The first thing people will say when they hear the news, “Does a charity organization need a $500 million headquarters?” You might debate that all night long and question the decision’s sensibility but we believe that its Bill’s money and he has every right to spend it any way he wants… As simple as that. Now with the morality issue out of the way, what is so special about this building that it will cost Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation a whooping $500 million when Russell Investments paid one-third of that for its 42-story building not very far away from the project location.

Add to that the structure to be constructed is just two six-story, boomerang-shaped buildings on 12 acres near the Seattle Center and you can imagine what the interiors of this expensive real estate might look like.

The latest structure that is about to be built will sport a living roof on the parking garage, a million-gallon rainwater storage tank to reduce water use, Gates museum and will try and achieve an LEED Gold Rating just to ensure that it is all green and eco-friendly. So, whether you like the idea or not the headquarters will surely add a new charm to Seattle and if you actually think about it, could help increase both the image and employment opportunities of the city.

wsj

Anything bearing the name Louis Vuitton has to be larger than life. Books included. The new coffee table version from Rizzoli is called Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture. And this one is a great anthology of the the fashion house’s collaboration with international elite artists, architects, designers and photographers like Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, David LaChapelle, Annie Leibovitz, Takashi Murakami (who by the way is credited for updating the LV monogram) as well as Richard Prince and Stephen Sprouse.

And these literary pieces are well complemented by stunning and rare images. The critical essays examine (and critically so) the position of Louis Vuitton’s patronage under the guidance of Artistic Director Marc Jacobs. From the looks of ut, this one was the most fertile of all periods for the brand.

The book is very organised and systematic. Serving as an encyclopedia, it has been divided alphabetically giving information on all collaborations, commissions and sponsorhips LV has been associated with over the years.

Via amazon

Blogging on the move is something that most of those who travel across the globe rave about, but that is often done using wireless internet connections from hotels and hotspots. Blogger Marcos Morales and his family though have an entirely different experience when it comes to blogging o the move. Designed by Waskman and Culdesac Studio for Vodafone to promote their wireless and fixed phone connections, this daft, sleek and minimalist modern home trots around on its wheels and inside its glass walls lies a cozy adobe with loads of finesse.

The home on wheels is designed not just to promote Vodafone, but it also propagates a new lifestyle which talks about getting the job done on the move. The interiors are well furnished with the ground level sporting the main living room, a kitchen station, dining space and other units. The upper floor opens into a low ceiling bedroom that maximizes in space and is as comforting as any you will ever see.

Made of white polyethylene panels and transparent polycarbonate, the mobile home runs on its four-wheel-drive vehicle and Morales for now is going all over Spain and making sure the world knows about his journey using his blog as the medium… Now that is truly progressive living!

Via: designboom / lacasamovil / waskman

Dunno about you, but it is definitely a never-seen-before concept for we guys here. We are talking about the creations of French jewelry designer Philippe Tournaire who like to work architectural inspirations on 18 K gold and platinum rings. As unusual as it may sound, the rings will impress you with their novelty.

The collections are called “Villa de Reve,” “Metropolis” and “Marelie Baroque”. The design dazzles like in the impression of Prieure Saint-Roman in France, as seen in the Roman ring, and the Big Apple’s skyline, as seen in “Manhattan.” Be pleased to know that all rings are made by hand.

The best is saved for the last. Brand Tournaire also gives the option of customization. This means that you can have your favorite buildings, even your home into a ring. By the way, Google Earth plays an important role here. No word on price but expect it to be big.

Via nationaljeweler

Architecture is one field which springs transformations from within while inculcating everything else into it, but ever so subtly, that one day you look at a design and wonder how you could have missed coming up with the idea yourself.

The latest from the world of architecture is a design created by architects at GAD. Titled Andalus, what is special about the design is that it has been done using mathematician Stephen Wolfram’s computer program ‘Mathematica’. This futuristic program will ensure that living spaces will never be the same again. Turning the household into perfectly sized and angled jigsaw puzzles, Mathematica transforms the house into many-linked pieces that morph and align with each other to create new parameters. Andalus is a project being created for a private client in Libya and would definitely take a long time to become a mainstream procedure.

GAD is also dabbling in 3D printing techniques that would help assemble a quick physical model so as to easily envision design relationships. Interestingly though, the idea behind the concept is akin to the designs put forward by Zaha Hadid earlier this year for the Lotus room.

Via: Trendir

Via: Trendir

]]> http://elitechoice.org/2008/12/07/andalus-by-gad-architecture-sights-new-horizons/feed/ 0 http://elitechoice.org/2008/11/18/yellow-treehouse-restaurant-exotic-dining-in-enchanted-woods/ http://elitechoice.org/2008/11/18/yellow-treehouse-restaurant-exotic-dining-in-enchanted-woods/#comments Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:32:58 +0000 Neo http://elitechoice.org/?p=9461

A wonderful restaurant that is halfway up a Redwood tree and is shaped in a stunning fashion to create the perfect harmony between man and nature- Sounds more like a page out of a fairytale story coming to life, than reality. But that is exactly what Yellow Pages in New Zealand is trying to do to convince its customers that they can help complete any project you undertake. This awesome treehouse dining takes inspiration from nature and is housed in the heart of some stunning natural panorama.

