CS.no

The first striking point of this villa in the village of Vals in Switzerland is that it has been carved out of a mountain wall. The second most interesting fact is that the designer Jeroen van Mechelen has created a cabinet- cabin in the guesthouse with cardboards. Designed by the renowned architectural firm SeARCH in collaboration with Christian Müller architects this cathedral-like cabin is defined out of a 3 dimensional cardboard matrix. The two complete chapel like ceilings have been carved out of this matrix. The lightweight cardboard sandwich panels were directly CNC-carved from the design files and easily put together by the design team.

[Design]

Share/Save

Though we, at Luxurylaunches, celebrate each day with opulent stuff and wealthy reports, it’s time to commemorate the New Year with even more pomp. Most of us believe that we need to earn more to spend more while the rest abide by the rule that we need to spend more to be motivated to earn more. Either ways, it’s all about living life king size! We believe that 2010 will embark by reversing the economic downturn which will definitely lure all to get back to their carefree splurging days! Lets all celebrate together, irrespective of which corner of the globe we belong to. We wish the best of health, WEALTH and happiness to all!

Image

Share/Save

When Milani and Maserati come together, rest assured, it’s going to be something which is both fast and furious! This time, it’s also named “Fast”! This historic collaboration has come out with a luxury bike which is a deadly combination of élan, grace and state-of-the-art technology. The racing frame in carbon fiber is the N107E, the top product of the Milani 2009 range of Gallarate. Armed with a Campagnolo Record 10-speed, racers with any level of proficiency can ride it with ease. The Bike comes with a coat of dark blue veneer and is priced at $9,800.

[Deluxeblog]

Share/Save

If you’re rich but not rich enough to own a chartered plane, you can still fly in your own flying machine and that too in style! After its maiden air voyage, the Terrafugia Transition, a roadable aircraft will be up for sale by 2011! The latest prototype is an operational car which can fly at 115 mph which can cover up to 450 miles on flight and can run on the road with a maximum speed of 65 mph. The greatest advantage with this vehicle is that you don’t need a separate storage hanger and the wings fold out in less than 30 seconds. You can book the flying car at $10,000, and an additional $185,000 on delivery of the automobile.

[LeftLanenews]

Share/Save

Certain people would try to be different than the rest just for the heck of it. These mighty rich at time are mighty low on common sense, and there are some extra clever designers who cash in on their ignorance and foolishness! A live example: Icelandic based designer Sruli Recht’s ‘ring’ series. These ghastly and totally uncreative rings are each made with 10 carat white gold band and feature an internal thread structure to screw in three an uncut rough diamond held by ugly-looking claw like structures. These diamonds are replaceable and come in sets of three, i.e., black, white and yellow and they come packed in an equally uninspiring hand painted box. Thank god they didn’t mention a price for this damp squib, not like we expected any better!

[Designboom]

Share/Save

When you’re in a hurry you would prefer a shower rather than a relaxing bath in a grand bath tub. But if you as much as lay your eyes on the Tub-T stainless steel tubs by Wild Terrain Designs, be rest assured that you’ll never have to worry about waking up late! Made with pure stainless steel, the Tub-T is not only offers easy cleaning but is also a visual treat. The tub features toughed glass stair steps with sandblasted swirls to step in with ease. It also spots faintly illuminated glass step with LED lights.
The handrail helps you support yourself with things get a bit slippery. Packed with a comfortable bench seat and a built-in heater under the bench you can enjoy a soothing bath every time you lie inside the tub!

[Trendir]

Share/Save

Things can get crazy when you’re ready to take your relationship to the next level. Russell Brand certainly seems to be, and he’s made his intentions quite loud and clear with a lavish $3.5million Los Angeles pad which he gifted to Katy Perry this Christmas. The stunning house is situated at one of the most affluent locations in the Californian city, and is a four-storey house containing four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a huge outdoor swimming pool which offers a breathtaking view across downtown LA. No wonder love is in the air!

