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As a former architect I know that project constraints often breed creativity. However constraints from the materials we choose for our builds often restrict design freedom. I remember designing a classroom block in my twenties and feeling so frustrated because we had to use 'tried and true' materials that often resulted uninspiring and boxy schools. I still remember that feeling of gritting my teeth as I resentfully copied and pasted templated ArchiCAD models of rectangular classroom blocks and boring joinery. Every young person start their design careers full of inspiration, and the art is not to loose that sense of creativity and imagination as we get older. Which was one of the reasons why I started Critical. We wanted to make materials that is better for designers and better for the planet by designers. And alongside Luka from Acryform we've been having a bit of fun pushing the limit of Cleanstone. Here is how you can blow mould the Forest Cleanstone into an endless number of 3D shapes: 1. Clamp the sheet onto a steel plate with a hole for an air inlet nozzle. 2. Together with the steel plate, move the assembly into a large commercial oven to soften the panel. 3. Remove the assembly while Cleanstone is hot and soft and screw the air value connected to a compressor through the bottom of the metal plate. 4. Blow air into the assembly and watch Cleanstone inflate. You can blow mould Cleanstone in a variety of was like: 🛀 Into a female mould so the large blow moulded part could form into a vanity for example. 🌏 Blow mould in different orientations and use gravity as a moulding method 🔧 Play around using found objects like mesh to restrict the material during blow moulding to discover unique shapes. I run a green building materials company called Critical. and we help designers and brands create beautiful spaces using 100% recycled plastic panels we call Cleanstone. If you're working on a fit out and are looking for sustainable materials to realise your unique vision, hit me up via a DM or through our website: Criticaldesign.nz

“Architecture is a dialogue, and that dialogue is often critical. It’s through the exchange of ideas and critique that innovation emerges and design reaches its full potential.” - Zaha Hadid I was following a forum on how to take feedback, and I believe it’s important to share this with the entire community. Our cultural, social, and generational changes have diversified our mindsets within the design industry, bridging the transition from academia into professional life. These are my thoughts in the matter: As a practicing industry professional and a design professor, I have seen firsthand how crucial critique is in shaping students’ growth and development, whether they are studying interior design, fashion, or architecture. From the very beginning of their academic journey, I emphasize to my students that peer review is not just a task, but an opportunity to sharpen their ability to justify their design decisions and respond creatively to challenges. In interior design, for example, students quickly realize that feedback from their peers and instructors helps them better understand spatial relationships and functionality, much like fashion students refine their skills in fabric selection, garment construction, and the cohesive expression of ideas. Architecture students learn early on that critique is essential to balancing their creative ambitions with practical considerations like structural integrity and environmental concerns. Across all three fields, engaging in peer review during their academic years fosters resilience and adaptability in my students, teaching them to embrace iteration and improvement. As I guide my students from academia into their professional careers, I remind them that critique does not end in the classroom—it becomes even more important in practice. In interior design, my students will face feedback from clients, contractors, and colleagues, who will challenge them to rethink materials, layouts, and functions. Similarly, fashion designers will encounter critiques from industry insiders, buyers, and consumers, all of whom influence the direction of future collections. Architects, on the other hand, will receive input from fellow professionals, urban planners, and even the general public, all of whom shape the final design and functionality of their projects. Critique in professional life is no longer just about refinement but becomes a pathway to innovation, excellence, and relevance. I emphasize to my students and my colleagues that learning to accept and apply critique early on will allow them to grow and succeed in their careers. Critique is not simply an academic exercise; it is a lifelong practice that will elevate their craft. Those who embrace feedback and use it as a tool for continuous improvement—whether in interior design, fashion, or architecture—are the ones who will thrive and adapt in the ever-evolving world of design.

