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algae-based bio-resin puddle pavilion by i/thee hovers above mud creek in iowa

Puddle Pavilion by i/thee

The Puddle Pavilion by i/thee is a free-form canopy made from algae-based bio-resin cast directly on the ground with no formwork. The installation was sculpted through an additive process that the design team, led by Neal Lucas Hitch, refers to as Action Architecture. During construction, algae-based resin was poured, splattered, and flung onto the floor, left to settle naturally according to the principles of fluid dynamics, and then suspended atop slender custom steel columns to hover above Mud Creek in Bondurant, Iowa, outside Des Moines. The pavilion appears as a solidified resin river, or puddle, frozen in time, an abstract expressionist painting liberated from the canvas.

a puddle of algae-based bio-resin hovers above Mud Creek

The Puddle Pavilion is the second piece of infrastructure in an ongoing art implementation masterplan that studio i/thee has designed for the City of Bondurant, Iowa, following The Dining Room (2024), a set of intentionally eroded rammed-earth walls, and preceding The Garden (2026), a meandering fractal boardwalk. Serving as a canopy at the Eagle Park entrance to Mud Creek, the work invites visitors to linger and engage more deeply with the local ecology of the site. ‘With the Puddle Pavilion, we were interested in achieving formal literalism. Where other architects and artists have sought to create works ‘like’ or ‘as’ a flowing river, we aimed to sculpt a piece by literally capturing the ephemeral beauty of moving liquid frozen in time. The Puddle Pavilion is not a metaphor: it is not like a puddle, but rather it is a puddle, made by carefully poured layers of algae-based resin, left to find their own forms under the influence of natural forces such as gravity, surface tension, and fluid dynamics, as well as environmental variables including temperature and wind speed,’ shares designer Neal Lucas Hitch.

custom-fabricated joints connect the resin canopy to stainless steel columns

Tapping into the intrinsic beauty of natural phenomena, the installation embodies what we refer to as the oxymoron, Abstract Realism: abstract in the sense of being non-figurative and non-compositional; realist in the sense of being non-representational and non-symbolic, sculpted in participation with natural forces. ‘Here, art, architecture, is not a static object imposed top down by architects issuing plans, but a dynamic dance in which design is conceived as a negotiation, through the participation of architects, builders, and the natural environment working together in symbiosis,’ concludes i/thee’s lead designer.

the free-form canopy casts shade for visitors below

a solidified river of resin floats over the park landscape

sunlight filters through the edges of the semi-transparent resin

resin forms appear to merge with the surrounding sky and clouds

the sky is visible through openings in the resin canopy

resin was poured directly on the ground with no formwork and left to find its own form

the canopy is lofted above the site on slender stainless steel supports

the pavilion frames the entry stair to Mud Creek in Iowa

algae-based bio-resin was cast with no formwork to create the hovering free-form surface

the form of the canopy echoes the natural currents of the adjacent creek

project info:

name: Puddle Pavilion

designer: i/thee | @i____thee

design team: Neal Lucas Hitch, Kristina Fisher, Martin Hitch

location: Bondurant, Iowa, US

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

The post algae-based bio-resin puddle pavilion by i/thee hovers above mud creek in iowa appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

primary architects tops fuzhouji village center with curving, geometric rooftop

primary architects works to revive rural chinese village

The Fuzhouji Village Center, designed by Primary Architects, is located in Liugang Village, a rural area in China‘s Henan Province. Positioned along the banks of the Liugang Village Reservoir, the project serves as a pilot initiative for rural revitalization, addressing challenges such as depopulation, an aging community, and dependence on a single agricultural industry.

Surrounded by rice paddies and clusters of village housing, the timber building adopts a restrained presence in the landscape. Existing ridges and native vegetation are preserved, while its form responds to the terrain and the reservoir’s edge, allowing the architecture to settle into its environment rather than dominate it.

images © Arch-Exist

Fuzhouji Center brings low-carbon social hub

Primary Architects’ Fuzhouji Village Center brings a flexible social hub for residents, incorporating a teahouse, children’s library, and open gathering spaces suitable for daily use. These functions are intended to encourage community connection while also serving visitors, positioning the building as both a local amenity and a destination.

During construction, the architects employ a low-carbon hybrid system of glulam beams and steel joints. Hyperbolic structural components were prefabricated using digital modeling, then assembled on-site with a ‘wooden building block’ method. This approach reduces construction waste, shortens building time, and minimizes disruption to the surrounding farmland.

the Fuzhouji Village Center is located on the banks of the Liugang Village Reservoir

adapting to the reservoir site

The reservoir’s seasonal water level changes influenced the siting and form of the Fuzhouji Village Center by Primary Architects. To accommodate this fluctuation, the building is set on an elevated base, ensuring year-round access and maintaining a close connection to the water’s edge. The design integrates into the existing embankment texture, preserving the continuity of the landscape.

