05 February 2019

Taking the place of a run-down office building in the heart of the City of London, the striking new “Motel One” building by “Mackay + Partners” features ground-breaking use of DuPont™ Corian® high-tech surface as an illuminated façade. Offering a welcome new four star facility to the area, the latest Motel One operation hosts 291 bedrooms and is now open for business. The building comprises two forms: a seven storey “decorative cube” fronting the street and a sixteen storey glass tower to the rear. Designed by Mackay + Partners for developers Endurance Land & Scottish Widows Investment Partnership, it brings a bright and a fresh new identity and a directional aesthetic vision to the area. The concept enjoyed full support from the City of London planning department who were happy to explore the choice of DuPont™ Corian® as the exterior cladding material, as opposed to the more typical specifications of steel, glass or stone.

“The design is entirely contemporary, yet fully responsive to its current and known future context,” says Ken Mackay of Mackay + Partners, “I have specified DuPont™ Corian® for other applications and so I am well aware of its properties, but the choice of Corian® to clad this project came about through extensive research and working very closely with DuPont.”

This elegant exterior skin for the new building functions both as a sustainable open-jointed rain screen façade and also as a distinctive design feature. The eye-catching cladding, made from DuPont™ Corian® in a translucent white, presents a pure and simple finish during daylight hours, but at night, backlit designs within certain panels illuminate the structure to dramatic effect. The LED lighting system is on a colour wheel that can be changed via computer controlled dimming and the patterns and hues chosen reflect the Motel One brand. This combination of rain screen cladding with LED lighting is a first for London, according to the architects.

Mackay + Partners ensured a high standard of sustainability in all aspects of the development, which has achieved a BREEAM excellent energy rating. Key to this was the design of a façade with excellent thermal performance (and just 35% glazing) plus the specification of heat recovery systems and green roofs to further enhance efficiency and mitigate rainwater run-off.

Gwyn Richards of the City of London comments: “The building’s vibrant and playful facades demonstrate that new hotel buildings need not have bland, monotonous and repetitive facades. The ground-breaking use of DuPont™ Corian® as a facing material is innovative and convincing, both during the day and also when illuminated at night. The building demonstrates the importance of an ingenious architectural approach being carried through to implementation, in terms of the integrity of the original architectural concept, but also the highest quality of detailing and materials. The building sits comfortably within its surroundings whilst creating a highly compelling work of contemporary architecture which can be proud of its place in the City’s dynamic architectural character.”

DuPont™ Corian® is proving to be a valuable solution for façade applications in many ways, from design versatility to long term functionality. Completely homogenous and non-porous, it is easy to clean and maintain. It is also fire rated, resistant to graffiti, UV and climatic conditions – and should any damage occur – the material is repairable. DuPont™ Corian® is compatible with a ‘secret’ fix undercut anchor system and its lightweight, workable properties are a further benefit to both fabrication and installation. DuPont™ Corian® also offers the broadest range of international certification for facade applications among solid surfaces and has passed a series of fundamental tests for its application to the exterior of buildings. These include freeze/thaw cycling resistance, standards proving the material’s resistance to exterior environmental substances, fire performance tests, and tests for abuse resistance.

Carlo Bardelli

Upcycle House is an experimental project, aimed at exposing potential carbon-emission reductions through the use of recycled and upcycled building materials. In the case of Upcycle House, the reduction has been 86% compared to a benchmark house. With increasing building performance in regards to operational energy consumption, focus has now shifted towards CO2-emissions related to construction.

Upcycling is the process of converting waste-materials or waste products into new materials or products of higher quality resulting in a reduction in production and therefore CO2-emissions. When building houses, it is therefore environmentally beneficial to think in terms of material recycling, since the materials have already emitted CO2. It is even better to develop processes where garbage or useless materials can be upcycled and reused for new building materials of higher utility value than they had originally. Upcycle House. Realdania Byg (a Danish foundation that promotes innovation and good practice in the building sector) has developed and constructed a single-family house with Lendager Architects called Upcycle House conveying the principles of upcycling in a tangible and clear example. The house is built of processed recycled materials and Upcycle House investigates how much it’s actually possible to reduce the CO2 footprint by using upcycled materials to the extent possible.

