DESIGNTIMES south africa’s monthly creative resource
www.designtimes.co.za
/03 DESIGN
VINCE FROST
Vince Frost is an ideas man, his work is instantly recognisable for its bold imagery, clean fonts and conceptual thought. He was chosen to judge at the Loeires.
/06 COMPANY
AUGUST 2008 Issue No.26 ZAR 5 EUR €2, UK £2, US $3
MINGO LAMBERTI
Brad Hodgskiss is the founder and creative mind of Mingo Lamberti, an exciting new t-shirt company which features some stunning designs..
our partners in alphabetical order
/12 ARCHITECT
KONRAD HOFFMAN
This month we take a look at some of the local talent in the field of architecture and interview Cape Town architect Konrad Hoffman at Stauch Vorster Architects.
NEWS
Designtimes Page 2
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The Designtimes team Mark Rosenberg Editor and Design Mark started Designtimes almost 3 years ago because of his love for design and photography.
Steven Rosenberg Advertising Steven not only runs the advertising for Designtmes but also contributes editorial features.
Zachariah King Writer Zac has been with the team from the start as you may remember him from his column trash talking.
mark@designtimes.co.za
steve@designtimes.co.za
zac@designtimes.co.za
Raymond Prince Architecture Raymond an architectural student, joined the team early this year as our architectural writer.
Roxy Ahrends Distribution Roxy is responsible for the distribution of Designtimes as well as the management of our subscriber base.
Ryan Ali Fashion Ryan has recently come onboard with his extensive knowledge of fashion, this being his first issue.
raymond@designtimes.co.za
roxy@designtimes.co.za
ryan@designtimes.co.za
Lauren Millar Marketing Lauren helps with the positioning of the publication. She also continually works at promoting the brand. lauren@designtimes.co.za
Adobe MAX
MAX is an industry forum for designers, developers and business decision makers focused on creating and delivering rich engaging digital experiences across mediums and devices. The series begins in November 2008 in San Francisco, followed by events in Milan in December 2008 and Tokyo in January 2009. Adobe also launched its call for entries for the 2008 worldwide MAX awards program, which recognizes the most innovative work from designers and developers around the world. Entries are being accepted until September 2008. Under the theme, connect, discover, inspire, more than 200 sessions will engage designers, developers and business strategists on the topics of the designer and developer workflow; cross media design, including web, video, mobile, print and interactive; rich internet applications; services, components and tools; designing for multiple screens. “MAX inspires creatives and technologists to design, build, and share new ways for people to deliver engaging experiences over the Web and on any screen,” said Adobe chief technology officer Kevin Lynch. “Nowhere else can passionate members of the Adobe community learn from the best, be on the inside track of breaking industry news, connect with peers and industry experts while discovering cutting edge technologies.” MAX 2008 promises to deliver a glimpse into the future of digital experiences, enabling designers to dive into the art and science of designing across media. www.adobe.com/max
Microsoft Arc Mouse Microsoft will be launching the new wireless Arc Mouse later this year. Featuring a never before seen design shaped like a crescent moon. Arc folds closed to reduce in size by almost half, giving you the comfort of a full sized mouse with the portability of a notebook mouse. Arc is all about the
design, with a stylish micro transceiver that you can leave right in your computer and it’s available in two colours red or black. The Arc is one of the best designs we have seen for a mouse we hope this is a foretaste of what else is to come from Microsoft. www.microsoft.com
iPhone 3G Apple has introduced the new iPhone 3G, combining all the features of iPhone with 3G networking that is twice as fast as the first generation iPhone, built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs the hundreds of third party applications already built with the recently released iPhone. In the United States the new iPhone 3G is priced at R1500 for the 8GB model, however we are not so sure that that will be the case in South Africa. “Just one year after launching the iPhone, we’re launching the new iPhone 3G that is twice as fast at half the price,” said Steve Jobs. iPhone 3G gives users even faster access to the internet and email over their cellular network with quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA for voice and data connectivity around the world. iPhone 3G supports Wi-Fi, 3G and EDGE networks and automatically switches between them to for the fastest possible download speeds. www.apple.com/iphone
Lamborghini concept Decade after decade, generation after generation, Italy’s two finest sports car makers, Lamborghini and Ferrari, have battled it out for the title of the greatest supercar manufacturer on earth. While the two each have their heavy hitters, Lamborghini recently expanded its lineup, launching the smaller, more affordable Gallardo, and the beautiful open-roofed Murcielago Speedster, further encroaching on Ferrari’s segments. At the Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari launched the F430 Spider, the open topped version of its newest model, the F430. It appears that Lamborghini was prepared to counter Ferrari’s move with its own junior sized convertible, the Lamborghini Concept S. Like many Lamborghini concepts, the Concept S is a product of the Centro Stile Lamborghini, located in Sant Agata, the companys hometown. In the hands of headstylist Luc Donckerwolke, the aluminium intensive Gallardo was transformed into this wild, one of a kind speed machine. Given the utmost freedom to work, shape
and create, the final product reflects his extreme interpretation of what an openroofed car should look like. Compared to the company’s previous concept car, the unnamed Murcielago based Roadster of 2003, Donckerwolkes latest work is by far wilder. Taking into account the designs of classic, single seat racers and the growing popularity of the Gallardo, the S shows a new styling theme. As with early racers the Concept S doesnt have a regular windshield. Instead, there are two wraparound saut-vent (French for sudden change in wind) fairings separated by an electrically retractable rear view mirror. These stylish wind blockers split the cockpit into two, and follow the Gallardo’s sleek lines back to the cars rear flanks. This is one of the key elements to the concepts futuristic and aggressive look. Though the Concept S is beautiful, its unique design did not put form ahead of function. It boasts a 500 horsepower V10 engine. Designtimes hopes to get a interview with Luc Donckerwolke later this year.
