Dezeen promotion: international design conference What Design Can Do is launching its first ever event in São Paulo from 7 to 8 December 2015, with a series of talks based on issues facing urban environments. More about What Design Can Do's São Paulo conference will focus on urban issues
Masters students from the Bartlett School of Architecture have used cement-covered foam pipes to create Gothic-style arches, columns and furniture (+ movie). More about Bartlett students weave Plexe-e furniture from foam tubes
Cairos Architecture has converted the attic of an old Parisian apartment into children's bedrooms, making the property more suitable for use as a family home (+ slideshow). More about Cairos Architecture uses mezzanine level to create more room inside Paris apartment
Grass ramps over the curving form of this house in the French countryside, which was designed by architect Julien De Smedt as a contemporary alternative to the region's "pastiche chalets" (+ slideshow). More about French villa designed by Julien De Smedt to look like a bump in the landscape
Business news: Italian design brand Arper has opened a New York showroom, following in the footsteps of other European brands setting up shop in the US. More about Italian furniture company Arper opens a Manhattan showroom
Flexible screens are incorporated into ShiftWear's collection of trainers, allowing them to be customised with both still and moving images via an app. More about ShiftWear's trainers can be personalised with moving images at the touch of a button
Spanish designer Eugeni Quitllet has been awarded the Designer of the Year title for next year's Maison&Objet design fair in Paris, and will design a bespoke exhibition for the event. More about Eugeni Quitllet named Maison&Objet's 2016 designer of the year
Dezeen promotion: a new event aiming to unite the disciplines of architecture, art, design, development, property, technology and finance will take place at Somerset House in London from 5 to 12 June 2016. More about ArDe architecture and design event to take place in June 2016 at London's Somerset House
Comments update: Isay Weinfeld's first New York project is the latest in a string of luxury developments changing the face of the city – but some readers think the rush to build high-end apartments is destroying the Big Apple's local communities. More about "Does New York City have any type of housing other than luxury?"
Welcome to Dezeen's 2015 A-Zdvent calendar! This year we're showcasing iconic contemporary bridges in our alphabetical countdown to Christmas, starting with the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge in Japan. More about Dezeen's A-Zdvent calendar: Akashi Kaikyō Bridge by Satoshi Kashima
Electric car manufacturer Tesla plans to produce fully self-driving cars to compete with Google, the brand's CEO Elon Musk has revealed. More about Tesla to design fully driverless cars
This family house in Shiga, Japan, is made up of two structures – a simple two-storey block set on a patio, and a small timber pavilion that opens out to a landscaped garden (+ slideshow). More about Maibara House by Alts Design Office combines a windowless block and a small garden pavilion
Design Miami 2015: islands of bronze rest on top of marble tables designed by Chilean studio GT2P for its first collaboration with New York's Friedman Benda gallery. More about GT2P pairs unusual materials in Marble vs Bronze coffee table
Portuguese architects Sofia Parente and André Delgado have converted an old stone barn in Viana do Castelo into a compact two-storey residence (+ slideshow). More about Par-Do transforms stone-walled Portuguese barn into compact residence
Israeli designer Tamara Efrat has combined traditional smocking embroidery with computational algorithms to create a range of patterned bags. More about Tamara Efrat creates smocked bags using Photoshop-like computer program
Contemporary oak cabinetry features alongside original patterned tiles in this 19th-century Barcelona apartment recently renovated by local studio Built Architecture. More about Built Architecture uses oak cabinetry to reorganise a mosaic-floored Barcelona apartment
US firm Aranda\Lasch has completed a store for fashion designer Tom Ford in the Miami Design District, featuring an angular facade that references bold Art Deco motifs (+ slideshow). More about Aranda\Lasch creates pleated concrete facade for Tom Ford flagship Miami store
Google's latest approved patent is for a flexible heads-up display that could be the next version of Google Glass. More about Google granted patent for bendy Google Glass-style device
Architecture firm Conran and Partners has completed its redevelopment of Tokyo's Futako-Tamagawa area, the city's largest building project of the last decade. More about Conran and Partners completes huge development on Tokyo's Tama River
Google has patented a system that could see its driverless vehicles use object sensors, flashing exterior signage and robotic hands to help make them safer for pedestrians. More about Google's self-driving cars could use robotic hands and eyes to communicate with pedestrians