By

order matter opens mixed-use concrete building to the sun in dense seoul neighborhood

order matter designs a sunlit concrete refuge in seoul

 

Tucked into a dense neighborhood on the east side of Seoul, Raw House by architecture studio Order Matter is a compact concrete structure that combines a street-level café, private flats, and a top-floor penthouse doubling as office space — all within a restrained, sun-oriented shell that frames lush hillside views. 

 

Designed from the inside out, the mixed-use building organizes space around light, tactility, and human experience, based on passive design principles. The southern facade opens generously toward the wooded slope, capturing warmth and light for communal areas. By contrast, the northern side buffers the home from street-level intensity with fewer openings and a more introspective character. This push-pull in orientation is echoed in the material palette, composed of uncoated raw concrete, natural stone, and timber.

all images by Simone Bossi

 

 

raw house employs passive strategies

 

From the outset, London- and Seoul-based Order Matter rejects the noise of overdesign. Euroform lines in exposed concrete are drawn with intent, plywood and stone surfaces are composed to read as singular masses, and even timber flooring follows a grid that aligns across rooms. This adds a spatial rhythm to the project, where furniture feels placed, not built-in, and walls feel positioned, not imposed. Joints are minimized, ceiling lights are omitted, and indirect lighting washes down from concealed coves to preserve a sense of openness and allow future occupants to shape the mood on their own terms.

 

Beyond its pared-down aesthetics, Raw House employs passive strategies to elevate daily life. Living and kitchen spaces bask in southern sun while bedrooms retreat to the cooler, quieter north — reducing cooling demands and supporting sleep. The thermal mass of the building stabilizes interior temperatures and moderates humidity naturally. Even the staircase becomes a design device with its semicircular landing opening up a view to the geometry of the structure.

tucked into a dense neighborhood on the east side of Seoul

Raw House by architecture studio Order Matter is a compact concrete structure

Raw House houses a street-level café, private flats, and a top-floor penthouse doubling as office space

reflective surfaces complete the interiors

curtains filter sunlight covering the floor to ceiling openings

the mixed-use building organizes space around light, tactility, and human experience

uncoated raw concrete, natural stone, and timber compose the material palette

Order Matter rejects the noise of overdesign

the sun-oriented shell frames lush hillside views

capturing warmth and light for communal areas

Euroform lines in exposed concrete are drawn with intent

plywood and stone surfaces are composed to read as singular masses

 

 

project info:

 

name: Raw House

architect: Order Matter | @ordermatter

location: Seoul, South Korea

 

main contractor: Ilto Construction

photographer: Simone Bossi | @simonebossiphotographer

The post order matter opens mixed-use concrete building to the sun in dense seoul neighborhood appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

By

PrusaSlicer Macro-Pad Gives You Expert 3D-Printing Controls Under Your Fingertips

For the uninitiated, 3D printing is a fairly complex process. You can’t just hit print the way you do on a regular printer – a 3D printer needs preparation, a bit of technical know-how, and knowing the language of a printer, by which I mean understanding how a 3D printer looks at 3D models.

Sounds complicated, but simply put, most extrusion-based printers have a small nozzle moving around a baseplate, printing a model layer by layer by layer. This means the 3D model you see is actually a massive spiral staircase for the printer’s nozzle. It starts at the bottom and gradually moves upwards as it builds each layer, following instructions to create a desired shape. For seasoned printing geeks, the go-to software to turn 3D models into these ‘instructions’ is PrusaSlicer.

Designer: Andrea Perugini

PrusaSlicer has been a crowd favorite for a while, and complements Prusa’s own 3D printers perfectly. The problem, however, is that like any good software, it sort of gets crippled by a lacking hardware experience. You run PrusaSlicer on your laptop, but are limited to controlling it via a keyboard and mouse – the PrusaSlicer macro-pad changes that by giving you intuitive controls at your fingertips.

The PrusaSlicer macro-pad comes from the mind of Andrea Perugini, who probably felt like a hardware solution would elevate the software to another level (like most of us). The macro-pad is ridiculously simple – six keys and a knob. Each control does something fundamentally necessary for prepping a 3D model before sending instructions to a printer.

You can arrange models, add new models, cut, rotate, and scale them. The rotary knob aids the rotate function by letting you quickly rotate a model on the X Y or Z axis while placing it on your baseplate. Again, for the uninitiated, most 3D models print vertically, but for tricker (or larger prints), it’s important to place or orient the model in a way that allows the vertical printing to be efficient. For example, the way you print a model can determine how much time or how many supports it needs – those real-world metrics make a big difference to quality and efficiency.