DESIGN
Designtimes Page 3
Vince Frost
It’s been three years since Vince left London and made the big move to Australia. Since then, many awards have come his way, including D&AD yellow pencils, golds from the New York Society of Publication Designers and gongs from the New York and Tokyo Art Directors Club. His studio of 30 was founded on the simple premise of making the most of every possible opportunity, which includes never turning work down. They produce a wide range of projects includiing television graphics, large way finding systems, exhibition design, books and magazines. In 2006 Vince’s work was the subject of a major retrospective exhibition called Frost Bite at the Sydney Opera House and accompanied by an inspiriational book entitled Sorry Trees spanning more than a decade of work. He plays an active role in the design community with many talks at conferences and colleges around the world, including chairman of the judging panel for the Loeries this year. He admits he owes a lot of his success to his three children, who have made his style looser and more experimental. “My kids are completely free, I can see beautiful things coming out of them, beautiful paintings and beautiful questions. Then you see schools setting lines to get their handwriting neater, so it looks like an example of how the whole world is set. What does that do to us? It makes our handwriting neater, but it affects the way we think, our free flow. There is a very positive energy that is then made to feel like it’s wrong. What they teach me is their incredibly inquisitive minds, they’re always making things. That’s what we should do as designers. Often we spend our
whole life, our whole education, learning how not to be spontaneous, how not to question things. For me the most important thing is to have the freedom to have an open mind, a questioning mind.” Interpretation, Vince insists, makes all the difference and taking the time to look at the world through a child’s eyes can bring a refreshing sideways angle to almost anything. This is what forms the Frost design philosophy. In line with their ‘turn nothing down, anything is possible’ philosophy, Frost Design have begun stretching beyond straightforward graphic design into advertising, product design, web and multimedia. “It’s not about being precious, it’s about being open,” Vince believes. “Graphic design has moved on so much that I don’t think that’s the right term anymore. Recent projects have included a giant inflatable stage and a full interior concept for Coast restaurant which features a rippling wave of bright yellow Perspex, tracing the outline of the Australian coast. “It’s very beautiful. Nothing to do with typography, nothing to do with printing, but a fantastically fun thing to do, it cuts right through the restaurant and creates this amazing light effect.” The role that great design can play on the success of an organisation of any size is the reason Vince enjoys taking on a tricky brief, the lower the starting point, the bigger the difference you can make. “Everything has potential to be better, so don’t judge things on what they look like now,” is his parting advice. “A lot of designers look at magazines and go, ‘I’d like to work for them, they do nice stuff.’ Well if they do nice stuff now, they don’t need you.” www.frostdesign.com
He’s an ideas man, his work instantly recognisable for its bold imagery, clean fonts and conceptual thought.
Some of Vince Frost’s work
The Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards help Australia’s new creative innovators to take on the world and their careers to the next level. Fashion designers, musicians, artists, photographers, visual communicators, object designers and filmmakers under 30 are invited to enter their work for the chance to win cash and mentorships with
leading international creatives. Frost created this years’ campaign across all mediums including print, online, motion graphics and television. Frost was approached by General Pants to create their summer campaign. One of main objectives was to grow their female market while continuing to build on their
strong male customer base. General Pants brand positioning of disrupting the average resulted in the campaign above. Working with fashion photographer Pierre Toussaint, Frost created a series of raw and edgy black and white images, which are coupled with copylines heralding back to the heydays of 60’s and 70’s pschedelia and rock.
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DESIGN
Designtimes Page 6
Oliver White
Mingo Lamberti tees
Designtimes met up with Cape Towns Brad Hodgskiss the founder of Mingo Lamberti. We asked him about his t-shirt company. What was your first job? My first job was at Lowe Bull in client service. I knew nothing then, as I am sure some of my former employers would still like to remind me, but after asking too many stupid questions, I managed to grasp the creative process. Client service taught me a lot and it also taught me that I did not want to be in client service for ever. What is Mingo Lamberti? Mingo Lamberti is named after my grandfather and some of the reasons I chose to use his name are because it is original, it has heritage and feels authentic. All the things I wanted my brand to stand for. I started about a year ago and launched the first range in December. I took a long time to find reliable manufactures, as I needed to make sure I had a quality product. Many people out there can make a t-shirt, but not many can make a good t-shirt. The first range was designed by some of my friends that I used to work with. They did a great job, because the Nature Range is pretty much sold out. So thank you all. There are a lot of t-shirt companies out there, what gives you the edge? Yes sir, there are many t-shirt companies out there. When thinking about starting this business I had to remind myself that I
was not inventing a new product that would define its own category, but instead I had to make sure that I made and designed my shirts better than anybody else out there. I am not saying that I am better than everyone out there, but I am trying. My approach was to create an original product and keep it limited so people can feel a little more special when they wear it. I don’t like it when a thousand people have the same product, so I have limited the edition to 200. It is essential to work with great designers and have a quality made product. If one of those things fail, so would my brand. So that’s my business strategy, to be better and more original than the competition. When you release a new range of t-shirts who gets to submit designs? I approach different designers to work on a brief. I choose designers that have different styles. The main reason for this is to make sure the designs in each range looks very different from the rest. I don’t want to be in a situation where people start recognizing my shirts because they look the same, but instead the need to notice the shirt because it’s a great design. We recently completed an open design competition. The guys from Biblioteq, One Small Seed and Vida e Caffe helped me out on that one. That brief was called Far Far Away, you can see the designs here. How do you select the winning designs? When I approach a range I make sure I brief designers with varying design and illustration styles. I work with the designers from a conceptual stage and discuss what’s the best idea before they do the final execution. At a first glance the design needs to inspire me and make me want to understand it. Then after I have done all that I ask myself the question, would I wear that? If it’s a girl’s design then I ask my girlfriend if she would wear it? She is one of the Mingo Lamberti designers. What’s in store next? The next range of shirts is called the Electric Range, which was inspired by electric moves on the dance floor. The range after that is called the Death Range. www.mingolamberti.com
