Sep
2

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extrastudio suspends holiday residence above the coastal slopes of portugal

Category: Design Boom

Extrastudio suspends Casa Plaj above the coastal landscape

 

Extrastudio completes Casa Plaj, a 120-square-meter house in Portugal that responds to the architectural traditions of the region with a simple form that hovers above the ground.

 

Set into the sloping terrain of Lourinhã, a rural area an hour north of Lisbon known for fruit orchards and its proximity to the surf towns of Ericeira and Peniche, the holiday retreat is centered by a cruciform podium supported by four load-bearing walls, forming an elevated base that touches the terrain only once to allow entry. From here, terraces project in all directions, extending the interior into private outdoor refuges and creating the impression that the home floats above the landscape.

all images by Clemens Poloczek, unless stated otherwise

 

 

framing Light and Ocean Views

 

Within the compact plan of Casa Plaj, the Lisbon-based architects of Extrastudio organize the kitchen, dining, and living areas as a generous central space that opens symmetrically to three sides, while bedrooms face south toward the ocean. A void carved into the solid volume forms an open-air courtyard entrance, concealed behind a sliding gate.

 

To counter the limits of the restricted footprint, the team exploits height and light. A large skylight makes the living room feel larger, while a series of precisely positioned oculi channels daylight deep into the house. During four months each year, beams of sun trace across every room before sunset, reaching their most dramatic intensity at the solstices. 

Extrastudio completes Casa Plaj

 

 

A Portuguese Home Shaped by Collaboration and Landscape

 

Close collaboration between Extrastudio, clients, and builders during construction allowed unexpected interventions, including grey plastered walls left bare, niches and portholes added, a steel door replaced with red glass, and stone finishes selected to resonate with the muted palette. The house’s initially planned grey exterior gradually acquired color during the building process, reflecting the hands and decisions of those involved.

 

The surrounding landscape was treated with restraint. Wild pine trees frame a long swimming pool that runs parallel to the coastline, while fruit trees were planted in grid formation on the slopes to preserve the agricultural character of the site. From inside, with windows that slide fully into the walls, daily life can extend outdoors as the horizon opens in all directions. After completion, the clients invited Extrastudio to experience the house firsthand, where the architecture gave way to the sounds of nature from a nearby creek, grounding the project in the atmosphere of the Portuguese coast.

this 120-square-meter house in Portugal responds to the architectural traditions of the region

a radically simple form that hovers lightly above the ground

the holiday retreat is centered by a cruciform podium supported by four load-bearing walls

terraces project in all directions

wild pine trees frame a long swimming pool

this water feature runs parallel to the coastline

 

 

project info:

 

name: Casa Plaj

architects: Extrastudio | @extrastudio

location: Lourinhã, Portugal

design team: João Caldeira Ferrão, João Costa Ribeiro, Sónia Oliveira, Rita Rodrigues, Andreia Simões, Marta Oliveira, Filipa Almeida, Mariana Brandão

landscape architecture: Oficina dos Jardins | @oficina_dos_jardins – Sónia Caldeira, Inês Bordado

structural engineering: Pedro Viegas

plumbing engineering: Motoliveira – Sandra Mota

electrical, HVAC, building physics, acoustics: Blueorizon

quantity surveyor: Rui Folgado

general contractor: Vassalo & Sousa Lda

photographer: Clemens Poloczek | @clemenspoloczek

model photos: José Pedro Marques

The post extrastudio suspends holiday residence above the coastal slopes of portugal appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Sep
2

By

This 3D Printed Minecraft Compass Points Wherever You Want

Category: YankoDesign

The Minecraft compass has always been one of those perfectly simple game items that somehow captures the imagination, hasn’t it? In the game, it reliably points toward your spawn point or, with the right enchantments, toward a lodestone you’ve placed somewhere in the world. It’s a humble navigation tool that’s helped millions of players find their way home through pixelated landscapes. Now, someone has brought this iconic blocky compass into the real world with a clever twist that makes it genuinely useful.

Unlike a traditional compass that stubbornly points north regardless of where you actually want to go, this 3D printed version can be programmed to point toward any location on Earth. The creator has faithfully recreated the pixel-art aesthetic of the in-game compass, complete with the distinctive red needle and colorful housing that immediately screams Minecraft to anyone who’s spent time in those blocky worlds. But underneath that playful exterior lies some genuinely clever engineering that transforms nostalgic fan art into a functional navigation device.

Designer: chaosgoo

The build combines 3D printing with modern electronics to create something that feels both retro and futuristic at the same time. A microcontroller and GPS module work together to calculate the bearing from your current position to whatever coordinates you’ve programmed as your destination. Instead of relying on magnetic north like traditional compasses, a small motor rotates the “needle” to always point toward your chosen location. The result is a compass that updates in real time as you move, behaving exactly like those quest markers we’re all familiar with from video games.

