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Design Education 2011 download

No comments By Michael Barrett on September 22, 2010

THE LAST issue of ProDesign incorporates the annual Design Education Supplement. This is a yearly showcase of some of the best design talent coming out of New Zealand's design schools, and also a valuable tool for those looking to study design at tertiary level.

The supplement's listing services provides details of almost all of New Zealand's design-related study opportunities. The supplement is delivered free to all secondary schools in New Zealand, but for those that might have missed out on a personal copy, it is also available to download as a pdf here.

ProDesign issue 108: highlights

No comments By Michael Barrett on September 7, 2010

THE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER issue of ProDesign is out now. Here's a little bit of what you can expect — but just a little bit:

The cover image is a 'Fu Dog' – a hand-drawn stamp design by Chris Bleackley, from The Assignment Group in Wellington, which was coloured and retouched by Geoff Francis. Francis prepared a special version of this stamp especially for ProDesign. Fu Dog is part of a special series of stamps designed especially for the Shanghai Expo. Inside this issue we also talk with Warren and Mahoney architect Blair Johnston, who gives us a run down on the design of the NZ Expo Pavilion.

Also in this issue, writer Sam Eichblatt takes a walk through The Research Agency with architect Jose Gutierrez, and Anto Coates visits the lofty offices of lawyers Buddle Findlay, in Wellington. Also in Wellington, Govett Brewster curator Mercedes Vicente reviews typographer/artist Catherine Griffiths new sculptural installation above the Cubana Apartments on (you guessed it) Cuba Street.

This issue also features our Design Education supplement: an annual review of design education – where to study, what to study, words of advice from prospective employers and a look at some of the work of recently graduated students.

Piping Hot

No comments By Michael Barrett on August 10, 2010

FROM THE ProDesign archives, here are some additional images of the Xsite Architects Resene Total Colour Award winning project for the Hynds Group. A full list of winners can be found here.

For the record, here are the judges' comments: "Natural materials such as clear finished and stained rough sawn ply enable the materials to be detailed with little fuss. They create a contrast to the glass reinforced concrete elements and resonate with the Hynds Group business philosophy of honest, straightforward, no-nonsense “what you see is what you get” service and solutions. The project demonstrates a very accomplished application of colour with the use of wood creating a nice mood. They used colour to telling effect."

Find out more about the Resene Total Colour Awards here.

Deconstructive Origami

One comment By Michael Barrett on August 9, 2010

Okoshi-ezu is a Japanese form of architectural paper modelling.

Oh.No.Sumo's Sarosh Mulla describes the importance an almost forgotten form of Japanese modelling. An exhibition of the ancient art of okoshi-ezu s currently running at Objectspace in Ponsonby, Auckland. From ProDesign issue 107.

Moonlighting is not a new thing in the architecture profession. Often side projects and after hours work is sought as a way of experimenting and designing outside of the constraints of conventional practice which, burdened with unadventurous clients and hamstrung by regulatory control, lacks the shimmering quality of a good non-profit job.

It’s more than that though. Side projects occasionally open the designer’s eyes to something new — something that they may not have stumbled upon otherwise and this helps to enliven their day-to-day practice. Such was the situation when Andrew Barrie, now professor at the University of Auckland’s National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries, asked if I would join a team of students and recent graduates to build paper models called okoshi-ezu for an exhibition of Japanese architecture. That was two years ago and since then I have become obsessed with the capabilities of paper.

Okoshi-ezu is an ancient and almost forgotten form of Japanese paper architectural modelling, in which construction information is communicated to the craftsman through a model that folds flat. These models can be thought of as a sort of traditional pop-up, being erected and held together using an elaborate system of tabs, hooks and inserts — notes on the drawing indicate materials, dimensions, and textures. Their portability and legibility to the layman are in stark contrast to modern day construction documentation. (more...)

ProDesign links

No comments By Michael Barrett on July 28, 2010

THE LATEST links from ProDesign online:

There’s no need to leave the safety of your computer for this afternoon’s entertainment. We’ve been surfing the net so you don’t have to. Today’s links are:

The State of Design Festival kicked off last evening in Melbourne. Multi-disciplinary design firm Buro North put its thinking cap on and came up with an identity and a sweet suite of graphic material for the Design Insitute of Australia’s 10×10 series.

Douglas Coupland, epoch defining author of Generation X, is now designing clothes — but it’s not about the money (that would be selling out). Rather, it’s an art/design experiment on “being Canadian”. Read the interview here

There’s nothing quite as randomly interesting as Dutch architecture, and the portfolio of the Amsterdam-based firm Concrete is always worth a return visit. Work of note? Supperclubs around the world, the Selfridge Hotel, and, er, a “Window Brothel” in Amsterdam.

