My fascination with houseboats and yachts started way back to my childhood. I always dreamed I can sail on the sea and enjoy the peace and leisure, while in my dream, boats were typically rustic with intricate woodwork. Cut to the present times, look at those incredible designs with high-tech – luxury and efficiency; that is our today’s topic 8 Futuristic and Innovative Yacht Designs

1. Kite Sailing Yacht [link]

The Kite Sailing Kitano Yacht designed by Stefani Krucke introduces kite sailing technology to the leisure sailing yacht class and benefits from the many advantages that technology has to offer. One of them being the constant and stronger wind speeds found at higher altitudes.

Compared to a normal sail the kite has less surface area but still generates enough force so that even a gentle breeze lifts the hull to a planing speed. The Yacht itself can house and home up to 8 passengers with the latest in luxury any client would love. On top of that, it’s totally green so even treehuggers can step off land once in awhile.

2. Yacht-Villa [link]

The yacht’s shape resembles a horseshoe, it has 900 m2 thermophotovoltaic panels and 2,000 kWh stored energy. Apart from stairs there’s also an elevator that connects three decks. There’s a 25 meter pool, spa, helipad, sauna, gym and massage room, a music room, a dining room, a cinema, suites, terraces, a lounge.
The price of the yacht is estimated at $ 150 million

3. The Raven Yacht by Maël Oberkampf [link]

“Raven Yacht” inspired by Wally, is a damn stylish and spacious ocean yacht. If you do not wish to go along with the crowd during yourvacations , you can plan an independent yacht vacation by making more choices about your trip. The each and every curve and shape makes it uniquely designed yacht. Raven Yacht will be a comfortable charter for more than 4 people with ample storage facility. It carries full chart inventory and navigation equipments for planning a perfect sight seeing.

4. Vif Argent Yacht – Riding The Deep Blue Seas Smoothly [link]

The Vif Argent Yacht combines the principles of foiler and glider so that you can have smooth sailings at high speeds with maximum efficiency. Killer combo, right! The boat floats on its hull while at rest and then deploys its gliders during acceleration, to help attain high speeds (over 50 knots). To ensure the smooth ride, the cabin is actually cruising above the waves at a height. The suspension system, which is integrated into glider folding arms, absorbs the shocks and vibrations of the wave impact.

Propulsion is made of two high performance diesel engines, to provide power and fuel efficiency.

5. Alfra Vico Luxury Motor Yacht Marino 52 [link]

Step into the Alfra Vico Luxury Motor Yacht Marino 52, and you’re sure to be floored by its stunningly simple design and interiors. Boasting of modern gadgetry to make sure you kiss high-speeds effortlessly, the yacht is envisioned as ‘motion art’ of the highest echelon. From the cleats to the projectile anchor, to the convertible exterior lounge-sofas/daybeds, to the fully computer-controlled helm station, the Marino 52 screams extravagance! We also discovered that Alfra Vico opted to invent and purpose-build new patent-pending electronic control systems, mechanizations, cleats, and other essential functional elements.

6. Oculus – God’s Skull of the Ocean [link]

This yacht’s unique shape “is representative of the jaw and eye socket bone structure of large oceanic fish and mammals.”

Designed to accommodate 12 guests in extraordinary comfort and style, Oculus is a long distance cruising yacht capable of speeds upwards of 25 knots. The exterior styling is representative of the jaw and eye socket bone structure of large oceanic fish and mammals. Featuring a dramatic reverse bow configuration, the yacht’s armature balances an elegant expression of symmetry and structure. In addition to the bow, Oculus also features a “low rider profile”. This slightly lowered surface allows for new side recreational areas, alternate dockage access and light cruising openness.

7. SENTORI 50 R from Motion Code Blue [link]

Gigantic windows in the greenhouse to actualize a melding of interior and exterior spaces. Large owners window in the hull for an excellent und unique view slightly above the water, shark fin level. Bar in back acts as skylight for salon underneath. Sunbed and multifunctional dining area up in the back. Dining table ready for 8 can be raised for use or lowered for sun bathing area. Wet-bar, hot-plate, refrigerator with super awesome semi-transparent glass surface.

8. Infanitas by E. Kevin Schopfer [link]

Inspired by Infinity, the symbol is abstractly expressed within the yacht’s elevation. It can accommodate 16 guests and crew and has all the requisites to appease Mr. Moneybags; helipad and swimming pool included!

