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4 New Gadgets to Elevate Your Workstation and Increase Productivity
CategoriesArchitecture

4 New Gadgets to Elevate Your Workstation and Increase Productivity

By Zarkon Group,

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Leading technology brands have released a plethora of exciting new tech products and upgraded devices this fall. Navigating the swarm of recently available products can, at times, feel overwhelming. So, we’ve tried to help simplify the process by recommending four newly released tech products to consider obtaining for your architectural practice.

For the Architect in Search of a Good 2-in-1

Microsoft has just released its Surface Pro 9 tablet, which has been designed to perform like a laptop but move like a tablet. This device boasts a flexible interface and bespoke user experience. This tablet comes with a 13’’ PixelSense™ touchscreen which creates a larger interface to work on and clearer viewing options. It has also been equipped with an adjustable built-in kickstand, which offers a range of angles to work in and creates a bespoke computer experience. One of the handiest features of this tablet is the Surface Slim Pen 2, a digital writing and drawing tool that is perfect for designers who prefer sketching and note taking by hand. Architects who prefer experimenting with freehand sketches can leverage apps such as Adobe Fresco directly on this device.

The Surface Pro 9 comes with a powerful new 12th-Gen Intel Core processor and weighs less than 4 lbs, making it a reliable, durable and easy-to-transport device. Its Windows 11 operating system can perfectly organize active apps into a grid format which is perfect for designers multitasking multiple programs. When architects are in need of writing briefs or responding to emails, they can switch from tablet to laptop with the Surface Pro 9 Signature Keyboard. Meanwhile, designers who require larger views can easily dock the device to a monitor. The Surface Pro 9 remains one of the best 2-in-1s on the market and meets many requirements for an architect-suitable device.

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For the Architect Who Loves To Capture

Fujifilm’s recently-released X-H2 Mirrorless camera is perfect for the architect who enjoys photographing the built environment as much as they do designing it. The X-H2 camera is the fifth generation of Fujifilm’s X series and boasts a high-quality resolution and unmatched speed. This camera is equipped with a new 40.2-megapixel APS-C sensor which unlocks new creative possibilities. This device comes with a pronounced imaging sensor and optimized pixel layout which ensures exceptional detail, color accuracy and video flexibility. The camera’s new X-Processor 5 helps deliver exceptional video quality, an enhanced autofocus and blackout-free image bursts at 15 fps – which makes capturing the small details of a built structure that much clearer. Moreover, the X-H2’s range extends to 13+ stops, which helps ensure a straightforward post-production process. Moreover, wireless image transfers are made simple and hassle-free through Fujifilm’s Remote Camera App. This camera is perfect for the architect looking to shoot professional images or simply pursue their love of photography.

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For the Architect Looking To Experiment With Something New

Sometimes the most modest tools prove to be the most useful. 3D pens are relatively new to the market but have taken off thanks to their experimental and exploratory nature. Although at first the 3Doodler Create+ may seem more suitable for children, it is a great tool for designers looking to quickly visualize an idea. Without having to turn to large and tedious 3D printing machines, architects can conceptualize a form with the 3Doodler Create +. This device comes with a comprehensive guide, a pack of colorful plastic refills and is ideal for designers looking to explore the possibilities of 3D pens. Designers can create miniature models with the 3Doodler Create+ which uses PLA, ABS and Flexy Plastic to create freestanding lines and shapes. Whether it be to visualize a project, create a quick craft or work into a rendering, the 3Doodler Create+ is a great starting point for architects. This handheld 3D printing device is portable, compact and the perfect addition to any architect’s pencil case.

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For the Architect Looking To Zone Into Their Work

The Jabra Elite 9 True Wireless earbuds may just be the next investment for architects looking to focus-in on their work. These earbuds have been equipped with the latest Hybrid ANC and HearTouch technology which blocks out ambient noise and reduces wind sounds. This new technology makes for the perfect device for designers working in busy office settings and need to block out distracting noise. These upgraded earbuds are now compatible with Spotify Tap Playback and come with a customizable equalizer which produces a first-class sound quality. The device can also be paired with Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant, offering hands-free help to architects. Whether it be double checking a measurement or reading an email aloud, this new pairing feature helps optimize a designer’s workflow. The Jabra Elite 5 come with a high-performing battery life and are resistant to dust and water, making them a reliable device for on-the-go designers.

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For more ways to supercharge your workflow, check out more articles in our Tech for Architects series, which includes our recommendations of Top Laptops for Architects and Designers. 



