Links

Interesting Stuff On The Internet

Interesting stuff on the internet is an article sharing my favourite recent online inspiration and distractions.

The odd psychology of the compassionate crowd is an article with some interesting observations on social psychology and individual and collective identity. Rather than crazes, Michael Bond depicts the crowd composed of highly co-operative individuals driven who share a common goal and objective.

Architecture Continues To Implode: After Frank Ghery said that “98% of everything that is built and designed today is pure sh*t, more insiders continue to admit that the profession is failing. The article describes architecture’s disconnect as both physical and spiritual. Architects are attempting to sell buildings and neighbourhoods that people don’t want and in a language they don’t understand.

I have recently taken on a new role which has allowed me to do some really fun and interesting research on pre-fabricated housing. I recently came across some housing gems by Frank Lloyd Wright. Between 1915 and 1917 Frank Lloyd Wright built 4 unique and affordable prefabricated homes in Milwaukee You can check them out here.

Another interesting find is an article by Country Living who have collected some great pictures of 44 tiny houses. Collectively they are stunning and very cool. From Cottages to homes on the water you can check them out here.

Yet another beautiful prefabricated home this time by Madrid-based architect Camino Alonso who compares the design of her tiny house to a Monopoly game piece. The secret to making a tiny space feel airy? High ceilings with a steep roof line. Checkout the article and images here.

Next time you accidentally drop a piece of food on the ground, think of all the tiny bugs that are about to have a feast. A new study finds that arthropods, like millipedes, spiders and ants, chow down hard on junk food discarded in New York City alone. Along the Broadway/West St. corridor in Manhattan, they eat over 2,100 pounds of junk food each year. That’s the equivalent of 60,000 hot dogs. Checkout the article here.

This Victorian Terrace in Fitzroy North is located just around the corner from my humble abode. The home, frozen in time is a relic of life in the once working-class suburb. The photos here are stunning and a short story about the previous occupants give a beautiful insight into their daily lives.

So this is the future of our smart home: In just a few years, you’ll awake in the morning to the sound of your alarm, and the hidden sensors in the room will know you’re getting up. The lights will automatically, but gradually turn on and the thermostat will warm the rooms you’re about to use — the bathroom, the kitchen and, a few minutes later, your car. All the technology to make this happen is there, it’s more about consumer awareness and adoption.

Strange Visions of the Hyper-Congested Megacities of the Future: Photographer Marcus Lyon creates large-scale visions of globalisation and human activity. The images aren’t just photos of Moscow or Mumbai, but composites of hundreds of images meant to overwhelm you with the enormity of it all.

Once again, Chinese company WinSun Decoration Design Engineering Co has expanded the capabilities of 3D printing. After constructing ten houses in under twenty-four hours last year, now they are back with both the world’s tallest 3D printed building – a five-story apartment block – and a 1,100 square meter mansion with internal and external decoration to boot. Checkout the full article here.

The Architact Collective recently wrote an article about how to succeed as a modern maker. As we transition into a more dominant service industry the article identifies the modern maker as is the idea maker.

Makerbot have recently announced the ability to 3D print new materials. What are the implications and possibilities for designers? This article takes a look at what to expect from 3-D printed wood, metal, and stone.

The Tracks of My Tears is one man’s quest to make male crying be socially acceptable. The premise of the message is that when people move past the spectacle of a man crying they are able to discover raw and genuine emotion, creating a space wide open, for deeper intimacy of ideas.

Philosophers and scientists have been at war for decades over the question of what makes human beings more than complex robots, this article takes a look at why the world’s greatest minds can’t solve the mystery of consciousness.

Love Letters to a City: Stephen Powers and ICY Signs resuscitate the art of sign-painting – along with the morale of those in Baltimore’s poorest neighbourhoods: Steven says “Yeah, I’m a romantic! Duh!,” he says. “I’m jealous of musicians, jealous of how music is a medium people integrate into their lives in a way they rarely do with art. Everything is for love,” he concludes. “It’s the original motivation for everything.”

What your personality has to do with your neighbourhood: It’s not just social and economic forces that shape our neighbourhoods, it’s psychological ones, too.

I hope you found inspiration from my distractions. I’d love you to share your own interesting distractions in the comment section below.