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Manhattan, seen at center, is the urban core of the New York metropolitan area. With a land area of roughly 23 square miles (59 square kilometers) and about 1.6 million residents, it is the most densely populated borough in New York City. While this Overview might at first appear to be “upside down,” this shot captures the correct angle of the city’s skyscrapers.

See more here: https://bit.ly/30yAWpo

40.783333°, -73.966667°

Source imagery: Nearmap

https://dailyoverview.tumblr.com/post/645396565766356992

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A Willy Wonka world for whiskey drinkers awaits at this bar in Chengdu, China. Completed in 2019, INNS Whiskey Bar by Wooton Designers invites guests to be engulfed in the space as they lose a few hours to the spoils within.

Influenced by the distillation process, the interior of INNS is wrapped in rippling copper and honey-hued finishes. Referencing the symbiotic relationship between whiskey and their copper stills, the bar is an homage to whisky culture.

Embodying the meaning of the word ‘Whisky’, which is ‘Water of life’ for the uninitiated (I am one of the recently initiated), the interior transports you to another world, one that takes place entirely inside a whisky distiller. Snaking walls guide patrons through the rooms while a wrinkled spherical device floats in the deep cove ceiling. Drunk on materiality, the space feels more like an art installation than a hospitality interior.

Integrating curves and organic forms into the existing 150 square metre rectangular floor plan, the end result is an inspired departure from the familiar masculine tropes of whiskey bars. Given copper is notably malleable, just one of the reasons it’s favoured amongst whiskey distillers, it was the perfect material choice to form the chubby rounded corners and arches that define the inner shell of the cavernous interior.

Experiential down to the smell, a small pond gathers at a floating wall spiked with whisky – the scent absorbing patrons further into this singular world.

Related: Four Pillars Gin Laboratory in Surry Hills by YSG Studio.

The sleek and mysterious entrance only hints at what can be found inside. Volcanic ash tiles and chrome accents complement the oblong-shaped door. A shiny patina covers the bronze door, muted in comparison to the golden, honey hues found within. While a cheeky triangle porthole engages the more curious of passers-by.

This maximalism of materiality is characteristic of Wooton Designers – the space itself acts as an art piece, while the decoration is kept minimal. Leather and volcanic stone add depth to the warm palette, the earthy materials anchoring the space.

Geometric symbols embedded in the volcanic stone bar wall represent time, with whiskey of all ages lined up against the grooves, ready for tasting by keen aficionados.

At INNS, whiskey, space and time fuse together in the silkiest of blends for this lush and otherworldly bar fit-out. We’ll drink to that.

Related: The Berkeley Bar & Terrace in London by Bryan O’Sullivan Studio.

| The article Drunk on Materiality: Inns Whiskey Bar in Chengdu, China by Wooton Designers. appeared first on Yellowtrace. |

https://www.yellowtrace.com.au/wooton-designers-inns-bar-chengdu-china-hospitality-design/

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The Interceptor, created by The Ocean Cleanup, is the first scalable solution to prevent plastic from entering the world’s oceans from rivers. It is 100% solar-powered, extracts plastic autonomously, and is capable of operating in the majority of the world’s most polluting rivers. This is Interceptor 002 - seen in the Klang River of Malaysia. The Klang River, which flows through Kuala Lumpur and Selangor and eventually into the Straits of Malacca, is one of the 50 most polluting rivers worldwide, according to the research compiled by The Ocean Cleanup.

See on our website: https://bit.ly/3v9XMSt

3.046954°, 101.444996°

Source imagery: Maxar

https://dailyoverview.tumblr.com/post/645295943316652032

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Lisbon-based architecture firm BUREAU engages in projects across furniture, editorial and design genres, focusing on research-based work that responds to our surrounding physical, cultural and social environments. Always challenging the norms and conventions of our time their latest project seeks to democratise the family home. This one is a little highbrow, so dig out your glasses if you need them and let’s dive in.

