I have a friend who is out on his first tour right now, and he is having a really hard time adjusting to his schedule and sleeping on a rock-and-roll coach.  He’s on a Prevost, which I always thought was a nice bus, and sleeping came naturally - but he is having a hard time sleeping in his coffin-like bunk.

Nathan, the image below is for you.  Click for larger size.
Anyone got any advice for my friend?  Post in the comments.

From the post earlier about the big award the Watercube just won, here’s some video of the Watercube.  This is the kind of work that makes you wish you had a hand in it.

Also, check out this architect’s concept video of the Watercube:

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Yanko Design posted about the Flat Bulb - it’s a, um, well, it’s a flat edison lamp, medium screw type, and it’s flat.  It’s a flat bulb.  Designed by Joonhuyn Kim and displayed at the 100% Design Tokyo show this year.  So, the flatness - better for shipping?  Won’t roll away on you?

Inhabitat posted an article about the huge award that the Watercube (The Chinese Aquatic Center) won from the Australian Institute of Architecture.  The award, called the Jorn Utzon Award for International Architecture, is a prestigious honor - but anyone who saw the Watercube on broadcast of the 2008 Summer Olympics knows how beautiful the Watercube really was, and how amazing a collaboration between form and function it brought to our minds.

The Watercube was a joint collaboration between PTW Architects, Chinese firms CSCEC and CCDI, and the international firm, Arup.

From Inhabitat’s article - I love this quote:

The jurors who selected the Watercube said, “The Watercube uses state-of-the-art materials to create a visually striking building that is also energy-efficient and ecologically friendly. The most impressive aspect of the project is the outer shell or molecular skin that envelops the building. The building has a chameleon-like quality that captures light in an extraordinary and memorable way. In every respect, the Watercube is an engaging and ethereal building that comfortably straddles the traditions of both Chinese and Western architecture.”

At LDI this year, I heard a lot of talk about IP ratings and IP code, with such numbers being thrown around as “IP 65″ and “oh, that fixture’s awesome, it’s got an IP 68 rating.”

Do you know what that means?  Do you know how to interpret IP Code?

A fixture’s IP (International Protection) rating has to do with how well it is protected against the elements and people sticking stuff inside of it, to be frank.  IP ratings cover two scenarios - “it classifies the degrees of protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects (including body parts like hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and water in electrical enclosures,” to quote Wikipedia’s entry on IP ratings.

So - the rating system is based off of two numbers and their meaning - the first against things stuck in the enclosure, and the second against water entering the enclosure.  This is basically a more efficient and detailed method of saying something is “waterproof,” as many things do.  There are many levels of “waterproof,” as we all probably know.

The rating system:  FIRST NUMBER

0
No protection against contact and ingress of objects

1
>50 mm
Any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part

2
>12.5 mm
Fingers or similar objects

3
>2.5 mm
Tools, thick wires, etc.

4
>1 mm
Most wires, screws, etc.

5
dust protected
Ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment; complete protection against contact

6
dust tight
No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact

The rating system:  SECOND NUMBER

0
not protected    -

1
dripping water
Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmful effect.

2
dripping water when tilted up to 15°
Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted at an angle up to 15° from its normal position.

3
spraying water
Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall have no harmful effect.

4
splashing water
Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect.

5
water jets
Water projected by a nozzle against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.

6
powerful water jets
Water projected in powerful jets against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.

7
immersion up to 1 m
Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (up to 1 m of submersion).

8
immersion beyond 1 m
The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions which shall be specified by the manufacturer.

NOTE: Normally, this will mean that the equipment is hermetically sealed. However, with certain types of equipment, it can mean that water can enter but only in such a manner that produces no harmful effects.

If you have a “X” in your IP rating, it means that device has no rating for that number.  For example, you might see IP2X on some of the indoor electrical items you have in your house, such as wall outlets.  That means it is protected against fingers going into the socket, and not rated for water.

Now you know how to read IP ratings.  How does it feel to be “in the know?”

I found a bit better video of CNN’s holographic projections of Jessica Yellin during election night.  I keep wondering where Mr. Scott is to finish beaming her up.

A special installment of the Weekly WYSIWYG posts - I posted an article yesterday about Marcus Wuebker’s lighting design and programming for the McNamara Tunnel in Detroit’s Airport.  I just got an email from Gil Densham from Cast Lighting - that contained the renderings from the project, which was done in WYSIWYG!  Thanks Gil!  Check these out:

Check this out - a lamp that is flat packed and shipped, and once you receive it, you bend it into shape.  Behold, the Bendant Lamp by Jaime Salm.  Mio has the Bendant Lamp for $175.  From the product page:

Description
The Bendant Lamp is a flat-packed chandelier composed of a series of leaf-like shades surrounding a central fixture. Bend the shades up or down and create unique light and shadow arrangements.

Philosophy
Material and process guide the Bendant Lamp’s design, making it a true example of eco-centric design. The size of the lamp, shape of the cuts and flat packaging are a result of material and manufacturing efficiencies. In addition, the lamp welcomes the user as co-designer pushing the boundaries of design and self-assembly.

Let’s consider this post a plug.

A friend of mine, Wendy Mutz, is a photographer in the Oklahoma City/Tulsa area.  I met Wendy while teaching at a university there, and she shot the shows I lit.  After the first show that I saw pictures Wendy had taken, she immediately became my favorite production photographer.  Her shots are full of color, composed well, and always keep the sense of the moment intact.

Take a moment and check out Wendy’s portfolio.  Thanks for putting up with the plug!