Each lamp in the Japanese-inspired Lightweight collection has a paper shade around its LED bulb and a stem made from two canes of bamboo.

The collection includes a desk light, three floor lights and a hanging light which can be adjusted by adding weight to its basket.

The materials are largely sourced from within the UK, including bamboo grown in Scotland, wire baskets and joints made in Yorkshire, cables and copper plating made in London and fabric shades made in Wales. The lights are assembled at Boontje's shop and studio in London where they were launched during the London Design Festival last month.

Earlier this year we filmed Boontje giving a tour of the graduate show at the Royal College of Art, where he leads the Design Products course.

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Here's some more information from Studio Tord Boontje:

Rocks, bamboo and paper banners. Lightweight is like a traditional Japanese garden; a small contemplation on light, objects, energy and nature.

The Lightweight collection started with the idea to develop an alternative to shipping heavy lamp bases around the world. With the Lightweight collection you can use heavy objects that you have at home to balance these lamps. The baskets are designed to hold stones (like gabions), books, perfume bottles, plants, postcards or other collections.

This studio-produced collection includes a desk light, a hanging light and three different floor lights. The Desk Light is fully adjustable in height and rotation angle. It has a circular paper shade around the LED bulb and the basket is a bit larger than A4 size, so it functions as an in-tray as well. You can adjust the Hanging Light by adding weight to the small basket. The soft-box lampshade is inspired by photography studio lights.

The Floor Standing Light has a Tyvek paper banner onto which a blossom drawing is screen-printed in our studio. The lightʼs stem is made of a bamboo cane that was grown in Scotland. The cable is made in London as well as the copper plating. The fabric soft-boxes are made in Wales. The wire baskets and joints are made in Yorkshire. The cable clips and assembly is done in our studio / shop. All lights use LED or low energy light bulbs.

The Lightweight collection includes: Desk Light; Floor Standing Banner Light; Floor Standing Soft-box Light; Floor Standing Reading Light; Hanging Light. The Lightweight collection was launched as part of the Squirrelʼs Electro Garden Party and is available exclusively from our shop in Shoreditch, London with prices starting from £220.

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Made of laser-cut and etched leather, the designs include a court shoe that looks as though fallen leaves have blown around the edge, a lace-up with red oak leaves hanging down below the laces and a brown etched pair with delicate patterns of leaves and acorns.

The limited collection will be available at Selfridges department store from August 27 - September 16, taking in the London Design Festival period.

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Here's some more information from Tracey Neuls:

Tracey Neuls and Tord Boontje footwear collaboration for London's biggest design week of the year - exclusively for Selfridges.

The meeting between Tracey Neuls and Tord Boontje was one of those moments when the world felt very small despite one being Canadian and the other one Dutch. They found their approach to design to be uniquely similar despite Tracey being a footwear designer and Tord being a product designer.

Previously in 2010, their like-mindedness resulted in a special edition shoe where Tracey used a printed fabric of Tord's - normally seen on furniture. This playful approach to design has brought them back together in 2012 celebrating... Squirrels! As it turns out, both Tracey and Tord have a great liking for these inquisitive, clever, little town and country creatures. Known for inventive laser cutting, Tord uses this iconic critter and its autumnal surroundings to play with print and leather cut-aways. Chosen from the spectrum of Neuls' designs; both a sculptural heeled pump and her classic rubber soled derby have been manipulated by Boontje. Neon red, turquoise blue, black and natural will be the available colours.

When Tracey moulds her footwear shapes, she begins with plasticine; the smell and feel reminding her of being a child.

“Emotion plays a big part in design. The shoe should at first be beautiful, but it is more the long lasting feeling that I am interested in. Like a pet, the attachment to your footwear should grow stronger with time. ” - Tracey Neuls

Tord’s work draws from a belief that modernism does not mean minimalism, that contemporary does not forsake tradition, and that technology does not abandon people and senses. He often takes inspiration from nature and employs a décor of forms to entice the observer’s imagination.

“I like my pieces to tell stories, or at least provide a beginning and you can make up your own narrative” - Tord Boontje

Together these two designers have created footwear where time is suspended and there are no rules of play. The shoes are like unique collectors items and this limited edition collection is available exclusively at Selfridges from August 27 – September 16, 2012.

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for Selfridges appeared first on Dezeen.

Above: Beyond the Body by Imme Van Der Haak

Boontje also presents a skateboard that goes down stairs and a mirror that creates optical illusions.