Oliver White was born in the South African town of Bethlehem but was raised in Malawi and later attended college at Vega in Johannesburg. After his studies he decided to move to Cape Town were he is currently working at a design studio called Room 13. He is responsible for one of the designs for the latest Mingo Lamberti tshirt range. We asked him to tell us about how he got started as an illustrator and the creative scene in Cape Town. “The first memory I have is of my dad teaching me how to draw a helicopter when I was about three years old. My imagination seems to have always been with me, as a child I sometimes found it hard to distinguish between the real world and my imagination. Cape Town is saturated in creativity. Although I believe South Africa in general is yet to grasp and
appreciate the true value of design as both a commodity and a discipline. Although I think creativity is more natural than we make it out to be and I believe everyone is naturally creative, it’s a matter of how it comes out, how you choose to focus your creativity.” Oliver White spends alot of time drawing and illustrating. He is inspired by life and the graphic work of Jamie Hewlett and other modern illustartors, although he tends to be most inspired by traditional artists like Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Mark Rothko. He also finds himself inspired by film directors Michel Gondry, Hayao Miyazaki, Steven Spielberg and Pixar Studios. Interestingly enough he does not like to be seen as an illustrator. He comments “I really just like the idea of expressing what comes to me, in what ever form that may be.”
A better future by design The Design Indaba All Stars book, features 35 of international guests that have been at Design Indaba. Covering the first 10 years of Design Indaba, this book serves as a record of the growth of creativity. It includes the work of Lucy Orta, Mark Farrow, Erik Spiekermann, Jonathan Barnbrook, Fernando Gutierrez, Stefan Sagmeister, Sir Terence Conran, Irma Boom, Stefano Giovannoni, Neville Brody,
Karim Rashid, Mary Lewis, Shubhankar Ray, Kenya Hara, Ross Lovegrove, Peter Saville, Dan Pearson, Bob Sabiston, Shigeo Fukuda, Milton Glaser, Ron Arad, David Adjaye, Dieter Rams, Fernando and Humberto Campana, Michael Bierut, Tom Dixon, Inga Sempé, Christoph Niemann, Matali Crasset, Paul Priestman, Javier Mariscal, Tobias Frere-Jones, Massimo and Lella Vignelli and Yves Béhar.
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Designtimes Page 8
PHOTOGRAPHY
Canon wins 4 top awards
An amateur’s black and whites Ted Szukalski is 46 and was born in Poland in one of the most picturesque regions called Mazury. It is a land of lakes and forests. He later moved to Warsaw where he grew up as a teenager and found his first love, first broken heart, bought his first record, it was Santana and his passion for photography began. His first camera was a Russian copy of an early Leica. Having no auto anything taught him a lot about photography. He has never attended formal training in photography. What he knows is self taught and learnt from his father, books and some friendly photographers. He became fascinated by information technology and
began his career as an application developer. Photography has only ever been a hobby for Ted, it is a passionate expression of the world he sees. He has never thought of it as a career but after his photos were noticed the word got out and occasionally he does commercial work. Some of his photos have been printed in magazines, some made book covers and some made it as decorations for commercial websites. He has also done some commercial work for architects and for the fashion industry. With time, Ted Szukalski’s photographic interests have taken a very clear path and he explains his style of street photography.
“Once you gain the feeling that this is it, you become bolder and find it easier to capture moments that show your viewpoint. The confidence frees you from having to worry about approach and liberates you to concentrate on photography alone. Making it unique and expressive is another story. I think that comes with the individuality of the photographer. I operate on a ‘capture the moment’ principle. I have no heart for studio or posed photographs, although I do acknowledge some photographers achieve great results in that category. For me, capturing real people in their natural environment, expressing their feelings and
even simple everyday customs and routines are far more captivating and interesting. I think what drives my photography is not other photographers but rather life around me, my perspective on life, assumptions, feelings and curiosity. I am a romantic impressionist. I am also a humanist but most of all I am a participating observer.” Ted currently uses a Canon 1D Mark III. It is very responsive and although hardly a stealth camera for street photography, it works very well. He also has a smaller Canon 30D, which is now a learning tool for his two kids. www.digital-photo.com.au
Four Canon products were recognized with Best Product 2008 awards by the Technical Image Press Association, representing 30 photography and imaging magazines across 13 European countries. The Canon EOS 450D digital SLR camera earned Best D-SLR Advanced in Europe 2008 honors. The jury called the 12.2 megapixel 450D “an excellent camera to discover the next step in digital photography,” praising the model’s lightweight and compact design, 3.0-inch LCD screen with Live View mode, and fast burst rate. The jury named Canon’s EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS telephoto zoom lens Best Entry Level Lens in Europe 2008. Ideal for wildlife, sports and travel photography, the judges noted the “tremendous range of focal lengths” offered by the lens, along with the optical Image Stabilizer, which provides image stabilization equivalent to approximately four shutter-speed stops. The panel was also impressed by the imaging performance and, weighing only 390 grams, lightweight construction. The Canon PIXMA MP970 inkjet all-inone was selected as Best Multifunction Photo Printer in Europe 2008. Summing up the appeal of the PIXMA MP970 in just four words ”Photos and more besides!” the judges highlighted the model’s use of seven inks in separate cartridges for natural color rendition, and Canon’s 9,600 x 2,400 dpi FINE printhead, which ensures “superb photo quality in terms of colour reproduction, detail and sharpness.” The judges crowned the Canon CanoScan 8800F as Best Flatbed Photo Scanner in Europe 2008. The jury noted that the 4,800 x 9,600 dpi CanoScan 8800F, capable of scanning up to twelve 35mm slides or negatives at a time, “provides consumers with a solution for all photo archiving needs.” The scanner also earned kudos for its Film Automatic Retouching and Enhancement Level 3 technology, which corrects for the effects of dust, scratches, colour fading and graininess, and high-luminance white LED lamp, which “virtually eliminates warmup time and allows for scanning to begin instantaneously from its sleep mode.” Winners of TIPA’s European Photo and Imaging Awards are selected annually from among the photo and imaging products launched in Europe during the previous 12 months from June to May. Canon products have been recognized for excellence with multiple awards spanning both input and output devices. An awards ceremony for the 2008 winners will be held on September 23 during this year’s Photokina fair in Cologne, Germany.