Tiếp tục với series Design patterns, hôm tay tôi sẽ chia sẻ tới các bạn một design pattern mà chúng ta thường xuyên sử dụng, đó là: ---- Builder ---- Builder is a creational design pattern that lets you construct complex objects step by step. The pattern allows you to produce different types and representations of an object using the same construction code. 😕Problem Imagine a complex object that requires laborious, step-by-step initialization of many fields and nested objects. Such initialization code is usually buried inside a monstrous constructor with lots of parameters. Or even worse: scattered all over the client code. For example, let’s think about how to create a House object. To build a simple house, you need to construct four walls and a floor, install a door, fit a pair of windows, and build a roof. But what if you want a bigger, brighter house, with a backyard and other goodies (like a heating system, plumbing, and electrical wiring)? The simplest solution is to extend the base House class and create a set of subclasses to cover all combinations of the parameters. But eventually you’ll end up with a considerable number of subclasses. Any new parameter, such as the porch style, will require growing this hierarchy even more. There’s another approach that doesn’t involve breeding subclasses. You can create a giant constructor right in the base House class with all possible parameters that control the house object. While this approach indeed eliminates the need for subclasses, it creates another problem. In most cases most of the parameters will be unused, making the constructor calls pretty ugly. For instance, only a fraction of houses have swimming pools, so the parameters related to swimming pools will be useless nine times out of ten. 🤗Solution The Builder pattern suggests that you extract the object construction code out of its own class and move it to separate objects called builders. The pattern organizes object construction into a set of steps (buildWalls, buildDoor, etc.). To create an object, you execute a series of these steps on a builder object. The important part is that you don’t need to call all of the steps. You can call only those steps that are necessary for producing a particular configuration of an object. Some of the construction steps might require different implementation when you need to build various representations of the product. For example, walls of a cabin may be built of wood, but the castle walls must be built with stone. In this case, you can create several different builder classes that implement the same set of building steps, but in a different manner. Then you can use these builders in the construction process (i.e., an ordered set of calls to the building steps) to produce different kinds of objects. Continue see more: https://lnkd.in/gWkp9Hxq #wecommit100xshare #designpattern

The evolution of design ideas, transforming sketches into buildings that impact our surroundings is both complex and impressive. This article will delve into the journey of how design ideas evolve from sketches. From the flexibility of early design sketching techniques to the structured phases of development and collaboration, we’ll explore how raw ideas take shape and evolve into beautiful, functional creations. SMART Official

Day 97 100 Days Writing Challenge Topic: Design of a Ship Ship design is a combination of art and engineering ideas, aimed at making vessels that can take on the open sea while doing their jobs effectively. Let’s start by talking about the hull. This is the main body of the ship that actually sits in the water. It has to be super strong to withstand the waves but also in a shape that makes it easy to cut through the water easily. Think of it like a fish moving through the ocean—it needs to be streamlined to swim efficiently. Now, the purpose of the ship plays a huge role in its design. For cargo ships, the goal is to maximize space so they can carry as much as possible. Designers have to think about how to load everything efficiently and keep it balanced so the ship doesn’t tip over. On the flip side, if it’s a cruise ship, comfort is key. You’ll find pools, restaurants, and lounges designed to keep passengers happy while they’re sailing. Stability is another biggie. A ship can get pretty wobbly, especially when it’s loaded up. Designers use various tricks to keep the ship steady, like adding weight to the bottom of the hull or incorporating stabilizers that help minimize rolling in rough waters. And let’s not forget about looks. A well-designed ship isn’t just functional; it also needs to be visually appealing. A sleek design can make the ship more fuel-efficient, too, helping it glide through the water instead of fighting against it. So, when you see a big ship out on the water, think about all the thought that went into its design. From the strength of the hull to the comfort inside, it’s all about creating something that can handle the challenges of the sea while still looking good doing it. #mechanicalengineering #student #writingchallenge #lautech

𝟯 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 & 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. Designing commercial properties is a balancing act between designing something that works well functionally, but also looks good aesthetically. Over the last 20 or so years I have worked on countless commercial projects and here are 3 ways 3D visualisation can help commercial architects to balance aesthetics and functionality. 𝟭 - 𝗔𝗡 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡. The CAD model is millimetre accurate. It's created using the architect's plans and elevations, so it will be a true representation of what is being proposed. Meaning building heights, window positions and service yards are all shown exactly as they would be when built. Visuals can be rendered from any position and will accurately show how the development will look from any given location. These 3D images can then be used to enable design discussions and also illustrate how the proposed building will work functionally. 𝟮 - 𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗣𝗘 Commercial developments are often designed with functionality in mind. This can be softened with the addition of landscaping. There are a number of 3D landscaping packages that allow for extremely accurate and life like foliage to be added to our 3D models. Enabling us to render images showing the proposed landscaping scheme so the designers can make sure it has maximum impact. As a result, taking a building that may be quite large and imposing and softening its impact by incorporating a well thought through landscaping scheme. 𝟯 - 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘 A 3D visualisation of your development will enable you to assess its impact. Often when a 3D model has been created, the architect will see ways in which they can improve the scheme. This may only be adjusting cladding colours and types, but this would have gone unnoticed if it wasn't for the 3D model of the development. Updating and tweaking the visuals is relatively straightforward and enables you to test out several design options, making sure the scheme looks as you want it too. A few minor tweaks to the materials can have a massive impact on the final building. Through the use of 3D visualisation, a commercial architect can test their design and make improvements, as well as use the images to discuss the functionality of the development. Making the use of 3D visualisation to showcase commercial projects in this way, an easy decision to make.

