Zarkon Group, Author at Zarkon Group Real Estate Builders & Developers

Sustainable News

Carbon investments backed by AI and satellite data

By Zarkon Group,28/10/2022

Spotted: There are a huge number of organisations working to reduce global emissions – with schemes for everything from capturing carbon from the air to sequestration and carbon capture for shipping. Now fintech Earthbanc has a new idea — land regeneration. The company argues that by transitioning to regenerative agriculture on 2.5 billion hectares of land, it would be possible to sequester all global emissions produced; and they have a plan to incentivise regenerative land management practices.

However, one issue with regenerative land programmes is transparency – it is very difficult to verify that a scheme is actually sequestering a specified amount of carbon. Without having this information, it is impossible to effectively use carbon credits to contribute to land regeneration schemes. Earthbanc’s platform solves this problem by using artificial intelligence (AI), trained on satellite remote sensing data collected in collaboration with the European Space Agency, to automatically audit the carbon reduction impact of land regeneration projects and to verify carbon credits.

Farmers register on the Earthbanc platform, and the platform automatically measures the carbon sequestration on their land. Companies can then invest in the project using carbon credits to offset their carbon use. Earthbanc uses blockchain technology to keep a transparent record of carbon reduction so that companies buying carbon credits can verify their value. Using credits, the platform effectively allows companies to deposit their carbon “into a bank-like vault.”

Earthbanc CEO Tom Duncan explains that “What makes Earthbanc’s solution so potent in combating the climate crisis is its basis on expert knowledge of land restoration and paying farmers in areas of the world where the impact is the greatest – both for nature and for people.” He adds that they have many corporate buyers, “who are buying carbon on our platform every month. We’re selling hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of carbon, so a farmer can get paid for their ecosystem services.”

Avoiding meat and driving electric vehicles will only take the world so far in reducing carbon consumption. It is also necessary to sequester carbon released into the atmosphere. Luckily, there is no shortage of projects finding innovative ways to do this, including a project that turns sequestered CO2 to stone and an artificial leaf that captures carbon dioxide.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Sustainable News

Packioli is a biodegradable soap packaging made from artichoke and peas

By Zarkon Group,28/10/2022

Industrial design student Alara Ertenü has developed a packaging solution for soap made from peapods and artichoke waste, which is currently on show as part of Dutch Design Week.

The packaging, which comes in a golden-brown colour, is designed to offer a less polluting alternative to commonly used plastic soap packaging. The project aims to address the pressing environmental issue of single-use plastic consumption while simultaneously reducing food waste.

“All of this curiosity started with a question: how can these local food wastes be circulated back into the economy,” Ertenü told Dezeen.

“The goal behind the zero-waste wraps is to eliminate plastic packaging and also meet the hygiene, logistics and endurance needs of soap brands.”

Two blocks of soap in the sea — The packaging is water resistant for up to 15 days

To make Packioli, artichoke leaves and stems are freezer-dried at minus 70 degrees Celsius alongside the peapods before being pulverized into a fine powder.

The powder is then mixed with water, vegetable glycerin and alginic acid – a natural acid derived from brown algae – to form a gummy-like substance.

A line of soap packaging on a stone surface — It is made from artichoke waste and peapods

This is then poured into a mould and left to dry for up to two days at room temperature. Once set, Ertenü uses heat to seal the edges of the little parcels. Finally, the packaging is dyed using beetroot and turmeric, giving it its golden hue.

The packaging’s name, Packioli, combines the words packaging and ravioli in reference to how the edges of ravioli pasta are sealed.

Bars of soap in brown Packioli packaging — The material can be used to wrap soaps of different shapes and sizes

Translucent and speckled in appearance, Packioli can be used to package soaps of different shapes and sizes and is designed to biodegrade completely within 15 days.

Users can keep Packioli in a dry place to preserve it for longer, or rest it on a soap dish and allow it to melt away in contact with water and with use.