Setting up your destination is as simple as entering longitude and latitude coordinates, whether that’s your home address, office, a friend’s house, or that perfect camping spot you discovered last summer. The compass then becomes your personal navigation companion, constantly pointing you in the right direction no matter where you wander. It’s particularly appealing for hikers, travelers, or anyone who appreciates having a backup navigation method that doesn’t depend on cell towers or battery-hungry smartphone apps.

Of course, bringing any DIY electronics project to life comes with its share of challenges, from managing power consumption to ensuring GPS accuracy in different environments. The creator has thoughtfully addressed many of these issues while keeping the design accessible to makers with varying skill levels. Even better, the project files and code are available as open source, encouraging others to build their own versions or add creative modifications like different pointer styles or housing colors.

What makes this project particularly compelling is how it demonstrates the potential for playful design to solve real-world problems in unexpected ways. By starting with something familiar and beloved from gaming culture, the creator has made navigation technology feel approachable and fun rather than intimidating. It’s the kind of project that bridges the gap between digital nostalgia and practical functionality, proving that the best maker projects often come from asking what if our favorite game items actually worked in real life.

The post This 3D Printed Minecraft Compass Points Wherever You Want first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sep
1

By

The Rail V2 is a 3D printed wall-mounted planter system that’s now smarter and easier to use

Category: YankoDesign

If you love innovative plant displays, you’ll want to check out The Rail Version 2, a 3D printed wall-mounted planter system designed by Brian Hendricks. Building on the success of the original, this new version is smarter, easier to install, and even more beautiful in any space. After living with the original Rail in his studio and home for a year, Hendricks took his experience and feedback to heart and made some thoughtful improvements.

One of the biggest upgrades in The Rail Version 2 is the elimination of set screws. In the first design, brackets and attachments were held to the dowel with printed set screws. Now, the design is completely screw-free, which means it prints faster, installs more easily, and has a cleaner, more streamlined look. The top and bottom brackets now have closed ends that firmly sandwich the dowel, while the sliding dovetail attachment is secured with a small wedge that you simply insert from the bottom.

Designer: Brian Hendricks

This new dovetail system comes in two sizes. The larger size fits all of Brian’s large wall-mounted planters and also works with the small size, provided it uses the new under-mount drip tray. If you’re using a small planter from the original design, just stick with the small dovetail attachment for a perfect fit.

Mounting The Rail Version 2 to your wall is straightforward. First, slide the dovetail attachments onto the dowel and insert the wedge from the bottom, using a flat head screwdriver to secure it tightly. Next, place the top and bottom wall mounts on the ends of the rail. Insert the included keyhole markers into the slots on the wall mounts and press the rail against the wall where you want it. The markers will leave an indent, showing you exactly where to drill. Use a 3/16″ drill bit for the holes, then insert wall anchors and screws (#8 – #10 x 1″ screws and anchors work best). The screw heads should stick out just enough to fit snugly into the keyholes—use the included depth gauge for accuracy. Attach the rail to the wall and slide your planters onto the attachments. For best results, supports are recommended for the flat overhang on the back of the planters.

When it comes to printing, everything is designed to print upright with the flat bottom on the build plate. It’s important to note that The Rail Version 2 cannot be scaled, since the keyhole slots are specifically sized for standard hardware. This ensures a secure fit every time and a worry-free installation. With these improvements, The Rail Version 2 is a fantastic choice for anyone looking to add a little green to their walls. It’s clean, customizable, and practical—whether you’re a plant lover, design enthusiast, or just want an easy way to brighten up your space.

The post The Rail V2 is a 3D printed wall-mounted planter system that’s now smarter and easier to use first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sep
1

By

MIT develops robotic bee that can flip and hover, and could pollinate plants on other planets someday

Category: YankoDesign

Scientists around the world have been taking cues from the best technologist – nature – to design robots that can be helpful for areas where humans cannot reach. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) seems to be at the forefront, where things are evolving at a rapid pace. Just back in February, the scientists at MIT showed that they had developed an insect-sized flying robot with an unprecedented 17-minute flight time. The idea of a winged robot that jumps instead of flying has been in development for a while.

Now, in the evolutionary journey, MIT scientists have created a bee-like robot. It is currently under development. When fully developed, it will become part of a fleet of robots that can crawl, fly, and hop around, fulfilling their distinctive roles and purposes on Earth and even in extraterrestrial environments.

Designer: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The robotic bee weighs even less than the weight of a paperclip. A standard-sized metal paperclip weighs about 1g, for perspective; the bee weighs even less. But that does not impede its ability; in fact, it is idealized to be that small. The bee, despite its size, can flap its wings up to 400 times in a second. This flap speed allows it to achieve a maximum speed of two meters per second (i.e., 6.5 feet per second).

According to a fourth-year PhD student, Yi-Hsuan “Nemo” Hsiao, who is working on the bee robot, “We’re just trying to mimic these amazing maneuvers that bumblebees can achieve.” The idea may seem otherwise, but associate professor at MIT’s robotic lab, Kevin Chen, says that the idea of creating the robotic bee is not to replace bees in our environment but to have a bee-mimicking robot that can work in scenarios and emergency conditions where even the mechanical insect cannot.

