Breaking news from architecture and design magazine Dezeen

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Bacteria and pedal power could be the future of kitchens – The Guardian

Dezeen Wire: design critic Justin McGuirk says that a kitchen concept by Dutch electrical company Philips that uses decomposition to generate methane gas for cooking is an example of how we may "have to get more comfortable with bacteria and with putrefaction's role in our ecosystem" – The Guardian

McGuirk claims the Microbial kitchen concept's "steampunk" aesthetic offers "an alternative vision to the clinical kitchen," and also mentions the trend for low-tech kitchen appliances, such as designer Christoph Thetard's pedal-powered devices, which he says represent a reaction to the impending energy crisis.

Last year Dezeen published a report on Food and Design, including examples of low-tech gadgets for preserving and preparing ingredients and concepts for growing food in the kitchen.
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Alyn Griffiths | 22 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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RIBA and Design Council back government strategy for quality homes

Dezeen Wire: the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Design Council have expressed support for a new housing strategy announced by the UK government that aims to deliver high quality homes rather than a higher volume of poor standard properties. More about RIBA and Design Council back government strategy for quality homes

Alyn Griffiths | 22 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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TV presenter's housing scheme is "a much better application of celebrity philanthropy than most"

Dezeen Wire: architecture critic Rowan Moore says that a housing development built by the UK architecture show presenter Kevin McCloud's company Hab is a positive attempt at reversing the trend for "unimaginative, overpriced, undersized" properties in the UK – The Guardian

Moore describes the scheme in Swindon, England, as "imaginative and well-designed," whilst cautioning that it will take time to determine whether McCloud's goals of creating a community and "making people happy" have been achieved. He adds that the houses themselves are "very plain-looking" and far removed from the aspirational properties that feature on McCloud's show, Grand Designs.
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Alyn Griffiths | 21 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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Ai Weiwei supporters post nude photos online in protest against police

Dezeen Wire: supporters of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei have been posting photos of themselves naked on a website as a protest against the Beijing police's decision to question his assistant, who had taken nude pictures of the artist and four women – The Telegraph

Ai was detained for 81 days earlier this year by the Chinese government on charges of tax evasion, during which time he was also asked about the photographs that he says have no deeper political meaning.
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Alyn Griffiths | 21 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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Latest issue of Colors magazine dedicated to "shit"

Dezeen Wire: apparently, tomorrow is World Toilet Day and the latest issue of Colors magazine focuses on all things faecal, including the taboos, dangers and practical applications of excrement – Colors magazine
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Alyn Griffiths | 18 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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"Private housing sector forecast recovers strongly" – RIBA Future Trends Survey

Dezeen Wire: The latest RIBA Future Trends Survey shows that the private housing sector is benefiting from all-time low interest rates but overall confidence about future workloads remains low. More about "Private housing sector forecast recovers strongly" – RIBA Future Trends Survey

Alyn Griffiths | 18 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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"Cities are machines for innovation" - Financial Times

Dezeen Wire: in his latest article for the Financial Times architecture critic Edwin Heathcote analyses how some cities have successfully reinvented themselves as hubs of creativity and commerce – Financial Times

Heathcote states that "the city stands out as an engine of progress and modernity," using examples from urban centres such as San Francisco, Milan, Turin, Pittsburgh and London to demonstrate how intelligent state funding can encourage creative vitality and economic growth.
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Alyn Griffiths | 18 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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Critics' reactions to Terence Conran: The Way We Live Now at the Design Museum

Dezeen Wire: a new exhibition documenting the career of Terence Conran has provoked a flurry of media interest in the man who founded retail brand Habitat and London's Design Museum. More about Critics' reactions to Terence Conran: The Way We Live Now at the Design Museum

Alyn Griffiths | 17 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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Richard Rogers's New York skyscraper won't get off the ground

Dezeen Wire: plans for a 40-storey tower designed by British architect Richard Rogers to sit on top of the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York have been shelved following the Chinese backer's decision to pull out – The New York Times

See a skyscraper in London completed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners earlier this year.
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Alyn Griffiths | 16 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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Habitat is "as good as dead" - Elle Decoration editor

Dezeen Wire: Elle Decoration editor Michelle Ogundehin has declared British furniture brand Habitat "as good as dead" in an article on the magazine's blog, stating "I give it two years max" – read the blog post

Ogundehin says that the retailer, which closed all but three of its UK stores earlier this year, failed to react to competition within the market and "increasingly misunderstood 'Lifestyle'," its key selling point. She claims that Habitat has lost its original focus on innovation and simplicity, and rubbishes plans by current owners the Home Retail Group to sell Habitat products at Argos and Homebase outlets, adding that their one remaining interest is to "flog stuff."

See our previous story on Habitat going into administration.
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Alyn Griffiths | 16 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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$180 billion spent on royalty fees annually - Washington Post

Dezeen Wire: the U.N. World Intellectual Property Agency has reported a rise in the amount paid as royalties and licensing fees from $2.8 billion to $180 billion in the last 40 years, representing a 60-fold increase – The Washington Post

The report shows that high income countries such as France, Germany, Japan, Britain and the United States continue to lead the way in research and development but that China's share in the global market has risen from 2.2 percent in 1993 to 12.8 per cent in 2009.

