If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives)

A Private Villa is a Mix of Modern and Traditional Thai Design: The Samsara House 5.

Samsara was the first development by Original Vision architects on Phuket with House 5 being one of the first to be completed. The Samsara House 5 displays a distinctly contemporary architecture with influences of the traditional southern Thai vernacular.

The entrance is a processional experience that dramatically uses the view to shape the transition from the road through unfolding external and internal spaces and levels down to the private entertainment and living level.

Interconnecting cathedral roofs float above living and dining spaces that open fully onto terraces and the main pool deck creating a combination of interlinked volumes that blurs the line between inner and outer space resulting in a fantastic resort home that takes full advantage of the slope and the stunning Andaman Sea view.

Bedrooms and Baths:

The home fuses the outdoors and the indoors, providing lots of outdoor seating and the home also has an outdoor shower:

About Original Vision Ltd:
Over the past 20 years, Original Vision has been pioneering new concepts in leisure architecture and design in South East Asia. Based in Hong Kong and Thailand and with projects throughout the region, they are dedicated to innovation, creativity and quality in design and in their finished projects.

The manipulation of space, light, texture and color is the core of their philosophy. They bring these elements together to harmonise with function and desire. Their goal is to create places that are wonderful; spaces that are breathtaking and inspirational and above all, environments where people just love to be.

Original Vision Architects

The Work of Jedediah Morfit Is Flat, Fabulous and Fanfriggingtastic.

Artist Jedediah (Jed) Morfit is a professor of sculpture at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

This year Microsoft / Bing showcased Sara Bareilles' song "Brave" in their Windows marketing campaign which inspired them to take a different approach to the "Year in Review." They sought out women who spoke out, stood up, led, persevered and fought their way through adversity and challenge to come through the other side triumphant and created this one minute video and a special website to honor them.

So, who are these women?:

1. Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai stood up to educate us all. After surviving an assassination attempt, she arose stronger than ever. In 2013 she addressed the UN, was named one of Time's "100 Most Influential People" and, at 16, became the youngest woman to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

2. Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher blazed a trail. Still the only woman prime minister of Great Britain, Thatcher paved the way for women to lead in the highest offices in the world. Known as the "Iron Lady" due to her uncompromising politics and leadership style, she passed away in 2013.

3. Adrianne Haslet-Davis

Adrianne Haslet-Davis vowed to dance again. Despite losing her lower leg in the Boston Marathon bombing, this dance teacher shows amazing courage. She has committed to not only dance again, but to also run in the 2014 Boston marathon on a prosthetic leg.

4. Gabrielle Giffords

Gabrielle Giffords got back up to fight for others. Surviving a gunshot wound to the head, U.S. Representative Giffords returned in 2013 to make an inspirational statement to Congress in the Sandy Hook hearings, and has gone on to use her experience and position as ex-member of the House to fight for improved gun safety regulations.

5. Diana Nyad

Diana Nyad persevered. After four attempts, at age 64, Diana Nyad embodied tenacity by becoming the first person to swim from Havana to Key West unassisted and without a shark cage.

6. Janet Yellen

Janet Yellen shattered the glass ceiling. On October 9th, 2013 President Barack Obama nominated Janet Yellen to be the first woman to be Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve.

7. Antoinette Tuff

Antoinette Tuff said "I love you" to save a school. Rising above panic, Tuff talked down a gunman who had entered Ronald E. McNair Discovery Academy with words of compassion, convincing him to peacefully surrender.

8. Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel had the strength to lead again. Angela Merkel is the first woman to hold the offices of Chancellor and leader of the Christian Democratic Union. In 2013 she led her party to a historic third-term victory in German elections.

9. Edith Windsor

Edith Windsor won a victory for equality. One of Time's "People of the Year," her Supreme Court victory in United States v. Windsor was hailed as a landmark milestone for marriage equality.

10. Deb Cohan

Deb Cohan danced to inspire us all. Facing a double mastectomy, she denied despair, holding a dance party just prior to the operation with the surgical team. The video of the party went viral, giving hope and courage to those fighting cancer.

