You want your home to be bigger.  If that sounds like you, then join us, and likely 90%+ of people around the world who probably feel the same.

However, sometimes we take a look at our living space and decide that there is not really a great deal we can do, especially if we are one of the many who finds ourselves living in a smaller space but paying more for the privilege.

It may well be the case that your only option is to try and create special illusions around your home. You can do this in several ways; some reasonably straightforward, others that you might need to give serious thought to before doing it.

What are our suggestions, and how easily can you implement them?

Think Minimal First

The chances are that you have already considered this option, and have perhaps even implemented it. If not, then you can make a big difference by simply getting rid of anything that is not an essential.

Warning: you might not have much stuff left!

Turn to the Paint Brush

How do you make a room seem bigger through decorating? Easy, you paint everything in glossy, brilliant white. This will make your home seem bigger owing to the level of light that will be reflected throughout.

However, there are some downsides to painting everything white. The first is that any dust or dirt on the walls will show up easily, not great if you have pets or children running in and out of your home.

Second, a white décor sometimes only truly works if you have gone for all white furniture and carpets, too. Pets and children or not, that will then likely rule out comfortable dinners on the sofa, not to mention coffee or red wine while having a gossip with friends!

Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall

Do not just have mirrors on the wall, have them everywhere you possibly can around your home. So long as you do not start walking into them thinking it is in fact another room, you will be fine.

Where are great places for mirrors? The front and back of doors for each room, to start with. If you have a fireplace area, can you experiment with a mirrored hearth area? Broken mirror pieces in front of a fireplace looks great. Can you have mirrored doors on your wardrobes?

The truth is that you could put mirrors everywhere. The more, the better, unless you are quite vain or have many vain friends who will want to be at your house all of the time!

Illusion Art

Art is excellent for spatial illusions, and if you can get your hands on some pieces from ‘illusion artists’ you will be onto a winner. Remember that you are looking for something that makes the room look bigger, not an illusion such as the Mona Lisa’s eyes following you around the room.

Creating Space

If you cannot create space, the next best thing is to make it up yourself. However you decide to do it, you will have great fun trying to make your home feel bigger than it really is.

Robert lives alone in a small apartment, and is always looking for ways to make his home seem bigger. Having already purchased sliding wardrobe doors complete with mirrors, Robert is now considering whether to brave painting his whole apartment white, although he does not think he will ever replace the furniture.

The post How To Create Spatial Illusions In Your Home appeared first on Keboto.

Humanity dreams of venturing into outer space, perhaps witnessing other worlds and strange alien life forms, all the while forgetting there’s a world all around us, which we’ve barely explored.

We don’t know if there’s life out there, but we definitely know there’s life in the oceans. We already know of millions of diverse life forms and there are many more that are still waiting to be discovered.

An underwater photographer is nothing less than an inter-planetary explorer, who not only has the opportunity to venture deep into an alien world, but also to bring their visions back with them.

The deeper they go, the more professional the photographer needs to be, and the more advanced their technology. But, you don’t always need to go very far to take awesome pictures of things that no one has seen before. In the Great Barrier Reef, for example, memorable photographs of underwater life can be found just  a few inches beneath the surface.

Underwater photography isn’t just about marine life. Beneath the ocean lie snapshots of the entire history of human civilization in the form of shipwrecks, whether they are the remains of World War II ships, ancient Roman vessels, or ancient Egyptian trade ships carrying goods from the mysterious land of Punt.

Perhaps it’s not human history that interests you, but the history of the earth itself. Underwater photographers have the chance to record impressive geological formations and features beneath the ocean’s surface, such as underwater caves or smoke-spewing hydrothermal vents.

Preparing for the journey

The marine world is completely alien to us, and operating in underwater environments requires specialized training and equipment. Whereas most other photographers need little more than a camera and different lenses to get the job done, underwater photography requires a great deal of preparation.