The design of the Treehouse Restaurant is inspired by nature in more than just one way. Its unique shape is something that is quite obviously natural in the plant and animal kingdom. Much like the cloves of Onion, the cocoon that protects a butterfly in its tender stage and the sea shell that is home to many sea creatures, the design is all about stability, symmetry and beauty. At the same time it offers the perfect protection from elements as it is a design tried and tested by �Evolution�.

The selected site and tree had to meet a myriad of functional requirements -18 seated people and waiting staff in relative comfort complete with a bar; web cam and stills, have unobstructed views into the valley and entrance to the site and structural soundness. Then you needed the 60 meter treetop accessible walk way to complete the project. All in all, this is one Treehouse that you would not want to miss.

Via: Contemporist

There are some creatures in this world that are far luckier than us human beings. In fact, every creature is luckier than us in a certain sense. We claim to be blessed with intelligence and ability to explore, but really what has that done for us? Created jobs, nations, wars, technology, more headaches and economic crisis! (This is why you never eat the apple… Never) There are creatures like the turtle and the snail that just move around at their own pace, never are in a hurry to get to work, finish deadlines, or even go take a bite. They just do it at their own convenience and if that also becomes too much to do, then they just go back into their shells. Knock as you want after that, they will not come out till they want. Now that, I tell you, is truly a blessed life. A smart designer wishes to do exactly that with his �Bubble of Silence�.

Designed to provide you with a wonderful and calm sleeping space or even resting place in crowded atmosphere, the Bubble of silence draws its inspiration from the shells of nature. Its seamless design and its amazingly silent interior allow you to take a nap even if you are in the middle of a crowded street. The design is apparently the designer�s effort to ensure that our life in modern day hassles does not get too taxing and we get timely rest.

The concept is really innovative and the design is exceptional. But the one small problem is that if you have a few of these at every public place, then people will stop rushing for work and start queuing up for rest!

Via: Blogspot

We are well aware what a bunch of crazy moms can do. I think that would apply to �campaigns� alone if our limited knowledge is anything to go by. Surprise, surprise! A group of moms in the UK are extremely busy auctioning a full-size Roman ballista on e-Bay.

Believe it or not, but the whole deal is no figment of our imagination. The ballista or should we say catapult was recreated by a team of experts at Carpenter Oak & Woodland in 2002 for a BBC programme called Building the Impossible. The efficient workers kept all known records in mind to the utmost accuracy. The firing was successful too.

Weighing around 12 tons and standing 7.5 metres tall, and 8.5 metres long, the ballista is believed to be one of its kind. 120,000 pounds were spent on its construction. Bidding starts at 25,000 pounds. At that rate the giant caty means some serious business!
Via geekologie

Owning a swanky home is a dream fixed in every heart. But only a few pockets are large enough to buy one. And a few are bold enough to design their dream abode of the future and why not when futuristic architecture is catching pace. And who knows if we could soon be living in Skypad apartments like the Jetsons!

Zaha Hadid has designed a Symbiotic Villa for the Next-Gene 20 project in Taiwan which was launched in Venice in September�s first week during the architecture biennale. The project has invited ten international architects and ten Taiwanese architects to design houses.

Every bit of designing is meant to catch your awe. Whether it is the sleek and glossy exteriors or the unique interior that does not let you loose touch with the world outside with the brilliant glass wall like windows. The whole place is filled with light and seems very air and spacious. If homes like these will ever be constructed is the million dollar question. They just keep designing them and they sometimes lack the warmth of a true �Home�, making them look like private but airy offices.

Via Dezeen

Beijing managed to invite a pool of attention cause of its ‘Bird’s Nest’ National Stadium that can lodge track and field events at a cost much lower than London’s Wembley Stadium, which is honored as world’s most expensive stadium. Against the development cost of $500 million invested upon the Bird’s Nest, the Wembley touched $1.5 billion mark during it’s erection in 2003-2007. Designed and developed in 1924, Wembley Stadium is being witnessed as the focal point for sporting events in England.

Its revamped face is surely the spot for hosting home games for England’s National Soccer Team, domestic league title games, and others. The structural formation and design of the stadium sports world class restaurants to lodge 2,000 plus people in one go in the environs of 2,618 toilets.

The firm support of the structure is provided by the outsized metal arch, ‘The Steel Tiara,’ hence eradicating the want for pillar. Did I tell you the stadium even facilitates hairdryers comfort?

Via WallStreetFighter