smarter ÁPH80 A transportable 290 square feet home manufactured in Spain. Photos by Juan Baraja. Designed by Ábaton. Translucent Hermit Shell Crabs Adorned with Architectural Cityscapes by Aki Inomata NYC / © Aki Inomata courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou / © Aki Inomata courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery Bangkok / © Aki Inomata courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery Zaanse Schans / © Aki Inomata courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery Tokyo / © Aki Inomata courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery Santorini / © Aki Inomata courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery Honfleur / © Aki Inomata courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery Installation view at Ai Kowada Gallery / © Aki Inomata courtesy of Ai Kowada Gallery Created in 2009 by Japanese artist Aki Inomata, these fantastic little cityscapes atop hermit crab shells were part of a body of work titled “Why not hand over a shelter to hermit crabs?.” As hermit crabs outgrow their shells it becomes necessary to find a new, larger home.
Nomadic Resorts Portable Looper Home Prefabricated housing units have become all the rage all the design scene, but nothing has impressed us quite like the Nomadic Resorts Portable Looper Home. This 30 foot long structure has been built from a sustainably sourced wooden frame draped in a lightweight tensile fabric. Although the caterpillar inspired design allows for maximum ventilation, the solar canopy atop the unit helps to power an air conditioning unit if the outside temperatures are just too unbearable. In addition to powering the AC unit, the solar canopy also powers LED lights and the solar heater for the hot water, while the harvesting tank recycles waste water. Each pod includes a a changing room, sleeping area, bathroom, lounge with entertainment system, and even a small office with Wi-Fi to get some work done on the go.
Air Plant Jellyfish by ‘PetitBeast’ LA-based designer and art director Cathy Van Hoang had the novel idea of using sea urchin shells as upside down planters for air plants to create little aerial jellyfish. She sells them in her Etsy shop, PetitBeast. (via Steampunk Tendencies) Glamping in the Tree Tops with a RooMoon: Hanging Tents I’m excited to share these hanging tents with you because if you like tree houses and camping you’ll probably love this. Yes, camping in the trees would be awesome, but how? Check this out… it’s a tree tent called the RooMoon made by the Hanging Tent Company. It takes tent camping to the next level (literally). Handcrafted and designed by graduate student, Rufus Martin in Dorset, England. Since he presented this at Byrson School as a final project it has been his full-time business since. The outside material is a durable canvas that can stand any weather. The frame is made of steel rods that are strong and weather proof. The designer says, “the tent is capable of lifting over 1 ton with ease. Images © Hanging Tent Company Why You Might Want a RooMoon Hanging Tent If you are interested in getting a RooMoon of your own head over to their website, Hanging Tent Company. The starting price for one of these tree tents is roughly $5,888. Is this RooMoon something you could take camping? Resources: