Curvaceous Towers Mimics Malaysia’s Topography

International design firm SPARK Architects recently completed a pair of condominium towers with rippling facades that pay homage to the dramatic surrounding landscape on Malaysia’s Penang Island. Located at Jalan Bukit Gambier near the state’s UNESCO-designated capital of George Town, the Arte S twin residential towers stand in sculptural contrast to its more staid neighbors. Designed to embrace the tropical environment, […]

Container Village For Startups In Amsterdam

In a bid to create affordable office space in Amsterdam, Dutch architect Julius Taminiau has upcycled a series of shipping containers into Startup Village, a temporary cargotecture hub for fledgling companies. Located in Amsterdam Science Park, the container buildings are stacked and painted in a variety of colors to create a space that can adapt to different needs. In addition […]

Can This Simplify Shoe Shopping?

As we all know, finding a pair of shoes that fits isn’t as simple as knowing your shoe size. Depending on the footwear, you might go half a size either way, or the shoes may simply not fit no matter what. A new 3D scanning system, however, is designed to take the guesswork out of the situation. Designed by Japanese […]

Green Towers In Hangzhou

Paris-based studio XTU Architects recently unveiled designs for a futuristic high-rise in Hangzhou that blends sustainable technologies into an organic, sculptural design. Cloaked in a “bio facade” of micro algae-covered panels, the curvaceous towers can produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide. Dubbed French Dream Towers, the mixed-use complex would also incorporate rainwater harvesting, a greenhouse, and an aquaponics system. Currently […]

No More Shoelaces?

If you’re the kind of person who simply hates having to bend over to tie your shoes, then you’re going to want to take a look at the new line of footwear from Zerotie. The company created a unique mechanism that allows anyone wearing their shoes to tighten and loosen the laces without ever having to touch them at all. […]

Shoes With Soles Made From Recycled Chewing Gum

When most people think of common street waste, they imagine abandoned cigarette butts, paper fliers, or old soda cans. Below this familiar layer of filth, there’s another substance ground into the very sidewalk: chewed gum. In Amsterdam, gum is the city’s second most common litter, after cigarettes. A marketing organization called Iamsterdam paired with designer Explicit Wear and sustainability group […]

Trendy Koe In Shibuya

hotel koé isn’t your traditional Japanese hotel. That’s because the concept for the property designed by Suppose Design Office was to launch a flagship shop for the apparel brand koé. The design team proposed that instead of just offering a shop that’s opened during regular retail hours, why not build a hotel and community hub that will bring together locals […]

Jacket That Can Simulates Hugs

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be punched in VR? Me neither. Well, you may get your chance anyway. Because Disney — the company behind your favorite childhood movies like The Lion King and Tarzan — has teamed up with MIT Media Lab and Carnegie Melon to make this a real thing. By hooking up 26 independent airbags inside a modified life […]