[Hellomagazine]

Share/Save

Here is an antique piece that will appeal to all gamers, bowling lovers to be precise. Off the Wall Antiques is offering a 1950’s Bally ABC Bowling Lanes Arcade Game. The ABC Bowing game uses actual wooden bowling balls, unlike the typical metal pucks used on other games. The game also features a return mechanism that rolls the balls back up to the players, through the side gutter. What is more, the antique game is a six player machine letting you enjoy a game of bowling with your friends. All components including the cabinet, the paint are original and the mechanical elements have been recently serviced, making sure this game is in great condition. Only one such game is available so you had better hurry of you wish to make it yours.
The game measures 5 ft. 10 in. in height, 30 in. in depth and 14 ft. in width. You can purchase this game for $4,800 at Off The Wall Antiques, Melrose Ave., Los Angeles.

[1stdibs]

Share/Save

Luxury brand, Louis Vuitton is all set to release three new Vernis colors for Spring 2010. The colors have been inspired by art movements through the ages: Rose Florentine, Vert Impression, and Gris Art Deco. Come January 1, 2010, bags, wallets, small leather goods, and shoes will sport these new subtle yet sophisticated colors. Rose Florentine is a shade of pale pastel pink and reflects the Renaissance period, a cultural movement that started in Florence. A sophisticated choice for pink lovers, this color exudes style and femininity. Like its name suggests, Vert Impression has been inspired by Impressionism, an art movement that seeks to capture a feeling rather than accurate depiction. The Gris Art Deco on the other hand reflects the Art Deco style of the 1920’s. The steely tranquil gray color oozes elegance and is perfect for a glamorous evening out. Complemented perfectly by the golden brass hardware, the Gris Art Deco is definitely my favorite.
Splurge on these new colors and welcome your new year in the most fashionable way.

[iLvoelv]

Share/Save

Geoffrey Parker is known to spoil the already spoilt with his luxurious offerings of games. Giving a luxurious touch to ordinary games, the renowned British game maker has definitely won a place in the heart of the rich and the famous. His latest offering, the Children’s Game Cube Compendium, too promises to be a winner with lovers of old school board games. The classy styled leather inlaid dice cube is full of games like Snap, Happy Families, and wooden puzzles, Solitaire, Tic Tac Toe, Tiddly Winks, Spillikins, Jacks, Snakes & Ladders, Ludo, Chess and Backgammon. The games will surely make everyone nostalgic and bring back childhood memories. A game with a sophisticated touch, it promises to be fun for people of all ages, young or old.
Measuring 305 x 305 x 305 mm (12″ x 12″ x 12″) in size, the Children’s Game Cube Compendium is priced at £971 ($1,565) and available here.

Share/Save

If you wish to live in the most lavish and expensive location, then Wycombe Square is your destination. According to a survey conducted by the Halifax, houses in Wycombe Square, West London, are valued at an average of £5.4million ($8.7million) each, making the location the most expensive place to live in England and Wales. A destination for the luxury lovers, Wycombe Square is popular with bankers and foreign investors. A gated development in Kensington, this Square consists of 19 townhouses and 48 apartments. One of the houses was recently on the market for £10million ($16.1million), while the apartments boast of a price tag of around £1.5million ($2.4million) each. The entire development is protected by 24-hour security men who are known to dress in Armani suits and surveillance cameras that are hidden in the Georgian-style street lamps. Besides Wycombe Square the survey has brought to light other expensive areas in England.
The average home in Withinlee Road in Prestbury, Cheshire, costs £1.2million ($1.9million). Another street that brims with extravagant homes is the rural road (the most expensive street outside southern England), locally known as Footballers’ Alley.

With prices so high, it is hard to believe that there is a slump in the real estate market.

