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Photo courtesy of studiosaxe.com
Studio Saxe designs a retreat perched on the hilltops in Costa Rica.
+ Called Casa Bell-Lloc, the tropical home was designed with the steep terrain in mind. Private areas like the bedrooms are sunk in the ground, creating the illusion of a one-story home. Inside the main living areas open up to lush views with floating terraces and a pool.
+ “This project is a testament of how concrete can be used in Tropical Architecture to achieve low maintenance and longevity without losing openness and deep connections to nature beyond,” said Benjamin G. Saxe, founder and design director, on the architecture firm’s website.
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In other creative news, designers are rallying around the Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community with #DesignForATL fundraiser.
+ Jenny Nguyen, founder of the design-focused public relations firm Hello Human, and Arati Rao, founder of rug and textile company Tantuvi, launched the fundraiser in support of the Atlanta chapter of Asian Americans Advancing Justice following the shooting that killed six AAPI women on March 16.
+ The Instagram-hosted fundraiser includes lighting, decor, textiles, ceramics, furnishings, jewelry, accessories, and more, as well as services donated by more than 80 US designers and design studios. Those who wish to bid on an item can make a donation to Advancing Justice Atlanta using a special code from the corresponding Instagram post, with each donation entering participants into the giveaway of their choosing.
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- The Tom Dixon Swirl Collection is a series of geometric forms stacked upon one another to create multidimensional, functional sculptures. Photo by Peer Lindgreen
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- Made up of candleholders, bookends, vases, and tables, each item from the Tom Dixon Swirl Collection has its own distinct silhouette, color, and personality. Photo by Peer Lindgreen
Tom Dixon explores new material in the marbled Swirl collection.
+ In Swirl, vases, candleholders, bookends, and other accessories are made up of stacked geometric forms. Usually working in glass and metals, Tom used a new material that appears similar to 3D marbled paper but has the weight of stone.
+ The British designer is known not to shy away from experimentation. Tom told Sixtysix he thinks of design as having infinite possibilities. Earlier this year he even attended Stockholm Design Week as a hologram.
Photo courtesy of laufen.com
LAUFEN and Kartell release an expanded, eclectic bathroom collection focused on contemporary color and geometric lines.
+ Following its debut in 2013, the expanded Kartell by LAUFEN collection includes ceramic washstands and bathtubs alongside colorful plastic décor elements such as shelves and cabinets.
+ The contrast between the glossy and matte finishes of the sanitaryware and hues like mustard yellow and powder blue of the bathroom accessories—plus the ability to arrange and combine the pieces in different ways—offer design fluidity not often seen in bathroom design.
Photo courtesy of illuminatedriver.london
Leo Villareal unveils the world’s longest public artwork, the Illuminated River project, along London’s River Thames.
+ Illuminated River is a light installation transforming the Thames at night with an orchestrated series of light works that span nine bridges in central London.
+ Leo designed the LEDs using cutting-edge LED technology and custom software to “paint with light.” The result is sequenced patterns that subtly unfold across the Thames’ bridges, symbolically unifying each bridge despite their individual architectural features and histories.
Photo courtesy of benchmarkfurniture.com
Smile while you work with Jaime Hayon’s new Smile Stool for Benchmark.
+ The Smile Stool combines playful detailing and craftsmanship for Connected, an exhibition challenging creatives to design furniture that speaks to the new ways of living and working at home.
+ “We must all remember to smile—it makes us happier, healthier, and more hopeful,” Jaime said of the stool. And its simple form does exactly that, drawing attention directly to its smiling face.
Photo courtesy of roveconcepts.com
From tennis to design, Maria Sharapova steps into her new role as furniture designer.
+ The athlete teamed up with Rove Concepts for a new collection—which features a sofa, tables, lighting, and a rug—inspired by Japanese architecture with an emphasis on neutral colors and elegant versatility and form.
+ “I wanted to make sure that all the pieces work as extensions of people’s lives—pieces that complement the things they already live with,” she told Architectural Digest.
Photo courtesy of puma.com
Puma designer Neli Ernst talks redesigning the brand’s iconic sneakers, the Puma Suede.
+ The brand is launching a new design of the Puma Suede, the Puma Suede Mayu, on April 22—a poppy version of the original that shows “’90s street style through a ’70s lens.”
+ “We were thinking about how we could reinterpret the archive, playing with proportions and making it a bit less serious,” Neli, senior designer sportstyle footwear, told i-D. “We wanted it to have a classic archival feel: a really nice suede material with a nylon tongue, and an open edge … but then we were also looking at ’90s Japanese streetwear trends, which I think comes through in the tooling. That was where we were really able to goof around a bit.”
Photo courtesy of ateliervanlieshout.com
Joep van Lieshout is designing a brutalist creative sanctuary in Rotterdam.
+ Called BRUTUS, the 75,000-square-foot space is envisioned as a live-work community for creatives to display their art, specifically large-scale installations that museums have shied away from in recent years.
+ In addition to permanent gallery space, the neighborhood will include three residential towers designed by Lieshout and Powerhouse Company, each with an industrial facade to reflect the area’s industrial history.
Photo courtesy of jeep.com
Jeep introduces an all-electric Wrangler, the Magneto.
+ Its electric motor has 100% of its power available right off idle, meaning that Magneto will never stall and can perform at any angle, even upside down.
+ The off-roader’s motor isn’t the only thing to get excited about: Magneto is also one of the first electric vehicle concepts with a multi-speed transmission.
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