Firma Casa by the Campana brothers and SuperLimão Studio

Brazilian designers Fernando and Humberto Campana and architectsSuperLimão Studio have covered the facade of a 
São Paulo furniture showroom with thousands of plant-filled vases.

The faceted aluminium containers hang from a mounted wire 
grid on the exterior of the two-storey Firma Casa store.

Folding metal doors leading into the ground floor showroom open 
wide enough for large furniture to fit through.

Concrete covers the floor of this gallery and store, while air 
conditioning ducts and lighting rails remain exposed on the 
ceiling. Staff offices are located upstairs on the first floor.

Music Hall and House in Algueña by Cor & Asociados

Spanish architects Cor & Asociados have completed a pearlescent music hall in a village near Alicante. Shimmering porcelain tiles clad the multi-purpose auditorium, which adjoins converted civil guards quarters to comprise the new two-storey music centre.

Staircases encased within glass boxes link the existing U-shaped building to the extension. The new block encloses a central courtyard for open-air music rehearsals. Layered screens create overlapping fins on the interior walls of the auditorium, which are backlit in stripes.

Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre Pavilion by Snøhetta

The rippled timber core of this reindeer observation pavilion by architectsSnøhetta mirrors the curves of the surrounding Dovre Mountains in Norway. Named the Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre Pavilion, the building is used as an education centre by charity the Wild Reindeer Foundation.

A rectangular steel frame contains the pavilion and a glazed wall lines the observation area. Norwegian ship-builders constructed the curved timber centre from pine beams, which were milled using digital models and then pegged together. Visitors to the pavilion can sit on the wooden form, where they are warmed by a suspended furnace.

MODERN PLAYHOUSES BY PLAY MODERN

The concept for Play Modern Cuba and 2Cuba playhouses prove the that the best concepts grow from what you know. Like many kids, architect Kimball Hales’ three children enjoyed nothing more than playing “house” inside a cardboard refrigerator box. Harnessing his insights into the psyches of the young, his interest in small spaces and prefab kits, and his experience designing modern, sustainable buildings as an architect at Hufft Projects, Hales and his wife decided to developed a modern playhouse. Knowing that the novelty of new toys wears off fairly quickly, they aimed for a model one could re-invent, so when the kids inevitably got tired of the playhouse, it wouldn’t take long to reconfigure and make new again.

The playhouses, which are manufactured locally in Kansas City, aren’t just modern and modular, but eco-friendly. The panels are made out of environmentally friendly FSC certified plywood and have a low-VOC finish made from a whey protein — a by-product of cheese making. In addition, the handrails are made from fully recyclable aluminum.

As you can see, these envy-inducing playhouses (all we ever had were horrid primary colored plastic monstrosities), can be reconfigured in dozens of different ways, from a one floor spread with a patio, to a two-story structure with a roof deck. There are both indoor and outdoor models, and add ons, including a slide, sandbox, and modern kitchen, are in the works. Hale has also been having discussions about setting up an entire Cuba Village!

The modules are flat-packed and assemble with minimal tools. Looks as easy as A-B-C.

Garden Shed by Ville Hara and Linda Bergroth

Imagine waking up in a glass bedroom by the waterside on a remote Finnish island. 

Helsinki architect Ville Hara and designer Linda Bergroth of Hel Yes! launched their combined greenhouse and shed kit for the gardening market in 2010 and has Bergroth customised the prototype to create her own summer house, adding a wooden floor, solar panels for lighting and steps made of reclaimed bricks.

She can enjoy the open views across the lake while all the clutter is hidden in the storage compartment at the back.

The modular parts can be bought in 4 different variations through Kekkilä Garden in Finland and Hasselfors Garden in other Scandinavian countries.

The Finnish pine and toughened safety glass components can be self-assembled on site.

Help Remedies by Pearlfisher

If pharmacy packaging leaves you feeling perplexed about what you’re taking, then these medicine packets named after symptoms rather than ingredients will be right up your street.

Graphic designers Pearlfisher refreshed the minimalist packaging for pharmaceutical brand Help Remedies, adding colour-coded graphics that illustrate the sizes and shapes of pills or plasters inside.

