Byblos is a Mediterranean city in Lebanon, one of the oldest continuosly inhabited cities in human history (since 5000 BC). Many great civilizations left trace in Byblos’ history, including Egyptian, Phoenician, Assyrian, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, Fatimid, Genoese, Mamluk and Ottoman. Byblos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Harmoniously engaged with its constituent parts and context, Rose Bay Duet is a residential work by Stafford Architecture. Utilizing the interior comforts of Poliform Australia, the two modern homes propose a lifestyle of relaxed family living.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Modern Homes 00:55 – The Client Brief 01:27 – Using Poliform Throughout the Home 03:13 – Materiality 04:40 – The Roof Terrace 05:06 – The Master Bedroom Area 05:35 – What the Architect is Most Proud Of
Named in reference to the Sydney Opera House, Rose Bay Duet is similarly settled on the eastern side of the city. Comprised of two modern homes, the project pays homage to the idea of lyrical, architectural narrative – in particular, the project celebrates the operatic relationship between the two modern homes, the sloping site, the Opera House and the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Appointing a specific design team to each of the two modern homes, Stafford Architecture creates dual unique outcomes that share select character qualities. Whilst both houses maximise the incredible views available and feature an exterior of simple materiality, one house has feminine characteristics while the other projects a more masculine impression.
Collaborating with Poliform Australia, Stafford Architecture enjoyed a smooth creative process. With access to the entire Poliform range, seeing both modern homes benefit from elegant joinery, textures, finishes and soft furnishings. Rose Bay Duet is a well-considered and intuitive feat of interior design and architecture. Stafford Architecture applies the Poliform Australia collection with enthusiasm and intent, crafting modern homes that rejoice in a sense of connection.
Laguna Beach is a small coastal city in Orange County, California. It’s known for its many art galleries, coves and beaches. Main Beach features tide pools and a boardwalk leading to the paths and gardens of nearby Heisler Park. Aliso Beach Park is a popular surf spot. The waters off Crystal Cove State Park are designated as an underwater park. Trails meander through coastal canyons in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.
In our modern consumer society, Type 2 diabetes has become a widespread disease. Companies are developing drugs that are increasingly expensive, but not necessarily more effective. Health authorities are powerless. Diabetes is spreading rapidly, all over the world. The disease destroys lives and puts a strain on public budgets.
The UN is calling on governments to take action. Diabetes is proof that modern societies are incapable of adequately treating chronic disease. It affects around 430 million people worldwide, with two main metabolic disorders falling under the name diabetes. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease that must be treated with lifelong doses of insulin, while type 2 can develop when a person’s diet is too high in fat and sugar and they do not engage in enough physical activity.
With turnover of $46 billion, diabetes is a massive and extremely lucrative market. Constantly promised miracle cures have not led to satisfactory treatment, with patients either taking too many drugs or no longer being able to afford them. It’s a desperate situation, and the only ones benefiting seem to be pharmaceutical companies. A medical focus on blood glucose levels has led to an overreliance on medication, sometimes without due concern for dangerous side effects.
Patients become trapped in a cycle of treatment, which in many cases still does not halt the disease’s progression. This can lead to amputations, blindness and heart attacks. And yet there are alternatives that could flatten the curve of the type 2 diabetes epidemic, while reducing health care spending. Improved diet can be a preventative measure, and a strict adherence to diet can also bring about remission in the case of Type 2 diabetes.
But these solutions require effort, as well as a complete rethinking of chronic disease management. Filmed on three continents, this documentary features industry whistleblowers, patients, researchers and medical professionals. It also confronts pharmaceutical companies about their responsibility for the situation.
Archaeologists Vinzenz and Ulrike Koch Brinkmann have spent the last 40 years dedicated to the study of polychromy—or “many colors” in Greek—in ancient sculpture. Once a fringe area of study, their research combats the misconception of white purity in ancient Greece and Rome. They reflect on the marble bust of Caligula and how the reconstruction of its former color can help us better understand history.
The fashionable Marais district in the 4th arrondissement, also known as SoMa (South Marais), is filled with hip boutiques, galleries, and gay bars. Once the city’s Jewish quarter, the area still hosts numerous kosher restaurants. The grassy Place des Vosges is home to elegant arcades and the Musée Victor Hugo, where the writer lived. Streets around Saint-Paul metro lead to the Maison Européenne de la Photographie.
“Describing Iceland in words or pictures would be so reductive. You have to live these wide open spaces, feel the heat of its soil, the air coming from these glaciers, hear the creaking of the lapilli under your feet and the rumbling of its volcanoes. We had discovered Iceland more than 10 years ago. As I often say, I left a part of my soul there. A revelation as a traveler and as an creator. But so many years later, the feelings have not changed. At the time, I was just discovering photography. I came back to it as a filmmaker to capture this symphony of wonders.”
Varenna is a very romantic and suggestive place, overlooking the waters of the Lario. In Lombardy, it is perhaps the most suitable destination if you want to treat yourself to an alternative weekend. Varenna, just over 700 inhabitants, is a village located in the province of Lecco, about 20 minutes from the city.
The beating heart of the village is its central square, overlooked by the Church of San Giorgio. The building, dating back to the thirteenth century, was built on the foundations of an ancient Roman temple and is a splendid example of medieval Lombard architecture. A few steps away, on the opposite side of the square, we can admire the Church of San Giovanni Battista, dating back to the 11th century. Both religious buildings preserve, inside them, precious frescoes and some pictorial fragments of ancient origins.
Hạ Long Bay, in northeast Vietnam, is known for its emerald waters and thousands of towering limestone islands topped by rainforests. Junk boat tours and sea kayak expeditions take visitors past islands named for their shapes, including Stone Dog and Teapot islets. The region is popular for scuba diving, rock climbing and hiking, particularly in mountainous Cát Bà National Park.
South Carolina is a southeastern U.S. state known for its shoreline of subtropical beaches and marshlike sea islands. Coastal Charleston is a historic city, defined by pastel-colored houses, Old South plantations and Fort Sumter, where the Civil War’s opening shots were fired. To the north is the Grand Strand, a roughly 60-mile stretch of beachfront known for golf courses and the vacation town Myrtle Beach.
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