Category Archives: Design

Architecture & Design: “Texture + Transparency – The Glass House” (2020)

https://vimeo.com/434020908

Produced and Directed by: Michael Biondo, Dallas Bennett, and Michael Robison

Edited by: Dallas Bennett
Cinematography by: Michael Biondo

Architectural photographer and filmmaker Michael Biondo and creative reality capture duo Michael Robison and Dallas Bennett (aka MYND Workshop) have collaborated to create an episodic series of short visual tours of the Glass House, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

This video series seeks to create an ambient and intimate tour of Philip Johnson’s Glass House property in New Canaan, CT. These films are unique in the sense that they combine film and the use of point cloud technology to allow for a tectonic and artistic examination of the buildings in order to better understand the architecture and site design.

“Point clouds are an exceptional visual tool for understanding a space in ways which the human eye doesn’t typically allow,” said Michael Robison, co-founder and CEO of MYND Workshop. “The Glass House site could not be a more perfect subject to be experienced as a point cloud, providing insight into the complex relationships between the various structures and their careful placement throughout the dramatic landscape which defines the Glass House property.”

These films focus on a dialogue between Biondo’s carefully composed videography and MYND’s spectral point cloud visuals. Each video presents one of the different structures which comprise the Glass House property.

Biondo’s breathtaking video manages to capture those visceral experiences which one may come across when visiting the 49-acre property. These scenes offer the textures and light which define the sensual and emotional nature of Johnson’s work. In contrast, MYND Workshop’s animations speak to the layers and transparencies which Johnson often referred to when speaking about the design of the various buildings on the site, allowing for a design perspective that has never been seen before.

MYND Workshop’s medium of choice, the Point Cloud, may be best described as a 3D photograph which adds a spatial dimension to an otherwise 2D scene. The Brooklyn-based studio recognized early on the inherent beauty of the point clouds, exploring their creative potential by using them to create ethereal animations like those in the series.

This project was made possible by the generosity of Joanne and Stanley Marder.

About MYND Workshop
MYND Workshop is a Brooklyn based reality capture studio founded by Michael Robison and Dallas Bennett. Since 2015, they continue to implement a combination of 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry processes to document architecture, historic sites, film sets and artwork. MYND pushes the boundaries of these technologies by merging utility and creativity. Past projects have included Waldorf Astoria Hotel New York, Trinity Church Wall Street, World Trade Center Plaza, 9/11 Museum & Memorial, New York Stock Exchange, The Ford Foundation, The Brooklyn Navy Yard among many others.

About Michael Biondo
Michael Biondo is a New York and Connecticut-based photographer / filmmaker specializing in architecture and design. He studied Photography, Graphic Design, and Art History at the Pratt Institute where he earned a BFA. Recently Biondo contributed photographs to Rizzoli’s 2014 monograph, Allan Greenberg: Classical Architect; Design Book’s 50 U.S. Architects, published in 2015; and Inventive Minimalism, Monacelli Press, 2017. He co-authored and photographed Mid-Century Houses Today, Monacelli, 2015. His photographs have appeared in Architectural Digest, the Wall Street Journal, Architizer, Dwell, a+u Magazine and other publications.

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Top Home Design: “The Cloud House” – Peter Morris Architects (2020)

THE CLOUD HOUSE

Peter Morris Architects - Cloud House - Top View

The Cloud House takes its cue from the beautifully eccentric Grade I listed St Martin’s Church opposite, which looks like it could come straight from fairy tales – we have embraced that spirit too. Arches appear again and again on the church, so we modernized and simplified this shape, as the starting point for The Cloud House.

It’s not in a conservation area, and the architecture on the street is wildly eclectic, so a little flamboyance feels appropriate.

Peter Morris ArchitectsCoated in a buff render, with a pale pink tone and duck egg blue metalwork, it brings some gentle colour to the street. As one neighbour has kindly put it: ‘The Cloud House introduces a valuable ‘softer’ element to the street’s dressing, with its hoops and curves and decorations. It is just what Vicars Road needs and will lighten and humanise the street’.

Peter Morris Architects - Cloud House 2020

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Air Travel Podcast: Future Cabin Design, Short Haul Airports And Exhibitions

‘Monocle On Design’ talks airplane interiors with Adam White, director of Factorydesign, and ask journalist Anthony Paletta why airports are designed with short-haul in mind. Plus: we jet off to Helsinki for an exhibition that celebrates the capacity of travel to broaden our horizons.

  • Factorydesign

    Monocle’s Nic Monisse caught up with Adam White, founder of aeronautical interiors firm Factorydesign, to discuss the future of seats, trims and finishes in airplane cabins.

  • Future-proofing airports

    Why are airports are so vulnerable to change? And how can they future-proof themselves? Design and architectural journalist Anthony Paletta has a few ideas.

  • ‘Travel as a Tool’

    Petri Burtsoff meets the curator and one of the designers of the Helsinki exhibition, ‘Travel as a Tool’, to discuss the ways in which traveling can affect design.

