In case you missed it, we’re re-publishing this popular post for your material pleasure. Enjoy!
Continuing with our materials-themed posts celebrating the launch of AD Materials (our US product catalog), we decided to round-up eight materials/products (from a light fixture made from woven irrigation hoses - really - to a wall made from shoeboxes) that make their interiors truly ingenious. Enjoy!
Recycled Roof Tiles
To convert an old slaughterhouse into a cutting-edge cultural center in Madrid, the architects, Arturo Franco, came up with an ingenious and efficient solution: take the tiles from the roof (long in disrepair) and stack them within, providing for thermal and acoustic comfort.
"Big Ass" Ceiling Fans
This ceiling Fan, designed by the aptly named company Big Ass Fans®, may not seem like anything out of the ordinary at first. However, these industrial fans are so silent and move air so slowly/softly, that MASS Design Group incorporated them into their award-winning Butaro Hospital in Rwanda, a project whose design was motivated in large part by the need to prevent the spread of airborne diseases via ventilation.
Woven Spaces
In this creative Cinema in Spain (oddly enough, another converted Spanish slaughterhouse), the architects, ch+qs arquitectos, were inspired by local basket weaving to create a permeable, woven space that would filter light. How did they do it? By weaving irrigation hoses and LED lights along bent steel frames.
Low-Profile LED
A subtle way to use LED, these energy-saving Recessed Lights integrate lighting into facades, flooring - any where necessary.
Piled Panels
For this lounge in Osaka, Japan, Kengo Kuma & Associates - masters in wooden architecture - ingeniously piled up pieces of wooden panels to create an interior that resembles natural topography.
Sliding Countertops
One of those ideas you wonder why you never thought of: a countertop that slides open (instant table/bar) to reveal a cooktop/sink.
Shoebox Storage Space
For this space-strapped shoe store in Santiago, Chile, the architects - MoVe architects- took the humble shoebox and made it into the store's central focus (killing the need for storage and visual interest with one stone), creating a shoebox-wall made from 6 plywood sheets and 140 wooden X's.
3D Art
A remarkable technique, invented by Valcucine, that allows you to transfer any drawing you can imagine onto glass surfaces.
If you're interested in learning more about the products/materials we have on offer, check out our new US prodcut catalog - AD Materials - now!
