February 1, 2017
Skiers, runners and other winter athletes are at greater risk of contracting chest infections when exercising in the cold. Now there is a “smart” solution—a balaclava that warms oxygen before it’s inhaled. Developed by Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, England, and German advanced knitting machine manufacturer Stoll GmbH, the prototype features a knitted patch of electric-conductive …
As part the plan to realize head coach Jimbo Fisher’s commitment to rebuild the Seminoles football dynasty, Florida State University’s Doak Campbell Stadium recently underwent a major renovation. The project included the construction of a premium club seating section featuring 6,000 seats and hosted services at the south end of the stadium. The 24,930-square-foot area …
January 1, 2017
At this year’s women’s Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Switzerland’s Daniela Ryf again dominated the women’s field for the win. She set a new course record with an 8:46:46 finish defending her 2015 title. The 112-mile bike route takes competitors along the Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway where they must be prepared to withstand trade winds …
Upon a first glance, a visitor to artist Chiharu Shiota’s art installation at Berlin’s Blain|Southern gallery might have thought the artist painted her dramatic concept in mid-air. Named “Uncertain Journey,” the piece is actually a dense web of red yarn. Known for installations that immerse gallery goers in a world of color and texture, Berlin-based …
There are many options for businesses and other organizations that exhibit at events. But it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle if you opt for the fairly standard types of tents used by most vendors. Now there’s an option that could make any exhibitor feel like a star. The Star Tent stands out because …
How do you reimagine the design of a convention center? After all, it’s a structure that generally has an industrial feel in order to accommodate large event, meeting and trade show space and the expanses required to move displays, equipment and groups of people in and out. The international architecture firm, Studio Fuksas, looked to …
What if you accidentally spill a chemical on your shirt, causing a hole, and miraculously, the shirt repairs itself when you throw it in the wash? It’s not just the stuff of science fiction. Known as self-healing textiles, fabrics are being developed that can repair themselves as well as neutralize chemicals dangerous to human health. …
While on several long trekking tours, Nils Ferber ran into one problem: His electronic equipment kept running out of batteries. The Zurich, Switzerland-based designer realized that there was no easy way to keep his devices powered up in the wilderness. He also recognized that this could be a real issue for mountaineers, filmmakers and expedition …
December 1, 2016
Each summer, Hermosa Beach in Southern California is home to the popular Sunset Beach Concert Series. This year, the organizers, music venue Saint Rocke and the City of Hermosa Beach, expanded the Sunday series with a free movie night every Saturday in August. The concerts and movies took place on a stage constructed on the …
In modern combat situations, soldiers in the field need protection from biological and chemical agents. At the same time, their protective clothing is a hindrance if it is too hot to wear or unnecessarily burdensome. Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, Calif., have developed a material that shows promise for futuristic smart uniforms. …
If you like to paddle your own canoe but don’t live on a lake, river or stream, the mechanics of urban canoeing can be daunting. First, strap the clumsy aluminum or fiberglass vessel to the car, park near a launch area, carry the canoe to the water’s edge and enjoy a serene glide. Then, do …
How do you build a composite hangar that is as sturdy as a concrete or steel building, but is still fully transportable? That was the challenge for Dasyc SA, a Greek manufacturer of bulk molding compound, thermoplastics and composites production, in the design of their composite hangar for civilian and military applications. The answer was …
As more people want easy-to-use, take-along power sources for phones and other electronic equipment, smart fabrics that generate electricity are gaining interest. Typically, they produce energy from motion. But a team of researchers led by Zhong Lin Wang, a regents professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering in Atlanta, Ga., has …
Korean-inspired restaurant B. Bim Asian Eatery, Chicago, Ill., offers marinated meats and “ban chan” sides, sprouts, sesame spinach, kimchi and other goodies in a taco or lettuce wrap. The wraps, along with custom-made bowls of similar tasty ingredients, are B. Bim’s specialty. So when restaurant management sought a new modern “dive bar” look to attract …
Oil and gas industrial workers need to withstand foul weather conditions on the job on top of dangers from fire exposure. The right outdoor gear is critical to safety and productivity. A new generation of flame-resistant foul-weather outerwear can help. Created by Newark, Del.-based W. L. Gore & Associates Inc., Gore® FR apparel is designed …
November 1, 2016
Cold kills more people than all other weather-related causes combined, according to the National Center for Environmental Health. People in areas with milder winters can be at a greater danger than those in frigid climates because they aren’t always as prepared for severe situations. XeroGear, a Wilmington, Del., manufacturer of portable personal protection equipment, has …
With the dangers of the Zika virus, West Nile, Lyme disease and other mosquito- and tick-born illnesses, protection for people who work outdoors is more critical than ever. Green Mountain Products, Norwalk, Conn., is now making available its time-tested superpolymer suit to provide head-to-toe protection against mosquitoes, ticks, bees and other insects. Virtually impregnable, it …
