Design

The Swiss watchmaker has recently presented a new member of the Classic 1931 collection — the Louis Erard 1931 Chronometer chronograph watch (Ref. 79 220 OR 22) in rose gold.

Presented in an elegant round case, which is crafted of 18-carat rose gold, the watch is powered by the ubiquitous ETA Valjoux 7750 automatic chronograph — via World Watch Review

In past 60 years, as information technology progressively changed, in Japan, our housing industry has rapidly adjusted to it. This forced adjustment to our society has caused a transformation of our traditional lifestyle, and housing space has been often talked by nLDK; n (number of private rooms) L (living) D (dining) K (kitchen). The concept of nLDK is to describe how much value your house has. The spatial flexibility and relationship (private and public) among n, L, D, and K are separated and lost, and as a result, function started to walk alone.

Our proposal to these two houses, WITH and BEAT are to try to re-consider and re-organize a quality of relationship of nLDK to re-adjust to a current and a future lifestyle — via ArchDaily

The renowned Swiss watchmaker has updated its Angular Momentum Montre a Guichet Guilloche line with a model in titanium.

As the original model, this feather-light version is presented in a 39.5 mm case, which is now made of titanium.

Angular Momentum Montre a Guichet Guilloche hand-wound watch in Titanium (gold medallion)

Instead of a usual sapphire crystal, the watch is equipped with a 925 sterling silver Medallion a Guichet cover with a psychedelic Guilloche Soleil Inca a la Main finishing.

Since the sterling silver is an alloy of 92.5% silver and 7.5% of other metals, the medallion is available in four colors of gold, silver, Rhodium and even purple Ruthenium — via World Watch Review

Some prefer the raw texture of hand-scraped hardwood floors, while others want the modern look (and low costs) of laminate wood flooring. These patterned wooden planks provide artistic relief somewhere in between – an honest contemporary take on classic material and installation approaches.

This decorative flooring series from Mafi provides a fresh take on manufactured floors, etching designs that range from abstract floral patterns to playfully embossed stick figures — via Dornob

To mark its fifth anniversary, the young Swiss brand Dussert has offered its new hybrid-powered Dussert Tri Zone DW400 limited edition GMT watch.

While the main time zone display is driven by the Soprod A10BV automatic caliber, two other time zones are powered by a pair of Swiss made ETA E01.701 quartz movements — via World Watch Review

Still as visionary and eccentric as it was when it was built in the 1920s, the Schroder House by Gerrit Rietveld continues to impress architects and interior designers with its innovative solutions to prominent design questions of its time.

The flexibility of the interior spaces and the obviously planar quality of the house both give it an edge that makes it distinguishable and unique on every level — via ArchDaily

Billed as Europe’s first hotel, Nhow Berlin, boasts a state-of-the-art recording studio and guitars on the room service menu. The interior’s surreal setting, designed by Karim Rashid, is combined with the seemingly physics-defying architecture. This setting serves as the perfect catalyst for late-night jam sessions and impromptu DJ sets — via Jetsetta

FreeGreen, a provider of free and premium green house plans, recently unveiled a new premium plan called Loop House.  The modern design features a two-story rectangle covered in fiber cement panels with a loop of cedar that creates a covered porch space.  It’s easy to envision using this space in several ways — watching movies, gathering around a fire pit, and relaxing with friends.

Loop House includes 1,800 square feet and four bedrooms, allowing for a larger family, overnight guests, a home office, or something like a studio space.  Depending on options and upgrades, Loop House could cost anywhere from $180,000 – $250,000 or more to build — via Jetson Green

Jeanne Dekkers Architectuur designed a small, transparent building for the Houten Fire Brigade in De Kruisboog allotment complex. The existing surrounding buildings of the allotments were a source of inspiration. Wood and transparent materials used for greenhouse construction, applied in a contemporary fashion with an eye for detail, were transformed into a building. In the translucent garage a fire engine stands at the ready — via ArchDaily

Strong, lightweight and versatile, this home really shows what metal can do. Galvanized steel parts are shipped flat to the site, making it easier to build in remote and difficult-to-access locations (like the desert).

Even more impressive: the exterior frame takes one day and full cladding system can be set up in less than a week, making it possible to work on the weather-proof interior in a matter of days — via Dornob

A robust sandstone box with beautifully angled arches, this freshly-modified modern refab reflects contemporary needs but also draws inspiration from regional design traditions. Aspects of Arabic, Greek and Norman architecture can be found in new decorative elements retrofit into the existing structural framework — via Dornob

The project integrates the public library with a botanical garden. A 250 meter steel, concrete and glass structure surrounded by greenery and water — via ArchDaily

The unusual history of the St Bernard de Clairvaux Church adds richness to the Floridian landscape as it gives people of all ages a breathtaking escape from the showy yet glamorous side of Miami. Initially built in the town of Sacramenia of Segovia in Spain during the period of 1133-1144, the monastery was named after the famous Cistercian monk Bernard de Clairvaux almost immediately after his canonization. For around 700 years, the stone walls housed hundreds of monks until the mid-1830’s, when the Cloisters were seized, sold, and converted into a granary and stable — via ArchDaily

Perkins+Will, the 2010 Architectural Review Future Projects Award winner addresses a real problem.

By the 2300s, scientists say that (unless we reduce carbon emissions) climate change will have rendered about half this planet uninhabitable by humans, as it will be just too hot. Temperatures in the Middle East have long been close to non-survivable, already.

So the lessons of traditional sustainable architecture for desert regions will be a key to future survivability for some regions. This latticework mashrabiya is an example.

Drawing on this tradition, the Perkins and Will winning entry uses a time-honored cooling feature of Middle Eastern architecture, long employed in traditional architecture. The  mashrabiya or brise soleil screen allows cool breezes through a latticework that shades a building, by protecting it from direct sun — via Home Design Find

Japan probably has the most diverse custom motorcycle culture in the world. They like monkey bikes and mopeds and 110-cubic-inch Harleys and everything in between. And nothing is immune from the touch of the angle grinder, or the hiss of the metalflake spray gun. But there are a few companies that eschew this excess, and Sanctuary is one of them. Headquartered in Tokyo, it’s a chain of workshops that specializes in the retro superbikes of the 1970s—and Kawasakis in particular — via Bike EXIF

The McManus Galleries were originally dedicated to Queen Victoria’s Consort and named the Albert Institute. Conceived as a focus for literature, science and art, Sir George Gilbert Scott created a powerful gothic icon reflecting the city’s contemporary confidence, wealth and intellect in 1867. The Victoria Galleries were added in 1889 completing the building envelope as it is today. Effectively, the building is an assembly of distinctive rooms designed at different times for a range of related but separate functions. These rooms were clustered around the main north entrance and each has its own architectural character expressed externally — via ArchDaily

The French jeweler has recently presented its Saint-Honore Charlelie The Line limited edition watch, both an affordable and an original timepiece — via World Watch Review