Silophone is a unique & interactive sound installation in a huge disused grain silo in Montreal.

Go to the website http://www.silophone.net switch on ‘listen to silophone” and upload an audio clip (less than 1mb). The clip is then sent over the web to speakers within the building, played into the silo, picked up through mics in the silo & broadcast back over the web for you to hear the enormous 20 second+ reverb of the building.

” The sound is captured by microphones and rebroadcast back to its sender, to other listeners and to a sound installation outside the building. Anyone may contribute material of their own, filling the instrument with increasingly varied sounds.”

found over at deepsound

Ralph Lauren 4D from Ralph Lauren on Vimeo.

Great example of projection mapping and augmented architecture from Ralph Lauren.

Thanks to Infectious

In 2005 the Gensler Workplace Survey introduced the Work Place Index (WPI). They analysed four key criteria that allow the creative and innovative power of employees to be fully realised: focus, collaboration, learning and socialising. The top performing companies were found to spend on average 23% more time collaborating, 40% more time learning, and 16% more time socialising than their peers. As those scores rise in a company, so too do their profits, market position, innovation capabilities, employee management and brand. For profit alone, the higher WPI scores of top performing companies translated to 7 to 14 percentage point higher profits.

But the most relevant finding for me was that effective workplace design directly correlates to better business performance. It’s not just about aesthetics, but about understanding what employees need to do their job successfully.

I’m massively excited by the new office (see picture above). I’m not on any committees for the new space, the furniture choices or even the lighting, and in many ways the job is so daunting I don’t envy those who have to appease everyone. But still, it’s a subject area that’s always fascinated me.

The building itself has been described as “like the script of a B-movie (which never made it to production, for obvious reasons) in which giant mutant chewy sweets have, following a radioactive accident, invaded the world.” Clearly, not everyone’s going to like its colourful splash on the otherwise dull grey London skyline, but at least it stands out.  Did you know it is part owned by Legal & General, and part by Mitsubishi? We all know about the roof terrace, but hearing the ceiling heights are above average, and that Starchitect Renzo Piano has worked to create “a joyful heart” to the area makes me think that the building’s finer details will not be overlooked for those of us lucky enough to work there. It would be a shame if some of his principals did not continue inside the building, and not remain on the outside alone.

Of course, what’s really important is that the new office space promotes productivity and sharing. 86 percent of the “American Society of Interiors Designers 200” respondents say that it is important for a company to appear flexible, adaptable and forward-thinking. However, only 15 percent of respondents believe that their office design currently communicates that image. 67 percent of the respondents say that redesigning their offices would show employees, clients and competitors that their company is flexible, adaptable and forward-thinking.

This article explores some of the considerations our interior designers will be thinking about, including the basics such as access vs privacy, wire and cable management, mobile office solutions…

But what’s exciting for me to think about are things like lighting. Ambient lighting, task lighting, natural light (there’s plenty at CSG!), contrast lighting to concentrate on what’s in front of you and more.

And textures. Textures are really important – carpets and walls with more than just colour. The outside of the building works because it’s not plastic or metal behind the colours, but instead ceramic. The inside walls should be treated similarly – fabric walls, deep grouted tiles, wood panelling. Having furniture and fittings that are different or unexpected will not only encourage participation and interaction with the environment, but actually foster conversation and therefore greater understanding about our clients.

And social spaces. Luckily at Mindshare we don’t have a problem with hierarchy and unapproachable people. We’re all lovely! But it is interesting to think about the cues that the office can give that might put up false barriers – a democratised workspace where everyone shares the same design of chair might run the risk of being anonymous, but having an egalitarian approach makes newcomers feel welcome. Natural materials would contrast the potentially harsh yet striking surroundings of London’s skyline, and bring in the wonderful new terrace we’ll have access to.

It’s important to have a balance between working together or separately too. Social spaces are going to be crucial and it’s great to hear that hot-desking will be the norm in the new place. Frank Duffy understood the need for a “hub”, to meet and converse. The workstation comforts of old have been replaced by laptops and souvenirs, but social spaces lubricate conversation. Cliques will naturally form, but they must not be prohibitive. Having lunch together, eating at single long tables might nurture a collegiate, open culture.

