Predicting the future? Li Edelkoort

I've just come across Li Edelkoort for the first time today, though I'm sure Odette must know her already (she's Dutch).

Her website describes the agency thus: "Studio Edelkoort, established in Paris in 1991, is a creative, artistic and operational think-tank on an international level. Relying on its expertise in matters of trend forecasting and market study, Studio Edelkoort has developed made-to-measure services and offers an original, rhythmic, sensitive, generous and humanistic approach. Thought and analysis nourish intuition and creation".

I didn't like some of the language they use (Studio Edelkoort's 'field of action'), but I guess this is normal for such a company, but just thought it might be interesting to keep an eye on their 'trend tablet' (yuck!).

Here are a couple of links:

Studio Edelkoort  and Trendtablet (the website looks good, interesting and easy and fast to find your way around - and there's a section on Japan which I'm sure will interest J & O).

Facebook Study Group

I've just joined this, and thought it might be helpful. If you use Facebook, check this out. You need to go to the KLC forum pages and look for "New KLC OL Study Group on Facebook". You then need to tell the group owner (a very nice woman called Lilly) the email address you use for FB. Mine took a while, but got there in the end.

Only just got it sorted yesterday, and it seems that most people are on Project 1, which is a little disappointing, but I hope it will give me a regular bit of motivation and access to other students which could always be useful.

Sources for Everything

From the course info

The House Directory

Designtage Brandenburg 20-24 November 2013

 Designtage Brandenburg in Potsdam.

Two of the three of us drove down to Potsdam on Sunday to see what the Designtage had in store for us. The "Erlebnis Zentrum" in the Schiffbauergasse consisted of a number of really nice spaces.... a gallery, a museum, the Designmarkt and Designpreis areas (the ones we were interested in) and it felt like a nice place to be.

There weren't that many designers showing their work, but they were high quality, and there were several things we liked.

Knitted rugs by Mariemeers greeted us as we entered the hall... I liked them, but as a dog owner, couldn't really contemplate ever owning one.... and J found them a bit too small, but I'm pretty sure you could get them made up in a larger size if so desired.

Knitted rugs by Mariemeers, Potsdam

Next up were the sofas / chairs for you to 'design' yourself by Dessau Design (also based in Potsdam, but the designer studied in Dessau and was influenced by the Bauhaus). That meant taking a very simply designed sofa and allowing the customer to customise the colours of each piece with a choice of different fabrics.

Sofas by Dessau Design

There was a beautiful shapely lamp by Bartelt, Fronk & Mohr.

Bartelt, Fronk & Mohr (luxfagus) lamp

 We both liked the simple but perfectly formed stool made from hand-finished cardboard - it was light as a feather (less than 4kg) and felt like velvet to the touch.

Cardboard stools in white or natural

Cardboard close-up

 There were some strange, but quite tasty "chocolate gherkins" made in a cooperation betweeen Confiserie Felicitas and Spreewald Tourism - a new product for tourists to the Spreewald.... they look awful and a bit shocking (an anxious object, as Meret Oppenheim might describe them.

Schoko-Gurke by Confiserie Felicitas (anxious object?)

Fur teacup (anxious object) Object, 1936 © Meret Oppenheim

The 'boys' favourite was the fairly outlandish, beautifully made Fahrradfloss (bikeboat). See what can happen when you join two words together to make a new one - a marketing idea to increase product range.

There were other bits and pieces - including a fairly attractive, but to us, seemingly very rickety chair.

For all the winners see here.

Architectural Terminology

Useful Websites 

Doric column at Neues Museum, Berlin

A view on cities - basic architectural glossary with images

Wikipedia Glossary of Architecture

RIBA Glossary Royal Institute of British Architects - short glossary

Guide to American Homes 1600 to the present - from about.com (with images), American colonial, neo-classical etc.

Fabric samples

Fabrics at Idee Berlin

• Idee - give up 3 or 4 small samples (20cm I think) - mainly cottons etc (incl. Japanese designers, Amy Butler etc)- 2 branches in Berlin.
• Gebrueder Berger, Potsdamer Straße 68, 10785 Berlin- I don't know this yet, but looks like they have lots and lots of fabric, including more unusual things like African fabrics.
• Bemz - send 4 or 5 samples
• Stoffe24 - send up to 5 samples
• John Lewis - loads of choice - will send samples to UK address
• Stoffe.de - €3 per sample up to 5 samples, €1 thereafter - more info see link
• Stoff Wohnkultur - in Wedding - not sure about samples, but might be worth taking a look
• Made - haven't looked at this in detail, but they put you directly in touch with designers in UK therefore saving on other costs....looks like furniture site at first glance though, I didn't see samples immediately??
• Stoff Hemmers - looks like they've got a lot of stuff - based in Germany
• The Natural Curtain Company
• Sanderson Fabrics
• Just Fabrics