When you say Switzerland, the first thing that will come to my mind is the Alps, beside the chocolate, watches, and the banks of course! Now here is the bad news… …

Australian Architects Peter Poulet and Michael Harvey contemplate concrete’s green side with The Concrete House, a free-flowing assembly of gravity-secured precast columns and slabs that the designers call a “commitment to living sustainably”. With renewable energy systems, a green roof, rainwater harvesting and waste minimization, the design tries to prove that concrete is an environmentally appropriate choice. …

When I first saw the photograph, I thought it is a tree with lighting around. But it is not! This is an eye catching, and creative light. “My mission is to create innovative designs and products by using only the minimum in materials and processes” says Mike Radford in his web site, 4D Designs. …

Here is a different approach to handicap toilets. The Universal Toilet is a flexible toilet design, by Changduk Kim & Youngki Hong, useable by both individuals with disabilities and the general population that removes the social stigma of handicapped facilities. …

The International Journal of Design is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal devoted to publishing research papers in all fields of design, including industrial design, visual communication design, interface design, animation and game design, architectural design, urban design, and other design related fields. …

Humanscale is the leading manufacturer of ergonomic products for the office. From chairs to keyboard trays to task lighting, they cover a wide range of products. Last week, they gave us a luncheon presentation which was fun, informative, and tasty! …

Beijing is getting ready for the 2008 Summer Olympics which will start on August 8, 2008. New buildings are under construction, service system is getting better, roads are re-paved, and shortly the city is having an overall make up… It is similar to cleaning up your house before your visitors arrive… I have been a part of this preparation by designing a hotel project, Park Hyatt Beijing, last 5 years! …

One of my friends sent me the below mail with a note saying: ” Does it sound familiar?” It is very funny, and somewhat true… I feel bad about “our friends”, or maybe I should feel bad about ourselves!!! Take a deep breath and enjoy life… …

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stirling Prize is given for the RIBA Building of the Year. It is run in association with The Architects’ Journal and is presented to the architects of the building which has been the most significant for the evolution of architecture in the past year.

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Group Danhos has commissioned the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) to design Torre Bicentenario in the centre of Mexico City which will become the tallest building in Latin America. Completion is scheduled for 2010 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Mexico’s Independence.

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Yanko Design recently featured the Samsung SS700, a sexy 7.3-megapixel camera with an LCD display on one side and a built-in kick-stand and lens on the other. When you are done taking photos, you can simply slide the display up and lean the frame on a fold out kick-stand to enjoy the slide show.

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