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RENAULT
Renault Sport The new CLIO III renault SPORT IS PERFORMANCE, PASSION AND pure driving pleasure. The challenge faced by Renault Sport Technologies’ engineers when first penning new Clio Renault Sport was to respect the original personality of Clio III, while at the same time highlighting the newcomer’s own intrinsic qualities and dynamism. This concept was first presented in September 2005 at the Frankfurt motor show. With its assertive lines, exclusive sporty interior and strong character, the Clio Renault Sport concept car brought new meaning to the dynamic new Clio III, prefiguring the production model which was to be later introduced in Europe in early 2006. The ultimate realization of the concept is an outstanding car which puts the accent firmly on performance, passion and pure driving pleasure. www.renault.co.za
Performance
Clio Renault Sport was bred for performance, its dynamic qualities fully exploiting all the potential of Renault Sport technologies’ 2.0 16v naturally aspirated engine, delivering a scorching 145kw of power and 215 Nm of torque at 5 550 rpm. The engine is both powerful and flexible, delivering high-level response and propels the Clio Renault Sport from 0 – 100 km/h in a breathtaking 6.9 seconds. Coupled with the new six speed gearbox, this powerful, responsive engine offers first class sports performance and pure driving pleasure. The new generation front suspension features independent mountings for an exceptional ride and precision handling. Its wider track (1520 mm) and longer wheelbase (2585 mm) are combined with high performance tyres (215/45 R17). The braking system, which provides exceptional stopping power and resistance to heat, was developed by Renault Sport Technologies engineers in conjunction with the specialist at Brembo.
Rear air diffuser
Launched in South Africa in April 2007, Clio Renault Sport features a groundbreaking first in its segment in the form of a rear air diffuser which uses technology derived directly from Formula 1. Currently available only on the most expensive sports cars, the diffuser channels and accelerates air to create a low pressure area and hence downforce. In association with the extractor vents in the front wings, it ensures excellent aerodynamic performance. The rear air diffuser and twin exhausts accentuate the car’s sporty attitude.
Designtimes Page 11
Performance-focused cup chassis Rich safety heritage
As expected of any Renault, Clio Renault Sport has high level of safety features which include front driver and passenger airbags, front lateral airbags, side curtain airbags, ABS with EBD, and ESP+ ASR traction control. Renault has become synonymous with vehicle safety because of its dedication in the field and it is no wonder that Renault is the only car manufacturer in the world with 9 vehicles having achieved 5 star Euro NCAP rating – the international authority in new car vehicle safety rating. Clio Renault Sport boasts high level of safety due to the fact that it is based on the Clio III which is among the 9 vehicles with a 5 star Euro NCAP rating. The Clio Renault Sport is built at Renault’s Dieppe plant in France, which specializes in the production of sports models.
Clio R27 Special Edition 3-DR
In celebration of F1 Road show’s return to South Africa following last year’s heart stopping spectacle which drew over 80 000 fans to the streets of Sandton, Renault has procured 27 Clio R27 once-off special edition for the Renault Sport enthusiasts. The R27 code name was taken from Renault’s 2007 F1 car, an evolution of the design philosophy that won F1 world championship in 2005 & 2006.
The special edition is powered by the 145kw 2.0 naturally aspirated engine currently fitted on the normal Clio Renault Sport. In keeping with Renault’s tradition for offering a cup chassis option on its models for those performance enthusiasts who want an even more focused driving experience, the cup chassis is fitted standard on the R27 and includes a raft of enhancements for both track and road driving. Among them, the ride height has been lowered by 7mm compared to the Clio Renault Sport to ensure lower centre of gravity and reduce load transfer for effective cornering. Cornering power has been improved even further by the coil springs, which have been stiffened by 27% at the front and 30% at the rear, giving reduced body roll and pitch when cornering. With a 10% increase in bending stiffness and more flexible bumpstops, the double-axis strut suspension system is also more stable when braking and offers greater steering precision when negotiating bends in quick succession.
