Articles like “A Star Architect Leaves Some Clients Fuming” shouldn’t make us architects defensive about our work. It gives a deserved death blow to the “starchitect” and all the unhelpful stereotypes that come with it.... The image that architecture is done by a single genius has never conformed to reality, but particularly in today’s practice — relying as it does on extended technical expertise — it is ridiculous to attribute the design to a single genius.
This clever video features anamorphic illusions in which apparently 3D objects turn out to be 2D anamorphic projections. As the video progresses, the illusions escalate in complexity—the last illusion, involving a pair of sunglasses, is very clever indeed. The video was produced by Ray-Ban and is similar to a video by Brusspup we featured last year.
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The Wardrobe of Walter White is a collection of illustrations by Brooklyn artist Nathan Peters which feature every outfit worn by Mr. White in seasons 1-5 of Breaking Bad. Prints of individual seasons or the complete 5 seasons are available to purchase online from his Society 6 store.
The story of Breaking Bad’s Walter White, as told through the clothes he wore.
The Wardrobe of Walter White Season 1
The Wardrobe of Walter White Season 1 Selected Outfits
images via The Wardrobe of Walter White
submitted via Laughing Squid Tips
Researchers at Connecticut College have found evidence that proves that Oreo cookies—at least for lab rats—are as addictive as cocaine.
    
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A middle school in South Carolina has come under fire for suspending a special needs students over a drawing of a cartoon bomb he brought to class to show some friends.
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The Supreme Court is set to review the case of Freddie Lee Hall, a mentally retarded man in Florida who was sentenced to death for participating in a rape, robbery, and two murders. They tackle two main questions: How high an IQ should be necessary for capital punishment? And is IQ measurement even precise enough to be used in cases like this?
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For decades, an acacia tree in the Nigerian Sahara served as a lone landmark in a deserted landscape. It was reported to be the only tree for 250 miles and was used as a marker by Tuareg traders and caravans on their travels across the expanse. However, one day in 1973, it was mysteriously knocked down. It has now been revealed that the cause might have been the fault of a drunk driver.
Read the rest of World’s Most Isolated Tree in Nigeria Knocked Down by a Drunk Driver
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Post tags: acacia tree, desert, destruction, drunk driver, Nigeria's Infamous Isolated Acacia Tree, Sahara desert, tree hugger, world's most isolated tree
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As a boy, Josh Sundquist was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and after a year of chemotherapy treatments, his left leg was amputated. By the age of 13, he was cured of the cancer and later in 2006, became a member of the U.S. Paralympic Ski Team. Off and on for the past few years, Josh has made clever Halloween costumes for himself highlighting the “lemons” he was handed. In 2010, he was a partially eaten Gingerbread man with a “broken off” leg and in 2012, he dressed like the Leg Lamp from A Christmas Story. This year he has really outdone himself by donning a pink Lycra bodysuit and hoisting himself up on arm crutches to become a flamingo. Inspiring!
Here he is talking about his popular costumes, including the flamingo:
via reddit
The round tables at Starbucks were the result of asking the question how do we want people to feel before considering what do we want them to do...Form follows feeling.
Christine Outram (currently the Senior Inventionist at Deutsch LA.) penned an essay regarding what architects can learn from Starbucks, when it comes to human centered design. Specifically, in terms of user research, ethnography etc.
Scientists have found a Universal Law of Urination for different-sized mammals: It takes about 21 seconds for rats, dogs, goats, cows and elephants to pee (humans don't count because we pee in a hurry).
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In The Morning News, Rosecrans Baldwin interviews photographer Hannah Price on her stunning series, "City of Brother Love," portraits of men in Philadelphia captured just moments after they harassed her on the street. Photo gallery and text: My Harassers - The Morning News.
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Né à Tokyo et vivant à Dusseldorf, Ramon Todo imagine de magnifiques créations en insérant des blocs de verre dans divers objets. Des oeuvres splendides et surréalistes, utilisant des roches volcaniques, des livres ou encore des fragments du mur de Berlin que l’on peut retrouver au Art Front Gallery.
Brucciani & Co, Fig Leaf for David, 1857. Cast. England.
This fig-leaf was hung on the statue of David on the occasion of visits by royal ladies. It was last used in the time of Queen Mary (1867-1953). On her first encounter Queen Victoria was so shocked by his nudity that a firm suggestion was made that something has to be done. Consequently, the correctly proportioned fig leaf was created and stored in readiness for any visit the Queen might make, for which occasions it was hung on the figure from two strategically implanted hooks. More: V&A
I bet the Vatican's commemorative coins celebrating Pope Francis's first year are suddenly much more valuable than expected. Why? They spelled Jesus wrong. According to The Independent, only four or so of the 6,000 medallions were sold before someone noticed. Praise Lesus!
