Gabriel Mann and Rebecca Kneubuhl are composers and musicians who collaborate on music for film, television, video games, and pretty much all other visual media. And non-visual media. Gabe is currently the series composer for the ABC television show “Modern Family” and a member of the Rescues. And Rebecca and Gabriel recently completed the score to Mattel’s “Barbie: A Perfect Christmas.” And yes, they are parents. Happy New Year from their studio!
Charlie Lazor has been designing some of the loveliest modern prefab houses in the country since the beginning of the start of the prefab meme. But there is something really special about his latest, the Week’nder, on Madeline Island in Lake Superior. I have been staring at it for hours. First of all, it is not really a flatpack like Charlie Lazor is known for, but it appears to be made of two prefabricated modules with a site built roof installed between them.
I have always thought that this was perhaps the most efficient way to build modular; one is not shipping a lot of air in empty boxes. Instead, one is putting the complicated stuff in the boxes and just adding a roof over. Michelle Kaufmann did this in the Breezehouse and it was done in the early sixties as well.
I found this over on Treehugger. Berkeley-based architect/owners Karl Wanaselja and Cate Leger’s have created an inexpensive backyard home office for their architecture studio. Below is a great interview with Wanaselja explaining exactly how they did it. The cost? The shipping container was $1800.
1. New York Times for Pilar Viladas’ piece on these vintage Eames Lounge Chairs covered in Maharam fabric. They are on show at Moss in Soho and are the first in a planned series of one-off furniture pieces on which Moss and Maharam will collaborate.
2. Core 77‘s coverage of Toyko’s Design Tide. Spotted this cool concrete pencil by designers Sean Yu and Yiting Cheng.
3. Design Milk‘s post on designer workspaces (above).
4. Baubauhaus for some great workspace inspiration.
5. Home Designing may have an awkward title but there are some good home office images coupled with helpful links.
6. Urbis Magazine for their coverage of the New Zealand architecture scene. There’s some beautiful work coming out of that country. Including this house by architect Thom Craig (above).
Architect, writer and publisher Robert Kahn talks about balancing a busy architecture practice, a publishing house he runs with his wife and his family life. Kahn set up his own practice in 1986 when he left James Stirling, Michael Wilford & Associates in London. He is a fellow of the American Academy in Rome, and has received numerous awards from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Kahn is also the creator and editor of the City Secretsseries. His wife, Fiona Duff Kahn, is the managing editor of Fang Duff Kahn Publishers, which they founded together in 2009. They live in New York with their daughter, Kiki Fang Duff Kahn. Read more
Here we continue our series looking at designers who have worked with Magis and Mattiazi. French designer and brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec tick both boxes with their Steelwood chair, stool and table for Magis and their beautiful sculptural Osso chair for Mattiazzi.
The brothers are also part of the excellent Phaidon video interview series which I have included below. In this short clip they talk about their designs, their responsibilities and the poetic quality of a well-made object. We also get a great peek into their Paris-based workspace where the interview was shot.
1. Four – as in four-legged friends. It takes a lot to get me to linger on a pet’s site so this wonderfully designed doggy destination was a surprise. Check out their post on Kuntzel+Deygas who painted the Eames chair below.
2. Designer Alvin Aronson‘s site for this cool prototype of a perfectly white digital clock.
3. Design Milk for their post on this pencil holder from Giha Woo.
4. Swissmiss for her post on Instagram – an obsession I share. It’s a lithe little bit of social media perfect for capturing just about everything and now it looks like the pics can be accessed more easily, making it an even better work tool.
5. Cool Hunting for the story on all-natural cleaning porducts. Perfect for getting that desktop sparkling.
6. Wallpaper magazine for their lovely “Letter from Japan” architecture update. Below – House in Seya, Kanagawa, by Suppose Design Office.
7. Design Applause‘s coverage of Belkin’s green power strip.
8. Dwell’s excellent “Small Spaces” series (the house below is the most recent addition to the series).
9. A Brief Message for Hugh Graham’s short essay on design – “We have the opportunity and the responsibility to create a world where each object and experience is filled with value, where living with less but better is both joyful and meaningful.” We couldn’t agree more.
10. Field Notes new red notebooks. I use these little notebooks in the car and always have one on hand in my purse. Nicely designed, small and light weight.
Lloyd Alter has taken a rather circutious route to his current job as design editor of Treehugger (which has just undergone a wonderful redesign). He is trained as an architect, worked as a real estate developer, became disillusioned with that process and began promoting green prefab housing in 2001. He was one of the first bloggers to write about modern prefab. The home above is an award winning modular design that Alter was key in commissioning (you can read more about it here). He joined Treehugger in 2004 and today covers issues around land use, urban planning, design and architecture. Where does this busy man work? When I skyped recently with Lloyd I got a peek at his office. Here it is in a bit more detail.
“OK here it is, I cleaned it up and cannot believe I left a beer bottle on the counter…Oh well, it is craft beer. I have a Herman Miller Executive Series desk that I use as a side table, because I really work at my old drafting table, set level as a standing desk. At 42″ it is just a bit narrow for my Macbook and 24 inch monitor, along with Joey Roth’s ceramic speakers (below left). On the side is my beloved 1968 Contempra phone in bright orange, designed by John Tyson and a Canadian classic (below right). On the shelf to the side is part of my camera collection; I tried to sell my six polaroids on eBay and couldn’t get fifty bucks. The Nelson perch chair in front is really for show; when I have to sit I use the hard metal drafting chair to the right, it is more comfortable.
Next time: no beer, and some wire management work.”
We attended the April EcoFocus event in New York where various companies display their new green technology. Here is roundup of eight pieces that caught out eye.
1. Samsung Replenish: At the Sprint table several devices were displayed showing off the new Green ID pack including the new Samsung Replenish. 2. SodaStream: We enjoyed sipping some delicious pear soda from the new Fizz machine from SodaStream. How is SodaStream green? All SodaStream soda makers come with reusable bottles that last up to 3 years! Great for staying hydrated at your desk. 3. HP EliteBook Notebook Computers: These unibody aluminum laptops with built in energy monitoring software cut a sharp figure and reminded us of a more boxy MacBook Pro. 4. The 4th Bin: We’re not going to lie, it was the vintage mobile phone that brought us to The 4th Bin table to learn about their electronic recycling services they offer in NYC. 5. Philips LED Lighting: At Philips we checked out the Imageo CandleLights and the new color changing lights. 6. ThinkEco Modlet: The Modlet by ThinkEco helps you to be aware of your energy consumption by simply plugging your electronics into the Modlet device and using the PC software to track and monitor (Mac software is coming soon). 7. Camileo BW10: In addition to showing off their laptops and mobile monitor, Toshiba also had the new Camileo BW10 on display, a tiny waterproof HD camcorder that records in full 1080p. 8. Pixi Lighting: These LED lights offered quite a soft glow which reminded us of the warm glow of incandescent bulbs.
By Joelle Alcaidinho.
This story appears in partnership with Unplggd, a site for people who embrace technology and design in their home.
This story appears in partnership with 
