the Silt Collection by VW+BS

International design and architecture studio VW+BS has created a collection of tableware pieces, titled Silt. VW+BS has taken an old school material and created new contemporary forms, changing the way in which we perceive them. This time they utilised "purple clay", a material long known in China, out of which the small elaborate teapots used in the serving of black tea were traditionaly made. A very functional European aesthetic was given into forming the material, which resulted in this seven-piece set design. Work was carried out in conjunction with the Taiwanese company Lin’s Ceramics Studio.

The cups, small jug  and bowl are all stackable and the pot lid can be used on all the pieces. The purple clay in this instance is Lin’s Ceramics Studio’s particular brand of Purion ware, which is twice fired over a period of 48 hours in the kiln at a stoneware temperature. Purple clay is prized because of the absorbent qualities of the material, so for this reason the set should never be washed using detergents, but rather with water only, and connoisseurs recommend using each vessel for one blend of tea or coffee.

VW+BS collaborated with creative coffee consultants Dunne Frankowski to create a recipe for the perfect coffee using the Silt collection. The duo researched the qualities of the material devising the best form of preparation when making coffee. During this process, Dunne Frankowski documented a method of heating, steeping and filtering the coffee working with the absorbent qualities of the unglazed purple clay material.

terra.cotto by Stefania Vasques

Inspired by the tradition of cooking with terracotta, designer Stefania Vasques has devised a new line of cookware that makes the most of the material's gradual heat diffusion properties. Vasques' line is a modern vision of terracotta, whose slow, even cooking has come back in vogue. The five (now six) piece range's minimalist, geometric aesthetics mirror the hearty fare that it produces. Vasques has even compiled a cookbook of recipes inspired by the ethos to boot. Designed for Sambonet, the terra.cotto cookware collection is inspired by the popular tradition of cooking with terracotta and explores its gradual heat diffusion properties. Founded in 1856, Sambonet has been at the forefront of kitchenware innovation and design for decades. With this modern interpretation, the minimalist and geometric lines of the collection lend an innovative edge to a traditional material. Perfect for slow-cooking, sauces and casseroles, this collection of pots and pans lends a splash of colour to any interior.

Ophelis workspace furniture : the start of a new work order

According to Trendbüro, a trend consultancy in Hamburg, the upcoming changes in the way we work in the future, will be radical and will have an effect on organisation, leadership, communications, the use of space as well as the actual way a company operates. Ophelis, a family owned company since 1983, in Bad Schönborn, Germany, has been looking into the answer to this question as part of an innovation workshop involving experts from the fields of architecture, product design, facility management, change management, users, and with the support of the Trendbüro consultancy.

Ophelis introduced a modular system, which can be combined in various ways to create different office islands. Docks can be used to create a communal meeting point and interface, as well as a place for quiet concentration and relaxation. The modules can be put together in such a way as to provide acoustic and visual privacy or open-plan meeting areas. The elements are designed to match the dimensions of ophelis furniture, so that shelves and cabinets can be seamlessly connected and integrated. Used as a a transition and connection element between various zones in the office, docks allow for a change of scene, produce synergy effects, promote internal communications and enhance the feeling of well-being in the workplace.

The product concept was designed by the Groschmeier design studio – Till Grosch and Björn Meier are two young designers who have drawn attention to themselves with their unconventional solutions. In their own words : “No other place where furnishing is required has undergone so many functional and emotional changes in the past few years as the office. The efficient use of floor space is now also being brought to the fore, which means that we are now also seeing the transformation of the classic office work place into a multifunctional communal space becoming a positive trend in the world of work. The quality and variety of exchange between employees is the key to effective work. We believe that office furniture should enable flexible decentralised communications. It should support informal office chats just as much as spontaneous work meetings in a small group. In our view, the office is not just a place of work but also a living environment. When we were designing “docks”, it was important to us to support well-being in the office.”

the Angell Wyller Aarseth collective

The Norwegian design collective Angell Wyller Aarseth (AWAA) was founded in 2010 by Christoffer Angell, Øyvind Wyller and Simen Aarseth. While pursuing Masters of Design at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, the three realized they had complementary ideas about design and decided to form a loose collective to explore those ideas, while also continuing to work individually as interior architects and product designers.