And well-being. Indeed, a fully stocked and manned kitchen is massively important too. Let’s have chefs on rotation, cooking a variety of meals. In this day and age, meal plans could surely be created that maximise concentration, productivity and efficiency… not stodgy meals that send you to Carbo-sleep. This would not only manage the well-being, health and productivity of the staff, but in an era of making Mindshare our clients’ lead business partner, having an excellent kitchen would also do wonders to encourage clients to stay that extra hour or so in the building. The outdoor space is going to be fantastic, and I hope we can offer that as a dining experience too.

Studio Ilse suggests that the notion of a perfectly lit, climate controlled office is actually a hangover from the industrial revolution and no longer suited to the demands of today’s office life. That it actually denies our productivity. Henry Ford said “When we are at work we ought to be at work. And when we are at play we ought to be at play. There is no use trying to mix the two”. But in fact, in order to do well at business we should be masters of empathy, team work and communication. The Well-Being Institue at the University of Cambridge found that “techniques which encourage the mindful awareness of one’s sensations, thoughts and feelings, or techniques which increase the frequency of positive emotions can have beneficial effects on wellbeing, health and productivity.” As an example, Studio Ilse is currently designing an ad agency with outdoor space for movie nights and pizza parties. It’s not a conceit. People rarely succeed at anything if they don’t have fun along the way.

For a few award winning examples of interior designed spaces check out the following:

Wonderwall cater for the likes of Nike and Bathing Ape stores, as well as New York hotels and more, but their own offices are fantastic. Distinctly unique, yet every single space has a sense of Wonder, magic and curiosity.

Clive Wilkinson Architects have designed interior spaces for Mother, JWT and TBWA\Chiat\Day, and technology firms in the Silicon Valley and Nokia in Finland. If you get a chance to visit any of those spaces, you’ll know what they can bring to life. Have a look at their work on the Macquarie Investment Bank – Sydney.

Designed by M Moser and Associates, Ogilvy & Mather’s Guangzhou office has gone all out with the theme “Carnival of Ideas.” Though the staff’s commute has, in some cases, doubled, the environment is so vibrant that they don’t mind. Have a look at the images here.

More from Monocle on the future of the workplace, here and in their current issue

More from TheCoolHunter on fancy-pants offices, here

Siiiick! Sling shot your SMS messages on to a wall. Anyone know how it works? How long they stay up there for? Get in touch with me!

Made by Guerilla Innovation

ACDC Vs Iron Man 2 – Architectural Projection Mapping on Rochester Castle from seeper on Vimeo.

Architectural augmented reality. On the site of a thousand years of violent history, ACDC were pitted against Iron Man in a ground breaking architectural projection mapping project. The front facade of the Great Keep at Rochester Castle, was brought to life using the latest in 3D animation techniques by seeper.

The rise of the MAVIN nations (post BRICs, we’ll have Mexico, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Nigeria as emerging global powerhouses)

42% of businesses see the recession as an opportunity not a hinderance, and that businesses will change for the better. They see that the next few years as a hotbed of opportunity around the following areas. These are what you should invest in! More sophisticated technology, advanced telecoms, hometech advantages, customer knowledge, the female workforce, social media growth (though probably niche, not broad), and increasingly ethical practices.

Rethink what is a “Status” brand. Companies like Howies, Toyota, Timberland are all making it plain and clear what they stand for. Their values are communicated in everything they do. Similarly, M&S’ Plan A is a business goal, but is also helping consumers with their own eco-goals.

People want to know about products and their provenance as considered consumption continues to impact society. There’s opportunity for “sexy data” – more like The Feltron Report, perhaps, but for supply data. Check out Daytum and Information is Beautiful

Check out Prefab Parasites (above).

Consider Monocle’s Quality of Life table or Mercer’s indices of “most liveable cities”, pushing the quality of life index higher up the agenda. People are considered with what’s Local, Authentic, Trustworthy, Traditional, Ethical (LATTE is the rather unfortunate acronym). Brixton’s Cornercopia – local shops for local people often with their own currency!

Watch the Story of Stuff below – people want businesses to be less flabby, to be clearer in their values: Lean, Efficient, Alternative, Neutral (LEAN. Ahem).

