These new images by British photographer Edmund Sumner show the fluted concrete structure of the Museo Internacional del Barroco in Mexico, which is designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito. Read more
From the architect. The project is the restoration of an existing dance club, making the general area the most impressive element of this place. We create a hexagon grid with integrated lighting in each element projecting different sets of lights and environments in sync with the music.
The facade is a play on geometric volumes that are more sober than the interior, creating mystery on the elements found within it.
Access is a transition space between the facade and the general area. Multiple panels with organic movement were created to represent a three-dimensional and infinite effect with mirrors at the ends, playing with indirect lighting that has an important role in giving more depth and movement to this space.
The bathroom area also uses lighting as part of the design, creating a space with a starry sky effect and reflections with mirrors and glass mosaics in front of the sinks.
The bar has as its main element a golden lamp with a diameter of 3 meters framing this area. Three-dimensional mosaics are used to continue the concept portrayed on the facade, access and general area. A tapestry with organic lines is also used to create some depth for the space, framing the rear exit with green foliage that contrasts the curved and angular elements of this space.
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” ~ Helen Keller ~
One of the basic attributes of any successful person, is their high level of optimism. This is one of the main drivers of all winning and high achieving people. Without some degree of optimism, we would never try anything new and our lives would remain perpetually stuck in the same place. All the advances and achievements in history have been fuelled by a sense of optimism. Besides, being optimistic just helps our lives to be more fulfilling, enjoyable and fun. While some people believe optimism is something we are born with, we do have control over our thoughts and actions and therefore create our own level of optimism.
Here are 7 ways we can boost our level of optimism.
We know that our subconscious mind will go over the last thoughts we had before going to sleep. Spend a few minutes thinking about everything that went right and that you enjoyed during the day just before going to sleep to program positive thoughts and images into our minds for the night. This will allow us to have a better sleep and awake more positively to face the day.
As soon as you wake up, begin thinking about what you want to accomplish with the expectation that it will happen. Visualize yourself at the end of the day having achieved everything, or more than you had planned to do. Spend a couple of minutes repeating your long term goals, purpose or life mission to yourself. Visualize yourself already having achieved these goals.
Look at life and success as a marathon; built upon continuous small wins and improvements. Look over your day and make a mental note of achievements, learned and improved. Write them down or tell yourself while looking in the mirror. This will not only build self-confidence but make it more natural to think of things that have gone well during the day.
Successful, optimistic people never forget what they have to be grateful for. While striving to reach our goals and achieve more, it is important that we are grateful for what we have in the present. I keep a gratitude book in which I write in at least 10 things that I am grateful for before beginning my day. This ensures that I start the day in a positive frame of mind and gives me comfort, knowing that I have a wonderful base to be working from each and every day.
In any situation, problem or difficulty we have a choice of where we focus our thoughts and efforts. Optimists don’t waste time looking for who to blame, or commiserating on the problem. Instead they focus on the solution and look for ways to improve the situation. They look at failures as lessons to be learned that will help them avoid or overcome the same circumstance in the future.
Optimistic people don’t have the time, energy or inclination to spend being around naysayers and negative people. They realize these people will only drain their energy so avoid them as much as possible and find other positive, motivated people to surround themselves with and bounce ideas off of. Being optimistic will attract other optimistic, success oriented people who in turn will support us, our ideas and continue to boost our optimism. It is common for successful people to be in a mastermind group to support each other in reaching goals. Find one to join, or set one up.
Being optimistic lets us believe that the future will be even better than the past and we look forward to it with excitement and anticipation. People like Peter Drucker, who lived into his 90’s, made it a goal to learn one new thing every year. One year he learned to speak Japanese. Not only does learning support us to be more optimistic, it keeps our mind active and open to new possibilities and opportunities.
The post 7 Habits of Highly Optimistic People appeared first on Change your thoughts.
Mangroves are vital for stabilizing shorelines, but their recent depletion presents impending doom for coastal habitats.
Aptum Architecture and CEMEX Research Group might have a solution. Their collaborative project, Rhizolith Island (Isla Rhizolith), is a prototype that explores the potential for floating concrete structures to revitalize deteriorating shorelines. The structure was just installed in Cartagena, Columbia as part of the RC 2016 (Reunion del Concreto), an international Expo and Academic Conference on Concrete.
Due to sedimentary imbalance, rising sea-levels, and flooding, coastal erosion along the Colombian coast has increased its span. Rhizolith Island attempts to emulate the mangroves, which control sediments through their roots, thereby preventing shoreline decay. Essentially comprised of “root-like” concrete components and planted mangroves, the project’s natural and artificial elements create an organic Rhizolith — a root system encased in mineral matter.
The design is constructed from two separate pieces: a head and a fin made from concrete mixes and casting. Because the head’s concrete mixture is lighter than water, the two elements can float in addition to allowing mangrove roots to grow through the head. In contrast, the fin’s mixture (UHPC: ultra high-performance concrete) is denser and strengthens the foundation, promoting marine life and barnacle growth.
Through the system’s porosity and form, the force of the water is mitigated. For the first phase of the project, the planted mangroves will be protected by encasement tubes to harbor mangrove seedlings. Anchored at the top of the concrete pieces, the mangrove’s roots will eventually be able to spread and even grow onto the shore in the second phase.
Cienaga de la Virgen Lagoon and Isla Grande are two sites chosen for further development. Their locations offer the same type of long-term restoration (5-10 years), allowing the mangroves to flourish into an organic buffer zones for the coastlines.
News Via: Aptum Architecture
Eyeballs, tentacles and weird machinery inhabit the peculiar forest Roof Studio designed for Empire of the Sun’s High and Low music video. Read more
A light and spacious kitchen, dining and lounge opens onto a latticed balcony in this Tel-Aviv apartment, which has been completely overhauled by Dori interior design studio. Read more
British architect Adam Knibb has added this cross-laminated timber extension to a house in the English county of Hampshire, and connected it to the former barn building by a frameless glass box. Read more
A rolling carpet of autumn color covers the landscape of Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the North Carolina and Tennessee border. From mountaintop to valley bottom, the gorgeous colors of nature are calling you to explore this amazing place. Photo by Gary Fua (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl).
The Bruder Klaus Field Chapel by Peter Zumthor, completed in 2007, is known for its beautiful respect for the materials which were used to construct the sensuous space. The interior of the chapel is a black cavity left behind by 112 tree trunks burnt out of the cast concrete walls. Twenty-four layers of concrete were poured into a frame surrounding the trunks, stacked in a curved conical form, forming a stark contrast to the comparatively smooth angular façade. After removing the frame, many small holes were left behind in the walls, creating an effect reminiscent of the night sky. The chapel’s “beautiful silence” and undeniable connection to its surrounding landscape make it an evocative and popular destination for many.
In this photo series, architecture photographer Aldo Amoretti captures the dramatic relationship between the Bruder Klaus Field Chapel and its natural environment. Despite its concrete surface and straight edges, the chapel doesn’t stand out as brutal. Instead, the images depict a visual manifestation of Zumthor’s words: architecture with “composure, self-evidence, durability, presence, and integrity, and with warmth and sensuousness as well.”
Bruder Klaus Field Chapel / Peter Zumthor//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.js
Sig Nordal 