After exhibiting together at 100% Norway, a juried exhibition at the 2010 London Design Festival of leading Norwegian design talent, and Design Tide in Tokyo, the collective debuted a range of cast iron cookware in Paris in January 2011. AWAA subsequently showed a larger range of products at the Salone Satellite in Milan, where they received a Special Mention from the jury, and at the ICFF in New York, where they won the ICFF Studio for their cookware. In 2012, AWAA presented their collection of seating, lighting and tables at the Salone Satellite in Milan. The latest design by the collective Angell Wyller Aarseth is the Oslo lounge chair for Bernhardt Design.

AWAA approaches design first by analyzing an activity to determine its essential elements to then establish an archetypal object that fulfills those elements. From there, elements are layered on to lend meaning, functionality and adaptability to the object. Their diverse personal interests and experiences contribute to their designs. Angell is an interior architect with experience in lighting design, having interned with the American lighting brand Rich Brilliant Willing. Wyller is a freelance designer and has experience with design journalism from his time as a columnist with the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet. Aarseth works as a brand strategist and designer at the Oslo-based firm Work.

[Ref.] http://www.christofferangell.com/

World Design Rankings in Arts, Architecture and Design

On 31 Dec.(2013), World Design Rankings (WDR) released the list that positions countries according to the number of international juried design competitions and awards they have won over the last twelve-month period. Organized by the A’ design award & competition, the aim of the WDR is to provide data and insights to economists and journalists regarding the art, architecture and design industries, and bring to light the annual contributions made to global design culture through advocation. 2013 saw 69 countries evaluated, with Puerto Rico and Iceland among them, debuting for the first time under a new section called ‘design business insights’ that scores countries based on their success in diverse design fields and categories, broken down into three additional tables (strengths, weaknesses and opportunities) for each nation. Full list of countries available here (image)

A' Design Awards is a premier annual juried design competition that honors the best designers, architects, engineers, design studios and design oriented companies worldwide to provide them publicity, fame and recognition. A' Design Award and Competitions are organized and awarded annually and internationally in a wide range of categories. Every year, projects that focus on innovation, technology, design and creativity are awarded with the A' Award.

KOBO by Peter Ivy in collaboration with Takahashi Midori

Designers in collaboration with craftsmen can often work well, especially when you pull in the likes of Peter Ivy. Peter lives and works in Japan where he produces glassware under the studio name Peter Ivy Productions. This recent collection that he produced in collaboration with Takahashi Midori, is a selection of tableware such as containers and other functional vessels. Peter has a unique sensibility, not only does he appreciate the aesthetic of the glass, he also makes sure they’re functional and respond to human touch. The series titled KOBO features drinking glasses, containers with wooden lids, bottles, bowls, and even dishes that come in a variety of sizes. [1]

[1] Ref. http://the189.com/design/kobo-by-peter-ivy-in-collaboration-with-takahashi-midori/

the nouveau classique forms of Philippe Nigro

Born in 1975 in Nice, France, Philippe Nigro studied Decorative Arts and product design. Today his activity is divided mainly between Italy and France. Freelance designer since 1999, he began his career and complete alongside Michele De Lucchi with which, until 2012, he participated in manyprojects of product, furniture, lighting, interior design and events design. Since 2005 prospective projects are supported by the VIA (Valorisationof Innovation in Furnishing) through which it has support for projects Shelf Spiral, Cross-Unit storage, sofas Intersections become Confluences product by Ligne Roset (entered in the FNAC collection andthe Museum of Decorative Arts). In 2009 realized the Universal Basebecomes T.U. (Ligne Roset) and Twin-chairs Chairs (both entered in thecollection of the Centre Pompidou). Since then he signs creations for various manufacturers like De Castelli in 2010 where he did the Think Station for the Think Tank event, and many others.