Training in photography is, of course, one requirement. Underwater photographers need extensive knowledge of photography techniques and equipment, so they know how to adapt to the unique conditions of the underwater world. The water absorbs the rays of the sun, which results in a lack of contrast and color. Consequently, underwater photographers have to get extremely close to their subjects, within one meter at least, using a wide-angle lens for close focus, and flash to compensate for the lack of light.

They also need to be prepared for the restricted mobility of underwater environments, which is why experienced underwater photographers advise training in shallow waters or even a swimming pool before heading out to open water. You may not be likely to see anything interesting, but it gives you a chance to become acclimatized to underwater environments, just as astronauts need to train in zero gravity before being launched into space.

Extensive scuba diving training is required for professional underwater photographers. An amateur photographer may be able to make do with a snorkel and some flippers, but professionals need to venture deeper under water, and they need the awareness that comes with scuba diving experience. It’s not just their camera settings they have to pay attention to, but their oxygen supply, as well.

Australia’s underwater attractions

Australia provides the perfect destination for anyone hoping to pursue a career in underwater photography, thanks largely to its close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef and all it has to offer underwater explorers. At least 1500 species of fish, 125 species of sharks, and 400 species of corals inhabit this environment, as well as whales, dolphins, sea turtles, rays, sea snakes, and even salt water crocodiles.

It’s the world’s largest structure composed entirely of living organisms; it’s so big that it is visible from space. But it’s an alien world that you don’t need to go to space to experience. It’s right there, off the shores of Australia.

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source

Matthew Flax writes for Now Learning, which helps aspiring photographers with a number of photography courses that pave the way for glorious photography careers.

The post Explore Another World With Underwater Photography appeared first on Keboto.

Whether you are fresh out of university and looking to secure your first CAD design job, or are looking to progress to a higher level engineering job, you will benefit greatly from creating a CAD portfolio. In the design industry it simply is not enough to present potential employers with a CV. You need to actually show them what skills you have and present them with hard evidence of your experience. In this article we will share a few tips on how to create a CAD portfolio.

What to include in your CAD portfolio

Your CAD portfolio should feature a variety of projects that show off both your 2D and 3D CAD skills. It is important to present a diverse selection of drawings as this shows that you have a broad range of skills. Choose your very best work to include in your portfolio. Drawings where you have used a variety of complex tools will help to show off your potential.

It is essential to make sure that all of your designs are clearly and neatly presented, complete with design data. Your portfolio should include a variety of 3D models and assembly drawings with bills of materials and notes. It is important to show your potential employer what projects you have worked on in the past, what designs you have created and how you have solved specific design problems. This will show that you do not just have drawing skills, but problem-solving skills too, which are very valuable to employers.

How to present your CAD portfolio

Whilst it is important to include your very best CAD work in your portfolio, you will also want to include information about yourself and the skills you have to offer. This sort of information should go at the beginning of your portfolio a long with information about your education, experience and the software you have experience working with. Remember to keep it concise and neatly presented. If you have been asked to send off a portfolio during the job application stage, you may also want to include a paragraph on why you think you are the right person for the CAD design or engineering role.

It is always a good idea to make three copies of your portfolio, as different interviewers will prefer different formats. The first CAD portfolio you should think about creating is a website. Many free website providers have portfolio themes which you can use as a template to upload your work to. Ensure that you include all of the important design information and that your portfolio looks visually attractive. The great thing about creating website versions of CAD portfolios is that they are easy to update and do not require printing. Your content will also appear more engaging and interactive on a website, which is sure to please your potential employer.

Whilst many interviewers are happy viewing website portfolios, others like to have a hard copy or a CD version. Showing how proficient you are in CAD software through a portfolio is vital. CD portfolios are very easy to make using data burning software on your computer. If you are making a hard copy of your portfolio you will need to print out various views of your CAD drawings onto high quality paper or card. Present them neatly in a binder for a more professional look.