Because we only have 4 new posts during last 2 weeks, we decided to combine these 2 weeks in one issue. During last 2 weeks, we have written 4 posts about FOUR topics: Cutting Boards, Bridge Designs, Chair Designs, and Door Knob/Door Handle….In case you miss one of them, we prepare this weekly report for our favorite selections and hope you will like them. Here is the list:

1. 12 Modern and Functional Cutting Boards

2. 7 Modern Bridge Designs

3. 9 Interesting and Unusual Chair Designs

4. 9 Creative and Unusual Door Knob/Door Handle

Door knob or dorr handle, can’t be more normal in our daily life… How can that be crerative or unusual? Check this post to see how those designer daring twists on a traditionally utilitarian theme and unlock your perceptions of what door knob/door handle could be.

1. Disappearing Doorknob Concept [link]

Innovative door handle system, designed by Arnaud Lapierre, promises to ensure your privacy by hiding the knob when the door is locked. It uses clever pulley system that retracts the exterior door knob when pulled from the inside.

2. Light Bulb Door Handle Concept [link]

His Knob Light is a door knob with an internal generator that stores energy and illuminates the way in emergencies or whenever you need a guide to the loo. How it relates to the butterfly effect theory is esoteric but simply by expanding the knob’s function to include illumination, you effectively change the way you use the knob.

3. Help Lock doorknob [link]

The first time you activate the Help Lock doorknob, you program in a phone number and a time. This is the amount of time you get to be in the bathroom without the door going NUTS!

From the first time forward, each time you close the door and hit the “go” button, you have the alloted amount of time to use the toilet, shower, bath, or do whatever else – after that alloted amount of time, an alarm goes off!

The alarm sounds for 30 warning seconds (it’s quiet) during which you can still turn it off, followed by Loud Noises and a phone call to the programmed number.

Not sure is that a good idea…the only thing I know is I will be driven madness to those button…alarm…noise things.

4. Door handle [link]

5. HanLED glows in the dark [link]

The HanLED is one intuitive sustainable handle that lights up when you approach the door, you put the key and the back side lights, finally you unlock the door and you get a warm welcome with a friendly green signal. Taking energy from the sun during the daytime, it gets powered, thereby letting the LED to glow in the dark when sought after.

6. Art Glass Doorknobs [link]

Out Of The Blue Design Studio will knock your socks off with literally dozens of spectacularly beautiful doorknobs crafted with care from exquisite art glass. The available designs range from natural images of leaves, flowers and even a globe, to more abstract themes that serve to focus your attention – and likely the sun’s rays on a bright clear day. These cooler than cool doorknobs look so good you’ll be tempted to forbid people from touching them for fear of leaving fingerprints.

7. NUMLOCK HANDLE [link]

Designer Jess Han has re-imagined the simple door handle with a DaVinci Code style lock that denies entry for all but the chosen few (cue: dramatic music). This intuitive door handle dubbed the “NUMLOCK HANDLE” features a numbered dial-lock that re-shuffles and locks itself after every successful entry. Get the code incorrect and Tom Hanks gets punched in the gut by an albino assassin. The numbers can be replaced or supplemented with braille for that extra level of mystery.

8. The Illuminating Door Handle [link]

s you can see from this pictures the handle indicates the room is occupied with a red light on the outside of the door when the thumb turn is activated. When the room is vacant there is a continuous green light on the outside. This door handle can be very useful for toilets, and especially in college dorms, when students can send an obvious “Don’t disturb !!!”a message to their roommates.

9. “Jiong” Doorknobs [link]

Jiong is an interesting Chinese character that sports a half-smiling and half-fainting face, and is very popular on Internet. People use its caricature as an emoticon to display shock and dramatize a situation. Designer Haikun Deng plans to make a drama queen out of Jiong cause she has fashioned it to “commit suicide” if you slam the door shut! SLAM and the bl@@dy door knob hits you hard in your hands!

Someone once said “A chair should be more than simply functional. It should be friendly, fun and colorful.” I kindly agree that opinion… since we are spending lots of our time on the chair… But for some creative designer… these are still not enough. They want add some other features to chair design, like green, gaming, or not chair…lol.

Anyway, there are 9 interesting and unusual chair designs presented in today’s post… which one you like most?

1. Formula 1 Car Inspired Chair [link]

Designed by Alexander Christoff, this beautiful F1 lounge chair was inspired by the legendary Ferrari Formula 1 race car. Fiberglass body, chrome legs and an adjustable headrest are combined to form the ergonomically enhanced chair that will spice up the living room of any Formula 1 fan.

2. Breathing Chair Made of Foam [link]

It’s a chair made of foam that becomes an armchair when someone sits down. It was created by Taiwanese designer Yu-Ying Wu, a graduate from the Department of Industrial Design at the Taiwan-based Tatung University. Although inspired by plant cells, it looks like a big block of tofu or Swiss cheese to me. Wu explained said that she has problems with her knees, so she wanted to design a chair that can take some pressure off her knees when she sits down.

