As we spend a lot of time keeping ourselves up to date with the design industry, through mediums such as magazines, blogs and the news, we tend to come across a lot of projects that catch our eye and really draw us in. The Creative Roundup is a new series where we share projects we've discovered and feel are worth shouting about, focusing on all areas of the design industry from architecture to graphic design, fashion to fine art.
Opods
An architectural project we came across this month is Opods by James Law Cybertecture. As a way of easing Hong Kong’s housing crisis, these 100 square feet Opods, made out of repurposed water pipes, were created. They each include a living room, a mini-fridge, bathroom, shower and bench which converts into a bed. Each require little effort to install and are hoping to be fitted into spaces such as alleyways between buildings or dedicated sites where they will be stacked onto each other. We’re a big fan of the practicality of these pods, taking up little space at a very low living cost, something perfect for those who may be struggling to afford an ordinary flat or even for those who may prefer a simpler living style. With minimalism continuing to thrive, these seem like the perfect fit.
Ipnot
An artist we came across this month is Ipnot, a Japanese embroidery artist. She is known for her incredibly realistic miniature food pieces, each carefully stitched using a french knot stitch. She mentions she uses a technique called stippling, whereby the needle and thread mimic the use of a paintbrush – “As in the art of stipple painting, I use my needle like a paint brush and I stitch one knot at a time.” We love the level of detail in each piece, with colours and various shapes matched perfectly to those in the dish.
Colour of Time
An installation which caught our eye this month was ‘Colour of Time’ created by Emmanuelle Moureaux. The installation was created to represent the passing of time, whereby 120,000 paper number figures from 0-9 were created and aligned to form a 3 dimensional grid. The numbers transition from white to dark, including an array of bright colours placed in-between to represent time passing from sunrise to sunset. The designers commented that “the installation makes one feel the subtle changes in the atmosphere through the whole body travelling the colourful flow of time”. This mesmerising way to represent time really interests us; the ability for visitors to step in between the rows and take notice of the detail and hues of individual numbers really shows the significance of every minute in a day.
ecoBirdy
Another project we’ve enjoyed reading about this month is ecoBirdy by Maison et objet. It involves recycling children’s plastic toys into children’s furniture. The process involves collecting, sorting, cleaning and grinding old and unused toys before using the remaining plastic to create new furniture, such as tables, chairs, lamps and toy storage containers. This furniture is designed with round edges and silky, easy to clean surfaces perfect for use around children. Along with the furniture, they have also created a book to read to groups of children to educate them on plastic consumption and encourage them to donate their old toys to their project. As a team who are passionate about being as eco-friendly as possible, we’re big fans of this project and particularly its engagement with young children, helping them to understand the importance of recycling and how it can be used to create new and exciting products. Hopefully their involvement will cause habits to develop where they naturally are more considerate about their own plastic consumption.
