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!