Imagine A "No Girls Allowed" Sign On These Treehouses: Baumraum of Germany

baumraum, based in Germany, designs and builds treehouses.
But not the types of treehouses I grew up with. The are actual arborial dwelling spaces that are nicer than many homes! Various sizes, styles and venues, they build all over the world. Small, large, split level...you name it. And every single one is a sight to behold.

As they say on their website:
"we transform your individual ideas and wishes into ingenious and inspiring dwellings that combine versatility with craftsmanship of the highest quality and maximum safety standards. A major objective thereby is to handle the trees and their surroundings with the utmost care, ensuring their protection and preservation."

And they do an amazing job. Here are just a few of their international treehouses, both the exterior and interior images:

New York residence:



a meditation room:






Treehouse Apulien:




Treehouse Wencke:





Treehouse Osterreich:





Magnolia and Pine Treehouse:



Brazil Treehouse:



Alder and Oak Treehouse:



Stadtjugendring Wolfsburg und den Verband Christlicher Pfadfinderinnen:




Station Karnten:




Treehouse Louisa:




The Distler Family Treehouse:





contact info:
Andreas Wenning
dipl.-ing. architekt
roonstr. 49
28203 bremen
germany
tel. ++ 49 (0) 4 21. 70 51 22
a.wenning@baumraum.de

To see more many more images and learn more, go to the Baumraum site.

McLaren & Mercedes Last Collaboration: Limited Edition Topless Carbon Plastic Bodied SLR

Before going separate ways, Mercedes-Benz and McLaren have decided to produce one final edition of the SLR. it's super fast, lightweight and painted as ugly as possible.



According to reports from the German car magazine, Auto Motor und Sport (who captured first shots of this car under testing), this special SLR will come with neither roof nor windscreen, as a result of weight-shaving measures to trim its curb weight by about 200 kg (or about 440 pounds).

"The concluding SLR will feature an open-air only construction. Gone is the roof; gone is the windscreen - a small wind deflector will be the singular element between the SLR's occupants and the great outdoors. To reduce weight, a carbon plastic body will be used, while air conditioning and power windows will both be abandoned as well. The result in a weight savings of some 200 kilograms, enough to help the model reach 186 mph from a standstill in 26 seconds and achieve a top speed of 217.5 mph."



This means that only a small wind deflector stands between the driver and the ferocity of the wind, as the speedster tosses the countryside behind in a possible breakneck top speed of 350 km/h (or 217 mph). That's about 8 mph more than the latest SLR 722 Edition.


Above: the engine

The model is said to have been inspired by Rudolf Uhlenhaut’s legendary 300 SL in 1955, and earned the famous moniker Silver Arrow.:

Above: the 1955 300 SL, the "Silver Arrow"

Only 75 of these lightweight cars will be produced.
Below is a spy video of the automobile:



If you read German, here's the original source article.

Drift Design's Eerily Beautiful Ghost Collection

Drift is the design duo of Ralph Nauta and Lonneke Gordijn, both graduates of the Design Academy Eindhoven, class of 2005. They design products, concepts and interiors for private and public spaces.

The first prototype of their Ghost Chair was on display at Design Miami Basel last month. If you weren't fortunate enough to attend, here are some photos of their eerily beautiful Ghost Collection:








Drift Design

POP go the days of the week: The Bubble Calendar

Available either in horizontal or vertical formats as well as either printed upon paper or thick acetate, the 2009 Bubble Calendar by 'experience' designer Stephen Turbek costs $29.95 (paper) and $49.95 (acetate) and will let you burst your way through the year.













buy it here.

source

Design copyright 2008,2009 Bubble Calendar
Due to manufacturing processes out of our control, some bubbles may fail to inflate. We rigorously inspect each calendar to avoid this, but if your calendar arrives with more than one bubble popped or flat, let us know within the first two weeks and we'll exchange it. Plastic calendars may have some subtle natural streaking in the acetate backing.
Bubble Calendar is not affiliated with the Bubblewrap brand, which is trademarked by Sealed Air corporation.