Wood and metal are furniture staples, but they have been classically rethought by Michael Young for their roles as components of the Lancaster chair. The cast aluminum seat and back are created to be indestructible, without compromising their chic, wearing either dark anodized or machine polished finishes. The wood legs are available in natural ash-wood and dark stain ash-wood. Emeco’s debut of the chair collection by the British designer will introduce the company’s first foray into component-based design. The Lancaster chair is brought together with materials meant to age richly, and maintain its stance as a good, sophisticated standard.

designer: michael young
producer: emeco

The craftsmanship of Murano’s master glass blowers inspired the design of this contemporary light created by Ronan & Erwin Bouroullec. Their idea to use traditional know-how from Venini, Italy gave birth to a lamp that balances the vulnerable nature of classically blown glass with the industrial look of hardware at the base, which is instead supported with a more delicate aluminum cylinder. The Murano glass color palette varies in function to the lamp, and ranges from pale pink to vibrant orange. Throw marble into the mix, and there shines a sophisticated display of light.

designer: ronan & erwan bouroullec
producer: established & sons

Audrey is a new series of two chairs designed by Piero Lissoni for Italian furniture company Kartell presented at Milan Design Week 2011. The chair can be used indoors and outdoors; available in both a hard or upholstered variation. The chair exhibits clean and simple lines, and its die-cast aluminum frame makes it lightweight and resistant to the elements and every day wear. Audrey has a seat and back made from modified, batch-dyed polypropylene that comes in a range of colors: white, yellow, orange, sand, light gray, cornflower blue and black.

designer: piero lissoni
producer: kartell

The aim of Michael Young’s collection for Zixag is to reflect how technology blends into modern life.Young’s collection of bags for Zixag have a distinctive functional, urban feel and look.The city and studio lines are made of canvas and polyster, depending on the line- offering the wearer a stylish way to tote their belongings. Materially, they are a mixture of soft cottons and tough nylons, hand-sewing and machine moulding. Here is a contrast to make use of.

Designer: michael young
Producer: zixag

a table and stool that grows with your child.

the designer, olaf schroeder designed an innovative product where, quite simply, by adding extensions to the legs of table and stool the furniture “grows” with your child.


adjustable to four heights, growing table is intended for children aged from 2 – 10 and comes with a good selection of accessories; including an “endless paper” system to meet all their doodling wishes.


Specifications:
height: 24.5, 31.5, 37.5 and/ or 44 cm.
material: beech and child safe paint
colors: yellow, orange, pink, water blue, ocean blue or natural

Designer: olaf schroeder
Producer: pure position

Highway Loop by Bartoli Design for Segis is public seating with a huge element of fun. The modular benches connect by way of half loops that create tunnel-like cubby-holes conducive to hiding, telling secrets or a little simple play.
Designer: bartoli design
Producer: segis

Daring bright colors and contemporary designs are key essentials of Angharad McLaren’s woven textiles. Inspired by a dynamic mix of human and natural influences McLaren’s latest Shibori Pleat collection is influenced by water sport activities such as sailing and windsurfing.

Her passion for the sea and water-sports visually inspired McLaren to create a collection which features Dobby and Jacquard designs which are ideal for indoor and outdoor applications such as blinds, screens, wall panels, floor mats and furnishings. Her textiles are created using traditional techniques which are updated using the latest computerized hand-weaving and industrial technology. Materials range from organic natural fibers to neoprene to performance textiles such as recycled ropes which are appropriate for climbing. While recycling and being super eco-friendly McLaren has an ethical production method of repurposing existing materials into new woven patterns.

Product: shibori pleat collection
Designer: angharad mclaren
Producer: angharad mclaren

Normally I do whatEVER it takes to nix lamps of all kinds in favor of recessed or trac. Made of soft, tactile silicone in red, lavender, graphite and white hues, these versatile, multifunctional and user-friendly lamps are fully flexible and adjustable, literally bending over backwards to meet your lighting needs. Will take exception to this little cutie.

Designer: Denis Santachiara
Producer: Antonangeli Illuminazione

World’s tallest skyscraper. formerly Burj Dubai. renamed Burj Khalifa in honor of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, president of the united Arab Emirates (UAE). The building officially opened January 4, 2010. The tower is being constructed by a South Korean company, Samsung Engineering & Construction [16] which built the Petronas Twin Towers and the Taipei 101. The tower is designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, who also designed the Sears Tower in Chicago and the Freedom Tower in New York City, among numerous other famous high-rises. The building resembles the bundled tube form of the Sears Tower, but is not a tube structure.

Current records:
* Tallest skyscraper to top of spire: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously Taipei 101 – 509.2 m (1,671 ft))
* Tallest structure ever built: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously Warsaw radio mast – 646.38 m (2,121 ft))
* Tallest extant structure: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously KVLY-TV mast – 628.8 m (2,063 ft))
* Tallest freestanding structure: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously CN Tower – 553.3 m (1,815 ft))
* Building with most floors: 160 (previously Willis Tower – 108)
* World’s highest elevator installation
* World’s fastest elevators at speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) or 18 m/s (59 ft/s) (previously Taipei 101 – 16.83 m/s)
* Highest vertical concrete pumping (for a building): 606 m (1,988 ft) (previously Taipei 101 – 449.2 m (1,474 ft))
* Highest vertical concrete pumping (for any construction): 606 m (1,988 ft) (previously Riva del Garda Hydroelectric Power Plant – 532 m (1,745 ft))
* The first world’s tallest structure in history to include residential space
* Highest outdoor observation deck in the world (124th floor)
* World’s highest mosque (located on the 154th floor)
* World’s highest installation of an aluminium and glass façade, at a height of 512 m (1,680 ft)
* World’s highest swimming pool (76th floor)

Designer: adrian smith ( note: the architects are the chicago office of SOM. smith left in 2006 to open his own firm: adrian smith + gordon gill

for more photos and information visit the e-zine section

Many of the most unpleasant aspects of urban life are caused by cars. Large sweltering expanses of tarmac in cities contribute heavily to urban temperatures. Cars also become unbearably hot in summer sitting in these urban deserts.

Optimizing the heliostatic photovoltaic panels ultimately evolved into their leaflike shape. Though the concept did not intentionally look to mimic the form of a tree, the panels rotate to follow the path of the sun throughout the day – much like sunflowers – absorbing light whilst also providing optimal shading for cars. Although all parked cars can benefit from shading, electric vehicles can directly charge their batteries by plugging into the solar trees.

Solar Tree is unique among anti-auto pollution designs in that it empathizes with the automobile, but particularly with the electric car, providing a place for overworked, spent cars to regain their lost torque, to relax beneath the trees, to gain back their juice in an optimal stress-free environment.

Produce: solar tree
Designer: neville mars
[via] burb