While it flaps its wings using soft muscles that contract and elongate, the bee can also flip and hover. As iterated, it’s not an alternative option to bees, but the robotic bee, the researchers believe, should be able to someday become a successful artificial pollinator. If that’s possible, it could open up so many scenarios of where bees could pollinate, irrespective of the environment being congenial for bees in nature. This team thinks this could hold potential in ‘warehouse farms with rows of crops stacked high and ultraviolet lighting.’ “If you’re going to grow something on Mars, you probably don’t want to bring a lot of natural insects to do the pollination,” says Hsiao. Since that’s impossible, the lab-grown bees could potentially do that job on other planets.

The MIT team of scientists is also creating a grasshopper-like robot, which is said to be smaller than the size of a human thumb. It can hop 20 cm (at a lateral speed of approximately 30 cm per second) into the air on all kinds of surfaces, including grass or ice, being potentially lightweight, even on a leaf. The grasshopper robot is also capable of hovering like a drone at almost 60 percent less energy than the flying robots of its kind. The robots the size of a bee and a grasshopper, scientists believe, can also be helpful in rescue missions during earthquakes or inside of pipelines, where larger counterparts cannot be or reach.

The post MIT develops robotic bee that can flip and hover, and could pollinate plants on other planets someday first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sep
1

By

oscar niemeyer’s monumental museum frames brazilian design exhibition by galerie philia

Category: Design Boom

Then and Now: Brazilian Legacy at MAC Niterói

 

Oscar Niemeyer’s iconic Museum of Contemporary Art in Niterói in Rio de Janeiro hosts Then and Now: Brazilian Legacy, a landmark exhibition curated by Galerie Philia. The show stages a dialogue between mid-century modernists and a new generation of contemporary designers, situating Brazilian design within the larger arc of cultural history and architectural innovation.

 

Galerie Philia organizes the exhibition as a continuation of its mission to create site-specific encounters in architecturally significant spaces — in the past the gallery has activated Le Corbusier’s famed Kolektiv Cité Radieuse in Marseille (see here), along with Milan’s historic San Vittore church (see here). In Oscar Niemeyer’s circular galleries, sixty works unfold across disciplines, contrasting the legacy of modernist masters with the urgency of contemporary voices.

the show includes sixty modernist and contemporary Brazilian works | image © Denilson Machado

 

 

oscar niemeyer’s architecture backdrops generational Dialogue

 

With the Oscar Niemeyer landmark as an apt location, Galerie Philia‘s exhibition presents figures who shaped Brazil’s mid-century identity through design — Joaquim Tenreiro, Lina Bo Bardi, José Zanine Caldas, Jorge Zalszupin, Sergio Rodrigues, Giuseppe Scapinelli, Ricardo Fasanello, and Oscar Niemeyer himself. Their pieces trace a history in which furniture became more than functional, serving as an embodiment of cultural imagination and national aspiration.

 

Tenreiro’s radical lightness, Bo Bardi’s social engagement, Caldas’ carved protest furniture, and Rodrigues’ sensual warmth mark distinct yet interconnected approaches. Each demonstrates how Brazilian modernists integrated architecture, craft, and industry to articulate a vision of modern life that was both universal and distinctly local.

Oscar Niemeyer’s MAC Niterói provides a monumental setting for the exhibition | image © Maison Mouton Noir

 

 

Contemporary Perspectives

 

Years after Oscar Niemeyer’s legacy, Galerie Philia showcases the Brazilian designers of today, who work against a different backdrop: ecological urgency, cultural plurality, and a renewed focus on material origins. Their practices reinterpret modernist ideals through reclaimed wood, hybrid identities, and experimental forms. Designers such as Arthur Casas, Gabriela Campos, Hugo França, Zanini de Zanine, Aver, and Mauricio Arruda expand the narrative of design from utopian optimism to one of resilience and memory.

 

Hugo França’s monumental furniture carved from salvaged trunks foregrounds environmental concerns, while Campos’ cross-disciplinary practice echoes Bo Bardi’s inclusive ethos. Aver’s architectural lighting reimagines precision with sculptural warmth, and Zanini de Zanine continues his father’s legacy of working with reclaimed materials, underscoring sustainability as a central philosophical stance.

Hugo França shows monumental reclaimed wood sculptures | image © Maison Mouton Noir

 

 

For Ygaël Attali, founder of Galerie Philia, Niemeyer’s museum was an essential setting: ‘MAC Niterói is one of the most emblematic works of Oscar Niemeyer, and it embodies the very spirit of Brazilian modernism,‘ he explains. ‘Its futuristic form, suspended above the bay, already suggests a dialogue between past and future. It was crucial for me to situate this exhibition in a place that is itself a manifesto of modernism.‘

 

Working within Niemeyer’s strong architectural language presented challenges as well as opportunities. He continues: ‘The architecture is so strong that it risks overshadowing the works, but it also creates a rhythm that naturally lends itself to dialogue. We opted for interweaving modern and contemporary works rather than separating them, so that resonances and dissonances could be felt.’

mid-century masters like Lina Bo Bardi are presented alongside contemporaries | image © Maison Mouton Noir

 

 

Despite the distance between postwar optimism and today’s global ecological urgency, Attali emphasizes continuity. ‘What unites them is an ethic of material intimacy and craft,‘ Attali says. ‘Whether it is Tenreiro working with native woods, Zanine Caldas carving salvaged trunks, or Hugo França reclaiming monumental fallen trees today, there is a deep respect for the expressive potential of material. Another shared value is the belief that design can carry cultural meaning.’