Exhilarating experience and exclusivity
The R27 special edition is clearly distinguished by the red painted Brembo brake calipers, 17’ inch Anthracite alloy wheels and extra tinted windows. Cornering headlamps ensure clear road visibility in bending roads at night. It is further equipped with comfort & convenience features such as climate control, Radio / CD MP3 player with six speakers, electric folding mirrors & Renault hands-free card. Standard Recaro seats ensure an unmistakable racing feel and exhilarating driving experience. Clio R27 special edition comes with a unique production number and special plate signed by Renault F1 team pilots. It is available in 3 special colours, Toro red, deep black, and the iconic Sirius Yellow. Clio R27 special edition was launched at the F1 Road show in Kyalami on 26th July and only a few will be part of this exclusive owner’s club.
Designtimes Page 12
ARCHITECTURE
T3 Shenzhen Airport
The artist, the architect and the surfer This month we’ve decided to take a look at some of the local talent in the field of Architecture. Konrad Hoffman 26 studied Architecture in the small town of Port Elizabeth at the former University of Port Elizabeth. Konrad was born to a family that was involved in the field of engineering which made him more curious about the way things fit together. Konrad only saw his deep passion for architecture fully ignite once he had enrolled at university and started studying architecture. For those that are interested in studying architecture, let us delve into the mind of someone that has already taken the needed steps, and examine the journey that Konrad has taken in architectural study. As you were introduced to the academic side of architecture and started to study the works of many great architects were there any particular role models that influenced your views on Architecture? As you move through learning and understanding architecture, different people offer different things. The key is taking what you need from the people around you, using them as inspiration and help. Varsity lecturers push you in your learning, friends offer support when frustration happens and peers go through similar situations and can be that helping hand during those late nights. Learning from the iconic architects, Meis van der Rohe, Venturi, Phillip Johnson, Frank Lloyd Wright, Daniel Lieberskint etc, reading of their approach to different issues aids a young architect in developing the thinking that an architect needs. Applying their different approaches and merging them into something that suits your architectural style is important, so rather than being a clone, learning from them and creating something the represents yourself in essence is very important. What were some of the challenges you faced with the change of environment from an academic institution to the working world? The main challenge was to understand the implication that lines on paper become real objects. At varsity things can be made to work while in reality they will never. On a building site on the other hand everything needs to be sorted out to ensure a satisfactory project. With the basis of learning with smaller projects the transition from varsity to the industry would be made easier. This base has served me well as the time spent understanding and learning various components on a small scale has equipped me to deal with things on a larger scale. The guidance I received from that will be carried with me all through my architectural career. The meticulous attention that would be brushed over by most was emphasized as being important not in the greater scheme
but when looking back, you as the designer will always see the faults before anything else, so by dealing with all the little things a better product would be achieved. Do you remember the first project that you worked on at your first architectural firm? What were some of the challenges that arose with the responsibility and how did you go about tackling those problems? The first project was an existing structure that a client had bought and wanted renovated. The challenges were designing around an existing structure. Time was spent to ensure that the base information was correct but as one always discovers when dealing with existing structures there are always things that don’t go to plan. With the guidance from my first boss the transition was made and the building was completed. Much was learned in that first project that allowed me to tackle the next one with more confidence.
Nothing will ever be as fast and effective as sketching Where are you working on now? Why the move to this company? I am currently working for Stauch Vorster Architects in Cape Town. This firm is a national practice with offices in all our major cities, with projects ranging from Cape Town into Africa and beyond. This established firm still achieves to be young and dynamic with open minded experienced directors who overlook and allow the creative work to flow. A difference between this company and others is that the regimentation of traditional architectural practices has been removed. The result is an exciting creative environment. With the backing of the more experienced personal, the young minds are given guidance and direction in the quest to produce the best possible architecture. The move was fueled by the need to grow while I am still young; the more experience gained while early on in my career will only hold me in good stead for the future. This company has proved to be that platform for the rapid growth that is needed to be a successful competent designer. What are some of the things you have learned while at this new company? The learning curve is steep when starting an architectural career. The opportunities at Stauch have given me the freedom to make large steps growth-wise. Dealing direct with the clients and various members
of the professional team has broadened my horizons on the various aspects that are involved in the process of creating a building. The freedom that has been given to me and being surrounded by a young dynamic practice will allow my development as an architect to only grow more rapidly. Tell me a bit about your latest project? I am currently working on the Cape Town Film Studio Development. The large number of specialist requirements has created a unique understanding in the field of movie making. As an architect the key to a successful design is fully understanding client’s needs in order to achieve the best possible product. The more you understand the product that you are designing the better the design will cater for the user’s needs. With the film studio industry the needs change with every project so the real challenge is dealing with something that can cater for a variety of things. With the ever growing concern of the environmental impact buildings make, what are some of the avenues that you make use of when designing? The world has woken up to the fact that we need to conserve our natural recourses. So as a practice we too have made the move to greener buildings, appointing a green representative in the office to drive this. Various other systems are being researched and implemented in the way the office designs buildings, such as using energy efficient design and materials has become a focus for the future. Do you still sketch and make rough models to develop your conceptual ideas rather than using only computer software? No matter how advanced software becomes nothing will ever be as fast and effective as sketching. Whether it’s a new design concept or working out a waterproofing detail, 90% of all designs are hand sketches before they are converted into anything else. There will never be a replacement to the hand sketch made by an architect. The life of an architect is filled with late nights and constant pressure. What do you do in your free time? Free time? Hahaha. Living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world it’s only natural that all relaxing would be done outdoors. Down time is usually spent with friends or missioning up and down the west coast in the eternal quest for surf. I have recently gotten into paddle boarding which is the alternative when the swell is down. Have you got a specific long term goal that you’d like to achieve? I want to produce architecture that I am proud of. I take each day as it comes and make the best of it. By Raymond Prince