The loadbearing structure consists of two prefabricated shipping containers, while the roof and facade cladding is made from recycled aluminium soda-cans. Facade panels, consist of post-consumer recycled granulated paper, which is pressed together and heat-treated. The kitchen floor is clad in tiled champagne cork-leftovers, and the bath tiles are made from recycled glass. Walls and floors are covered with OSB-panels consisting of wood-chips that are bi-products of various production sites, pressed together without glue. The recycled materials are not very visible and the house does not radiate a recycled look – The house looks and functions like a contemporary house built of conventional materials.

The initial work on Upcycle House takes place in the workshop where window holes are cut, and the containers are fitted with plumbing and wiring for the bathroom and the kitchen. The containers only serve as the constructive frame of the house.Upon arrival at the site in Nyborg, the containers are placed apart, shaping a central living space, dining space and master bedroom. The two shipping containers are insulated on the outside, making the recycled structural framework invisible. The result is a 129 sq. meter (1390 sq. feet) house that is designed to create the optimal setting for a family’s everyday life. The house features a large living room connected to a spacious kitchen, a master bedroom, three smaller rooms, bathroom, utility room and a passive cooling chamber. In addition to this the house is also fitted with a large greenhouse adjacent to the kitchen and a large south-facing terrace. Anders Lendager (owner of Lendager Architects) comments on the results of using recycled materials: “We initially thought that a reduction of 65% CO2 was unrealistic, but when we ran the LCA (Life Cycle Assesment) on all materials throughout the entire project, it turned out that we had reduced the CO2 emissions associated with construction with 86%, compared to a benchmark house. With that in mind, we are surprised that no one else is working on this. Why is it not included in everything we do as architects? Why is it not included in the building code that a certain percentage of building materials have to be recycled?” Passive sustainability. Besides the material approach, Upcycle House aims to reduce emissions through an array of sustainable features. Due to the limited economy of the project (1,7 Mil Dkr.) a special emphasis has been put on the house’s passive properties. Therefore Upcycle House is designed with orientation, temperature zones, daylight optimization, shading and natural ventilation in mind. This makes for a single family house with a significant reduction in emissions, that is also well within economic reach of the average family. To illustrate the potential of this house, the team did a rough calculation: The CO2 emission from Upcycle House is 0,7 KG CO2/M2/YR compared to 5,0 KG CO2/M2/YR for a benchmark house. In Denmark 10.000 single family homes are built every year. With a reduction of 4,3 KG CO2/M2/YR and an average floor area well over 130 sq. meter this makes for a potential reduction of 5590 tons of CO2 – per year. Area: 129 sqm Completion: 2013 Materials: Wood, Aluminium, Glass, Plastic, Paper, Applications: Envelope, Structure lendagerark.dk Figures: © Jesper Ray; © Polfoto

16 January 2019

From now until winter 2016, visitors to New York’s Madison Square Park can find themselves enveloped beneath a mirrored labyrinth, hovering above both them and the surrounding landscape. Madison Square Art presents ‘Fata Morgana’ by american artist Teresita Fernández, a 500-foot-long sculpture comprising mirror-polished discs that create kaleidoscopic canopies above the park’s central pathways and recreational areas. ‘My concept was to invert the traditional notion of outdoor sculpture by addressing all of the active walkways of the park rather than setting down a sculptural element in the park’s center’, Fernández describes ‘By hovering over the park in a horizontal band, Fata Morgana becomes a ghost-like, sculptural, luminous mirage that both distorts the landscape and radiates golden light.’ A Fata Morgana is an optical phenomenon that forms across the horizon line, distorting objects in the distance — boats, islands, and the coastline — such that they become completely unrecognizable to the human eye. Alluding to this rare occurrence, Fernández’s sculpture introduces a visual, shimmering element to the park that engages visitors in a dynamic experience and warps the landscape surrounding them. Each of the suspended mirrors are perforated with intricate patterns reminiscent of foliage, referring to madison square park’s botanical resources. As sunlight filters through, abstract flickering effects sift through the horizontal metal forms, casting a golden glow across the expanse of the work, paths, and passersby.  

