I’ve long admired Donald Deskey’s drawing, Design for "Sportshack" (1940) in the Cooper Hewitt’s collection. When I first saw it, I immediately imagined what it might be like to live in this elegantly proportioned little gem of a house. As one half of a couple sharing our own micro-apartment, I understand the challenges of paring...
On April 13, 2012, as part of his popular Design Talks series, Bill Moggridge, Director of the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, spoke with architect Annabelle Selldorf about some of her notable projects. One of many exciting projects for Selldorf Architects, the new David Zwirner, particularly caught my attention. Selldorf described that she and Zwirner...
According to Jim Pynn, Superintendent of Newtown Creek’s 52-acre water waste treatment plant, the plant’s star architectural feature is eight futuristic, stainless steel–clad “digester eggs.” Tours of the facility began less than a year ago. Our tour started early in the morning in the new Visitor Center. Once inside, it was hard to hear over...
At the recent Social Impact Design Summit in New York, organized by the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, one issue that received attention was the need to build local capacity so that projects can be self-sustainable. Any successful model should be built on local capacity, knowledge, and engagement. Designers sometimes assume that local communities cannot...
Cities all over the world are rapidly expanding and facing issues such as climate change, rapid urban migration and overburdened public services. This panel discussion focuses on initiatives that seek to include those who have been marginalized by established cities, especially the poor, women, youth and entire communities. Panelists include representatives from: – Kounkey Design...
DesignBoost NYC was a two-day design conference held at Cooper-Hewitt in June 2011. Thirteen speakers specializing in everything from biomechanics to filmmaking addressed the conference’s theme, “Design Beyond Design” in this series of short talks.
The International Contemporary Furniture Fair is a fun place to visit each year for new trends and ideas in commercial design. Sustainability was a hot theme in the school projects represented at the ICFF: ICFF School One project in particular highlights a rising trend in product design and marketing. The product-design program of the University...
Designers, engineers, students and professors, architects, and social entrepreneurs from all over the globe are devising cost-effective ways to increase access to food and water, energy, education, healthcare, revenue-generating activities, and affordable transportation for those who most need them. And an increasing number of initiatives are providing solutions for underserved populations in developed countries such...
Dutch designer Claudy Jongstra recently showcased her tapestries of raw wool and silk here in New York at the United Nations. A participant in Cooper-Hewitt’s 2009 Fashioning Felt exhibition, Claudy has a unique design process that is committed to sustainability, biodiverisity, and the preservation of natural and cultural heritage. Claudy keeps her own sheep, her...
