Rak Jebel Al Jais Mountain Resort - OMA

'The Rak Jebel Al Jais Mountain Resort is a new master planned tourist village in the Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates. Designed by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, this future resort will be built on the top and the sides of a mountain range, defying nature and the mountains with its extravagant design, improbable building site and disregard for the native landscape. In a country focused so completely on luxurious resorts, new developments and ostentatious displays, this resort is no surprise.'

via: www.inhabitat.com

Santa Ynez Residence - Frederick Fisher and Partners

'The 7000 square foot single –family residence is based on a grid of 25 squares. The firm’s interest in the “square” and “box” along with the owner’s square paintings generated the initial concepts for the home. Organized around a central courtyard that divides the building into three distinct “zones” with an area for living, sleeping and working.'

via: www.dezeen.com

Blood Power

'We’ve seen piezoelectric systems that harvest energy from roads, subways, and even umbrellas — now researchers have announced that they are on the brink of unlocking an energy grid composed of capillaries, arteries, and veins. Heralded by advancements in piezoelectric nanowires, the development may one day harness the flow of blood to power ipods, cellphones and other portable electronics. How’s that for an alternative take on plasma power?'

via: www.inhabitat.com

Trojan House, Melbourne - Jackson Clements Burrows

'From the street, this Edwardian house might seem unassuming, undeserving of a second glance. From the back, however, the addition to the Trojan House by Jackson Clements Burrows, where three children’s bedrooms are cantilevered above a large living space, is anything but ordinary.

The entire addition is wrapped in a seamless timber skin that conceals any obvious openings. Windows, covered by shutters that follow the pattern of the façade, reveal nothing of the interior space.'

via: www.thecoolhunter.com.au

Shift Housing - AquiliAlberg

'Milan architects AquiliAlberg have sent us these renderings of their Shift Housing project, currently under construction in Cremona, Italy.

The front elevation of the building is characterised by a shift in the orientation of the two storeys; the ground floor is rotated four degrees anticlockwise, while the first floor is rotated four degrees clockwise.'

via: www.dezeen.com

Brit Insurance Designs of the Year 2009 - Shepard Fairey's Obama Poster

'The design was chosen from the seven category winners as the most innovative forward thinking design from the past 12 months.'

via: www.designsoftheyear.com

Coop Himmelb(l)au - Art Museum Strongoli

'Austrian architects Coop Himmelb(l)au have been commissioned to design the new Art Museum Strongoli in Calabria, Italy.'

via: www.dezeen.com

Toyota Prius + Sports Car = New MR2

'The new model will boast an amazing blend of performance, economy and low emissions, all wrapped up in a stunning body. It would be a fitting successor to the MR2, which ceased production in 2007.'

via: www.autoexpress.co.uk