Marco Mignatti

03 April 2019

ModCell® is one of the first products to make large-scale, carbon-negative building a commercial reality. The ModCell®system utilises the excellent thermal insulation qualities of straw bale and hemp construction to form prefabricated panels, made in a local Flying Factory™.

ModCell® allows super-insulated, high-performance, low energy ‘passive’ buildings to be built using renewable, locally sourced, carbon sequestering, sustainable building materials.

ModCell® is designed for use in offices, schools, housing and commercial buildings. This innovative, offsite-manufactured wall and roof cladding system can be quickly and efficiently installed, creating buildings with thermal performance up to three times higher than the current building regulations require.

This super-insulated system, combined with our airtight details, means that buildings constructed using ModCell®panels meet the demanding PassivHaus specification. As a result, ModCell®buildings can have zero heat requirements, saving money and CO2 emissions. ModCell® panels are available in three variants: ModCell® Traditional panels are delivered to site with a two layer render finish inside and out. A finish skim coat is applied on site from a scaffold or cherry picker.ModCell® Core is a factory finished fully closed, dry lined panel system using breathable sheathing boards in place of the lime render. The standard external finish is breathable sheathing board, battened ready to receive a variety of rain screen cladding systems. the internal sheathing board is ready to accept a variety of internal boards.

ModCell® Core + is as the Core panel above, the external battens are replaced with 40mm of wood fibre breather/render board. The wood fibre board then has a thin coat breathable render system applied. Both the wood fibre and render is applied onsite. ModCell® Core + meets the demanding PassivHaus standards, see opposite. All panels are located with a tolerance gap between them and sealed using compressible tapes. Weathering details vary from project to project  and are developed by ModCell® in conjunction with the project designer. See typical details for recommended finishing and weathering details. ModCell®panels can be lifted into position on site using a telescopic arm or crane. The mass of the largest ModCell®panel is 1.7 tonnes. Panels are sealed using a range of airtight tapes.

Weathering details vary from project to project and are not supplied by ModCell®. The ModCell® Core + System delivers on the demanding PassivHaus specification requirements for U-values, air-tightness and thermal bridging.

PassivHaus projects combine the excellent performance of ModCell® with improved glazing specification, Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery (MVHR) and project and location specific design. We are able to deliver this as an additional service for our modular solutions. Sequestered Carbon: 3m x 3.2m panel 1400kg of atmospheric CO2
Typycal 100m2 BaleHaus 43 tonnes of atmospheric CO2. All ModCell® Panels can be manufactured in a variety of module sizes. (Fabiana Cambiaso, Università La Sapienza Roma) www.modcell.com Figures: © ModCell®   ModCell® system prefabricated wood panels with insulation of straw bale, ModCell® , Bristol, UK Partenership with University of Bath, UK Material:  Wood, Straw Applications: Prefabricated panels.

Edoardo Croci  

10 Jenuary 2019

The spiky modules used to build this curving pavilion in Stuttgart, Germany, are made from a bioplastic containing over 90 percent renewable materials. Students and professors from Stuttgart University's ITKE  (Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design) designed the freeform facade to demonstrate the structural properties of a new bioplastic developed specially for use in the construction industry.

Bioplastics are plastics made from renewable biomass sources such as starches, cellulose or other biopolymers, that offer sustainable alternatives to plastics derived from fossil fuels. The bioplastic used in the ArboSkin project is called Arboblend and is produced by German firm, Tecnaro, by combining different biopolymers such as lignin – a by-product of the wood pulping process – with natural reinforcing fibres.

