i don't need much....

the 'eco-perch' is a quick to install luxury tree house unit by east sussex-based architecture and construction firm blue forest. assembled with natural materials, the structure may be implemented within 5 days, minimally impacting the landscape with adequate site preparation beforehand. contained within a 6 meter by 8 meter footprint, the combined kitchen, dining, living area and bedroom may comfortably accommodate four people. wrapped with a continuous roof surface, its oval sectional geometry visually connects with the outdoor scenery through windows and a veranda formed with a deep eave.

if placed beyond your personal garden, owners may acquire planning permissions to install the small dwelling which is expected to outlive 15 years. linking to existing infrastructure is ideal although an on-site septic tank may be used. a variety of off-grid and renewable energy sources allow for complete independence.

digital grotesque // 日本語

80 million surfaces generated using 3D modeling software and mesh-based digital language have resulted in a series of 3D printed complex architectural objects by michael hansmeyer and benjamin dillenburger. entitled 'digital grotesque,' the work will culminate in a full scale printed room launching july 22nd; however, a 1:3 scale prototype premiered in the swiss art awards this week in basel, switzerland. the prototypes show a regard for both material sensitivity and the limits of technologically manipulated form-- millions of grains of sand bind together to create a new typology of sandstone and subsequently treated to be glazed and gilded. drawing from the algorithmic confines of the game of life and cell division, a set of simple geometries met with minimal parameters begets a highly involved form. the result is rich, shimmering composition ridden with impossible undercuts and a transcendental sense of the limits of technology. the term grotesque is derived from the unplanned complexities of a water-shaped grotto, itself a naturally occurring architecture long regarded for the uncanny presence of human-sized spaces in various landscapes. while hansmeyer and his lab in ETH zurich have long explored the confluence of algorithms, control systems and technology, the project works with the basic architectural idea of a room and injects an unprecedented sense of wonder into tectonics once held unchanging.

bates masi + architects // sagaponack ny

daniel johnston // true love will find you in the end

devendra banhart and jana hunter // that dragon is my husband

pure geometry // romanowsky

fiber arts // dana barnes studio

what the fuuuuuuuuuuuck

The images above illustrate the results of an unusual artistic collaboration between the French artist Hubert Duprat and a group of caddis fly larvae. A small winged insect belonging to the order Trichoptera and closely related to the butterfly, caddis flies live near streams and ponds and produce aquatic larvae that protect their developing bodies by manufacturing shea­ths, or cases, spun from silk and incorporating substances—grains of sand, particles of mineral or plant material, bits of fish bone or crustacean shell—readily available in their benthic ecosystem. The larvae are remarkably adaptable: if other suitable materials are introduced into their environment, they will often incorporate those as well.                                                 

just listen

>> unraveling bolero by anne adams

Anne Adams was a brilliant biologist. But when her son Alex was in a bad car accident, she decided to stay home to help him recover. And then, rather suddenly, she decided to quit science altogether and become a full-time artist. After that, her husband Robert Adams tells us, she just painted and painted and painted. First houses and buildings, then a series of paintings involving strawberries, and then ... "Bolero."

At some point, Anne became obsessed with Maurice Ravel's famous composition and decided to put an elaborate visual rendition of the song to canvas. She called it "Unraveling Bolero." But at the time, she had no idea that both she and Ravel would themselves unravel shortly after their experiences with this odd piece of music.Arbie Orenstein tells Jad what happened to Ravel after he wrote "Bolero," and neurologist Bruce Miller and Jonah Lehrer helps us understand how, for both Anne and Ravel, "Bolero" might have been the first symptom of a deadly disease.

Listen to the incredible Radiolab episode about Anne and her work here >>

aches and panes

>> "and a and be and not" folding screen by camilla richter

a folding screen, which while acting as a room partition, offers a range of visual possibilities as a result of its composition of panels which can easily be moved. the overall framework of the furniture object is assembled from hued rectangular-shaped sections which are transparent, the incidence of light continuously changing the environment in which it is positioned, emitting a subtle to dynamic kaleidoscope of color.

>> "solarium" by william lamson at storm king art center

Solarium functions as both an isolated hillside sanctuary and, as Lamson has put it, an "experimental greenhouse." Caramelized sugar is baked into the windows of Solarium, tinting each a unique amber shade. All plants create sugars through photosynthesis; those inside Solarium use light that has been filtered through sugars, a circular process. Weather permitting, Solarium is designed to be viewed from afar, where it appears as a jewel-like object, and from within, for the experience of its unusual plays of light.

>> color/forms by ivelisse jimenez & doreen mccarthy at cuchifritos gallery

This exhibition juxtaposes the work of two artists who are committed to abstraction, and particularly to its exploration in terms of the intersection of color, form, and medium. Working in fabric, plastic, vinyl, Plexiglas and other assorted materials, Ivelisse Jimenez and Doreen McCarthy both approach the solid forms of geometry, the patterning of abstraction and the simplicity of line in related ways.

Hurricane Sandy on Bikes in NYC from Casey Neistat on Vimeo.

still the one

LE BEL ETE from Vanessa Bruno on Vimeo.

the only diamond i've ever loved

recycled metals and conflict free diamonds from melissa joy manning

strata

joy