Share/Save

Rock star Jay Kay turned 40 yesterday. The star known for his love for cars probably splurged on another beauty to mark this special day. Jay Kay sparked rumors of increasing his already envious car collection when he was spotted at the 2009 Salon Prive supercar show admiring the glorious Aston Martin One-77 hypercar. He spent a long time with the Aston Martin spokespersons getting enlightened about the One-77’s tech specs. The car which is a limited edition of just 77 units is known to have interested car enthusiasts across the world. But what is the most extravagant feature of this 7.3-litre V12 engine powered beauty is that upon delivery Aston’s engineers will tune the suspension to the drivers’ exact requirements. Jay, who already owns a classic Aston Martin DB6, would definitely be the perfect owner for the One-77. Will he actually splurge on this £1 million ($1.6million), we will have to wait and watch.

[Autotrader]

Share/Save

It’s an old Chinese philosophy that you can take a horse to a lake, but you can’t make him drink the water. Keeping the phrase alive, WattVision has developed this real-time energy monitoring device that actually allows the user to counts the units consumed over every electronic device in the house. This simply means that unless people are actually made aware of the reality, in other words the statistics, the conscience will not prick. Thus no actually change can be made. To be honest, there are several existing energy sensors that can be easily snapped onto your gadget to monitor your consumption. But what makes WattVision different from the rest is an interesting looking structure, smart pricing and easy display. If you talk to the people in their own language, the reciprocation is immediate.

WattVision claims to have very simple to understand display and they believe in the mantra that ’what is measurable is manageable’, thus they hope to instill the energy conserving habit into their consumers who have so far not really bothered about the acute energy crisis we are facing today.

[Treehugger]

Share/Save

After being lashed out at in the many Copenhagen summits, China has taken environment consciousness seriously and has a massive budget for the ‘landmark green building project’ being developed for the World University Games coming in August 2011. They have decided on a new set of two charging stations for electric cars at the Universiade Center in Shenzhen. Apart from this they plan on having about 134 pole chargers around the town. The charging stations can be used during the day time, while the pole chargers can be putt o use during the night, for slow or overnight charging.

[Autobloggreen]

Share/Save

Japan is the future of the cell phone industry and developments and innovations from the land of the rising sun have helped change the way we use our phones. As dreamt by Japan’s mobile big shot, NTT DoCoMo, the mobile phone will be an essential part of our lives, more than it is today. The company displays its technology in cell phones at the ‘Future Station’, located in a Tokyo skyscraper. The company anticipates the use of its wearable phone by the year 2020. This phone is to be made out of recycled materials. It’s uncommon for cell phone manufacturers to use recycled materials for production today, however this will not be so in the future. DoCoMo’s phone will also be partially powered with kinetic energy created due to the movements of the user.

The phone will be capable of projecting images in the air in the form of a hologram. The people in Japan now use phones for entertainment purposes, buying goods and a whole lot of other applications besides calling. If DoCoMo’s dreams are realized soon enough, it will help change the world of telecommunication and help create a cleaner cell phone industry with its recycling policies.

[France24]

Share/Save

Ever heard of energy created due to the vibrations of a dance floor or train station? It is known as piezoelectric energy. This form of energy is formed due to the conversion of mechanical strain into electrical current. A tiny piezoelectric energy, capable of collecting energy from machinery and infrastructure is being developed by a team of researchers in Europe. These devices can be used to power remote sensing equipment that can detect deterioration of bridges and even wind turbines. Wind turbines are usually located in remote areas and accessing those burns up loads of energy.

Also, maintenance teams face huge risks while climbing up these turbines. Instead of burning all this energy for regular checkups, these remote sensing devices powered by piezoelectric energy can be used. Aluminum nitride as an alternative to lead is being developed by a European nanotechnology research team with the creation of a tiny device made out of micro-electromechanical systems. The use of lead- free piezoelectric energy devices is anticipated in the future and will change the way maintenance operations are carried out.