Shenzhen is one of the most important industrial and tourist orientated locations in the whole of China. The addition of the Terminal 3 at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport aims to serve the global aviation gateway between China and the rest of the world. The first and last image an air traveller has of a city is the one created by the traveller’s impression of the airport. Terminal 3 in Shenzhen International Airport will offer world-class transportation services and will positively influence the image that international, national business people and tourists have of Shenzhen. The design of Terminal 3 optimises the performance of materials selected on the basis of local availability, functionality, application of local skills and low cost
procurement. The concepts for the concourse space involve movement and pause. The retail stores and waiting lounges will be islands of pause while the rest of the terminal, with its fine interior skin netting, will elicit movement. This terminal is open to views to the outside. Natural light breaks through the patterned double skin reducing energy consumption for lighting and still creates an elegant atmosphere. The concept for the interior space is fluidity which can be noticed from the natural flowing contours and organic shapes. Terminal 3 will be designed for maximum flexibility to cope with the unpredictable nature of the aviation industry. The elegance as well as the high standard of service will make this structure a world class travel hub. eng.szairport.com
Streetwall in danger
In 2002 Michigan Avenue Streetwall was declared a Chicago Landmark. Michigan Avenue is one of the most-recognized streets in the United States due to its make up of historic buildings dating back to the 1880s, all constructed by some of the best Architects of the city such as Daniel Burnham and Louis Sullivan. This Streetwall has however been threatened by developers wanting to build large-scale towers that would only retain small portions of the original architectural themes through the façade. Some of the renovations include the 1893 Chicago Athletic Association, designed by Henry Ives Cobb, for a rooftop addition. This would include demolition of a large portion of the building’s structure and several elaborate interior spaces. This would make space for the multi-story, stepped, glass hotel tower to be built. Developers justify this renovation by arguing that these additions will not be visible from across the street even though this building is protected by the landmark designation and a preservation ordinance. The historic skyline viewed from the Grant Park, Millennium Park and the lakefront would however be severely affected. If this development is approved this will completely undermine what preservation advocates have been fighting for and will
no doubt allow a ‘domino effect’ of further proposals to be made for development in the historic area. “The threat to the Chicago Athletic Club particularly and the Michigan Avenue Streetwall more broadly represents the problems such intense development pressures pose on our architectural heritage,” says Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “If approved, this project, and others like it, will destroy the very sense of place that attracts such development.” The National Trust for Historic Preservation has included the Michigan Avenue Streetwall on this year’s 11 Most Endangered list. The trust has given its fully backing towards the local preservation groups. Although the trust has no legal authority it has managed to rally much public support as well as gaining the attention of many people around the world. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has teamed up with Landmarks Illinois and other groups to encourage the enforcement and adherence to Chicago’s historic preservation ordinance. This will hopefully force the city to develop specific design guidelines for this unique district, so that all plans for additions to the area would have to follow strict design and structural guidelines. www.preservationnation.org
FASHION
Designtimes Page 14
Loading Bay, life luxury style
In today’s retail climate, the potency and longevity of products is more short lived than ever. The terms passion and luxury are thrown at items that fail to fit a sincere definition. Things just seem to appear. The who, how, and what aspect that tells a garment’s story, the story that makes it special is lost in a mire of marketing banter. As mainstream consumerism flattens the market, those who hold out for a more authentic approach stand out more clearly. We speak to Jon Paul Bolus the man behind Loading Bay, a space that does just that, stand out clearly from the rest with an exciting retail experience. The store is very deliberate in its design. Where did the inspiration come from? It’s a design that fits into its surroundings, redbrick with high volume spaces. I had a concept and idea but I designed it from the space I was occupying. Taking the surroundings into consideration, slick and simple, using materials strongly in certain areas. Being simple and focused like the bar using one material. That theme seems to be carried into the clothing side of Loading Bay. Not having a lot of pieces in the store creates an experience where the product feels exclusive and unique. That is true, the idea for the store, the passion of myself and the concept is to try to create a sense of quality. When you enter the the store you experience a lifestyle, a new experience, a mixture of a luxury café and clothing brands, even if you do not buy anything. You can still appreciate the quality, what goes behind it, the same goes for the service, the coffee, the architecture, interior space and attention to detail. We try to create an inspiring space and create a
networking platform for our customers. Who was the architect that you worked with to develop this space? My sister Lauren and I designed this space ourselves. She is a qualified architect with great knowledge of the engineering side of things while I have a passion for design, we combined that. I studied textile design but my passion lies in design, interior design spaces, concepts and everything from furniture to fabrics. We designed the lights, tables, staircase and rails. Do you have to educate the consumers on the brands you carry? Many people that walk into the store do not know Holland Esquire, Scotch and Soda, Blue Blood and Creative Recreation. The one thing is to explain to people what the brands are about and educate them as to the procedures behind them. Can you tell us a bit about the brands? I was introduced to Holland Esquire by the agent for the brand in Scandinavia. The way he presented the passion of the brand made me believe in it and enabled me to become equally as passionate about the brand. Actually the owner’s uncle is from the Portuguese royal family. The suits are made by the tailors that make the suits for the royal family. They have money, they do not need anything, but he has this passion and hobby of his that he has created a small collection of a few pieces. He doesn’t want to put the prices to R20 000 a suit, he is doing it for the love. It is split into a custom line and a main line. The custom line he does all himself and he chooses the fabrics and sits with the tailors, puts the pieces together, gets behind the machines himself. So he has a relationship with the tailors. Each jacket has a theme in the custom line, like a James Bond and poker theme. He gets playful with it. It is very hand selected. It is a brand that I appreciate because it’s not just a brand based on marketing it is a brand based on quality and traditional products. Blue blood is a very traditional brand. It’s not mass-produced. It is made in the same way denim was made in the 1930s and 1940s. The people that work for Blue Blood, from the owners down to the cleaners love Blue Blood they have blue in their blood. They live denim every single day. They are very aware of what is happening in the world, they produce their denim and are environmentally friendly, they recycle their water, they use 100% organic cottons and slow stitching. They invest time and love into the product. When love is involved in
Go nuts, go mad, take over the world.
