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dasher: the world’s first fully electric luxury yacht by michael peters for hinckley.

Mar 23, 2018

the future is here. since 1928, hinckley has been leading the way in the design of beautiful, highly innovative and timeless yachts. in the spirit of our legacy of innovation, we are excited to announce dasher, the world’s first fully electric luxury yacht. reservations now being accepted for delivery in summer 2018. ~ hinckley yachts

power yachts are considered the biggest environmental offenders. noisy. smelly. fuel guzzlers. but more efficient power and lighter constructed watercraft are appearing more and more. dasher now appears to be a world’s first fully electric in a self-defined category of luxury yachts: ultra-minimal, featuring no roof, no galley, no bunks, no head! but it is loaded with hinckley’s aesthetic sensibilities, craftsmanship, technology, 3d-printed titanium hardware, and price. we’re told something north of $500K usd. DA applauds the vision to venture into zero emission ready-for-production water vehicles.

[ features ]
> designed from the ground up for fully electric propulsion. super lightweight construction, carbon-epoxy composite hull, and hand-painted lightweight artisanal teak, every ounce of weight has been shaved and every curve sculpted.
> the shape of the future is also the sound of silence. blame the silent whisper drive 80hp propulsion system powered by dual BMW i3 lithium ion batteries with zero emissions.
> waterproof bmw i3 lithium ion batteries designed with a prismatic cell design for efficient cooling and temperature distribution, compact and shock resistant.
> dasher accepts dual 50amp dock charging cables will charge twice as fast as the most popular plug-in electric cars – a full charge in under 4 hours.

[ specs ]
loa > 28’ 6”
beam > 8’ 7”
draft > 1′ 11″
displacement >6,500 lbs.
cruising speed >10 mph (est.) *
fast cruising > 18-27 mph (est.) *
range at cruising >40 miles
range at fast cruising > 20-25 miles
[*] all performance data, including speeds, range, is estimated and not guaranteed. actual performance may vary. boat performance may be impacted by many factors including, but not limited to, loaded displacement, boat configuration and options, trim, sea conditions, climate, hull bottom, surface condition and mechanical systems condition

dot tactile smartwatch ‘feels’ like a 2017 best product-of-the-year candidate.

Jan 26, 2018

we strive to be a pioneer in accessible and affordable innovations for the vision impaired and the deafblind to lead independent, fulfilling lives. ~ dot inc.

the dot watch braille smartwatch is the first of its kind to provide the time with tactile information instead of visual clues. you don’t see time ticking away, you feel it. dot not only tells the time, but also creates text messages, sns, as well as traffic or weather information, with just a tap of your finger.

there’s also an open dot api so anyone can develop apps or services for dot. existing apps can be easily adapted. apps for braille education, social networking, navigation, newsfeed, weather and many more are already in development.

it launched in late 2016 but for practical purposes this is a 2017 product. the dot ‘feels’ like a 2017 best product-of-the-year candidate.

upstart lucid air fully charged to compete in the luxury all-electric environment.

Jan 2, 2018

lucid air, an all-electric that evolved from a battery, now scalable for a broad range of applications including and charges quickly. in matters of taste, the air evokes luxury yacht or executive business jet stylishness: artful enough to remind us now tesla s is showing her age.

the interior design though really shines, less about aesthetics but spacial restraints have vanished. air is narrower, shorter, and lower than a model s, but with the interior space of a long wheelbase s class mercedes. this zero-emission car is designed for an era of luxurious limited space.

[ facts ]
concept > zero-emission luxury mobility sedan
power > all-electric lithium-ion battery cells
number of passengers > 4
drive-train > no details
0-60 > 2.5 sec
top speed > software limited 217 mph (*)
(*) maximum velocity of 235.44 miles on the 7.5-mile oval track / see video below
launch date > 2019

configuration 1 > 400-horsepower / 100 kWh battery / rear-wheel drive / range 240 miles / $60,000 usd / $2,500 usd deposit
configuration 2 > range 315 miles / no price yet
configuration 3 > 1,000-horsepower twin-motor / 130 kWh battery / all-wheel drive / range 440 miles / $130,000 usd
special launch edition option > first 255 of configuration 3 / well-optioned / $130,000 usd / $25,500 usd deposit

[ storyline ]
2007 lucid motors (formerly known as atieva) started with a battery and an idea. worth mentioning the tesla roadster (2008) was the first production automobile to use lithium-ion battery cells and the first production ev with a range greater than 200 mi (320 km) per charge.
2014 lucid began engineering an electric vehicle
2016 lucid launches all-electric air
2016 lucid becomes official sole battery-pack supplier for formula e racing
2016 lucid partners with samsung sdi to craft next-gen lithium-ion cells. sdi is the leading manufacturer of lithium-ion cells in the world. they also signed a similar agreement with lg chem giving them maximum flexibility to select the best cell for each application.
2017 lucid moves to new headquarters in newark california
2017 though lucid says tesla is not their competition, that audi, bmw, and mercedes is
editor’s note > we’ve been watching this car this since early 2017, considering it a best of 2017. this car seems so far along it comes as a surprise the launch date target is reset to 2019. the word on the street is financing, their current funding spread between developing a car and building a plant. they are also talking to ford. this car will help push the aforementioned ev’s to raise their bars.