 

Among the modernists, Tenreiro’s lightweight wooden chairs symbolize both refinement and absence, installed in an empty circle as a tribute to the legacy of masters. Zalszupin’s modular works reveal a balance between European sensibility and Brazilian innovation.

 

For the contemporaries, Attali singles out França’s monumental reclaimed wood sculptures and Campos’ narrative-rich objects, alongside Aver’s luminous architectural forms. Together, these works illustrate Brazilian design’s sculptural, poetic, intimate, and monumental breadth.

past optimism is in dialogue with present ecological urgency | image © Maison Mouton Noir

Oscar Niemeyer’s circular galleries shape the show’s rhythm | image © Maison Mouton Noir

the show emphasizes the expressive potential of material across generations | image © Maison Mouton Noir

Galerie Philia curates design exhibitions that respond directly to the setting | image © Maison Mouton Noir

 

project info:

 

name: Then And Now: Brazilian Legacy

gallery: Galerie Philia | @galerie.philia

location: Museu de Arte Contemporânea (MAC) de Niterói | @mac.niteroi

dates: August 29th — 31st, 2025

photography: © Maison Mouton Noir, © Denilson Machado

The post oscar niemeyer’s monumental museum frames brazilian design exhibition by galerie philia appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Sep
1

By

Top 5 Revolutionary Foldable Gadgets That Aren’t Phones (And Why You Need Them)

Category: YankoDesign

Everyone’s been going crazy over foldable phones, but to be honest, they’re solving a problem that doesn’t really exist. Yes, they’re impressive engineering feats, but most people can’t figure out why they’d pay double for a phone that’s thicker, more fragile, and way more expensive than regular smartphones.

But step outside the phone world, and folding suddenly makes perfect sense. Think about a laptop that’s a tablet, an e-reader that feels like a real book, or a full-sized mouse that vanishes when you don’t need it. These aren’t gimmicks or extravagant concepts; these innovative designs have real value, and they’re solving real problems we’ve dealt with for years. Dive in, and discover why you need to add them to your tech routine!

1. MacBook Folio

Designer Antonio has created what might be the most fascinating vision for Apple’s foldable future—a MacBook that’s all screen. This isn’t just adding a foldable display to existing MacBook designs; it’s completely reimagining what a laptop could be. The concept features a massive, foldable screen that eliminates physical keyboards, relying instead on a digital keyboard with haptic feedback for a realistic typing feel. Antonio’s design features Touch ID as a slide button, a trimmed version of Face ID, and support for a gorgeous AirPen for precise screen interaction and note-taking.

Why you need it

This concept solves the age-old problem of choosing between laptop productivity and tablet versatility. When folded, it becomes a massive iPad for creative work, reading, or media consumption. When opened, it transforms into a full laptop with all the screen real estate you could want. I love its dual nature—no more carrying both devices or making compromises. Apple’s attention to detail would theoretically solve the hinge and display durability issues that plague current foldable devices, while the haptic keyboard could feel better than some physical keyboards we’ve used.

What we like

Dual functionality eliminates the need to choose between a laptop and tablet for different tasks.
All-screen design provides unlimited possibilities for custom interfaces and creative workflows.

What we dislike

Losing physical keyboards might frustrate users who’ve spent years perfecting their typing muscle memory.
Concept status means this revolutionary design remains firmly in fantasy territory for now.

2. MooInk V

The MooInk V is basically what happens when an e-reader and a foldable phone have a baby, and the result is surprisingly great. This product has an 8-inch foldable E Ink screen that does both black-and-white and color, which is pretty much exactly what anyone who’s ever juggled between a Kindle and tablet has been waiting for. The text resolution matches what you’d expect from a premium e-reader, while the color stuff works well enough for comics and magazines, content that’s always felt weird on regular e-readers.

Why you need it

Regular e-readers are great for reading, but they never actually feel like reading a book. The MooInk V fixes that by literally folding like a book, complete with a spine-like hinge that makes the whole experience feel more natural. You can fold it 180 degrees to lie flat or prop it up at 90 degrees, depending on how you want to read. The aluminum build keeps it sturdy, and honestly, just the act of opening and closing it feels satisfying in a way that tapping a Kindle never does.

What we like

Finally feels like reading an actual book instead of staring at a flat screen.
Color E Ink means comics and illustrated books actually work properly on an e-reader.

