It’s an origami umbrella! Yes, you read that correctly. It’s an umbrella that is designed without a structural under-skeleton. Instead, the Sa umbrella uses a dual-canopy structure that utilizes planar tension to move free of the skeleton. The canopies expand and contract in unison allowing the umbrella to open and close. Opening and closing is simple with a mechanism that rotates at the bottom of the handle. Sarah D. I Designer I The DesignBloc #design #creativit

PLAY: The Documentary play (plā/) verb : engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose. All work and no play, is just no fun! People from all over the world are working themselves too hard, and leaving no time to enjoy the little moments in life. However, our friends at The Urban Conga are making a difference to change that. The Urban Conga, is a non-profit community that activates social interaction through the act of "PLAY." Thei

Designer Benjamin Hubert has designed a carafe that decants your choice of wine through a stainless steel aerator to improve the wine's flavor. Wine poured into the carafe drains through a matrix of holes in the base of a steel insert which is fitted snuggly into the neck of the carafe by a molded silicone collar. As the wine moves through the holes, the liquid is exposed to air which in turn, enhances the flavor. But do not fear, the WW Carafe isn’t just for wine. It can be

This is what happens when an artist and architect join forces, and Jeffry’s House is created. This thatch-roofed retreat was built overlooking a forest, sandy beaches and sea in Northern Ireland. Constructed by Emily Mannion and Thomas O’Brien in the Ards Forest Park, the raised timber structure stands on stilts reducing its environmental impact. The name comes from the nearby lake with the same name: Jeffry’s Lough. It was built after Thomas O’Brien won a competition through

William Pedersen, that’s right, one of the names behind Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), staffed his own booth at the ICFF and presented his new furniture collection titled “Loop de Loop.” His new furniture series features a set of chairs made with curved carbon-steel forms to resemble a body in forward motion. The collection includes a side chair, dining chair, chaise, lounge chair with ottoman, and the promise of a rocker in the future. When the architect was asked why he started d

Great things are going on right now in Tampa, Florida. A Non-Profit Organization called The Urban Congo has recently designed and set up one of their newest installations: A PINK Ping Pong Table in a park! Their motto is "Come Out and Play," and they encourage public interaction through the power of public design and urban furniture. They even got the Mayor of Tampa to join in on the fun during the ping-pong in the park kick-off. Check out the video below for an overview of

Now you can quench your thirst anywhere with "DrinkPure." DrinkPure bring potable water to you whenever it's needed. It's an attachable water filtration device that fits onto any waterbottle. I've been to many developing countries where this product would save thousands and thousands of lives! I also see great applications for it within developed countries; It would be great to have during a long hike or a camping trip. The fact that it traps sediment, odors, and chemicals, m

The "Explosion Cabinet" by Sabastian Errazuriz Quick Facts // maple, glass, and stainless steel 29 1/4 x 56 x 15 7/8 in. (74.30 x 142.24 x 40.48 cm) carnegie museum of art, pittsburgh, women’s committee acquisition fund This will be a picturebook addition. No explanations needed here. Enjoy! [all images courtesy of sebastian errazuriz] Palladio I Designer I The DesignBloc #wood #furniture #furnituredesign #design #craft #creativity #art #productdesign #product

Growing up within 30 mins to some of the nation's best beaches, pretty much every child was given some sort of board as their birthright. If you're a surfer like I am, you know that the worst thing is getting old wax off of your board without killing a credit card or other plastic necessity. EAST Surf Co. now has an answer to all your wax removal problems. This Brooklyn-based surfwax maker decided to design a wax comb that is as elegant as it is useful. The design is simple:

Summer is here and what is a better way to cool off than with ice cream! We've all tried ice cream sundaes, waffle bowls, and globs of ice cream on cones, the but after a while that gets boring. That's when Coolhaus comes in and saves that day. Coolhaus (a wordplay on Rem Koolhaus's name), is an icecream company that takes your design senses on a ride, and will be sure to fix your ice cream cravings this summer. The co-founder of Coolhaus, Natasha Case, was not trained as a c