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Since October 2013, staying at one of the 1920s-style Bauhaus dorm rooms is even more of an experience: One room was accurately reconstructed with original objects and furniture. The rest of the rooms will be personalized to reflect a former habitant, beginning with Alfred Arndt, the couple Albers and Franz Ehrlich.
A. KachmarWell that's disgusting and rather pointless
Master Sushi Chef Hiro Terada demonstrates how to make a cucumber look like a living, slithering snake with very precise cuts in this video by NoVe Sushi and Bar.
GIF via RocketNews24
via ITmedia, RocketNews24
Etsy shop Wonka’s Willy Factory hand crochets Spermies, little smiling sperm made primarily of soft yarn. They are custom-made, one-of-a-kind, and available to order online (along with the shop’s fantastic phallic Willies).
A. Kachmarimpressive, very accurate
There are a bunch of quizzes out there that purport to tell you what American dialect you speak. But now there's one that tells you what city your accent and dialect is from. For some of you, it's an amazing thing that pinpoints your hometown exactly. For others, it'll tell you that, for whatever reason, you don't sound like anyone else around.
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Humans love to hear about ancient history, but they aren't always that great at preserving it. Here are some of the worst, most thoughtless, and just plain dumbest ways that humans have wrecked their own heritage.
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Orthosensor, a Florida-based company that develops intelligent orthopedic devices which provide real-time feedback regarding their performance, has received CE Mark approval for its VERASENSE knee system. The VERASENSE system has been extensively featured on Medgadget but below is a quick recap.
VERASENSE is a sensor based device designed to provide surgeons with real-time quantitative data to help reduce misalignment and imbalance in total knee arthroplasty (knee replacement). Using the real time feedback, surgeons are able to make better decisions regarding component position, limb alignment and soft tissue to achieve better balance and stability. The VERASENSE system senses dynamic loads and femoral contact point in the medial and lateral compartments of the operative knee using proprietary sensor and accelerometer technologies. In order to visualize tibial-femoral articulation through a full range of motion, the system has a Kinetic Tracking feature that displays movement with respect to load data. VERASENSE requires no change in the regular surgical work flow and is compatible with a number of leading knee implant systems.
Flashbacks: Q&A With Jay Pierce, CEO of OrthoSensor; OrthoSensor VERASENSE System Helps Perfect Total Knee Arthroplasties; OrthoSensor VERASENSE Helps Surgeons Perfect Total Knee Replacements;
Product page: VERASENSE Knee System…
Press release: OrthoSensor™ Receives CE Mark Approval for VERASENSE™…
Interiors is an online film and architecture journal, published by Mehruss Jon Ahi and Armen Karaoghlanian. Interiors runs an exclusive column for ArchDaily that analyzes and diagrams films in terms of space.
The Golden Age of Television has made way for shows that run counter to the traditional, expected narrative model. In the course of its five-year run, Breaking Bad has effectively transformed its protagonist into an antagonist, placing its hero/anti-hero in a distinctive landscape. In this sense, the use of space and location in Breaking Bad, filmed in Albuquerque, is noteworthy, from the use of actual locations that serve as the backdrop for businesses (car wash, Los Pollos Hermanos) to constructed sets that are used for characters’ homes (Walter White’s house, Jesse Pinkman’s house).
In our analysis, we focus on the three different spaces where Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) cook meth: the RV, Superlab and makeshift labs across Albuquerque. These spaces, much like the character of Walter White himself, a chemistry teacher who uses his teaching as a cover for his new life as a drug lord, disguise themselves with their exterior appearances, blending into their surroundings.
The following diagrams all show a moment when Walter and Jesse cook meth. These respective spaces are based on the episodes “4 Days Out” (RV), “Fly” (Superlab) and “Hazard Play” (the makeshift labs). In addition to representing the different locations where Walter and Jesse cook, each diagram focuses on different steps in the process: measuring (RV), cooking (Superlab), and waiting for the meth to dry (makeshift labs).
The RV
The RV, a 1986 Fleetwood Bounder that makes its first appearance in the first episode, and indeed the very first shot of the series, is very much a defining aspect of Breaking Bad. It’s where Walter and Jesse first cook meth together, but it’s also a space that brings these two characters together throughout the series.
The RV camouflages itself as a moving vehicle, hiding the meth lab that has been constructed inside. The RV provides them with the freedom of moving around while cooking, making them “evasive.” Walter and Jesse cook in secluded areas, in the middle of the desert As owners of the vehicle itself, the two are their own bosses and can take their lab virtually anywhere.
