Paper Honeycomb: from structural element to mainstream architectural design

Paper HoneyComb from structures to architectural design

Being undervalued for many years as a cheap and unstable material, being mainly used as a structural element in doors with some applications in airplane industry and protective packaging, the paper honeycomb has  recently entered the select area of architectural design. Perhaps you wondered how can Ikea furniture be so strong and so light in the same time. Paper honeycomb is the answer.

Bin Bin waste paper basket by John Brauer

"Fractal-ish" philosophy in John Brauer's Bin Bin

How come I didn’t see it before. I have a thing with cool designs for waste paper bins as they tend to be a central focusing piece in every study room or [home] office. Remember my previous article on  wastebasketball trash bin ? That one was brilliant in its playfulness, colors (not so much on the green side as it was soooo inviting to throw things at it) while John Brauer’s Bin Bin have some sort of fractal-inspired design, where the very bin resembles it’s content.

Transformer Laptop Stand from LapDawg makes a statement of ergonomy and design

A better laptop stand that can fit many sitting positions

There have been countless occasions I wished I had a laptop stand to hold my laptop while lying in bed and thinking of all those nasty electromagnetic waves and the un-natural position it forces me to take to properly watch and write. Although there are many designs out there for a laptop stand ( I’ve already covered one such smart design here but it’s only a desk stand) there was none I have encountered to be multifunctional and to impress me such as to write about it here on perfectcube, where only best designed, most ergonomic and green products get.

Wooden caterpillar track makes a nice chair design: the Miserolo Chair

The Miserolo Chair is a caterpillar track for tranquille homes

I love the kind of seating the Miserolo chair fits in. Designed by serbian designer Uros Vitas it is confortable and it allows a great deal of back-leaning without the fear of falling over.

But unlike all the other contraptions of the concept, which are whether metal-frame or bent plywood, this one can really be made anywhere with two pieces of strong flexible plastic ribbons and a lot of solid wood blocks. A CNC

Golf Ball Aerodynamics makes cars go further just like, well… golf balls

Could Golf Ball-like dimples increase car mileage? Apparently YES.

It is well-known that “Dimpled balls fly farther than non-dimpled balls” (wikipedia). Also there’s been some time since I first heard about the hypothesis that similar dimples in aircraft fuselage or cars bodies would make them more energy-efficient. But that was all about this theory. I didn’t see any development that would make it to the mass produced products.

Apparently The Mythbusters, the popular Discovery Channel show, did some work on this one. And the result was one that

contemporary beanbag inspiring designs

designer beanbags of today's times are luxury and style anybody would like

I was looking in the past days all over the internet for a green and eco-friendly sofa or lounge but even the greenest options weren’t that green after all. You can have a look at my previous article to see what’s all about. For the easy-readers I’ll just state my conclusion and go on with the article: there doesn’t seem to be a complete green alternative for the very thing that makes sofas comfortable: foam . So where else can you find comfort and style and the

Swank Lounge Chair means confort of eyes and muscles

Swank Lounge Chair is eye relaxation as well as body comfort

Huntinburg, Indiana based OFS has designed a lounge chair I couldn’t just pass by. It’s so elegant, so simple in construction that even your eyes start to relax when watching it even before you close them up after sitting down. As they say, “Swank is a statement about comfort and convenience through simplicity in form, and brevity in material use”. Nothing more true. Hit the link to see it yourself and dream of elegance and style.

Zero Energy Passive Cooler for a greener world

Evaporative cooler preserves food with zero energy consumption

Winner of the designboom’s green life contest, this project is  (by the author rochus jacob’s words):

” a transfer and optimization of basic technology mainly used in emerging countries to the high-tech kitchen. Food gets preserved by the cooling effect of evaporating water using no electricity. The system is designed to be stackable, can be used as an alternative for a pantry, second fridge or an

3D glass printing method (re)discovered

Not there yet but definitely a step forward. Shape is way more complex though.

I sometime talk about bio-mimicry as a way to greener and more efficient products. It’s obvious: humans simply didn’t got to that point in evolution where we can do better than nature. But apparently we’d better use some ancient-mimicry as well. Our much touted Egyptians seemingly used a very-similar technique to cast glassware, technique named “pate de verre” in which glass frits (finely crushed glass) was mixed with a binding material such as arabic gum and water, deposited on a mold to form a coating, and then thermically fused.

Scientists at University of Washington’s Solheim Rapid Manufacturing Laboratory has revived this ancient method with a modern nano-tech touch

Replace plastic and metal with natural materials: ceramic translucent pottery

Liz Emtage Ceramics : translucent pottery for warm glowing lights

I am in a constant quest of renewable and green materials to craft different objects around the house but thus far I haven’t been able to imagine a good material for lamp shades. Usual materials are glass (too energy intensive, difficult to work with even in recycled state), plastic (not eco-frienly, petroleum-based product) and metal (energy-intensive, opaque). One could use wood timber or some sort of thick paper for translucency but my interest has been sparked by liz emtage ceramics,

The Bow Lamp by Valerio Cometti: less material, same effect

Bow Lamp uses less material, more designer skill

Seemingly Valerio Cometti is a green guy. Hopefully. He designed a lamp with no real body, with its shape dictated by tensions in the elastic aluminium frame and the electric chord ran through the support running against the wall. Difficult to understand? . If so take a look at the images after the jump and get inspired.

I am really impressed by the same aesthetics while using smart framing with less material, which could be anything from aluminium to stainless steel to some elastic timber. Other similar lamps use some sort of heavy ballast to balance the weight of the curbed steel pipe and head diffuser.

Other interesting point would be that this design gets the whole object closer to the wall, saving space.

Modern Glamour Chandelier by Erich Einder

Rich splendor, old time evoking chandelier

I am really hooked to glamour interior design with a modern twist…modern materials and well… modern designers. Erich Einder has designed Mansion Chandelier, a beautiful piece of art, fashioned out of laser-cut aluminium, that evokes old royal richness.

What I particularly like about it, as it’s not the first nor the last such design, is it’s flatness. Many such chandeliers are designed for very high places while this one really can be placed in our modern small block apartments, being 30cm tall which is less than my current chandelier.

Flower Container by Kimberly Manne adds a new touch to the common flower vase

Perforated stainless steel flower vase

As I have just said about everything there is to know in the title of the article I let you admire the product’s design.
On a side-note, the Brooklyn-based Warp Designs LLC manufactures the stainless steel vases at a price of $259.00 so if you’re sold to the art grab one

Fold-out graphic wall shelving by Mark Kinsley

Fold-out graphic wall shelving

As the apartments around the world shrink as far as space is concerned, modern youngs are forced to rent or (the lucky ones) buy them as they are.

Here comes a helping hand from  product designer Mark Kinsley: with a small footprint, this picture wall shelving openes to full picture or only parts of it to accommodate your daily

The Bilge Lounge Chair by Red Hook, Brooklyn

Beautiful chair made from truck springs and barrel staves

Featured in 2modern, definitely one of the best design blog I am reading, this chair made in Red Hook workshop, Brooklyn by Bill Hilgendorf and Jason Horvath is maximum recycling, best design. I am simply in love with this lounge chair made from truck springs and bourbon barrel staves.