Design

The L-Stack House [Marlon Blackwell Architect] responds to a site anomaly set within a dense inner-city neighborhood near a city park. The 10,000 sqf trapezoid-shaped lot is traversed diagonally by a dry-bed creek. The urban grid and the modest scale of existing houses in the neighborhood is enhanced through a strategy of bridging and stacking of forms.

In effect a new order is superimposed upon a in-fill tract of land that has been undeveloped since the 19th century origins of the city of Fayetteville. The resulting scheme is an ‘L’ configuration that subdivides the interior program and the site into private and public entities. A carefully positioned glass-enclosed stairway hinges together the two 18-foot wide boxes that form the house structure — via ArchDaily

At the upcoming Baselworld 2011 trade show the Swiss watchmaker is going to present its new take on the concept of invisible luxury: the Hublot Big Bang Black Caviar automatic watch (Ref. 346.CX.1800.BR.)

With its case, crown and even the dial made entirely of ceramic, the new Hublot Big Bang Black Caviar seems to be the first watch ever to use the scratch-resistant and lightweight material to such an extent — via World Watch Review

Notice the Rolex chronograph located in the upper right hand corner has a Tiffany & Co designation on the dial and none of the watches have a Daytona designation on their dials — via Jake’s Rolex World

The Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, recently opened for spring semester classes at Brown University. Providing performance space, exhibitions, installations, and an outdoor amphitheater, the Center’s long structural spans, high ceilings, and large floor plates stimulate a necessary collaborative environment with flexibility. Seeking LEED Gold certification, the exterior venetian blind system and green roof are just a few of the sustainable features for the Granoff Center — via ArchDaily

The key passive design innovations and practices of CODA [Stanisic Associates] are a brise-soleil in the form of 3m deep sunrooms that shade the living areas to the north and north-east elevations; adjustable environmental screen to the north and east which allow occupants to control their environment to improve personal comfort and reduce energy consumption; a range of tempered private outdoor spaces, such as winter gardens, loggias, sky terraces and sunrooms that eliminate the barrier between inside and outside, and eliminate the need for air conditioning and artificial heating; open gallery circulation and lobbies to apartments, extending around the communal courtyard; slender building form (enclosed space) of only 10 metre width; 100% naturally ventilated apartments with voids and sky terraces at upper levels which act as pathways for natural air and 100% two storey, cross-over plans with voids and volume for air movement — via ArchDaily

If there’s one class of bike that gets my motor running faster than any other, it’s a Moto Guzzi café racer. This machine comes courtesy of the Italian publication Special Mag—the bike is owned by Francesco Venturi, a young architect, and was built by Marco Lugato — via Bike EXIF

Situated along the Connecticut shoreline of Long Island Sound, the Spiral House [Joeb Moore + Partners Architects] seeks to engage, enhance and reflect the surrounding coastal climate and its atmospherics of light, air, water. Formally and spatially, the house is a direct and pragmatic response to the strict environmental (FEMA and flood elevations) and local zoning restrictions and regulations (height, building setbacks, FAR, footprint) imposed on the building and site — via ArchDaily

Located in the historic railway town of Wolverton, this project owned by the Parks Trust, creates 13,677ft2 office space within existing grade II listed structures. Designed by the award winning Hinton Cook Architects, the brief was to renovate and convert the old farm buildings, contrasting the old with the new and exposing the historic structure creating new stylish and contemporary offices within. Set within generous mature landscape, attention to landscaping and respect for context was critical to help the design continue to blend harmoniously within its rural surroundings. Key to the success of the project was the juxtaposition of modern and traditional elements. The sensitive approach to this historic building ensured the contrast between old and new forms delivered in a sophisticated way highlighting the contrast between the two — via ArchDaily

Located half hill there was a house to reuse [João Cassiano Santos]. The addition of a living / dining room and a kitchen was made extending the silhouette along the horizontal lines of ridge and eaves.

The floor was articulated on several landings, following the natural grades, and allowing a grand interior dimension on the living / kitchen area — via ArchDaily

Set in the Diverscope’s standard 43mm wide case the watch contains a new movement called the JR1010 automatic. The JR1010 is a derivative of the JR1000 automatic that most all three-hand JeanRichard watches have. It is an in-house made automatic with the time and date. The JR1010 adds the nifty linear power reserve indicator. The movement has a maximum of 48 hours of power reserve — via A Blog to Read

Later on, because of the global crisis and the collapse of the real estate bubble, many of these colonizing adventures –- in numerous cases, purely speculative operations -– were abruptly vanished. However, there were other professionally designed developments rooted in the different nationwide realities which came off strongly, to the point that they became innovative references both for their positive result in the domestic market and for collaborating in the housing policy parallel undertook by local governments. It is the case of this development [Solano & Catalán and Elena Saricu] which the Spanish company Hercesa is erecting in phases in a dense popular area of Bucharest — via ArchDaily

The house was designed by Kensaku Tohmoto for a young family with two kids. The clients’ requests for their new house are simple; the house to be as large as possible, and enough space for parking.

The site nearly a triangle in shape, sits at the edge of an old residential area. The north side of the site faces the road, and the south side provides views of the waterway beyond — via ArchDaily

The house by Miguel Ferreira dos Santos follows a symmetrical plan designed to take advantage of the surrounding natural elements, featuring a simple layout with four bedrooms, and an open-plan living area, kitchen and dining area. The private areas on the west side are designated for regular use, while those on the east side are more versatile. Either area is characterized by its relation to the common areas. The bedrooms on the east end share an independent bathroom situated between them; on the west end, each bedroom has an en suite bathroom. The guest bathroom is also located at this end — via ArchDaily

Over the last three decades, Bimota has consistently produced the most outrageously styled motorcycles of any contemporary manufacturer. The DB3 Mantra was the Rimini company’s attempt at a naked bike, and was styled by Frenchman Sacha Lakic. It was built in two versions—the first in 1995 and the second in 1997—with only minor details changed, such as the fairing, exhaust system and headlight. This particular machine was built in 1997, and is one of just 28 bikes finished in red — via Bike EXIF

Manufacturing technology has finally caught up to imagination and digital rendering. This extreme pair of staircases represents two unique, asymmetrical works of functional art – each is installed in an actual London home, but based on three-dimensional computer modeling and created using laser-cut materials.

If you feel a bit dizzy, just reach out for the handrail … wait, that might not work either. Everything about these designs by architect Alex Haw of Atmos is warped, bent and twisted, from the treads and risers up through the balusters and banisters — via Dornob

With the new Pasha de Cartier Skeleton Flying Tourbillon hand-wound watch in white gold the French brand keeps exploring the exciting world of skeletonized timepieces — via World Watch Review