Their “rolling meth lab,” however, is far from professional. It’s made into a decent working space because of Walter’s knowledge of labs, but the two are essentially restricted within this space and are limited in their workload.
There were two RVs used for Breaking Bad; one complete vehicle for exterior shots and another that was stripped down and constructed on a stage. This provided complete freedom during filming; removable walls allowed the production crew complete control.
In “Más,” we learn more about the background of the RV, including the fact that Jesse bought the RV from Combo, who stole the vehicle from his mother. In “Sunset,” Hank Schrader (Dean Norris) links Jesse to the vehicle, as Walter has a junkyard destroy the RV as a way of severing their connection to the RV. In doing so, we learn that this “space” is expendable – unlike a physical building – a vehicle can easily disappear, if necessary.
The junkyard owner comments that the RV will be destroyed beyond recognition and will be shipped across the Pacific and sold as patio furniture in China. Even after being completely destroyed, there is still a purpose for the RV. Of course, none of the original RVs were actually wrecked during this scene; in fact, the RV appears once again in a flashback in “Ozymandias.”
In our analysis, we analyze the space of the RV in the episode “4 Days Out.” In this episode, Water and Jesse are stuck in the desert after the RV’s battery dies. This episode confines the characters as well as the audience to the space within the RV. Although we spend the entirety of the episode in a meth lab, we focus on the relationship between the two characters, rather than the meth.
The Superlab
The Superlab, a physical location, a multimillion-dollar laboratory facility located under an industrial laundry business, is a significant upgrade in terms of space for Walter and Jesse. At this point in their careers, Walter and Jesse are now part of a complex drug empire, and it’s more than just their workspace that has been upgraded. The RV reflected the blandness of Walter’s life; as he moves up the ladder and becomes a drug lord, his workspace reflects his role in the drug empire.
In this sense, Walter and Jesse become “official” cooks, rather than amateur cooks. They are now employees for someone else. The Superlab makes its first appearance in “Más,” an episode in which Gustavo offers Walter a tour of the facilities.
It’s interesting to note that the RV is destroyed immediately after we are introduced to the Superlab, as if the two spaces cannot coexist. In this sense, the Superlab has replaced the original meth lab as the primary location.
The Superlab is constructed by Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) with the help of Gale Boetticher (David Costabile) for the purpose of manufacturing industrial amounts of methamphetamine. The meth is then shipped out through Los Pollos Hermanos trucks.
The Superlab is an extremely clean, modern, and professional workspace that meets Walter’s standards. However, it remains hidden due to its exterior appearance as a business.
Walter and Jesse, however, are no longer in complete control of their workspace. This is further emphasized in “Madrigal,” when Gustavo installs security cameras in the lab and monitors their activities. Gustavo also has a close associate of his, Mike (Jonathan Banks) or Tyrus (Ray Campbell), present during all batches. Walter and Jesse are now being watched and have lost their freedom. They have become the “lab rats.”
The lab consists of a staircase that leads down to the main workspace. In the first appearance of the lab, all the equipment is still in bubble wrap, emphasizing the fact that the lab was created solely for Walter’s use. Gustavo comments on the space itself, noting that the filtration system is state-of-the-art and will vent nothing but clean and odorless steam, through the same stacks as a laundry. This provides us with the sense of how impeccable the space is – from its design to its construction to its obscurity, the Superlab is undetectable from the public.
The Superlab is destroyed in “Face Off.” Walter assassinates Gus and wrecks the lab with Jesse by disabling its sprinkler system. In this episode, flammable chemicals damage the lab. Walter and Jesse cover their tracks by wiping their fingerprints as the lab burns. The lab makes another appearance in “Live Free or Die” as Hank Schrader and Steven Gomez (Steven Michael Quezada) investigate the remains.
The Superlab was constructed in a stage at the Albuquerque Studios (Q Studios). The exterior shots of the Superlab were filmed in an actual location, Delta Uniform & Linens. The name of the laundry business in the show, however, is Lavandería Brillante.
In our analysis, we analyze the space of the Superlab in the episode “Fly,” which is dedicated to the entire space of the lab. In this episode, Walter and Jesse desperately search for a fly in the lab. This episode once again confines the characters and the audience to their workspace, and like the RV, we remain in the lab as a way of further understanding the relationship among the characters.
The Makeshift Labs
In the final season of the series, Walter and Jesse begin cooking again as a way of salvaging their earnings. Mike joins Walter and Jesse in a new partnership. Their new venture consists of cooking in people’s homes, disguised as a pest control company known as Vamonos Pest Control.
