SOA: urbanana

'urbanana' by SOA architects, paris, france
all images courtesy of SOA

in 2012, french practice SOA created the agricultural urbanism lab (LUA) for the study and implementation of agricultural innovation
within the fast-growing urban context. 'urbanana', wedged between two residential buildings, is an interior garden space devoted to the
cultivation of banana species including those no longer available in europe, along with waste management and exhibition area on the 
ground level. as vegetation matures over a cycle of light and seasons, the interior is free of a conventional flooring system in order to 
utilize maximum volume and daylight, with only a few bridges providing the necessary access between sections. a metal space frame 
structure supports the transparent curtain wall that encloses the large void like an enormous greenhouse, independent of the internal construction. 

via: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/22922/soa-urbanana.html

You Won’t Want To Throw Stones From This House of Glass

Posted on 08.20.12 by Jaime Derringer in Architecture

Could you imagine living in a real glass house? Created as a concept to showcase Italian company Santambrogio’s glass furniture line, this set of two concept homes would be made from blue-ish glass. From the mind of architect Carlo Santambrogio and designer Enno Arosic, you could actually own one of these if you so desired… if you could stomach the $6200-per-square-foot pricetag and the monthly cleaning bill.

via:http://design-milk.com/you-wont-want-to-throw-stones-from-this-house-of-glass/

damien hirst designs flag for the london 2012 olympic closing ceremony

damien hirst designs flag for the london olympics closing ceremony

image via

amongst an explosion of star-studded displays, one of britian's most important artists, damien hirst, was asked to design one of themany interpretations of the union jack as part of the london 2012 closing ceremony. hirst delivered this in his signature spin-painting
motif in an eruption of  red, white, and blue,  supported by british celebrities such as liam gallagher from oasis performing wonderwall,
a reunion of the spice girls and monty python's icon eric idle appeared to lead the audience through a singalong of his hit
'always look on the bright side of life'.

via: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/22993/damien-hirst-designs-flag-for-the-london-2012-olympic-closing-ceremony.html

eau good tap water bottle by black + blum

'eau good water bottle' by black + blum
all images courtesy of black + blum

stay hydrated and cool down this summer with 'eau good', a water bottle and integrated filter by london-based designers black + blum.
a stick of binchotan active charcoal, a material in use to purify water since 17th century japan, reduces the chlorine content and neutralizes the pH
of tap water. the lock-in-place filter is made with wood that is sustainably sourced and fired inside a kiln for a long time at a low temperature. 
upon reaching 1000 degrees celsius, the charred specimens are removed and coated with an earthen powder of sand and ash, 
turning them immediately white. the combined heating and rapid cooling process removes any remaining bark from the objects to reveal 
a smooth surface and hard composition, capable of producing metallic sounds. 

the porous exterior is comprised of tiny cavities, inherently increasing the surface area of active carbon which attract contaminant ions.
this process releases calcium, iron and magnesium into the water for positive taste and health benefits. filters last up to three months with
daily use and may be revived for an additional three months by boiling in water for ten minutes and drying in sunlight. any flecks of charcoal
released into the water are harmless and safe to drink, also serving as treatment for digestion or flatulence. after the filters life cycle
is complete, the sticks may be broken up and added to plant soil for nutrients or as a deodorizer for garbage cans or cat litter. this product will
encourage the use of tap water, improving the taste and minimizing the need for plastic bottles as the vessel's portable and user-friendly shape 
is made from unbreakable BPA-free tritan.

dan black and martin blum founded black+blum in 1998.

via: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/23103/eau-good-tap-water-bottle-by-black-blum.html