world’s first – DesignApplause

Marmaray project: world first tunnel between asia and europe.

Oct 29, 2013

first test train through the marmaray tunnel

A railway tunnel underneath the Bosphorus Strait has been opened (29 October 2013) in Turkey, creating a new link between the Asian and European shores of Istanbul. The Marmaray tunnel is the world’s first connecting two continents. It was inaugurated on the 90th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey. [ story ]

fatih sultan mehmet bridge looking from asian side to europe. tunnel crossing near this landmark

over 40,000 artifacts discovered during excavation

Work began in 2004, but archaeological excavations delayed construction. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long championed the undersea project, first conceived by an Ottoman sultan in 1860. The underwater section runs for 0.8 miles (1.4 km), but in total the tunnel is 8.5 miles (13.6 km) long and and is designed to withstand earthquakes. [ 40,000 artifacts ]
installing tunnel into bosphorus seemingly easiest phase of project

Parsons Brinckerhoff, who’s role was design/construction supervision and D-B contract administration provides an enlightening video of lowering the tunnel into the Bosphorus. [ video ]
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Haworth creates world’s first LEEDv4 certified project.

Oct 29, 2013

Haworth’s new innovative space in Beijing has been recognized as the world’s first certified LEED project under the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) new LEED version 4 beta program. The USGBC awarded LEED Gold status after the project earned 71 out of the possible 110 points. The site, landmark building Parkview Green, among many other features, provides tenants with access to quality transportation and bicycle facilities. The LEED Platinum (version 3) building is home to a boutique hotel, commercial offices and premium retail.

Inside, Haworth has created the Club – an organic workspace concept offering dynamic co-working and lounge spaces available to tenants, hotel guests and surrounding community. The core design element is a concept of flexibility: Everything can be easily rearranged to meet day-to-day needs.

[ official release ]
BEJING, CHINA – October 23, 2013 – Haworth, Inc., a global leader in the design and manufacture of furniture, today announced that its innovative space, located in Beijing’s landmark Parkview Green building, has been recognized as the world’s first certified LEED project under the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) new LEED version 4 beta program. The USGBC awarded LEED Gold status after the project earned 71 out of the possible 110 points.

“Achieving the first-ever LEED version 4 certification speaks volumes about Haworth’s global commitment to sustainability,” said Steve Kooy, Haworth’s global sustainability manager.

In order to achieve the certification, everything from the location of the building and its energy performance to water efficiency and indoor air quality had to be considered. “We are especially pleased to have achieved this certification in China,” said Frank Rexach, vice president and general manager of Haworth’s Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Latin America sector. “The application of the new LEED standards in Beijing highlights the importance of this fast-growing market.”

Parkview Green is located in the Chaoyang District of Beijing and provides tenants with access to quality transportation and bicycle facilities. The LEED Platinum (version 3) building is also home to a boutique hotel, commercial offices and premium retail. Inside Parkview Green, Haworth has created the Club – an organic workspace concept that offers dynamic co-working and lounge spaces that can be used by the building’s tenants, hotel guests and members in the community. At the heart of the Club’s design was the concept of flexibility. Everything from partition walls, meeting rooms, huddle spaces and private focus areas can be easily rearranged to meet the day-to-day needs of its users. “A workspace that easily responds to changing business needs over time not only saves time and money but it also reduces waste,” said Kooy.

To complete the project, Haworth partnered with BEE inc., a Shanghai- and Hong Kong-based specialist for green materials, trading and LEED consulting. Director of strategic services for Haworth’s Asia Pacific sector, Iolanda Meehan, spearheaded the effort.

“Throughout the construction process we reused 60 percent of non-structural interior elements,” said Meehan. “Additionally, 93 percent (by value) of the furniture in the space is either GREENGUARD certified or has been transferred from an existing showroom and fresh air exceeds the required Indoor Environment Quality by 35 percent.”

Energy and water efficiencies also helped achieve the certification. Through the optimization of the HVAC system as well as efficient LED lighting design, fixtures and controls supplied by Philips – one of Haworth’s partners in the region – the showroom’s energy consumption was reduced by 59 percent (compared to ASHRAE energy requirements).

