*notcot - 09.05.12 , 17:50 -

I-City Russian QR Code Madness

russiacode5.jpg More Venice Architecture Biennale fun ~ I-City at the Russian Pavilion is a multi-room QR code experience. The exhibit was designed by SPEECH and Valode & Pistre and curated by Sergei Tchoban. The floors, walls, and ceilings are covered in QR codes providing a mesmerizing effect. Upon entering you are handed a Samsung tablet, and told to point and shoot at the illuminated QR codes. When you click the photo of one you are presented with work from David Chipperfield, SANAA, OMA, Herzog & de Meuron, Stefano Boeri, SPEECH, and Mohsen Mostafavi among others. In all honesty, it was as fun to wander around the rooms and watch people trying to watch the QR code content as it was to view the content itself. The walls and ceilings were backlit matte black powder coated metal QR codes, and the floors were etched reflective metal panels. It was a completely trip to experience… see lots of fun pics on the next page!

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*notcot - , 17:08 -

CAVE: Imaginary City. Kai Tak

intcities0.jpg It was hard not to get drawn in to the Hong Kong space across from the entrance of the Arsenale at the Venice Architecture Biennale. The amazing little courtyard filled with wooden edible garden planters beneath the old grape vine covered trellis… and inside, amongst the many projects… we found the most spectacularly colorful and detailed world of a model for Imaginary City Kai Tak by CAVE architecture design studio. From the mini flying cars to cow farms to dragons to card playing old guys and more, there were endlessly fascinating little details worked into the model!

They describe the project ~ “By reversing the conventional methodology of masterplanning CAVE speculates an Imaginary Kai Tak by firstly exploring the local stories, maps, photographs and cultural events before the process of zoning. Six narratives are inspired by qualities drawn from these events which are then further developed into six device systems. The device systems are embodied as residential blocks, a transport hub, agriculture green space, a cultural retail hub, a government complex and multi-functional units. These systems function collaboratively to compose a city that resolves the needs for a speculative future of Kai Tak (where Hong Kong is under global environmental threat) whilst simultaneously preserving the shared memories and qualities of South East Kowloon. This project was commissioned by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects and exhibited in the 2012 Venice Biennale.” The details can’t be missed ~ see it all on the next page!

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*notcot - , 10:58 -

The Piranesi Variations: Kipnis’ A Field Of Dreams

kipnis0.jpg One of the most visually inspiring projects at the Venice Architecture Biennale this year was undeniably The Piranesi Variations. As ArchDaily concisely explains, “Peter Eisenman has formed a team to revisit, examine and reimagine Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s 1762 folio collection of etchings, Campo Marzio dell’antica Roma. Derived from years of fieldwork spent measuring the remains of ancient Roman buildings, these six etchings depict Piranesi’s fantastical vision of what ancient Rome might have looked like and represent a landmark in the shift from a traditionalist, antiquarian view of history to the scientific, archaeological view.” Four variations emerged for the display from Eisenman Architects, students from Yale University, Jeffrey Kipnis with his colleagues and students of the Ohio State University, and Belgian architecture practice, Dogma.

Jeffrey Kipnis and the Ohio State University group’s presentation and visual language were so mesmerizing, i simply had to dive in to the details to share with you… On the next page you can see how their bold black and white (with a splash of gold) graphics and model pull you right in like a graphic novel… and as you get closer you start noticing the every day materials used - from rolling hills of drinking straws, to (penis and other more traditional shaped) pasta painted black, blocks creating cranes, frolicking/fighting human like creatures, and more. As they take you from heaven down to the known world and into the chaotic depths of hell ~ introducing you to the characters - buildings, both traditional reinterpretations and newer ones from “Captain Dust and the League of Happy Gentlepersons” ~ you can’t help but ponder the possibilities of what it all means, but first, jump into the fascinating tiny details of their presentation on the next page!

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*notcot - 09.04.12 , 09:48 -

Mercedes-Benz “Aesthetics S” Sculpture

aesth1.jpg Currently at the Venice Architecture Biennale, and the latest beautiful Aesthetics sculpture from Mercedes-Benz just arrived in my inbox. Honestly, these sculptures would be right at home here at the biennale! (Remember the liquid inspired No. 2? Or my favorite collection of them?)

Well the freshly launched Mercedes-Benz Aesthetics S is another subtle, sensuous form emerging as a relief which comes to life with projection mapping. Take a look at the teaser video on the next page as well as some details and more information about what is to come at the Paris Auto Show 2012.