What we dislike

Color resolution isn’t anywhere near what you’d get on a regular tablet.
There’s still a visible crease where it folds, which might bug some people during long reading sessions.

3. Samsung Flex Gaming Console

Samsung showed off this wild gaming console concept at MWC 2025 that looks like someone took a Nintendo Switch and made it fold in half like a book. It’s got the same basic layout: a screen in the middle, controls on the sides, but the whole thing closes up for way better portability. Now, before you get too excited, Samsung was pretty clear that this isn’t something you can buy. It’s more like them showing off their flexible screen tech to see if companies like Nintendo or Valve want to bite and make something real.

Why you need it

Current portable gaming is all about annoying compromises. The Steam Deck is awesome, but it feels like carrying a small laptop, while the Switch is super portable, but the screen feels tiny when you’re playing something complex. A foldable gaming device could solve both problems: a big screen when you’re playing, a tiny footprint when you’re traveling. Plus, think about the possibilities with two screens: maps on the bottom, inventory management, or chat windows without covering up the main game.

What we like

The foldable design means you get a big gaming screen that fits in your bag.
Dual-screen setup could enable completely new ways to play games.

What we dislike

It’s just a concept, so you can’t actually get your hands on one anytime soon.
Gaming on foldable screens would probably murder your battery life compared to regular handhelds.

4. OrigamiSwift Mouse

The OrigamiSwift is probably the most practical thing on this whole list. It’s a full-sized Bluetooth mouse that folds completely flat when you’re not using it. We’re talking 40 grams, thinner than most phones when folded, and it transforms in under half a second. The whole design is based on origami folding techniques, which sounds gimmicky but makes it surprisingly sturdy. If you’ve ever tried to fit a decent mouse in a laptop bag, you know this solves a real problem that’s been annoying people for decades.

Click Here to Buy Now: $79.00

Why you need it

Laptop trackpads have gotten way better over the years, but they still suck for anything serious. Photo editing, design work, even just navigating complex spreadsheets—you want a real mouse. But carrying around a regular mouse is a pain, especially if you’re moving between different workspaces all the time. The OrigamiSwift just eliminates that whole dilemma. Whether you’re working from coffee shops, bouncing between client meetings, or studying in different libraries, you’ve got a proper mouse that doesn’t take up any meaningful space in your bag.

What we like

Goes completely flat, so you never have to choose between mouse functionality and bag space.
Opens instantly, no fumbling around with complicated folding when you need to get work done.

What we dislike

The folding mechanism might wear out if you’re opening and closing it constantly.
Costs more than regular high-end mice that don’t need all the folding complexity.

5. Pentatonic Speaker

The Pentatonic speaker concept looks like five gold bars laid out side-by-side, except they’re made of sleek aluminum with a luxurious leather backing that holds everything together. Four outer panels house the speakers: a mix of regular drivers and bass, while the middle panel contains all the controls for volume and Bluetooth pairing. But here’s where it gets interesting: that leather backing gives the whole thing flexibility to transform into completely different shapes. You can roll it into a pentagon with speakers facing inward, spread it into a star shape with speakers facing out, or arrange it in a snake-like formation.

Why you need it

Most portable speakers force you to choose between decent sound and portability, but the Pentatonic concept eliminates that compromise. Lay it flat for directional sound like a traditional speaker, or roll it up and carry it like a duffel bag while it keeps playing. The coolest part is that when rolled up with speakers facing inward, it creates an echo chamber that amplifies the sound. You can customize your audio experience based on your space and needs.

What we like

Multiple configurations let you customize sound direction and quality for any situation.
Can keep playing music even while you’re carrying it around in rolled-up form.

What we dislike

Leather and aluminum construction would likely make this significantly more expensive than regular portable speakers.
Complex folding mechanism introduces more potential failure points compared to traditional speaker designs.

The Folding Revolution Is Just Getting Started

These five devices show what happens when folding technology has a point beyond just being cool. The MacBook concept tackles the screen size versus portability problem that’s been driving creatives nuts forever. The MooInk V finally makes digital reading feel like the real thing. Samsung’s gaming concept hints at solutions for portable gaming’s size issues, and the OrigamiSwift proves that even something as basic as a mouse can benefit from smart folding design.

I love how these products aren’t just new and shiny; they’re designed to solve tangible problems. They eliminate some annoying compromises we’ve all just accepted as part of using technology. As this stuff gets cheaper and more reliable, expect to see folding solutions pop up in places you’d never expect, completely changing how we think about making our digital tools both powerful and portable.

The post Top 5 Revolutionary Foldable Gadgets That Aren’t Phones (And Why You Need Them) first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sep
1

By

Post-Impressionism 101: Everything You Need to Know

Category: DailyArt Magazine

The post Post-Impressionism 101: Everything You Need to Know appeared first on DailyArt Magazine.

