news – Page 185 – DesignApplause

Farnsworth house floods.

Sep 23, 2008

The Mies Van Der Rohe’s Farnsworth House sets on five – foot – high risers. On 9/14 it was under water. The Fox River near Chicago has risen two feet above that.

The director of the historic site says “It’s gut – wrenching. You have to come to terms with the fact that Mother Nature will always win in a power struggle.”

“It’s an absolutely devastating scene,” said James Peters, president and CEO of Landmarks Illinois, which manages and operates the house for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in a statement today. “At this point, we are fairly confident the 2008 tour season, which was scheduled to extend through November, is over.” Now the nonprofit will have to raise money to repair the steel-and-glass Farnsworth House.

On Saturday, Landmarks Illinois volunteers paddled boats to the house to helped raise the furniture out of harm’s way. The Fox River has also flooded three nearby bridges and many houses.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation bought the 1951 house at auction for $7.5 million in 2003.

“Weather-based damage and destruction of older and historic sites is a national issue, and in the case of the flooding of Farnsworth House, which we saved with our partner, Landmarks Illinois, it is also a personal one,” said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in a statement today. “Our principal concern is for the safety and welfare of members of the public directly impacted by the storms.”

Mies designed it to let flood waters run underneath, but in sixty years it has been flooded six times, including half a million dollars damage in 1966. Time to jack it up?

found via DesignObserver. Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune architecture critic, asks what can be done.

Megane coupe. Concept.

Sep 17, 2008

As with many of the concepts shown this year of the Renault Megane Coupe foreshadows a production version that’s set to be released at a later date. Of course, don’t expect the gullwing doors or the futuristic interior to find their way into production, but you can get a general idea of what Renault has in store for us when it presents its answer to the VW Scirocco Coupe in a couple of years.

Measuring in at 4,51m or 177.5-inches in length, the compact coupe is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine delivering 200 Hp that’s matted to a six-speed manual gearbox. According to the French carmaker, while the prototype coupe sprints from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.2 sec, it manages to deliver an avg fuel consumption of just 6.5 lt / 100 km or 36.2 MPG (US).

The existing Megane – along with its distinguished curved rear window – is on its way out, and Renault is assuredly working hard at a new design that will capture buyers’ attention in an increasingly crowded market. Maybe we will see more at the 2008 Paris Auto Show.

via autoblog

Christopher Conte. Bio sculpture.

Sep 11, 2008

Robots. A very interesting topic. DA recently showcased a sewer inspector, the world’s most powerful per the manufacturer, a very practical solution. But what about robotics that inspire art? An example: Christopher Conte. By day posing as a designer of prosthetics and making artificial limbs for amputees in New York. At night and on weekends(?) creator of science fiction-like, futuristic sculptures. The artist – designer’s background of human anatomy, medical science, and biomechanics meld into robot-like creature art objects. Objects that inspire.

Recently he joined the stable of artist rep Les Barony to commercialize his art. Here’s to provoking innovation, adventure, the “non – practical” pursuit of solutions.

His work has been recently covered in Wired, Popular Science, Make Magazine, and used by The Discovery Channel and MTV Networks.

For more on Christopher Conte and his work, take a break and visit him here.

If you are into robots and want to see them live in Chicago visit Nextfest seen at Millennium Park September 27 – October 12, 2008

via .think and dark matter magazine

Nau is back.

Sep 9, 2008

On May 2, 2008, Nau announced that it was closing shop. The reason? They could not get financing to continue operations. If you don’t know who Nau is, they’re a uniquely new business—selling eco-friendly clothes with a unique business model: brick and mortar stores that displayed examples of their product but the purchases were online.

Ironically last August 06 when they launched, as a groundswell of environmental consciousness grew the economic capital markets were collapsing.

The latest as of September 8, 2008: The Road to Relaunch – Part 5

Who is Nau? In their own words…
Who are we and what are we trying to do here?
Good question. Nau is an outdoor apparel company born out of a desire to do business differently. From designing our clothes and developing our fabrics, to the way in which we build our stores, to our dedication to supporting organizations working for positive change, we are striving towards a more sustainable approach to being in business. At the core of our enterprise is the desire to expand the nature of the outdoor experience beyond athletic endeavors, and redefine what it means to align oneself with the outdoors.

We believe in the power of the collective, and we seek to turn that power towards the goal of positive change, in a variety of forms. Basically, we like to learn. And nothing furthers learning more than listening. So we’d like to listen to the people whose opinions we respect—like yours. We’re pretty sure there are a lot more folks like us out there—concerned, inquisitive people, looking for engaging, challenging and potentially transformative dialogue.

Puma. Endangered species.

Sep 5, 2008

We are alerted: World Animal Day is October 4. This post celebrates environment, design, fashion, and animals used in marketing efforts.

Here we feature a collaboration between Puma and Atmos NY, which consists of three pairs of Puma models inspired by three endangered
polar animals: the Harp Seal, Macaroni Penguin and Polar Bear. Each sneaker has its own unique design, but comes with the works of National Geographic photographer Mitsuaki Iwago featured on it, as well as a transparent outsole.

Each shoe in the collection captures the unique characteristics of a specific animal, and features Mr. Iwago’s photography on the removable insole. The name and habitat of each animal is on the reverse tongue and the outsole in both English and Japanese. The shoes were created in hopes of bringing attention to our impact on these endangered animals.