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*rugenius - , 00:00 -

NOTCOT.org Roundup

roundup notcotorg #49947 notcotorg #49900 notcotorg #49956 notcotorg #49864 notcotorg #49963 notcotorg #49883 notcotorg #49885 notcotorg #49902 notcotorg #49933 notcotorg #49910 notcotorg #49888 notcotorg #49937 notcotorg #49936 notcotorg #49959 notcotorg #49924 notcotorg #49931 notcotorg #49878 notcotorg #49904 notcotorg #49865 notcotorg #49925 notcotorg #49916 notcotorg #49951 notcotorg #49871 notcotorg #49897 notcotorg #49918

This week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org includes tiny robot sculptures, muscle music and lava on ice. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

*notcot - 09.01.12 , 19:07 -

Mammut Store + toys!

mammut0.jpg MAMMUT!!! I can’t believe this swiss outdoor gear brand is already 150 years old! It’s adorable mammoth logo in black, red, and white has always pulled me in. I won’t deny that it played a big role in one of my pack purchases… that and their amazing detailing and quality! So when i wandered through the main square in Linz late that first night the Mammut store instantly caught my attention. Excitedly today, we finally had time to go in, and not only was it great to see all the products online in person, there was MORE ~ their adorable mammoth logo was in various plush sizes, on a mug, and even available as indoor rock climbing holds! Being another impulse post while running around the city, all the pics are from my HTC One S… take a peek at the fun mammoth details on the next page!

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*notcot - , 17:31 -

Occupy George at Ars Electronica CyberArts12

occupygeorge1.jpg OccupyGeorge - “Money talks, but not loud enough for the 99%. By circulating dollar bills stamped with fact-based infographics, Occupy George informs the public of America’s daunting economic disparity one bill at a time. Because money knowledge is power.” Occupy George by Ivan Cash and Andy Dao got a lot of press when they created stamped dollar bills to circulate during the Occupy movements ~ they also received an Honorary Mention in Interactive Arts at Prix Ars Electronica 2012 and are on display at the OK CyberArts12 exhibition! This means they have huge prints of the stamped bills lining a hall way and a frame with 1$ bills stamped, along with a stamping station where you can stamp your own bills! So naturally shawn and i stamped through the US cash he had for fun… stamped some infographics on my arm… and Golan Levin happen to have a crisp 2$ bill in his wallet that ended up being perfect for the wealth stats stamp! Take a peek at the fun on the next page!

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*rugenius - 08.28.12 , 00:00 -

NOTCOT.org Roundup

roundup notcotorg #49844 notcotorg #49843 notcotorg #49748 notcotorg #49840 notcotorg #49845 notcotorg #49836 notcotorg #49795 notcotorg #49799 notcotorg #49771 notcotorg #49822 notcotorg #49829 notcotorg #49759 notcotorg #49782 notcotorg #49834 notcotorg #49831 notcotorg #49828 notcotorg #49809 notcotorg #49753 notcotorg #49835 notcotorg #49841 notcotorg #49783 notcotorg #49792 notcotorg #49852 notcotorg #49765 notcotorg #49804

Washable keyboards, water wigs and dynamite cupcakes all feature in this week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

*notcot - 08.24.12 , 11:50 -

MetroDeck - MTA Upcycled Playing Cards

mtacard0.jpg Been smitten by these MetroDeck upcycled NYC MTA Subway cards into playing cards ever since seeing them on Collacubed. They are so beautiful and detailed! They are hand silk screened with enamel ink - “Printed on found and repurposed New York City subway fare cards, Metro Deck attempts to visually capture the common thread between commuters, public transportation, and chance. Every card has been gathered at random, after having been purchased, used, and discarded by either a visitor or resident of New York City. Some have been signed or otherwise marked, making each card unique with its own narrative potential. Appropriating the language of playing cards, the work asks us to consider our intimate connection with the subway and the city. The face cards are inspired by landmarks across the five Boroughs, referencing the tremendous reach of the subway system.” I love the Ace of Spades man hole cover… and the city inspired details of the face cards so lovely! WOW - “Designing, collecting, and printing the cards has been my official after-hours pastime for almost two years. Each face card needed four colors to print—approximately 8 hours work.” Additionally, “The deck comes packaged in a custom 2-color, die-cut and letterpressed tuck box printed by Mama’s Sauce Print shop.” WOW - “A total 2,268 cards were printed, wih over 4,000 pulls.” That’s 43 decks?

Each deck will run you 750$, but you can also order just the 4 kings, etc.. It’s too bad that “Given the nature of the materials, these cards are not intended for play.” See the making of and full set of beautiful cards on the next page!

