Housing L’Embellie / Barré Lambot Architectes

The housing project, designed by Barré Lambot Architectes, continues and finishes the existing residential area, consisting of – The creation of an urban courtyard North / South to organize the site into two blocks and provide continuity in inter-district connecting the two existing ways – The creation of a public footpath through the operation – Creating a common courtyard to contain parking spaces and garages needed for the housing – Construction of a kindergarten, dedicated to the neighbourhood and located at the corner of two streets – The establishment of thresholds or gardens, before all the individual units also avoiding air parking — via ArchDaily

Panerai PAM384 Radiomir 8 Days Ceramica

The major Italian watchmaker Officine Panerai did not present anything revolutionary at SIHH 2011. Instead, they kept building on success of their last year’s exhibition. Among such successful updates was the new Panerai Radiomir 8 Days Ceramica PAM 384 hand-wound watch.

The new model is presented in a large black case, which is made of zirconium oxide powder — a material, widely used not only by watchmakers, but also by automotive and aerospace industries — via World Watch Review

Japan must hurry to join Hague treaty

International marriages are on the rise, and subsequently so are cases in which former spouses engage in international custody battles over their children.

To help address this situation, the government set up a senior vice-ministerial council involving related ministries and tasked with discussing the possibility of Japan joining an international convention. The discussions necessary for Japan to join the convention should be expedited.

The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction contains the principle that children from an international marriage who are removed from their country of residence by one of their divorced parents, without the other parent’s consent, must be returned to the country of residence.

Signatory nations are obligated to provide administrative cooperation in such efforts as discovering the whereabouts of such children and restoring them to their country of habitual residence.

Eighty-two countries, mostly in the West and Latin America, have signed the convention, while Japan has not — via redwolf.newsvine.com

New World Center / Frank Gehry

The New World Centre, part of the New World Symphony America’s Orchestral Academy, opened its doors this week. Located in the heart of Miami Beach, the music education and performance facility is the first purpose-built home for the New World Symphony founded by artistic director Michael Tilson Thomas.

In terms of design the building’s exterior portrays a quiet, almost tamed Frank Gehry. The rectangle shaped white building expresses Gehry’s well known bends and folds within its interior — glimpses of which are visible through the main entrance east facade 80 foot high glass curtain wall — via ArchDaily

Breitling Montbrillant 01 Chronograph

Like the Italian Officine Panerai, the Swiss watchmaking brand Breitling keeps distancing from the overwhelming monopoly of ETA and gradually substitutes their ebauches with its own in-house Caliber 01 automatic movement. The Breitling Montbrillant 01 Chronograph watch is one of those old models getting equipped with a brand new heart — via World Watch Review

Dog takes bullets to save owner

Sure, your dog keeps the letter wielding postman from attacking, but would he take a bullet on your behalf?

Dog owner Osmar Persisco of Garibaldi, Brazil, knows the answer is yes after his pet Max leapt to defend him from armed robbers, taking three bullets along the way — via redwolf.newsvine.com