Korean architecture firm Moon Hoon was hired by a large family to create a modern space that their four kids could play, read, and study, and well, be kids in. Situated on a sloped and irregular lot, the Panorama House gives the parents the upper part of the home and the children can rule the lower part.
Located in a relatively new suburb of Chungbuk, Korea, the architect became inspired by the picturesque views and banked on creating a fluctuating facade that would make way for varying directional views throughout.
Due to the shape of the lot, the design of the house had to be long and thin.
The exterior, with the zig-zag facade, is accentuated with the lines of the two materials used. It creates an accordion effect as if the house is being stretched out.
In the central part of the house sits a multifunctional staircase that is the hub of activity. There are stairs for the adults, a slide for the kids, and book storage underneath every stair, making access easy for the little ones.
Walk around underneath the stairs and you have workspaces and more access to the books.
The space also acts as a movie theater for the family.
The windows vary in size creating different scenes as you look out.
Photos by Namgoong Sun.
Need some design inspiration? Well, rather than tune into the latest by-the-numbers action film or romcom, why not take a look at some of the many awesome design documentaries?
There’s nothing better than seeing what some of the great designers have done to help boost your creative ideas and spur you on. So in no particular order, here’s a rundown of 10 of the best design documentaries covering everything from typography to urban art...
01. Why Man Creates
Seminal artist Saul Bass and Mayo Simon created animated short documentary Why Man Creates in 1968. An early classic, the film discusses the nature of creativity and is as much inspiring today as it was 50 years ago.
02. Helvetica
American director Gary Hustwit celebrates 50 years of the typeface with a feature-length documentary focusing on the wider conversation about how type affects our culture. Released in 2007, the documentary has received widespread recognition and been shown at over 200 film festivals, museums, design conferences, and cinemas worldwide.
03. Design and Thinking
Directed by Mu-Ming Tsai, Design and Thinking examines how design can influence the world of business and social change and calls on creative minds to work together to change the world. Interviewees David Kelley, Bill Moggridge and Tim Brown put forward the idea that attempting to ask the right question is more important than providing firm answers.
04. Objectified
Following on from Helvetica, Gary Hustwit’s second film looks at the world of design engineering and the creative concepts behind everyday objects such as toothbrushes to tech gadgets. He also completed a trilogy with his third film, Urbanized, which looks at the design of cities.
05. Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight
Wendy Keys’ debut documentary offers a glimpse into the brain behind the iconic I ♥ NY logo and New York Magazine. Released in 2008, the film illustrates the full-breadth of Glaser’s artistic work and has become a design docu classic.
06. PressPausePlay
Directed by David Dworsky and Victor Köhler, PressPausePlay interviews with some of the world's most influential creators of the digital era to ask: Does democratized culture mean better art or is true talent instead drowned out?
07. The Universe of Keith Haring
Christina Clausen plays homage to Haring’s iconic career, told through archive footage and a series of interviews from the likes of Jeffrey Deitch to David LaChapelle to Yoko Ono.
08. Sign Painters
Soon to be released, this documentary from Faythe Levine and Sam Macon depicts the stories of more than two dozen sign painters working in cities throughout the US, attempting to save this dying art.
09. The Cool School
A documentary depicting the art scene of 1940s America, The Cool School tells the story of how a small group of creatives gave birth to the LA art scene. Walter Hopps and Irving Blum, owners of the Ferus Gallery, painters Ed Ruscha and John Altoon, and architect Frank Gehry are just some of those featured.
10. Beautiful losers
Directed by Aaron Rose, founder of the now-closed Alleged Gallery in New York City, Beautiful Losers depicts the work of a 1990s collective that championed a 'do-it-yourself' style – influenced by skateboarding, graffiti and hip hop.
Today, we take you to get a tour of the world in a way that most never sees it. All the way through this surrealistic lens, the planet is transformed into an energetic and often magnificent landscape. In this collection, we are featuring some of the best infrared photography for your inspiration. Well, in just about every problem solving circumstances, one tends to be ordered to think outside the box to get a solution. Fundamentally, it is all about of expecting us to see beyond the ordinary to discover the unexpected solution. One innovative field that seems to excel as a bonfire for taking this approach, and viewing the world in an extremely unusual way than the majority of us is photography. For instance, today showcase which looks into some great examples of eye-catching infrared photography which represent the standard and consequences of looking beyond the ordinary to get the extraordinary results. Enjoy!