Finally, a Slice button turns your oriented 3D model into a set of linear instructions for the printer. The Slice button might be the first on the macro-pad, but it’s often the last button you hit. Once the model is ‘sliced’, the file can then go to the printer, which executes your commands to bring a 3D model to life.

Sadly, the PrusaSlicer macro-pad is merely conceptual, but I can totally see it being built as a third-party device to make 3D printing easier. I’m pretty sure a whole lot of printer-owners will pay good money to streamline their printing process!

The post PrusaSlicer Macro-Pad Gives You Expert 3D-Printing Controls Under Your Fingertips first appeared on Yanko Design.

By

He Built a James Webb-Inspired Solar Generator That Boils Water

Did you know the sun emits a staggering 173,000 terawatts of energy every single day? That’s enough to power the entire earth for thousands of years – with just a day’s worth of solar energy. The problem is that we haven’t learned how to tap into that form of energy effectively. Sure, we harness the sun’s power through solar panels, but even the best solar panels operate at just 25% efficiency – which means 75% of the energy still doesn’t get captured. Now while technology is looking for a way to fix this, YouTuber Concept Crafted Creations decided to tap into the sun by taking inspiration from one of science’s greatest achievements – the billion-dollar James Webb Telescope.

Known for its unique design featuring multiple hexagonal mirrors that focus light towards a single point, the JWT has helped mankind explore and unravel secrets of the universe from multiple light years away. The telescope’s design is perhaps the most fascinating thing about it, so Concept Crafted Creations asked himself – what if you built something similar that could focus the sun’s rays and do something as simple as use solar energy to, say, heat water?

Designer: Concept Crafted Creations

Concept Crafted Creations started by reverse-engineering the JWST’s optical brilliance into a sun-hungry, heat-spitting contraption that’s both modular and motorized. Eighteen laser-cut plexiglass mirrors, shaped into precise parabolic curves, concentrate solar energy toward a central aluminum plate with such precision that you could probably fry breakfast on it. The choice to go with silver chrome instead of JWST’s signature gold wasn’t just aesthetic—it was physics. Gold reflects infrared well, but silver? It crushed gold in head-to-head heat tests under the same sunlight exposure.

The build itself is a mix of mad ingenuity and low-cost wizardry. Each of the 18 mirrored panels feeds light into a focal point sharp enough to melt metal. And while commercial springs could’ve aligned those mirrors for hundreds of dollars, he printed 53 TPU coil springs instead, tested them under compression, and confirmed they still held elasticity after hours of pressure. Cost-effective? Definitely. Sketchy? Somehow, no. Backing it all is a monstrous lazy Susan bearing, twin electric motors, and a sun-tracking brain made of four LDRs feeding data to a microcontroller. Nerds, rejoice: this thing thinks.

But design isn’t always divine. The first mold turned out spherical, not parabolic, scattering sunlight like a disco ball instead of focusing it. Nine hours of mirror making? Wasted. He course-corrected, reshaped every panel, and rebuilt the frame. Now, all that thermal firepower converges onto a CNC-machined aluminum heat plate, sealed with plexiglass and coiled for water circulation. It’s elegant and overengineered, although painfully underutilized thanks to a cloudy Dutch sky.

…which makes the final figure all the more impressive: 924 watts of raw thermal output from a rig built with home-grade components and exactly zero aerospace-grade materials. That breaks down to roughly 705 watts per square meter of reflective surface—on par with professional solar concentrators, and from a collector that still wobbles in the wind.

The performance test involved heating 20 liters of water from 22.6°C to 44.2°C in just 32 minutes, translating to a net energy gain of 183,840 joules. That level of heat delivery is enough to nudge this from a fun weekend project to a viable energy solution. Every mirror pulled its weight too – around 51 watts per segment, making this configuration remarkably efficient given the DIY constraints.

Not that it all went smoothly. Real-world physics stepped in when a balance miscalculation sent the whole apparatus tipping over mid-test. Moving the collector plate to the front of the pivot made it more effective—but also top-heavy. One gust of wind later, and everything hit the ground. But what’s revealing is that the creator stopped to crunch the numbers before even thinking about repairs. There’s confidence in the data that justifies a rebuild.

Among the more clever fixes were community-driven. The original alignment process with a ceiling-hung laser pointer was, predictably, a nightmare. Instead, a 3D-printed rig using a high-power LED and magnifying lens cast a giant red dot, simplifying the calibration of all 18 mirrors. Add in a few printed sleeves to shield the LDR sun trackers from ambient light, and you’ve got a system that’s cheap, repeatable, and surprisingly precise.

