A bioclimatic and eco-friendly house in Athens

Located in an area of 7,000 m² in Athens, Greece, this bioclimatic house has a clean design, where white predominates. The project was designed by 314 Architecture Studio, inspired by the owners love for yachts.

The bioclimatic design allows the sun to warm cold places in the winter, while the ventilation blows the hot air out in the summer. The use of geothermal energy saves money on the cooling and heating system.

Heated with solar panels, the pool water comes from a tank that collects and drains rainwater, a fully sustainable system.

The material used in the internal structure and the furniture is also eco-friendly. The decoration is based on the needs of the owners and merges luxury and ergonomics, with a special space for the abstract sculptures of John Aspras.

This is a cool project that unites luxury with elegance and sustainability. 

Faceless portraits from Chris Ozer

With over 400,000 followers on Instagram, photographer Chris Ozer has been solidifying a success story that began rapidly with the help of internet. Those who know the work of this photographer from Brooklyn, New York, swear that he has been doing this  all his life. Slight mistake! Chris was a former jazz musician and only discovered himself professionally in September 2011.

His first series of pictures was taken in North Carolina, near his and his mother’s home, and was published in Instagram. From there he got a taste for photography and began studying perspective, light, composition and all the technical and artistic issues that involve a good image.

With idols like Vivian Maier and Henri Cartier-Bresson, his goal is to make a photograph more organic, but without any pretensions to reach this level of quality.

Very nice work.

The amazing AquaDom in Berlin

Located in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Berlin, this fantastic "lift-tank" was named AquaDom. At 25 meters high, 11 meters in diameter, 900,000 liters of seawater and 2,600 fish of 56 species, it was considered the world's largest cylindrical aquarium.

Besides the impressive dimensions, the transparent cylinder houses a lift that was also made with transparent material, providing an incredible view of the aquarium. Opened in 2004, the AquaDom cost 12.8 million Euros.

It was designed by International Concept Management and the American company Reynolds Polymer Technology was responsible for the construction of the acrylic outer cylinder.

An incredible trip in the German capital!

Chairs with a retro charm

The retro-style design of Florense’s Charm Collection evokes the post-modern culture and brings to the contemporary world these tasteful styles, which marked glorious times; a reinterpretation that harmonizes the old with the new in a charming way, as in these two sophisticated chairs - Emily and Lola.

Emily is available in Brazilian Walnut or painted (black or white); Lola, in Brazilian Walnut or painted English Oak (black or white). Both chairs are available with or without arms.

These pieces are an elegant complement to design of many spaces.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg

Near the conclusion of the building works, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights will be opened in early 2014 in Winnipeg. The building, designed by the Antoine Predock Company, was designed to revitalize the city landscape through its exuberant architecture.

Clad in a sort of "glass cloud" covering 5 thousand square meters, the museum is dedicated to exposing the commonalities in human history. Its internal architecture aims to provide a metaphorical journey through life, while externally it is inspired by ice, clouds and stone, all surrounded by a beautiful natural landscape.

It has 23 floors, its amphitheater holds 350 seats carved in stone and it has prioritized the accessibility, designed based on the latest research about the disability community.

A beautiful setting to address such a noble cause. 

Floating Flowers

The floating ripple vases designed by the Japanese at oodesign is almost imperceptible at first, but provides a sensational effect to flowers. The arrangement is always dynamic, as the vases are made from PET which is super-light material. That is, with every movement of air, the plants move.

A simple idea that transforms any container with water into a potential flower vase. 

The Fresno House

Designed by Felix Raspall and Frederick Papandrea, the Fresno House is located in Cariló, Argentina. This is a small summer home located in a forest near the southern Atlantic Ocean.

With living room, dining room, kitchen and bedroom, plus terrace and pool, the two-story house is designed to promote contact with nature. The vast nature of the surroundings is all harnessed from the glass walls, combined with concrete and wood.

To enjoy nature without giving up comfort. 

A stylish house for meditation in India

This amazing residence perched on a cliff in Chowara, a fishermen’s island in India, was designed by Khosla Associates, one of the most respected architectural firms in the country. With a huge infinity pool, the design concept combines air, ocean and sky.

Its dimensions are spectacular: the skewed wall measures 45 meters and covers an area of 1397 m². It is located 200 feet above the Arabian Sea; the view includes a large coconut plantation, and miles of ocean.

One of its most striking features is the sloping and asymmetrical roof. The external and internal finishes are polished cement, concrete and rough slate juxtaposed against warm slatted timber and natural local kota stone. Furniture and accessories (a lot of them were made by local craftsmen) are kept to a minimal, so that the focus doesn’t stray from the natural environment

The client lives in London and commissioned the house as a holiday home with several floors and meditation areas.

 Relaxation seems to be the new luxury.

Sweet Alchemy: an eye-catching candy store

The candy store Sweet Alchemy by Stelios Parliaros in Athens was designed by designer Stelios Kois, of Kois Associated Architects . Its mysterious atmosphere contrasts with the delicate sweets, displayed in wooden and glass cases. Jars, bottles, boxes and trays receive a dramatic lighting effects from the ceiling. The abundant sunlight is refracted through a steel grid with glass shelves.

The space is characterized by a high degree of transparency, combined with diffuse illumination. The lights and shadows change throughout the day, providing a unique atmosphere at all times. The choice of rustic materials such as iron, bronze, copper, wood and concrete were selected for their natural characteristics and they were not altered in order emulate an appearance.

Hermes, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Les Cristalleries de Saint-Louis are to re-launch the Atmos clock

Three traditional brands in the luxury market together combined 783 years of experience to create the extraordinary Atmos clock, since 1928: Hermes, Jaeger-LeCoultre, besides the renowned French glazing Company - Les Cristalleries de Saint-Louis.

Weighing about ten pounds, the piece is made up of two layers of glass on a modern mechanical miracle that allows its operation from the temperature change in the environment. This sensor produces enough momentum to produce 48 hours of operation and therefore it is unnecessary to wind-up the timepiece.

Only 176 clocks will be produced, one for each year of existence of Hermès.