The third shoe shown in the Polar Pack is the PUMA x Atmos Polar Bear Clyde. Drawing direct inspiration from the polar bears of the Artic the shoe features an off white nubuck upper and fur collar, while the blue ice sole represents the Polar Bear’s natural habitat. The shoe comes with three sets of colored laces and have the Atmos “A” on the lace tips and heel. The Polar Bear is currently ranked as vulnerable and is considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

Found exclusively at Atmos as June 2008. via Pet Monologues —World Animal Day and Bless the Animals.

Discovery. Project Earth

Sep 4, 2008

8 crazy experiments bold enough to change the world. Beginning August 22. Fridays, 9PM EP. (-0500)

They rounded up every scientist, inventor, engineer, and designer with the best sot at pulling off some of the biggest, boldest ideas about cooling the planet, gave them whatever they needed and turned ’em loose. They told the naysayers to kiss off.

Sunpower beam. Raining trees. Reflective clouds. Orbiting shade. Air scrubber. Glacier blanket. Ocean nutrition. Floating turbines.

More info:
Project Earth

Envirosight SuperVision 250.

Sep 4, 2008

“A sewer worker is like a brain surgeon. We’re both specialists.” —Ed Norton, The Honeymooners.

Ed’s fingernails would be a lot cleaner if this robotic sewer “crawler” existed. Though not an object of beauty this robot is designed to go where you would rather not. It’s estimated that 850 billion gallons of sewer and storm water leaking into watersheds around the country every year. With the Environmental Protection Agency cracking down on cracked pipes the SuperVision 250 submerges to the occasion.

Placed in pipes 10 to 72 inches in diameter, this little robot will track down splits, debris, corrosion, and breaks. Operators can watch the video feed from the 10X optical-zoom autofocus camera and use a joystick to pan and tilt. A ring of high-intensity, shadowless LEDs illuminates the scene; dual lasers help size up defects. A sapphire window shields the camera lens, while hardened stainless steel parts protect the crawler from the harsh sewer environment. And thanks to an ultrathin, Kevlar-reinforced tether (sorry, no wireless), the bot can crawl up to 1,640 feet through even heavily obstructed pipes. Just make sure to hose it off when it comes back.

The manufacturer claims it to be the Most Intelligent Crawler Ever is Also the Most Powerful. SuperVision sets a new standard for video inspection crawlers, integrating a host of innovations such as PipeBus, a communications protocol that allows for lighter cable and longer runs, as well as a zoom camera option, onboard diagnostics and the most sophisticated control console ever designed for a crawler. Like Envirosight’s ROVVER crawler, SuperVision boasts a modular design that lets you swap out camera heads, auxiliary lamps and wheels to meet the demands of the inspection at hand. And with a choice of cable reels, control units and pendants, you can build the system that best suits your working style.

Aluminum and stainless steel body, 6 wheel steerable drive and electrical clutch. For diameters from 10 in to 78 in. Includes 2 sets of additional wheels and Solarc auxiliary lights.

Details
# Kevlar-reinforced cable weighs 20% what others do, allowing SuperVision to travel much further into pipe.
# Zoom camera head with high-powered lamp array further extends effective inspection distance.
# Onboard intelligence speeds diagnosis and supports virtually any combination of auxiliary sensors and end effectors.
# Fully automatic reel pays out and retracts cable, preventing crawler tangles and jams.
# Interchangeable wheels, lamps and cameras adapt crawler to any size pipe.
# Adjustable-height camera (SV250) rises above debris and water, centering view in pipe.

Producer:Envirosight

Mr. Impossible. The chair.

Sep 4, 2008

Phillipe Starck’s latest — a plastic chair — earned it’s name on the first sketch. Mr. Impossible. The designer said it couldn’t be made. The challenge being the weld. Using existing methods to weld the seat and the legs would create an unsightly seam. Kartell’s engineers had to go the blue water route. The key, a very big laser.

The Kartell store in New York recently exhibited Mr. Impossible, a series of chairs by Philippe Starck. While the design for Mr. Impossible was conceived years ago, the technology needed to weld two transparent shells together did not exist until recently. Also on display was Starck’s Misses Flower Power, a collection of large-scale prototype vases made from transparent polycarbonate. (more…)

Puma glo rider.

Jun 26, 2008

This Spring PUMA® introduces the PUMA GLOW RIDER, the third edition of the PUMA bike. Possessing the quintessential PUMA characteristics of fun and functionality, the new model distinguishes itself through the unique glow in the dark frame. The bike is part of PUMA Urban Mobility, a collection created with the needs of a city dweller in mind, comprising apparel, accessories and footwear.

The night glow effect paint used on the steel frame of the bike collects the sunrays during the day, and gives this light off when darkness has fallen, in the form of a beautiful glow, lasting for several hours. Remember those night glow stars on your bedroom ceiling when you were small?

With this quirky glowing frame, which asserts higher visibility by night and a unique outer appearance, urban commuters can express their personal style and feel safe at the same time. (more…)

Zeppelin. iPod. Art. HD radio.

Jun 23, 2008

Less about breaking news and more about affirmation: The Zeppelin iPod dock from Bowers and Wilkins not only looks good from across the room and CU, but the music is consistent with the manufacturer’s reputable sound.

First seen almost a year ago but did not mess with it until killing time in an Apple store last week. If you like modern, minimal, music, and have an iPod, this is worth a peek. It will set you back $600 USA but you get design, music, and art.
What’s HD radio? (more…)