Dubbed Maria, the team’s 88 square metre apartment renovation is full of thoughtful surprises. Not wanting to impose prejudices on how to distribute space through the design process, Maria is “just an apartment“, allowing the inhabitants the freedom to dictate how they move around and interact within their own home.

Concerned with the current state of residential design lumping everyone into the same category of the nuclear family, Maria in contrast is a “disconnected physical space waiting to be inhabited in the richest way possible, without prejudices and directed ways of inhabitation”.

Influenced heavily by Shoshana Zuboff’s research on Surveillance Capitalism, BUREAU considers how the accepted notions of housing typologies create limitations for architects and designers to design diverse and flexible spaces for their clients and the constantly evolving “contemporary family”.

Reminding me of John Berger’s book Ways of Seeing, BUREAU is interested in the relationship between what we see and what we know. Considering that when we see, or in this case design a space, we are being influenced by a whole range of assumptions, they sought to create an apartment that is void of the fabricated conventions of what a “household” is. The result is a non-conforming, multi-functional space we can impose our own ideas of domestic bliss onto.

Related: Dodged House in Lisbon, Portugal by Leopold Banchini + Daniel Zamarbide.

The centre of the apartment has a bathroom behind fluted glass, acting as a hub in the middle of the space. On either side of the hub, joinery lines the walls, a generous amount of storage space for a range of needs, clothes, a vacuum cleaner, the skis used that one time on vacation. Pastel tiles in blue, pink and green cover the bathrooms and kitchen island, with family photos propped up against the bathroom vanity.

Framework in the centre of the apartment is repurposed as a sitting or leaning device, akin to a jungle gym in a playground. While the space is mostly open plan, curtains are used to define private and public space.

BUREAU said it best – “a place for an occupant that can potentially always sleep in a couch, live with a dog, cook on the balcony, eat on the floor, read in the bathroom, stand on the kitchen counter“. Truly an evolved apartment, MARIA sets the bar for new kind of contemporary residential living.

Related: Casa do Monte in Lisbon by Leopold Banchini Architects and Daniel Zamarbide.

| The article Democratising the Family Home: Rua Maria Apartment in Lisbon by BUREAU. appeared first on Yellowtrace. |

https://www.yellowtrace.com.au/bureau-rua-maria-apartment-renovation-lisbon-interiors/

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Roughly halfway across its span from Malmo, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark, the Øresund Bridge becomes an undersea tunnel. This junction happens on the artificial island of Peberholm, shown in this Overview roughly 66 feet (20 m) above sea level. The entire bridge system stretches nearly 5 miles (8 km), making it the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe.

See more here: https://bit.ly/3bxP2hn

55.600000°, 12.750000°

Source imagery: Maxar

https://dailyoverview.tumblr.com/post/645206028374474752

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Fox Hall House.

Against the farmland of Hudson Valley, just two hours north of New York City, stands a striking barn. Informing the passive design for the entire project, the 19th Century building was transported from a nearby property. With black siding and bright-red window frames, it feels simultaneously restrained and full of energy, an ethos that can be felt across the entire eclectic compound.

A collaborative effort between homeowner Ian Hague and architects BarlisWedlick, who specialise in energy-efficient homes, this project was the perfect fit for the kind of work the firm is passionate about, having designed architect Dennis Wedlick’s own passive-solar house in upstate New York.

The property is split into distinct private and public spaces. The 325 square metre barn, which can be seen atop a hill from the country road, is intended as a space to gather. Youthful and vivacious, it features quirks that capture the whimsical side of the homeowner. An indoor tent and rope railed bridge command the upstairs loft while a fireman pole leads to the studio apartment downstairs. Colourful rugs and a wood-burning stove keep the space feeling cosy on winter nights.

