Bjarke Ingels designing "new city in America" for five million people
Danish architect Bjarke Ingels is master planning a city called Telosa for entrepreneur Marc Lore, which is set to be built "from scratch" in the US desert.
Announced on Twitter by Ingels' architecture studio BIG, Telosa would be built on an unoccupied 150,000-acre site in the western United States.
"Our vision is to create a new city in America that sets a global standard for urban living, expands human potential and becomes a blueprint for future generations," said a statement from Telosa.
The city is the idea of Lore, an entrepreneur and former CEO of e-commerce at retailer Walmart, who sold his start-up website Jet.com to the supermarket giant for $3.3 billion in 2016.
Lore's idea is to acquire a large plot of land that would be donated to a community endowment so that its increasing value could fund the city's development and improve the resident's welfare.
Telosa to be built on community-owned land
"There's a finite amount of land and that land was claimed generations ago – communities were created, tax dollars were used to invest in the land, and therefore the land increased in value over time with landowners not having to produce anything or take any risk," explains Lore on the Telosa website.
"Land could essentially go from a barren piece of desert to a modern-day city worth billions, or even trillions," he continued.
"It got me asking even more questions and thinking about a potential solution. What if that land had been owned by a community endowment?"
Envisioned to grow to a population of five million over the next 40 years, the organisers are aiming to create a city for 50,000 people by 2030.
Aim is to be "the most sustainable city in the world"
Broadly based on the principles of urbanist Ebenezer Howard's Garden Cities in the UK, the city would have a density of around 33 people per acre – broadly equivalent to that of San Francisco.
According to Lore, building Telosa from scratch would allow it to become "the most sustainable city in the world".
"My focus turned to making Telosa the most sustainable city in the world," he explained. "From global warming to water and energy – how can we do better for future generations? And what technology and other innovations in policy and design can we embed in the city that is only possible because of the fact that we’re building it from scratch?"
"Just imagine what's possible with sustainable building materials, autonomous vehicles, electric aircraft, and underground movement of materials."
Spiral-shaped tower to stand at centre of city
The city would contain "diverse housing options" that "are accessible to all". An image of BIG's Dortheavej Residence in Copenhagen was used to illustrate the section on Telosa's website.
A large spiral-shaped tower dubbed Equitism would be built at the centre, which would be surrounded by a series of blocky high-rises.
"Rising from the lush central park of Telosa, Equitism tower is a beacon for the City," explained the Telosa website.
"The inviting civic and lookout areas bring visitors and residents together. A photovoltaic roof, elevated water storage, and aeroponic farms enable the structure to share and distribute all it produces."
Ingels is the founder of BIG, one of the world's most successful architecture studios. He recently launched a home design company that aims to "reimagine the way we build our homes".
He is also drawing up a master plan for the whole planet to "prove that a sustainable human presence on planet Earth is attainable with existing technologies".
American practice Studio Upwall Architects has designed a house on a desert site in Moab, Utah, sheltered from the harsh climate by a weathering steel roof.
Overlooking panoramic views of red rock cliffs, the rusted steel and weathered wood cladding of Sunny Acres Residence was chosen by the Washington-based practice to reference the colour palette and texture of its surroundings.
The simple arrangement of the 185-square-metre home sees bedrooms and utility spaces in its northern half, and a large living, kitchen and dining area facing south, protected from the sun by the metal roof's large overhang.
"The home is simple in function and form with an asymmetric gable roof volume that is extruded along the main axis of the house to form an exterior shroud," said Studio Upwall Architects.
"The southern wall, punctuated with a series of glass doors and windows designed to provide a connection to the landscape and panoramic views, is set in under the deep overhang of the roof to deliver shade in the hottest months."
This overhanging roof form continues downwards with two wall sections, one solid and one fitted with louvres, at either end of the roof to further shade the large windows.
Extending from the interior, the smooth concrete floor creates a patio that wraps around the southern end of the home, with outdoor seating areas oriented towards the La Sal Mountains and sunrise to the east, and sunset over the Utah Cliffs to the west.