Soldiers on the battlefield, firefighters in the midst of raging wildfires and first responders to natural disasters often succeed or fail in their life-saving missions by having the right information in the right place at the right time. In situations where power and the ability to communicate are the first casualties, connectivity can be a …
Nothing kills a great outdoor camping experience quicker than tedious equipment assembly. Enter Cinch!, the brainchild of Lancashire, U.K.-based Jack Jackson, a life-long camper who wanted an affordable tent that sets up quickly and incorporates today’s best technology. Described as the ultimate pop-up, Cinch! incorporates high-quality superflex fiberglass poles that go up in seconds and …
While serving two combat tours in Afghanistan, Sam Russo flew every mission with one special flag. It was particularly meaningful to him and his family because this flag was given to his grandfather when he returned home from World War II. Russo wanted to provide the same emotional connection to the Red, White and Blue …
The U.S. Open Golf Tournament serves as a premier stage for the best golfers in the world—156 athletes in 2016 vying for $10 million in prize money. Dustin Johnson walked away with the $1.8 million winner’s purse, but Arena Americas, Oak Creek, Wis., was another big winner as the provider of 310 tents and structures …
The Brickell City Centre, a new $1.05 billion, 5.4-million-square-foot, mixed-use development in downtown Miami, Fla., has it all. There are luxury residences, a hotel, office space and a five-story pedestrian mall with shops, restaurants and cafés. Connecting this vast space into one architectural statement is a 100,000-square-foot canopy called the Climate Ribbon™. Made of faceted …
October 1, 2016
One minute, the neighborhood park is quiet; the next, it’s filled with protesters, party animals or players of Pokémon GO. The Seattle Design Nerds is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to design in the public realm. The Nerds decided that when temporary or flash gatherings happen, they deserve a structure that can be delivered by …
Inspiration for design can easily be found in nature. Take the wing of a beetle: It has an outer shell called an elytra that is both protective and lightweight. Those construction principles are the basis of a striking new exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, celebrating the institution’s annual Engineering Season. The …
When the Plaza Hotel in New York City was undergoing architectural renovation a few years ago, managers wanted to present its “best face” to the public. So they contracted Britten Studios, a Traverse City, Mich., manufacturer of banners and signs, to create a building wrap to hide the hotel’s edifice during construction. Britten recreated the …
Who you gonna call? If you’re Martin Charles, the graphic designer hired to design and create realistic sets for the remake of the 1984 supernatural hit “Ghostbusters,” you call on Roland DGA Corp., Irvine, Calif., experts in wide-format inkjet printers. Charles, founder of Santa Monica-based SagaBoy Productions, worked with designer Jefferson Sage to bring to …
Simone Schramm, a German product interface designer interested in the intersection between analogue products and digital interfaces, devoted her master’s thesis to the idea that when people continuously check their Fitbit or other electronic performance tracker to ascertain their health status, they are missing something important—their intuition. “Numbers are objective,” writes Schramm in her mission …
Fabric Prism no. 2 is an inflatable and immersive color installation built around the fundamental properties of light and color. Made from an architectural double membrane, it was designed and built by , a Providence, R.I.-based design collective comprised of architects, designers and artists working within the fields of spatial design, temporary structures and contemporary …
Tufts University engineers say that revolutionary health diagnostics may be hanging on a thread—one of many threads they have created that integrate nano-scale sensors, electronics and microfluidics into threads ranging from simple cotton to sophisticated synthetics. “We think thread-based devices could potentially be used as smart sutures for surgical implants, smart bandages to monitor wound …
Traditional athletic gloves didn’t cut it for former North Carolina State University (NCSU) football players Jamelle Eugene and DaJuan Morgan. They wanted something that would provide the right grip, but they also wanted to feel the ball to better control it. Instead of gloves, Eugene started taping his fingers to get the friction he needed …
September 1, 2016
The San Diego International Airport (SDIA) wanted to make life easier for travelers needing rental cars by providing a one-stop centralized hub that would be quick and easy to access. They developed the SDIA Rental Car Center, a two million square-foot complex that houses all car rental companies and vehicles and enables them to provide …
Companies looking for a stand-out way to promote their product or message have attractive new options with the sleek new AXION Cube. The inflatable structure is symmetrical and streamlined, offering a tasteful backdrop to highlight an organization’s brand. With its hidden water drain, the roof can stay optically flat. Designed and manufactured by Stretch Marquees …
The signature form of transportation in Mumbai, India, is the iconic black and yellow taxi. Many drivers like to make their taxi stand out by decorating it with personalized touches. But designer Sanket Avlani noticed that the seat covers were fairly standardized and dull. He also recognized that in India, design has limited scope and …