Sep
1

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inside the life of air architect hans-walter müller and his influence on inflatable architecture

Category: Design Boom

HANS-WALTER MÜLLER’S INFLATABLE ARCHITECTURE BECOMES HIS HOME

 

Hans-Walter Müller, a German-born architect, artist, and engineer has lived in an inflatable house for over 50 years, where a constantly humming motor keeps the air-formed structure upright. Since the 1960s, Müller has explored the spatial and sensory possibilities of air-supported architecture, building transparent plastic igloos and experimenting with forms that shift and float. His unusual approach is revisited at the Luftmuseum in Amberg through the exhibition Monsieur Luftarchitektur, on view until September 14, 2025. As the first solo exhibition and retrospective of the visionary air architect in Germany, it offers a unique insight into his work shaped by impermanence and imagination.

 

Pneumatic architecture — a field that trades mass for volume and weight for lightness — offers a provocative alternative to conventional building practices. Adaptable, mobile, and expressive, it continues to challenge assumptions about materiality and permanence. Tracing Müller’s journey and placing his work within a broader history of inflatable design, from its beginnings to its contemporary resurgence, we explore how air-filled visions shape the past, present, and possible futures.

Hans-Walter Müller in his transparent balloon during a ride through the city centre of Paris on World Environment Day, 2001 | image © Marie-France Vesperini

 

 

INFLATABLE DESIGN AS A PERSONAL MANIFESTO

 

Born in 1935 in Worms, Germany, Hans-Walter Müller studied architecture and engineering in Darmstadt before continuing at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. From early on, he challenged the conventions of static architecture, imagining structures defined not by weight and rigidity but by air, movement, and impermanence. Over the decades, his single-walled air-supported structures have taken shape as theaters, exhibition spaces, mobile studios, temporary shopping venues, and shelters in humanitarian contexts.

 

Known in Germany as the Architekt der Lüfte — the architect of air — Müller has long described his work as architecture of movement, rejecting static form in favor of dynamism and flux. To construct his structures, Müller uses high-frequency welding machines to join cut plastic patterns into large-scale rooms and interconnected ensembles. The lightweight constructions are made from colored, opaque, or transparent materials and can be relocated with ease. Over the years, he has developed innovative fastening systems and solutions for air exchange and pressure loss at entry points. His domes, roofs, and inflatable rooms are scattered across the globe, creating spatial experiences that are as atmospheric as they are ephemeral.

sound structure with resonance sphere on the grounds of La Ferté-Alais

 

 

Müller’s collaborations span art, architecture, and performance. In 1970, he created an airborne stage featuring a set design by Andy Warhol, a year later, he developed an inflatable studio for Jean Dubuffet. He also worked with Frei Otto, known for the tensile roof of the Munich Olympic Stadium, yet his most emblematic project remains his inflatable house he built in 1971 and still inhabits outside Paris. Both manifesto and prototype, it is a shifting structure that challenges assumptions about domestic space.

inside Hans-Walter Müller’s inflatable home | image © Lukas Schaller

 

 

THE RISE AND RETURN OF PNEUMATIC ARCHITECTURE IN DESIGN HISTORY

 

While Hans-Walter Müller played a defining role in popularizing inflatable architecture, he wasn’t alone in reimagining how air and plastic could reshape the built environment. In the mid-20th century, architects such as Frei Otto and Cedric Price were likewise drawn to the possibilities of lightweight, flexible forms. The roots of pneumatic design can be traced back even further, to 1948, when American engineer Walter Bird developed the first inflatable dome to shield military radar systems from weather. These early innovations planted the seed for a new architectural vocabulary — one that favored adaptability over solidity.

Walter Bird standing on top of one of his first pneumatic “radome” prototypes on the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory grounds in Buffalo, New York, 1948 | image © Birdair, Inc.

 

 

This new architectural language gathered momentum in the 1960s and reached a symbolic high point at the 1970 World Expo in Osaka — a landmark event for experimental architecture. Among the most outstanding structures was the Fuji Group Pavilion by Yutaka Murata. With a circular plan and a diameter of 50 meters, it was the largest air-inflated structure in the world at the time. Sixteen identical air-filled arches composed the frame, with a geometric twist. While the central arches followed a semicircular profile, those positioned closer to the ends narrowed at the base, causing their peaks to rise higher. Made of vinyl-coated polyester and held aloft by internal air pressure calibrated at around 1000 millimeters waterhead, the dome appeared to float above the site like a living membrane.

Fuji Group Pavilion by Yutaka Murata, Osaka, 1970 | image © Yutaka Murata, courtesy of Osaka Prefectural Government

 

 

Two years later, the Austrian collective Haus-Rucker-Co pushed pneumatic design into the realm of radical art and institutional critique. Created for Documenta 5 in 1972 — the renowned contemporary art exhibition held every five years in Kassel, Germany — Oase No. 7 temporarily transformed the neoclassical facade of the Fridericianum in Kassel. The project consisted of a transparent PVC sphere, eight meters in diameter, mounted on a steel ring structure that cantilevered outward from a window of the museum. Accessed via a walkway piercing the building’s wall, the inflated orb hovered above the entrance like an artificial growth, suspended between interior and exterior. Inside, visitors encountered a surreal micro-environment complete with plastic palm trees, a hammock, and a red flag. Half a century later, the questions posed by such temporary, air-supported structures continue to resonate — especially as architects return to light, mobile, and reversible forms in response to today’s environmental and social urgencies.

