Building materials

Architecture Students Construct Essential School Restroom in Thailand

A group of 41 aspiring architects dedicated 11 days to an unprecedented endeavor: constructing a school restroom in Thailand's Suphanburi Province. This annual gathering, the AKU ASA Volunteer Camp, typically focuses on pavilions or multipurpose halls, but this year shifted its educational emphasis. The primary school required basic sanitation, and the chosen site, beneath a mature Nontri tree, presented a unique challenge and opportunity for practical, hands-on learning in an area often neglected in conventional architectural studies.

With minimal prior construction expertise, the volunteers quickly adapted, immersing themselves in the intricacies of sanitary design and plumbing systems. This departure from previous camp projects allowed them to explore how building infrastructure is influenced by both design and environmental factors. Led by SEP studio, the design team incorporated reclaimed timber from the school's original 60-year-old Chinese-style building, imbuing the new facility with historical continuity and demonstrating sustainable material reuse. Every element of the structure was meticulously crafted by the students, highlighting the value of traditional building skills and their transmission across generations.

The completed facility is more than just a functional toilet; its design thoughtfully integrates with the natural surroundings. The strategic placement beneath the Nontri tree maximizes shade, and careful consideration of airflow transforms the transitional area between sinks and stalls into a welcoming space for rest or play, moving beyond mere circulation. This project stands as a testament to the transformative power of experiential learning, extending architectural education beyond aesthetic form-making to encompass vital infrastructure, ecological awareness, and the enduring legacy of craftsmanship.

This initiative exemplifies how architecture can serve as a catalyst for positive community development, fostering both essential infrastructure and a deep appreciation for sustainable practices. By engaging in such practical projects, students gain invaluable experience while contributing meaningfully to the well-being of local communities.

SolidNature and Sabine Marcelis Launch Exclusive Stone Candleholders

Emerging from a transient spatial design originally conceived for Amsterdam Fashion Week 2026, a remarkable collection of unique decorative objects has been unveiled. The enthusiastic acclaim received for their collaborative dining arrangement during the event's inaugural dinner has prompted natural stone specialist SolidNature and renowned Dutch creative Sabine Marcelis to release a special series of their meticulously crafted candleholders. These individual pieces, initially arranged on a pristine white surface to create a fluid visual progression, are now accessible as part of an exclusive offering of 400 carved stone items. The design elegantly bridges the gap between fashion aesthetics and object composition, empowering users to assemble individual elements into bespoke modular formations that mirror the graceful motion and vibrant coloration of a candle's glow.

This innovative partnership is rooted in a shared artistic vision cultivated between SolidNature and Sabine Marcelis, both celebrated for their profound investigations into material properties. Their ongoing creative alliance previously yielded the much-lauded 'Beyond the Surface' installation during Milan Design Week 2023. That grand display featured an impressive seven-meter-long dining surface constructed from six distinct travertine varieties, seamlessly unified by Marcelis' distinctive colored glass elements. While their Milan exhibit employed natural stone as a formidable architectural base, this current limited-edition assortment elevates the material above the tabletop, directly influencing the ambiance of an environment. Marcelis' creative pursuits frequently revolve around the interplay of illumination, geometric forms, and material transformations. SolidNature, in turn, contributes its esteemed expertise as a premium stone provider, showcasing technical mastery in sourcing, precision cutting, and intricate carving of rare natural stones.

The Evolution of Design: From Runway to Bespoke Collectible

The collaborative vision of SolidNature and Sabine Marcelis, initially showcased at Amsterdam Fashion Week, has culminated in a highly anticipated limited-edition series of sculptural candleholders. What began as a temporary table arrangement, lauded for its innovative use of natural stone and light, has been refined and transformed into a collection of 400 unique, handcrafted pieces. These exquisite candleholders, crafted from Honey Onyx and Sunset Dune Travertine, offer a blend of artistic expression and material science, allowing collectors to create dynamic displays that evoke the subtle movement and warmth of candlelight. The success of their previous installations, particularly the monumental 'Beyond the Surface' exhibit in Milan, underscored their shared commitment to material-focused design and set the stage for this intimate and collectible offering.