Reference

Why Capturing Movement Will Elevate Your Architectural Photographs
CategoriesArchitecture

Why Capturing Movement Will Elevate Your Architectural Photographs

By Zarkon Group,

Architizer’s annual One Photo Challenge offers professionals and blossoming design students the chance to showcase a photograph that they think best captures the essence of an architectural design or specific surrounding. The 2021 One Photo Challenge brought a wonderful selection of images, all of which demonstrated the potentiality of capturing architecture through a camera lens.

Enter One Photo Challenge

While each entry was remarkably singular and distinctive, a notable overarching theme emerged across a handful of photographs. One will notice that in last year’s One Photo Challenge, many photographs capture a strong sense of movement. Listed below are four photographs from the 2021 One Photo Challenge, all of which explore the human form coupled with interesting architecture to produce movement-heavy imagery. 

“Social Bathing” by Derek Wasylyshen

This image captures a bird’s-eye shot of the hugely popular and highly recognizable Széchenyi Medicinal Bath. Located in Budapest, Hungary, this large-scale bath is a popular tourist attraction where visitors can experience social bathing as well as marvel over the site’s ancient Roman history.

At first glance, the eye is caught by the vibrant aqua blue water, which greatly contrasts the surrounding cement floor. Following this, the gaze moves to the abundance of dark spots (human bodies) that span the entire photograph. The moving bodies are small in scale but their abundance creates a strong feeling of sociality and community. Moreover, the gently-sloping staircase that covers the bath’s perimeter is filled with lounging bodies, which equally enforces a strong social atmosphere.

The large presence of water and abundant human form work together to create a movement-heavy photograph. Whether the movement is caused by the natural rhythm of the water or the frolicking bodies, lively energy is produced and the same social ideology of the ancient Romans is presently felt. 

“The roofscape of the obscure” by Venla Rautajoki 

Non-Student Winner, 2021 One Photo Challenge

This photograph has an extra-terrestrial feel, which makes it immediately enthralling and equally challenging to pinpoint. The image was shot at Amos Rex, the famous art museum in Helsinki, Finland designed by JKMM Architects.

Amos Rex is known for its windowed domes that span the urban environment like a series of hills. Each dome has a peephole large enough for visitors inside the museum to see out of. The photographer was immediately captured by a young boy who continuously climbed atop the domes to peep into the interior museum space. The image is captured in monochrome which strengthens the viewer’s gaze on the young boy. The boy is captured in a highly active pose — his two hands perched like a cactus and his leg bent as if he’s climbing.

The image at first appears static and isolated as the background is dark and unembellished. However, the focus on the young boy positioned in such an active stance lends a feeling of lively existence and movement. 

“Yoga” by Edmund Sumner 

This photograph was shot in Bangkok, Thailand in January 2020. The image depicts a yoga master and owner of the studio, Yogi Konstantin Miachin, holding an extended side-angle pose. Immediately what captures the eye is the incredible structure in which the yoga master is practicing.

The space feels intimate and warm and appears to be enclosed by a bamboo-esque material that wraps the walls in a curved manner. The wall material extends upwards to create an unconventional curved ceiling. Moreover, the cavities in the wall allow light to fill the interior, warming the environment and spotlighting the practicing yogi. The light-filled room feels like an incredibly zen and comforting space to practice yoga and meditation.

In this photograph, the human form balances and compliments the pronounced structure in a harmonious manner. The practicing yogi may feel small in scale, but his strong pose and reaching arm fills the photograph with energy. An equal vitality is felt in the structure’s curved and pronounced ceiling. The site was designed by architecture firm Enter Projects and the photograph was realized using low-tech materials such as rattan, with newer high-tech computer modeling such as Rhino. 

“Echo” by Philippe Sarfati 

This photograph feels mysterious, dramatic and incredibly intriguing. “Echo” is located in Tadao Ando’s gallery and features an autobiographic installation by the famed Cuban-American artist, Félix González-Torres. The photograph depicts an individual walking through the installation, which consists of a large-scale curtain made of red and white beads.

The installation underscores the difficulties and reality of living with HIV. The curtain of beads represents the progression of the virus within the bloodstream in a confronting and honest manner. As the person pushes past the curtain, one can sense the dramatic sway of beads that is to follow.

This photograph feels like the calm before the storm – before the intense movement following a disrupted installation. The interaction between human form and object in this photograph demonstrates a dramatic transition from still to moving. 

All four photographs highlight that when human forms are perfectly captured amongst static surroundings, there is the potential to create lively and active images that celebrate movement! Click here to learn more about this year’s upcoming 2022 One Photo Challenge and to start your entry:

Enter One Photo Challenge

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