Waterloo

In the years I have lived in the region of Waterloo I've been amazed about the quality of architecture that is being created out of old structures as well as new innovative buildings..

Check out examples of some of my favorite buildings in this area:

The Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo.

The Waterloo Region Museum in Kitchener

The Waterloo Clay and Glass Gallery

Seagram Lofts in Waterloo





Waterloo Regional Children's Museum in Kitchener

Nice..

Inspiring places to relax and contemplate...(image above from Cococozy)

Vitrelux modern vases- image from grass roots modern)

Post-it "watches" for forgetful people like myself..

(image from better living through design)

Abstract pottery that reveals a message "trust" when a light is shone upon it.

(image from Mocoloco)

"Slow-tech" biodome that links to your ipad-- which controls the mini eco system within the dome. The ipad controls it's light,water, and other nutrients. (image from Josh Spear)









Aesop, a store in New York designed by Tacklebox, that uses wool felt lined walls.

Street art- laughing all the way to Banksy...

I just recently came across an interesting documentary about street art called "Exit thru the Giftshop".

The film depicted the rising trend in street art across the world and some of the key players who generate art out of unlikely places and objects. I gained an admiration for those artists that bring humour and interest to the areas of a cityscape where formerly there was nothing of interest, often putting themselves in the path of danger and outside of the limits of the law.

Here are a few images from the infamous street artist named Banksy also depicted in the film:

100 Abandoned Houses

100 Abandoned houses is a photojournalistic project by photographer Kevin Bauman. He’s spent the last ten years documenting the many abandoned neighbourhoods and houses that litter the city of Detroit.


 The list of houses, which is actually closer to  12,000 abandoned properties, shows the effects of the economy on the city and how a city that used to have 2 million residents-now has dwindled to 800,000 in the past decade. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of his photo prints (available thru the link)will go to Habitat for Humanity and Greening Detroit; two groups who are actively working to help those afflicted areas. 





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New Materials and Just another brick in the wall...

Material Connexion- the self-proclaimed largest database of materials library and references has given a little taste of some of the latest materials out in the market today, a few items to check out:

durable ceramic-like roofing material made from carbon and soil..

non-toxic building insulation made from hemp and flax (not glass fiber or mineral wool), absorbs and releases moisture easily and has Euroclass E fire rating and not attractive to pests or rodents..

hexagonal aluminum honeycomb cast in resin, the surface of these resin panels are gouged with a CNC router, with no standard sheet sizes, they can be easily used for doors, sliding doors, and some horizontal surfaces.

FSC-certified cellulose wood veneer that can be used for sound absorbtion when applied to a substrate, has no VOC's or formaldehyde- it's water repellent, and resistant to scratching/abrasion..

and last but not least, some interesting uses of the most common building material: bricks...

(images above from architonic)

Artificial Trees light up Boston skyline..

Boston's Treepod Initiative (a proposed project with Influx Studio and Shift Boston) is a plan to create artificial trees that clean the air of CO2 and releases oxygen, just like an actual tree! Made from recycled and recyclable plastic, these trees will produce shade while harvesting energy from the sun's rays to illuminate the trees at night...









(images above from Evolo Magazaine)

Paradigm shifting...

Is it Yes or No? Or maybe both...



 I guess Life is a series of shifting perceptions or paradigms..

Check out this renovation of a Lincoln Park home in Chicago that seems to mix the two paradigms of modern and traditional living all at once:

traditional Front Elevation:



 modern Back Yard:



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traditional light filled Entry with funky modern basket lights:






 modern Kitchen :




Eating Area, with traditional rough wood Restoration Hardware cabinet...





 very modern, eye catching medusa-like Light Fixture within Living Room with very traditional detailing:






Old Railing stained to feel worn yet new at the same time...




And lastly,serene Bedroom, modern because it's light color palette, and traditional because it has tons of crown moldings and giant ceiling medallion overhead..


(images from Fresh home)