In tenting people’s homes for fumigation, Walter and Jesse also construct a tent in their living room and start cooking. These “makeshift labs” are significant in terms of space because, unlike the RV and the Superlab, these labs aren’t in a single location. These short-term, “provisional” labs are on the go and used for a few days only.
The makeshift labs also provide us with a space within a space. The labs are constructed inside a tent that is placed inside the living room of a home. In this sense, this space is once again hidden because of its exterior appearance as a house. It’s also noteworthy because its homeowners are oblivious to the meth lab that is being set up in their homes. The makeshift labs first appear in “Hazard Play.” This episode offers a look into the construction and subsequent deconstruction of the labs.
Walter and Jesse are once again in control in this workspace. They work for themselves and are their own bosses, but they lack physical control of the space because they are limited to the space of the house and are working against time.
In an aerial shot of a neighborhood, we see tents being placed on various houses, emphasizing how their work (and the meth itself) is spreading into people’s homes. The houses used for the scenes with the makeshift labs were actual homes used for filming. In our analysis, we analyze the first instance where Walter and Jesse cook in a home.
These diagrams, along with others, are available for purchase in our Official Store.
Interiors is an online journal, published on the 15th of each month, in which films are analyzed and diagrammed in terms of space. It is run by Mehruss Jon Ahi and Armen Karaoghlanian. Check out their Website, Issuu Site and Official Store and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
INTERIORS: Breaking Bad originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 07 Oct 2013.
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Architects: Longhi Architects
Location: La Planicie, Lima, Peru
Principal In Charge: Arch. Luis Longhi
Project Team: Arch. Carla Tamariz, Arch. Christian Bottger
Area: 550 sqm
Year: 2013
Photographs: Juan Solano
Construction: Arch. Hector Suasnabar
Supervision: Longhi Architects
From the architect. When a young couple came to my office to commission the design and construction of a house where they would live forever, I knew I had in my hands a great opportunity to continue in my search of ancestral contemporary architecture. In that moment, I was ready to dedicate exclusive time to interpret their dreams in order to create a “container of life”.
My vision for a special house was confirmed when I went to the site for the first time and realized that it was already occupied by an old house where the couple was living with their two children. Then, the task was to demolish the material but keeping the spirit, in order to replace the old construction for a “House for Ever”
The metaphor for the design was to imagine that a big ancestral rock was foundin the site andneeded to be carved in order to accommodate the living spaces.
This “black carved stone”would be occupied by a 4 car garage, service patio, maid’s quarters and pool baths in the basement; kitchen, dining and living spaces in the first floor. The carving of the spaces would generate interesting “built in” furniture with strong texture to be assorted with other natural and artificial materials in order fortheallegorystone to remain as natural as possible to eventually be perceived as part of the owner’s desired garden.
To complete the composition, the blackstone base supports four cantilever volumescontaining the intimate rooms,as the“white floating stones “once ambitioned by the client.
A House Forever / Longhi Architects originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 08 Oct 2013.
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Gay-hating, women-hating, child-hating, and education-hating monster Pat Robertson wants you to know that your gluten-hating lifestyle will send you straight to hell.
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In a recent article for the Financial Times, Edwin Heathcote explores the ‘Skyscraper Index’, an informal term that suggests a correlation between the construction of a big company’s ambitious headquarters and subsequent financial crisis: “Think of the Empire State Building opening into the Wall Street crash of 1929, the Twin Towers being completed as New York City was flirting with bankruptcy or the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur taking the mantle of the world’s tallest building and presaging the Asian financial crisis.” Heathcote goes on to describe the latest generation of headquarters being constructed for our current, tech-oriented goliaths – like Apple‘s monolithic “donut”, by Foster + Partners, and Facebook‘s Gehry-designed Menlo Park campus - and wonders: “if skyscrapers can tell us something about the temperature of an overheating economy, what do these groundscraping new HQs say?” Read the full article here.
If Skyscrapers Predict Crises, What Do "Donuts" Tell Us? originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 06 Oct 2013.
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For more information visit http://www.benoitchalland.com/
Those whose parents used “harsh verbal discipline” such as yelling, cursing and using insults were more likely to be depressed or have behavior problems. The study found it was also not effective in getting children to stop what they were doing, and that it was damaging even to children in homes that were generally warm and loving.
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Pippi's first litter
Courtesy of: Oleg Alexeev / AbySphere
Since the shutdown began, a dating site that pairs women with sugar daddies says it's had a 50 percent jump in new daily members. There's no way to know for sure that the shutdown is responsible, but SeekingArrangment.com says it's unusual for its business to surge at this time of year.
