All articles by Asha
Asha
Surfaces focus – Ross Lovegrove unveils his latest work
‘This installation opens up an aesthetic territory between the deep ocean and deep space, forming a dialogue for the 21st century, between aquatic biomorphism and Nasalike intelligent systems,’ says designer Ross Lovegrove in typical bombastic form, describing his latest collaboration with French ceiling specialist Barrisol.
Miguel Arruda – interview
Miguel Arruda studied sculpture at Lisbon’s Faculty of Fine Arts, where he would later become a professor, and serves as chair of its board of directors. He studied architecture at Lisbon’s Technical University. He is a furniture designer for several international houses, and he was the subject of a 2013 retrospective at Portugal’s fashion and design museum MUDE. He talked with Herbert Wright about the library at Vila Franca.
Surreal estate – the art of Alex Chinneck
From a house which melts before the eyes of thousands of commuters, to a neoclassical portico which hovers precariously over London’s Covent Garden, the magical, ambitious work of Alex Chinneck suspends belief, forcing viewers to question the urban environment. Shumi Bose catches up with the young artist in a rare moment of repose, before he pulls his next reality-bending trick…
Stephen Hodder on new housing space standards
Following ongoing lobbying by the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Government has agreed to introduce new housing space standards. Currently the UK builds the smallest new homes in Western Europe and in Yorkshire, which has one of the lowest population densities in the country, they are half the size of new-builds in London. Here RIBA president, Stephen Hodder, tells us why fighting to eradicate shoe-box homes with new minimum space standards has been such an RIBA crusade.
Surfaces focus: what to look out for at this year’s Surfaces Design Show
Returning to London’s Business Design Centre this month, the three-day Surface Design Show will offer a huge range of exciting products, from veneers and solid surface materials to natural materials including limestone and chalk.
Uneven Growth – Tactical Urbanisms for Expanding Megacities at MoMA
Thomas Wensing on MoMA’s latest exhibition exploring the expanding megacities Hong Kong, Istanbul, Lagos, New York, Mumbai, and Rio de Janeiro.
Norman Foster on the unique architecture of Cuba
Norman Foster has made many trips to Cuba in the past decade, and has come to realise that the uniqueness of Havana’s architecture and cars may soon be gone forever. He set about recording for posterity the city’s sights and sounds in a book. Here is his essay that features in the newly published book, Havana Autos and Architecture.
What exactly is a design trend?
Trends are critical to design and industry, but what is a trend? Zuzanna Skalska, previously with Philips Design in Eindhoven and VanBerlo, the largest Dutch design consultancy, is now head of trends at Netherlandsbased transdisciplinary consultancy 360 Inspiration, and author of 360° Trend Report books (a 2009 Red Dot award winner). She explains what trends really are and where they lead.
What you need to know about sustainability in lighting design
Find your way through the sustainability maze with this useful guide to areas of energy saving, plus a handy glossary of jargon words in lighting.