Ultimately, the setup looks absolutely fascinating (imagine being this guy’s neighbor), but how does it stack up against traditional solar panels? Not particularly well. The mirror array managed to generate about 1 kilowatt of heat, warming the water in the system to around 44°C after thirty minutes. While the water got hot, it didn’t reach a boiling point, and there’s currently no mechanism, like a turbine, to convert that heat into electricity. Even with one, it’s doubtful the efficiency would match that of a solar panel array of the same size. For now, the system remains a work in progress. According to the build video, it still needs higher-quality mirrors and a sturdier structure to withstand the elements before it can generate meaningful power. Is all this effort worth it? I honestly doubt it – but the internet doesn’t measure DIY projects in the metrics of practicality, it does so with the currency of cool, which this particular solar generator has tonnes of!

The post He Built a James Webb-Inspired Solar Generator That Boils Water first appeared on Yanko Design.

By

This Brutal Mustang Boss 302 Restomod Looks Ready for a Dystopian Drag Race

It’s hard to look at this Mustang restomod and not imagine it thundering down an abandoned freeway at 2 a.m., V8 snarling, tail lights glowing like the final warning of a predator. What you’re looking at is a wild restomod of the iconic Ford Mustang Boss 302 – blacked-out, widebodied, and sculpted to look like it’s a hop, skip, and jump away from being Dominic Toretto’s next ride. It feels like the love child of a Trans-Am bruiser and a stealth bomber, dragged through a track day fever dream.

From the mind of AltraConcept, this beast is based on the ‘69 Boss 302, but calling this a restoration would be underselling the borderline militaristic aggression oozing from every panel. The silhouette remains unmistakable – fastback roofline, elongated hood, tri-bar taillights – but it’s been stretched and forged into something angrier. Wider haunches swallow the rear slicks like it skipped leg day for five years and then hit the gym with a vengeance. The front splitter could shave ice, and the rear diffuser looks like it was borrowed from a GT3 prototype.

Designer: AltraConcept

Every visual detail is purposeful. The louvers over the rear glass, carried over from the classic Boss, are less retro gimmick and more exoskeleton. They cap off the design with a dose of 1970s street racer grit, now sitting atop what feels like a race-prepped chassis. The side pipes tucked just under the doorline hint at serious underbody reinforcement and a low-slung center of gravity. Those tires? Full slicks. Probably from a drag radial lineage, judging by the treadless meat at the back. This isn’t for your neighborhood cruise night. It’s for the quarter mile, or the apocalypse – whichever comes first.

The front fascia is another brutalist art piece: stripped-back housing with raw metal supports and exposed lighting elements that give off a sci-fi utility vibe. Like someone hacked apart a Mustang and reassembled it with a blueprint written in adrenaline. The yellow-tinted LED bars add a motorsport aesthetic, keeping things period-correct only if your period is set in an alternate dystopian 1984.

And then there’s the engine – an exposed V8 with individual velocity stacks erupting through the hood like chromed volcanoes. No subtlety. No plastic covers. Just mechanical muscle on full display. It’s the kind of setup that makes you think of ‘70s Can-Am racers or Le Mans monsters, unapologetically engineered to inhale air like it owes them money. It’s hard to say what exact engine block it’s running without digging into specs, but it screams naturally aspirated, probably a big-inch Windsor or a custom mill north of 500 horsepower. This thing isn’t here to cruise. It’s here to dominate.

What’s clever is how it maintains enough DNA to still be undeniably Mustang. The designers didn’t just graft modern aero onto a classic shape. They rebuilt the whole identity around what the 302 meant: raw performance, track focus, a defiant middle finger to Europe’s nimble coupes. They took that attitude and cranked it until it felt like a character—cinematic, moody, maybe a little dangerous. Think Dom Toretto if he traded in his Charger for something equally iconic but way more composed in the corners.

The interior isn’t visible in these shots, but from the roll cage and racing harnesses peeking through the window, it’s safe to assume the cabin is more race car than road car. It probably smells like gasoline, hot metal, and fabric melted by friction. And that’s a compliment.

The post This Brutal Mustang Boss 302 Restomod Looks Ready for a Dystopian Drag Race first appeared on Yanko Design.

