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Sharpies Rock The Runway. Rodarte S/S 2010 Collection Includes Sharpie Body Art.




Sharpie® markers are fast becoming a truly recognized art medium. Along with the glut of unexpected artful uses as shown on my previous post, And You Thought Sharpies We're For Writing Your Name In Your Underwear, the permanent laundry marker has made its way into the world of Couture.




Pasadena based fashion designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the women behind the brand Rodarte, (and fellow graduates of my alma mater, UC Berkeley) featured their Spring Summer 2010 Ready-To-Wear collection accented with hand drawn tattoos and body art applied with a Sharpie marker to the runway models.

Applying the Sharpie art before the show:






As eerie yellow and green lit dry ice poured from the stage, models emerged clad in the latest Rodarte designs donning what at first looked like tribal tattoos and upon closer inspection- and information- turned out to be Sharpie marker drawings in black.

The runway show:





The drawn-on designs accented the collection beautifully without detracting from it, and were a welcome surprise replacement for what could have been clunky jewelry.











above runway photos Marcio Madeira, close up photos by Don Asby
all other photos courtesy of Rodarte.



above: Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte.
Rodarte

Don't forget to check out :

•And You Thought Sharpies Were For Writing Your Name In Your Underwear

•The Sharpie doodles of Charlotte Mann

See other wonderful uses of Sharpie markers at Sharpie Uncapped

Richard Meier Does Modern Architecture In Turkey. The Bodrum Houses.




Bodrum Houses
2007-2010
Yalikavak, Turkey

Yalikavak, overlooking the Agean Sea, is the most prestigious residential area in Bodrum, Turkey. In 2006, Berggruen holdings purchased over 168,000 sq/m of land with panoramic views of Yalıkavak Bay and the marina. They then hired world renowned architect Richard Meier to design a series of modern homes for the hillside. The project, called “Bodrum Houses” is comprised of 23 houses designed in 5 different design styles.





Each of the Richard Meier designed homes has 3 levels in addition to the pool area, a canpoied 3 car garage and a detached guesthouse. Each house contains a kitchen, living room, dining room and powder room on the ground floor; three bedrooms on the upper floor; and a media room, laundry room and three staff bedrooms on the basement level.

Each house has a total exterior and interior of approximately 1,100 square meters and each house has a separate pool, emergency power generator and a waste water treatment plant.

Materials are cast in place concrete with a plaster finish and large areas of glazing. The interiors feature stone and hardwood flooring and numerous skylights.

Due to different typographical features of each plot as seen below on the models, each house (including the same design type) has a unique ground level configuration and an uninterrupted view of Yalikavak bay.




House 1:



House 2:



House 3:



House 4:



House 5:



Images and information courtesy of Richard Meier and Berggruen

The Peepoo, A Lean Green Latrine.




The Peepoo is a single use, self-sanitizing, hygienic, biodegradable human waste container (i.e. toilet) that can be even used as fertilizer after use. A smart, affordable innovation that can revolutionize sanitary waste management needs amongst millions of homeless, ill-housed or disaster affected venues.

The Problem?


In the world today, more than 2.6 billion people have no access to basic sanitation. That means that 40 out of every 100 people lack even the most simple latrine to perform their needs. The lack of toilets affects both society and the individual through the contamination of fresh water and ground water. Human feces contain viruses, bacteria, worms and parasites which kill and infect people. As a matter of fact, one child in the world dies every 15 seconds due to contaminated water.

The Solution:


The Peepoo is in the form of a slim elongated bag measuring 14 x 38 centimeters. Within the bag there is a thin gauze layer measuring 26 x 24 cm. The gauze is coated with a thin film of urea, the most common fertilizer in the world and a non-hazardous chemical. As the urea is broken down, the pH value of the material increases and hygienization begins.




