8 Pixels Design Blog

8 Pixels Design Blog featuring great design, architecture, fashion, graphics and innovation from across the globe.

 
Vanke Yanming Lake Showroom

Vanke Yanming Lake

Xi'an Vanke Yan Ming Lake is a showroom building located in Xi'an, China. The exterior form follows the lines of the nearby mountain and lake. A spiral structure on the second floor creates a viewing platform eighteen meters long. The curved outer walls act as blank surfaces, so light, shadow and nature complete the appearance. The facade combines fiber cement boards with weather-resistant steel plates, which reduce material waste and extend the life of the building. The transition space is open to the public for leisure and rest.

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Living The Noom Housing

Living The Noom

Living The Noom is a residential complex designed around three principles: wellness living, sustainability and flexible living. The complex consists of three buildings of five stories each, built with a concrete structure and an independent bamboo facade. Every floor is an open space that can be arranged in several apartment layouts with one, two or three bedrooms. Bioclimatic strategies include rainwater harvesting, greywater treatment, green roofs and solar panels. The buildings occupy 30 percent of the lot, so much of the existing vegetation is preserved.

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Unasur Institutional Headquarters

Unasur

Unasur is an institutional headquarters building located next to the Mitad del Mundo monument, north of Quito, Ecuador. About 75 percent of the program is placed underground, so the volume stays lower than the nearby monument. A solid reinforced concrete core supports two large metal trusses that form a habitable beam with a cantilever of 56 meters without support. Materials include concrete, steel, rock from an on-site quarry and double glazed dark glass. Water collection, cross ventilation and natural light reduce energy use. Open areas around the building are public.

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Samsung Bot Chef Robotic Arm

Samsung Bot Chef

Samsung Bot Chef is a robotic arm concept designed for use in the home kitchen. The arm works together with people to chop, stir, season and cook meals. Simple voice commands guide each step. Natural language processing allows ordinary recipes to be read and understood, and tasks are assigned to both the arm and the cook. Sensors allow handles to be gripped firmly for stirring or whisking and a sauce bottle to be squeezed gently. Everyday kitchen tools and utensils are used. The slim body measures 90 by 90 by 1200 millimeters when fully extended.

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Concert Hall in Warsaw Music School

Concert Hall in Warsaw

Concert Hall in Warsaw is a music school built around a round concert hall. The project adapts decaying existing buildings and extends them, giving the complex a new function and greater usability. The concert hall has a circular plan of 24 metres in diameter and holds 70 musicians and 300 listeners. The last row is only 8 metres from the stage, which keeps the space intimate. Ash wood sails and a milled wooden ceiling shape the sound. Concrete, steel and wood are the main materials. A new public square in front of the school connects the site with the city.

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Qingdao West-Coast Technology Park Visitor Center

Qingdao West-Coast Technology Park

Qingdao Innovative Technology Park is a visitor center in Qingdao, China. The building has a gross floor area of 4,836 square meters, a height of 16.92 meters and three floors. The undulating roof and ground surfaces recall sea waves, and both planes extend beyond the glass curtain wall to link interior and exterior space. Grand steps rise from the ground and lead to meeting rooms and a science center. Wide spans of wood veneer ceiling give the interior a warm character. Green technologies include thin film solar panels, a heat recovery system and water-saving fittings.

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