Young artist from Australia, Aelita Andre delight and surprise people who are not into to art around the world.
Over the shoulders of five-year-old Aelita has two solo exhibitions and dozens of paintings, filled up private collections. The most expensive painting girl was sold for $ 30,000, and the total value of sold works of nearly a million dollars.
I spend a good deal of time looking at websites that have been developed using a responsive web design (RWD). Often, many of the websites using RWD are agency sites or personal blogs, and sometimes it seems like a RWD design might only be practical for the more creative type of website. However, this is simply not true. Every type of website can benefit from using a responsive web design to allow web visitors to access the same site and content no matter what kind of device they are using. As a snapshot of an industry segment doing as much, here are 10 examples of ecommerce B2C businesses using responsive web design.
This is one of my favorite responsive retail sites because it provides a wonderful user experience whether I am on my desktop or my iPhone. Looking at this site, it is easy to tell that the designers took a “mobile first” approach to the design. The elements are all very touch friendly, and the site has a consistent look and feel no matter how you interact with it.
This is a site that focuses on selling crafting supplies and homemade goods. I definitely think it is a good idea for brands who sell this type of product to consider a responsive web design because so many of their customers are accessing social crafting sites like Pinterest from mobile devices. A responsive web design like this makes it easy to shepherd prospects down the sales funnel.
United Pixel Workers is a company that sells T-shirts and accessories designed by the web design community. Given its customer base is so tech savvy, it’s not surprising to find the company’s website is as well. The site uses a simple grid that scales very well to fit on smaller screens. I especially like the way the cart and menu buttons adjust at every screen size so they remain easy to find and click on.
I was actually a bit surprised to find that the Tommy Hilfiger site was responsive because it seems like a lot of bigger brands seem wary of making this change. For many brands with larger websites and huge product selections, the idea of making web content responsive can be a daunting task. However, I think it is a change that must be made, and Tommy Hilfiger has done a pretty good job of making it work. This RWD website isn’t perfect, but it is easier to shop on than most other retail mobile sites I have visited.
I will admit that this website for the UK electronics retailer Curry’s is anything but beautiful. I have chosen to include it in this list because I think it is important to see how an online retailor with a HUGE stock of products can make a responsive web design work effectively. What it lacks in visual appeal it makes up for in usability. Everything on this site is organized and has a purpose. I also like the large navigation buttons that are good for touch and in your face, and the search function which makes searching for particular products a breeze. This site certainly fulfills it’s duty to make purchases simple for customers on any device.
This retail site is the go-to place for educational resources about web design. It is no surprise that the company responsible for publishing one of the first books about responsive web design is utilizing the technology. The A Book Apart storefront layout looks good on every device size and never appears cluttered or crowded.
Just another specialty retailor that seems to be well ahead of the bigger brands. Again, this isn’t the most beautiful responsive website, but it is still successful. The navigation system here is easy to follow, and shopping on smaller devices is a simple, painless process.
I believe snowboard retailer Burton definitely knows its customers are shopping this website from their phones and tablets. The company has made a smart choice in choosing to adopt a responsive web design that gives users the same experience no matter how they choose to shop. I do wish the navigation was a bit easier to click on the mobile screen size, but I like the way they have used images and a simple grid to make the design conform to any screen size.
Cocosa is a members-only retail shopping site. You know, one of those websites where you get daily email updates about new and upcoming sales? As someone who is a member of a bunch of them, I can tell you first hand how annoying it is to click on a link in an email and then be sent to a mobile version of the website asking me to download the app. It’s like the catch-22 of mobile shopping. Cocosa solves all that by simply having a responsive website. Click an email link and be sent directly to the RWD website to enjoy the mobile shopping process.
Visual Supply Co. has a very simple, straightforward storefront selling photo-editing software. I like that this store has such clean lines, and I appreciate that everything is easy to click on when I access it from my mobile device. Big buttons are essential for touch, especially that big “Buy Now” or “Add to Cart” button!