Above: Behaviour of Reflection by Kim Thome

The show continues until 1 July and you can see all our stories about the work on show here.

Above: Stair Rover by Po-Chih Lai

See all our stories about the Royal College of Art »

Above: The Materiality of a Natural Disaster by Hilda Hellström

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Show RCA 2012 with Tord Boontje appeared first on Dezeen.

When visitors push the doorbell button the whole structure starts to tip first one way then the other, causing a hammer on wheels to career round the track and bash into any objects the owner chooses along the way.

The Cacophony Bell was developed with kinetic objects company Laikingland - see more of their contraptions here, including an applause machine and a mechanical hand that continuously drums its fingers.

The Ventura Lambrate design district was open from 17 to 22 April.

See all our stories about Ventura Lambrate 2012 here.

Back in London, Boontje is currently professor and head of design products at the Royal College of Art in London, and recently opened his new shop and studio on Charlotte Road in Shoreditch.

Here's some more information from Laikingland:

Laikingland presents “With Movement” at Ventura Lambrate 2012

Laikingland is a creative label whose fundamental theme is movement. Each year, kinetic objects are developed collaboratively with invited artists and designers. The exhibition “With Movement” acknowledges both the objects and the collaborative process developed with each artist and designer.

Cacophony Bell by Tord Boontje with Laikingland

“Through the gap in the shutters, I can see him coming up the path, he is past the gate already. Quick, can I hide? Why, would I? Should I not be glad that he is coming? What if…

Too late, I can see his hand reaching out for the buzzer, I know I have only a few seconds left. The finger presses the button, the wireless connection is made, I look up at the ceiling.

The hammer on wheels is released, with hesitation it starts to move along the fine metal wire track. It picks up speed and rushes down the first steep slope of the track, it crashes into a steel watering can, BANG. Without slowing down the hammer keeps moving towards a glass bottle, the sound of impact is a glassy PING. Onwards through the steep corners towards the dried leaves, the doll, the tin can, CRUSH THUMP TING and finally heading towards the bell, where it ends with a loud CLANG.

Although, it does not quite end there The weight of the hammer now tips the balance of the precariously hung track and the whole thing starts to tilt over. Slowly the hammer on wheels starts to move again, exploring new forces of gravity. Giving in to a new sliding motion as the track changes shape again and the hammer reaches it’s starting point again where it comes to rest.

The noise, the cacophony, is still echoing through the house, while I wait for him to press the buzzer again.” - Tord Boontje,

Laikingland is a creative label, based in both the UK and The Netherlands, who design and manufacture beautifully crafted kinetic objects that engage, and evoke a sense of play and nostalgia.

The company was founded in 2008 and is built upon a life long friendship between artist, Martin Smith and engineer, Nick Regan. Since it’s inception Laikingland has specialised in producing highly crafted limited editions, working closely with invited artists and designers to realise their kinetic ideas.

Alongside the products developed and manufactured by Laikingland, projects to create one-off, special edition and exclusive kinetic objects, spaces and commissions are also undertaken.

All our work is produced in small batches or limited editions and is hand assembled in the North of England by our team of highly skilled craftsmen, artisans and jewellers.

Martin Smith is the Art Director of Laikingland. He lives and works in West Yorkshire, UK. He has 17 years experience as a practicing Artist, with work ranging from small kinetic devices to large-scale gallery commissions and architectural interventions.

In his role as Art Director, Martin has overall responsibility for the design selection process, he curates the product range and collaborates at the concept stage with each artist and designer. Through his vast experience of surprising yet elegant mechanisms, he influences both the movement of the kinetic objects and the direction of the Laikingland brand.

Nick Regan is the Engineering Director of Laikingland. He was born and raised in West Yorkshire, UK, but now lives and works in Utrecht, the Netherlands. He has 16 years product development and engineering management experience in the global automotive industry. He has worked with many of the world’s leading automotive companies in the UK, Europe, USA and Asia.

Key:

Blue = designers
Red = architects
Yellow = brands

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Designed in Hackney is a Dezeen initiative to showcase world-class architecture and design created in the borough, which is one of the five host boroughs for the London 2012 Olympic Games as well as being home to Dezeen’s offices. We’ll publish buildings, interiors and objects that have been designed in Hackney each day until the games this summer.

More information and details of how to get involved can be found at www.designedinhackney.com.

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