3. KOLO Armchair by Jouko Järvisalo [link]

KOLO is an armchair moulded out of a single wooden sheet. Its armrests form a planar surface, from which the seat and chair back are pressed out to create a hollow in which the user can sit. Kolo floats on air, supported by a minimalist tubular steel frame.

The Finnish word KOLO refers to a small hollow, nook, hole or niche; metaphorically, it also refers to a living space.

4. Yuliyan Mikov – Roots Chair [link]

Bulgarian based industrial designer Yuliyan Mikov’s releases images of his latest piece, the Roots Chair. Referencing tree roots to develop a sculptural chair, (we can’t imagine this being too comfortable), the Roots Chair is a beautiful standalone piece.

5. Pac-Man Chair [link]

The Pacman Chair design itself bring Pacman to life and seems like a perfect place to meditate and think how to beat the next level’s boss. Its bright yellow color cannot be avoided when stepping into a room, and the smile simply invites you to seat inside.

6. Barnacle Chair [link]

The Barnacle Chair by designer Ania Wagner is made from sustainable wood and lined with a cultivated industrial felt. This chair allows the user to sit in it, similar to bucket seating or flip it over and multiple users can lean against it while seated on the floor. Measuring 30×40×23”, the Barnacle Chair is a modern, green and functional design.

7. Growing Tree Chair by Michel Bussien [link]

Designed by Michele Bussien, it’s essentially a clear plastic frame you place over a growing tree (here fast growing Willow trees and Russian vines) to train it into a chair shape. Remove the chair and the tree from the rolling planter once the tree has grown and replant it in the garden. For now, it is still a concept.

8. Painted Brass Knuckle Metal Art Chair [link]

This chair was inspired by brass knuckles. What are more useful then brass knuckles? And why wouldn’t you want a chair to look like some. Disassembles for easy transport. May also be purchased with leveling feet instead of castors. Materials used include steel.

9. Ribbon Chair [link]

After seeing lots of creative but might not comfortable chair… we are presenting you with this one of the most comfortable chairs ever. The bold contoured form allows the user to assume a variety of positions while retaining the necessary support. A professional, innovative vision on the well-known ribbon form.

Bridge is something essential in our daily traffics and decently designed bridge can also turn into a landmark. With the development of technology, some impossible bridges are built and functionality is not the only key in modern bridge design. Designer put more and more emphasis on the appearance and material. Moreover, for those built bridge, people are trying their best to give it a new looking. In this post, we will present you with 7 modern and unusual bridge designs collected from the world. Hope you enjoy.

1. Aiola Island Bridge, Graz, Austria [link]

The ‘island’ was created by the New York artist Vito Acconci. It has a sunbathing area, a trendy bar and a coffee house, plus it allows you to cross the Mur River from one shore to another.

2. Banpo Fountain Bridge, korea [link]

Just a twist of design, a splattering of paint, a cheeky addition to something old can make it look brightly cheerful and attractive to the eyes again. The Banpo Bridge which crosses over the Han River in the Seoul capital of Korea has been given new life with the addition of a very interesting fountain, that was specially designed to attract more tourists. Instead of remodeling this huge structure to fit it with the usual design of a fountain, even that has been give some change,with the fountain shooting water downwards instead of up.

3. Lions Gate Bridge, Canada [link]

The Lions Gate Bridge, officially known as the First Narrows Bridge, is a suspension bridge that crosses the first narrows of Burrard Inlet and connects the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, to the North Shore municipalities of the District of North Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, and West Vancouver. The term “Lions Gate” reflects the Lions, a pair of mountain peaks north of Vancouver.

4. Butterfly Bridge, Bedford, UK [link]

The bridge, at 32m in span, has twin steel arches which are inclined like butterfly wings to produce a feeling of containment on the deck and, simultaneously, an openness to the sky. The deck extends onto the landscaped banks at each end to engage with the open space around the bridge and enable step-free access, with longitudinal deck lighting concealed at kicker level within the parapets. The bridge is designed to create an inviting spectator platform and informal ‘grandstand’ during Bedford’s annual regatta.

5. Broadway Bridge (Saskatoon, Canada) [link]

Broadway Bridge is an arch bridge that spans across the west and east banks of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It was built in 1932 at the time of depression and was a project to help keep the many unemployed workers still working a bit. In my opinion this bridge itself is a work of art and is a must see if ever in the area.

