One of the invigorating aspects of working in the branding industry is reviewing the work that other agencies do. There are numerous examples where I think “smart, well executed” and nod approvingly. There are others where my heart sinks as the industry at large piles in to express contempt, usually with no knowledge...
Hypershell’s Elegant Leg Exoskeleton for Running, Cycling, Hiking, Etc.
China has spent decades shedding their design piracy image, and there's still work to be done. But with that much industrial might, it's just a matter of time before their original homegrown products start to outclass what the U.S. is producing. They've already stolen the march on EVs and solar panels. Now exoskeletons...
How “two lads in a WeWork” built Koto New York
It’s three years since branding agency Koto opened its studio in New York. It’s led by executive creative director Arthur Foliard, who’s been with Koto since 2017, and Alex Monger, who was hired to be the new managing director after stints at BBH New York and Wolff Olins. In recent months, the studio has released a...
Nike’s Cherry Blossom Air Force 1 Is Peak Spring Mood
There’s something about cherry blossom season that makes you stop in your tracks. Maybe it’s the pink petals floating through the air like confetti celebrating nature’s comeback, or the way entire neighborhoods transform into Instagram-worthy backdrops overnight. Nike gets it, and their latest Air Force 1 ’07...
common integrates microbakery and pizzeria within flexible hybrid interior in berlin
Common blends microbakery and pizzeria inside a hybrid space Located in Berlin’s Neukölln district, Common is a hybrid hospitality space that functions as a microbakery by day and a pizzeria by night. Designed by Thalea Schmalenberg, the interior supports the project’s dual identity through adaptable spatial...
watch how populous built the RC strasbourg stadium out of decommissioned aeroplanes
parts from 30 retired aircraft shape Populous’ stadium facade Populous introduces a striking environmental innovation to Strasbourg’s Stade de la Meinau, repurposing sections of decommissioned Airbus A340 fuselages to form the facade of the stadium’s new south stand. The project marks a world first in sustainable...
solar-powered backpack with sleeping bag and pillow supports individuals looking for shelter
Homemore project creates solar-powered backpack with pillow This is the Makeshift Traveler, a solar-powered backpack by HomeMore Project that comes with a sleeping bag and pillow and supports individuals looking for permanent housing. An initiative by the HomeMore Project, the accessory is tailored to the needs of the...
This Seoul Studio Just Grew a Building From Mushrooms
Picture a world where buildings aren’t just constructed but cultivated, where walls grow in custom molds and construction materials come from nature’s own filtration system. It sounds like science fiction, but on the campus of Seoul National University of Science and Technology, that vision became reality in 2024...
ariostea’s mūra surfaces translate concrete into a unified porcelain stoneware system
CERAMIC SURFACES FOR THE MID CENTURY STYLE Ariostea, part of the Iris Ceramica Group, brings the raw visual language of concrete to ceramic surfaces with Mūra, a porcelain stoneware project for contemporary architecture. The surfaces are conceptually rooted in a tribute to the mid-20th-century artistic current — a...
kong xiangwei’s art museum is a rolled concrete shell-structure in the woods
kong xiangwei sculpts a Threshold to the Forest At a bend along the mountain road in Jiuxian, China, the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Art Museum by Kong Xiangwei Studio occupies a narrow site shaded by oaks. The building marks the entrance to the Xi Valley Scenic Area’s forest art initiative — an open-air museum...