House Haller - Haller Jürgen

House Haller was designed by Haller Jürgen together with Peter Plattner and is located in Mellau, Austria. According to the architects, “the owner’s specifications were a house combining living and working areas under one roof. The entire design of this compact house conforms to the location and it was built into the slight decline. As the hill side of the house is embedded, the east facing cellar area could be naturally illuminated and used as an office, for example. This office has direct access, via covered outdoor steps between the main entrance and the carport. Due to its ideal positioning, the building profits from the optimal use of the mountain sunshine. In spite of being highly original and very chunky, looking almost fortified, the building does not appear out-of-place in its surroundings. The nearby 150 year old, heritage-protected, typical Bregenzerwald farmhouse is reflected in the Haller house.”


http://juergenhaller.at/

Fruit Bowl Furniture Collection - Hiroomi Tahara

The Fruit Bowl collection was designed by Hiroomi Tahara (currently living in Milan)  for Japanese manufacturing company Yamakawa Rattan. The playful set reminded the creator of random fruits “Please enjoy placing various combinations and arrangements of cushions on this sofa as you do with a fruit bowl“-asserted Tahara. The items were all handmade using rattan and were particularly created for outdoor decors. However, within the right context, we believe the collection can also be integrated in living rooms, office buildings and so on. We particularly like the accompanying low table and poufs with multicolored cushions, as they bring some extra vitality to the design. This original looking furniture set brings warmth to a place and creates an inviting atmosphere, perfect for encouraging interaction.


http://www.hiroomitahara.com/

V-House - GAAGA

V-House was designed by a company of architects entitled GAAGA and is located in Leiden, The Netherlands. This beautiful compact home takes its name from a distinct feature: its roof shape. Even though it is hardly noticeable from the outside, the crib has a total of two floors, each with its well structured living zones. The first level accommodates the entrance hall, with views to the garden, the stairway and a corridor which opens up to the bedrooms on the right side and to a large polyvalent space on the left side. On the top floor, there is a living, dining and kitchen area. These spaces are all united under a single ceiling, varying in height from 2.8 meters at the centre to 4.1 meters at the edges. We really love the diversity of this house, which inspires warmth and serenity.


GAAGA

Clearview Chalet - Atelier Kastelic Buffey

Atelier Kastelic Buffey (AKB) have designed a chalet in Clearview, Ontario, Canada.
Description by AKB:

This chalet is embedded into the side of a slope, providing a one-storey elevation upon entry with long views to Nottawasaga Bay. The clients wanted a custom-designed, contemporary chalet, requiring minimal maintenance, to be realized on a tight budget with a condensed construction schedule. This emphasis on practicality and economy led to a single volume clad in board and batton with a low pitched, overhung metal roof. The result is a simple black form in the snow-blanketed landscape. This stark contrast to the winter terrain is inverted inside, where white walls and large window openings dissolve the interior into an abstraction with the pristine snow outside. A modest interior of concrete floors, sliding doors, a wood burning fireplace and custom oak cabinetry combined with prefabricated cabinets, provide a serene backdrop within a well-proportioned and quiet space.

http://www.akb.ca/ 

Renovated 12th century Oil Mill Spain

Located in Extramadura, a community of western Spain, this amazing building was first constructed by the Jerónimo monks in the 12th century and later became an oil mill. Due to its historic value, its original architecture was kept intact. In order to rehabilitate the building and transform it into a proper living space, the current owners transmitted their request to architect Ricardo Elizondo, who reinvented the space, after almost two decades of utter neglect. 

Volcanic eruption in Puyehue - Chile

These photos show the dramatic effects of huge volcanic ash clouds being shot through by fierce lightning bolts at the recent Puyehue eruption in Chile. 

House in the Woods - Parque Humano

House in the Woods was designed by studio Parque Humano and is located in Valle de Bravo city in Mexico State. The residence was integrated within a picturesque forest area and overlooks Avándaro Lake. Strong visual connections were created by the architects at different elevations in order to forge a strong indoor outdoor connection. Here is more on the structure of the building from the project developers: “The cladding of the house evolved progressively in order to fit into the context of the town. An artisanal clay veneer was specially developed for the project, similar in texture to the traditional houses that you notice in the area. Its reaction to the weather causes the material to change constantly in response to varying levels of humidity. Two pavilions, unequal in size, are set in front of the pool area. The first and biggest one contains the living and dining spaces, kitchen and a working studio. The second one: two bedrooms. Each pavilion was carefully placed on the site, incorporating all the existing trees into the program and facing the most important views.” 


www.parquehumano.com

Early computers 1940's -1960's

Shucks, computers sure have have come a long way over the past 60 years or so, as this great collection of photos of early models — including Whirlwind, Colossus and Pegasus — confirms. 


royal.pingdom.com

The Z4 computer, as seen in a German museum (in Munich).

The Colossus

The ENIAC in all its glory.

The Whirlwind

The UNIVAC I

Acne - Uniform

A new season and a new collection with all of the familiar characteristics of Acne: the ease, the sensual simplicity and the clean lines. See here the new arrival 'Uniform' 

Acne