Birds Eye: Prisma from a Balloon

Please check the Under Construction section of our wwwebsite for regular updates: http://www.nlarchitects.nl/www/under-construction/

NL Architects Fashion Blog (2)

Sarah wears Thijs’ new rubber boots (necessary gear to survive Low Lands). And she didn’t even have to take off her shoes…

Whatever happened to BLACK?

Google Plan

How often is Google Earth updated?

It would be a great service if updates could be on demand. It would become possible to take screenshots of building sites, to make a digital flipbook. You could see construction evolve floor by floor…

From dust to dust

World Wide every second 5000 kg of steel is lost through corrosion (WikipediaNL)

Urban Myth: German Detailing

Trash Credit

Since a few years underground trash containers are becoming more and more popular. The benefits are numerous. It now is possible to bring out your garbage at any given time, which is actually quite convenient. Compared to above ground containers only a relatively small section is visible. The streets are no longer littered with garbage bags. The underground storage does not smell. And picking up trash becomes a fun job that no longer is hazardous to the Trashman.

In Dordrecht we discovered the new generation featuring an electronic lock! You need some sort of credit card to open the bin…

Proving Ground

Parking your bike in Amsterdam is a hassle. It is not enough to lock it; you’ve got to lock it to something. A war-zone.

In the slipstream of popular talent shows like Idols, Starmaker, Deutschland sucht den Superstar or Pop Idol, now it is the 15 minutes of fame for ‘urban furniture’. A testing ground has opened where 19 different types of bicycle racks can be tried-out. The audience is invited to send in their top 3. Which one looks good? Which one works? Velopgrip, Staple, Dome, or Hurdle? Cast your vote now…

www.centrum.amsterdam.nl/smartsite.dws?id=27612

The project works as a prop for social interaction. Matthijs -not really an expert in this field: he only bought his first bike last year- is discussing the properties of the Tulip with a new friend.

Favorite is nr 10: Parcplace. New kid on the block: firm but modest. It seems real easy to hook up your chain to it to lock your bike. And from all contestants it least obstructs the road when not in use.

Phone Cell = Pillory

Until last year the telephone company KPN by law had to provide one phone booth per 5000 inhabitants. But on a population of 16 million, currently there are 17 million cell phones in the Netherlands; 95 % of the population never uses a public phone and from 2000 to 2006 the use of what in Dutch is called ‘phone cells’ dropped 75%.

According to newspaper Het Parool public phones in Amsterdam are used by criminals only. Cell phones are easy to trace. Phone booths are the only way to make an anonymous call. Only public phones are private. Now you can witness people holding a cell phone containing their address book punching in the number at a phone booth… instant suspect.

Super U boat wash