Recognizing the reservoir as a habitat for waterfowl, the architects retained native plants along its perimeter. This ecological buffer acts as a transition between the built form and the natural environment, reducing the project’s impact on local biodiversity.

By combining community-oriented functions with tourism potential, the center is designed to catalyze local economic growth. Its adaptable interior allows for cultural events, educational programs, and seasonal markets, strengthening the relationship between traditional farming culture and the evolving needs of rural society.

Primary Architects designed the building for rural revitalization in Henan

the architecture preserves existing farmland ridges and native vegetation

the structure uses a low-carbon hybrid system of glulam beams and steel joints

prefabricated components are assembled for the rooftop’s hyperbola form

project info:

name: Fuzhouji Village Center

architect: Primary Architects 

location: Liugang Village, Zhashan Township, Xinyang City, Henan, China

completion: December 2024

photography: © Arch-Exist | @archexist

lead architects: Xiang Huang, Songyan Mao
design team: Cong Liu, Zhiyan Lin, Le Chang, Dawei Wu, Qi Lu, Zilin Tian
construction: Henan Wujian Second Construction and Installation Co., Ltd.
area: 425 square meters

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iKKo’s mindone is a card-sized AI smartphone with detachable keyboard and rotatable camera

Mindone by iKKo runs on switchable operating systems

iKKo introduces MindOne, a card-sized AI smartphone that comes with a detachable keyboard and rotatable camera. With a 4.02-inch AMOLED display made from sapphire glass, the device has curved edges to reduce the chance of breaking. It also works with two operating systems. First, it runs Android 15 with Google certification, and second, it also includes iKKO AI OS, the in-house operating system focusing on the users’ productivity. In this way, people can switch between the two systems, with the AI OS offering tools for translation, voice-to-text, summaries, and podcast assistance. There are selected Android apps that can be added to the AI workspace, which can also be protected by a separate password. The card-sized AI smartphone doesn’t need any physical SIM cards.

It’s because the device comes with a built-in virtual SIM called NovaLink, which gives free internet for AI tools in more than 60 countries and paid full data access in more than 140 countries. In case the user still wants to use their SIM cards, they can do so, but it has to be the nano-sized one. Then, the optional Snap-In Expansion Case turns the touchscreen device into a QWERTY-keyboard-equipped smartphone using Google Keyboard (Gboard). The case has a Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC and even a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is rare these days, for wired audio. The detachable keyboard also contains a 500 mAh battery that can give extra power to the card-sized AI smartphone. The keyboard itself does not need charging to work but acts as a mini power bank instead.

all images courtesy of iKKo

card-sized AI smartphone mindone with flippable camera

The MindOne includes a flippable 50MP Sony camera with optical image stabilization. When not in use, it is folded and serves as the main camera on the back of the card-sized AI smartphone. When users want to take a selfie, they fold it up, as it can rotate up to 180 degrees and lock at any angle. The camera is also made of sapphire glass, just like the display, which is resistant to scratches. The device supports 4G+ connectivity for power efficiency and stable roaming. iKKO says this choice prioritizes better battery efficiency, more consistent global roaming, and stable coverage since the reduced power requirements of 4G+ allow the phone to maintain longer use on its compact battery while operating in multiple regions compared to when the team uses the recent 5G capabilities.

iKKO is also set to release the open-source kernel under GPL v2.0 and share 3D models of the card-sized AI smartphone to let the users create their own cases and accessories using a 3D printer. This move intends to allow the users to modify the hardware and software of the device, so that they can maintain it themselves and don’t need to buy additional, expensive accessories. MindOne is also built with small parts and has two types of systems: the high-end one can handle the power-hungry tasks, while the low-power one saves battery for when the device carries out simple activities like texting. At the present time, iKKo has an ongoing campaign for MindOne, and the team plans to ship the first batch of the card-sized AI smartphone starting in November or December 2025.

iKKo introduces MindOne, a card-sized AI smartphone

the device comes with a detachable keyboard and rotatable camera

the gadget has a 4.02-inch AMOLED display made from sapphire glass

the smartphone has curved edges to reduce the chance of breaking

the MindOne card-sized smartphone doesn’t need any physical SIM cards to work

view of the device

the detachable keyboard even has a battery pack that can supply additional power to the smartphone

view of the detachable keyboards

project info:

name: MindOne 

company: iKKo | @ikkoaudio

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