Alfredo Brillembourg and Hubert Klumpner, founders of the non-profit research group-turned design practice, Urban-Think Tank, explain their approach to improving living conditions in the barrios (slums) of Caracas, including their vertical gym (shown above) and growing house projects and big plans for a music-education facility. Read the full profile on Architectural Record.

This was an ugly old office chair in great condition that I reupholstered with vintage Japanese fabric. The wooden sides are refinished with an orange ink and four coats of oil. Light weight and exceptionally comfortable, it’s for sale for $250.

Talk about comprehensive design! This project, a traveling installation that is a collaboration between Droog and Marije Vogelzang of Proef Amsterdam, sloom.org and was part of the recent Pioneers of Change design festival in NY (put on by Droog), incorporates furniture, handmade items like tea bags and felt slippers, food from near and far, elderly people to serve it very slowly – atop reusable wooden serving boards with diagrams on them to show how far each food item traveled, with portions sized appropriately. I’ll leave the rest of the details  to the articles at EAT ME DAILY and Good Magazine but I just want to say I LOVE the idea of encouraging people to slow down in life and when they eat, to think about where their food came from and how much of it they really need, to appreciate the time and beauty of a hand-crafted item, and on top of all that – including the most precious people on the planet who are so often overlooked when it comes to anything fun, the elderly. I never knew my grandparents but am really drawn to older people. I’ve actually just started (finally) to volunteer at a retirement center and I think about the elderly in relation to design all the time so this project really inspires and pleases me. It has my gears turning because Portland (where I live) is such a perfect candidate to be a “Slow City” and perhaps could start with its own senior-run Go Slow Cafe. hmm…

I just can’t get over these Vietnamese garments! This is a picture from The Wonderful World of Albert Kahn, a collection of early color photographs taken by the French philanthropist to record the people of the world in hopes of promoting cross-cultural peace and understanding. His life story is as fascinating as his contribution of some 72,000 autochromes, taken “of the peoples of the world, for the peoples of the world.” I found this at CreativeRoots, a blog about art and design in countries around the world.

A Huo, a Guangzhou-born designer and street artist, helped create a photography project called, “Guangzhou Supports You!” that has turned out to be a very contagious way for citizens to express unity and love for their town. It’s a great example of how technology makes artistic collaboration between strangers easy and it excites me to think about where a unified, creative and positive spirit can lead. See photos and read the interview by NeochaEDGE…

Dan Phillips taught himself how to build homes out of anything and everything discarded so that lower-income people in Huntsville, Texas could have interesting – and environmentally responsible – housing. But to own it they have to help build it. Great article and slideshow in the NY Times.

I put this up not because I give a damn about Audi or how they resorted to such excess to commemorate their hundredth year, but only to pay tribute to the artist for a great concept and a stunning sculpture. And it’s worth considering what corporate sculpture on this scale says about the current cultural environment and what that means to you.   Dezeen has a great array of photographs from all angles…

…with specially designed “cuddle walls.” DeZeen covers Savannahuis by Dutch architects, LAM.