Conclusion

No matter what level job you are interviewing for, if it involves CAD, you will need to prepare a portfolio to take with you. Those that fail to do so will struggle to convince interviewers of their skills and experience. Employers want to be able to witness your skills and examine your experience and the only way they can really do this at the interview stage is by viewing a CAD portfolio. Keep your CAD portfolio professional-looking, functional and full of your best work and you are sure to land your dream job in no time at all.

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source
•  License: Creative Commons image source

Written by Nathan Griffiths who is an avid user of CAD software.

The post How To Create A CAD Portfolio appeared first on Keboto.

This is a series of posts that keboto presents every Tuesday and Friday. The posts consist of a color palette made by keboto and the color analysis of the palette colors:

• White background palette testing
• Black background palette testing
• Matching options
• Transparency
• Complementary palette colors
• Color data

White background palette testing

By white background palette testing you can see how the colors of the palette react to white background.

Black background palette testing

By black background palette testing you can see how the colors of the palette react to black background.

Matching options

This is a color matching system of eight tri-color representations produced by the color palette. The size of each square represents the amount of color that we can use when coloring surfaces. This amount of color isn’t an absolute percentage, which means that we can choose the surfaces (drawings, designs, walls, clothes, product parts etc.) in order to fit better to our needs. Every color inside the tri-color matching representation has at least 10% contrast value from the other colors. These tri-color representations are a very quick option when we have to extract colors from a palette with a large number of colors.

Transparency

This is the transparency test for the palette colors, using a scale with steps of 5%. The test is applied to white and black background in order to give you more information about the palette colors.

Complementary palette colors

Complementary colors are pairs of colors with opposite hue values in the same color model. In color theory, two colors are called complementary if their mixture produces a neutral color. The use of complementary colors is an important aspect of aesthetically pleasing art and graphic design. This also extends to other fields such as contrasting colors in logos and retail display, fashion, product design and many others.

Color data

Color data is the section of the post that you can find information about the palette colors in 13 different color models. That is very helpful to anyone who is not able to convert colors through the different colors models.

Color data is given to the next Color Models:

HTTP, Web safe, RGB 0-255, RGB 0-FF, RGB 0-0.1, CMY 0-0.1, CMYK %, XYZ, Yxy, CIE-L*ab, CIE-L*CH, CIE-L*uv, HunterLab

Note: Color data may produce different results due to color management and color reproduction mismatch.

The post Keboto – Color Palette No40 appeared first on Keboto.

Times are tough at the moment and the cost of upgrading to a new home is out of reach for most of us. So unless you win the lottery, it is better to make the best of what you have than to waste time coveting a house you cannot afford. Thankfully not all home makeovers have to cost the earth.

If the property makeover shows can transform a dreadful hovel into a dream show home on a shoestring budget, so can you. You might not have access to skilled tradesmen and a camera crew, but you can still do a lot with a bit of spare cash and a lot of artistic vision.

Kitchen Makeovers

The kitchen is one of the most expensive rooms in the house to refit. Even if you have a tiny little galley kitchen you can still expect to spend several thousand pounds if you go to one of the big kitchen showrooms. It is possible to replace all the cupboards on the cheap, but you need to have the time and the skills to do the work yourself. A cheaper option is to replace the worktops, sink and cupboard doors. It isn’t as expensive as ripping out the entire kitchen, but the end result is often just as effective.

Bathroom Makeovers

The cost of refitting a bathroom is not far behind that of a kitchen so be prepared to spend a fair amount if you want to rip everything out and replace it with some new fittings. A cheaper alternative is to try a bath resurfacing service to restore your old bath to its former glory. You could also replace the taps and add some shiny new bathroom accessories to give the smallest room in the house a new look.