And of course, lest we forget, all the women who fought to protect this country, its principles and its people:

This courageous group of women have changed the world and shown us all what the human spirit can achieve. Let that inspire you for 2014.

info, images and video courtesy of Bing

The Ufogel Is A Cool and Cozy Rentable Refuge in Austria.

Designed by architect Peter Jungmann, The Ufogel (a combination of the words 'UFO' and 'Vogel' which means bird in German), is an extraordinary and comfortably appointed house made almost entirely of larch wood available for rent all year round in the East Tyrolian village Nussdorf - the southwestern part of Austria known as Tyrol (or Tirol).

above: Frida Kahlo's famous self-portrait created with food on toast

Oslo, Norway based Instagram food artist and enthusiast Ida Skivenes (aka IdaFrosk) uses a dinner plate as a canvas to create original and reproductions of classic art with food. Her Art Toast Project features the classic works of masters from Magritte to Munch recreated on, you guessed it, toast.

For the new PlayStation® 3 racing game Gran Turismo 6, released just last month, the Mercedes-Benz designers have developed the visionary concept of a super sports car – and created one in full scale: the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo.

Extreme proportions, sensual contours and intelligently implemented high tech blend to form a breathtaking body.

Using the theme "Vision Gran Turismo", the world's leading automotive manufacturers and design studios were to develop concept models which give a unique insight into the further development of the automobile.

Kazunori Yamauchi, Head of Games Development and President of Polyphony Digital Inc., called for a look into the future. Under the basic idea of "Vision Gran Turismo", leading car manufacturers and design companies worldwide were asked to fashion pioneering design models. As virtual vehicles that nonetheless function just like a real car, the visionary concepts will be gradually unveiled in and integrated into the new game Gran Turismo® 6 through online updates.

"With its proportions and its expressive appearance, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo embodies that design philosophy of sensual clarity which is characteristic of the brand. The design of this concept car clearly shows the perfect interaction of emotive, sensual shapes with intelligently placed technologies," said Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Daimler AG.

As a 1:1-scale model, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo celebrated its world premiere at the opening of the new Mercedes-Benz Research Development Center in Sunnyvale, California and debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

above: the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo at the Los Angeles Auto Show

During the design development of the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo, the same standards were kept and the same processes followed as for any other concept car or series-production model. All the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studios around the world prepared initial design drafts of their visions. Finally, the best ideas were further developed at the Advanced Design Studio in Sindelfingen as part of a digital design process, and then perfected in a physical 1:1 design process. The interior design was created at the specialised Advanced Design Studio in Como, Italy.

Also, the sound designers of the concept car have integrated an elegant, specially developed sound for the eight independent exhaust pipes integrated into the rear lamps (shown below).

Muscuar Bodyshell:

The sports car proportions that are a typical Mercedes-Benz feature have been reinterpreted: the long bonnet has a flowing transition into a compact greenhouse offset to the rear, which takes the form of an aerodynamically efficient water drop to descend slightly at the rear, where it rests on the rear end with broad shoulder contours. The dynamic aura is accentuated by an extended, dramatic side contour and a pronounced bulge to the wheel arches, which blend into the low-slung, muscular bodyshell. The angled headlamps, with their colour scheme and determined look, convey a sense of sportiness and readiness to leap forward.

LED Grille:

Another eye-catching feature is the radiator grille – a reinterpretation of the wide Mercedes-Benz sports car grille with central star. Its shape is reminiscent of the legendary 300 SL racing car of 1952. However, instead of classic louvres the grille of the show car features exclusively LEDs. The variable LED grille with different light patterns is a further development of the diamond grille introduced with the new A-Class.

The Game: Gran Turismo 6 - Standard Edition

• The Gran Turismo® series, recording sales over 70 million* worldwide, reinvents its core game engine in its newest edition for PlayStation®3. Gran Turismo®6 brings with it 1,200 types of car and 76 courses across 37 locations.
• With powered-up online competition, brand-new community functions, the product of collaboration with the world’s automotive manufacturers “Vision Gran Turismo” and more, Gran Turismo®6 is at the forefront of racing game technology.

Gran Turismo
Mercedes Benz