The coolest features of the property though tend to be the ones integrating passive design (my only climate-related pun, I promise). A photovoltaic array built into the gable roof keep multiple buildings on the property in power, while a much sexier natural swimming pool and deck sit alongside the barn. The first of its kind in New York state, the pool is filtered entirely by plants and organic systems. Not only a beautiful addition to the compound, it quietly blends into the gentle contours of the surrounding greenery.

Related: Flat House Zero Carbon Farmhouse in Cambridgeshire by Practice Architecture.

Fox Hall Barn.

A garage with a green roof peeps out from the earth, ensuring unobstructed views of the Berkshires behind it. One of two Tesla-charging stations can be found inside, hidden in an old-fashioned Esso gas pump to fit in with the mix of existing vintage furniture in Hague’s collection.

Nestled in the trees up the hill sits a more private retreat. The 167 square metre home takes cues from the barn, echoing the architectural vernacular of rural upstate New York.

Constructed from structural insulated panels from Vermont Timber Frames and clad in Shou Sugi Ban charred cedar, the traditional Japanese art of charring wood as a way of preserving it and making it more durable, the building is entirely passive house certified. The brief for the styling was “functional and inviting to touch” creating an intuitive and personal feel within the open plan living spaces.

The jewel of the property is a three-story cedar tower connected to the main house by a bridge. A mammoth playground with a swing at the top, porch seating on the second level and a sauna on the ground floor, it’s an easy place to lose yourself within the landscape.

Rather than finding P efficiency standards constrictive, BarlisWedlick manage to create something uniquely inspired in this multifaceted getaway, tailor-made to the needs of its idiosyncratic owner.

Related: A Mid-Century Wonder Transformed by BarlisWedlick into a High-Performance Retreat.

| The article Fox Hall Passive Home in NY’s Hudson Valley by BarlisWedlick. appeared first on Yellowtrace. |

https://www.yellowtrace.com.au/barlis-wedlick-fox-hall-passive-design-barn-hudson-valley-upstate-new-york-house/

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The post “Tech Addiction” Is the New Reefer Madness appeared first on Nir and Far.

https://www.nirandfar.com/tech-addiction-laws/

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To celebrate International Women’s Day we are sharing this view of downtown Chicago from January 21, 2017, when more than 150,000 people took to the streets with calls to protect women’s rights. The gathering in Chicago was just one of a number of marches that took place that day in all fifty states and more than 60 countries around the world.With the a large portion of our daily imagery focused on how a changing planet will impact our civilization, today it is important to recognize the fact women will disproportionately be affected by climate change.

If you’re interested in learning more, we highly recommend heading over to www.shechangesclimate.org or www.earthrise.studio to learn more about their efforts focused on this problem.

Source imagery: Airbus Space
© CNES 2020, Distribution Airbus DS

https://dailyoverview.tumblr.com/post/645125852401647616

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Waves roll into the shores of Lima, Peru. The Miraflores neighborhood, seen here, is one of the most affluent and touristed districts of the capital city, containing many hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and department stores. Miraflores is part of Peru’s Costa Verde, or “green coast,” which has several beaches that attract swimmers, surfers, and paragliders in the summer months.

See more here: https://bit.ly/3qtOAVi

-12.117500°, -77.043056°

Source imagery: Maxar

https://dailyoverview.tumblr.com/post/645120254188666880

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The continuous journey through multiple terrains, Rhythm of Nature is a series of immersive environmental installations marked by soft slopes of sand, welcoming us to the first installation – Etoile.

Reminiscent of the grounding sensation felt when traversing a path of sand, grass and soil, the Terra installation takes direct inspiration from the forest floor. Echoing natures imperfection, moss and fern mounds sit in contrast with the clean entrance archway.

Highlighting the soft, textural essence of Palus, an immersive floral installation is suspended from the ceiling above the rug. A moment of pause is created as guests change perspectives by looking up, and enjoying a moment of solitude.