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*notcot - 08.23.12 , 18:55 -

3D Printed Interlocked Cubes: Shapeways

cubes0.jpg Current desk/fidget toy obsession - interlocked 3D printed CUBES! Particularly the dodecahedron one… they are mesmerizing, and just fragile enough they make you feel overly careful with them… yet its so tempting to try to bust your way into the structure just to prove there are more of the same shape within…

Anyhow, late one night i was wandering through all of shapeways and couldn’t resist impulse buying the Dod’net by Magic and the mini Interlocked Cubes Demo… it seemed like a good excuse to get a feel for their polished alumide! Also, it was a fun way to get a peek at their packaging ~ you certainly get a BIG fragile air bubble packed box for the two little pieces which are ziplocked inside… See the unboxing and details on the next page!

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*notcot - , 04:32 -

Kickstarter Nightmare: Pen Type-A + Torr Pens

cwtorr0.jpg Every now and then an example comes through that’s a bit heartbreaking, and then you wish that someone would teach a mandatory legal course in design school. Yesterday, Fab.com led me to their sale of Torr Pens, which initially simply looked like a strange rip off of the insanely successful Pen Type-A Kickstarter project. Simple enough, things get ripped off - but usually the design rip offs don’t end up circulating in areas that claim to focus on authenticity and great design.

But where this got even crazier is that Torr Pens’ website and the fab page had pictures and a James Bond parody video of the same guy who organized the manufacturing of and spent late nights washing, smelling, drying, and reassembling the Pen Type-A’s with the kickstarter designers CW&T. They even say in their update that he hugged them when he saw them last. It’s a painful story, but we can only hope hearing all that CW&T has gone through from the manufacturing issues to this new level of complication they’ve run into while still trying to fulfill their immense pen orders a year later can help educate other designers going into similar processes! Take a peek on the next page about how things unfolded yesterday…

p.s. UPDATES added here.

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*notcot - 08.21.12 , 13:40 -

Realitat - Microsonic Landscapes

microsonic0.jpg Realitat’s Microsonic Landscapes are “an algorithmic exploration of the music we love. Each album’s soundwave proposes a new spatial and unique journey by transforming sound into matter/space: the hidden into something visible.” According to Creative Applications it is created with Processing and printed with Makerbot. Each object represents an album, but it’s unclear to me how tracks are represented… perhaps each ring? or does it all just spiral flow together to the center? or outwards? Also curious, what are the axes representing? Anyhow, it’s a pretty visualization of the albums, somehow… take a peek at more details on the next page.

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*rugenius - , 00:21 -

NOTCOT.org Roundup

roundup notcotorg #49727 notcotorg #49717 notcotorg #49629 notcotorg #49705 notcotorg #49711 notcotorg #49653 notcotorg #49701 notcotorg #49720 notcotorg #49699 notcotorg #49680 notcotorg #49649 notcotorg #49676 notcotorg #49722 notcotorg #49659 notcotorg #49669 notcotorg #49667 notcotorg #49700 notcotorg #49690 notcotorg #49668 notcotorg #49686 notcotorg #49688 notcotorg #49697 notcotorg #49719 notcotorg #49645 notcotorg #49685

This week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org features the world’s deepest swimming pool, an animated history of LEGO, and a camera it can capture light travel. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

*rugenius - 08.20.12 , 20:50 -

Ben Long’s Scaffolding Sculptures

deer.jpg It’s amazing what you can do with scaffolding! Ben Long creates amazing animal inspired Scaffolding Sculptures! They are “Inspired by his experiences working on building sites as a teenager, the project asserts the value of a disciplined working practice, the hard graft of manual employment and celebrates the role the construction industry plays in the advancement of urban development.” Take a peek at some of our favorites, including pieces from his Great Travelling Art Exhibition on the next page!

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*notcot - 08.19.12 , 11:20 -

UCSD’s Fallen Star by Do Ho Suh

house1.jpg While back in San Diego this weekend, we couldn’t help but wander around my alma mater, UCSD… and of course, we had go down the snake path and see the new house perched upon the top corner of the engineering school! Fallen Star by Do Ho Suh is the latest addition to the Stuart Collection of pieces around campus, and it is an amazing one! With this fully built and furnished little house lifted up to the rooftop by a crane, it even has a flower and vegetable garden with a little path leading up to it next to the dean’s office. While it wasn’t open for visiting when we went by, it was amazing to watch the making of construction time lapses and videos in the lobby, and faces pressed against the window to see the garden and house. Even more amazing, we watched this hummingbird just sitting so close to us, perfectly still on the cable of the garden for some time as the sprinklers went off on the roof… take a peek at the pics on the next page!

p.s. We were just running around, so the pics are all from the HTC One S i’m just starting to try out!

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