Grey render covers the exterior, with openings surrounded by weathered wood cladding to creating a softer texture where the home is entered. A sliding, slatted door on the eastern elevation enables further control of the sunlight.
Inside, white walls and a pitched ceiling brings a feeling of lightness and space, with simple fittings focusing attention on the framed views of the landscape.
A ladder leads up to a mezzanine loft above the kitchen area, creating a more intimate space for reading and reflection away from the brightness and open views of the ground floor.
Along the northern edge, the roof extends down to provide greater privacy in the bedroom and bathroom spaces, which feature smaller horizontal windows.
Opposite, a small garage building has been designed with the same form and weathered exterior finishes to mirror the main home.
Other projects recently completed in Utah include a charred wood home by Klima Architecture and a cedar-clad courtyard home by Kipp Edick and Joe Sadoski, both located close to the Wasatch Mountains.
The photography is by City Home Collective.
Dezeen promotion: technology company HP's range of HP Z workstations allow professionals in the design and architecture industries to access the same powerful technology they'd have in the office while working from home.
According to HP, many architects and designers faced serious challenges with the shift to working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic due to the lack of access to powerful, secure technology usually used in office environments.
"Suddenly, everyone across the industry was faced with the need to work more effectively while remaining socially distanced," said Dan Barham, advanced computer and solutions market lead at HP.
"This posed an issue for the industry, as a report by workforce management experts Mitrefinch found that engineering firms are one of the least prepared sectors in the UK to deal with remote working."
The HP Z workstations aim to solve some of these problems as they were designed to deliver the graphic and processing power needed to undertake complex computational design and data tasks.
"The kind of software required to virtualise construction, engineering and architecture workflows needs substantial computing power," said Barham.
"This is required to process large data volumes, in real-time and for multiple participants – imagine several engineers and architects all moving through a virtual-reality simulation of the project, all interacting with data, each other and the 3D rendering as they go."
According to Barham, hardware must "render on the fly" often with high standard colour accuracy and precision.
This includes 4K video editing, data processing and 3D modelling required in building information modelling, virtual reality and augmented reality.
To work effectively with these technologies, and fully realise their potential, HP believes that engineering and design professionals need solutions capable of accelerating workflows.
As a result, HP's workstations are intended to enhance user's graphic performance without falling short on security.
This allows users to access the same powerful technology they'd have in the office while working from home.
The ZCentral solution can use an encrypted connection where users access a virtual desktop meaning the individual's and company data is locked down and secured.
"For users such as designers and architects who need colour precision, the ideal workstation should have built-in self-calibration, ensuring it delivers predictable, accurate colour processing effortlessly while working with True 2K and 4K content," explained Barham. "This delivers the power needed to run graphics and data-intensive professional applications."
"Z by HP workstations have been designed to support whatever workflow is thrown at it and can handle dual CPU and dual graphics card configurations for maximum performance."
"Unlike a virtual server or cloud solution, users get direct, undivided workstation access to do 3D modelling or 4K video editing from almost any device and all at a predictable cost."
According to the brand, the pandemic has accelerated the trend in construction and engineering for automation and virtualisation.
HP believes architects, engineers and designers must continue to prepare for a long-term working environment with distributed teams.
"AEC professionals need technology capable of unlocking the benefits of all these innovations today, maintaining a competitive edge, while also preparing for the marketplace of the future," said Barham.
To learn more about HP Z Systems, visit the brand's website.
Partnership content
This article was written by Dezeen for HP as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
Dezeen Showroom: Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have extended their Cotone Slim seating line for Cassina, creating a sofa based on the same slender, minimalist form.
The Cotone Slim sofa is distinguished by its linear extruded aluminium frame, which has a faintly tapered shape.
Its backrest follows the same line as the frame, with a rigid exterior and plush, inviting interior.
The sofa can be upholstered in a wide range of fabrics and leathers, which can be matched or contrasted with the anodised or painted finish of the metal frame.
The Cotone Slim sofa is available with either a high back for privacy or a low backrest that creates a sense of openness.
Cassina says the sofa is "perfect for contract projects that call for uncluttered, linear modern decor to furnish corporate headquarters, executive offices and waiting areas".
