The Tannery Apartment is a private residence renovated by Ben and Nicole Roe. It is located in Clifton Hill, Melbourne, Australia. Photos courtesy of Ben and Nicole Roe
The post Ben and Nicole Roe Design a Private Residence in Clifton Hill, Australia appeared first on HomeDSGN.
How To Develop Awesome Eating Habits Without Failing And Binging
This is my story of how I was finally able to develop healthy eating habits.
Emptiness enveloped me once again. Visions of chocolate cake and double cheeseburgers ran through my head. As the stress and sadness of the day took over, it compelled me to binge once again destroying any hopes I had that the day would be a healthy eating day.
I remember feeling like this for years. I would wake up from overeating (pizza, cheeseburgers, and cake) the night before feeling horrible. I constantly had diarrhea and low energy. I also could not lose weight no matter how many times I went to the gym. Emotional pain and despair ruled my life. I knew there was a way to improve my life I just did not know what or how.
How you can stop this vicious cycle
We, as humans, need to be connected with one another. Living in an emotionally isolated desert for so many years, I am proof that this is true. Having a support system and network to help you meet your goals and intentions is the only way that you can succeed with living a healthier life.
You have already decided to make your health your number one priority. Now all you have to do is to surround yourself with people that take their health seriously as well. While no one but you can control what you put in your mouth, you are more likely to eat healthy if you feel loved and supported.
For many this may be the missing link
I remember when I first started out in trying to take control of my life and my health. I was so confused. Everything was so new and I did not know where to start. I would be frustrated and hungry. I was afraid to “lose” my lifestyle change.
Some of my coworkers would say, “Are you one of those gluten free freaks now?” This would make me feel and respond defensively at first. Then I began to say, “Not having gluten has really made me feel so much better. I’m not so sick all the time.”
Habits to form once you are on your healing path
Now that we have talked about all of this change and getting support in our lives, how can you start?
I recommend just taking one small step.
This may mean having more veg than starch on your plate for dinner or skipping dessert all week and just eating it on the weekend. Whatever change you want to implement, make it small enough to manage but big enough to create a result.
Another suggestion would be cleaning out your fridge. Freeing it of junk food will make your food decisions easier. We humans tend to take the easier path. So if it is easier to eat a steak and an arugula salad ( which you now have on hand), than walking to the burger place or waiting for delivery, 8 times out of ten we will take the easier option. If you design your life so that healthier food is easier to get when you are hungry, more than likely, that is what you will go for.
Putting a system into place where healthy food is more accessible is a great place to start. You will be amazed at the results. You will lose weight and have more energy in a short period of time. Eating whole and unprocessed foods that appeals to you is the best way to accelerate your success.
See Also: How to Find Time to Cook Healthy Meals
Feedback you may receive as you transform
Before I fully committed to constantly improving my health, I would receive a lot of negative comments.
I remember working out really hard for 3 months. Then my mother would put me down saying, “wow Jerome your cheeks are so plump”! and my aunt telling me, “Your shirt is waaaaay too small. You need a large, not a medium. Look how your stomach sticks out.”
You can only imagine how those words made me feel. I felt so small and insignificant. I felt terrible about myself.
After I fully committed to better health, the feedback I would get went more like “omg Jerome, every time I see you, you look better and better” and “Jerome, you are like disappearing!”
I was not really disappearing or starving myself. I just had more energy and was less inflamed. I was evolving into my true body weight and overall look. My happiness skyrocketed and my stress plummeted. This continues to this day. You can never stop improving.
Being kind to yourself is the fastest way to rapid progression
Since you are reading this article, I know that you are on the warpath to make immediate changes. Just remember that you have spent years and years eating and behaving one way and now you are completely doing the opposite.
You will experience setbacks. Try to not let this upset you. Having setbacks is a normal part of the growing process.
Remember that you are fully committed. Insignificant setbacks will not ruin the whole process. Time is your friend. Over time you will see massive positive results from all of your hard work.
People may judge you and put you down
You have complete control of your destiny. If anyone tells you differently, have awareness around how they made you feel then make a rational decision about how you will proceed with the relationship.
You absolutely deserve to be around people that fully support you and your lifestyle changes. You will more than likely face opposition from other people, but just remember that they’re really just projecting their own insecurities onto you.
It has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them. People can be quite hurtful and you may feel as though you want to give up. Every time you rise and go forward, you just get that much stronger.
Only you have the power to take action
As I mentioned earlier, support is key in starting your journey towards your healthiest self. Let your support network know that you are excited about the changes you are making. The challenges ahead may require more support than you are used to or may expect to need.