producing the product, it will always have the quality come through. Yes, one can spend the same amount of money and not get that passion. That’s what we are, passionate about appealing to a conscious consumer, those are the people we are trying to attract. You do get the consumers that just want the brand name and spend R5000 on a pair of jeans. It’s a niche market and we know that, that is what we are after. We are not interested in going into every single store. As agents for the brands we will put the products into stores that portray the brands in a way that we would like to do it ourselves. There is quite a gap in the market where existing brands do not provide a simple piece and still provide high end quality and feel. Those are the items that guys I think should wear every single day. Those are the essential items. It is about what you feel when you put that t-shirt on in the morning. How does the fabric feel on your skin? How does it fit? How does it make you feel emotionally? At the end of the day that is what designers have to consider when making these products. Why did you couple your store with a coffee shop. The space is about a lifestyle experience and combining the two creates that experience. Having the coffee shop provides a initial entrance for people. What are your plans for the future?
The brands Blue Blood, Scotch and Soda, Holland Esquire and the watches we have the rights to, those are the brands we have a responsibility to market correctly. There will be another store like this in Johannesburg but this is still in the planning stage however we will keep this store as the flagship. We are going to continue the brand identity, the colours, the graphics and quality service. We are trying to create a space of a luxury café. The space will be a lot different and the products will be different for the next stores that we open up. We will create these new stores according to the lifestyle’s of people in that area. That is an interesting way of marketing Loading Bay, as most brands today will just drop their franchise in an area without any consideration of what is around them. The way the world is going, becoming more conscious of the environment. I dont want to be popping up a store on every single corner. I will rather adapt to peoples lifestyle and conscience. It makes it more interesting. After this discussion with Jon-Paul it becomes very evident why this space stands out from the rest. A lifestyle brand, Loading Bay, is definitely a product of passion and a focused vision. Cliché or not, some high fashion brands are trying to make a positive impact on the environment. By Ryan Ali
Interview with Cape Town designer Ragnarok How would you describe your design ethos and the way you work? For me, as a designer, there are two key factors I try to follow when designing a garment. Uniqueness and balance. Uniqueness because, that is what separates you from the rest. Balance, this is the key element that determines the success of a design. Without balance, the quality of your design deteriorates. It’s one thing to go and design a garment but if you don’t have that element of balance your design can end up looking like a circus. What is the inspiration for your current collection that you are working on? Gamer, that is who and what I can with absolutely no doubt in my mind describe myself as. I’m what you would call a child of the video game era, through my passion for playing games, my design style actually developed. But just because I found out that my heroes and idols were nothing more than fragments of someone’s imagination, it didn’t stop me from wanting to be like them or look like them. And as the years went on I still enjoyed playing video games. I got to see all sorts of new and quite possibly creatable designs. Sure they weren’t real, but that doesn’t mean they’re not possible to make. What people who do play videogames understand, is that they are entire worlds full of possibility. And that is why I find gaming so inspiring. Has the MTN fashion week opened any doors for you having your work displayed and having been chosen for the Young Designer Showcase? How do you think it will affect you next year? Most definitely! Put it this way, since I got home I haven’t had any time to do anything besides work on my production line. Also I was contacted after my show by Derrick Heads from Elizabeth Galloway fashion design academy to do a photoshoot which we completed recently, it went really well. For the next year we want to get a spot at Cape Town Fashion Week. We are currently working on having the production line complete in order to qualify for that.
GAME
Designtimes Page 16
Wall E
Creating charming trash compactors, cuddly fish, and intimidating grasshoppers is all part of Andrew Stanton’s job. Stanton is a driving force at animation powerhouse Pixar, having been involved in all nine of the studio’s feature film releases. He joined the studio in 1990, hired as its second animator and ninth employee. Since then, he’s worked in such capacities as director, producer, screenwriter, animator and even occasional voice actor. Most recently, Stanton directed and cowrote the critically acclaimed Wall-E. The film tells the story of a romance between two robots in a post-apocalyptic future. Stanton also wrote and directed Finding Nemo, which won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film in 2004. His writing credits also include Monsters, Inc., Toy Story and A Bug’s Life. These days, Stanton is working on John Carter of Mars, and adaptation of Edward Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom series. The film will differ from previous Pixar releases in that it will blend CGI animation with live-action footage. The film is due to be released in 2012.