Living Room Makeovers

New flooring and a change of colour on the walls can make a massive difference to a tired old living room. Consider replacing the carpets if they are worn and fit some modern laminate flooring instead. Swap old-fashioned curtains for new blinds and add some nice cushions or a throw on the sofa. All of these improvements are relatively cheap (unless you opt for solid wood flooring) and will make a huge difference to your living room.

Bedroom Makeovers

Once again, a lick of paint can vastly improve the look of a tired looking bedroom. Add some new bed linen and matching curtains or a blind and your bedroom will instantly look better. Accessories can also help to revamp the space. New bedside lamps and a few matching cushions can be used to add some colour. And if the carpet is worn or old-fashioned, replace it with a new one. You should be able to find a cheap remnant unless your bedroom is super-sized.

Garden Makeovers

The garden is often the most neglected area of a family home. With the British weather permanently stuck on rain and wind, most of us spend very little time enjoying our outdoor space, which is a real shame. But just because you rarely spend much time out there, it doesn’t mean you can forget about the garden. If you have some spare cash, consider installing decking or a new patio.  Add some low maintenance pots full of herbs and flowers and when the weather does finally improve, you can at least make the most of the sunshine in your newly revamped garden.

Home makeovers do not have to be prohibitively expensive. Even a lick of paint and a few new cushions will inject some freshness into a tired room. Check out what is on offer at the local home improvement stores and take advantage of special deals on paint and floor coverings. After all, what else is there to do on a wet Bank Holiday weekend?

Aimee Coppock is very keen in home improvements and DIY and she writes a blog where she regularly posts her tips and advice. One of her most recent tasks was to refit her bathroom, but instead of buying a new bathroom suite, she opted for bath resurfacing instead. She was delighted with the end result.

The post From Grunge To Gorgeous – Give Your Home An Inexpensive Makeover appeared first on Keboto.

Do you have rooms in your house that are dull and boring?  Painting is an inexpensive solution for adding life and excitement to any room in your house!  Simple planning and prep work is all it takes to get you started for an unbelievable transformation!

First thing to do before you begin

Before you grab a paint can and get started, you will want to get a sample from the paint store.  Always be sure that you bring the samples home and hold up to the area that you are wanting to paint.  Colors can vary a great deal from the lighting in the store, to the lighting in the room your paint is going to be applied.

Be sure to get the right type of paint!  Do you want shiny walls?  Then you would want to pick a glossy paint.  For matte finishes, a satin paint will be your best choice.

Measure the area that you are planning on painting.  You want to be sure that you purchase enough paint to cover your walls, this will prevent you from having to get more paint mixed at a later time and avoid a possible mismatch in colors.

Prepping your walls

Prepping your walls is very important before you get started.  Be sure to repair any holes or dents in the walls by applying a compound, then sanding and smoothing it.

Clean the walls with warm soapy water and let them completely dry.  Be sure to wipe down any dust or cobwebs to avoid them from getting on your paintbrush while applying the application.

Prime any stains that cannot be removed with soapy water.  Primer will allow the topcoat of paint to cover better.

Getting started on the painting

After taping off the trim and putting down a floor covering to avoid any spills on the carpet or wood, begin by:

-Cutting in with the paint.  Carefully apply paint against the edges from the ceiling down a couple of feet, without getting any paint on the ceiling.

-Apply paint to the seems of the walls from the left wall to adjacent wall.

-Fill in a 4 x 4 foot square that corresponds to your cut in edge

-After cutting in edges of the wall, cut in along the baseboards, still using your paintbrush.

-With your roller, start rolling from top down.  You want to move your roller in different angles to avoid the paint running down the walls. Rolling your paint will finalize the job!

Once you get your topcoat on, you may even want to get really creative by doing some faux painting.  There are many techniques for different looks such as:

-Color Washing-This can be done by applying a glaze over the topcoat with a rag, sponge or brush.

-Ragging-This is also used with a glaze, but you want to scrunch up a rag to dab on to the topcoat.

-Smooshing-This is done by applying glaze to the topcoat and pressing on a dropcloth onto the wall.  After a few seconds, peel the dropcloth off the wall.