Renowned fabric artist Christo has worked his magic again—this time on picturesque Lake Iseo in Northern Italy. The Floating Piers transformed the landscape of the lake and the surrounding area for 16 days between June and July 2016. First conceived in 1970 by Christo and his wife and artistic partner Jeanne-Claude, who passed away in 2009, The …
Could athletic footwear inspire furniture design? It did for Benjamin Hubert of the London, England-based experience design agency, Layer. Hubert likes to look at existing materials and technology and consider how they can be re-imagined and used in unique, new ways. For his three-piece Cradle collection, which includes high-back and low-back chairs and a room …
People who spend time on the water, whether for work or play, need to take the right flotation protection with them in the event of an emergency. Damel, a Portuguese textile company that specializes in technical clothing, has introduced outdoor apparel that integrates automatic inflation, eliminating the need to carry extra equipment. The SeaB2 jackets, …
August 1, 2016
One of the special attractions being offered to attendees at this year’s IFAI Expo in Charlotte, as a fundraiser for the Industrial Fabrics Foundation (IFF), is an opportunity to see a unique private collection of antique sewing machines: almost 600 machines, originating from the early 1850s to the early 1940s, not only from the …
To mark the 2014–2016 European Space Agency (ESA) mission to the International Space Station, European fashion schools from the astronauts’ home countries explored the future of fashion and all its technical possibilities. “Couture in Orbit” was a project of ESA and the Science Museum of London. It brought together students from the Fashion Akademiet in …
People who enjoy board sports like body boarding and surfing, or other outdoor activities like rock climbing, trail running or volleyball, will tell you they prefer to be barefoot for better balance. But there’s a problem with that: cuts, abrasions and other injuries are always a possibility. Swiss Barefoot Company, Landschlacht, Switzerland, has solved the …
The UCLA School of Medicine’s South Tower building is undergoing a major renovation to convert nine of the former hospital’s 12 floors into a research lab. Known as the South Tower Seismic Renovation project, the four-phase initiative includes reinforcing the building’s structure, making interior improvements and exterior upgrades to comply with new energy requirements, all …
Motorcycle racing isn’t for the faint of heart, and the 2016 Supersport World Championship is a top-tier competition for international riders on production-based motorcycles of 600 to 750 cm³ displacement. Czech rider Ondrej Ježek finished in 14th place at the Motorland Aragon race in Spain, but made history nonetheless by being the first to wear …
Haltom City, Texas, is a community in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with a long history. It was the county seat of the early Birdville Settlement, which was established four years before Texas became a state. It remained the Tarrant county seat until 1856 when Fort Worth won the designation in an election. The Haltom City …
The first inflatable structure designed for human use in orbit was attached to the Tranquility module of the International Space Station (ISS) in April. A collaboration between Bigelow Aerospace, Las Vegas, Nev., and NASA, the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) was delivered to the ISS in the trunk of an unmanned Dragon cargo ship. Using …
It’s called the “overview effect”—a term coined by space philosopher and writer Frank White in a book of the same name. It’s the mental shift that happens to astronauts in space when they see Earth as a tiny, fragile ball of life. National boundaries vanish and the reality that we are all passengers on the …
June 29, 2016
Everything Entertainment, an event-production company based in Staten Island, N.Y., routinely provides services for red-carpet events, trade shows and outdoor festivals in New York City. When tapped to provide a heated tent covering the exterior of Radio City Music Hall spanning Rockefeller Center to Avenue of the Americas for the “Batman v Superman: Dawn of …
In the quest among athletes for longer, faster or better performance, shoe selection can provide the competitive edge. The adidas Group, headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, launched its Futurecraft series to open up new avenues for the design and manufacture of performance footwear. The company’s most recent collaboration with Alexander Taylor Studio, a London, England, industrial …
In the world of high-speed calculations, supercomputers rule. MIRA, a supercomputer constructed for the Argonne National Laboratory’s Argonne Leadership Computing Facility in Lemont, Ill., is capable of 10 quadrillion calculations per second. An average personal computer would take 20 years to accomplish the same feat. To showcase MIRA’s abilities in climatology, seismology, chemistry and math, …
Explorers who go everywhere in nature have to travel light and react quickly. A start-up company, Startraveller Equipment GmbH, Carinthia, Austria, developed the perfect companion for wanderers in the wild—the flying tent, an all-in-one tent that works as a ground tent, a floating tent hung on tree trunks, a hammock or a rain poncho. The …
Javier Goyeneche, president of Ecoalf Recycled Fabrics S.L., headquartered in Madrid, Spain, established his recycled clothing company in 2010. Ecoalf jackets and backpacks made from recycled wastes appear in upscale shops, such as Harrods in London and Bloomingdale’s in New York. Now Goyeneche and partners in both the fabric and fishing worlds have set out …
Milan Design week allows designers and innovators in materials to wow the cognoscenti with creativity, and 3M™, the inventors of films, adhesives, tapes and thousands of other products for homes and businesses, went to Italy with a reflective idea. In partnership with Stefano Boeri Architetti, 3M Design installed Urban Tree Lounge to allow visitors prowling …