6. Rolling Bridge, Paddington Basin in London [link]

The Rolling Bridge, was created by Thomas Heatherwick. It is twelve meters long and opens every Friday at noon. Rather than a conventional opening bridge mechanism, consisting of a single rigid element that lifts to let boats pass, the Rolling Bridge gets out of the way by curling up until its two ends touch.

7. Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Gateshead, UK [link]

The bridge is essentially two graceful curves, one forming the deck and the other supporting it, spanning between two new islands running parallel to the quaysides. These pivot around their common springing points to allow shipping to pass beneath, using an innovative rotational movement similar to that of a slowly opening eyelid. The parabolic curves of the deck extend the 105m crossing distance to around 120m, giving enough extra length to provide the required clearance above the water. Visually elegant when static and in motion, the bridge offers a great spectacle during its opening operation – both during the day and by night.

If you are bored with the old, regular and conventional cutting board, check this post. We have collected 12 modern and functional cutting board designs from the world which we are sure will speed up or increase the pleasure to your food preparation. So, are you ready to spice up your kitchen with these modern and functional cutting boards?

1. Over-the-Sink Cutting Boards [link]

Increase food-prep space with this ingenious kitchen tool. The solid maple board, fitted with an 18/10 stainless-steel mesh colander, straddles your sink to create a convenient area for rinsing, draining and chopping. The removable colander makes it easy to transport ingredients between sink and stove. Handcrafted in Vermont, the board reverses, so you can use one side for produce, the other for meats and poultry.

2. Encanal Carving Board [link]

Carving board for cooking. The channel in the middle makes sure that nothing falls out of the frying pan.

3. Bamboo Appetito Cutting Board [link]

A combination of form and function, the Bamboo Appetito is a cutting board designed to reinvent conventional food preparation. With traditional boards you have to sweep waste off to make room for more food. The Bamboo Appetito solves this problem with a split cutting surface and track running underneath that conceals a stainless steel utensil tray.

4. Pinzon Santoku Knives and Bamboo Cutting Board Set [link]

# Includes 5- and 7-inch santoku knives, bamboo storage drawer, and bamboo cutting board
# Blades stamped from 2mm-gauge stainless steel; double welding produces sharp edges
# Alternating hollows on blades allow slices to fall away; tangs extend to handles
# Hollow, stainless-steel handles are ergonomically designed

5. Cut & Carve Double Sided Cutting/Serving Board [link]

This double sided chopping board has a meat grip, an easy pour lip for gravy and juices and a nice big flat surface with a lip that is perfect for serving or cutting breads, veggies or whatever else you’re whipping up in the kitchen!

6. Index Chopping Boards [link]

These four color-coded polypropylene chopping boards are designed to avoid cross-contamination of various food types: red/raw meat, white/cooked foods, blue/fish, green/vegetables. The boards are stored in an ABS plastic horizontal filing unit with a non-slip rubber bottom. Boards are dishwasher safe.

7. Folding Cutting Board [link]

Chop foods on this multi-purpose cutting board and then fold it into a chute to transfer ingredients without spills. Made of polypropylene.

8. Ventiquattro Cutting Board [link]

Jorre Van Ast, Mathias Hahn & Tomás Alonso collaborated to design the Ventiquattro Food Bag – a cutting board made of American oak and paired with a flush, sterling silver knife. Come with a washable synthetic bag.

9. Pinzon Round Bamboo Chopping Block with Inset Mezzaluna [link]

# Round, reversible bamboo chopping block with mezzaluna inset
# Flat side for everyday chopping; bowl-shaped side for mezzaluna’ s curved blade
# Chopping block made from bamboo, a renewable resource; more durable than maple
# Food-safe, stain-free, hard surface; 10 inches in diameter and 2-3/4 inches high

10. ES cutting board [link]

“Unusual in design, the board breaks with conventional boards by establishing a slope, allowing liquids to run freely to a collection drain from where they can be poured easily away. The cutting angle and single-hand lifting are other ergonomic working benefits of ES. The product is reversible so that meat and vegetables can be prepared separately. Non-slip, reversible, hygienic and durable HD-PE, light weight, and dish washable are other features.

And the last two are still concept designs and which one you want to come true more?

11. Cutting Board Scale [link]

This cutting board has an integrated scale within a defined area on it’s surface. This allows a person to both cut and measure ingredients on the same surface with very little extra effort. Simply put, it precisely reduces the steps of preparation, dishes to clean, and time wasted. There has been a tranformative trend in cooking based around the science of food. Central to this is the idea that precise measurement leads to more possibilities for new flavors. Recipies will become more demanding, requiring simple ways to be precise in the kitchen.

12. LCD Cutting Board [link]

Created by Nardo Design, the Digital Cutting Board features a built in LCD allowing users to download and display recipes of their choice.