“Packioli is resistant to humidity and water for up to one week, which ensures that it remains intact for 10 to 15 days if there isn’t any contact with human skin under water pressure,” she said.

Powders and pulses that make Packioli — The packaging is dyed with beetroot and turmeric

Ertenü, who is studying at the Izmir University of Economics in Turkey, sources the artichokes and pea pods for Packioli from a local market in Izmir, where according to the designer, around 80 per cent of every artichoke goes to waste.

“I regularly go to the local bazaar on the weekends to observe and talk with local people to investigate what is left out of the equation in the local food system,” Ertenü explained.

“By using artichoke leaf, it tackles the enormous artichoke waste – 80 per cent of each artichoke thrown out – especially in the west of Turkey.”

Ertenü references studies showing that every year, the cosmetics industry produces more than 120 billion pieces of packaging.

“According to Zero Waste Week, the global cosmetics industry produces over 120 billion units of packaging every year, most of which is non-recyclable and ends up in landfill, or worse yet, the ocean,” she said.

Vegetables and bars of brown soap — Ertenü wants Packioli to be used as an alternative to plastic packaging

In response, designers and brands are increasingly looking to create alternatives to plastic cosmetic packaging. Among them is sustainable packaging brand Notpla, which used seaweed leftover from its own production processes to create a kind of paper soap packaging.

Also on show at Dutch Design Week is a collection of stainless steel furniture and homeware by designer Paul Coenen that doesn’t require coatings, adhesives or fastenings, and a series of wireless solar-powered lighting systems by students from Lund University.

The photography is courtesy of Alara Ertenü.

Packioli is on show from 22 to 30 October as part of Dutch Design Week 2022. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

Reference

OHLAB fronts new residential complex in palma with sliding wood panels

Architecture

OHLAB fronts paseo mallorca 15 in palma with sliding wood panels

By Zarkon Group,28/10/2022

paseo mallorca 15 by ohlab: a new landmark in palma, spain

Sited in the sun-blessed and tree-lined promenade of Paseo Mallorca, overlooking the Riera water course, this new residential complex by OHLAB is set to become a landmark in the city of Palma, Spain. The building holds an eye-catching and unusual wooden facade design that takes sustainability, energy efficiency, urban integration, quality of materials, and comfort to new levels. Upon entering Paseo Mallorca 15, one is greeted by a green wall of Spanish cane (Arundo Donax), typical of the Mediterranean riverbed, and a nod to the Riera. This section leads onto a multi-leveled inner courtyard, where a cooling oasis of vegetation invites calm and tranquility. The foliage continues upwards until it reaches the landscaped terraces with pools on the building’s fourth, sixth and eighth floors.

Complementing the green layer is a gentle waterfall that cascades to the floor below, cooling the area in the summer through evapotranspiration and creating a relaxing sound. The inner courtyard also provides lighting and vegetation to the basement, which houses the residents’ pool, gym, and spa, transforming the complex into a unifying vertical axis linking the vegetation and enabling cross-ventilation through the garden for all apartments.

The residents’ spa area, with walls and floors finished in natural stone, includes a heated indoor pool, steam bath, and changing rooms. Next to the pool is the gym, with large windows overlooking the courtyard garden. Finally, the penthouses at Paseo Mallorca 15 are true urban havens above the city, with landscaped terraces and private mini-pools from where residents can admire the panoramic views of Palma rooftops and the three-lined walk along Riera.

all images © José Hevia

a double-layered facade for year-round comfort

Two types of facades define the outside of Paseo Mallorca 15. The first is a solid, gray stone facade found on the perimeter areas, facing the quieter streets where the bedrooms are located; it provides the necessary protection and defines the area containing the private rooms. Meanwhile, on the side overlooking Paseo Mallorca, the sunniest part, is a second skin made of moving wooden slat panels that block out the sun in the summer, making the most of its rays in the winter, and mark the transition between the home and its surroundings. In addition, that double facade is fitted with large windows for residents to take advantage of the views and enjoy the deciduous trees and winter sun.