-Sponging-Dab a sea sponge in water then dip in glaze.  Apply to wall by dabbing the sponge in various places you want the sponge look.

Certainly these tips apply to commercial buildings as well, as offered by companies like Covenant Construction TX, etc; however with so many techniques and videos available, painting can be easily done and you can soon have a vibrant new look to any room in your house!

From software to commercial remodeling, Cindi offers a nice diversity in her writing.  In addition to authoring in Missouri she also works in the medical field.

The post An Inexpensive Way To Jazz-up A Room appeared first on Keboto.

So, you’ve recently decided to upgrade the decor in your home. But how do you do it? There are thousands of examples of ideas and tricks online and in magazines around the world. But it is easy to get carried away when it comes to home decorating. There is no need to cover every possible surface with nick knacks, nor is it necessary to copy a professional decorator to the letter. If you are having a little trouble knowing where to stop when it comes to decorating, these tips can help.

Don’t stop at the basics

So, you’ve decorated your room with a nice rug, some furniture, and a few art pieces. You’re done, right? Wrong, actually. It is important to add personal touches to a room to make it feel like you. Adding small details, such as candles, blankets, throw pillows, or pieces of something that you collect will help make a space feel like you. In the dining room, this could be as simple as placing placemats in a pattern you like on the table. Other areas of the house could have pillows with a favorite saying, candles to add mood lighting, or other small touches that make a house feel like home.

Avoid the walls

Too often, people push all the furniture against the wall, leaving a huge amount of blank space in the center of the room. When possible, angle furniture together to create natural conversation areas for people to mingle. Even if your room is small, creating angles will allow the people inside the room to communicate better and will add better functionality to the room. You can use the space behind the furniture for storage. Experiment with different furniture arrangements to find the best for your particular space.

Don’t ignore the end game

In many cases, a person will see something they like and immediately purchase it for their room. This can lead to a hodgepodge of decorating elements that don’t really have a cohesive feel. The eclectic look can work, but still, a governing theme or color scheme is important to prevent your home from feeling like a garage sale. Don’t purchase something just because you like it in the moment or because it is on sale. Know what look you want for the space ahead of time, so you can easily determine if something will go in the room when you shop. Inspiration boards can be extremely helpful in creating a feeling for any room.

Don’t ignore lighting

While many people do well at finding accessories and making a room look nice, fewer people have mastered the art of lighting. It is best to create multi layers of lighting for different activities. Overhead lighting is fine for board games and other activities, but for parties, it is nice to have the option to dim the lights a little. Lamps spaced around the room set a tone for conversation. If you have something you prize in the room, a focus light, such as track lighting, can highlight the object and turn it into a conversation piece.

If you follow these tips, you will create a room that is uniquely you, but still feels cohesive and professionally decorated. You will feel more comfortable and will welcome the chance to hang out in your own home.

Featured images:

•  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: www.shutterstock.com

This is a post by Ashley Williamson. Ashley is a freelance writer and an occasioanl blogger. When she is not working she likes to travel and do yoga.

The post Decorating Don’ts That Will Make Your House Look Great appeared first on Keboto.

Branded colors series

• Color analysis / color diagrams / color data of branded colors
• How colors were named through the years

Ceil: Color analysis / color diagrams / color data

How colors were named through the years

From the archaic years we notice color usage in many applications. From the daily life, to the many forms of art, color always had a special place. This brings us questions about the many aspects of color. And more precisely how could two people communicate when they had to describe a color.

Obviously the various etymological translations should be investigated from the science of Linguistics, but despite that in the present text we are more interested to focus on the way, which people could communicate the various color differences, in order to make comprehensive and understandable the color on question.

From the ancient years to our modern history, we see that he began describing the colors according to their basic hue, which he compared with the natural elements and even with animals. More or less the same is true today, only then things was far more limited.