“While LEED version 4 raises the bar on green building leadership and requires a new level of commitment to building sustainably, it was important for us to go beyond the prestigious LEED certification to ensure that we created a space that is not only environmentally-friendly and open to the community, but a project that will stand as a model for future workspaces,” said Meehan.

The USGBC’s LEED rating system provides building owners and operators with the framework to identify and implement practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. Within each LEED credit category, projects must satisfy prerequisites to earn points. The number of points the project earns determines its level of certification.

In July 2013, USGBC members voted to adopt the latest update to the green building rating system. The newest version of LEED will officially launch this fall at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Philadelphia, PA.

“Haworth strongly believes that this type of adaptable workspace, coupled with activity and workstyle based areas, is the way forward for corporations to maximize the efficiency of its real estate and the effectiveness and innovation of its people,” said Rexach.

Globally, Haworth improves workplaces with award-winning furniture, interior architecture and technology solutions to help customers achieve business goals, transform culture as well as support collaboration and innovation. Research + design drive a deep understanding of agile workplace needs and are at the center of the company’s strategy. Haworth is committed to protecting and restoring the environment, creating economic value as well as supporting and strengthening its communities. Founded in 1948, Haworth remains family-owned and privately-held and serves markets in more than 120 countries through a global network of 600 dealers. The company had net sales of US $1.31 billion in 2012.

[ haworth ] [ haworth collection ] @Haworthinc > Facebook.com/Haworthinc

DesignworksUSA creates next generation first class seats.

Jul 10, 2013

click > enlarge

Nice. BMW Group subsidiary DesignworksUSA had been asked by Singapore Airlines to deliver more luxury to its First Class passengers. The next-generation First Class Design for the Asian airline has just been released.

images courtesy of designworksUSA

[ official release – edited ]
The BMW Group subsidiary DesignworksUSA and Singapore Airlines take off together. Design for the next generation of seats in First Class, Singapore Airlines delivers a lounge vibe with comfortable armchairs, high quality materials and soft colors.

Not new territory for the creative teams of DesignworksUSA: With its interior design for Boeing Business Jets, Embraer and Dassault Aviation, DesignworksUSA has given the industry a new impetus in recent years. The modernized design for seating and booths will be on display in September for the first time aboard the new Boeing 777-300ER on flights from Singapore to London.

Luxury atmosphere above the clouds.
Design challenges of a special kind align with today’s requirements in aviation with its high security standards, the luxury preferences of the passengers to reconcile. The overall atmosphere was redesigned, with more privacy and more personal storage space for luggage and travel accessories. Laurenz Schaffer, President of DesignworksUSA says, “In this project we were working studios in Los Angeles, Shanghai and Munich together very closely. Our global presence and our long-standing presence in Asia helped us to meet the requirements of Singapore Airlines to connect with the expectations of international passengers.” DesignworksUSA brings the expertise from many years of cooperation with premium customers from different areas of mobility, including BMW and Rollce-Royce Motor Cars, Yachts Intermarine and Zeydon.

Seats to lounge Islands.
The First Class passengers can indulge in lounge Islands now. In order to shield visually and acoustically, the outer walls of the seating area has been increased. The wall encloses the passenger seat like a protective arm. To sleep the chair is transformed into a generous bed where you can lie comfortably on the side. No matter what position – ergonomic perfection characterizes the new generation of seats. With a width of just 89 centimeters and a length of 208 centimeters, is now the seat of one of the most spacious in the new market. Much inspiration came from the interior design of the automotive industry with its terms of passenger comfort, interior design and usability. The design team brought calm with large and elegantly curved lines, with warm, modern shades of brown in the seating islands that convey a sense of living. Cool gray and metallic shades outside the boundaries privacy clearly from the environment.

The seat is upholstered with fine leather. The atmospheric lighting is discreetly incorporated into the design. Extensive testing with partners helped to optimize the light color and intensity. A series of personal storage compartments with bold colors inside makes moments of surprise. Elegant tables require no folding mechanism and can be easily and silently open and close.