‘It is an organic, permeable, and changing layer, an exterior reflection of its interior, a solar filter to modulate light and shade, optimized through solar studies, which adapts to the different climate needs and draws upon the tradition of Majorcan pergolas and shutters,’ writes the OHLAB team.

the penthouses at Paseo Mallorca 15 with landscaped terraces and private mini-pools

quality materials meets passive house standards

The selection of natural and local materials, highlighting the essence of the Mediterranean, was a critical process for the architects. ‘Finishes have been carefully selected for their quality, taking every detail, texture, and smell into account,’ notes OHLAB. Indeed, a simple palette of fine materials, such as solid doors made of local stone or pieces of aged bronze, characterizes the interiors of the homes at Paseo Mallorca 15.

As modeled through its unique second skin feature, the project was designed following Passive House standards to achieve maximum energy efficiency and a heating/air-conditioning demand of only 15kWh/(m2y). This means a reduction of almost 90% in terms of air heating and cooling requirements compared to a conventional building, resulting in extremely low energy costs for the owner and the planet. In addition, this construction method falls within the nZEB (nearly zero energy building) standard for consumption.

second skin facade made of sliding wooden slat panels

entrance to the residential complex

a green wall of Spanish cane welcomes residents upon entry to the building

common pool at the basement level

private kitchen area

the second skin casting soothing shadows onto a living room

project info:

name: Paseo Mallorca 15

location: Paseo Mallorca, Palma, Spain
client: Ramis Promociones | @ramispromociones

architecture & interiors: OHLAB | @ohlab_architecture
OHLAB team: Paloma Hernaiz, Jaime Oliver, Rebeca Lavín, Robin Harloff, Pedro Rodríguez, Silvia Morais, Mercé Solar, Loreto Angulo, M.Bruna Pisciotta, Tomislav Konjevod, José Allona, Claudio Tagarelli, Eleni Oikonomaki, Agustín Verdejo, Luis Quiles

landscape architecture: Jonathan Bell
building engineer: Bartolomeu Tous
structural engineering consultant: HIMA Estructuras
wooden facade: GRUPO GUBIA
facilities engineering: M&E Engineering
engineering consultants: AMM Technical group
energy efficiency advisor: José Manuel Busquets, Anne Vogt

photography: José Hevia

Reference

Interior Design

Reflecting pool centres XC273 fashion boutique in former Shanghai factory

By Zarkon Group,27/10/2022

Chinese studio Dongqi Design has turned a disused factory in Shanghai into a multi-brand fashion and lifestyle store, adding glossy marble and metal surfaces to offset its exposed concrete shell.

Set across three floors, the XC273 retail space houses designer showrooms and pop-ups alongside a small cafe, as well as providing spaces for temporary exhibitions and events.

Dongqi Design has turned a former factory into a fashion boutique

Formerly a state-owned towel factory, the building had already been changed several times before the latest round of renovations.

Dongqi Design strived to preserve and emphasise these different layers of history, which are contrasted against shiny new finishes to create a kind of “nostalgic futurism”.

“All the differences of the space were kept as part of the building’s history so that people walking in could feel that the boundaries between the past and the present are blurred, as if they had walked into a timeless space,” the studio explained.

Cafe with glossy floors in XC273 store — The XC273 store houses a cafe alongside designer showrooms and pop-ups

The building is organised around three voids, which now form the basis of the store’s circulation routes.

The largest of these voids consists of a double-height space at the core of the building, where Dongqi Design added a small reflecting pool surrounded by a collonade.

Glossy surfaces are contrasted against the building’s raw concrete shell

The collonade’s raw concrete columns are left exposed where they face the pond, while their other three sides are wrapped with either marble, wood or metal.

This approach is replicated across the store’s display fixtures to create a sense of spatial continuity. It can also be seen on the first floor, where new paving was added to enhance the existing geometric flooring.