Even though Australia’s been relatively lucky with pandemic lockdowns compared to the rest of the world, we’ve all felt the adverse effects of the seemingly endless restrictions. I personally never realised how starved I’d been of beauty and multi-sensory inspirations that can only be delivered by live events. Perhaps this is why “Rhythm of Nature” by Armadillo x House of Grey nearly made me cry. It might sound a little dramatic (Who? Me being dramatic? Never!), but bear with me – because it’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to share an experience that charted on the trusted Dana cry-o-meter.

Hosted late last week at a satellite venue conveniently adjacent to Armadillo’s very beautiful Surry Hills showroom, I arrived late in the afternoon rattled and exhausted from what was genuinely a long, intense, and very much a less-than-an-ideal day. Walking in feeling how I felt, it was beauty I expected to see – sure, but I didn’t imagine the experience would do any more than that for me.

Do you see where I’m going with this? Yep. Not only did the whole thing genuinely move me, the very first interaction with the movie preview immediately before the physical walk-through almost made me cry. Sure, you could put that down to the combination of sleepless #mumlife and a crazy day purely powered by coffee and very little food (seriously, don’t ask!); I do think my reaction points to something that’s far more powerful than that. I don’t cry at any old thing, you know – only when what I’m witnessing is truly beautiful, profoundly moving and/ or executed to perfection. Enter “Rhythm of Nature” – a journey through an art installation that celebrated natural beauty and encouraged quiet exploration and reflective introspection. This was an experience that delivered on all fronts.

In Umbra, guests are greeted by a field of grasses, exploring the variations on tone and texture and mirroring nature’s unbridled beauty. A path is carved through the grass fields for guests to explore at their own pace. 

Perilune is a meditative space reserved for reflection, inner calm and stillness. Reminiscent of the transient nature of our existence, the ritualistic space reveals a projected installation which allows a moment of pause, looking to the horizon and clouds beyond.

“Rhythm of Nature” celebrates the launch of The Ellipse Collection, a collaboration between Armadillo and UK-based design studio House of Grey, brought to life with an experiential campaign that reconnects the viewer to nature’s tempo and reinforces a philosophy of designing spaces that nurture a gentler pace of life.

Each of the five rugs in the collection – Etoile, Terra, Palus, Umbra and Perilune – are elevated to a work of art via their own dedicated space. The rugs are shown in a highly conceptual natural context surrounded by soft slopes of sand, mounds of grass and soil, feathery florals suspended from the ceiling, an unbridled field of grasses and a luminous pool of water.

The cinematic film (shown at the bottom of this article) conveys the experiential collaboration. Shot by the award-winning Australian director Glendyn Ivin, it captures the moving landscape and tactile presence of the collection in such a way that the viewer feels as if they are experiencing it first-hand. Accompanied by an original soothing soundtrack, the experience is intended to steady the beat of day-to-day life in tune with the rhythm of nature and impart the viewer with a sense of calm as they return to the outside world.

I mean, look. The “Rhythm Of Nature” is amazing, but Armadillo could’ve saved bags of money on the model by hiring me for the day. Hahahaha! I’m hilarious. Anyway, please excuse the unpolished BTS snaps, but I feel they hint at how very special the real-life experience was, despite the very average iPhone shots, if you know what I mean.

Perhaps what was even more magnificent than experiencing this quiet and measured yet exceptionally powerful installation, is witnessing Armadillo, an Australian-born global rug brand, going from strength to strength and positioning itself as a design through leader. In a pandemic world of non-physical events, they have created immersive, inspirational, on-the-money creative content designed to be digitally experienced globally. Not only that, the real deal would’ve held its own on the most celebrated global design stage, like the legendary Milan Design Week itself.

Kudos to everyone involved.

For more information and to explore this very special initiative, visit rhythmofnature.armadillo-co.com.

| The article Nurturing a Gentler Pace of Life: Rhythm of Nature by Armadillo x House of Grey. appeared first on Yellowtrace. |

https://www.yellowtrace.com.au/rhythm-of-nature-armadillo-x-house-of-grey/