Anyone having even a passing familiarity with Charles Darwin’s theories of natural selection and evolution will appreciate the concept behind Joris Laarman’s Bonechaise Lounge Chair (prototype for Droog), an aluminum and resin piece that “represents a series of works which are designed according to the way bones develop—growing where strength is needed and shrinking where it is not.” In its clever take on the way biological forms become increasingly efficient in response to a changing environment, Laarman’s piece evokes the idea of epochal change, especially in regards to strange adaptations.

Bonechaise. Designed by Joris Laarman for Droog.

One of the great things about Darwin’s theory is that it’s a living testament to the credo of “form follows function.” In other words, Darwin’s ideas about how outward appearances change to accommodate inward (read: “functional”) alterations can be taken as an enduring metaphor for good design. Just so with the Bonechaise, wherein—like other “paleo” or evolutionary-inspired work such as Orchis at Hadid, the Quarry Table, and P_Wall—the aesthetic is truly innovative.

Laarman arrived at his design with the help of automotive component software, which helped him create different scenarios for material allocation, weight, and architectural configuration. The result, a collection of extraordinarily strong and lightweight chairs with “cupped” seating surfaces and an under-structure straight from the mind of Tim Burton, challenges our notions about both “artificial” and “organic” principles of design. Bonechaise is currently in Droog’s prototyping phase, as Laarman continues to produce different incarnations of the “bone” principle. Let’s hope we see a final collection soon.

via DigsDigs

London-born, L.A.-finished William Emmerson can pinpoint the moment he knew he wanted to be a designer: “a small sculpted head which his father hand-carved for him when he was 12 years old became both his prize possession and the impetus for beginning his life as a designer… watching his father carve, it became obvious to him that he wanted to create.” I’ve never seen the “head” in question, but if Emmerson’s work for Ralph Pucci is any indication, it probably was excessively bulbous, shiny, and slick, for that seems to be the designer’s chosen milieu. At least, if the Ripple Chaise can be said to speak for him.

Ripple Chaise for Ralph Pucci. Designed by William Emmerson.

This intriguing piece—which looks like a mirror image of itself—partakes of a fine tradition of counter-balanced loungers, begun by the inestimable Mr. Corbusier and his classic LC4, and recently re-visited with Jeremy Kaplan’s stylish Felt Chaise. Emmerson’s piece departs from and, dare I say, improves upon, aspects of both. In its innovative use of materials (bentwood in high-gloss lacquer finish), concept (cantilevered construction for even weight distribution), and functionality (the pronounced curvature mimics the body’s natural undulations), Emmerson’s chaise is bold yet practical, innovative but functional—nor does it hurt that its durable, weather-resistant finish lets it double as the world’s priciest deck lounge.

All kidding aside (and the reported $17,760 price tag is certainly no laughing matter), the Ripple Chaise will appeal to connoisseurs of the unusual, to be sure, but also to those who can spot quality construction a mile off: the two components are so perfectly balanced that a 200 pound man can sit at the end without toppling the whole ensemble. Emmerson’s work is also hand-crafted, which, in addition to aligning him with another artfully-inclined designer we recently profiled (Yukio Hashimoto), appeals to Pucci’s own circle of connoisseurs: “My clients expect the unexpected, and William is the unexpected here now.”

The olden days of unattractive saunas have officially ended with the opening of the VitaSol Thermal Baths in the spa town of Bad Salzuflen. Realized by KLAFS, a company that’s been in the sauna business since 1928, the VitaSol Thermal Baths include two glass steam and brine “heat experiences.” The red and black-tiled glass steam bath includes a freestanding steam chimney.

HOME Sauna. Designed by KLAFS

Sit on the smooth bench and revitalize your body: “The steam bath reinvigorates and cleanses the skin of the bathers as well as promoting blood circulation by operating at a relative humidity of 
100 % and at a temperature of 43 to 46 °C.” The green and black glass brine bath next door contains air with 8% brine, “generated by passing brine over the graduation house, which is made of blackthorn brushwood.” Inhaling salty air improves sinus and lung health. These two creations illustrate how saunas and steam baths can be sleek and contemporary. The glass enclosures at the VitaSol Thermal Baths use curved lines throughout, further breaking the design expectations of the sauna (which earned its bad reputation largely in the 1970s when wooden boxes were the standard).

SIGHT Sauna. Designed by KLAFS.

SMARTSAUNA. Designed by KLAFS.

VALLEY steam shower. Designed by KLAFS.

The exclusive sauna house. Designed by Garpa, manufactured by KLAFS.