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Transit Design: “Double-Decker Driverless Tram”

Italian Designer Andrea PontiIsland is a double-decker driverless tram designed for the city of Hong Kong in the post-Covid era. This highly innovative design concept incorporates industrial design, transportation design, public design, urban mobility and sustainability.

Andrea Ponti Driverless Tram interiorThe project includes exterior, interior and tram stop design. With the Coronavirus pandemic, people are shunning public transport and relying much more on private transport. 

The name Island references the innovative design of the interiors, where large circular benches facilitate social distancing and passengers sit facing outwards in a radial pattern. The exterior design is inspired by the Hong Kong urban landscape, which features vast surfaces of glass and rounded-corner buildings. Natural light floods the interiors during the day through the curved windows and a domed top, which also provide awe-inspiring views at night.

The driverless technology optimizes the interior space of the tram, making it easier to manage travel times and increase onboard safety. The tram has a retractable connector for rapid charging at tram stops. Large vertical LEDs enhance visibility in all weather conditions. The interior design contrasts with the exterior.

Andrea Ponti Driverless Tram interior seating
Large circular benches facilitate social distancing as passengers sit facing outwards in a radial pattern.

Minimalist design, charcoal black walls, soft circular seating, wooden floors and trims with natural finish all create a neutral and friendly environment. This chromatic diversity, in addition to the dark color palette, frames and accentuates the beauty of the Hong Kong urban landscape.

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Design Podcast: Islamic Geometric Patterns, Eco-Architecture & Shelley Klein’s Scottish Home

Monocle on Design Logo‘Monocle On Design’ discusses the origins of tessellations in Islamic art and ask how architecture affects our work-life balance. Plus: author Shelley Klein recounts her childhood in a mid-century house in Scotland and we preview Monocle’s city-themed July/August issue.

Monocle On Design - June 30 2020

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Top Building Design: “The Plus” – World’s Most Sustainable Furniture Factory In Norway (Video)

BIG ArchitectsPROJECT – VSTR – The Plus with Vestre, the Norwegian manufacturer of urban furniture, BIG unveils The Plus as the world’s most sustainable furniture factory tucked in the heart of the Norwegian forest. Envisioned as a village for a community dedicated to the cleanest, carbon neutral …

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Art & Design Video: “History Of Cartier Jewelers” (Christie’s)

Meet Pascale Lepeu, Curator of the Cartier Collection, and see the incredible trove of historic Cartier jewellery that is held within. From elegant diamond tiaras of the Belle Époque to remarkable Art Deco tutti frutti bracelets and more, discover the enormous influence that Cartier has had on the world of high jewellery. An extract from the Christie’s Education online course, History of Jewellery Design: 1880–Now.

Future Of Home Offices: “Zen Work Pod” – “Simple, Monastically-Inspired Design” By Autonomous

Zen Work Pod - Interior LookMinimal, Zen Design

Keep things simple and stay focused. Monastically inspired design promotes a minimalist yet productive work lifestyle. All unnecessary details have been removed to keep every feature of the pod indispensable.

 

Open, Yet Private

The completely enclosed space gives you the privacy you need to focus at work. Minimal design aesthetic, tempered glass walls that allow for open views, & high vaulted ceilings give a feeling of openness, providing mental clarity & the space to breathe.

Zen Work Pod - Autonomous

Well-equipped

With built-in shelves and drawers to free up space and provide much-needed storage, a SmartDesk 2 – Home Office, and a Kinn Chair, the pod comes completely furnished with everything that you need to immediately start working more effectively from home.

Super affordable

Autonomous LogoYou won’t find a better price for a completely self-contained home office like the Zen Work Pod. With its gorgeous contemporary design and full installation included within the price, the decision is easy. PLUS, subscribe before Jun 15 for super early bird deals ($1500 off retail price)!

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Classics Cars: Design House “Zagato” Defined “Italian Style” In 1960’s

Zagato Logo
Zagato is an independent coachbuilding company and total design centre located northwest of Milan in the Terrazzano frazione of Rho, Lombardy, Italy.

1961 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ Prototipo - Zagato

1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Zagato

The 1960s: Fuoriserie cars

The higher demand for special bodies required a passage from a handcraft to an industrially-based organization. Elio Zagato found a larger location at 30 Via Arese in Terrazzano (northwest of Milan), very close to Arese where Alfa Romeo would have chosen soon to establish its new plants. In 1960 Ugo Zagato was awarded with the Compasso d’Oro design prize for the design of the Fiat Abarth 1000 Zagato. In this period the mission of Zagato was to design special bodies to be assembled in series and fitted with mechanical parts and interiors supplied by major constructors. Under the partnership with Alfa Romeo the Giulia SZ, the TZ, TZ2, 2600 SZ, the 1750 4R and the Junior Zagato were born. In partnership with Lancia, Zagato continued the “Sport” series with the Lancia Appia Sport, the Flaminia Sport and Super Sport, the Flavia Sport and Supersport and the Fulvia Sport and Sport Spider. In addition there were some for special customers: Osca, Lamborghini, Bristol, Rover, Honda and Fiat.

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