Category Archives: Reviews

Post-Coronavirus Life: Bathroom Design And Hygiene Will Improve, While Bidet Sales Increase

From a CityLab online article (April 10, 2020):

The Bidet bookWhat might that mean for the bathrooms of the post-coronavirus world? Americans have already demonstrated a keen fixation with this household feature: In the last 50 years, the number of home bathrooms per person has doubled. One could easily see the lavatory-building boom accelerate further as future homeowners keep the needs of the self-quarantined in mind. And many have speculated that sales of bidet attachments will surge as toilet-paper shortages encourage Americans to embrace this more sustainable alternative.

Alter predicted that disease-avoidance would rise to the fore of bathroom design a few years ago, when he observed the traumatizing effects of the 2003 SARS outbreak on Toronto, which killed 44 people. But home design in general — and bathroom design in particular — has long been influenced by infectious disease.

The modern bathroom developed alongside outbreaks of tuberculosis, cholera and influenza; its standard fixtures, wallcoverings, floorings, and finishes were implemented, in part, to promote health and hygiene in the home at a time of widespread public health concerns.

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Top Prefab Housing: “Le Petit Maison” By French Firm 2m26 – “Wood Design Fit To The Landscape”

Le Petit Maison by 2m26 Architects Interior April 2020From reception pavilion to proper house, 2m26’s houses are unique pieces. They are produced made to measure, on demand. They absolutely fit to the landscape. The houses are made of pine planks, rough cuted. The structure is protected with linseed oil to resist to weather conditions and walnut stain can be added to obtain a dark color.

The Small House by 2m26 Architects April 2020The building process / prefab gives the opportunity to prepare all the pieces at the Atelier. Moreover, it reduces on site time of construction, damages on plants and minimizes noise pollution. On site construction can be scheduled from a week to a month.

Techniques used are mostly cutting, drilling, screwing, so that the assembly work can be done together with the customer, reducing costs for him.

About 2m26: Born in 2015, 2m26 summarizes ten years of researches and experiments about inhabiting.

Proceeding between design and architecture, 2m26 offers tools for living / handmade, thrifty and luxury / unique pieces designed and produced on demand / raw materials, natural processings and mastered development / simple, handsome and functional.

The crew :
mélanie heresbach / artist / architect.
sébastien renauld / artist / architect.

Website

Art Of Gaming: Designer Alexandra Llewellyn’s “Beautifully Original” Backgammon Sets

Launched in 2010, Alexandra Llewellyn is known for creating original and Alexandra Llewellyn Backgammon Collectionbeautifully handcrafted backgammon sets, luxury games and bespoke furniture. Her designs are both games and objets d’art.

The seed was sown when Alexandra played a game of backgammon in Cairo as a child. Her opponent was ten times her age and although they had nothing in common, they were able to communicate through their shared love of the game.

Alexandra Llewellyn Backgammon Collection

Seen in some of the most exclusive locations, Alexandra’s timeless designs are played all over the world. Her creations are owned and commissioned by Royalty and VIPs including Richard Branson, Sony Music, Elle Macpherson and American Vogue.

Alexandra Llewellyn Profile
Alexandra Llewellyn

A collection of Alexandra’s signature handmade games are available online including some of her collaborations with icons such as Terry O’Neil, Alice Temperley and the estate of Milton H. Green. For the ultimate bespoke gift, Alexandra will work with you, guiding you through ideas and memories to create a one-of-a-kind  specially commissioned game.

I am forever inspired by how games bring us together and the conversations that ensue. Time is now our greatest luxury and games create a space in which we can enjoy time with our loved ones” says Alexandra.

Alexandra’s work has been published and talked about in publications such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, How to Spend It, Robb Report, Harper Bazaar, AD, Time Luxx, Telegraph Luxury, Tatler, Country& Town House, and Homes and Gardens.

Website

2020 Innovation: “Remote-Only Organizations”: Is This The Future Of Work?

From a Stanford Engineering article (April 8, 2020):

Stanford Engineering Remote-Only Organizations April 8 2020Companies that structure themselves as location-independent have developed norms and practices that bridge the emotional and logistical distances. The same is true for their workers. For such companies, remote-only work can reduce costs, expand the talent pool and boost productivity. By contrast, being forced by a crisis to work remotely is likely to be disruptive and frustrating. It may be better than shutting down, but it will likely lead to a big drop in productivity.

In the span of a single month, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies and organizations of all types to have almost all of their employees work remotely from home.

Has the future of work, the all-remote workforce and even the virtual organization, arrived in full force? Though online technologies have made remote work increasingly common, most companies and organizations are still run out of brick-and-mortar facilities. Now they are scrambling to stand up virtual workspaces overnight.

