BMW's Precision & Poetry in Motion

With over 300 events taking place as part of this year's London Design Festival, there is no getting away from the scale and brilliance of the capital's most important week for design. Nothing emphasised this more than the opening reception held, as always at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Raphael Gallery showcases Raphael's seven surviving tapestry designs commissioned by Pope Leo X for the Sistine Chapel. In to this celestial space, Adrian van Hooydonk, Director of Design for BMW Group [and apparent advocate for using a pencil a fashion accessory; check out his pocket] introduces us to Ed Barber and Jay Osgerby's awe-inspiring 'Precision & Poetry in Motion'. Two gigantic chrome aerofoils that slowly and independently rotate in the cathedral like hall.

Reflecting, distorting, and almost brushing the priceless artworks owned by the Queen [and also the heads of the guests beneath it!], the superstructure was assembled entirely on site and precariously swings from a superstructure that seems too dainty to support it. Make no mistake, if BMW's name wasn't firmly attached to the project I wouldn't have have stood anywhere near the gigantic flattening irons of doom; no matter how much the Belle Epoque flowed. Without doubt however one of the finest things I've seen in a museum since Brancusi's Bird in Space landed at the V&A in 2003. See it. See it *right* now.

Divinity in the Detail

The first of a series of inspiration gathering grand voyages, Design Trawler visits the home of classical design, Italy to see how the grand palazzos measure up, and how the design dialogue of Europe's best suites stays relevant today. The Presidential Suite in Milan's Westin Palace is one of the cities largest and eschews contemporary couture for a timeless grandeur, with an almost wabi-sabi contentedness.

While the Armani may have polished concrete floors and leather walls [superb in the correct setting], the unadulterated intensity of detailing in the carved and often gilded cornices and panelling are masterful. Transplanting them in to a London newbuild would be inappropriate but the attention to design in every corner, and on every surface from top to bottom sets the benchmark [the 150sqm private terrace overlooked by none of the Westin's 12 floors being another great feature for the occasional festicciola too]

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Pole Position - Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi

Imagine the scene. Flavio Briatore, the larger than life Italian Formula 1 supremo touches down in Abu Dhabi to discuss the possibility bringing the billion dollar super-sport to the Middle East. We'll build you a track Signore Briatore, the developers say; the best in the world! Very generous, but where will I park my 200ft yacht? We all know that Monaco has a delightful marina hugging it's F1 track, and I need to host glamorous parties too.

Not a problem for the visionaries of Abu Dhabi - We'll build the track on it's own island, and have it snake around a marina capable of hosting the largest super-yachts in the world, so that all of your friends can bring their sleek motor yachts too. All well and good, but Abu Dhabi is a fair voyage away from Monaco, and my shargreen sun loungers might melt in this heat...

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Hipsters, Handlebars, and Heineken

Contrary to popular belief, London Design Week isn't all Krug and canapes. Well, in the West-end it probably is, but ever the intrepid explorer, Design Trawler also headed out East during this year's Festival. Lured by the promise of container bars, the ever popular Tent and Superbrands exhibitions, a special Tokyo Design Week show-within-a-show and, of course a veritable petting zoo of hipster beards, handlebar moustaches and inflatable animals; Design Trawler documented it all.

Heineken kicked things off with it's pop up City Lounge project. A specially designed container bar with futuristic seating pods and specially designed barware. With a long history of limited edition bottles [because Design Trawler loves a limited edition bottle #1 #2 #3] and a TV campaign based on Design Trawler himself, full marks go to the Dutch brewer for keeping the bar high when the Veuve runs dry. Check out photos from London's East-end below or on Facebook.

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Design Trawler Central Campus

It was always only a matter of time before Design Trawler would require its own iconic headquarters. Sure, Ultraloft is a spectacular man cave in the making, but there is only so much Marc Newson designed Dom Pérignon; only so many plumen light bulbs, that one residence can accommodate.

Introducing the Design Trawler Campus. This scale model of the sprawling architectural vision features a cascade of geometric modules that'd put the Dame Hadid to shame. At its north point, a Turning Torso inspired tower [of acacia drink coasters by Lou Henry for Nambé] overlooks the suspiciously table-centrepiece-like structure by Sia. Perfect for landing petit-fours helicopters on.

Fire in the Hole!

I spotted this smart alternative to a grand fireplace at this year's Maison in Paris. When retrofitting a gigantic marshmallow-toaster isn't appropriate and integrated bioethanol flames too, are difficult, a simple hole in the wall can replicate a cozy corner.

An inset needs only to be candle deep, painted black and voilà. Design as metaphor strikes again. The eye sees a hole in the wall filled with fire, the brain thinks 'fireplace' and you can invest the money you've saved in £9,000 toasting forks for your evening nibbles.

Design Downtime - The Marvel in Morocco

Don't be fooled, Design Trawling is not for the faint hearted. Sure, the relentless circling the globe in the search of meticulously crafted artifacts sounds like fun. Buckling-up in your usual seat with a copy of the weekend FT and chalice of fizz during take-off, only to louche around luxury accommodations in locations with corresponding Wallpaper* guides seems like a hoot. But it's not. Honestly.

Every armchair, every streetlamp, every window frame, doorknob and bedside alarm clock; it's all design; and it's all fair game for Design Trawler. Food critics work when they're examining towers of wild venison and polka-dots of berry jus. Film enthusiasts cast their verdict on the basis of a few hours of explosions, wide-angle shots and [if they're lucky] subtitles and moody music. But for a Design Trawler, short of confining ones self to a white room with no windows [it has been suggested], there is little respite or sanctuary. Well, there is one. It's called Amanjena.

