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Natural habitats
Andrea Forti and Eleonora Dal Farra of the Venice-based firm Alcarol have combined the experience of raw materials with innovative techniques to preserve natural materials as they appear in their original habitat, and make them into functional design pieces. Their Bricola collection of furniture demonstrates the value of timber by using historical poles reclaimed from the Venetian canals. The preserved oak log sections are enveloped within blocks of transparent resin, highlighting the intricate voids and patterns created by Teredo navalis (a naval shipworm).
alcarol.com
Work
Stack ’em up
The LessThanFive Chair, designed by Steelcase and British designer Michael Young, is versatile and adaptable to various work environments. It is assembled and finished by hand from moulded layers of carbon fibre; it weighs less than 2.3 kg, and is able to support up to 136 kg of weight. Available in six colours, up to four of these chairs can be stacked, thus saving on space.
steelcase.com
Style
Starry alliances
The Alliance Small watches from Victorinox are inspired by the cosmic sky in constant motion. Each watch’s centre is a perfect mother-of-pearl circle; in orbit around six o’clock is a round diamond, reminding of stardust, and a round date aperture. The timepiece incorporates moonphase functionality displayed on the top half of a midnight blue dial. It comes with the choice of a metal bracelet or a dark blue leather strap.
victorinox.com
Tech
Spinnin’ around
AVID Diva II SP Turntable from Absolute Phase features a machined aluminium platter with vibration-absorbing properties. It also offers a twin-belt drive, controlling platter dynamics and stability under load, resulting in smooth, yet dynamic sound quality with improved bass and treble definition.
absolutephase.com
Spinnin' around, Stack 'em up, Natural habitats, courtesy Better Interior