Design Articles

Design Articles

Design Articles featuring great design, architecture, fashion, graphics and innovation from across the globe.

 

Box Factory

This Zero Energy, low carbon project has operational data that confirms its actual performance. It is an all electric building that relies on onsite solar to meet its energy needs, with heat pumps providing heating and cooling. Careful siting and form work as hard as the systems, with the building oriented to local wind patterns and sun angles. Box Factory integrates climate resilience, innovation, and community impact through thoughtful design. During the 2022 Electra Fire, which burned 4,500 acres in Amador County, the project proved itself resilient and climate ready.

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Floating House

The Floating House is a three-level home located in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. The building measures about 400 square meters and is placed on a sloping hillside site. Passive design strategies guide the project, including site-specific positioning and the use of natural resources. Industrial and prefabricated building techniques are combined with locally harvested and regenerative materials. Large roof overhangs protect the spaces below from rain and solar radiation. Solar energy is collected on the roof. Terraced gardens and balconies face the surrounding landscape.

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Learning to Learn

Learning to Learn is an educational framework that unites pedagogy, curriculum, space, and technology across school campuses. The framework is inspired by the Dalton Plan and follows an Assignment, Lesson, Study model. Assignments are digital contracts that help students prepare core content. Lessons connect students with teachers, in person or online, for guided discussion and analysis. Studies take place in adaptive Learning Centres with quiet, semi collaborative, and collaborative zones. Teachers act as coaches, so students learn to plan and evaluate their own work.

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Chrys

Chrys is a parametric pressure garment designed for pediatric burn recovery. Utilizing a gradient topology lattice structure, the system automatically densifies over scar tissue to deliver a precise therapeutic pressure of 25 mmHg, while maintaining breathability across healthy skin. The design features a modular identity system that separates medical functionality from the aesthetic layer. This enables young patients to customize the garment with interchangeable visual elements, mitigating treatment-related psychological stress through engaging personalization.

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Beyond the Green Hills

Beyond the Green Hills is a renovation of a Huizhou style residence in Huangshan, Anhui Province, China. The design follows a light intervention approach. White walls and dark tiles are preserved, window proportions are adjusted, and eaves and lattice details are added. A glass volume in the courtyard links the buildings and brings in light, air and greenery. Split level lofts enrich the annex. Detailed surveying and 3D scanning supported a digital model used to plan structural changes. The total building area is 1,432 square metres.

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Altered Heritage

This sculptural bench originates from parts of a damaged Italian console dating back to the early 20th century. Rather than restoring the missing sections, the design reinterprets the fragmented form through bold material interventions. Hand-carved beechwood is combined with Rosso Levanto marble and satin stainless steel to create a hybrid composition. The result is a functional seat that retains traces of its historical origin while presenting itself as a contemporary collectible object.

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