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Guggenheim Museum of Culinary Design

This morning, somewhat dreary eyed, I carried myself to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Nothing unusual there. Opening the cupboard to grab a bowl for my Cartier Crunch [again, nothing unusual], in a moment of surreal [but probably unusual] consideration, I stopped and thought to myself... 

"Why do I have a scale model of the Guggenhein Muesum where the bowls should be?"

Well, they say that the mind works best in the morning, but I think I accidentally just busted one of the greatest architects of all time. Frank Lloyd Wright clearly had a fondness for design in the mornings... and white kitchenware, which, is of course expected mandated for all great designers.

Turning Walls Upside Down

Back in the days before Eames recliners and under floor heating, man had the clever idea of surrounding himself with walls. Clever because walls protected him from wind and sabre-tooth tigers, and especially clever because several thousand years later they provide ample opportunity for hanging Damien Hists, erecting great shelves filled with books and installing roaring fireplaces.

So walls are great, but unless you live in the Barcelona Pavilion, they also have a pesky tendency to block out light. But what if rather than blocking out the light, walls provided a internal source of light? That's the approach rAndom International have done with guest rooms at the W Taipei. Backlighting the very fabric of a room is blissfully simple and something I'd love to see upscaled in the design of an entire home.

Her Majesty's Most Wanted

This summer, Design Trawler was invited by the Evening Standard join the Judging Panel for the annual New Homes Awards. The most prestigious trophy in the business, shortlisted homes were presided over by trendsetters, tastemakers and arbiters of taste across twelve categories.

Presiding over 'Best Apartment' and 'Best Luxury' - everything from Mayfair duplexes owned by the Crown Estate, to New York style lofts were subject to the scrutiny of Design Trawler. Click below to find out who took home the silver, and why Design Trawler won't be getting a Christmas Card from Buckingham Palace.

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Bowing House - Now in Hardback Flavour

It's official, Dom Arigato, the bowing house has been published in the 240 page hardback retrospective of the Arigato Project for Tokyo Designers Week. Available in stores and on-line through Gestalten. The second house after the Isomodal Container Townhouse; here's hoping that house #3 makes it through to the bricks and mortar stage. Book signings and new commissions welcome!

How to Build a Container House

Browsing recently in the excellent Livraria Cultura bookstore in Sao Paulo, I came across Container Atlas. Billed as 'a practical guide to container architecture' the 250 page bible is a fantastic read. Published before Design Trawler's Isomodal Townhouse was conceived [and unfortunatley therefore an incomplete collection of container architecture]

In a curious turn of fortune however, publishers Gestalten will be responsible for publishing Arigato; a 240 page retrospective of Tokyo Designers Week; including the bowing Dom Arigato house by Design Traweler's designer duo. Available in March 2012, stay tuned for the inevitable book launch party at the Mancave. Signed copies on request.

Dom Arigato - A Bowing House for Tokyo Design Week

As part of the Arigato Project initiative for Tokyo Design Week, the Japanese Design Association has called for submissions across nine creative categories under the theme of Arigato / Thank You. The second collaboration from the designers behind the Isomodal Townhouse, Dom Arigato [The Bowing House] has been selected by the Panel at the Design Association to be exhibited at Tokyo Designers Week. Over 100,000 visitors will see the design alongside projects from Absolut, DoCoMo and Dubai Futures before it is published in the spring.

Drawing influence from the iconic form of a bow of thanks, the name Dom Arigato is also a play on the Japanese phrase ‘Domo Arigato’ meaning thank you very much, and ‘Dom’ the Latin word for house. Humble in its proportions, the house uses simple materials that respect Japanese heritage and modern aspirations.

The only project in the architectural category to be selected, Dom Arigato won praise for its environmental credentials; specifically designed with the urban Japanese landscape in mind. Solar cells are optimally positioned to capture energy from the sun while a living wall attracts wildlife and provides urban areas with greenery and oxygen

Metroland Modernist - 97 Park Avenue Ruislip

Kicking off the London Design Festival this year, Open House London flung open the doors of over 700 of the capital's best buildings to the public. Many private homes, flagship offices and civic spaces welcomed journalists, nosey neighbours and Saab driving architects with goatees and/or elbow patches for guided tours.

Representing DesignTraweler's stomping ground and brave new world of Metroland was 97 Park Avenue in Ruislip. A modernist beauty built in 1936 complete with roof terraces and lashings of Bauhaus goodness. Just add hot tub and attractive young things for instant Man-Villa [Saab and/or elbow patches optional]

Design Trawler's Container Townhouse for the BBC

What happens when a 25 year old with no experience decides to design and build a luxury home using industrial shipping containers? The Isomodal Townhouse is the result of two years design and development for a low cost, ultra efficient, high specification home. Created in part for a new BBC television series which has since been put on hold.

The Isomodal Townhouse draws its influence from shipping containers loaded on to a freighter; its poured concrete ground floor representing a ship's hull with containers loaded on top. The rusty cedar side tower figurative of a container crane and wide circular skylight echoing nautical chimneys.

Container architecture isn't new, however the Isomodal Townhouse is unique in that it represents a high specification build that embraces the industrial forms of intermodal containerisation. Unlike other container projects, the design neither pokes fun at containers as a design gimmick, nor disguises the modular container DNA.

Featuring three full sized bedrooms, separate formal and informal living areas with double height ceiling, gym/cinema, office with concealed entry and 20ft roof terrace, the home has 225m of high specification living space.

Excluding land and design fees, the luxury container home is anticipated to cost £135,000 and take 16 weeks to build. This represents a 40-60% reduction in construction costs for conventional projects of a similar size.