Last week we reported on measures being taken by the UK government to improve intellectual property laws, designer James Dyson also raised the issue when he accused a Chinese manufacturer of copying one of his brand's vacuum designs and Elle Decoration editor Michelle Ogundehin has criticised companies who reproduce classic products.
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Alyn Griffiths | 15 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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"Britain could become enormous Los Angeles-style ghetto" - Richard Rogers

Dezeen Wire: British architect Richard Rogers has warned that plans by the UK government to simplify planning regulations could lead to unmoderated urban sprawl, "with rust belts and towns joining each other" – Daily Mail

He added: "If the framework is not improved it will lead to the breakdown and fragmentation of cities and neighbourhoods as well as the erosion of the countryside." Rogers' concerns about the government's new National Planning Policy Framework are shared by environmental campaigners who say they don't offer a clear enough definition of sustainable development.

Richard Rogers was involved in a planning battle in 2009 over his proposed redevelopment of Chelsea Barracks in London – see reports on Dezeen Wire
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Alyn Griffiths | 15 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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Wayne Rooney hires architects to design garden shed

Dezeen Wire: England footballer Wayne Rooney has hired architects Pulmann Associates to design a shed in the garden of his £4 million home – The Sun
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Alyn Griffiths | 15 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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"The London River Park: place for the people or a private playground?"- The Observer

Dezeen Wire: architecture critic Rowan Moore claims that corporate facilities integrated into the plans for the controversial London River Park would turn it into a "gigantic hospitality suite with a fairly nice walkway threaded through it" – The Observer

Moore describes architects Gensler's proposal as "the latest example of a widespread type of the 21st century, the pseudo-public space." He criticises the design for the walkway and rentable pods, describing them as "offensively indifferent" to their historical surroundings and says the project organisers should learn from New York's High Line park in order to turn a good idea into a popular public space.

See our previous story on the 35-metre model of the London River Park.
More about "The London River Park: place for the people or a private playground?"- The Observer
Alyn Griffiths | 15 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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"Keyed to Detail, No Matter How Crazy" - The New York Times

Dezeen Wire: in her latest article for The New York Times, design critic Alice Rawsthorn explains how Dutch designer Aldo Bakker's expressive process and relentless attention to detail make him "one of the new wave of designers who could be called design-auteurs" – The New York Times

Bakker's products and furniture perform simple functions in ways that Rawsthorn says demonstrate "a quiet confidence, as if every element has been resolved with nothing left to chance." Bakker says of his creative methods, which can lead to each product taking years to develop: “I love having the freedom to pay attention to every detail in my work, no matter how crazy."

See designs by Aldo Bakker on Dezeen and read more articles by Alice Rawsthorn here.
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Alyn Griffiths | 14 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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Design Museum move will "help nurture a new generation of creative talent"- Deyan Sudjic

Dezeen Wire: the director of London's Design Museum Deyan Sudjic claims the museum's new home at the former Commonwealth Institute will offer a platform for future designers and that Britain can regain its reputation as creative power, "provided we go on investing in design" – The Guardian

Sudjic describes the Design Museum's original incarnation at the Victoria & Albert museum as "a little like an upmarket squatter in the V&A basement," but suggests that "contemporary design is now firmly on the cultural agenda." He claims that Britain must support design education in order to stay ahead of emerging economies, adding that "design is a way to create or safeguard jobs."

James Dyson also recently wrote an article on the importance of design to the British economy and we previously reported on the Design Museum's current building being up for sale.
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Alyn Griffiths | 14 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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Sebastian Wrong launches new limited edition design platform

Dezeen Wire: designer and co-founder of British brand Established & Sons Sebastian Wrong has launched The Wrong Shop, his own retail venture focusing on limited edition products by leading designers. More about Sebastian Wrong launches new limited edition design platform

Alyn Griffiths | 14 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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"Maggie's Centre: the jolly green giant"- The Guardian

Dezeen Wire: in a review for The Guardian, architecture critic Jonathan Glancey says that the new Maggie's centre in Nottingham is like something out of a fairytale and "is clearly designed to make visitors smile" – The Guardian

Glancey claims that architect Piers Gough of CZWG and fashion designer Paul Smith, who was responsible for the interior, have triumphed in their attempt at creating a homely environment for those affected by cancer, adding: "From a purely architectural and design point of view, few hospital buildings – this side of the other eight Maggie's Centres built in Britain since the 1990s – are as welcoming."

See our original story on Maggie's Nottingham and subsequent story with more images as well as all our stories on Maggie's centres.
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Alyn Griffiths | 14 November 2011 | Leave a comment
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Campaigners petition to save design and technology in UK schools

Dezeen Wire: the Design and Technology Association is urging people to complete an online petition to retain design and technology as a compulsory part of the UK's National Curriculum.

Design and technology is one of the subjects that could become optional in schools following the government's announcement in January that it intends to slim down the curriculum. The petition is supported by key members of the creative and manufacturing industries, who believe the subject to be vital to the UK's economic development.

Anyone wishing to support the campaign should visit the the Design and Technology Campaign website to sign the online petition or contact their local MP.
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Alyn Griffiths | 11 November 2011 | 1 comment
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Plastic bottles filled with sand used to build houses in Nigeria

Discarded bottles sourced from hotels, restaurants, homes and foreign embassies are being filled with sand and used as bricks to create curved-walled houses in a Nigerian village. More about Plastic bottles filled with sand used to build houses in Nigeria

Alyn Griffiths | 10 November 2011 | Leave a comment