If you are having difficulty with some aspect of your transformation, try to not keep it bottled up. This may jeopardize your success making you feel isolated again. Remember, there are always people out there willing to support you.
I never knew how fast and far I could go in just a few years with improving my health. I now know it is possible to live my best life on this plane. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. With support, lasting change will come easily and naturally for you.
Remember, I am always here to provide you with support in your goals.
I would love to hear your stories. We can all grow by sharing each other’s stories towards absolute greatness!
See Also: Four Simple Ways to Teach Your Kids to Say “NO” to Junk Foods
The post How To Develop Awesome Eating Habits Without Failing And Binging appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
Hole 14 House / Javier Muñoz Menéndez
© David Cervera
- Architects: Muñoz Arquitectos
- Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
- Architect In Charge: Javier Muñoz Menéndez
- Area: 876.33 m2
- Project Year: 2013
- Photographs: David Cervera
- Other Participants: Gareth Lowe Negrón, Celine Monteagudo, Iza Pérez Jaramillo, Javier Ceballos Cabañas
- Construction: Taran – Lae. Esteban Muñoz Castillo, Eduardo Muñoz Medina
© David Cervera
For this project we had the opportunity to work on an irregularly shaped, 1,708 square meter plot, with 21 trees, in an exclusive golf club development in the north of the city of Merida.
© David Cervera
In common with our previous projects, the challenge -which also constitutes one of our firm beliefs- was to respect the existing trees, as they are tenants which have more right to continue living there than the new habitants.
© David Cervera
Ground Floor Plan
© David Cervera
The house is fragmented in order to respect all the trees on the property. A white volume contains all the house’s services and is supported by the stone walls that frame the entrance. A main entrance –an open, gardened space- has two trees and creates a hallway before you reach the house itself. The circulation continues when entering the public space that consists of the living room, dining room and kitchen, which is also shaded by two other trees.
© David Cervera
The house has three volumes and two intermediate patios which contain the existing trees. The first volume combines the entrance and top-floor services; the second includes the double-height public areas; and the third boasts the main living area and open-air swimming pool on the ground floor, while the bedrooms and terrace are located on the top floor.
© David Cervera
From the moment you enter the house, each space you pass through offers spectacular views of the golf course.
The Spaniard Who Spent 50 Years Building a Cathedral With His Own Hands
© Flickr user: santiago lopez-pastor, licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
A huge cathedral with tall towers and a magnificent dome rises slowly in the municipality of Mejorada del Campo, 20 kilometers from Madrid. It seems like a common occurrence, but it is not. The building has been under construction for 50 years – brick by brick – by one man: Justo Gallego Martínez, farmer, ex-monk and a self-taught architect of 88 years of age.
Learn about his life’s work (literally) after the break.
Without any previous knowledge of architecture or any experience in the construction industry, Martínez has spent five decades collecting garbage and leftover building materials to build the 50 x 25-meter surface structure with a 60-meter high tower.
© Wikipedia user: Dirección General de Turismo, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
After working as a farmer and bullfighter, Martínez spent eight years in a Trappist monastery – the Cistercian convent in Santa María de Huerta – which he was forced to abandon when he was struck by tuberculosis in 1961. In honor of the Virgin Mary, he began the construction of a chapel that he describes as his great act of faith. The former monk says that if it wasn’t for his faith he would never have had the strength to try to build a cathedral.
© Flickr user: santiago lopez-pastor, licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
Despite the skepticism of the inhabitants of the city, Don Justo – as the neighbors call him – has managed to progress the construction considerably without using even a crane, his only help was from some friendly workers. The process began without any kind of permission – because he was sure he would not get it – the plot of land is 4740 square meters inherited from his parents that today is worth more than one million euros.
© Flickr user: santiago lopez-pastor, licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
The Cathedral
The large columns of the structure are made from empty oil drums, while the lining of one of the domes is made of discarded food tubes. The arches are tires from trucks and buses, the rest of the building consists of woods and bricks collected from other demolished works. He has received gifts such as iron doors and glass cutouts to close the openings. Its design inspiration comes from St. Peter’s Basilica, with its huge central dome in sight, in addition to inspiration from European castles and churches.
© Flickr user: gmalon, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
Some years ago Martínez told the BBC: “When I see what I have created, I am overwhelmed and I thank the Lord. If I could live my life again, I would like to build this same cathedral but twice as big, because, to me, this is an act of faith.”
Los planos. Image © Richard Morley
The church has never received permission to be build and although it may never be worshipable in it, the authorities have allowed it to go ahead as it has become a tourist attraction for the city. Recently, Martínez has received donations from German organizations and advertising sponsorship from the energy drink Aquarius, who paid him 40 thousand euros to tell his inspiring story, as well as organizing a campaign to raise funds through text messages.