[ DesignworksUSA ] is a creative consultancy that’s been driving innovation for forty years. Acquired by BMW Group in 1995, DesignworksUSA enables its parent company as well as internationally-renowned clients outside the automotive industry to grow their businesses through design and a portfolio of creative consulting services. With clients including Coca Cola, Dassault Aviation, Embraer, HEAD, HP, Intermarine, John Deere, Microsoft, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), Siemens and Varian Medical Systems, DesignworksUSA is deeply immersed in a broad cross-section of industries. Combining cross-fertilized knowledge with strategic long-term perspectives and global context provided by studios in Los Angeles, Munich, and Shanghai, DesignworksUSA draws upon its unique and vibrant resources to create the future.

[ Singapore Airlines ] Founded in 1972, the company began with a fleet of only ten aircraft, the airline has established itself as an airline in the world elite. Today there are more than 100 passenger aircraft going to 22 cities in 18 countries. The route network includes Singapore Airlines Cargo and SilkAir and covers 106 cities in 40 countries. In October 2007, the airline wrote aviation history. As the first company to put the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380, into regular service. In 2004, the A340-500 flew for the first time the longest non-stop scheduled flight in the world between Singapore and New York.

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Gagosian gallery new app wins silver lion award.

Aug 10, 2012

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The Gagosian Gallery app for iPhone and iPad has just come to our attention. We also learned the app won a Silver Lion at Cannes 2012 Lions in June under a new “mobile lions” competition category. Below is the entry description:

The Gagosian App for iPads is the first free app of its kind to provide exclusive access to distinguished artists from around the world, giving the user the ability to explore art in an entirely new way. With its 360-degree views and 3-D exploration of actual galleries, an art lover, collector or student can tour the Gagosian gallery in London, Paris or New York from their apartment in Prague or LA. Organized around current Gagosian exhibitions, the app offers a wealth of information and historical knowledge in multiple audiovisual formats, immersing users in an interactive art experience that entertains and educates. Leveraging the gestural interface of the iPad, the app allows users to experience art in new ways, from gigapixel zoom to touch-based 180 and 360-degree virtual reality. Site: Richard Serra 360 Immersive Experience The cavernous gallery exploration of Richard Sera’s Cycle and Junction sculptures is re-created with a virtual walk through in the app. Layers of artwork can be peeled away, inviting the viewer to discover how art is created, evolving from sketch to colorisation to completion. Site: Jon Currin or Roy Lichtenstein Sketch Viewers Compare the initial sketches of an artist’s work to their finished piece by simply scrolling over the image. Since viewing and interpreting art is a personal experience, exploration is encouraged, as users are drawn in to discover, get lost, rediscover and create all on their own. Innovative technologies allow our users to touch, feel and learn. Site: Damien Hirst’s Dynamically Generative Spot Paintings Create new combinations of Damien Hirst’s spot paintings by leveraging the iPad’s gyroscope technology. Simply tilt the device to see the dots fluidly change color within Mr. Hirst’s pre-set color scheme. The HD resolution images displayed in app allow users to look at the artwork so closely that they can see the brushwork and nearly feel the texture of the works created by world renowned and widely respected artists. Bold, innovative, creative, and totally unique, the Gagosian app brings the world’s most unique fine art collections into the living rooms of the art lover, the collector, the creative, and those simply interested in observing the beauty of innovative thinking.

[review ] This is a well organized and well designed app. However, all the features described above did not work on my iPad2 v5.1.1. Possibly the app needs iPad3. The help section (ty) lists icons for various functions such as 360 view, 360 room view, rotate, audio commentary, but these icons were nowhere to be seen. The only icons found and tested and did work: full-screen, map, and shop. Somewhat surprised that this app won the prestigious Silver Lion despite the good looks and ease of navigation. The 360 Immersive Experience must be a difference maker and especially if this is the first free app of its kind to provide exclusive access to distinguished artists from around the world. Just made a note to again play with iPad3 and download this app while at the Apple store.

[ gagosian gallery ] is a contemporary art gallery owned and directed by Larry Gagosian. There are currently eleven gallery spaces: three in New York; two in London; one in each of Beverly Hills, Rome, Athens, Paris, Geneva and Hong Kong. [ cannes lions ] app design by [ @radical.media ]