TRANSPARENT LIVING
Ever wonder what it would be like to live in a transparent house? Well, the couple living in House NA probably know it first-hand, as the home, designed by Sou Fujimoto Architects pretty much breaks all the rules of privacy. In a total of 914 square feet, the house is a series of 21 floor plates at varying heights ..read more..
JAPANESE MACAQUES CHILLING IN SPRING WATERS
Watch Japanese Macaques as they enjoy the steaming hot spring baths and play in deep snow. It is filmed in the Jigokudani Monkey Park (Jigokudani Yaen Kōen) near Nagano.
AN UNCONVENTIONAL CHESS GAME BY MAKIKO SHINODA
According to Makiko Shinoda’s research on the relationship between children and their toys, great toys should leave room for sensory discovery, imagination and creativity. Unfortunately, these basic elements are not found as often in plastic toys or computer games in which form and function have been standardized these days. Yet, there are still ways to ..read more..
VISVIM’S HIROKI NAMAKURA
One of my favorite design influencers is Hiroki Nakamura, creative director of the Japanese cult brand Visvim. As Hiroki established and launched Visvim in 2000, since then, not only did his products become highly valued and sold in exclusive stores all over the world, but also he remained true to his brand by nurturing the ..read more..
WINTER ILLUMINATIONS AT NABANA NO SATO
If you happen to be in Japan from now to March 31, 2013, make sure to check out one of Japan’s most stunning displays of light called Winter Illuminations at Nabana no Sato, a botanical garden turned light theme park on the island of Nagashima in Kuwana. Opened just yesterday, it’s been called one of the ..read more..
ONDESIGNS NARROW HOUSE, SURPRISINGLY COMFORTABLE!
Imagine a very small place in a very high density city like Tokyo, there, deep within Bunkyo-ku, one of the even more densely populated boroughs (even by Tokyo standards) lies Ondesigns latest residential project. In a slightly larger than normal crack between two houses they managed to actually built another house. In their typical non-conventional way, they created ..read more..
CUBOID BALLOON BY JUNYA ISHIGAMI (UPDATED WITH VIDEO)
Looking at Junya Ishigami’s Cuboid Balloon all I can think of is, how can something possibly look like so light and heavy at the same time? It’s nonsensical, but when you look at this Balloon it’s hard not to think of this duality. It was constructed in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo and is actually an aluminum truss (which ..read more..
ESCHER-ESQUE STYLE, HOUSE T TOKYO
Always wondered what a real-life Escher-esqe home looks like? Well, I might have found something you’ll like. House T by Tokyo-based studio Hiroyuki Shinozaki Architects built a modern residence which has a very unique interior layout, each floor appears to be suspended in the air, much like in M. C. Escher’s drawings. Eliminating the traditional use of walls, ..read more..
