Townew bin seals and changes garbage bags at the push of a button

Canadian company Knectek Labs has automated an often messy and unhygienic part of household waste collection with the Townew bin, which seals and changes its own bags.

Set to launch at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January 2020, the Townew bin is self-sealing at the push of a button.

It uses heat to seal the thermoplastic rubbish bag. The user then removes the closed bag and disposes of it, while the bin automatically replaces it with a new one. The bags come from a refill unit of up to 25 bags that sits under the bin lid.

Knectek Labs claims Townew saves its users time while also cutting down on odour and mess.

"Whether you're throwing leftover sloppy-joes or stinky diapers, nothing will escape the moisture and water-resistant sealing capability of this trash can," said Knectek Labs head of sales William Wong.

Hygiene is also improved by the presence of movement-detecting infrared sensors, which open the lid in response to approaching rubbish. For times when users need increased access to the bin, there is a "Lid Open Mode".

All the controls are activated by one button on the front of the bin – one tap activates Lid Open Mode, while holding it for three seconds triggers self-sealing.

Available in white or teal, the 4.02-metre-tall bin is made of ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) plastic, which Knectek Labs says it chose because the material is resistant to chemicals and impact and withstands humidity and different temperatures.

It runs on rechargeable 2000 mAh battery, getting about a month's power from a 10-hour charge.

Founded in 2016 and based in Toronto, Knectek Labs makes smarthome and other consumer electronics. Its previous products are the Cubinote sticky note printer and the CubiTag tracker.

The Townew bin is a 2020 CES Innovation Award honouree, which means it has scored highly in its product category. CES, the world's biggest consumer tech show, is on in Las Vegas from January 7 to 10.

Among other advanced bin designs in recent years is Simplehuman's automatically opening ST2015 bin and PearsonLloyd's stackable Intelligent Waste mix of rubbish, recycling and composting bins.

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Garden Room by Indra Janda features translucent white walls

Belgian architect Indra Janda has used translucent polycarbonate shingles to create a garden room at her parent's home.

The young architect, co-founder of Atelier Janda Vanderghote, designed the small building to replace another on the brink of collapse.

Simply named Garden Room, it creates a space for dining or relaxation in the garden of the farmhouse property in northern Belgium.

White polycarbonate shingles cover the walls and pitched roof of the small timber-framed structure. These square panels overlap, making them reminiscent of a reptile's scaly skin.

The material is one commonly used for cladding small garden structures, said Janda, but she wanted to make it feel more special.

"We wanted to give the material a new vibe," she told Dezeen. "My father cut the cladding pieces himself, because they don't exist to buy."

The architect said the result was worth the effort: "The material is semi-transparant, which is nice in summer and winter, and gives a totally different feeling from day to night."

Other architectural detailing is kept to a minimum, to amplify the affect. The windows openings are frameless, and the entrance door is covered in the shingles. The edge of the roof is also flush with the walls below.

The building is one of four that make up the property, and it completes a small courtyard. The other buildings include a barn, which Janda also renovated as part of the project.

The brick building was given a new floor, its walls were painted with chalk and a new supporting structure was added for the clay tiled roof.

An extension on one side provides space for a new swimming pool.

The water extends out through a gap in one of the walls to connect with a plant-filled pool in the garden, which helps to naturally clean the water.

The original part of the building contains a sauna, a changing room, a shower and a toilet, all contained within a block that slots in underneath the wooden roof truss.

"The monumentality of the old barn is totally preserved," said Janda. "It's not just restoration, it's reorientation."

Janda runs Atelier Janda Vanderghote in partnership with Menno Vanderghote. The pair's other projects include a Ghent house transformed into a bed and breakfast.

Photography is by Tim Van de Velde.

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Project credits:

Architect: Atelier Janda Vanderghote
Engineering consultant: Arthur De Roover

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The Irwin Family Has Helped Over 90,000 Animals During Bushfire Emergency

Bushfires in Australia isn’t a phenomenon that’s entirely unheard of, however the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season is something the world hasn’t seen before. Record–breaking heat and drought, lightning strikes, arson and lack of hazard reduction are the main causes of the enormous damage the bushfires have inflicted so far and with the fires still raging on it’s hard to say how long the season, that started back in August, 2019, is going to last.

With the world’s attention on the continent, people have been sending out aid as well as bringing attention to the ongoing problems. Bindi Irwin, late Steve Irwin’s daughter, went on social media to assure everyone that their family is safe and doing everything in their power to help the animals in need.

The Irwin family are definitely carrying the late Steve Irwin’s legacy

Image credits: bindisueirwin

The young conservationist posted an image on Instagram together with a caption explaining the situation:
“With so many devastating fires within Australia, my heart breaks for the people and wildlife who have lost so much. I wanted to let you know that we are SAFE. There are no fires near us or our conservation properties.