Spore creature evolution
Will Wright is a mad genius of gaming. If his career in the industry hadn’t already pointed at that, his newest project Spore cements the fact that he’s one of the most creative and bold risk takers in the industry. Spore is not a simple game, Spore allows players to create and evolve a life form from a microscopic organism in the goop of early life up to a highly intelligent being, in order to expand through the galaxy and thousands of other planets. Better yet, it provides community functionality that has never been seen before, even in view of The Sims. This is one insanely ambitious piece of gaming. Spore is named after how the game begins. The game begins in a pool of watery gloop. In this case, the view is centered on a microscopic creature that can swim and eat. Other life forms in the gloop have evolved for defense and attack. Unfortunately, your creature is fairly weak and needs to evolve as quickly as possible. In order to do that, the creature has to eat as much as possible while avoiding the bad things. It actually looks more like a tiny mini game in the actual game. After eating enough, your creature will lay an egg behind it, symbolizing the chance to evolve into the next generation. Clicking on the egg will bring up the evolution screen. The evolution screen shows a 3D model of the creature shown in the game world. It can be rotated, moved, and most importantly, altered in this setting. Life span points can be spent on evolving your creature into new and wonderful things. Different options will make themselves available for each generation. It’s a little unclear how these life span points are gained, though we think
that it’s through eating creatures and doing different things before evolving. The first evolution that Will added to his micro creature was a simple spike onto its head to give it a defense mechanism. Suddenly the creature could turn the tables on its attackers. Will then zoomed ahead in time to ten generations down the road. The creature had undergone some huge changes evolving up into a creature swimming through the open oceans. It was a floppy lizard looking creature that swam like a retarded fish. Movement is actually completely linked to the design of the creature’s body. Spore uses a procedural animation system that will figure out how the body should be moving depending on the shape and bone structure. The amazing part about Spore is that all of the creatures that you encounter will be creatures that someone else designed on his computer. Spore isn’t an online game, but it has some aspects of being one. Anybody who creates content in their version of Spore will have it automatically uploaded onto a master server and then downloaded onto other computers running the game without ever having to worry about an interface, giving almost an endless array of player created content. The system is even smart enough to fill out the ecosystem of the planet. So if there’s some sort of niche creature missing from the system, the game will look through the database and pull down a player created creature which fills that void. The creatures can evolve in order to procreate. The sequence for the mating is very funny. You can choose to evolve the creature’s brain, which begins a whole new section of the game. Once the brain has been upgraded, the creatures will move into a different mode of play and begin early societies. Now, instead of evolving though the creature evolution screen, creatures will learn and grow in a social sense through the use of tools and other objects. There are tools that will actually encourage the development of religion and other types of pursuits. Other tribes of the creatures in Spore form all across the planet and also try to build up their societies at the same time. At the center of each tribe is a hut that acts as the marker of the society. This hut can be upgraded to a newer, nicer hut as well,
Masters and Savant with 12 Loerie nominations which will open up new objects for the creatures to interact with, leading to more improvements. Eventually, the society will become complex enough that it moves into the next stage of the game, the city civilization game. The game eventually moves onto more advanced civilizations based around cities instead of mere tribes. Cities are pretty small areas for the most part and seem more to represent cities rather than serve as ever expandable metropolitan areas. Players will be able to set buildings inside of their city walls to serve certain purposes. What these purposes are is still a bit of a mystery, but it looked as though they serve as factories and maybe food plants. The buildings are also completely customizable. Objects can be added onto their mesh, the shape can be changed, the size can be adjusted, the colors and textures
can be fixed, and then these buildings too will be uploaded onto the central server. When constructing a building, the game will actually hunt the database for a good starting point that fits the style of your civilization and other buildings. Once placed, this base model can be altered to your liking. Just moving the camera up to the closest city over provided a good look at the variety of city styles. The game advances even further into interstellar travel and terraforming planets and eventually into the galactic game, the final view which is home to countless planets in a gigantic galaxy, where every star you see holds a potential enemy, ally, or colony. The game may not win any graphical achievements like some of the flashier strategy and shooter games out there, but it has more interesting features than we’ve seen for a very long time.
Masters and Savant Worldwide holds the record for the most nominated animation studio at this year’s Loerie Awards with 12 nominations. The company has been nominated for seven direct awards, and for a further four indirectly through partner advertising agencies. Roger Smythe, Managing Director Johannesburg comments. “We are overjoyed with the amount of nominations we have received. While the nominations prove that our work is worthy of the industries highest standard, what is more important for us is that it recognizes the quality of output for our clients, both corporate and agency. Further, we must congratulate our clients for their great creativity which allowed us to leverage animation to create potential award winning work.” Cape Town Managing Director, Reto Reolon says, “The nominations are reflective of our stance to be the best animation studio, which gets the work done. Our talented staff are some of the brightest in the industry, and this is certainly their moment to shine.” www.mastersandsavant.com
© 2008 Electronic Arts Inc. EA, the EA logo and SPORE are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All Rights Reserved. Mac and the Mac logo are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other counties. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
IS IT REALLY JUST ABOUT SURVIVAL? COULD YOU POINT ME IN THE DIRECTION OF THE GENE POOL? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT TENTACLES? FASHION, FUNCTION OR FASHUNCTION? ARE THOSE TUFTED EYE GUARDS? DO MORE EYES EQUAL MORE WINDOWS TO MORE SOULS? CAN WE MIX ELEMENTS? IS FRIENDLY AGGRESSIVENESS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN AGGRESSIVE FRIENDLINESS? WOULD YOU MIND IF I LEFT THE GALAXY FOR AWHILE? ISN’T ALL TRAVEL SPACE TRAVEL? DO EXTRATERRESTRIALS THINK OF THEMSELVES AS JUST REGULAR OLD TERRESTRIALS? DOES THIS ECOSYSTEM COME IN ANY OTHER FLAVORS? CAN I ORBIT YOU? FRIEND OR FOOD? WHERE SHOULD WE GO NOW? W H AT D O Y O U W A NT TO B EC O M E W H E N Y O U E VO LVE ? H O W W I LL YO U C R E ATE T H E U N I VE R SE ?
SPO R E ™ LE TS YOU CONTROL EVOLU T I O N , B U I L D C I V I L I Z AT I O N S A N D E X P LO R E T H E O U TE R R E A C H E S O F SPACE. WHAT YOU DO IS LIMITED ONLY BY YOUR IMAGINATION. YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS AT SPORE.COM
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