By

automobili pininfarina unveils novantacinque hyper GT, the last car in the battista series

novantacinque hyper GT is pininfarina’s last battista

 

Automobili Pininfarina releases Battista Novantacinque (95), a Hyper GT with rotary controls machined from aluminum. Debuted at the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile (MAUTO) in Turin, Italy, the vehicle is a tribute to the 95th anniversary of Pininfarina SpA. The Hyper GT also marks the last bespoke Battista from the car manufacturer, as it concludes producing such at the end of 2025. In this case, the Battista Novantacinque, which is also a one-off commission, secures the spot of being a collector’s vehicle since the company isn’t producing it in limited quantity.

 

The model, then, is an homage to the design history of Pininfarina. It begins with the exterior using the material named exposed signature carbon. It has a glossy, deep shade of red, a color that’s connected to Italy, the birth country of the car manufacturer. The design team uses a tailored paint scheme for the Pininfarina Battista Novantacinque Hyper GT. It includes the shiny PURA Vision Gold paint as well as the Nero Torino black paint, still with a glossy finish. There’s a gold line accenting and complementing these three colors around the exterior.

all images courtesy of Pininfarina

 

 

Anodized and machined aluminum for the knobs

 

The Automobili Pininfarina team adds the name Novantacinque on the back wing of the Battista Hyper GT. It seals the car’s status, restating that this is the last of its kind. For the wheels, the spokes resemble starfish, and the tires have a polished, uncolored finish. They also have black details in the channels to match the black brake calipers. Now for the aluminum parts. These elements have undergone a process called anodizing, which creates a hard and protective layer around them to protect them from scratches and make them sturdy. 

 

For the Battista Novantacinque Hyper GT, Automobili Pininfarina designs rotary controls machined from aluminum. These are the knobs that turn to adjust the vehicle’s settings. Because of the machined aluminum, these controls subtly stand out inside the cabin. They’re also only made for this final Battista variant. As part of the tribute, parts of the cabin refer to Italy, whether by design or material, including the floor mats as well as the chassis and door plates.

Automobili Pininfarina releases Battista Novantacinque, a Hyper GT with controls machined from aluminum

 

 

A celebration of Pininarina’s 95 years

 

For the seats, the design team uses black leather and black Alcantara, a synthetic material that feels like suede. The seats have stitching in two colors: black and gold. This style matches the car’s exterior colors, with the gold line around the lower panel of the doors as well as the exposed signature carbon. Even the knee pads use black Alcantara, and they bear the logo ‘95’ engraved in gold to recall the name of the model.

 

In light of the last Battista production model, Paolo Dellachà, CEO of Automobili Pininfarina, says that the Hyper GT represents ‘the pinnacle of bespoke luxury and performance. It is a tribute to Pininfarina’s past, present, and future—a timeless masterpiece created to honor 95 years of design excellence. It is only befitting that the Novantacinque is the final expression of the Battista line. With the window to secure a place in this rare chapter of automotive history drawing to a close, the Novantacinque stands as an icon to be treasured for generations.’

the exterior has a glossy, deep shade of red, a color that’s connected to Italy

the frame uses the material named exposed signature carbon

the design team uses a tailored paint scheme for the Pininfarina Battista Novantacinque Hyper GT

there’s a gold line accenting and complementing the exterior colors

view of the butterfly doors

for the seats, the design team uses black leather and black Alcantara

as shown above, even the knee pads use black Alcantara, and they bear the logo ‘95’

the cabin evidently shows two colors: gold and black

as seen, view of the knob machined from aluminum

 

project info:

 

name: Battista Novantacinque Hyper GT

car manufacturer: Automobili Pininfarina | @automobilipininfarinaofficial

The post automobili pininfarina unveils novantacinque hyper GT, the last car in the battista series appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

By

Tadao Ando’s Green Apple Watch Blends Playful Design with Youthful Spirit

Freshness and a dash of whimsy rarely meet as gracefully as they do in the Green Apple watch, a creation born from the unlikely pairing of Swiss watchmaker Cauny and the masterful Japanese architect, Tadao Ando. It’s the kind of collaboration that immediately grabs your attention, not just because of the names involved, but for how it manages to bottle youthful energy within a neatly crafted timepiece.

The story behind this watch starts with an apple—specifically, the green apple, which Ando regards as a symbol of youth. That idea, borrowed from Samuel Ullman’s poem, infuses every inch of this playful design. “Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind,” Ullman writes, setting the tone for a watch that dares to look and feel a little unripe, a little tart, but full of promise and verve.

