the pandhandle bandshell is a temporary music venue created from of recycled, reclaimed and repurposed materials. it demonstrates that a beautiful structure can be built from materials which would otherwise be discarded creating awareness of our impact on the environment. Designed by the finch mob, rebar, and Christopher Guillard.

dutch designer tejo remy’s reinterpreted playground fence is an interesting example of recycled design. The language and use have been playfully manipulated. the fence which was once a barrier or delineation of space becomes an area for connecting and hanging out.

bloomframe designed by amsterdam based architects hofman dujardin is an innovative new building component which acts efficiently as both window and balcony which can be added to both new and existing buildings. With one simple movement the window can be transformed into an outdoor terrace.

dune developed by daan roosegaarde is an interactive landscape which alters its appearance with human interaction. located in the main corridor of montevideo amsterdam it is composed of hundreds of fibres which react to the movement and sounds of passer-bys

made of carbon fibre rods and elastic fabric, piilo. a personal retreat designed by markus michalski, is part architecture, part furniture.

Innovation lab has developed the first screen of transparent concrete. “The screen consists of concrete with embedded optical fibres, arranged as pixels, capable of transmitting natural as well as artificial light. The light-admission points are on the back of the screen where the fibres are positioned. The light, or the picture, will then be displayed in pixels on the front. The light source can be a projector emitting either pictures or film footage. In principle, the screen is capable of acting as a window since – owing to the combination of the screen concept’s light-absorption and optical cables – it has a capacity for transmitting natural light.”

The concept might well influence building industry, architecture, design and other business areas.

“What if buildings could function like living systems, altering their shapes in response to changing weather conditions or the way people use them? That’s the vision of a new breed of architects who are working on what they think is the future of architecture - “responsive structures” that observe their internal and external environment and change form to suit any situation. A building that mimics a living system would be able to sense and respond appropriately to exterior conditions like varying winds, temperature swings or changing sunlight. Inside, the building might change to accommodate crowd flow or better circulate warm air.” via wired.

Lukasz Kos’ creation floats within the fir trees on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, reminiscent of a japanese lantern pearched in the treetops. “This project was conceived out of a desire to relate to the natural setting of the site by wrapping the 4treehouse around four existing trees. Experientially, the project facilitates an intimate relationship with the verticality of the four trees it encompasses. The importance of the project was to create a spatial condition for a private dweller, one that is reinforced by otherwise inaccessible views of Lake Muskoka and the surrounding deer reserve. This unique experience with nature is further emphasized by the sway of 4treehouse with the natural and dynamic motion of trees in a forest. The structural lattice making up the balloon-frame structure is camouflaged in daylight, while at night, the lantern affect of its lit skin acts as a beacon to the lake.”

the cloud lamp by architect toyo ito embodies his principle of “fluid substance.”

“A suspended unit, constructed by ovelaying five thin layers of acrylic. The stratification of these layers, the breaks in continuity in the material building up the concentric spaces, the transparency of plastic material, and the reference to the changing shape and immateriality of clouds, all contribute towards the search for a new model of fluid substance.”