Unfortunately, their homeland Australia has been struck by a terrible tragedy

Image credits: AFP

“Our Wildlife Hospital is busier than ever though, having officially treated over 90,000 patients. My parents dedicated our Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital to my beautiful grandmother. We will continue to honour her by being Wildlife Warriors and saving as many lives as we can.”

As bushfires destroy millions of hectares of land, the Irwin family are busy helping the animals

Image credits: bindisueirwin

Bindi also shared a picture of a burnt possum that was treated at the Wildlife Hospital. Unfortunately, the poor animal didn’t make it as Irwin explained:
“Blossom the possum was admitted to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital after being caught in one of the bushfires burning in other parts of Queensland. We have such an incredible team who work day and night to protect gorgeous animals like Blossom. Devastatingly this beautiful girl didn’t make it even after working so hard to save her life. I want to thank you for your kind words and support. This is the heart-wrenching truth, every day is a battle to stand up and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. Now more than ever we need to work together to make a difference and protect our Mother Earth”.

Image credits: bindisueirwin

Image credits: AFP

As the hellish flames continue to rage on, the numbers coming from the officials truly show the vast damage and loss inflicted on Australia. It is estimated that 6,300,000 hectares (16,000,000 acres; 63,000 km2; 24,000 sq mi) were burnt, along with 2,500 buildings (including over 1,300 houses). As of January 4th, 2020, 24 people perished in the fires and 6 other are reported missing in the state of Victoria.

Image credits: bindisueirwin

Image credits: AFP

Image credits: bindisueirwin

Australian firefighters are accompanied by colleagues from New Zealand, the United States and Canada to try and fight the bushfires that the country has never seen before. While everyone’s putting their best efforts to combat the fire and help out those in need, environmental specialist are calculating the enormous impact the fires had on the environment. It is feared that an estimated half a billion animals were either lost to the fires or will likely starve due to loss of the food source and habitat. Australia’s environment minister says that up to 30% of koalas were killed in New South Wales mid-north coast fires, a devastating blow to the population of Australia’s iconic animal.

Image credits: bindisueirwin

Image credits: bindisueirwin

You can watch a video where dozens of kangaroos flee through smoke below

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Bernardo Richter arranges his brickwork house in Brazil around a courtyard

Architect Bernardo Richter took cues from a holiday home by Alvar Aalto when designing this brick house in Curitiba, Brazil.

Courtyard House is located in a residential condominium in the Brazilian city. Richter, the founder of Brazilian studio Arquea Arquitetos built the one storey, 250 square-metre residence for himself.

Richter designed the property to reference Alvar Aalto's experimental Muuratsalo house, which the Finnish architect also completed for himself in 1953 as a summer holiday home.

"Almost in parallel to the experimental home of Muuratsalo of Alvar Aalto, the admiration for the work of the Finnish architect is seen in the inspiration of volumetry and the sum of small gestures that create a genuinely hospitable architecture," Richter said.

A large outdoor courtyard is placed the centre of the house with the social, private and mechanical areas branching off from it. Grey stone pavers cover the patio surface, which is punctured by a large fire pit in its centre.

"From the entrance hall, it is possible to quickly understand the space since the whole house is drawn around a central square, the courtyard," Richter added.

The front of Courtyard House has no windows. Instead, a large recessed wooden garage door connects to a monolithic brick volume to form the residence's front.

Windows and sliding glass are placed along the sides of the residence facing the yard to bring in natural light. Additional illumination is provided by windows that wrap around the courtyard and skylights.

Other design features include three private decks that protrude from the bedroom suites located on the rear side of the house, brises soleil screens that provide privacy without disturbing the courtyard view and wood-clad ceilings in the main living area.

The architect also implemented environmentally friendly practices when designing the house's plan, form and use of materials.

"The concern for sustainability is present in the house plan, form, and materials," he said.

"The design in "C" form deployment significantly increases sun incidence since we have more rooms warmed and illuminated by the sun, in this way we have a passive solar house."

Bricks were sourced from local potteries in a bid to reduce the construction's carbon footprint. There is also a rainwater collection system located on the roof and the water is reused in the house.

Curitiba is the capital of Brazilian state Paraná, Other residential projects in the area include a sustainable white dwelling with photovoltaic panels and a rainwater collection system and the renovation of a compact apartment by Leandro Garcia.

Photography is by Federico Cairoli.

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Ian Schrager and John Pawson redefine California luxury at West Hollywood Edition Hotel

Hotelier Ian Schrager has joined forces with British architect and designer John Pawson to create the West Hollywood Edition in Los Angeles.

The new hotel and luxury residences mark the boutique brand's California debut.