Designer: Tadao Ando x Cauny

Glancing at the Green Apple watch, you’re greeted by a burst of green that feels just as invigorating as biting into a crisp apple on a summer morning. The case, the dial, and even the strap come together in a striking shade of green that’s impossible to ignore. Unlike the usual parade of monochrome minimalism, this watch is confident in its vibrancy, inviting a second look and maybe even a smile.

Where the design really starts to charm is in the details. The hour hand, shaped like a delicate leaf, floats across the dial as if caught in a gentle breeze. It’s a subtle nod to the inspiration behind the watch but one that makes checking the time a small delight. There’s a sense of mischief in how Ando hides these poetic references in plain sight, refusing to settle for the straightforward or the expected.

For those who prefer their accessories a bit more understated, there’s also a brushed steel version that swaps the apple’s tart green for a cool, silvery sheen. This model quietly references Ando’s architectural roots, especially his love for concrete and clean lines. The steel finish offers a different kind of energy, one that’s calm, enduring, and perhaps a bit more reserved, while still carrying the spark of youth at its core.

Both versions of the watch share a rounded, pebble-like case that sits comfortably on the wrist, as if designed for both the young and the young at heart. The Italian leather strap wraps things up with a touch of sophistication, making the watch feel special without being precious. The anti-reflective sapphire glass adds a dash of practicality, ensuring the vibrant dial is always easy to admire.

It’s hard not to appreciate how the Green Apple watch brings together color, form, and narrative in such a thoughtful way. Each element, from the playful leaf-shaped hand to the poetic echoes of Ullman’s words, feels carefully considered. Whether you fall for the juicy green or the cool steel, there’s a sense of joy and possibility that lingers long after you slip it on your wrist.

The post Tadao Ando’s Green Apple Watch Blends Playful Design with Youthful Spirit first appeared on Yanko Design.

By

Tom Fereday’s 2025 NAU Collection: Four Pieces That Speak Through Materia

Tom Fereday’s newest collection for NAU Design arrives with the confidence of restraint. Four pieces scheduled for winter 2025 availability demonstrate how contemporary Australian furniture can maintain global relevance while honoring local manufacturing traditions. The Ayva table, Cove armchair with accompanying table, Nola lamp series, and Sia outdoor chair each address specific functional requirements through considered material choices and structural honesty.

Collection Facts:

Designer: Tom Fereday
Brand: NAU Design, Melbourne
Release: Winter 2025
Pieces: 4 distinct furniture items
International debut: 3 Days of Design, Copenhagen 2025
Exhibition: Melbourne Design Week with Artedomus, May 15-25, 2025

Ayva Table: Single Support Structure

The Ayva table addresses small space dining through a central arced leg that flows from floor to tabletop. This single support system creates visual lightness while maintaining structural stability for two person seating. The curved geometry distributes weight effectively, allowing the piece to function without traditional four leg construction.

Solid timber construction throughout means each table displays unique grain patterns and natural wood characteristics. The manufacturing process emphasizes traditional joinery methods, with the curved support requiring careful attention to wood grain direction and stress points. Surface finishing allows the timber’s natural properties to remain visible while providing necessary protection for daily use.

Compact proportions make the table suitable for apartments and smaller dining areas where space efficiency matters. The sculptural base creates visual interest from multiple viewing angles, transforming a functional piece into spatial punctuation. The design works within NAU’s established approach of reducing decorative elements while maintaining character through material and form.

Cove Collection: Exposed Frame Design

The Cove armchair exposes its timber frame as the primary visual element rather than concealing structure beneath upholstery. Feathered cushions provide necessary comfort while allowing the wooden framework to remain prominent. This approach showcases joinery techniques and wood grain patterns typically hidden in conventional seating.

The accompanying table employs a sled base design that mirrors the chair’s structural honesty. Together, the pieces establish visual relationships through shared material language and proportional consistency. The table’s base creates stability while maintaining the collection’s emphasis on exposed construction methods.

Traditional woodworking techniques connect the frame components, with each joint receiving careful attention to both structural integrity and visual appearance. The contrast between hard timber and soft cushioning highlights the properties of each material rather than blending them into compromise. This material dialogue creates the collection’s distinctive character.

Nola Lamp: Material and Light Interaction

The Nola lamp series explores how different materials respond to internal illumination. Available in hand cast crystal glass and honed solid stone variants, each version produces distinct lighting characteristics. The crystal glass creates light refraction effects, while the stone version generates warm, diffused illumination that emphasizes surface texture.