The Division of Labor

These prints by The Division of Labor made me laugh.

MUJI Touchscreen Gloves

These MUJI gloves come with conductive material interwoven into the thumb and forefinger so you can operate your device without subjecting your bare hands to the cold! YES!

Steven Holl Architects’ Campbell Sports Center Breaks Ground at Columbia University

Campbell Sports Center designed by Steven Holl Architects began construction over the weekend. Complimenting the existing Baker Athletics Complex, the Campbell Sports Center will create a necessary and inviting new gateway to Columbia University’s complex at its location on the corner of West 218th street and Broadway.  The five-story, 48,000 sqf facility will include an auditorium, strength training and conditioning rooms, offices for varsity sports, a hospitality suite, and student-athlete study rooms.  Led by Steven Holl and Chris McVoy, the Campbell sports Center is scheduled to open in fall 2012.

Steven Holl shared, “We are honored to collaborate with Dianne Murphy and Columbia Facilities in creating this new state of the art athletics facility. Its inviting architecture indicates the invigorating presence and future of intercollegiate athletics at Columbia University.”

The Sports Center aims at serving the mind, the body and the mind/body. The design concept “points on the ground, lines in space”—like field play diagrams used for football, soccer, baseball—develops from point foundations on the sloping site. Just as points and lines in diagrams yield the physical push and pull on the field, the building’s elevations push and pull in space. External stairs, which serve as “lines in space,” and terraces extend the field play onto and into the building and give views from the upper levels over the Baker Athletics Complex and Manhattan with the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings in the distance. At night the building is up-lit with glowing light on its Columbia-blue aluminum soffits.

Umbrella-Coat Raincoat

This raincoat is a combination of a rain coat, an umbrella and waterproof trousers. Depending on the weather conditions and the amount of rain it can be adjusted to different levels of protection. With this raincoat your hands are free: you can protect them from cold weather, you can carry things and you can work with them. Also, it can be perfect for people with walking disabilities. In addition in a crowded street you do not bump into other umbrellas.

Designer: Athanasia Leivaditou (Greece) 
Material: Waterproof fabric 
Colours: Varies 
Dimension: Varies

From DesignSpotter

Darling Quarter by ASPECT Studios with FJMT Architects

ASPECT Studios, one of Australia’s leading landscape architecture companies, has designed a new public domain precinct and urban play space and in Sydney’s Darling Harbour. Commissioned by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA) and Lend Lease, the project is now known as Darling Quarter is a 1.5 hectare place-making project for Sydney with a public park, new cafés, restaurants, bars, 6 star green star commercial buildings (Commonwealth Bank Place), and an innovative children’s playground as its centre piece. At over 4000m² it is the largest play space in the Sydney CBD and with its interactive water play facilities it will strengthen Darling Harbour’s reputation as the most visited destination in Australia.

Darling Quarter builds a strong pedestrian link to the city and reinforces the movement between the Entertainment Centre, Cockle Bay and beyond. The new project revitalises Darling Harbour by upgrading ground plane materials, lighting, furniture and planting, and setting a new benchmark with an emphasis on premium quality and highly sustainable initiatives. It provides a family focused core both for city dwellers, particularly those in neighbouring Pyrmont and Chinatown, and for tourists and visitors alike. In addition to an extensively redesigned playground, it provides generous grassed community areas and planting, civic water features and a children’s theatre.

Roca London Gallery by Zaha Hadid

Earlier this month, bathroom fixture design company Roca opened a new flagship located near Imperial Wharf in London, called the Roca London Gallery. Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid, whose firm is based in London, designed the undulating, white concrete space. Fittingly, the architect drew inspiration from the idea of flowing water for the design, which has an organic shape and somewhat cave-like sensibility.
In a statement Hadid says, “Using a formal language derived from the movement of water, the Roca London Gallery has been eroded and polished by fluidity; generating a sequence of dynamic spaces carved from this fascinating interplay between architecture and nature.”
In addition to displaying Roca’s products, the almost 12,000-square-feet will host a range of activities, like exhibitions, seminars, and debates for the design community.