"Thermoformable sheets of bioplastics will represent a resource-efficient alternative [to oil-based plastics, glass, or metal] in the future, as they combine the high malleability and recyclability of plastics with the environmental benefits of materials consisting primarily of renewable resources," explained the project team.

The pyramidal modules are made by extruding bioplastic granules into sheets before thermoforming them to create the faceted shapes and trimming off the excess material. The double-curved skin is formed by linking the pyramids together, with bracing rings and joists helping to create load-bearing walls. CNC-milling was used to remove sections from some of the modules, creating apertures in the facade. The waste material from this process can be re-granulated and fed back into the production process, while the plastic sheets can be composted at the end of their life.

Mock-Up: The bioplastics facade mock-up was created within the framework of the Bioplastic Facade Research Project, a project supported by EFRE (Europäischer Fonds für Regionale Entwicklung / European Fund for Regional Development). It demonstrates one of the possible architectural and constructional applications of bioplastic materials developed during the course of the project. The blueprint is based on a triangular net composed by mesh elements of varying sizes. Bioplastic Façade Research Project: The ITKE has many years of experience in teaching and research in the fields of computer based design, simulation, and production of cladding for buildings with complex geometries. Currently, materials made from oil-based plastics, glass, or metal are mainly used to encase these structures. Thermoformable sheets of bioplastics will represent a resource-efficient alternative in the future, as they combine the high malleability and recyclability of plastics with the environmental benefits of materials consisting primarily of renewable resources. The interdisciplinary group of material scientists, architects, product designers, manufacturing technicians, and environmental experts was able to develop a new thermoformable material for facade cladding made primarily from renewable resources (>90%). Developed by project partner TECNARO within the framework of the research project ARBOBLEND®, a special type of bioplastic granules was employed, which can be extruded into sheets and further processed as required: the sheets can be drilled, printed, laminated, laser cut, CNC-milled, or thermoformed to achieve different surface qualities and structures and eventually produce various moulded components. The semi-finished products serve as cladding for flat or free-formed interior and exterior walls. The material can be recycled and meets the high durability and flammability standards for building materials. The goal of the project was to develop a maximally sustainable yet durable building material while keeping the oil-based components and additives to a minimum. The ecological audit was completed by project partner ISWA (Institute for Water Engineering, Water Quality, and Waste Management). Furthermore, the material’s resistance to microbial degradation was also determined.

Innovative Character of the Research Project: This research project marks the first occasion for the development of bioplastic sheets primarily based on renewable resources. The sheets can be freely formed, are designed for applications in the building industry and are specifically meant for building exteriors and cladding. At the beginning of the project such product was not available on the market. The conception of this material as flame-retardant sheet material also aims at applications for building interiors. With this new development, we can therefore soon offer a product that addresses two trends: - the increasing demand for resource-efficient and sustainable building materials - the increasing development of buildings featuring double-curved geometries and planar facade components with 3D effects (relief). (Fabiana Cambiaso Università La Sapienza) www.itke.uni-stuttgart.de © ITKE; © Roland Halbe   Exhibition Pavilion, Stuttgart, Germany Campus Stadtmitte,ITKE (Institute for Building Construction and Structural Design), Faculty of Architecture, Stuttgart University Area of facade: 145 mq Completed: October 2013 Material:  Biobased Thermoplast Bioplastic Applications: Envelope  

