For sale: This charming “Tea House” by architect Shigeru Ban, is perfect for those cozy afternoons drinking tea and healing from paper cuts. Designed as an exercise in low-tech, adaptable and recyclable construction. The use of paper based building materials might prove to be a reasonable temporary housing solution in disaster zones around the globe. Measuring just over 5 meters long, this light weight shelter comes complete with a table and four stools, the house also features a waiting area with a bench in keeping with tea ceremony practice. Set to be auctioned off at London’s Phillips de Pury & Company, the Paper Tea house by Shigeru Ban will offered with a pre-sale estimate of £20,000 – 30,000. Other than your wallet, no heavy lifting required.
Architect: Shigeru Ban [ Via: Dezeen ]
Home Away From Home
This temporary mobile housing design aims to provide readily available shelter to those affected by a variety emergencies and disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis and fires. Structurally, the unit is composed almost entirely of compressed oriented strand board, making it lightweight and easy to construct. Transportable as a small cube, the design can be set and expanded by lowering one side to create a separate section for sleeping quarters.
Designer: Michel Antoun Zateef
What is ACK?
“ACK?” – is a signal used in computing to indicate acknowledgement of receipt of a packet, and also a common exclamation of surprise but it’s also the title of the installation that represents the vision of the Milanese practice Pierandrei Associati for which the human space is no longer characterized by a rational juxtaposition of components but by a forest of suspended bamboo and metal tubing.
There’s a whole lot of esoteric rhyme and reason why this exhibit exists but the main gist is a series of sounds naturally reverberating off the hollow tubes of bamboo and metal as you bump into them. You get lost in this world on dynamic sound and light. Perceptions change as I’m sure any would crashing into a bunch of hollow tubes, but the sensorial data stimulates different emotions and connections you share with other visitors in the exhibit. Think of it as a wondrous interactive labyrinth where nature meets technology. Visitors can even leave personal messages on the tubes – the proverbial “I was here!”
The exhibition was on display during Salone del Mobile for Tecno (office furniture) but I’m not sure if you can still see it. Let me put this on my to-do list.
Designer: Pierandrei Associati