Manufacturing processes differ significantly between versions. The crystal glass variant requires hand casting techniques that introduce slight variations in thickness and internal stress patterns. These manufacturing variations contribute to unique light dispersion in each piece. The stone version involves precision hollowing and surface finishing that maintains structural integrity while allowing light transmission.

Two size options accommodate different spatial requirements and lighting needs. The proportional relationships remain consistent across sizes while adapting to functional demands. This sizing approach allows the lamps to work in various interior contexts, from bedside applications to larger room installations.

Fereday’s material exploration through the lamp series demonstrates how identical functional requirements can produce different aesthetic results based on material selection. This approach prioritizes material honesty over uniform appearance, allowing each version to express its material properties through light interaction.

Sia Outdoor: Weather-Resistant Adaptation

The Sia chair’s outdoor version translates the original design’s sculptural qualities into weather-resistant materials. The curved seat and backrest geometry remain consistent while materials change to withstand environmental exposure. This adaptation process maintains visual continuity with indoor versions while meeting outdoor performance requirements.

Material selection focuses on UV resistance, moisture protection, and temperature stability without compromising the chair’s essential form. The sculptural seat profile translates into synthetic materials that provide necessary durability. Surface treatments maintain tactile qualities similar to original materials while offering superior outdoor performance.

Stackability becomes important for outdoor furniture storage and space management. The chair incorporates stacking features without disrupting its sculptural profile. Weight optimization through material selection improves portability while maintaining stability during use.

Testing protocols include salt spray exposure, UV cycling, temperature variation, and moisture penetration assessment. These requirements inform material choices and surface treatment decisions while preserving the design’s core aesthetic principles.

NAU Design: Australian Context and Global Reach

NAU Design’s Melbourne base influences both design philosophy and manufacturing capabilities. Local production methods and material availability shape design decisions, creating pieces optimized for Australian manufacturing while maintaining international market appeal. This relationship between local context and global ambition characterizes the brand’s approach.

The partnership with Australia Pavilion at World Expo 2025 in Osaka positions NAU as a representative of contemporary Australian design on the global stage. This association demonstrates the brand’s role in promoting Australian design excellence internationally while maintaining local manufacturing connections.

Recent coverage in international design publications, including Dezeen, indicates growing recognition for Australian furniture design. The brand’s European debut at 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen further establishes its international presence while building on local market success.

The Melbourne Design Week exhibition with Artedomus (May 15-25, 2025) demonstrates local engagement alongside international expansion. This dual approach maintains home market relationships while developing global recognition. The collaboration with Artedomus, a leading architectural surfaces supplier, creates cross industry partnerships that benefit both companies.

Manufacturing and Material Sourcing

Local timber sourcing supports Australian forestry while providing material traceability for environmentally conscious consumers. The brand’s emphasis on solid timber construction requires careful supplier relationships and quality control processes. Each piece showcases wood grain patterns and natural variations that make individual items unique.

Traditional joinery methods connect with Australian woodworking heritage while meeting contemporary quality standards. These techniques create lasting connections between components, supporting the brand’s focus on durability over disposable consumption. The visible joinery in pieces like the Cove collection showcases these construction methods as design elements.

Quality control processes ensure consistency across the collection while allowing for natural material variations. This balance between standardization and individual character reflects the brand’s approach to mass production that retains handcrafted qualities.

Yanko Design Assessment: Focused Design Philosophy Produces Coherent Collection

Fereday’s collection succeeds by trusting materials to create interest rather than relying on decorative additions. The Ayva table’s single curved leg and the Cove chair’s exposed frame represent different solutions to the same principle: let structure do the talking. This takes design confidence that many furniture makers lack.

Traditional joinery methods and solid timber construction suggest pieces built for longevity rather than quick replacement cycles. Whether these durability claims hold up remains to be seen, but NAU’s material choices and construction techniques point in the right direction. The brand’s international expansion through Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design and the World Expo partnership shows serious global ambitions while maintaining Australian manufacturing roots.

Winter 2025 availability will test market appetite for furniture that prioritizes authentic materials over trend-driven styling, offering design enthusiasts an alternative to decoration-heavy pieces that dominate many showrooms.

The post Tom Fereday’s 2025 NAU Collection: Four Pieces That Speak Through Materia first appeared on Yanko Design.

By

LEGO Technic Aston Martin Valkyrie boasts working V12 engine and gull winged doors

The term ‘Hypercar’ is truly complemented by the Aston Martin Valkyrie that lurks at the outer limits of road-legal realms. Initially debuting as a concept in 2016, the Valkyrie is one of the most powerful road-legal cars built in collaboration with Red Bull Racing’s Adrian Newey, who is a seasoned pro at the F1 paddock. Fusing automotive technology and luxury, the hypercar has a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 engine developed by Cosworth, paired with a hybrid system to produce a combined 1,160 horsepower. It can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under 2.5 seconds, with a top speed exceeding 250 mph.