Carlo Bardelli

Torna dal 26 al 29 gennaio 2018 . HOMI, Salone degli Stili di Vita di Fiera Milano.
Un’ edizione ricca di nuove proposte, grazie alle creazioni e ai prodotti delle aziende ospitate, rappresentate da società internazionali e da piccole realtà in grado di progettare e realizzare pezzi unici.
Si tratta di realtà Italiane o straniere, che trovano nel Salone degli Stili di Vita un luogo di riferimento per presentare i propri prodotti.
L’allestimento espositivo conferma infatti la presenza di diverse aree speciali ed eventi che presentano l’artigianato di qualità, le creazioni di designer emergenti, l’ evoluzione dell’ oggettistica e della decorazione di eccellenza. Da gennaio la manifestazione si focalizzerà sugli spazi dedicati al mondo della tavola e della cucina, con le proposte più interessanti per la prossima stagione. Al Salone satellite fashion&jewels saranno presenti, oltre alle creazione e ai migliori prodotti del settore, anche numerosi incontri formativi.
HOMI si impegna a mostrare tutte le evoluzioni per ciò che riguarda usi e abitudini di consumo con l’obiettivo di fotografare le nuove tendenze ed evoluzioni.
La manifestazione prosegue con workshops e talk, confermandosi dunque un laboratorio aperto ai nuovi stimoli delle mode e delle culture del momento.
A Gennaio, grazie alla nuova importante collaborazione con DOXA, il noto istituto italiano di ricerche e indagini statistiche, si aggiungerà al programma degli eventi formativi, la presentazione di un’indagine sui modi di vivere la casa e sulle abitudini di consumo, che rappresenterà uno strumento importante messo a disposizione di tutti gli operatori.
Si proseguirà con lo studio delle tendenze grazie anche al contributo di WGSN - società leader a livello internazionale in analisi di mercato e studi delle tendenze nei settori del design e della moda. Come avvenuto nelle precedenti edizioni, alle categorie concettuali emerse dalla ricerca si unirà uno spazio espositivo, che vedrà alcuni oggetti esposti con l’intento di concretizzare e mostrare vari paradigmi di stile ricavati dall’indagine. 
Il Salone degli Stili di Vita è pronto ad accogliere una platea di operatori sia italiani ma soprattutto internazionali: oltre  ai visitatori che saranno presenti in manifestazione si prevede, infatti, la presenza di operatori altamente profilati, individuati attraverso la collaborazione di ITA-ICE, Italian Trade Agency e  rappresentanti dei paesi più “consolidati” per HOMI come Cina, Grecia, Belgio, Francia, Iran, Nord Africa, Russia, Spagna, Singapore e nazioni nuove ed emergenti come Argentina, Giappone, Canada, Colombia, Vietnam…).
Gli operatori più interessati a Festivity, il padiglione che HOMI dedica a decorazioni e festività, avranno l’occasione di accedere alla manifestazione già dal 23 gennaio. Data l’apertura anticipata, solo per questo settore, la manifestazione terminerà un giorno prima, il 28 gennaio. Si conferma anche quest’anno il format di HOMI in Città, con iniziative per raccontare le storie e i protagonisti di HOMI anche al grande pubblico di Milano. Per tale occasione, Il Salone degli Stili di vita presenterà la mostra “Conviviando, l’Arte della Tavola tra passato e futuro” dedicata alle più affascinanti espressioni degli oggetti dedicati alla tavola. Dal 25 gennaio al 15 febbraio 2018 in una prestigiosa location di Milano, “Conviviando” sarà interpretazione delle mise en place e dell‟Arte del Ricevere nei vari secoli.

GLI EVENTI DI HOMI:
VOCI E LINGUAGGI DELLO STILE
Il design si esprime attraverso tanti linguaggi differenti. Per raccontarli, HOMI sceglie
eventi, mostre, aree esperienziali, accomunate da una progettazione attenta e dalla
capacità di proiettare il visitatore nel vissuto dei prodotti e delle creazioni a cui è
dedicato lo spazio espositivo.
Anche a gennaio 2018,a HOMI si moltiplicheranno le tante originali suggestioni in un
percorso sfaccettato che narra un unico racconto di stile.
- HOMI SMART: le tecnologie muovono lo stile
- LA MAGNIFICA FORMA: esplorando le tradizioni del territorio italiano
- DA UNO A CENTO: le autoproduzioni più originali
- NATURALIA: lo stile del bijoux che ha catturato la natura
- HOMI ASIA DESIGN e DDD: le proposte del design internazionale
- HOMIFOOD: agroalimentare & design
- POPUP STORE: una nuova vetrina dedicata al mondo KIDS
- FESTIVITY : le decorazioni natalizie di HOMI
- HYBRID LOUNGE: la materia diventa idea creativa
- HOMISTAGING: un evento per i professionisti che danno valore alle nostre case

