The Resident Architect

The Fun "Iron Women"

2010-09-07T07:21:44Z

As most men and maybe some women find ironing a boring and unfulfilling job, designer Muzffer Kozer created this unique iron that would somehow brings enjoyment to anyone who uses it.

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As more men doesn't enjoy ironing than women, the designer then focuses his design with what men like in mind. Based on his research, he found out that men likes wheeled vehicles, cars and any rotating objects. And in this regard, weird as it maybe, he then designed an iron with wheels.

He calls this the "Iron Women".

It works like an asphalt roller which flattens any cloth that gets in its way. With a rotating body and LED lights showing off from the device, ironing will become a much more fun and enjoyable endeavor.

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Light from the Flower Sculpture!

2010-09-07T07:05:32Z

This flower sculpture designed by Thomas Tzortzi, is not just any regular sculpture, it brings life to a room from the light within its body.

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Inspired from the forms of the flower and the psychology of life itself, the designer wanted to symbolize life as a light shining from this sculpturally designed light fixture.

The petal parts of this piece rotates and moves controlling the intensity of light that comes out of it. Its artistic form creates fancy and interesting shadows which enhances its artistic quality.

Life would seem to fill the room that this interesting flower sculpture lighting fixture as it shines out light from within.

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Push the Waste in with the "Flexible Waste Basket"

2010-09-07T06:34:22Z

Have you ever found your waste basket full up to the brim and then you try to make some more room by pushing the contents down with your foot? And in some instances, get your foot stuck on the waste basket like a comedian doing a stunt? Well, with this waste basket, you won't have to make yourself look foolish to make more room for paper and waste.

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Designed by Sung-Hyeun Shin, Jeong-Hoon Cha and Chang-hyeun Lee, this design concept is called a Push Up Waste Basket. It is made from flexible material that can be used to compress its contents to make more room for more waste. This flexible waste basket can be pushed down and it gets back to its original shape as you release it.

Offices with a lot of paper waste would be an ideal place for its use.

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"Save the Fish" Wash Basin

2010-09-07T06:11:24Z

A unique way of saving water and contributing to the environment, this wash basin seems to get its source of water from a fish bowl fixed on top of the fixture.
]]> Designed by Yan Lu, this wash basin will have the user close the water faucet to save the fish from losing water in its bowl. The water seems to drain from the water bowl as water comes out the faucet. Though the water line for the faucet is not really connected to the fish bowl, it gives the illusion that it is as the water from the fish bowl seems to drop with every flow of water from the faucet and the fish is in danger of dying. This then, will persuade the user to save the water and to close the faucet.

A very creative way of saving water wouldn't you agree.

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A Weaved Body Concept Car

2010-09-03T04:24:57Z

The Toyota MOB, a concept car designed by Spanish designer Jorge Marti Vidal looks like a sleek car of weaving ribbon.

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The car design was inspired from the idea of a Mobius strip, a geometric form which seems to go on a continuous loop without a beginning and an end.

Measuring 3643mm x 1787mm x 1063mm (LWH), this concept car runs on electric motor. With the weaving body created from an organic material called "liquid wood", this car has got a lot of eco-friendly credentials under its name.

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A Coffee Cup Doing a Balancing Act!

2010-09-03T04:09:13Z

Yep, it's real! This is a coffee cup that seems to defy gravity. It's doing a balancing act on a ceramic saucer.

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The coffee cup can stand normally when used and in some occasions, can also stand tilted on the saucer even when there's coffee inside.

It would be really cool if there were no tricks involved for the coffee cup to stand tilted but, the secret to this trick is a protruding member at the bottom of the coffee cup which can be inserted on a slot on the saucer to make the coffee cup stand tilted.

This would be a great trick to show off to your friends. Let them be amazed even just for 10 seconds until they find out how the trick works.

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Ride your Suitcases like a Kickbike!

2010-09-02T03:39:10Z

Designer Sindre Klepp has designed a way of traveling with your suitcase through the airport terminal in a fun and faster way.

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The Titan suitcase turns into a kickbike as you pull out the footrest from it. You can then ride it and wheel yourself from one end of the terminal to the other. Its faster and more fun than walking wouldn't you agree?

It also has a pull out laptop bag, great for those bringing their work with them when they travel. The design of the suitcase also ensures that you would have enough legroom under the seat.

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The Portable Bread Toaster

2010-09-02T01:09:28Z

Here's one portable device I know anyone who loves eating breakfast in the morning would want to have. It's a Portable Bread Toaster designed by Swedish Kristoffer Apelstedt.

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Backpackers and campers can bring this along with them together with their portable gadgets such as the modern campfire cooking device and the portable shower as they go out and explore nature. This portable bread toaster is battery operated and designed with ipod themed controls.

Who says you can't have a hot and crispy toast anytime? Well with this gadget, you now can.