All those numbers are enough to ignite any motorhead’s lust for adrenaline-pumping action. The London-based ultra-luxury brand has the Valkyrie as one of its most prized possessions that you can own for $3.5 million upwards. For someone like me, who is humble in that regard, the next best thing is to own a scaled-down replica of the performance coupe. If it’s an official LEGO set designed by Aston Martin, then what could be better?

Designer: Aston Martin and LEGO Group

The LEGO Technic Aston Martin Valkyrie manages to emulate the real thing in most of its form with detailed precision. This intricate LEGO set comprises more than 700 pieces that come together to take the shape of the aerodynamic car in Podium Green livery. Keeping every little element true to the Valkyrie’s engineering is what makes this LEGO creation special, just like the LEGO Porsche GT4 E-Performance model and the G-Wagon. According to Marek Reichman, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of Aston Martin, “Our collaboration with LEGO Technic celebrates the impossible engineering and visionary thinking that brought Valkyrie to life. By integrating it into the Gameloft Asphalt Legends UNITE gaming platform, we’re not only immortalizing its legacy but also introducing this otherworldly machine to a new audience in a creative way.”

This LEGO model Valkyrie gets a detailed V12 engine with moving pistons and a working differential, which should delight purists. Also, there are functional gull-winged doors and a steering wheel controlled via the top-mounted lever in case you want to take it on a ride down the hallway. Alexandra Dragomir, Marketing Manager for LEGO Technic, says, “We’re thrilled to bring Aston Martin’s hypercar to life in brick form, as well as an in-game experience on Gameloft Asphalt Legends UNITE gaming platform.” For Asphalt fans, each purchased kit will bring the opportunity to unlock the virtual LEGO Valkyrie and the true-to-life Aston Martin in the video game. For proud owners of the hypercar, they can have fun behind the virtual wheel in racing sims.

It measures approximately 11 inches in length, 5 inches in width, and 2.5 inches in height. This LEGO set will be available only in Podium Green color for $60 and will become the center of focus in your living room bookshelf or geeky desk setup. You can buy it from the official LEGO website from 1 August onwards. When the Valhalla set arrives is anybody’s guess, and that’ll be an even better dopamine hit for motorheads and passionate LEGO collectors.

The post LEGO Technic Aston Martin Valkyrie boasts working V12 engine and gull winged doors first appeared on Yanko Design.

By

Loewe celebrates 10 years of the Puzzle bag with exhibit

The Puzzle bag by Loewe is iconic for its groundbreaking design, which blends architectural precision with everyday functionality. Introduced in 2015 by creative director Jonathan Anderson, it was the first major handbag he developed for the house and instantly stood out for its cuboid silhouette made from meticulously cut and assembled leather panels. Its origami-like structure allows it to fold flat, an innovation that marries artistry with practicality. Beyond its clever construction, the Puzzle bag symbolizes Loewe’s revival under Anderson’s direction—celebrated for its craftsmanship, versatility, and instantly recognizable shape, making it a modern classic in luxury fashion.

Loewe is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its iconic Puzzle bag with a vibrant pop-up installation at Harrods in London, showcasing the brand’s commitment to craftsmanship and innovation. Introduced in 2015 by then-creative director Jonathan Anderson, the Puzzle bag quickly became a symbol of Loewe’s modern approach to luxury. Its distinctive cuboid shape, crafted from precisely cut leather panels, reflects the brand’s dedication to artisanal techniques. The bag’s unique design allows it to fold flat, combining practicality with avant-garde aesthetics.

Designer: Loewe

To commemorate this milestone, Loewe has unveiled the ‘Puzzle 10’ collection, featuring 19 reimagined versions of the original bag and one new design. Highlights include the ‘Confetti’ bag, adorned with colorful leather and metal sequins, and collaborations with artists like William Morris and Joe Brainard, showcasing the brand’s fusion of fashion and art. The Harrods pop-up offers an immersive experience, displaying the diverse iterations of the Puzzle bag in an exhibition-like setting. The installation not only celebrates the bag’s evolution but also pays homage to Anderson’s transformative impact on Loewe, blending fashion with cultural and artistic elements.