The building has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Justo Gallego Martínez has been interviewed by the world’s largest television networks.
News Via: Daily Mail UK, BBC
Images Via: Flickr, users Guillermo Malon, Santiago López-Pastor
Coracera Castle Rehabilitation / Riaño+ arquitectos
Courtesy of Riaño+ arquitectos
- Architects: Riaño+ arquitectos
- Location: 28680 San Martín de Valdeiglesias, Madrid, España
- Architect In Charge: Carlos de Riaño Lozano
- Area: 1000.0 m2
- Project Year: 2010
- Photographs: Courtesy of Riaño+ arquitectos
- Collaborators: Marga Usero Gutierrez, Almudena Peralta Quintana, Rebeca Hurtado Díaz
- Technical Architects : María del Hierro, Luis García Cebadera
- Sponsor : Ayuntamiento de San Martín de Valdeiglesias
Courtesy of Riaño+ arquitectos
La Coracera Castle, in San Martin de Valdeiglesias, was declared Historic Heritage Site by the Comunidad de Madrid. It was built in the mid-1400s by Don Alvaro de Luna, Constable of Castile and favorite of King John II. Today it is part private and part public property. In order to revitalize it, it was planned to transform it into a multiple use space, to hold exhibitions, lectures, chamber concerts and activities relevant to its potential use as a Museum of Wine of Madrid.
Site Plan
A basic project was developed with the aim to set the standards to follow in the future restoration, protecting its lands, the nearby surroundings and the areas that could spoil the views from the fortress. The final goal was to turn it into a prime touristic and cultural facility, beyond local and regional limits. A project of this scale, financed with public funds, required very distinctive phases.
Courtesy of Riaño+ arquitectos
The keep is the outstanding volume of the castle, with a virtually square floor plan and three turrets on the east wall. The average width of the walls is more than 3 meters. Its height, from the ground to the upper terrace is around 20 meters.
Courtesy of Riaño+ arquitectos
The previous state was the product of a renovation implemented 60 years ago. It had a ground floor transformed into a wine cellar, with an access through an entrance from the same period, before the first courtyard and on the south façade. This ground level had a solid brick barrel vault completely plastered.
Por razones defensivas, las entradas se fijaron en huecos elevados. El primero por el muro de poniente,
For defensive purposes, the entrances were in high positions. The first one was on the west wall and the access was through a removable ladder that could be withdrawn in times of danger. The second was on the northeast cube, at the first floor level, and it connected with the so-called “albarrana” tower through a drawbridge.
al que debía accederse mediante escalera desmontable, que permitiera su retirada en momentos de peligro. El segundo por el hueco situado en el cubo nordeste y nivel de planta primera, que mediante puente levadizo conecta con la llamada torre albarrana.
Courtesy of Riaño+ arquitectos
The two noble floors are reached trough the stairs along the south flank. Halfway there is a small landing from which there is access to the “chemin de ronde” on one side and to the first floor on the other. On this level is what must have been the main hall, probably divided in several rooms. Following the stairs, through a flight of overhang steps of an uncertain date, we arrive to the upper room. This vaulted second floor, which combines medieval openings and more recent ones, had important water damages on the cracks along the curved surface. On this level there is a staircase inside the central turret that leads to the rooftop. The curved hall where it finished is one of the most atrocious interventions implemented in the 1940s, with poorly made mullioned windows along its perimeter, which had to be corrected with less picturesque proportions.
Sections
The solution for the former wine cellar is remarkable. Now it is a sample and wine tasting room with independent access from the outside. A metal structure, that reminds of the old metal wine racks still present in some homes, was designed a separate piece of furniture, set apart from the walls, to allow a full view of the vaulted room. The ceiling was used for a small lecture hall, with an entrance from the “plaza de armas”.
Courtesy of Riaño+ arquitectos
The stone structure is not covered when its quality and authenticity deserve it. It was cleaned and repointed with a finish similar to that of the exterior walls. A similar criterion was applied to the brick arches and vaults which, against some theories, were never un-plastered and even it they were, its state of superficial deterioration did not allow its recovery.
Courtesy of Riaño+ arquitectos
Las fábricas pétreas, se dejan vistas, siempre que su calidad y autenticidad lo aconsejen, limpias y rejuntadas con acabado similar al de los paños exteriores. Los arcos y abovedados de ladrillo pasan por un criterio similar, definiendo un revoco para las dos bóvedas de cañón, que en contra de algunas teorías, debe decirse que nunca estuvieron vistas, y aunque así hubiese sido, su estado de deterioro superficial no permite la recuperación.
