Steve Jobs: Design is how it works
“In most people’s vocabularies, design means veneer. It’s interior decorating. It’s the fabric of the curtains of the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental…
Transparency II: how transparency results in less freedom and sociability
Last week I argued for a combination of transparency and mystery. Today I will argue why we should aim for less transparency. Openness, or transparency, has been a hot topic over the past decade. Banks,…
Magic of the Real: Peter Zumthor and the creation of atmosphere
One of my favourite architects is Peter Zumthor. Averse to academic concepts and with a passion for craftsmanship he has produced high quality works that show a love for detail, materials and appeal to all…
How beauty feels
Designer Richard Seymour tells us about our reaction to beauty, and the surprising power of objects that contain it.
A call for less transparency (I: introduction)
A topic I’ve always been particularly interested in is transparency. By many it is considered a virtues feature but I have a kind of love-hate relationship with its properties. Yes, transparency stands for the ideal…
lower case typography and steve jobs
what do steve jobs and lower case typography have in common? well, let me try to explain. when you thought all lower case is just some gimmick of design individuals with a hint for anarchy,…
Big brother turned into a friendly guard
Security cameras. Probably one of those products that are impossible to like. ‘1984’, ‘Big-Brother’, ‘zero-tolerance’… putting a security camera is like screaming ‘this is not a save place, get out of here (and by the…
The Cathedral Effect or how to promote creative thinking
Ever since I’ve lived in an old early 20th century house when I was a child I’ve come to appreciate the comfort of high ceilings. Maybe it’s because of my height (I’m 1,94 m.) but…
Why this blog?
It was after reading the architectural essays of Juhani Pallasmaa that I realised that architecture is more than technology and creating a nice image. In his essays Pallasmaa talks about how architecture appeals to our…