As Loewe looks to the future, the 10th anniversary of the Puzzle bag is more than just a milestone—it’s a celebration of bold creativity, expert craftsmanship, and a design that has defined a generation of modern luxury. Over the past decade, the Puzzle bag has transcended seasonal trends to become a true design icon, admired not only for its distinctive geometric structure but also for its versatility and wearability. From Harrods to high fashion runways, it has made its mark as a piece that seamlessly bridges function and form, admired by fashion insiders, collectors, and everyday style enthusiasts alike.

The anniversary collection and immersive Harrods installation highlight how the bag has evolved while staying true to its core identity: an object of beauty, precision, and cultural relevance. As Loewe continues to push boundaries and explore new frontiers in fashion, the enduring legacy of the Puzzle bag stands as a powerful symbol of what happens when heritage meets innovation.

The post Loewe celebrates 10 years of the Puzzle bag with exhibit first appeared on Yanko Design.

By

layered red roof sweeps over vastushilpa sangath’s verdant school in chennai, india

shiv nader school winds through 1,400 trees in chennai, india

 

Vastushilpa Sangath’s Shiv Nader School in Chennai, India, is unified by a sweeping red roof that weaves through existing vegetation, creating a porous campus that intertwines architecture and ecology. Built around 1,400 mature trees the school is composed of low-slung, modular structures linked by deep verandahs and shaded courtyards. Designed to grow in phases, the campus is thoughtfully responsive to both its climate and context, treating the site’s natural, cultural, and hydrological layers as integral parts of its design logic.

 

The architects have devised the design language by looking to Tamil traditions, particularly the Chettinad thali, a composition of varied dishes served on a banana leaf. This is reimagined here as a sequence of spatial experiences, unfolding through a series of modest, dispersed volumes unified by sweeping curved roofs and deep verandahs. These transitional spaces also become functional learning environments in their own right, remaining shaded, open, and deeply rooted in local traditions of gathering and exchange.

all images by Edmund Sumner

 

 

Vastushilpa Sangath stages the campus as a loop of low volumes

 

Vastushilpa Sangath’s master plan breaks the built mass into modular units organized in a loop that is adjusted around the existing trees based on their age, species, and ecological significance. The architects prioritized creating the school with minimal environmental impact, and so the construction preserves biodiversity as much as possible and allows for the uninterrupted movement of birds, insects, and small wildlife.

 

Circulation paths bend and branch around trees, while rooflines are punctuated to allow canopies to pass through. This consideration for the site’s ecological character extends to the construction system featuring prefabricated structural components, including parasol-like roofs, that were assembled on-site to reduce disruption. Footings and service trenches were also combined into a single system, minimizing root disturbance while allowing for future infrastructure updates.

Shiv Nader School sits in Chennai, India

 

 

climate responsiveness is integrated throughout

 

Vastushilpa Sangath has worked with a material palette that draws from local economies and circular reuse for low-impact construction. Grey granite flooring, sourced from the region, supports both thermal comfort and traditional stonecraft, while a secondary skin of reclaimed ship timber wraps parts of the building in a weathered, tactile finish that quietly anchors the new architecture in tactile memory.

 

Environmental systems are also integrated sensitively throughout Shiv Nader School: solar panels generate roughly a third of the school’s energy needs, while a hybrid ventilation system merges natural airflow with mechanical cooling to optimize air quality, a particularly vital consideration for the architecture studio in a post-pandemic context. Climate responsiveness is equally embedded in water infrastructure. A defunct on-site lake was restored as both an ecological park and a learning resource. The campus now harvests all its domestic water needs through surface runoff and roof collection.

a sweeping red roof unifies the structure

solar panels generate roughly a third of the school’s energy needs

built around 1,400 mature trees

the school is composed of low-slung, modular structures linked by deep verandahs and shaded courtyards 

the material palette draws from local economies and circular reuse for low-impact construction

the campus now harvests all its domestic water needs through surface runoff and roof collection

the architects prioritized creating the school with minimal environmental impact

 

 

project info:

 

name: Shiv Nader School

architect: Vastushilpa Sangath

location: Chennai, India

 

principal architect: Rajeev Kathpalia

design director: Vijay Patel

project lead: Rajesh Suthar

architects: Anandita, Aniruddha, Drasthi, Lipi, Rahul, Rachit

MEPF: Jhaveri associates

structural designer: Manjunath BL and V .R Shah Engineers

landscape designer: Beyond greens, RAA

contractor: Larsen and Toubro

The post layered red roof sweeps over vastushilpa sangath’s verdant school in chennai, india appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.