Los huecos exteriores se cerraron con perfilería de acero inoxidable, tratada al chorro de arena, siempre practicables y con sección de mínimo impacto que permita la completa percepción del hueco medieval. Las dos salas principales quedan directamente conectadas por escalera de caracol metálica con tablero continúo de madera curvada en barandilla. A todo esto se accede por una nueva escalera exterior de peldañeado metálico, envuelta en dos planos paralelos de chapón de acero corten.
Courtesy of Riaño+ arquitectos
The exterior openings were closed with stainless steel profile, sandblasted, always accessible and with a minimum impact section to allow the full perception of the medieval opening. The two main halls are directly connected by a spiral staircase with a solid curved wood frame as a banister. The access to this whole area is through a new exterior staircase with metal steps, wrapped in two parallel COR-TEN steel plates.
Badlands National Park in South Dakota can seem like a…
Badlands National Park in South Dakota can seem like a formidable and forbidding landscape, but with proper planning and a sense of adventure, the park is a nature lover’s paradise year round. The spires, pinnacles and ravines, which frustrated earlier travelers, provide a visual “gateway to forever” with views that can stretch over 50 miles. Winter scenes, like this, are particularly impressive. Photo by Mike Pflaum, National Park Service.
4 Fun Ways to Improve Your Productivity
What better way to live than having fun and being productive at the same time? Fun productivity techniques enable you to both enjoy the moment and be more productive for the rest of your life.
I’ve tried out a lot of productivity techniques and all of them ended up boring, even for productivity nerds like me. These 4 are the exceptions, though.
Here are 4 fun ways to improve your productivity and focus:
Make Everything Into a Challenge to Motivate You
This is my favorite technique when I’m going through a huge list of chores or boring work stuff. I make the list into a fun challenge — a game.
Do you say it’s impossible to turn your drudgery into entertainment? Not so. We just need a goal, a reward, and competition.
First, define the goal and the time you have to complete it in. Set a timer showing a challenging amount of time and then start the clock.
Next, you need to identify the reward to get you going. Some rewards may include:
– Watching a guilt-free movie
– Eating a snack
– Spending an hour on your hobby
After you’ve done it a couple of times, you can set out to beat your previous high score. See? It became almost as fun as a real game.
Look at Cute Baby Animals to Improve Focus
Yeah, this was a real study. Researchers presented pictures of baby animals to test subjects. The participants who looked at pictures of baby animals outperformed the ones who didn’t in tasks requiring attentional focus.
So, it isn’t a simple waste of time to look at baby animals. Before doing any work that requires focus, glance at some photos of baby animals in blogs or Reddit.
See Also: 5 Techniques for Increasing your Focus in 5 Minutes
Increase Your Writing Speed by Playing Typeracer
Learning to type faster (touch typing) can save you thousands of hours in your career. The average typing speed is about 40 words per minute (WPM). Increase that to 80 WPM and it halves your typing time. I’ve done that very thing with TypeRacer.
TypeRacer is an online game where you race against other players also trying to increase their writing speeds. You are using cars but it instead of fuel, they’re powered by typing. The faster you can type the quote shown, the more likely you are to win. For gamifying email, I suggest The Email Game.
TypeRacer is addictive because you want to beat the other players, your high score, and get into the top list. When I introduced it to my friends, they didn’t even think it was a productivity technique. A dozen people started playing when they had their break!
Spend More Time on Your Favorite Things by Taking Breaks
I probably don’t have to convince you that it’s fun to do whatever you find really fun. It’s actually extremely productive to take a break doing just that when your work performance starts to drop. The break then lets you recharge and get back to your desk focused. And there are even more benefits.
As long as you don’t do pseudo-work *cough* email *cough* you can spend time on your favorite hobby, gossip to your colleagues, or read an awesome book. My personal favorite is to relax by taking a walk outside. My favorite tools for scheduling those breaks are the chrome extension Toggle and the iPhone app Focus Keeper. Set the timer, work, and break when it rings.
Living an enjoyable and productive life is one of the best things you can do and I think these techniques can help you do that. Make everything into a challenge, look at baby animals, play the TypeRacer game and spend more time on hobbies by taking breaks. I hope you have a lot of fun improving your productivity.