20% of the UK population works over 48 hours… but doing what you wonder! The average number of apps on an iphone is 67. How many are languishing? There’s an increasing desire for more meaningful connection. There’s increasing corporate and cultural de-cluttering going on as we search for cognitive simplicity. Clay Shirky talks about filter failure below:

Growing companies are specialising in producing less, not more, range of good. Andy mentioned plus minus zero recently. Check out their short but beautiful range of products. By making less products per year, using mapping and considered targeting to reach customers globally, with simplification at the heart of the design (“does it need ironing…” or “does it fit into my handbag”…) your company can be significantly help customers in their decision making process as we all shift to stripping down to the essentials in our lives. Consumersim will be the death of this planet whilst demand fuels needless and destructive supply.

Check out Tim Ferriss’ 4 Hour Work Week for tips on how to streamline and make more efficient your life, or look at This Breathing Earth to understand the planet and our impact on it.

52% of people are working towards making a smartphone their only device. Sales of these are set to outstrip worldwide PC sales by 2011. Intel are developing “quiet time” technology such as email switch-off devices as people look to detune, switch off and streamline.

The net is clearly a hotbed of entrepreneurial thinking and products. The Kauffman Foundation was made to help innovators flourish as increasingly it is the small, continuously developed, networked, highly responsive, risk friendly businesses that will become successful in the 2010s. Stop having “think tanks” and start promoting “do-tanks”.

Squatters Ltd is an interesting shop that lets brands try out their products with consumers before a full launch. Ace Hotels know they’re best at running hotels, so rather than trying to be a retail stop too, they invite the likes of Opening Ceremony to run their gift shop. Icon Magazine have diversified from running a magazine but when it comes to their pub quiz, subjects range from, well Architecture to Art.. .and that’s about it! The Vinyl Factory realised that as digital music becomes all-powerful, people who really care about music will pay for premium products. Vinyl smells like music after all. In a heavily digitised environment it is smell, touch, weight, context that stands out from the rest, that becomes important. Tangible can be profitable.

Online retail wont die though – worth $1bn ten years ago, it’s now worth $20bn. But only 7.5% of purchases are made online still… that’s scary when you work out the rise of consumerism (as mentioned above) but for retailers it shows there opportunity too. The mobile money market is expected to be $8.6bn by 2014. We’re firmly in the second generation of e-retailers – the first experience of your brand will likely be online. People dont distinguish between online and offline shopping. Brands must be globally reachable and locally relevant.

Few. That’s that.

Ask me a question in the comments box if you want to know more about anything from the briefing… or you could ask LSN (but they’ll probably charge you!)

Sited upon small volcanic cone in the high desert midway between Las Vegas & Los Angeles, this 60-acre retreat seems to cap the mountain top with its dome-like roof: Concrete and truss beams form its dome allowing the interior to embrace 360 degrees of stark, strong almost lunar landscape. Main house of two bedrooms, 2 baths and open entertaining areas. Guest house of one bedroom and bath, lake, and ultimate privacy.

Vard Wallace, who built a business selling drafting machines and airplane parts to Lockheed Corp and other aircraft companies during World War II, had the high desert retreat constructed for himself as a getaway, according to Los Angeles Times archives. The home sits about midway between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. It was completed in 1968 and designed by Harold Bissner Jr.

Currently owned by PBS commentator Huell Howser – producer and host of California’s Gold a 17 year running PBS travel program that explores the numerous natural, cultural and historical wonders of the Golden State - the property is for sale, listing the 60-acre Newberry Springs compound with its dome-shaped home at $750,000.

N Building from Alexander Reeder on Vimeo.

If the future is giant barcodes on the side of buildings, not only will I likely be out of a job, but it would be a shame for the whole creative marketing industry… but of course with every closed door a new one opens. With that in mind, being positive, the above augmented reality video looks at how buidlings can communicate with passers by. Going one step beyond Bluetoothe’d messages, or a remote website, this building sends its comms to those who passing by that are intrigued by the goings on within. Tweets from shoppers inside, discounts and offers from concessions, and more. Read more at DesignBoom