A sound tunnel that provides visitors with an experimental music experience was placed near the cafe on the ground floor.

The second floor is accessed via a metal staircase, which is suspended above the reflecting pool and winds its way up through a small hole in the ceiling.

Reflecting pool in XC273 store — A reflecting pool was installed at the core of the building

“The key element connecting all the spaces is the stairs,” the studio explained.

“The stairs are designed in their purest metallic form, further enhanced by the details of the balustrade where the fence becomes a simple element sliding into the structural beam at the bottom while having a profile on the top to allow visitors to grab the handrail comfortably.”

Concrete paving was added to complement the geometric flooring on the first floor

On the second floor, Dongqi Design selected a bright white finish to emphasise the old wooden structure of the building’s pitched roof. A series of square windows let light into the space and offer views out across the city and toward the sky.

To balance out the otherwise all-white interior, the VIP room is finished in a darker palette. During spring and summer, these darker shades also contrast with the colour of the trees outside.

Dongqi Design gave the second floor a bright white finish

XC273 has been shortlisted in the large retail interior category of this year’s Dezeen Awards.

Other projects in the running include a second-hand bookshop in Shanghai that uses supermarket-style crates to display its wares and a reusable sales showroom with fabric walls.

The photography is by Raitt Liu.

Reference

Sustainable News

A smart trading platform for waste EV batteries

By Zarkon Group,27/10/2022

Spotted: According to the IEA, the number of electric cars on the world’s roads by the end of 2021 was about 16.5 million, triple the amount in 2018. While this may seem like great news for the environment, it is not all positive. That is because the current recycling rate for electric vehicle (EV) batteries is extremely low, with some estimates putting it at just five per cent. For electric mobility to represent a truly sustainable solution, this needs to change, and Stockholm-based Cling Systems is one of the organisations working on a solution.

Currently, when EV batteries reach the end of their life, they often end up in a fragmented system of car dismantlers, workshops, and wreckers. But connecting these to the businesses who want to use or recycle old batteries is difficult. In fact, according to Cling, logistics can account for almost 50 per cent of recycling costs. In response, the startup has developed an intelligent collection and trading platform that connects vehicle manufacturers and buyers of end-of-life batteries to vehicle scrap yards and dismantlers.

Cling’s platform aims to solve the logistics issues that prevent end-of-life batteries from being reused. It does this by aggregating data to allow recyclers and dismantlers to connect with buyers of end-of-life batteries. Through efficient matching of supply and demand, Cling enables the development of a circular battery recycling system while also maintaining a competitive market for the batteries.

While Cling’s marketplace is initially aimed at the Nordic region and Europe, the company hopes to expand to other areas. According to the company, “Our presence in the industry has already generated some exciting early conversations from key players. We have potential customers and partners from both Europe, North America, and Asia. Our vision is to make the electrical transformation truly sustainable.”

As battery technology becomes more vital to a sustainable future, we are also seeing a big uptick in innovations designed to deal with battery waste. Some of those we have recently covered include a riverboat powered by old EV batteries and repurposed EV batteries being used for energy storage.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Architecture

Merk X references nature for renovation and extension of Groote Museum

By Zarkon Group,27/10/2022

Dutch studio Merk X has renovated the 19th-century Groote Museum at Amsterdam Zoo, combining the reinstatement of its original features with the addition of a new basement and contemporary accents informed by natural forms.

Designed in 1854 by Johannes van Maurik, the building historically acted as a member’s hall and museum for the zoological society Natura Artis Magistra or Artis, which closed in 1946 prior to the entire structure being closed in 2011.

The renovation by Merk X, which has been shortlisted in the civic and cultural interiors category of Dezeen Awards 2022, stripped away previous alterations before restoring and upgrading the building to house a new natural history museum.

“The design process is characterised by two complementary approaches: to restore and to update,” said the practice.

“After a long period of neglect, this national monument has regained the transparency that formed architect Van Maurik’s two guiding principles: air and happiness,” it continued.