The British architect completed the hotel's 140 guestrooms and 50 suites with a calming neutral palette that touts whitewashed Siberian Larch wood and floor-to-ceiling sliding screens.

The pared-back details are reminiscent of the rooms in Schrager's New York hotel Public, designed by Pawson and Herzog & de Meuron.

The building is also home to 20 residences ranging from 150 to 600 square metres that echo the same neutral colour scheme, complete with Molteni kitchens, sliding glass walls and teak louvered shades.

While Pawson's design carries his signature minimalism, Schrager's traditionally bold colour choices manifest as floor-to-ceiling emerald curtains, royal blue velvet seating, and a pool table with canary-coloured felt.

The entrance was designed "to convey a sense of timelessness rather than a decade-defining aesthetic, creating a fine balance between old and new," as described in a statement from the hotel.

A dramatic mobile by LA artist Sterling Ruby called "The Scale" hangs from the lofty ceiling. The piece comments on the former grittiness of the Sunset Strip, a focal point of LA's youth and counterculture in the 1960s and 70s.

More specifically, a petrol can that is part of the installation nods to the petrol station that occupied the plot prior to the hotel's construction.

The Ardor restaurant sits off the lobby area. Wood accents and potted greenery are omnipresent in the main room, as well as in the lush outdoor terrace available for al fresco dining.

Chef John Fraser helms the signature eatery, which serves an all-organic, vegetable-forward menu to reflect Fraser's own California roots with laid back sophistication – a counter to 701West, his chic restaurant at Schrager's Times Square Edition in New York.

West Hollywood Edition's indoor-outdoor rooftop bar is encased in sliding glass walls, with panoramic views extending from the Pacific Ocean to the Hollywood Hills and downtown skyline. An open-air rooftop pool can be accessed up a flight of stairs.

The property also boasts a basement nightclub called Sunset, several multimedia studios equipped to host events and photoshoots, a 24-hour gym and a spa offering "technology-forward treatments that use light and sound".

Surrounding the property's entrance is a lush perimeter of plants indigenous to Southern California — 56 species in total — including Aleppo Pine, Arbutus and Camphor trees. The extensive landscaping required 850 tonnes of soil.

The hotel is the latest outpost of the Edition chain that Schrager launched in partnership with Marriott International. The hotelier opened Times Square outpost earlier this year, following others located in London, Miami and Hawaii.

Schrager often enlists well-known architects and designers for his projects, such as Pawson and Herzog & de Meuron, which designed his Public hotel in New York, and Yabu Pushelburg, which completed the Times Square Edition.

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Black pavilion filled with glass yams examines colonisation in Australia

Hundreds of black glass yams line the interior of this cylindrical pavilion in Victoria, Australia, designed by architecture studio Edition Office - Dezeen's Emerging architect of the year - and artist Yhonnie Scarce.

Titled In Absence, the pavilion explores the physical legacy of Aboriginal people's dispossession as a result of colonial land theft in the 18th century.

It's the winner of the National Gallery of Victoria's (NGV) fifth architecture competition, which invites practices to propose a temporary structure to occupy the Grollo Equiset Garden.

Sitting on a paved area of the garden, the cylindrical form of the pavilion are made of dark-stained Tasmanian hardwood and bisected with a full-height cut.

A path runs through the cut, aligned with with both the entrance to the museum and the bridge leading into the garden.

Inside, two opposing circular chambers are lined with hand-blown glass yams – designed by Scarce – that appear to be dripping down between the black planks of the interior.

The cut-through and the voids within each half of the pavilion are intended as a reference to the colonial strategy of "terra nullius" or "nobody's land".

Colonisers declared Aboriginal settlements in Australia empty to allow for their seizure, dispossessing indigenous communities of their land and livelihoods.

"In Absence speaks directly to the richness of architecture, agriculture and industry of the traditional custodians of this land, the presence of which sadly lies hidden within the deep myopic shadows of this nation's history," said the practice.

The glass yams' amorphous shapes and glossy black texture reference Australia's natural resources and the land stolen from Aboriginal people.

As well as yams, they invoke oil from fish, medicinal tree sap and eels – which are traditionally smoked inside charred, hollow trees reminiscent of the pavilion's voids.

As the sun moves over the garden, the light passing through the circular opening at the top of the void moves across these glossy black forms.

Scarce described the effect as "the glittering light of the memories and echoes of thousands of years of occupation."

A low black wooden bench offers a place for reflection.

The previous pavilion commission saw practices Muir and Openwork create a mist-filled "chasm" in the garden of the museum, which was also recently host to an exhibition of the work of artist MC Escher designed by Nendo.

Edition Office, an Australian architecture studio based in Melbourne, was named Emerging architects of the year at the 2019 Dezeen Awards.

 

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