HOMI SMART: quando le tecnologie muovono lo stile
Il format di HOMI, dedicato al crossover tra design e nuove tecnologie, propone
prototipi, progetti e idee a cavallo tra l'analogico e il digitale, dando grande
spazio e visibilità ai nuovi e innovativi prodotti smart del mondo del design e della
casa. Realizzato in collaborazione con IDLAB, HOMI SMART connette scuole, start up,
aziende e designer e si conferma anche in questa edizione come un‟area aperta a
nuove esperienze e idee, interattiva come uno spazio digitale, viva come un‟ambiente di
relazione e di scambio.
LA MAGNIFICA FORMA
Si conferma l‟appuntamento con l‟artigianato di eccellenza e con l'edizione di gennaio
affronta il rapporto con le specificità delle nostre regioni, inaugurando la sperimentazione
con il Lazio e le sue produzioni. Sempre sotto la Direzione artistica di Anna Del Gatto,
questa nona edizione de La Magnifica Forma – il laboratorio sperimentale di 
HOMI, dedicato al confronto fra il design artigianato d’arte- ospiterà le inedite creazioni di
aziende del territorio laziale, appartenenti alle PMI , all'Artigianato e alle Start Up,
A designers e produttori verrà chiesto di connotare gli oggetti con elementi di riferimento
a monumenti , pitture e sculture , paesaggio e storia del periodo etrusco , secondo una
propria libera interpretazione.
La mostra costituirà un prototipo per le prossime edizioni che di volta in volta
completeranno il variegato scenario delle altre regioni italiane con l‟obiettivo di
identificare e raccontare uno stile dell'abitare italiano
DAUNOACENTO
Un evento espositivo trasversale e di qualità dedicato a designer, autoproduttori, artigiani,
piccole e grandi aziende. Ideato e curato in collaborazione con Gumdesign,
DAUNOACENTO è uno spazio dove esporre tirature limitate e certificate dai
creativi/aziende; uno spazio che offre ai punti vendita prodotti particolari che non
soffriranno della concorrenza di negozi vicini o di vendite internet super scontate.
Retailers, interior designers, buyer ed addetti ai lavori potranno trovare un'offerta unica
non soggetta a scontistiche online che uccidono la distribuzione tradizionale.
NATURALIA
All‟interno di Fashion &Jewels, una nuova mostra dedicata ai gioielli-moda plasmati a
imitazione della natura e delle sue creature.
Protagonisti più di cento gioielli moda di bigiottieri, stilisti e designer italiani (tra i quali
Versace, Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana) che dagli anni ‘50 si sono ispirati, per le loro
creazioni, alla natura.
HOMI ASIA DESIGN e DDD : incontro con le culture internazionali
Il design come lingua universale è la concezione che unisce due spazi di grande interesse
Il mondo del design asiatico è tra i protagonisti della manifestazione grazie al progetto
ASIA DESIGN nato dalla collaborazione tra HOMI e SarpiBridge_Oriental Design Week,
associazione impegnata nel creare collaborazioni tra Oriente ed Occidente.
Alla sua terza edizione, HOMI ASIA DESIGN, offrirà proposte di designer, di artigiani ed
aziende asiatiche di alta qualità. Il concept dell'area espositiva, in parte commerciale ed
in parte culturale.
DDD uno spazio dedicato al design che ospiterà originali creazioni provenienti dai
principali paesi Europei e Sud Americani.
HOMI FOOD: agroalimentare & design
HOMI FOOD è un‟area dedicata alle produzioni agroalimentari di qualità e caratterizzate
da una forte connotazione di ricerca sia nel prodotto che nel packaging. L‟area
presenterà una selezione di aziende –di grandi eccellenze agroalimentari - dove il food
diventa idea regalo innovativa. Veri e propri “oggetti” che si ispirano al mondo del
design, che esplorano nuove forme del gusto e che danno vita ad originali idee regalo.
POPUP STORE: una nuova vetrina nel settore KIDS
Il Satellite Kids Style, dedicato al mondo dei bambini (complementi d’arredo, oggetti di
design, tessile, giocattoli e decorazioni per i più piccoli) arricchisce la sua proposta con
l’area POP UP STORE. Un ‘area che amplierà l’offerta espositiva di questo settore perché
proporrà articoli che abbracciano tutti i Satelliti di HOMI.
Gli oggetti presenti all’interno dello store saranno dedicati alla fascia temporale che
copre i primi mille giorni del bambino e lo spazio si presenterà come una serie di
suggerimenti su come un negozio moderno e non necessariamente solo orientato al kids,
possa offrire supporto e prodotti, in grado di fidelizzare le famiglie e migliorare la propria
strategia di comunicazione.
FESTIVITY: il mondo del Natale e delle feste a HOMI
Come in ogni edizione di HOMI Gennaio, torna FESTIVITY, lo spazio dedicato alle
decorazioni natalizie e alle celebrazioni di ogni tradizione: dalla tradizione del presepe
alle feste internazionali, alle ricorrenze più tradizionali, questo settore racconta il vivere la
festa in ogni sua dimensione. E per dare ancora più spazio alle esigenze di business di
visitatori e aziende, il satellite avrà un‟apertura diversificata rispetto a HOMI.
Festivity aprirà, infatti, il 23 e chiuderà il 28 gennaio 2018.
HYBRID LOUNGE: la materia diventa idea creativa
Grazie alla collaborazione con POLI.design, anima del Sistema Design del Politecnico di
Milano, il Salone degli stili di vita propone una seconda edizione di HOMI Hybrid Lounge,
l‟innovativo laboratorio che è espressione di processi di innovazione e ricerca nel settore
dei materiali per la progettazione di interni privati e collettivi. Concretamente, lo spazio
proporrà le ultime tendenze nel settore dei materiali e finiture per l’Interior Design.
HOMISTAGING: un nuovo evento per i professionisti che danno valore alle nostre case
Torna ad HOMI il mondo degli Home Stagers, i professionisti che valorizzano gli spazi della casa,
migliorandone l'immagine in per favorirne la vendita o l'affitto. Dopo il successo del 1° Festival
Nazionale dell'Home Staging , svoltosi lo scorso Settembre, continua il sodalizio con Home Staging
School che a gennaio organizza il 1° Forum Europeo dell'Home Staging. Si tratta di un evento che
ha l'obiettivo di allargare lo sguardo al contesto europeo per aprire un costruttivo confronto e
gettare le basi per scambi e collaborazioni internazionali con i migliori rappresentanti degli altri
paesi europei.
In attesa della seconda edizione del Festival Nazionale che si tornerà a HOMI Settembre 2018, il
Forum Europeo sarà rivolto ad pubblico selezionato e offrirà approfondimenti tematici specifici e di
natura internazionale.