‘Oase No. 7, Documenta 5’ 1972 by Haus-Rucker-Co | image © Dennis Conrad

 

 

In contemporary practice, pneumatic architecture continues to evolve as a relevant and forward-looking design strategy. For Switzerland’s contribution to Expo 2025 in Osaka, Manuel Herz Architects — in collaboration with researchers from the Kyoto Institute of Technology — have developed a pavilion composed largely of pressurized, air-inflated spheres made from recyclable ETFE. These elements form a lightweight construction of hollow double-shell membranes supported by curved steel beams. Since air pressure is generated only within the outer shell, the structure avoids the need for airlocks at the entrances, maintaining a stable interior climate with minimal technical effort. Echoing the speculative spirit of Expo 70, the design reflects on how impermanent, mobile architecture can meet contemporary demands for climate responsiveness, material efficiency, and spatial adaptability — not as a nostalgic gesture, but as a viable strategy for building more lightly on Earth.

the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka | image courtesy of FDFA, Presence Switzerland

From countercultural interventions to contemporary pavilions, pneumatic architecture has continually offered a way to build that is light, experimental, and open to change. While many examples serve as a spectacle or statement, others delve deeper into the existential potentials of air-filled space. Few have pursued this path as consistently as Hans-Walter Müller. Though he did not invent inflatable architecture, his work stands out for its steady commitment: a lifelong investigation into what it means to inhabit air, to live within movement, and to turn the temporary into the everyday.

structure by Hans-Walter Müller at the Nice Festival in 1981

exhibition “Au bord de l’air” (On the edge of the air), Parc de La Villette, Paris, 2006 | image © Marie-France Vesperini

construction by Hans-Walter Müller at Walther Square in Bolzano, 2023 | image © Marie-France Vesperini

Hans-Walter Müller in the process of making his inflatable structures

Hans-Walter Müller’s Pianodrome in the courtyard of Poppelsdorf Schloss, 2016

exhibition view of Monsieur Luftarchitektur at the Luftmuseum | image © Marcus Rebmann

portrait of Hans-Walter Müller | image © Marcus Rebmann

 

 

project info: 

 

name: Pneumatic Architecture

architect: Hans-Walter Müller

publication: Hans-Walter Müller und das lebendige Haus; ISBN: 9783959055116
exhibition: “Monsieur Luftarchitektur – Hans-Walter Müller” Architekt, Ingenieur, Künstler; 1967 bis heute
location: Luftmuseum e.V., Amberg, Germany 

dates: May 25th – September 14th, 2025

The post inside the life of air architect hans-walter müller and his influence on inflatable architecture appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

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rammed earth and windcatcher roofs shape farm village in abu dhabi by inca hernandez

Category: Design Boom

Inca Hernández Atelier revives oasis traditions in Abu Dhabi

 

Inca Hernandez Atelier unveils Liwa Farm Village, a 7,000-square-meter masterplan in the historic Liwa Oasis of Abu Dhabi’s Western Region that combines agricultural production, cultural spaces, and community life. The project draws on ancestral building traditions, including rammed-earth walls, windcatchers, aflaj irrigation, and palm-trunk roofing, while adapting them through contemporary strategies that prioritize sustainability and thermal comfort in the harsh desert climate. Conceived as a farm and a gathering ground, the complex includes cultural exhibition halls, a veterinary and teaching facility, a Majlis, the traditional communal space for gathering and hospitality, a farm-to-table restaurant, a spa, and guest bungalows surrounded by palm groves.

renderings by Studio Navarro & Alfonso Castelló

 

 

rammed earth and clay latticework compose Liwa Farm Village

 

The Liwa Oasis, bordering the Rub’ al Khali desert near Saudi Arabia, has long been a lifeline for settlements in the region, sustaining communities with water, shade, and fertile ground. Early fortresses and dwellings built here from local stone and palm wood endure as a record of how human settlement adapted to the desert’s extremes. Mexico City-based Inca Hernandez Atelier design pays homage to this lineage, grounding the project in materials and systems that capture the identity of the land. Rammed earth walls mix desert sand with concrete to achieve thermal mass and resilience against erosion. Clay latticework lightens walls while filtering sun and air, while pigmented washed concrete platforms elevate the buildings, shielding them from drifting sand.