Developing with time the various arts, mankind came up with the problem of a more comprehensive color description and classification. Working with the materials he used to create artifacts he began to understand and comprehend some more apocryphal till then aspects of color like luminosity and color tonality.

The need to describe these new characteristics of color gave us the first onomatopoeia, which was based in the categorization and classification through speech, of these two aspects. And thus the distinction of light and dark, and their values (too little, little, much, too much) came to be.

Parallel with art, the science of physics after observation and experiments, gives us a different structure for color. In the field of color onomatopoeia though these finding played an insignificant role.

Color description is now based on more natural elements in order to have a more detailed classification. And so we have color names like orange, indigo, cabbage green etc. More and more are the details and also the elements that man started to incorporate as we reach back to present. Colors has started now borrowing names beyond the natural elements, coming from materials, products, countries, cultures, regions, people, firms, companies, revolutions etc.

The result would someone say, that is so easy to get lost in the chaos of so many color names, if even the smallest chromatic difference had its own name. And how many are actually the color names a person can remember? If we try to answer this question by simply calculating how many words can a person commit to his memory we won’t reach at a proper result.

Imagine the native of a tropical island on the pacific trying to describe the blue-green color of the native waters to a native of Alaska! Obviously if the latter hadn’t travel in tropic climates, or if he hadn’t see any images from there, then what he would understand we be so far from the truth and from what the tropical island native was describing. Therefore our conclusion is that in order to understand the nature and the name of a color, the experience of it is absolutely essential. So how many experiences can someone have? Theoretically infinite, as infinite can be the stimuli that can cause the memory of a color and its name. We can find many examples like the above. This helps us notice that a generic categorization of colors and the accompanied names, didn’t actually solved many problems, and in the contrary left us more confused than the past.

So the question is can someone describe a color with words? Can the person who hears these words understand that color? The answers in both questions are of a dual nature. By coming to that conclusion scientists determined that isn’t it almost identical for someone to recall 1000 color names and using a numerical system that can guide to this color in many ways?

Of course it is easier to know a color system that moving by its rule you can determine the right color than remember a huge list of names of different colors. The direct result was  the many color systems, that each of them on its own way, covered sometimes common and other times different application fields, managed to replace the color naming conventions with numerical values.  In order to describe a color with the values of a numerical system, first we must become acquainted with it. Furthermore we should be able to correspond some of its numerical values, and the result they wield to a known color! So how it is possible for something that had to be replaced be so essential for it’s replacement to exist?

The final conclusion is that onomatopoeia and categorization of colors should consist by both words and numbers. In our times we use both these two descriptive models sometimes simultaneously! Behind a numerical value a word is hidden, behind the word a feeling, and because color is an emotion can at the same time be both a word and a number!

The post Ceil – Branded Colors Series appeared first on Keboto.

While almost every home has a computer now and more so than ever before arguably, it seems that the number of homes with printers has actually gone down. I remember a time when I was younger and it seemed that everyone in the world had a printer along with their big desktop computers. But then, as technology shrunk and more people started using laptops, the ubiquity of printers began to dwindle and we started seeing more people choosing to completely forgo owning one.

While this might not seem like a big problem, and while you may only find yourself very occasionally in a situation where you actually need one, I maintain that every home should have a printer along with their computer and that it’s a big mistake not to. Here I will delve into why…

The Many Times You Need a Printer

There are countless situations that call for a printer, and most people will have encountered a great deal of these – probably quite recently in most cases.

E-Tickets and vouchers are one example of a time when we need printers. When going on holiday it’s now often required to take printed out plane tickets, and the same is true of many other things (having the tickets on your phone I sometimes acceptable, but it’s a bit of a risk). Vouchers meanwhile can get you money off of meals and other things, but only if you have a printer to print them out on. A printer can save you money then!