HOMI FASHION & JEWELS: CREATIVITA’ DA INDOSSARE
Proposte originali, grandi tradizioni, mostre e ispirazioni:
così gli accessori conquistano sempre più il mondo della moda
Dal 26 al 29 gennaio 2018 in fieramilano si conferma l‟appuntamento con HOMI Fashion
&Jewels, il settore di HOMI dedicato ai bijoux e agli accessori per la persona che si
compone di realtà storiche del Made in Italy, nomi giovani e ricchi di creatività, ma
anche importanti brand internazionali.
Un‟ampia offerta merceologica alla quale si affiancano i consolidati spazi di HOMI
SPERIMENTA, le aree dedicate alla ricerca e alla sperimentazione che promuovono
l‟artigianalità, ospitando una selezione di designer con le loro autoproduzioni e creazioni
inedite, i loro pezzi unici ed originali .
Tra le novità di questa edizione invece, HOMI proporrà NATURALIA, una mostra curata da
HOMI Fashion Lab, dedicata ai gioielli-moda ispirati alla natura e alle sue creature.
Protagonisti più di cento gioielli moda di bigiottieri, stilisti e designer italiani (tra i quali
Versace, Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana) che dagli anni „50 si sono ispirati, per le loro
creazioni, alla natura.
Accanto alle produzioni delle icone del gioiello moda italiano si affiancheranno le
sperimentazioni sui nuovi materiali e le nuove tecnologie dei giovani talenti.
Tra gli altri eventi di HOMI Fashion &Jewels Project Room, evento dedicato all‟accessorio
moda, e Tuttepazzeperibijoux, spazio con proposte di bijoux particolari, che raccontano
storie che passano dalla tradizione all'innovazione.
Si confermano poi anche HOMI BEAUTY STYLE , spazio dove scoprire le ultime tendenze e
proposte del mondo beauty e l‟area Maestri del Gioiello, dedicato alle creazioni di
artigiani orafi che ospita importanti e significative rappresentanze delle tradizioni orafe
italiane.
Completa infine l‟offerta della manifestazione un ampio calendario talks e worskhop che
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13 March 2019