If you can’t make it to Germany, then consider the KLAFS wellness products available for the home. The Lounge Sauna creates a Zen-like experience with its simple forms. Customize your Lounge Sauna to your particular space and design needs. Exterior cladding options, for example, are great: “continuous hemlock panels or classical wooden casing, natural or white varnished spruce, the whole thing in dark wenge wood or completely in white, with frameless glass fronts straddling the corners.” If you prefer wet heat, then look into the KLAFS steam baths, available in acrylic, ceramic, or natural stone in virtually any configuration, shape, or dimension. Add special extras such as Starry Sky, an aroma system, Circosteam, a steam distribution system, and Coloured Light, a color therapy function. These are not the saunas of Knots Landing and Dynasty.

Strange things happen in the 3rings universe. One of those unexplained mysteries is the recurrence of similar objects within a short period of time. This week, the crane appears as inspiration for both Yukio Hashimoto’s Moonbird and David Weeks’ Sarus. The Sarus Crane is an elegant bird with a graceful sweeping arc of a neck, colored delicately in white and black. The Sarus Series of lights takes its cue specifically from the avian’s bill.

Sarus Standing Lamp No. 310. Designed by David Weeks for Ralph Pucci.

New York designer Weeks explains the aesthetic drive behind his unique lighting: “To create his signature shades, Weeks applies a process he calls ‘formal reduction,’ which entails taking a generic shape, such as an orb, cone or cylinder, and slicing away portions until a new and sensual form emerges.” In the case of Sarus, the underlying shape used to carve the shade echoes the graceful sweep of the Sarus Crane. The collection comes in various incarnations, including the Sarus Chandelier, Sarus Standing Lamp, Sarus Sconce, and Sarus Desk Lamp. All use the same feathered friend as the basic shape for the light shade, which comes standard in black or ivory, although other colors may be specially requested (pewter is also available in some models, such as the Chandelier). Shades angle up to 160 degrees—a convenient feature most notably in the Desk Lamp, which needs to shed a concentrated beam for effective task lighting. Frames and hardware are constructed of nickel-plated steel with powder-coated aluminum shades—all manufactured in Brooklyn for Ralph Pucci.

Sarus Desk Lamp No. 113. Designed by David Weeks for Ralph Pucci.

Sarus Sconce No. 213. Designed by David Weeks for Ralph Pucci.

The Sarus Crane was the inspiration behind the Carus Series.

Each model in the Sarus Series looks like the crane in different positions, at rest and in flight. The Desk Lamp is one bird, its neck silhouetted against the horizon. Both the Sconce and the Standing Lamps feature two cranes: the Sarus Sconce looks like two birds flying in opposite directions; and the Sarus Floor Lamp like two birds standing back to back. It is the Sarus Chandelier, however, that is most captivating. In two, three, or four tiers, the chandelier takes fullest advantage of the fixture’s likeness to its namesake. Hanging like a perfectly balanced mobile, the Sarus Chandelier offers the most movement as it remains in transit, suspended in flight yet not having arrived at any destination. This ambiguous, pendulous state epitomizes the “fluid movement” and “carefully considered balance” of David Weeks’ lighting design.

These days, it doesn’t take too much looking around to realize we’ve entered a brave, new, and fully automated world. Recent posts on KI’s eCoupled Wireless Technology and UM Projects’ Lodge Chair give just a hint of the manifold ways in which the need to be plugged in (and the hundreds of possible manifestations of this “plugged-in-ness”) is crossing paths with design. When it comes to the functionality of kitchen and bathroom faucets, we’ve already seen products like Ski Shower, Digitecture, and Vado’s V-Touch—each of which wrap-up an automated ablutional experience in an alluring aesthetic package.

Y-Con Touch. Designed by Newform.

The latest of these contributions to precision water control is the Y-Con Touch Kitchen Faucet by Newform. This particular piece couldn’t be simpler, and I say kudos for that, since in the world of automation it’s easy to get carried away with bells and whistles while losing sight of the particular objective: precision stream and temperature control. Newform tackles the difficulty head on. Y-Con boasts a slim silhouette (perhaps taking inspiration from Dornbracht’s Classic Tara). The faucet features twin pedestal cylinders—one at the base and one at the head—joined by an exceptionally thin shaft. The look is all minimalist modernism and the function is too. No digital displays or fancy stream shapes here. Automation is self-explanatory, eminently operable, and handsomely integrated: a simple, pencil-thin blue ellipse containing “plus” and “minus” and “hot” and “cold” symbols lets you control flow level and temperature with the barest glance of a fingertip. And the intervals of change are just right—small enough to get you where you want to be and large enough to get you there quickly.

Y-Con Touch also features a pull-out nozzle with customizable spray, though you’d never guess this to look at it. As with every aspect of this intelligent and functional new kitchen faucet, the detail is seamlessly integrated. In sum, Y-Con Touch is nearly perfect—never before has high functionality been so subtle.

Via Trendir