[Cleantechnica]

Share/Save

Canada spots its first bifacial photovoltaic solar module with the unveiling of Sanyo Canada Inc. and Avacos Solar Energy’s installation at DuROCK Alfacing International Ltd.’s headquarters. This installation combines Sanyo’s HIT (Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin-layer) Double bifacial solar photovoltaic modules and Tio-Coat reflective roof membrane. The Sanyo HIT Double PV is capable of generating energy from both the sides due to which, 30% more energy is generated as compared to common PV modules. The Tio-Coat is a roof coating made of elastomeric urethane. It provides 89% solar radiation reflectivity and weather resistance. Together, the HIT Double PV and Tio-Coat membrane will help provide energy for DuROCK and also reduce the cooling cost of the building. An increased PV module output and higher exposure to solar radiation is gained due to the combination of these two products with its 10kW grid-tied arrangement. According to president of Avacos Solar Energy, Sandro Costa, this is a win-win situation for the client and a great example of how combination of two technologies can help boost the solar industry.

[RenewableEnergyWorld]

Share/Save

Maybe you don’t look at your trash can with a twinkle in your eye, but the Strauss family sure do! The garbage sticking out of this trashcan is the amount of waste the family produced in one year. And they haven’t achieved this by digging up their lawn to hide all their waste. The Strauss family recycles. These folks have produced an average of just 2oz of garbage a week. The family has disposed of its garbage wisely by using it as compost and landfill. That’s not all; they have even burnt up their old wooden toilet seat in the living room fireplace. They have been growing some of their own food, reusing shopping bags and have stopped receiving junk mail. Next year, the family aims to produce no garbage at all.

This pursuit to cleanliness began 18 months ago when the family, 53 year old Richard Strauss, his wife Rachelle, 37, and their eight year old daughter Verona, came across an article on the effects of plastic waste on marine life. Their dwelling place, a three bedroom house in Longhope, Gloucestershire is heated using a wooden burner and is partially
powered up using solar energy. The Strauss family sure has created an example that everyone should learn from.

[Dailymail]

Share/Save

Solar energy is being used for various purposes all over the globe today with the rise in technology. The sun is being squeezed of its juice to power up homes, cars and even cell phones. The newest application for solar energy is to power up airplanes. Known as the HB-SIA and built by a Swiss team, it completed its first test run in Zurich this December. The plane flew 350 meters at an altitude of one meter and will have its next test run in 2010. Chairman of Sun Impulse and co-founder of this project, Bertrand Piccard, hope’s that this airplane will circle the globe in 20 days by the year 2012. He managed to draw in €40 million of the total €70 million needed from investors like Semper, Deutsche Bank, Toyota and a few others.

This project aims at promoting the use of alternate forms of energy. Piccard hopes that the Chinese solar technology firm, SunTech will present the solar cells required. To circle the globe, the HB-SIA requires around 12000 solar cells that need to be attached to the planes wings and fuselage. These will help store 14 hours of energy. With a wingspan as long as an Airbus 340 and the weight of a car, it can soar up to 8500km with an average speed of 70kmph. When completed, this plane is sure to pave the way for a cleaner and greener aviation industry.

[EnterpriseInnovation]

Share/Save

Filed under: Wheels

A German design student has come up with a killer concept for a next generation Lamborghini that’s a cross between the Reventon and the Batmobile. Slavche Tanevsky’s vehicle is dubbed the Ankonian after a breed of black-haired bull in a nod to the famed marque’s mascot. It features a fairly narrow body, cab backward classical GT silhouette, and a mélange of soft and angular surfaces. Tanevsky, a design student at Munich University, says the main themes behind the concept are “underground” and “hardcore”, reinforced by a combination of shiny black and matte charcoal finishes. Lamborghini’s engineers, who are apparently impressed with Tanevsky’s work, helped him render the concept which could one day make it’s way into production.

Lamborghini Ankonian Concept originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Share/Save