In Jiye, Lebanon, a home created for wellness and care of the body, integrated like a single organism in a large, exclusive spa. Architecture designed as part of the host landscape, inserted as a residential element in a careful compositional organization of water and gardens, trees and views of the sea.

For Vladimir Djurovic, architectural design is, first of all, a process of listening, of integration with the landscape. In spite of the absence of practices of camouflage, and the orientation toward clear signs, simple and essential forms, precise materials, few in number, usually natural in character, the works of this rigorous, talented contemporary landscape designer are rooted in the tradition and history of the Mediterranean landscape, seen as a complex cultural context and a dialectical process in which forms meet in pursuit of harmony. The designs by Djurovic, his beautiful swimming pools, are clear cuts in the horizon, in this case framing the sea, becoming outstanding features of connection capable of blending the architecture into the host setting. From this viewpoint the design of this exclusive home immersed in greenery, facing the sea, is a good example of a modus operandi open to different solutions but connected to principles of reference that can be repeated case by case.

Observing the plan, one immediately notices that the house, rather that obeying the usual tenets of a ‘compositional’ approach, tends to favor the concept of the route, emphasizing the dense plantings of trees that separate it from the sea, and opening to the water thanks to the large swimming pool, a natural reflecting presence that hosts, on the two short sides, surrounded by greenery, ‘natural’ outcroppings in the form of zigzag crags of stone that magically fragment the perimeter to enter the pool. The house becomes like a backdrop for the designed, constructed landscape, offering well distributed views along its length, with the hill and a solid wall at the level shift, emphasizing the role of the construction as a successful architectural addition to the landscape. The nude facades of irregular blocks of stone, also seen in the interiors, are marked by large, regular openings, darkened by shutters with vertical wooden slats. At the position of the living area, the impermeable back opens toward a tree-lined patio; the result is the effect of a space of passage, enclosed on two sides by greenery and by the swimming pool (sixty meters in length) that previews and underscores the horizon of the sea. After the dining area, organized in a space that extends toward the outside, creating a small courtyard facing the living room, the large kitchen and other rooms for guests, the internal route bends diagonally to reach the large spa area, set back from the staggered linear design of the previous volume, for a more secluded zone devoted to the care of the body. Here an indoor pool with an adjacent hydromassage tub thrusts dynamically toward the garden and the spaces behind it for massages, a sauna and a Turkish bath, then extending further to join a final open area, where the gym encounters a luminous lounge with a complete bar through a continuous full-height glazing. A place for relaxing and encounters, underlining the indoor-outdoor connection, looking toward the fitness zone and anticipating the essential geometries of the more private spaces.

 Carlo Bardelli