The journey from a fleeting runway installation to a coveted design object highlights the enduring appeal of the partnership between SolidNature and Sabine Marcelis. Their initial table setting, which artfully utilized six types of natural stone and varying sizes to achieve a continuous gradient effect, captivated audiences. For the commercial release, the concept was distilled into two distinctive stone options: the translucent Honey Onyx, with its soft orange hues revealing internal mineral layers, and the earthy red Sunset Dune Travertine, characterized by ancient porous textures. Each candleholder, meticulously carved from a solid block, features a unique curved silhouette designed to hold three standard dinner candles. The individual veining patterns, ranging from sharp lines to cloud-like formations, ensure that every piece is one-of-a-kind. This limited collection, comprising 100 pieces for each of the four variations (two stone types, two lengths), offers collectors a chance to own a piece of design history that blends natural beauty with contemporary aesthetics.

A Symphony of Stone and Light: Crafting Ambiance

This collaboration between SolidNature and Sabine Marcelis delves into a shared design philosophy, one that emphasizes the inherent beauty and transformative potential of natural materials. The limited-edition candleholders are a testament to their ongoing exploration of color and stone, building upon the success of previous ventures such as the 'Beyond the Surface' installation. While that earlier project utilized natural stone for monumental architectural impact, the candleholder collection brings this material to a more intimate scale, directly influencing the atmospheric qualities of a living space. Marcelis' artistic signature, deeply rooted in light, geometry, and material evolution, perfectly complements SolidNature's unparalleled expertise in sourcing, cutting, and carving rare and exquisite stones, resulting in objects that are both functional and profoundly artistic.

The meticulous attention to detail in the creation of these candleholders is evident in every aspect, from the selection of the stone to the final form. Each piece is sculpted from solid blocks, preserving a distinctive curved profile specifically designed to cradle three standard dinner candles. The unique character of every candleholder stems from the varying veining patterns revealed during the cutting process, which can range from sharply defined linear streaks to soft, ethereal, cloud-like formations, ensuring that no two pieces are exactly alike. Available in two distinct lengths, 500 mm and 650 mm, with a consistent width of 100 mm and a height of 150 mm, the collection offers four unique variations, each limited to an exclusive run of 100 units. These highly sought-after pieces are made available exclusively through SolidNature's dedicated online store, presenting a unique opportunity for design enthusiasts to acquire a truly special item.

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Bottega Veneta Unveils Cardboard Sculptural Stools for Summer 2027 Show

For its Summer 2027 collection showcase, Bottega Veneta commissioned Ukrainian artist Illya Goldman Gubin to create a series of sculptural seating. Gubin's innovative approach involved transforming commonplace cardboard boxes into unique stools, each bearing the distinct marks of his physical engagement with the material.

Where Utility Meets Artistry: Cardboard Transformed

The Genesis of Form: From Box to Stool

Ukrainian artist Illya Goldman Gubin has reimagined the humble cardboard box for Bottega Veneta's Summer 2027 fashion presentation. By subjecting ordinary cardboard to a process of physical manipulation, Gubin sculpts each box into a one-of-a-kind stool. These creations are then fortified with resin and fiberglass, ensuring durability while retaining the intrinsic character of their original form. The intricate folding and interlacing of the cardboard pieces subtly evoke Bottega Veneta's renowned Intrecciato leatherwork, bridging the gap between utilitarian packaging and high fashion furniture.

The Artist's Touch: A Physical Dialogue with Material

Gubin's creative methodology is intensely hands-on, involving a dynamic process of crumpling and distorting the cardboard. This tactile engagement leaves an indelible imprint on each piece, with the material visibly registering the artist's movements and spontaneous alterations. The resulting creases, indentations, and irregular textures ensure that no two stools are exactly alike, each serving as a tangible record of its artistic genesis.

Reimagining Cardboard: A New Purpose

Cardboard, a material often destined for disposal after its primary function, is elevated by Goldman Gubin into a medium for artistic expression and functional design. For the Bottega Veneta stools, he begins with the existing structure of the box, employing his body's pressure to fold and crease it into new forms. This method imbues each stool with a unique identity, visible in the varied textures and shapes after the resin and fiberglass reinforcement. The transformation is profound: a container once designed to hold objects now cradles the human form, with its manipulated flaps subtly echoing the iconic interwoven leather of Bottega Veneta's Intreccio. The finished stools transparently display the creation process, with the raw material’s history peeking through the reinforced surface. This artistic endeavor turns a common packaging material into bespoke furniture, celebrating the beauty of imperfection and the journey of its making.

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