Inca Hernandez Atelier unveils Liwa Farm Village

 

 

celebrating Al Gharbia heritage

 

The exhibition spaces of Liwa Farm Village open with arched porticoes and clay lattice roofs recalling windcatchers, framing views of the desert sky while passively cooling interiors. A veterinary center connects directly to horse paddocks, supporting both animal welfare and community learning. The Majlis anchors the site at its central atrium, built with double-curved forms and palm-structured roofs that echo traditional oases, surrounded by reflecting pools inspired by qanat water channels. Nearby, a restaurant serves produce from the farm itself, while a spa recalls the sahn courtyard typology, bordered by lavender and lemongrass crops nourished by reclaimed water. Four small bungalows complete Inca Hernandez Atelier’s ensemble, designed for family and guest use as quiet retreats of earth and palm construction.

 

Liwa Farm Village is a place where food production, cultural memory, and social exchange overlap. Its design foregrounds the Western Region’s identity, Al Gharbia, while responding to contemporary challenges of climate and sustainability. 

a 7,000-square-meter masterplan in the historic Liwa Oasis of Abu Dhabi’s Western Region

the project combines agricultural production, cultural spaces, and community life

conceived as a farm and a gathering ground

grounding the project in materials and systems that capture the identity of the land

clay latticework lightens walls while filtering sun and air

rammed earth walls mix desert sand with concrete to achieve thermal mass and resilience against erosion

the project draws on ancestral building traditions

four small bungalows complete Inca Hernandez Atelier’s ensemble

 

 

project info:

 

name: Liwa Farm Village

architect: Inca Hernandez Atelier | @incarquitectura

location: Bateen Liwa, Abu Dhabi, UAE

construction area: 7,000 square meters

land area: 30,000 square meters

 

lead architect: Inca Hernandez

team: Evelin García, Luis Enrique Vargas, Jesús Navarro, Alfonso Castelló

renderings: Studio Navarro & Alfonso Castelló

The post rammed earth and windcatcher roofs shape farm village in abu dhabi by inca hernandez appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

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1

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Framework Laptop 16 NVIDIA RTX 5070 GPU Module Brings Laptops Closer to Desktop Power

Category: YankoDesign

The laptop versus desktop debate has raged for decades, hasn’t it? You either get the portability of a laptop with compromised performance and zero upgradability, or you get the raw power and modularity of a desktop that’s permanently chained to your desk. Framework’s new Laptop 16 with upgradable NVIDIA graphics might finally be bridging that gap in a meaningful way.

For years, we’ve been told that truly modular laptops were impossible due to thermal constraints, space limitations, and the complexity of making everything work together reliably. Most manufacturers have settled for minor upgrades like swapping RAM or storage, while the GPU and CPU remain locked in place until you buy an entirely new machine. Framework apparently didn’t get that memo.

Designer: Framework

The star of this latest iteration is the user-swappable NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 graphics module, which brings NVIDIA’s latest Blackwell architecture with 8GB of GDDR7 memory to a fully modular form factor. The performance jump is substantial too, delivering 30-40% better gaming framerates compared to the previous Radeon RX 7700S module. More importantly, upgrading requires just six screws and takes about three minutes, making it genuinely accessible for regular users rather than requiring advanced technical skills.

What makes the Framework Laptop 16 particularly compelling is how comprehensive the modularity actually extends beyond just the graphics card upgrade path. The input deck is completely customizable, letting you swap between keyboard modules, numpads, macropads, and spacers depending on your workflow needs. Whether you’re a programmer who wants dedicated macro keys, a gamer who needs a numpad for MMOs, or a minimalist who prefers clean spacing, you can reconfigure the entire layout.

Storage, memory, and even the mainboard itself can be upgraded independently, creating what Framework calls a “laptop for life” philosophy. This level of user control feels almost desktop-like in its flexibility, except you can actually close the lid and take it with you. The thermal system has been revamped to handle the increased power demands, using advanced thermal interface materials and a 240-watt USB-C charger that makes this one of the few gaming laptops powered entirely through USB-C.

That said, we’ve seen ambitious modular laptop projects before, and they haven’t exactly had stellar track records for longevity. Alienware’s Area-51m promised upgradable CPUs and GPUs but quickly abandoned the concept when newer generations didn’t fit the original chassis design. Other manufacturers have tried similar approaches only to quietly discontinue them when the engineering challenges became too complex or expensive to maintain over multiple product generations.

Framework’s approach feels different this time, particularly with NVIDIA’s direct involvement and support for the graphics module ecosystem. The company has also demonstrated backward compatibility by making the RTX 5070 module work with existing Laptop 16 units, proving they’re serious about long-term upgrade paths. Still, only time will tell whether this modular vision can survive the inevitable pressures of cost reduction, manufacturing complexity, and changing industry standards.

For creators, gamers, and power users who’ve been frustrated by the disposable nature of most laptops, the Framework Laptop 16 represents something genuinely exciting. It’s the closest thing we’ve seen to a desktop replacement that actually lives up to that name, offering real upgradability without sacrificing portability. Whether this marks the beginning of a new era in modular computing or becomes another interesting footnote in laptop history remains to be seen, but it’s certainly the most promising attempt we’ve witnessed so far.

The post Framework Laptop 16 NVIDIA RTX 5070 GPU Module Brings Laptops Closer to Desktop Power first appeared on Yanko Design.

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