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Yasmin Ali

8 Unusual Houses in Japan That Break All Architectural Norms

8 Unusual Houses in Japan That Break All Architectural Norms

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They are quirky. They are minimal to the extreme. They are stark. They are bizarre. The following houses in Japan turn architectural norms on theirs heads and stand out from the cookie-cutter homes in their neighborhoods as surreal manifestations of form, function, vision, and originality. 1. The Hilltop House with Glass for Walls and Wildlife for Neig[...]
Null Stern Hotel Redefines Glamping: Camping-Out-Meets-Luxury-Hotel Experience

Null Stern Hotel Redefines Glamping: Camping-Out-Meets-Luxury-Hotel Experience

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Picture this: You’re nestled in the soft cushion of a queen-sized bed, gazing comfortably upwards into the vast expanse of the starry night sky, no roof above you and no walls around you, a cool mountain breeze floating across your skin. Sounds like a dream, right? If this type of luxury camping experience seems like something you need to tick off your bucke[...]
SolarPuff Solar LED Light Folds Down To Nothing

SolarPuff Solar LED Light Folds Down To Nothing

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What is darkness? Literally, it means the absence of light. But delve a little deeper, and you will discover darkness has profound implications. Darkness is deprivation. Darkness means not having access to knowledge and enlightenment. Darkness is danger. We flick on a switch and light floods our homes and offices. But there are still many corners of the e[...]
Off-Grid Freedom Now Comes in a Capsule

Off-Grid Freedom Now Comes in a Capsule

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The Ecocapsule will excite everyone from green-living enthusiasts to tiny house dwellers to minimalists. A low-energy house with powerful off-grid capabilities, the Ecocapsule is undoubtedly compact, challenging even the most bare minimalists to come up with innovative ways to live with less. Off-Grid Living Options The Ecocapsule is fitted with ple[...]
Adrian Esparza Weaves Magic to Create Geometric Installations from Sarape Blankets

Adrian Esparza Weaves Magic to Create Geometric Installations from Sarape Blankets

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What do you see in a sarape blanket? Bright colors. Intriguing patterns that hint at Mayan influences. A centuries-old tradition that continues to be a part of the daily life in the Mexican highlands. Artist Esparza sees all these and more. He sees endless possibilities to deconstruct the blanket to recreate novel art forms. Esparza’s works do not resembl[...]
Tracie Cheng’s Abstract Paintings: Merging Forms With the Formless

Tracie Cheng’s Abstract Paintings: Merging Forms With the Formless

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Tracie Cheng’s abstract paintings play peek-a-boo with you. At first glance, the fluid lines seem to be thrown together in a shapeless jumbled mass. But look closely, and you will discover subtle forms taking shape. Focus on them, and meaning appears behind the lines, stories beneath the layers. Cheng's paintings are a curious mixture of forms and the formle[...]
Poland's Abandoned Gdańsk Shipyard to Become Habitable With Tiny Houses on Rails

Poland's Abandoned Gdańsk Shipyard to Become Habitable With Tiny Houses on Rails

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In Poland’s Gdańsk Shipyard, the Tiny House movement has emerged in a different avatar, with the aim to bring to life a historic but derelict and mostly abandoned site. Polish architecture students Tomasz Zablotny and Pawel Maszota have dreamed up a plan to transform Gdańsk Shipyard into a residential complex that will house a vibrant artistic community. The[...]
12 Coffee-Brewing Technologies That Embody Precision, Finesse, and Artistry

12 Coffee-Brewing Technologies That Embody Precision, Finesse, and Artistry

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If you love your hot cuppa of roasted beans, then you are likely on the lookout for “sensory experiences.” Forget the offerings of the drip machine or your local coffee shop. A coffee connoisseur knows the gravity of proper bean preparation. A delicate hand, a fine balance, and a carefully procured flavor palate. Also crucial is your coffee tech. For you jav[...]
Elisa Strozyk Wields a Block of Wood to Create Wondrous Forms

Elisa Strozyk Wields a Block of Wood to Create Wondrous Forms

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German designer and wood wizard, Elisa Strozyk, weaves magic with her ability to see an endless array of possibilities in a piece of wood. Strozyk finds inspirations for her designs in seemingly non-descript and ho-hum daily objects. Then she takes up a wedge and lovingly sculpts it to give shape to her visions. For instance, she has created “wooden textiles[...]
Michael Zelehoski Flattens Reality

Michael Zelehoski Flattens Reality

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We would find beauty in everything around us if only we stopped to look for it. But immersed as we are in a virtual reality and bombarded with an assortment of goods, we hardly notice the objects around us—the everyday quotidian "things" like crates and palettes that we use, discard, and forget. NY artist Michael Zelehoski has taken it upon himself to carry [...]