In 2013, French-born, Milan-based designer Philippe Nigro was enlisted by Hermès to create a capsule collection of furniture pieces called Les Nécessaires d’Hermès, blending French luxury with Oriental sensibility. The designer’s first full collection, it is comprised of simple, versatile objects such as stackable side tables and decorative screens. Other recent work includes two designs for Baccarat: the retro-looking, modular hanging light ‘Clochette’; and ‘Céleste’, which is inspired by an Oriental lantern. [1]

[1] Ref. http://www.wallpaper.com/v2/commercial/wbespoke/design-awards-2014-preview#LStYwwTSmduxOvDP.99

being a prop stylist

Being an engineer at heart, it is sometimes difficult to comprehend the role some functions play in the realization of a project ; any project. This may be a universal truth, and you may have faced it repeatedly (as I have) in your life so far, but more true you may find that applies in staged photography ; especially if you are an outsider to that particular market, and don’t know the modus operandi. In staged photography (the one you predominately come across as you leaf through a lifestyle magazine) there exists a function, named styling, performed by a person, named the stylist. You know this of course ; it began with your hair (hair stylist) in your beauty salon, but easily transgressed to all other areas, with the most acclaimed of all : the clothes stylist. Now there is a universal term, namely “prop stylist”, that describes what a person does, who styles objects for photographs, film, and television (and gets paid by someone else for doing so). “Food styling”, ie the function where a person is employed to make food look attractive in photographs, may be considered as a subset.

The reason why all that is difficult for me to comprehend, is actually not the lack of necessity of employing such functions in the course of a project, but quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. You might have expected that the photographer, who has the “keen eye” would take care of composition somewhat literally in staged photography, but it has proved in the course of business that (a) photographers do not have the time to actually deal with stuff staging, since they are busy with taking the damn photo at the first place, and (b) the photographer does not have that “eye” we talked about (which is more common as one might expect, when it comes to commercial/business photography). So it essentially boils down to a person that has an ability to not only be able to select and bring objects together in an aesthetically pleasing way, but also possesses a feel for how to create an emotional connection. Glen Proebstel is an New York based stylist who produces work of a truly international standard, and falls under that description.

The quality of Glen’s work comes from the understanding of fundamentals such as scale, texture, placement, colour and light, but the magic comes from the unexpected, the witty and the quirky play that underpins his signature style. He is collaborative by nature and the work he produces is often the result of working closely with photographers and clients to draw out the potential in any brief. He is a rare combination of a highly creative talent who knows how to be organized and plan so that the beauty of the result is no mere accident.

the gentle furniture forms of Guilherme Wentz

26 year-old Guilherme Wentz is a furniture designer based in Brazil. Many say that a designer is remembered for his chairs. Perhaps this is the great icon design, and their history, a major challenge for any designer. Eva is the beginning of a collection that celebrates the simplicity as a lifestyle. Eva chair was created with two seating options: a curved shell that stands out about the structure and can be coated fabrics such as felt and leather, and an option on the screen, which reveals the fine structure of the chair.

With an amazing background of awards-filling history, he recently released a series of wooden pieces called Gambito, consisting of a sideboard, cupboard, and bookcase that balance on minimal structures. There is something very poetic in a mass lying on a fragile support to withstand gravity. While that physical condition is a given, the physical appearance of these furnishings is customizable — giving one the ability to make this series a truly unique and personal possession. The cantilevered sideboard is characterized by its asymmetry and its push for imbalance. The concept is not new to architecture, but can be to furnitures to test the limit of functionality. Simple and daring, the Gambito Collection challenges its users to reevaluate the stronghold of structural proportions, as well as the direct translation of that into minimal designs. [1]

Backyard collection is the result of a collaborative design project between designers William Wentz, Leonardo Dalle Laste and Marina Gatelli. The project created for NOVA: Brazilian Joinery is the label's first collection was presented at the event and Home Brazil 2013.

[1] Ref. http://minimalissimo.com/2013/12/gambito-collection/

bread from scratch, by Mirko Ihrig

For many, bread is the most basic food in their diet. But do you know how it's made? Processed food has became so popular, that not so many people have the knowledge of food production. The master degree project of Mirko Ihrig for Industrial Design on Lund University brings you back basics. This extremely cool little oven and set of different tools helps you make your bread from scratch. It's a metaphor for food production, to remind how such obvious thing as bread is really made.

"Bread from Scratch is a collection of six objects that are symbolic yet functional and in each case represent a stage in the process of bread baking. The collection- consists of a mill to grind flour from grains, a jar to cultivate sourdough, a bowl to mix the ingredients, a board to knead the dough, a paddle to handle the loaves and an oven to bake the bread. By designing the objects and visualizing the pro- cess of baking, this project raises awareness to make people rethink what they eat, encourage them to produce foods them self and provoke discussions about food production, food consumption and eating behaviour."

[Ref.] http://thisispaper.com/Mirko-Ihrig-Bread-from-Scratch