Then there are all the other times you can’t expect. If you have paperless billing and paperless statements, then occasionally you’ll need a printer in order to print these out. Likewise, if you have a child then they’ll probably have a fair bit of homework to print out which can get them into trouble if you don’t have a printer.

Printers can also be fun. Sometimes you don’t need to print things out, but you might want to. Whether it’s so that you can read an article on the train (without straining your eyes looking at a phone screen), whether it’s printing out collages to make with your kids, or whether it’s printing photos so you can create a photo collage.

Using a Printer is Tricky if You Don’t Have One

If you don’t have a printer handy though, you can always use a friend’s right? They don’t mind, do they? Well actually, you’ll probably find that it is something of a hassle for most people to print off your tickets if you don’t have a printer. If they’ve been at work all day, the last thing they’ll want to do is come home and turn on the computer to do more printing.

Another option sit o use the library or use the work printer. These are viable yes, but the latter may get you into trouble and the former may cost you money. Both are an inconvenience. So just suck it in and buy your own printer, toner cartridge and paper.

Gerard Hines is an ardent blogger and enjoys sharing his views about technology with readers. By day, he works for Blankdvdmedia.com to provide customers with various printer accessories.

The post Why Every Home Should Have A Printer appeared first on Keboto.

British Firm to Design Future Retail Outlets

British architecture firm, Foster & Partners, has been hired by Apple to design future stores for the technology giant. The development comes after Apple successfully received a patent for their store layout from the US Patent and Trademark Office. The patent covers the lighting, shelving, “genius bar” technician desks and the video screen display within the store.

The Spaceship

It’s time for those UK architects to don their thinking caps – the hard work is only just beginning. Foster & Partners are also responsible for designing the company’s new headquarters in Cupertino, California, dubbed “Campus 2”. They were originally hired by Steve Jobs before he passed away. The project is also known as “the spaceship”, in reference to the shape of the campus on the blueprints, as seen from an aerial perspective.

The proposed campus, located in a natural parkland, will house 13000 Apple staff and contain 10980 parking spaces. Furthermore, there will also be numerous bike and walking paths, in amongst the private roads. There will also be 4 public art installations situated in the campus. The exterior of the one central, circular office building will be made of curved glass, and the entire campus has been designed so as to be as energy efficient as possible.

The forthcoming campus is also set to contain a cafe with a seating capacity of 3000, a fitness centre, an orchard and a generating plant. The spaceship campus is located only a mile away from the original Apple campus.

Construction on this second California office is set to finish at the end of 2015/early 2016.

Award-Winning Architecture

Several of Apple’s retail establishments have won awards for their design. New York’s 5th Avenue store is characterised by its spectacular large glass cube entrance, and won the 2007 American Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaueum. The store also contains a glass lift and glass staircase, which take customers down to the store, located underneath the General Motors Building. The glass also serves as a skylight, which allows natural lighting to filter down to the shop underneath.

Apple’s Covent Garden outlet, in London, is equally sophisticated, if understated. The store is located in a historic building constructed in the late 19th century, originally intended as a hotel. Before moving in, Apple hired a construction firm to restore some of the building’s features, and repair the iconic brickwork. The store also features iron framework and a concrete deck, reminiscent of industrial revolution-era architecture. Like its New York cousin, the Covent Garden outlet also contains a glass staircase and lift.

The glass theme is continued in the Shanghai Apple store. Instead of a cube, however, the entrance to the Chinese outlet is heralded by a 13m high glass cylinder. The cylinder in turn is surrounded by a moat. A glass stairway provides visitors with access to the underground store. Minimalist, yet stylish, the store mimics the general design of the 5th Avenue outlet.

We shall have to see what iconic store designs Foster & Partners come up with for future Apple retail spaces. They certainly have big safety shoes to fill.

Grace Matthews is a London-based lifestyle blogger who loves nothing better than to snuggle in her Dickies fleece on a cold winter’s day.

The post Architecture And The Apple Store appeared first on Keboto.