Across the original building’s two storeys, structural elements have been strengthened and original features, such as a striking double staircase in the rotunda, were altered to meet modern safety requirements with the addition of a higher balustrade.

Interior image of a ballroom with a green chandelier at the Groote Museum — It restored the building’s original features

Beneath, a basement was dug out by placing the original building on a steel table during construction, providing a new entrance route as well as much-needed additional space for back-of-house facilities, cloakrooms, lockers and bathrooms.

On the first floor, an elongated gallery space has been fitted with an additional staircase to improve circulation, designed to double as seating for public events, and a connecting bridge to link the east and west sides of the building.

The climate control and security of display areas have also been improved, with the glass vitrines that surround both levels of the gallery strengthened.

“Necessary interventions accommodating the expected influx of visitors have been fitted almost imperceptibly, including the structural strengthening of the exhibition halls and their galleries,” said the practice.

Interior image of a double staircase at Groote Museum — The studio inserted a new basement beneath the building

Alongside the restoration of historical details, Merk X drew on the nearby zoo’s nature to introduce a terrazzo floor, wall paintings, metal screens and lighting that reference trees and plants.

“A richly decorated terrazzo floor and a sculptural lamp inspired by organic forms such as chestnuts and acorns visually connect the entrance with the ground floor,” said the practice.

“Whether old or completely new, every facet of the Groote Museum has been given its place in this spectacular new composition,” it continued.

Image of a new staircase in a gallery space at the Groote Museum — It is a 19th-century building

Other projects featured on the civic and cultural interior shortlist of Dezeen Awards 2022 include the transformation of a former cow shed into a library space by Crawshaw Architects and the world’s first multi-storey skate park in Folkestone by Holloway Studio.

Photography is by Filip Dujardin.

Reference

Interior Design

Semba Corporation creates own office interior from reclaimed materials

By Zarkon Group,26/10/2022

Interior construction firm Semba Corporation has renovated the interior of its headquarters in Tokyo to include reclaimed materials discarded during the demolition of other offices.

The company’s redesign of its own office interior is shortlisted in the sustainable interior category for the upcoming Dezeen Awards, which will announce its winners next month.

Called Semba Good Ethical Office, the project features various pared-back tables, seating and shelving created from materials salvaged from previous office demolitions.

This furniture is positioned across a single open-plan space in Japan’s capital, which is brightly illuminated by overhead lighting and rectilinear windows.

Reclaimed wooden structure — Plinth-like seating and stairs forms a centrepiece

A plinth-like centrepiece takes the form of both a staircase and a designated desk area, which was formed from boxy arrangements of surplus wood and old filing cabinets.

Semba Corporation centred the interiors around two principles – “ethical” and “hackable” design – in order to complete the project, the company said.

Semba Corporation office — Semba Corporation applied its own design principles to the project

“To incorporate ‘ethical design’, a circular interior design [theory], into the office renovation, we mined materials from unnecessary stuff generated by office demolitions,” Semba Corporation told Dezeen.

“Under the theme of ‘hackable design’, we can redefine our working style and attitudes. We completely renovated our office to be friendly to the Earth, people and society,” explained the firm.

Reconstituted foam padding by Semba Corporation — Reconstituted foam was used to create padding on benches

According to the company, 80 per cent of the furniture in the Semba Good Ethical Office is reused, while the office achieved a waste-recycling rate of 99 per cent.

Reconstituted foam was used to create the padding on benches that make up informal meeting booths, while various offcuts of wood were used to construct geometric shelves throughout the interior.

Semba Corporation explained that it hopes that other firms will begin to adopt similar design principles when creating their office interiors.

“Especially in Japan, the lifespan from construction to demolition and disposal has become very short since [increasing] economic growth, and waste has been dumped in landfill,” the firm said.

“However, Japanese culture has originally valued attachment to things and has an aesthetic sense to continue to use them with creative ideas. So I think our principles have an affinity to that culture.”