Rules and Patterns: A Lesson in listening, pattern recgnition, and growth Years ago, during the final stages of construction on a project for a previous designer, our design team was stuck on a unique stone pattern for an oval courtyard. The designers had been working on it for months without a definitive solution. The design involved larger stone pavers ringing the courtyard, progressively getting smaller towards the center to create a landscape area for a beautiful tree. Despite many design attempts, we had no drawings to share with the masons, and time was running out. Faced with this challenge, I took over the task. The masons were waiting, and we needed to deliver. This wasn’t the first time I had to be agile, timely, diplomatic, and impactful on short notice while juggling numerous tasks. Fortunately, a designer colleague in the office knew Grasshopper, a plugin for Rhino, which helped us translate the pattern into a series of rules. Within days, we achieved 50% of the solution with computational geometry. However, the result looked too computerized, lacking the authentic feel of an ancient courtyard translated into modern building techniques. The masons needed a set of rules for the pattern because the stone shapes were irregular and sizes random. Despite my efforts, the designer was enamored with the tech and refused to consider manual techniques to complete the design. He even resorted to name-calling. This is such a missed opportunity for him to own the design. One day, I was called into the field because the masons were upset about not having the drawings they needed. Frustrated, I began moving the stones around myself—a rare move for me. Seeing this, the general contractors, knowing my usual demeanor, started helping me. Soon, the masons joined in, blissfully unaware that I was angry, helping the general contractor move the stones with us. It was quite a sight. After a few minutes of labor, I stopped to rest. Everyone turned to me, anticipating my next move. I let a few seconds of silence pass and then apologized for the situation. While moving the stones, I had conceived a solution: a few rules that would allow for an infinite number of patterns. I named the pattern after the owner of the masonry company to create buy-in. Within a few hours, the revised drawings sent to the masons, problem solved. This experience taught me a valuable lesson for our current startup: rules, not patterns makes for growth. If I could make a difference within minutes while facing a group of upset masons, imagine what we could achieve with a larger group of like minded designers, more time, agency, and a dedicated platform.

App State has received a $333,000 gift from La-Z-Boy Foundation to establish The La-Z-Boy Endowed Professorship in Applied Design in the Appalachian State College of Fine and Applied Arts. The professorship will support a faculty member in the college’s Department of Applied Design, with a focus on furniture design or interior design. https://bit.ly/4gGzsOS

Our intimate design process is how we ensure a custom design that always makes you feel truly supported - like you're exactly where you're meant to be. 1️⃣ Getting to know you First need to get to know you, your family, the people you will share your home with, and everything that’s important to you. This begins in our very first phone call and is supported by our in-depth design questionnaire, followed up by a 2-hour initial consultation with Jenny in which she listens to your story and tunes into the specific needs of your intended spaces. 2️⃣ Getting to know your land Jenny has a sixth sense for reading the language of the land. During an in-person visit of your property, Jenny learns how the land wants to be built upon, the natural features to be enhanced, the location and direction of best views, the path of the sun across the property, sunny/shady/windy areas, the existing trees to be saved, and any special natural features noted.  3️⃣ Conceptual design Jenny hand draws sketches of the preliminary design concepts, including sketches of the initial floor plans, exterior elevations, and a site plan concept. This is an organic and creative discovery process in which she intuits and interprets potential design solutions for your home unbound by the confines of a computer program. 4️⃣ Design development Preliminary design concepts are entered into CAD and the details are fine-tuned to create a more comprehensive set of design drawings. These CAD drawings include floor plans, exterior elevations with 3D perspective views, a roof plan, and a site plan. 5️⃣ Construction drawings Based on the final approved design development drawings, we create detailed construction drawings that provide coherence among your entire build team. Collaboration with your chosen team during this final stage is the most supportive way to fill out all remaining details. Do you need more info on our design process?  💻 Check out our website: pippinhomedesigns.com