See Also: 10 Productivity Musts for Freelancers
The post 4 Fun Ways to Improve Your Productivity appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
MINIMOD Catuçaba / MAPA
© Leonardo Finotti
- Architects: MAPA
- Location: Catuçaba, São Luís do Paraitinga – SP, Brazil
- Architect In Charge: Luciano Andrades, Matías Carballal, Rochelle Castro, Andrés Gobba, Mauricio López, Silvio Machado
- Area: 42.0 m2
- Project Year: 2015
- Photographs: Leonardo Finotti , Fazenda Catuçaba | E. Rengade
- Team: Pablo Courreges, Diego Morera, Emiliano Lago, Mauricio Müller, Camilla Pereira
- Construction: CROSSLAM / CG Sistemas
- Hydraulic Project: Júlio César Troleis
- Electrical Project: Ari Martins Colares
© Fazenda Catuçaba | E. Rengade
From the architect. Living in Remote Landscapes
MINIMOD CATUÇABA is a primitive retreat with a contemporary reinterpretation, which more than an object aims to become an every-remote-landscape experience.
© Leonardo Finotti
MINIMOD presents an alternative to traditional construction: based on prefab plug&play logics, it incorporates the benefits that a newly-born industry has to offer. Quiet but not shy, its unique-in-Brazil CLT Wood-Technology combines industrialized products`efficiency and new technologies` sustainability with the sensitivity of the natural material par excellence.
© Leonardo Finotti
MINIMOD exploration started in 2009 and still goes on. It`s very first prototype was constructed in Porto Alegre and installed near a lake in the southern wild landscapes. Happily, since then, quite a lot of new places have been explored. Both projects here presented belong to a new MINIMOD generation which inquires the idyllic Fazenda Catuçaba.
Isometric
This old Fazenda is located in the east of São Paulo Estate surrounded by a chain of coastal mountains. With undulating landscapes and dense vegetation, its captivating views invites to be explored.
© Leonardo Finotti
Floor Plan
© Leonardo Finotti
Catuçaba`s MINIMODs move away from the old central house and seek the perfect terrain for being introduced. On top of a hill, on the edge of a small pond, near a stream or on the bottom of a valley; each adapts to its new landscapes to empower them.
© Leonardo Finotti
Both MINIMOD Catuçaba have been built in a factory in an industrial town near São Paulo metropolis. They were transported separated by modules for over 150km, before being installed on site with the help of crane trucks.
© Fazenda Catuçaba | E. Rengade
Floor Plan
© Leonardo Finotti
Geographically, this two MINIMOD Catuçaba first units are located in different places 1.000m away from each other. So they adopt different spatial configurations as a response for each situation.
© Leonardo Finotti
The first one, is located in a strategic position on top of a hill, taking a cross disposition on plan. Thus, each space of the shelter looks at a different cardinal point permitting a circular experience of the surrounding nature: dawn, day, sunset and night.
© Leonardo Finotti
The second one, it`s placed turning their backs to the road and opening itself to a small pond in the south of the fazenda, the retreat is hidden among the vegetation of the place. Using the same amount of modules that the cross, but organized in a linear way, it stays parallel to the hill slope which integrates through an expansion deck.
This Architect Fuses Art and Science by Hand Illustrating the Golden Ratio
Courtesy of Rafael Araujo
Rafael Araujo is a Venezuelan architect and illustrator who at the age of fifteen began to observe intelligent patterns in nature, giving rise to his interest in the golden ratio located in our natural environment.
More than 40 years later, the results of this hobby is a collection of beautiful illustrations of nature made entirely by hand, equipped with a pencil, a compass, a ruler and a protractor.
The artist’s illustrations give his ability to represent the mathematical brilliance of the natural world, inciting the reunion of humans with nature.
Illustrations that seem to come from a technological team, are made entirely by hand, mixing mathematical perfection with the artistic performance of Araujo. Most of us observe a simple butterfly flutter, the artist visualizes a complex mathematical framework that regulates movements subtle flight.
Courtesy of Rafael Araujo
Through the application of growth patterns governed by golden ratio’s geometric formulas, the secrets of carefully detailed designs of natural spirals, sequences and proportions unfolds.
Courtesy of Rafael Araujo
Butterflies, sea shells, leaves, and snails, frame the lines of construction that stand out from this mathematical picture.
Through this meticulous work, which can take up to 100 hours to complete a single composition, we are able to observe the application of golden ratio that traces the pi number throughout our environment, repetitively, over and over again, with designs which clearly gravitate around this mathematical framework.
Courtesy of Rafael Araujo
Rafael Araujo has presented at CNN World, Wired Magazine, WWF, and exhibited at Stanford University and many other prestigious galleries.
Yosemite National Park – California – USA (by Nagaraju…
Yosemite National Park – California – USA (by Nagaraju Hanchanahal)
Sig Nordal 