The Grind to Bliss Theory

Lauren Nowak

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Water

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Phantogram's new visuals for Black Out Days

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Simo Design is a unique collaboration of craftsmanship and design. We focus on creating tailored spaces that explore and push what a space could be. We are inspired by the “after” but respectful of the “before”. There are always qualities of a space that we look to keep-enhance and redefine. Simo Design is driven by a demand for excellence, with a strong belief that design changes the quality in which we live.

http://simodesign.com/about-us

[laurennowak]

Great article to look back on and to inspire.

[ryanpanos]

La Defense Offices | UN Studio | James Newton

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Livable Design initiatives not only provide ease of use in the home for children, the disabled, and the elderly, but they also provide a composed, aesthetically pleasing atmosphere in the home. Follow the link for a list of ways to improve home design that will also increase the over-all aesthetic and livability throughout the life of the home. These suggestions will do double duty for someone looking for direction on where to start with the interior design of their home while increasing the functionality of the space.

[laurennowak]

I stumbled upon this short article today referencing LOT-EK receiving the FIT award this year given annually to "individuals or firms whose work most benefits the studies of Interior Design students at FIT." FIT cites cites the firm "crafting not just great works but defined new approaches to industrial artifacts that formulate a sustainable mode of operation.” The firm was quoted as saying "as educators, Giuseppe and I are especially pleased to have our work cited as an example for FIT design students.”

It reminded me of a small critique that occurred to me as I was finishing up my degree at the University of North Texas. It was a desire to have an ongoing discourse with my classmates and professors about current, past, and future interior design and architecture projects related to the interior. Although I know the curriculum had been drafted by CIDA and although, as I exited the program, I found myself highly educated, I felt I lacked a historical and present context and backlog of projects to reference for my own current and future projects. As a student, I felt I could have benefited from knowing the work of previously successful projects. I desired a discourse about what good interior design is. What works, what doesn't, how it could be better and how the definition of good design changes from person to person. 

Perhaps this discourse is for me to promote on my own, with my peers, clients, and mentors. Even now I find there is so much to learn about the great interior designers and interior architects. With the growing prominence of interior design as a sought after service, I feel it could could one day be looked at in the historical and educational context of the profession of architecture. 

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Judith Heerwagen shares her research on the physical built environment and human behavior.

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Inside the Business of Design with Holly Hunt - Part 1: How it Began

 Inside the Business of Design is a series of exclusive interviews with Keith Granet and renowned interior designers and architects. This interview is with Keith Granet and Holly Hunt.

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For The People, By The People: Konan Ward Cultural Center by Chiaki Arai - In Love with this Project

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A write up I did for the Febuary 2014 issue East Grand Rapids Life magazine on design trends.

[ryanpanos]

Fort Boyard, the Useless “Stone Vessel” | Socks Studio

Located in a sea bay between Aix and Oléron Island (La Rochelle, France), Fort Boyard is a stone building conceived as an artificial island, originally built to protect the harbours of Aix Island (Île-d’Aix) and Rochefort. Due to the limited ballistic artillery range in the late 17th century, the site was seen as a gap in the line of defense which the fort should have filled.

Fort Boyard is oval-shaped, 68 metres (223 ft) long and 31 m (102 ft) wide. At the centre is a yard enclosed by walls 20 m high: on the ground floor the tickness of the walls is carved by stores and quarters, while the upper floors are occupied by casemates for guns and mortars. The first floor also houses the services, kitchens and canteens, the entrance to the guardroom, a police room and the latrines. Four sets of stairs connect the different floors. The façade on the interior yard is composed by three superposed floor of arcades, while on the exterior the fortified wall is only pierced by embrasures for the cannons. The language of the building, with its oval shape and the disposition of the exterior embrasures, seems inspired by the image of a 17th century vessel. For this peculiarity the fort is sometimes referred to as the “vaisseau de pierre” (stone vessel).

[laurennowak]

St Vincent - 4AD Session

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David Byrne and St. Vincent. Love it

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Stream Chimurenga Renaissance: riZe vadZimu riZe on Pitchfork Advance

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Check out my article in East Grand Rapids Life Magazine about how to implement trend on a reasonable budget.

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Crossville's Hydrotect is an optional coating that may be applied to most of the brand's porcelain tile collections, bringing anti-microbial, self-cleaning and air purifying properties to tile. Hydrotect is a coating applied to tile during a second firing process that occurs after the tile is traditionally glazed and fired. This treatment is comprised of a triple silver-copper-titanium dioxide mixture that makes the tile to which it is fired have antimicrobial effects* and be self-cleaning and air purifying. With its hydrophilic and photocatalytic properties, Hydrotect effectively kills odor causing bacteria*, significantly reduces dirt and oil accumulation and rids the air of odors and nitrous oxide.