Moving swiftly on to Iberian Peninsula and to the work of ‘image makers’ Serial Cut — these guys are taking the diorama to a whole new level. Fans of analog 3D will no doubt rejoice.

This website showcasing the illustrative works of designer Stefan Glerum is running on a CMS called Cargo — the results look good.

Out of print or hard to find art- and design-related ephemera for sale, like this mag called, simply, Chair.

Risque business

No comments By Michael Barrett on July 27, 2010

PLENTY OF designs for the ProDesign (and friend’s) iwrappeditmyway competition are rolling in. For your viewing pleasure, here’s a gallery of some of the latest entries.

For those that haven’t entered yet, please do. It’s not hard work; it’s fun! And if you win you could be driving around in your won customised Mini for four months.

Entries close 12 August.

Book Award Winners

No comments By Michael Barrett on July 27, 2010

THE LIFE & Love of Trees has scooped the supreme Gerard Reid Award for Best Book sponsored by Nielsen Book Services at the Publishers Association of New Zealand Book Design Awards.

Designer Cameron Gibb was applauded at last night’s ceremony for a design that judge Peter Gilderdale said is of ‘the highest quality, and the judges ultimately had no hesitation in choosing this as the best book … The Life & Love of Trees had an x-factor that was hard to deny’.

(more…)

Fashion to Flooring

No comments By Michael Barrett on July 6, 2010

Haru #1, part of Akira's Isogawa's collection for Designer Rugs.

SYDNEY-BASED FASHION (and now rug) designer Akira Isogawa shares some insights into his life in design. From ProDesign 107.

ProDesign: Is it different designing something flat and two-dimensional, as opposed to clothes, which are more three-dimensional?
Akira Isogawa: They are definitely different kinds of designs. Clothes need to function as an item that you wear and are required to perform in a certain way. It’s definitely three-dimensional. Rugs are more linear, two-dimensional. I see them, sometimes, as a painting, or a piece of art…

ProDesign: As we see here [the Designer Rugs showroom] you could actually hang a rug as a piece of art on your wall.
Akira Isogawa: Sometimes, I think clothing offers more design freedom — you are able to see from different angles, the side, the back, and you can also appreciate movement and select textiles to accentuate things like that. But limitations sometimes give you more creativity. When the options are limited, basically you have colours. You can still play with texture even though it’s a flat surface and also you can use different kinds of fibres and yarns, silk or wool or viscose. Silk has a much shinier feel, whereas wool is much more matte. Silk, in terms of colouring is more brilliant, while wool can be a little softer.

ProDesign: How do you translate your ideas onto a rug?
Akira Isogawa: Designing clothes requires me to hand draw. I tend to actually hand draw on paper with a particular shape in mind. The rug is dictated by the size, which is predetermined, so I just actually select colours and source that the inspiration, the idea, is directed in a way that expresses the original source. The outcome is something I feel is completely in sync with my inspiration.

ProDesign: Could you explain the design concept behind a couple of your designs?

Akira Isogawa: Regardless of the individual designs, all of them are inspired by vintage Japanese textiles. I selected mainly a floral motif, because it made sense to do that, rather than selecting some geometric and some floral, so there is some cohesion across the range. Also, all the patterns and the colourways have been used for my ready-to-wear collections in the past. I slightly tweaked them though, because rugs are much larger than clothes, so I got the pattern enlarged to a different scale. For example, the Shoka I used for the 06/07 spring/summer collection that I showed in Paris. I made it into a top and dress and also a fabric bag. Shoka means early summer.

(more…)

Awards for our people

No comments By John Walsh on June 30, 2010

PRODESIGN EDITOR Michael Barrett (pictured above) and Urbis art director Andre Kini have won awards in the 2010 New Zealand Magazine Awards. Michael was judged to be best editor in the Trade / Professional category, and Andre was highly commended in the Designer of the Year Home, Food & Garden category. Want to see why? Then pick up copies of ProDesign and Urbis (available from all good newsgents). Michael also blogs at ProDesign‘s website.

International Award for Kumutoto

No comments By Peta Nichols on June 30, 2010

PRODESIGN.CO.NZ recently brought to our attention that the Kumutoto project on Wellington’s waterfront won an International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) award.

prodesign.co.nz explains,”Kumutoto was one of four Landscape Design projects from around the Asia Pacific Region awarded by a jury of seven international members to recognise outstanding examples of landscape architecture.”

Kumutoto was completed in late 2007 and was designed by Studio Pacific Architecture in collaboration with landscape architecture firm Isthmus.

For more information about Kumutoto visit: wellingtonwaterfront.co.nz/development/kumutoto.

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