Welcome to the Fun House

They've done it. Those crazy Asians have finally done it. They've created the most fun place to live on the planet. Level Architects have made my and every kid's dreams come true with this:






That is one hell of a slide house, boys and girls! Unfortunately, you'd have to go shack up in Tokyo to experience the overwhelming joy that clearly pervades those four walls.

The slide even ends in a secret library


Which brings me to another point about things that make houses awesome: books and nooks. Books and nooks to come. For now, let's continuously ogle this fun house.

It also has a blowing ball pit. For real. These kids are the happiest children on the planet:


This is an actual room in their home, just for them. Just wait until they get old enough for homework. Then what? Mom and Dad are just going to casually get them to stop playing in their awesome in-home ball pit and do math? Pfft, yeah right. Oh wait, they're Asian. Alright, they should be ok.

I guess it's time to start gearing up for Christmas List 2011, because this bad boy is definitely going to top it.

(PS - I basically just jacked this whole thing from dezeen.)

Look What James Found!

If you are a lover of nerdy city history, secret locations, and watching people risk jail time (and their lives) you will be pleased with the following video, brought to you by James.

This is UNDERCITY, a documentary by Andrew Wonder that follows this guy Steve around as he lurks through NYC subway tunnels, shows us the original architecture of the Canal Street sewer (the city's first underground), interviews some people who have been living along train tracks for decades, and climbs to the tippy top of the Williamsburg bridge.

In case you haven't guessed, Andrew Wonder and Steve are super badass. Seriously, take the time to watch:

UNDERCITY from Andrew Wonder on Vimeo.

2010 Architecture and Design Film Festival

Just got the news (a little late thanks to Labor Day festivities):  The Architecture and Design Film Festival will be hosted at Tribeca Cinemas, October 14 - 17.

This is the first film festival to celebrate architecture and design in New York City, and it should be a great place for industry minds to commingle.  Plus, the connected bar/lounge will most likely be filled with swank new design products -- hooray sponsorships!

The line-up of films has yet to be announced, but event organizers promise a mix of feature-length films, documentaries and shorts, profiling architects and their process, environmental issues, and all the obligatory, cool design eye candy one would expect.  

Movies will be announced in mid-September.  Perhaps too much time has gone by for it to be included, but while we're on the topic of design films, here's a quick shout to Objectified, which was excellent.  Here's the trailer. 

Tickets will go on sale September 27th.   Keep updated at the festival site here. 

Obligatory cool design eye candy! Yeah!

“Artistic Foyer” - Nüvist Architecture & Design's entry to the Izmir Opera House Competition