The Peepoo is designed to be used once, sitting, squatting or standing. If one uses the bag by holding it with only the hand, the thin gauze prevents all contact with the excrement. It doesn't need any supporting structure, but, for convenience, a cut PET-bottle or a bucket in which to place the bag, can help:



Easy To Use, Easy To Handle
The Peepoo is a toilet which is not fixed to a particular place. It is simple to carry since it is small and weighs less than 10 grams. The only thing one needs to do is find a secluded spot where one can use it as a toilet.


Peepoos are odor free for at least 24 hours after use and can thus be stored in the immediate environment. It is one of few sanitation solutions which require no water. The only water required is to wash the hands after use. The Peepoos cuts the traditional link between water and sanitation. A used Peepoo bag is clean to handle. It has become a waste product that neither smells nor is dirty to take care of and collect.



Without sacrificing ergonomic function, the bag’s design is adapted in every way so that it might be manufactured at as low a price as possible and sold to groups with the weakest purchasing power in the world.

Use As Fertilizer
Two to four weeks after use, the treated feces constitute a high value fertilizer with a considerable market value. The fertilizer will mainly be a nitrogen fertilizer due to the added urea for sanitation. Other nutrients are also available for the plants and thereby improve the soil fertility. Additionally, the organic matter in the feces will improve the soil’s structure, buffering capacity, and water holding capacity which, in the long term, will improve the potential harvest from the fields.

Since fertilizers are an expensive and scarce commodity in developing countries, it is possible for simple economic systems to develop informally through the collection and distribution of used Peepoos. Consequently, the used bags represent a local resource instead of a contaminant.



The Materials
The Peepoo is made of a high performance degradable bioplastic which meets EU standard EN13432. The plastic not only disintegrates but the molecules are also broken down into carbon dioxide, water and bio-mass. 45% of the plastic is produced using renewable materials. Peepoople intends, within the near future, to find a solution which is 100% renewable. The bioplastic comprises a mixture of aromatic co-polyesters and polylactone acid (PLA), with small additives of wax and lime. PHB represents alternative bioplastics.



How It Began
The Peepoo project was initiated by Anders Wilhelmson in September 2005. During the spring of 2006, a group comprised of researchers and other interested persons was formed and the company, based in Stockholm, Sweden was founded. Initial tests and development of a prototypical Peepoo toilet were completed later that year, followed by the formation of Peepoople AB in December. Following positive test results, a Swedish patent was initially assigned in March 2007 and granted in December and a world patent PCT was assigned in March 2008. In October 2009, Karin Ruiz was brought on board as CEO and now, the Peepoo toilet is scheduled to be available for delivery in the third trimester of 2010.



About Peepoople
Peepoople AB was created to develop, produce and distribute the Peepoo (pat.pend) sanitation solution. The mission of Peepoople is to provide universal access to dignified and hygienic sanitation. Research has been conducted in co-operation with the Swedish University of Agricultural Science (SLU) and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).

You can learn more at Peepoople.com

Modernist Rocking Horses By Frederik Roijé




Next time your child whines "I want a pony", consider these Rocking Squares by Frederik Roijé. Albeit as exspensive as a real horse, these will last forever.

I've been a fan of Dutch designer Roijé for sometime now. His "Holy Homes", two porcelain birdhouses, caught my eye, several years ago and since then I try to keep up with his inventive designs.

His Rocking Squares are a reinvention of the traditional Hobby Horse or Rocking Horse. The wood rocking horse is covered with a durable coating, is available in three sizes and two color options.







A stunning combination of interactive sculpture and hip toy, the Rocking Square is available for purchase (at a price befitting original art, rather than a child's toy) and ships directly from his Holland studio. Shipping time is 6-8 weeks.

The available sizes and prices are as follows.

Dimensions (l x w x h) & Prices
large, black or white, 250 x 75 x 180 cm = €8200 ($10,975.70 USD)
medium, black or white, 180 x 60 x 130 cm = €6200 ($8298.70 USD)
small, black or white, 130 x 40 x 90 cm = €4500 ($6023.25 USD)
buy them here.


Frederik Roijé

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C'mon people, it's only a dollar.