Archive for July, 2009

Ninja Homes: Casa Poli

Founded in Buenos Aires in 2001 by Mauricio Pezo and Sofia Von Ellrichshausen, Pezo von Ellrichshausen Arquitectos prides itself on its exploration of the relationship between art [Pezo is also a visual artist] and architecture - investigated through experimental projects, many of which are funded by private clients.

The Casa Poli was built along the water on the Coliumo Peninsula [550 km south of Santiago, Chile] by Pezo Von Ellrichshausen and another couple who were fellow artists looking to construct an experimental weekend retreat / studio / gallery on the water.

Von Ellrichshausen explains that the form and aesthetic of the building were not meant [originally, anyways] as a statement of minimalism, but instead purely functional responses to the site and program of the house:

a€oeThe site is surrounded by water on three sides, so we needed something compact. It will be closed for much of the time, so we needed shutters over the windows and a building that wouldna€™t need maintenance. The concrete will just age naturally, like rock. Lots of small design decisions led to the shape a€" it wasna€™t pre-establisheda€A

~Von Ellrichshausen, quote from icon]

The construction of the interior [image below] was achieved by recycling the wood used for the exterior concrete formwork, leaving an imprint of he wooden planks on the concrete walls. This same wood was then used again for the doors and shutters, to serve as protection during storms.

[for those of you that don’t know, construction waste/leftovers make up a HUGE amount of the Earth’s waste, especially the wood used in concrete work in some locations. While it is becoming more popular to recycle construction materials, its still pretty great that Pezo Von Ellrichshausen chose to reuse all of theirs…]

The interior organization of the building is based on the roles of its various functions as house, artists studio, and gallery. The ‘house’ program, along with the service elements such as the stairs, storage, and bathrooms, has been pushed out from the core of the cube to the perimeter, as shown in the axon below. This allows for the work & exhibition spaces to occupy larger spaces, with more continuous wall space for hanging work, within the house’s core. It also let the designers open spaces vertically, such as the three storey gallery space shown below.

.:info + images via-> arqa.com [check out some more photos and the plans & sections there]

.:Check out our previous a€Ninja Homesa€ features->

GI Joe PSA… racist?

… I’m just sayin’ …

How come the ninja is outside the bathroom window all shady-like, as if he’s casing the joint? Ninja can’t even come inside like the rest of GI Joe’s always do? (I know you remember the burning house scene)

Mom’s home, which means this fool better be out before she calls the cops. Just keepin’ ya’ll on your toes.AA I WILL get at Ghostbusters, too.AA Believe you me…

Omegle - Chat With Randos

So, if you’re like me, you probably have a bit of time on your hands. And if you have time on your hands then you may find yourself interested in the most inane pursuits - like chatting with people online.

Omegle is a service that allows users to open a webpage and begin to chat with whatever random rando that happens to be doing the same thing at the same minute. All conversations take place between "Stranger" and "You." Most conversations are short-lived and non-interesting. There are many children using the service, not to mention those interested in profane and/or sexual, which can make for a wack experience. But ever so often there is one person who makes the entire thing worth it.

I had a conversation with a dude from Sri Lanka where we went from him hating on America, to him explaining to me the pitfalls of getting married and the benefits of regular hash use. I know that many people won’t have the patience for stuff like Omegle, and why should they? It’s really stupid, and it’s a huge waste of time. But it’s something to do when you’re bored. And like, you shouldn’t judge people for how the spend their free time, okay??

And somehow I can’t help from thinking that this may be the start of some new social paradigm… and once you see the guy who made it all up… you’ll be convinced

Black + White Digital Clock

So I really want this clock - I mean, look at how ridiculously sick it is. With a touch sensitive interface, the clock is set and applied to a wall - no frame, no case, just the four simple digital displays that will produce the numbers. During the day, the clock numbers show as black - and then this color inverts, becoming white for night time visibility. Too too ill.

Digital clock: only figures, no case, only the necessary a€" only accurate time. Each figure has self-contained power supply and independent control, it can be fixed to any surface autonomously. A light sensor will switch the clock to an invert mode: the figures are white in the dark time of day and black at daytime.

~ Kibardin Design

Unfortunately, Kibardin has yet to find a manufacturer for the clock - but when they do, we’ll be sure to let you know.

.:info + images via -> Kibardin Design

.:first seen via->Boing Boig Gadgets

Origins of the Moonwalk

Can a dance be copywritten?

Thank God for Maury

Or else what would we post…? Thanks to El Pres for posting this originally.

Origami City

An origami artist from Japan, Wataru Ito, has spent four years crafting an incredible model city from paper - but now plans to burn it down. The entire piece - which measures 2.4m by 1.8m and is 1m high - has been crafted using only paper, which Wataru stuck together using craft glue, an art knife and holepuncher.

…and it was all destroyed in a single step by a life-sized Gundam to scale.

To Kill a Whale - Documentary

Muzak Video Sundays 7.12.09

Dirty Projectors - Stillness Is The Move Capleton - That Day Will Come Al Borosie - Kingston Town Kermit The Frog - Once In A LifetimePrince Malachi - Jah window