2017 chicago architecture biennial week of 24 > 30 december.

Dec 25, 2017

above > randolph square / frida escobedo / mexico city

frida escoberdo has designed a monolithic timber, tiered platform in randolf square – a singular formal gesture with moveable modules that allows for informal lounging, gatherings, and forums. the installation mirrors the chicago cultural center’s gridded ceiling. if expanding the concept out the door to randolf street, one might start to think about what architectural theorist sarah whiting calls ‘chicago elastic grid,’ in regard to the 1909 burnham plan for the city that fosters a surprising diversity of subdivisions and city-block sizes. photography > kendall mccaugherty

[ 24 > 30 december calendar ]

the second edition of the chicago architecture biennial (cab) is the largest architecture and design exhibition in north america, showcasing the transformative global impact of creativity and innovation in these fields. this year’s biennial features over 141 practitioners from more than 20 countries addressing the 2017 theme “make new history.” artistic directors sharon johnston and mark lee have selected architects and artists whose eye-opening creations will invite the public to explore how the latest architecture can and will make new history in places around the world. the main exhibition is free and open to the public from september 16, 2017 through january 7, 2018. we are particularly proud to premiere our opening in 2017 in alignment with expo chicago.

chicago cultural center, 78 east washington street

2017 chicago architecture biennial week of 17 > 23 december.

Dec 16, 2017

above > gar hall where 24 plinths are arranged according to the figure-ground relationship established by mies’s plan for the illinois institute of technology (iit.)

horizontal city asks 24 architects to reconsider the status of the architectural interior. the exercise foregrounds the importance of the interior as a model of sociability. the architects reference a photograph of a canonical interior, from any time period.

[ 17 > 23 december calendar ]

the second edition of the chicago architecture biennial (cab) is the largest architecture and design exhibition in north america, showcasing the transformative global impact of creativity and innovation in these fields. this year’s biennial features over 141 practitioners from more than 20 countries addressing the 2017 theme “make new history.” artistic directors sharon johnston and mark lee have selected architects and artists whose eye-opening creations will invite the public to explore how the latest architecture can and will make new history in places around the world. the main exhibition is free and open to the public from september 16, 2017 through january 7, 2018. we are particularly proud to premiere our opening in 2017 in alignment with expo chicago.

2017 chicago architecture biennial week of 10 > 16 december.

Dec 8, 2017

above > finite format 04, pezo von ellrichshausen (concepciôn chile)

pezo von ellrichshausen have an ongoing interest in multiples, their project finite format 04 runs through the serial sequencing of an imagined building form: half tower and half plinth. the project demonstrates a mathematical obsession; the imaged building is presented here as an outline described by six factors that resulted in 729 variations, framed and hung in a monumental salon-style grid. the serial nature of these works might suggest a reading against a lineage of art from the 1970s often called process or serial art, which exhausted an idea or concept in a monotonous way.

[ 10 > 16 december calendar ]

the second edition of the chicago architecture biennial (cab) is the largest architecture and design exhibition in north america, showcasing the transformative global impact of creativity and innovation in these fields. this year’s biennial features over 141 practitioners from more than 20 countries addressing the 2017 theme “make new history.” artistic directors sharon johnston and mark lee have selected architects and artists whose eye-opening creations will invite the public to explore how the latest architecture can and will make new history in places around the world. the main exhibition is free and open to the public from september 16, 2017 through january 7, 2018. we are particularly proud to premiere our opening in 2017 in alignment with expo chicago.

2017 chicago architecture biennial week of 3 > 9 december.

Dec 2, 2017

above > ellie abrams and meredith miller of t + e +a + m

t + e +a + m examine the ways that ruins—commonly aligned with 19th century romanticizing of authentic materiality—were always mediated through technologies of image production. ghostboxextends their material research that has previously addressed the packard plant in detroit by examining new typology: the big box superstore. these giant stores were once a celebrated destination on the urban outskirts and peripheries but they are increasingly abandoned as contemporary habits transform to online shopping. redistribution as a practice has the potential to recover a type of building that – unlike renovation, adaptive reuses, preservation, or restoration = permits the circulation of building components, taken apart, moved around, piled up, and mixed with new construction to create alternative uses. t + e + a + m is looking for a patron to make it happen.