About Dezeen Showroom: Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.
Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.
Dezeen Showroom: Italian furniture brand Pedrali has released a new version of its Ila armchair by French designer Patrick Jouin, adding the option of a four-leg base made of solid ash.
Pedrali introduced the Ila armchair last year as a comfortable and enveloping seat made of large volumes and flexible polyurethane that cocoons the sitter.
"The elegant, high-quality Ila armchair is a refined piece of furniture with a strong personality, expressing utmost comfort, softness and sensuality," said the brand.
Ila was initially made available with either a geometric swivel base and four-leg steel tube frame options. Pedrali has now added the option of a base made of solid ash.
Ila comes in a range of colours and finishes, and for those who want an added sense of escape from the world, there is a version with a large headrest that creates a private niche and partly muffles sound.
The chair is designed to be disassembled, so it is possible to change the upholstery during its lifecycle.
About Dezeen Showroom: Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.
Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.
Dezeen Showroom: woven, weatherproof ropes are wound into a serpentine pattern to form the Pleiadi outdoor rug, designed by Paolo Zani for Warli.
The Pleiadi rug comes in a range of monochrome colours with the sinuous lines of the ropes providing visual interest.
Each rope segment is tied off with a decorative element that puts a contemporary spin on traditional fringing.
Made of synthetic yarn and sewn by hand, Pleiadi is both UV and weather resistant while being soft underfoot.
"Pleiadi is an idea born out of the blue, a sketch from the past made on a piece of paper," said Zani.
"No research, no computer processing, only the continuity of an element that repeats itself within a geometric shape."
The Pleiadi rug comes in two sizes and is suited to outdoor spaces as well as wet areas around saunas and spas.
Pleiadi will presented at this year's Supersalone furniture fair, which takes place in Milan from 5 to 10 September.
About Dezeen Showroom: Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.
Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.
Dezeen Showroom: Danish brand Texstyle has launched Dolly Recycled fabric, a textile that looks like wool but is entirely made of recycled plastic bottles.
Designed by Texstyle founder Søren Møller, Dolly Recycled fabric has a softness and texture that is characteristic of wool and a composition that is 100 per cent recycled polyethylene terephthalate, known as PET.
Thirty empty 1.5-litre bottles go into making each metre of the fabric. Texstyle estimates that an accent chair upholstered in Dolly Recycled would use around 75 bottles.
The brand abides by international recycling standards and has been investing in research and development into recycled polyester yarns since 2018.
It says that used as upholstery, Dolly Recycled fabric continues the innovative values of nordic furniture while adding comfort and tactility.
"Nowadays, it is possible to have high-quality upholstery fabrics made 100 per cent of up-cycled yarns from PET bottles," said Texstyle.
"Thanks to our new recycled range and our customers, a certain amount of plastic waste is no longer ending up in nature but in beautiful interiors."
Dolly Recycled fabric is available in the neutral shades white and natural, classic grey, black and brown, and modern old rose, as well as some more bold colours such as forest green and Bordeaux grapes.
About Dezeen Showroom: Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.
Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.
Dezeen Showroom: Narbutas has expanded its collection of Twist&Sit seating by Christina Strand and Niels Hvass, adding soft lounge chairs and sofas ideal for contemporary office spaces.
The upholstered seating range, dubbed Twist&Sit Soft, retains the design features of the existing collection but gives them a more relaxed feeling conducive to collaborative meeting spaces, rest zones and other informal workspaces.
Twist&Sit Soft seating comes in sizes ranging from lounge chairs to two- and three-seater sofas, with the option of either high or low backs.
The low-back seating is ideal for reception areas, cafes or any setting where collaboration is encouraged, while the high-back versions create more private spaces for those looking to separate themselves from distraction.
The high-back sofas and chairs can also be customised with a swivel table or decorative wooden knobs.
"Twist&Sit Soft invites you to stop, sit down and relax," said Strand + Hvass.
"When creating the system, we wanted to reflect the hygge, cosy, warm and homey atmosphere in the office," the design studio added. "A wide variety of colours, low-back and high-back models, and additional practical accessories make you feel welcome."
About Dezeen Showroom: Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.
Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.