“We hope that ‘ethical design,’ a future-friendly interior design, will be a basic principle in interior design for the future.”

Wooden shelving — Reclaimed wood was used to form various shelving

Semba Good Ethical Office joins a group of existing self-designed studios that other firms have created to be more sustainable than the average office, according to the companies.

These include German studio Urselmann Interior’s renovation of its studio to include biodegradable, recycled or upcycled materials.

The images are courtesy of Semba Corporation.

Reference

Sustainable News

Durable children’s clothing brand expands into adult sizes

By Zarkon Group,26/10/2022

Spotted: Material technology company Petit Pli has won the 2022 European Startup of the Year award in Amazon’s annual Innovation awards. The brand’s pleated designs are all made from recycled plastic, and its children’s garments can ‘grow’ up to seven sizes as the child grows. Initially started to reduce textile waste in the children’s wear segment of the fashion industry, the company has recently expanded into adult sizes.

The children’s line is called LittleHuman, and each piece includes water and stain-resistant coating that is incredibly durable. The technology behind the pleated design ensures that the strength of the fabric remains consistent even as the garment stretches out. Should a piece rip, Petit Pli offers free repairs.

Alongside the reduction in waste and overproduction, reducing the numbers of items of clothing that consumers buy each year contributes dramatically to reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. Every nine months that a garment is used, rather than buying a replacement, reduces water usage and carbon emissions by 20 to 30 per cent.

The Amazon award includes €100,000 and online sales support on the platform. Springwise covered the launch of the brand in 2017 and its win of the UK James Dyson Award for technological invention. Since then, innovations in materials and fashion, in general, have proliferated, bringing to fruition products such as dissolvable thread that makes it easy to recycle clothes, and zero-waste luxury wool made from recycled garments.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Architecture

The ZenBook Pro Duo Laptop’s Dual Screen Is “A Professional Creative’s Dream”

By Zarkon Group,26/10/2022

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ASUS’s ZenBook Pro Duo laptop is an incredibly powerful device designed for ultimate productivity and pronounced creativity. Among the computer’s many features is the ScreenPad Plus, which is an additional touch screen embedded below the main interface. This seamlessly integrated additional interface — running parallel to the keyboard and perpendicular to the upright screen — allows architects and designers to harness their full potential while working. The ZenBook Pro Duo laptop is dubbed the Creator Notebook and has been described by customers as a “professional creative’s dream.”

The ZenBook Pro Duo is powered by a 10th Generation Intel Core i9 eight-core processor and has professional-grade NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics and advanced storage capabilities. The result is a quality device that can handle any professional task, such as editing large videos and rendering 3D graphics.

The device’s ScreenPad Plus works seamlessly with the main display and provides an additional interface to work and create. This dual-screen capability enhances productivity by increasing the visual workspace, allowing users to spread out their work and view images unobstructed. Architects can have two apps or toolbars open simultaneously, making it easier to intuitively shift from one screen to the next and productively multitask. Users can simply drag and drop their desired app on the ScreenPad Plus and leverage the stylus feature, which mimics pen and paper work. Designers can draw, sketch or carefully trace on the device’s ergonomic and highly stable screen.

The computer’s dual screen is especially handy for designers who spend a great deal of time working with tedious software such as AutoCAD, Photoshop and Rhino. The enlarged visual workspace means there is more screen space to lay out images, editing tools and therefore see clearly. The ScreenPad Plus is equally ideal for designers who work remotely and spend a great deal of time on conference calls. By utilizing the dual-screen capability, architects can enter meetings without interrupting their main workstation.

The device’s superb display is thanks to the OLED HDR1 NanoEdge technology, which produces ultra-vivid colors. The color accuracy on this device is equally made possible through its 100% DCI-P3 color gamut and Delta-E < 2 color accuracy. Moreover, the device has been PANTONE Validated and TÜV Rheinland-certified to ensure a professional-grade device that is safe for the eye. The enhanced color display is ideal for designers whose work relies heavily on color and visual accuracy.