[ 3 > 9 december calendar ]

the second edition of the chicago architecture biennial (cab) is the largest architecture and design exhibition in north america, showcasing the transformative global impact of creativity and innovation in these fields. this year’s biennial features over 141 practitioners from more than 20 countries addressing the 2017 theme “make new history.” artistic directors sharon johnston and mark lee have selected architects and artists whose eye-opening creations will invite the public to explore how the latest architecture can and will make new history in places around the world. the main exhibition is free and open to the public from september 16, 2017 through january 7, 2018. we are particularly proud to premiere our opening in 2017 in alignment with expo chicago.

2017 chicago architecture biennial week of 26 november > 2 december.

Nov 25, 2017

above > in the foreground and below – the wallderful: mexico city dellekamp arquitectos proposes not a wall, but a bridge between countries.

although they are doomed to crumble, humans have always built walls: along borders, across disputed lands, and around cities. whether it was hadrian, qin shi huang, or nikita khruschev, leaders often proclaimed the need to fortify their territories. and indeed they did: erecting formidable walls whose remains are largely relegated to the backgrounds of tourists selfies. dellekamp arquitectos reclaims the rhetoric of the wall in its ironic and iconic post-function state. political context serves as a point of departure to imagine a future where the border becomes the connection and the wall an invitation.

[ 26 november > 2 december calendar ]

the second edition of the chicago architecture biennial (cab) is the largest architecture and design exhibition in north america, showcasing the transformative global impact of creativity and innovation in these fields. this year’s biennial features over 141 practitioners from more than 20 countries addressing the 2017 theme “make new history.” artistic directors sharon johnston and mark lee have selected architects and artists whose eye-opening creations will invite the public to explore how the latest architecture can and will make new history in places around the world. the main exhibition is free and open to the public from september 16, 2017 through january 7, 2018. we are particularly proud to premiere our opening in 2017 in alignment with expo chicago.

2017 chicago architecture biennial week of 19 > 25 november.

Nov 18, 2017

above > constructions and references, caruso st john with thomas demand and hélène binet

caruso st john (london) present a room that highlights the circulation of images, references, and histories between their own office and their collaborators artist thomas demand and architectural photographer hélène binet. a felt wallpaper – folds – forms a wall around a table of five models. works by benet hang on the wallpaper. the models represent a completed building, one in-process and three competition pieces. stripped of their contexts, removed from place and politics, they are close to autonomous architectural thought. on the other table we see models made for their collaborative projects with demand.

chicago cultural center, 78 e washington street

[ 19 > 25 november calendar ]

the second edition of the chicago architecture biennial (cab) is the largest architecture and design exhibition in north america, showcasing the transformative global impact of creativity and innovation in these fields. this year’s biennial features over 141 practitioners from more than 20 countries addressing the 2017 theme “make new history.” artistic directors sharon johnston and mark lee have selected architects and artists whose eye-opening creations will invite the public to explore how the latest architecture can and will make new history in places around the world. the main exhibition is free and open to the public from september 16, 2017 through january 7, 2018. we are particularly proud to premiere our opening in 2017 in alignment with expo chicago.

2017 chicago architecture biennial week of 12 > 18 november.

Nov 12, 2017

above> super models – circular model is ‘casa rotunda’, built stabio switzerland 1980 / shown here replica by mario botta in 2017 /// rust colored model is ‘monument to the resistence’, by segrate italy 1965 / shown here replica by aldo rossi 2017

super models presents replicas of twelve models collected by german architecture museum (dam ) during the 1980s. despite the assumption that museums only knowingly show original works of art, models commissioned to replicate buildings have long been part of the culture of architectural exhibitions.

such models are understood to function as three-dimensional photographs, transferring information about the buildings that cannot be shown in galleries to visitors without claiming any status as architectural works. these models are often made by model makers and sometimes unbeknownst to the architect.

the proliferation of institutions collectin architectural materials during the 80s, however, altered the status of these objects. the new market encouraged architects to shift their production to collectable objects, like models, and to equate them with architecture itself.

super models reflects on how this simultaneously eroded and amplified attachment to authenticity entangled the work of historians, curators, and architects, ultimately modeling not history but what has become a key feature of contempary creative practice.

chicago cultural center, 78 e washington street

[ 12 > 18 november calendar ]

the second edition of the chicago architecture biennial (cab) is the largest architecture and design exhibition in north america, showcasing the transformative global impact of creativity and innovation in these fields. this year’s biennial features over 141 practitioners from more than 20 countries addressing the 2017 theme “make new history.” artistic directors sharon johnston and mark lee have selected architects and artists whose eye-opening creations will invite the public to explore how the latest architecture can and will make new history in places around the world. the main exhibition is free and open to the public from september 16, 2017 through january 7, 2018. we are particularly proud to premiere our opening in 2017 in alignment with expo chicago.