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ArkiQuest: Architecture Board Exam Reviewers Portal

2010-09-01T03:08:59Z

To all those planning to take the next Architecture Board Exam or the Licensure Examination for Architects in the Philippines, here is a good site I think that will help you in your studies.

It's ArkiQuest, a website full of questions and answers related to the subjects in the said exam.

Try it now and good luck to those taking the exam!

Wheelchair Helps the User to Stand

2010-08-31T03:31:53Z

Wheelchair users knows the pros and cons of using a wheelchair in their day to day lives. Although wheelchair users have been able to cope with the limitations of the use of the standard wheelchair, some things may not be done without being able to use your legs. Tim Leeding has made a clever design for a wheelchair that might lessen some of the restrictions that comes with using one.

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The Leeding E.D.G.E, as what it is called, allows the user to attain a standing position by using a "dynamic drive" handles that lifts the user up. It also features geared hubs of 2:1 drive, 1:1 drive, neutral and reverse drive, offering the user a powerful set of wheels.

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Animated Pedestrian Traffic Light

2010-08-31T03:14:43Z

The old pedestrian traffic light has been revamped to a bolder and more playful traffic light. Designed by Li Ming Hsing from Korea, this new pedestrian traffic light animates and moves to guide you to a fun and safer road crossing experience.

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When red, the graphical human entertains the pedestrians while waiting, it seems to be stretching its limbs as if trying to convince the watching pedestrian to do the same. When green, it encourages the watching pedestrian to look on both sides of the road before crossing.

Watch the video below of how it animates.

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Biking on Wires: The Future of Bicycle Riding

2010-08-31T01:53:52Z

We all live in a fast-paced world and we constantly move from point A to point B. Transportation has been a problem for us in one way or another and so we constantly look for alternative ways in dealing with this problems. There are those who bring their own cars, ride the bus, trains and other public utility vehicles but some of us goes for a healthier and environment friendly alternatives like riding a bike.

Although it seems faster riding a bike than going through a long line of traffic jams. A bike can just virtually pass through heavy car jams and road obstructions but then, the quality of the experience traveling on a bike on this route can be considered ordinary or even less.

Bike lanes have been provided in some cities and communities to accommodate bikers by taking them off the road and into a much safer position. These also allows the riders to enjoy the scenery without any worry of a car trying to hit them off the road. This then becomes a much more satisfying travel experience, wouldn't you agree. But, what if the bike lanes then become congested? This is where the wild concept of biking on wires comes into the picture.

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Kolelinia is a design concept of riding our bikes in mid-air through steel cables and wires. The intention of this new bike lanes on wires is not to replace the ordinary bike lanes that are already available but to relieve congested areas.

The Kolelinia bike lanes consists of steel cables and steel tracks suspended at around 4.5 meters over city streets and 2.5 to 3 meters over pedestrian areas. The bike tires follow a deep trench on a steel track. Safety cables are positioned on the sides as railings while the butt end of one handlebar is attached on a safety rail. Harnesses are also attached on the riders to allow for a safer travel experience. All these are envisioned to be installed using minimum amount of resources.

It also entails a really unique bike riding experience. The question now is, are you brave enough to bike on wires?

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The Nightlight wants to be Unplugged!

2010-08-29T03:39:11Z

Martyr, by the Play Coalition, is a neat looking nightlight that wants to be unplugged.

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They describe this as the "energy saving fundamentalist." This nightlight will remind you, with the cute concept and its convincing unplugging-itself position, to save electricity by unplugging it.

Below is another martyr nightlight and "energy saving fundamentalist" with a similar design concept.

This one seems to want itself to be cut off from the main line.

A really cute design concept that promotes an energy saving message.

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Funky Shelf with a Funky Lighting

2010-08-29T02:34:03Z

Tembolat Gugkaev may have been listening and dancing to funky music when he designed the Wha Cabinet.

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The Wha Cabinet is an unconventional looking shelf stand. The shape curves and twists like the shape of a question mark, making it stand out in any ordinary looking room. Adding the funky and vibrant colored lights of orange, yellow, green and blue, this shelf would surely be an accent piece that would be a great conversation starter.

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A Body-Conforming Chair

2010-08-29T01:31:16Z

Designer Asag Yogev from Israel calls this chair the Hox, a soft and folding furniture. It is one of the shortlisted design in the "Design For All" competition hosted by designboom in cooperation with Seoul's Design Fair 2010.

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Asaf Yosef explored on soft objects that conforms and changes to the body's shape. He also explored the idea that chairs should still look complete without anyone sitting on it. With this two ideas in mind, he came up with body-conforming chair designs.

The chairs as what the designer wanted it to be, stands complete on their own, with their foams and seats extending out, as if they were not chairs. But then, as you start placing yourself on them, the foam then conforms to your body and starts morphing into a usable and comfortable chairs.

These chairs can also be folded for easy handling and storing.

Any foldable chair that can easily be assembled and is stylish and comfortable at the same time gets a lot of points from me. And this chair is exactly all that.

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