Sunday, October 14, 2007

Kerrigan Architectural Tile

Kerrigan ceramic architectural tiles are the result of Chicago-based designer Bryan Kerrigan's methodical exploration of dimensionality and texture of the ceramic tile. Designed and manufactured using high-temperature-fired stoneware clay, the tiles are very durable for both interior and exterior applications in all climates.

Beginning his work with ceramics in the early nineties, Kerrigan developed pottery and sculpture with fluid, organic shapes. His experiments in ceramic art led to the development of hand-sculpted tiles for architectural applications. Noting the extent to which the subtlest alterations of plan and edge affected the dimension of the forms, Kerrigan embarked upon several years of thorough ceramics research in order to produce his current collection. [Contact: Bryan Kerrigan, Chicago, IL.]

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Hanabi

Like the Lotus flower, which opens its petals in the presence of the sun and closes them in its absence, Hanabi opens its lamp-shade "petals" when its bulb is turned on and closes them after it has been shut off. Representing an innovative use of shape-memory alloy, the heat of the bulb makes the metal "bloom" whenever the fixture is illuminated. Hanabi is the Japanese word for fireworks and literally means flower fire. Like its namesake, the Hanabi light flickers between beauty and disappearance, embodying the Japanese appreciation of ephemerality. [Contact: Nendo, Tokyo, Japan.]

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Light-Emitting Roof Tiles

The roof has historically focused on one primary function: keeping out the elements. New technologies, as present in Light-Emitting Roof Tiles, allow the integration of additional functions within roof surfaces. Manufactured by Lambert Kamps, the transparent roof tiles are integrated light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and designed to display text, pictures, and other graphical content in multiple colors. Information may also be animated, such as with an illuminated news trailer. Light-Emitting Roof Tiles also come with their own self-supporting solar-photovoltaic power system. [Contact: Lambert Kamps, Groningen, The Netherlands.]

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Saturday, October 06, 2007

Cast Glass Facades

Shanghai Kang Yu Jie Sen's Cast Glass Façades exhibit superior clarity, the highest refractive index of any architectural glass, and are suitable for use in interior or exterior applications. Cast Glass Façades are superior to stone in terms of weather resistance, staining, and background radiation. The product can be worked similar to float glass by bending, tempering, and laminating. The glass can be cast to achieve sharp lines as well as soft organic shapes, and the thickness allows for sophisticated multidimensional effects as well as a variety of color possibilities. [Contact: Kang Yu Jie Sen, Shanghai, China.]

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