A national park in the Netherlands is the setting for this old water tower, which Dutch firm Zecc Architecten has transformed into an observation point by twisting staircases through its middle (+ slideshow). More about Zecc Architecten transforms an old water tower into a parkland observation point
Milan 2014: Tomas Libertiny's design studio used multiple body casts to dictate the shape of this seat for Dutch brand Tchai International, shown in Milan last month. More about Studio Libertiny uses body casts to shape Tchair
This bulky concrete house on the outskirts of Geneva was designed by Swiss office Localarchitecture with a jagged roofline that follows the slope of its hillside site. More about Localarchitecture's Confignon House features concrete walls and a zigzagging roof
Kickstarter has changed the way designers get their products to market and shifted the balance of power between individuals and corporations, according to the crowdfunding website's co-founder and CEO Yancey Strickler (+ interview). More about Kickstarter means that "big brands are at a disadvantage"
German auto brand Volkswagen's XL1, which it claims is the most fuel-efficient production car ever made, has been named the winner of the Transport category at Designs of the Year 2014. More about Volkswagen claims XL1 is "the most efficient production car in the world"
A team of London-based designers claim to have created the world's smallest 3D-printing pen – an anodised aluminium device called Lix that allows users to "doodle in the air" (+ movie). More about Lix 3D-printing pen allows users to create solid drawings in the air
Dezeen and MINI Frontiers: the way we interact with technology "needs to be updated", according to Talia Radford of taliaYstudio, who shows us two of her studio's projects that enable people to take a photo by kissing rather than pressing a button. More about Why not "take a photo through gestures" rather than pushing a button?
The 200th issue of Dezeen Mail includes MAD's mountainous complex of skyscrapers and a table for cats and their owners, as well as a tribute to Pritzker Prize laureate Hans Hollein, plus the latest news, jobs, competitions and reader comments from Dezeen.
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Opinion: Nest's intelligently connected thermostat is a surface solution for a much deeper problem in cities like London – we need innovation in services not surfaces, says Dan Hill. More about "We need a Prouvé of plumbing, a Rogers of rewiring, an Utzon of U-values"
Japanese studio TSC Architects modelled the roof of this house in Japan's Mie Prefecture on the folded paper shapes of origami (+ slideshow). More about Origami House by TSC Architects features a roof modelled on folded paper
Maison&Objet 2014: this simple lamp by design studio Something for French brand Ligne Roset has a bell-shaped shade similar to a wild flower (+ slideshow). More about Something designs lamp for Ligne Roset to look like a bellflower
There are barely any partitions between the rooms of this family house in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, which was designed by architect Yamazaki Kentaro as an open container that "changes as you design and live in it" (+ slideshow). More about Yamazaki Kentaro's Unfinished House offers little privacy to residents
Mirrored displays and walls have been designed to create a surreal visual effect at this pop-up design shop that Dutch interiors studio i29 has created inside an 18th-century building in Amsterdam (+ slideshow). More about Pop-up design shop by i29 creates a hall of mirrors in an 18th-century building
Dezeen Guide: design events in May include Clerkenwell Design Week in London and ICFF in New York (pictured), as well as 11 others listed in our guide. More about Dezeen Guide update: May 2014
A keyboard by East London technology start-up ROLI, with soft keys that allow musicians to alter the pitch, volume and timbre of individual notes, has come out on top in the Designs of the Year 2014 product category (+ slideshow). More about Squishy silicone keys control pitch and volume on ROLI's musical Seaboard
UNStudio founder Ben van Berkel has unveiled plans to replace the facade of an existing Seoul skyscraper with a responsive surface that controls the indoor climate during the day and transforms into a dynamic light show by night. More about UNStudio's dynamic facade will control indoor climate for Seoul tower
Milan 2014: Italian design studio Joe Velluto has collaborated with motorcycle company NorthEastCustom to make a bike-shaped piece of furniture that replaces metal and plastic with glass, wood and wool (+ slideshow). More about Motorbike reinterpreted as a furniture piece by Joe Velluto
News: preservationists have proposed a system of hydraulic jacks that could safeguard Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House from flood damage by lifting it into the air. More about Hydraulic jacks could protect Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House from flood danger
News: Yves Behar of San Francisco design studio fuseproject has created a new identity for PayPal as part of the brand's shift towards providing payment solutions on mobile and wearable devices (+ interview). More about Fuseproject creates mobile-friendly brand identity for PayPal
Movie: chief design officer for Philips Lighting Rogier van der Heide explains how advances in LED technology are enabling lighting to be integrated into the surfaces of building materials and fabrics. More about Luminous ceilings and carpets will become commonplace, says lead designer at Philips