Since its first release, the ZenBook Pro Duo has been upgraded to include WiFi 6, which allows designers to create and work while on the go. This robust WiFi 6 capability equally ensures that large-file transfers will be speedily and safely delivered. Designers can feel confident that their most prized renderings, designs and briefs are well stored and delivered securely. Additional upgrades include meeting the MIL-STD 810H military standard. The device has gone under rigorous tests to ensure it can safely and efficiently operate in harsh environments, thus producing a device that architects and designers can confidently rely on no matter where they work.

You can learn more about the ZenBook Pro Duo with ScreenPad Plus here.

For more laptops and workstation recommendations for architects, checkout 15 Top Laptops for Architects and Designers. For more ways to supercharge your workflow, check out more articles in our Tech for Architects series.

Reference

Entrance exhibition space at Qian Hu Zhi Wu, Xiamen

Interior Design

Cun Panda designs escape room with tree at its centre

By Zarkon Group,25/10/2022

Chinese studio Cun Panda has created a flexible space for immersive game company Qian Hu Zhi Wu in Xiamen, China, that features a silver-foil-clad tree, acrylic seats and mirror installations.

The local game company runs 14 escape rooms in China. Cun Panda’s design for its latest space measures 330 square metres and was designed with a focus on flexibility to enable a number of gaming narrations to take place.

“We aim to create a space that can tell stories,” the studio said. “The design injects extraordinary imagination and creativity into the space that integrates art and immersive experience.”

At the entrance of the space, a giant tree made of resin and covered in silver foil stretches through the ceiling to form the centre piece of the space. Added light installations were designed to look like satellites and planets circling the tree, giving the piece a futuristic feel.

The tree is surrounded by a series of rock-like formations, which were informed by Stonehenge.

“Stonehenge is taken as the prototype to open the interlaced space leading to the new world and build a dimension door of virtual and real,” explained the studio.

Resin tree covered in silver foil — Light installations have been added to the silver tree

The rock-like sculptures in the space have round holes to create clear sightlines inside the escape room, where the lit-up floor is the main light source and creates a variation of shadows.

Next to the entrance space, a narrow corridor connects the game room with a storage room, dressing room, and makeup areas. Stripes of lights and a mirrors installation on the wall and ceiling were designed to create an infinite sense of space.

Waiting area at Qian Hu Zhi Wu, Xiamen — Green moss and black sand add a sense of nature inside a white room

In another room, sand-dune shaped seats are supported by transparent acrylic to create a floating effect, revealing green moss and black sand in the otherwise completely white space.

Here, another tree breaks through the wall into the space and connects to the main tree installation. The white wall is lit up by LED lights and printed with shapes of sand dunes.

Corridor at Qian Hu Zhi Wu, Xiamen — Stripes of lights and mirrors create a visual illusion

Cun Panda was founded by Xuanna Cai and Jiacheng Lin in 2019 and has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming and Xiamen.

Other recent interiors from China include timber and travertine reading room by Atelier Tao+C and Fatface Coffee shop by Baicai, both shortlisted in this year’s Dezeen Awards.

The photography is by Xinghao Liu.

Reference

Carbon investments backed by AI and satellite data

Packioli is a biodegradable soap packaging made from artichoke and peas

OHLAB fronts paseo mallorca 15 in palma with sliding wood panels

paseo mallorca 15 by ohlab: a new landmark in palma, spain

a double-layered facade for year-round comfort

quality materials meets passive house standards

Reflecting pool centres XC273 fashion boutique in former Shanghai factory

A smart trading platform for waste EV batteries

Merk X references nature for renovation and extension of Groote Museum

Semba Corporation creates own office interior from reclaimed materials

Durable children’s clothing brand expands into adult sizes

The ZenBook Pro Duo Laptop’s Dual Screen Is “A Professional Creative’s Dream”

Cun Panda designs escape room with tree at its centre

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