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Video Profiles: 60-Year Old British Painter-Author Billy Childish Talks About “Th Future Of Art” (Artsy)

The Uncorrected Billy Childish“The art world is the same as the rest of the world,” says British artist, writer, and punk-rocker Billy Childish. “What it requires is new, more, and now.” Childish has worked defiantly and prolifically outside of the mainstream since his expulsion from art school in the early 1980s. To the polymath—whose paintings, poems, novels, and music draw heavily from his autobiography—art is a deeply personal experience that should not rely on external validation, whether from critics or audiences. From his painting studio located on a historic dockyard in Kent, United Kingdom, Childish speaks passionately about the freedom that comes with self-validation. When asked about his perspective on the future of art, he demurs. “People think we’re continually ascending a mountain to success or to enlightenment,” he says. “It’s here and now and this is it.”

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Top New Camper Trailers: “Carapate” From France – “Innovation, Design And Detailed Woodwork”

Whether called “teardrop” or “mini-caravan”, the Carapate is distinguished by its design, technical innovations and careful finishes.

The Carapate offers a maximum of possibilities in a minimum of space. Ingenious and comfortable, it accompanies you during your weekends and trips

canape-mini-caravane-interieur-400x267Its optimal weight, around 450kg depending on the options, allows it to be towed by most cars with just its B license in its pocket. Its optimized dimensions (3.20m / 1.90m) make it a handy vehicle, easy to move and winter. It will pass all the parking gantries and tolls at no additional cost. Its studied height (1.70m) ensures good handling and low consumption during your getaways.

The insulating qualities of its wooden structure (marine plywood) promise you great nights, summer and winter. Its carefully studied bedding is delivered with the compliments of the sandman.

Solar panel, shore socket, 220 volt sockets, USB ports, cigarette lighter; so many possibilities to enjoy the “Carapate” while traveling or at the campsite. Freedom is yours!

Website

World’s Top Architecture: “Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen” To Open In 2021 (MVRDV Architects)

Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen (in Rotterdam, Netherlands) is the first art storage facility in the world that offers access to a museum’s complete collection. The Depot has a different dynamic to that of the museum: there are no exhibitions, but you can browse amongst 151,000 artworks, alone or with a guide, and get behind-the-scenes glimpses of – among other things – conservation and restoration.

The design – a reflective round volume – responds to its surroundings, Rotterdam’s Museumpark in which it will be completed in 2020, doors will open in 2021.

Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen by MVRDV Architects The Netherlands 2020

Museum Website

MVRDV Architects Portfolio
Website

Diet & Nutrition Health: Benefits Of “Turmeric And Chili Pepper” Spices (BBC)

From a BBC.com article by Jessica Brown (April 6, 2020):

Red chili, black pepper and turmeric at local market
Red chili, black pepper and turmeric.

“The major findings were that higher intake of spicy foods is related to a lower risk of mortality, particularly deaths due to cancer, heart disease, and respiratory diseases,” says researcher Lu Qi, professor of nutrition at Harvard’s school of public health.

Many researchers believe the health benefits of spices actually come from what we eat them with. For example, there’s a tendency to use them to replace salt, says Lipi Roy. “Spices make food delicious and flavourful, and they can be a healthier alternative to salt,” she says.

BBC Future logoSpices have been a part of our diets for thousands of years – it’s second nature to sprinkle our chips with pepper, sip on ginger tea and add chillies to our meals. But recently, some spices have been unofficially promoted from everyday culinary staples to all-healing superfoods.

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New Art & Nature Books: “What It’s Like To Be A Bird” – David Allen Sibley (2020)

While its focus is on familiar backyard birds–blue jays, nuthatches, chickadees–it also examines certain species that can be fairly easily observed, such as the What It's Like To Be A Bird David Allen Sibley Cover April 15 2020seashore-dwelling Atlantic puffin. David Sibley’s exacting artwork and wide-ranging expertise bring observed behaviors vividly to life. 

The bird book for birders and nonbirders alike that will excite and inspire by providing a new and deeper understanding of what common, mostly backyard, birds are doing–and why.

“Can birds smell?” “Is this the same cardinal that was at my feeder last year?” “Do robins ‘hear’ worms?” In What It’s Like to Be a Bird, David Sibley answers the most frequently asked questions about the birds we see most often. This special, large-format volume is geared as much to nonbirders as it is to the out-and-out obsessed, covering more than two hundred species and including more than 330 new illustrations by the author.

What It's Like To Be A Bird David Allen Sibley April 15 2020

And while the text is aimed at adults–including fascinating new scientific research on the myriad ways birds have adapted to environmental changes–it is nontechnical, making it the perfect occasion for parents and grandparents to share their love of birds with young children, who will delight in the big, full-color illustrations of birds in action. Unlike any other book he has written, What It’s Like to Be a Bird is poised to bring a whole new audience to David Sibley’s world of birds.

Author Website

DAVID ALLEN SIBLEY is the author and illustrator of the series of successful guides to nature that bear his name, including The Sibley Guide to Birds. He has contributed to Smithsonian, Science, The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, Birding, BirdWatching, North American Birds, and The New York Times. He is a recipient of the Roger Tory Peterson Award for Promoting the Cause of Birding from the American Birding Association and the Linnaean Society of New York’s Eisenmann Medal. He lives and birds in Massachusetts.

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